Elk City, Oklahoma
| Elk City | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Location in Oklahoma
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1901 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Oklahoma | ||
| County : | Beckham County | ||
| Coordinates : | 35 ° 24 ′ N , 99 ° 25 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 ) | ||
| Residents : | 10,510 (as of: 2000) | ||
| Population density : | 277.3 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 38.6 km 2 (approx. 15 mi 2 ) of which 37.9 km 2 (approx. 15 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 585 m | ||
| Postcodes : | 73644, 73648 | ||
| Area code : | +1 580 | ||
| FIPS : | 40-23500 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1092527 | ||
| Website : | www.elkcity.com | ||
Elk City is a city in Beckham County in the US -amerikanischen State Oklahoma . It has 10,510 inhabitants (2000). Elk City is located off Interstate 40 and historic Route 66 in southwest Oklahoma, 180 km west of Oklahoma City and 210 km east of Amarillo .
geography
Elk City is 588 meters above sea level and has an area of 38.6 km², of which 37.9 km² are land and 0.7 km² are water.
history
In 1541 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was the first European to reach the region. The Spanish conquistadors moved northwest in search of a town called Quivira, which was said to be fabulous in gold. Although Coronado's itinerary is unknown, it is very likely that his expedition touched what is now Elk City or the surrounding area.
Elk City's history began immediately after the opening of Cheyenne - and Arapaho - reserves in western Oklahoma Territory for settlement on April 19, 1892. Previously, cattle in the "Great Western Cattle Trail" has been regularly from Texas to Kansas driven by today's urban area .
Elk City was the brainchild of Beeks Erick, MG Robinson, Charles H. Dewaide, JN Cook, and BC Hendricks - all of Weatherford, Oklahoma - after learning the Choctaw-Oklahoma Gulf Railroad route. They founded the "Choctaw City and Development Company" and decided to build a city at the head of Elk Creek on the new railroad. On March 20, 1901, the first land was sold in an area that the company had acquired from a settler just a few days earlier. On August 31, 1901, the city received its vital railway connection.
In January 1902 there were already more than 60 companies in Elk City and the population exceeded 1000. Not even a year old, the place was already one of the largest in western Oklahoma. Despite two devastating fires (on October 28, 1903 and March 1906) Elk City continuously grew into an important location for traffic and economy. When the state was founded in 1907, its population had tripled to 3,000.
Demographic data
data according to
economy
Today Elk City is an important trading post for western Oklahoma and parts of northern Texas with a catchment area within a radius of approximately 90 kilometers. Important branches of the economy are oil, agriculture, wind energy, tourism, mechanical engineering and the health sector. With Elk City overlying a rich oil and natural gas reservoir, the petroleum industry forms the core of the local economy. As the historic Route 66 crosses Elk City, a multi-layered museum landscape has also developed in the city.
Known residents
- W. Craig Broadwater (1950-2006), federal judge
- Richard Hart (* 1955), jazz guitarist
- Justin McBride (* 1979), world champion in bull riding
- Kelli O'Hara (* 1976), actress, singer and songwriter
- Susan Powell (born 1959), Miss America 1981
- Joe Spencer (born 1923), football player
- Jimmy Webb (born 1946), songwriter
- Grant Woods (born 1954), politician
Attractions
- Casa Grande Hotel
- Hedlund Motor Company Building
- Storm House
- Whited Grist Mill
- National Route 66 Museum Complex
- Country Dove Gifts and Tea Room
- Elk City has five museums: the Old Town Museum, the National Route 66 Museum, the National Transportation Museum, the Farm and Ranch Museum, and the Blacksmith Museum.
Newspapers
- The Elk City Daily News , since 1901
- Elk Citian , since 2003
literature
- Elk City - Rising from the Prairie . Western Oklahoma Historical Society, 2007
- Prairie Fire . Western Oklahoma Historical Society, 1978
Web links
- Homepage of the city of Elk City
- Elk City Chamber of Commerce
- Elk City in the Encyclopedia of History and Culture of Oklahoma
Individual evidence
- ^ Coronado expedition
- ↑ a b History of Elk City ( Memento of the original from July 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Elk City Convention & Visitors Bureau
- ↑ News ( Memento of the original from July 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. City of Elk City, Oklahoma
- ↑ elkcity.com ( Memento of the original from May 9, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
