Colbert is a town in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,140 at the 2010 census, a 7 percent increase from 1,065 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated in 1939.
History
Colbert men became prominent leaders among the Chickasaw for most of the 18th and 19th centuries starting with William "de Blainville" Colbert from France born of Scottish blood. His parents fled during the Glorious Revolution in Scotland; hence, he was born in exile in Blainville-sur-Orne, France. William traveled to the New World to seek a new line of work as a fur trader since the Jacobite uprisings had ruined his entitlements as a "King Baron." These Colberts were also related to Jean Baptiste Colbert, Treasurer to King Louis XIV. There is a chateau named after Jean Baptiste Colbert in the aforementioned French town located on the Atlantic coast; it became a safe haven beginning in 1688. Once in the New World, William Colbert ended up marrying the Chickasaw chief's eldest daughter in order to gain more influence in his trading of furs with the native tribes. It's from this union that the Colbert men started gaining prominence especially since the next two generations married Chickasaw/Cherokee wives. They also became chiefs such as George Colbert and Levi Colbert.
Geography
Colbert is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,065 people, 428 households, and 275 families residing in the town. The population density was 993.1 people per square mile. There were 493 housing units at an average density of 459.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 73.33% White, 17.18% African American, 4.51% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 4.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population. There were 428 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couplesliving together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,304, and the median income for a family was $30,250. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $15,962 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,447. About 11.6% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 24.2% of those age 65 or over.
