Leonard is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the southeastern corner of

Tulsa County Tulsa County is located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in Oklahoma, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the secon ...

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 at the 2020 U.S. Census was 262, compared to 200 in the 2010 census. It is located on

U.S. Route 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles (3,743 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 1 ...

at the Wagoner County line. The town serves the surrounding farming area. It is notable for the presence of the nearby Leonard Geophysical Observatory.

Demographics

History

The post office was established August 22, 1908.Linda Haas Davenport,"Cities/Towns of Tulsa County, Oklahoma"
Accessed April 12, 2015. by L.E. Reynolds and named for S. C. Leonard of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Joe Randolph was the first postmaster.

Leonard Geophysical Observatory

The Oklahoma Geological Survey's Leonard Geophysical Observatory is just south of Leonard. The Oklahoma Geological Survey has announced its decision to close the facility permanently. This facility was established in 1960, because it was "seismically quiet," making it a satisfactory place for monitoring underground nuclear tests. The facility had been built in 1960 by Jersey Production Company (a subsidiary of Standard Oil Company of New Jersey) for seismic research. Jersey Company gave it to Oklahoma University in 1965. A site near Leonard was purchased by Sarkis Foundation and given to the State of Oklahoma. In 1978, the observatory became part of the Oklahoma Geological Survey. It was soon named the "Oklahoma Geological Survey Observatory."Lawson, James E., "History of the Oklahoma Geological Survey Observatory near Leonard, OK.
Accessed August 17, 2015. Under the

Threshold Test Ban Treaty The Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests, also known as the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), was signed in July 1974 by the United States and Soviet Union. It establishes a nuclear "threshold" by prohibiting nuclear tests ...

, which President George H. W. Bush and Mikhil Gorbachev signed in 1990, the Russian Government was permitted to monitor American underground nuclear tests. Leonard was one of three locations that the Russians were allowed to use for this purpose.Galchen, Rivka. "Goodbye to an Oklahoma Earthquake Observatory." ''New Yorker''. April 22, 2015.
Accessed August 11, 2015. The Russians were allowed to build a seismograph station on leased ground adjacent to the OGSO, which they returned to Oklahoma after completing their mission seven years later. The observatory employs a staff of two, and has been involved in monitoring earthquakes in the vicinity of Oklahoma since it opened. However, Austin Holland, state seismologist, has said that it is

technologically obsolete Obsolescence is the state of being which occurs when an object, service, or practice is no longer maintained or required even though it may still be in good working order. It usually happens when something that is more efficient or less risky r ...

and that the work can be done in the main OGS office at the OU campus in Norman. He added that the estimated cost to upgrade the Leonard facility is about $100,000. The state will close it during the summer of 2015, though the date has not been determined. The two staffers have been offered jobs in Norman, according to Holland.Krehbiel, Randy. "Oklahoma Geological Survey closing Leonard Seismic Observatory to cut costs."
Accessed April 29, 2015.

External links

Lawson, James E., "History of the Oklahoma Geological Survey Observatory near Leonard, OK." ''Tulsa World''. Accessed April 29, 2015
Accessed August 17, 2015.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Tulsa County, Oklahoma Unincorporated communities in Oklahoma