Crescent is a city in
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States:
* Logan County, Arkansas
* Logan County, Colorado
* Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895)
* Logan County, Illinois
* Logan County, Kansas
* Logan County, ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, United States. The population inside the city limits was 1,411 at the
2010 census. It is part of the
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
History
Crescent was formed with the
Indian Appropriations Act of 1889 on March 2, 1889, and officially started that fall when William Brown began selling general merchandise out of a wagon. Soon he took on a partner, Benjamin Ryland, and the two moved into a log cabin. A post office christened "Crescent City" was established on February 21, 1890, the name taken from a moon-shaped glade where the town began. In November 1891 the town site was platted, and incorporated in 1893. The
Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad
The Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad (DE&G) was built as a short line railroad operating in Kansas, and Oklahoma. Incorporated in Oklahoma as the Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad Company, March 31, 1902, by the five Frantz Brothers.
History
In June ...
laid track one mile (1.6 km) west of the city in 1902, and the city obtained of land from two farmers (C. E. Wells and J. H. Rhoades) creating "new Crescent" or "West Crescent"; eventually the town moved to the new location. Oil was discovered north of town in 1926 and then south of town in 1930 in the "Crescent Oil Field".
[Thomas L. Hedglen, "Crescent", ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture''](_blank)
May 29, 2015.
On June 20, 1934 the Farmers and Merchants Bank was robbed by a group of men. The group took 13 hostages to help conceal the attempt and to help move the safe. They had the hostages load the safe into the back of a truck and drove the hostages and safe out of town. They ended up leaving both behind, hostages unhurt and safe unopened.
In 1965 the
Cimarron Processing Facility was opened by
Kerr-McGee
The Kerr-McGee Corporation, founded in 1929, was an American energy company involved in oil exploration, production of crude oil, natural gas, perchlorate and uranium mining and milling in various countries. On June 23, 2006, Anadarko Petroleum ...
(owned through a subsidiary, Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corp.) to convert powdered
uranium hexafluoride
Uranium hexafluoride (), (sometimes called "hex") is an inorganic compound with the formula UF6. Uranium hexafluoride is a volatile white solid that reacts with water, releasing corrosive hydrofluoric acid. The compound reacts mildly with alumin ...
and
plutonium
Plutonium is a radioactive chemical element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibi ...
into fuel pellets for use in the nation's nuclear power plants.
[Larry O'Dell, "Nuclear Power"](_blank)
, ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture''. Accessed May 29, 2015. The site became the center of highly controversial revelations within the
petrochemical industry
The petrochemical industry is concerned with the production and trade of petrochemicals. A major part is constituted by the plastics (polymer) industry. It directly interfaces with the petroleum industry, especially the downstream sector.
Comp ...
, when in the early 1970s, working conditions and manufacturing practices at the facility became dangerous. The 1983 Oscar-nominated film ''
Silkwood
''Silkwood'' is a 1983 American biographical drama film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher. The screenplay by Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen was adapted from the book ''Who Killed Karen Silkwood?'' by ''Rollin ...
'', based around
Karen Silkwood
Karen Gay Silkwood (February 19, 1946 – November 13, 1974) was an American chemical technician and labor union activist known for raising concerns about corporate practices related to health and safety in a nuclear facility.
She w ...
(who became contaminated) and her death (in 1974), is a movie about those revelations. In 1976 the facility ceased production. The
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
(EPA) stated that the groundwater contamination (near where the company once buried radioactive waste) was rising near the plant and was 400 times higher than federal drinking-water standards allowed in 1989, while levels were 208 to 360 times higher than federal standards in 1985–87. Several cleanup and decommissioning projects have been attempted, with none completed as of 2011.
Geography
Crescent is located at (35.953137, −97.594593).
Crescent is northwest of
Guthrie, the county seat.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , all land.
Climate
The
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Crescent's climate as
humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(Cfa).
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,281 people, 562 households, and 361 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,206.2 people per square mile (466.6/km
2). There were 639 housing units at an average density of 601.7 per square mile (232.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 4.7%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 2.6%
Native American, 0.1%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.5% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.0% of the population.
There were 562 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,096, and the median income for a family was $32,206. Males had a median income of $25,602 versus $21,121 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,081. About 13.2% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 21.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Since October 1951, Crescent has had a city-manager, city-council form of government. The council members select a mayor by voting among themselves.
Notable people
*
Hubert Eugene "Geese" Ausbie (born April 25, 1938), a retired professional basketball player and manager for the
Harlem Globetrotters. Played for
Douglass High School in Crescent (black students), he averaged more than 40 points-per-game. In 1955, during a week for the district tournament, he scored 70 points (vs. Meridian L'Ouverture), 54 (vs. Arcadia Dunbar), and 62 (vs. Mulhall). The 186 points in three games remains an Oklahoma tournament record.
["The Century's Best". '']The Oklahoman
''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th larges ...
''. June 13, 1999.
*
Chelsea Manning
Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning; December 17, 1987) is an American activist and whistleblower. She is a former United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage A ...
, a transgender former United States Army intelligence analyst, convicted by court-martial related to
whistleblowing
A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...
to
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks () is an international Nonprofit organization, non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous Source (journalism), sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activism, Internet acti ...
, whose sentence was later commuted.
Gallery
Cresent Oklahoma post office.jpg, Crescent Oklahoma post office
Frontier Country Museum in Crescent, Oklahoma.jpg, Frontier Country Museum in Crescent, Oklahoma
The Corner Church BW (26874922878).jpg, Crescent First United Methodist Church
Grain Storage (38915331250).jpg, Grain storage facility in Crescent, Oklahoma.
For Sale (40725926231).jpg, International KB-series farm truck in Crescent, Oklahoma.
Crescent, OK 73028, USA - panoramio.jpg, 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-Door Sedan in Crescent
References
External links
Crescent Schools websiteCrescent WebsiteCity of Crescent Website''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - Crescent
{{authority control
Oklahoma City metropolitan area
Cities in Oklahoma
Cities in Logan County, Oklahoma
1889 establishments in Indian Territory