Beaver

History

Beaver is located by Beaver River, also known as North Canadian River, and began as the location of a fur-trading post in 1879. Its original name was Beaver City, and was planned to be the capital of the short-lived Cimarron Territory. The Federal government never recognized the proposed Territory, but Beaver City remained the center of business and law enforcement for the area. Beaver began as a stop on the Jones and Plummer Trail. In 1880, Jim Lane built a house on the south side of Beaver Creek, that also served as a general store, saloon, hotel, and restaurant.{{efn|The Lane House a/k/a the Lane Cabin still stands, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. During the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression most of the Panhandle and its communities suffered great economic hardships and lost population. The city of Beaver actually gained population. In 1920, it had 920 residents, which grew to 1028 in 1930 and 1146 in 1940.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of , all land. A mile north of the town is Beaver Dunes Park, now owned by the City of Beaver, featuring sand dunes left by ancient seas that once covered the area. Beaver experiences a cool semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), bordering upon a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). It features cold, highly variable, and dry winters alongside hot, much wetter summers. While not the snowiest location in Oklahoma ranked by annual average snowfall, Beaver has the distinction of holding the State snowfall record for a season, during 1911–1912.

Race & ethnicity