Seiling

Seiling is a city in Dewey County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 860 at the 2010 census. The town was named in 1899 for Louis Seiling, a local store owner who had acquired a homestead in the Cheyenne-Arapaho land run of April 1892. The Hobson Town and Improvement Company established a town called Hobson, but the name was changed to Seiling in January 1899. It incorporated in 1909. Seiling is now the largest city in Dewey County.[6] Their girls basketball team has also won the Oklahoma State Championship four times in a row (2016-2019). [7]

Seiling developed as a local agricultural center and became the largest town in Dewey County despite the fact that the nearest railroad depot was in Canton, more than 25 miles (40 km) away . Moreover, there were no bridges across either of the Canadian rivers until 1906. A horse racing track was built in 1903.[6]

Seiling is located at 36°8′55″N 98°55′30″W  /  36.14861°N 98.92500°W  / 36.14861; -98.92500 (36.148579, -98.925123).[8] It is immediately south of the North Canadian River and 7 miles (11 km) north of the Canadian River, 10 miles (16 km) from Taloga, the county seat.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all land.

As of the 2010 census, there were 860 people, 325 households, and 216 families residing in the city.[10] The population density was 1,000 people per square mile (400/km2). There were 402 housing units at an average density of 488.6 per square mile (786.3/km2). Residents self-identified as 95.1% white, 12.7% Native American, 4.9% of mixed heritage, 1.6% Asian, and 0.1% African American.[10] Hispanic or Latino Americans made up 3.7% of the population.[10]

There were 325 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 12% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families.[10] Individuals living alone accounted for 31.1% of households.[10] The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.24.[10] The median age was 37.9 years.[10]

The median income for a household in the city was $45,650, and the median income for a family was $58,466.[11] Males who were employed full-time had a median income of $43,333. Females who were employed full-time had a median income of $32,500.[11] The per capita income for the city was $24,410.[11] Below the poverty line were 9.7% of people, 10.3% of families, 13% of those under 18 and 11.6% of those over 64.[11]

The local economy has been based on agriculture since the land was opened to non-Indian settlement. The major crops initially were broomcorn and cotton. Seiling soon had a cotton gin and a feed mill. Wheat and rye became important crops before World War I. In 1918, the Seiling Milling Company opened a flour mill and marketed "White Rose Special" flour until it closed in 1952.[6]

Seiling is on US-60, US-270, US-281, SH-3, and SH-51, some of which run concurrently through the town.[12] US-183 is immediately to the west.[12] Thus the town bills itself as the “Crossroads of Northwest Oklahoma.”[1]

Seiling Airport (FAA Identifier: 1S4) is immediately adjacent to Seiling on the northwest.[13]

Seiling City Park is in the town, located on Seiling Creek.[14]

The 9-hole Seiling Golf Course was built in 1980.[15]

The Seiling Swimming Pool is open to the general public, and for special event rental.[16]

Canton Lake is to the east.[12]

Little Sahara State Park is about a half-hour to the north.[17]