Clearview, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 23.818 W 096° 11.163
14S E 755565 N 3920703
Clearview is one of the fifty all-black towns begun in Oklahoma in the early 20th century.
Waymark Code: WMYF0G
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 06/07/2018
Views: 3
Clearview is located southeast of Okemah, and north of Weleetka, and is one of only 13 towns still in existence out of the original 50 all-black towns. Founded in 1903, it had a population of 618 in 1907. The town had five churches, 5 groceries, a blacksmith shop, school and two-story hotel. An agricultural town, many of its inhabitants grew up from childhood picking cotton.
The Great Depression of the 1930's was the downfall of Clearview. By the late 1930's the population was down to 420. People left to find work and never returned. Today, the town has a population of 48. There are no commercial buildings open, and the post office was removed in 1995. An old WPA school and gymnasium serves as the town's Community Center, and the folks who still live here call it home, and love the town.
A welcome sign north of town cheerful declares: "Oh! What a Clear View". This website tells how a rodeo which is held once a year brings people back for a day or two, to keep alive the memories and history of black cowboys.
All-Black Town
