Madill is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Marshall 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.
It was named in honor of George Alexander Madill, an attorney for the
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. The population at the 2010 census was 3,770, an increase of 10.8 percent from 3,410 at the 2000 census. It is best known as the site of the annual National
Sand Bass Festival.
[Marshall County Genealogy and Historical Society. "Madill,"''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.]
Retrieved February 12, 2016. It is part of the
Texoma
Texoma is an interstate region in the United States, split between Oklahoma and Texas. The name is a portmanteau of Texas and Oklahoma. Businesses use the term in their names to describe their intended service area. This includes 8 counties with ...
region.
History
Madill was founded in 1900 by William N. Taliaferro, who had settled in 1886, in what was then known as
Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation Pickens County was a political subdivision of the Chickasaw Nation in the Indian Territory from 1855, prior to Oklahoma being admitted as a state in 1907. The county was one of four that comprised the Chickasaw Nation. Following statehood, its terr ...
, in the
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
. Taliaferro owned a farm and operated some ranches in the nearby town of
Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
, northwest of Madill. Oakland had been the area's largest town, but the
St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad
The St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad (“New Orleans”) ran from Hope, Arkansas to a point near Ardmore, Oklahoma, and encompassed about 219 miles of track including a branch line. It existed from 1895 (under a different name) to ...
building through the town caused Madill to grow and Oakland, two miles northwest, to decline.
A post office was established at Madill on April 29, 1901, The city was chartered on September 12, 1902. The first public school opened in a four-room frame structure built on the south side of the town in 1903.
Farming and ranching became the town's principal industries early in its history because the surrounding area was highly fertile and the railroad provided good transportation to markets. There were also mineral springs nearby, and an oil seep north of town. The Arbuckle oilfield was discovered in 1904, and experienced another boom in 1924. Pure Oil Company brought in a well east of town in 1939 and built a company town called Pure Camp to house the oilfield workers. Pure Camp was destroyed by a tornado and killed two people on April 2, 1957. The camp closed permanently in July, 1959.
Madill was struck by another EF-2 tornado during the
Tornado outbreak of April 22–23, 2020
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, althou ...
.
Geography
Madill is located at (34.091261, -96.773565).
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 , of which is land and (1.37%) is water.
Madill is about north of
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklaho ...
. It was originally named Kenlock.
File:WorthHotelMadillOk (1 of 1).jpg, Worth Hotel Building (2016)
File:United States Post Office Madill (1 of 1).jpg, United States Post Office (2016)
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 3,410 people, 1,284 households, and 830 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 1,179.8 people per square mile (455.6/km). There were 1,453 housing units at an average density of 502.7 per square mile (194.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 64.52%
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 ...
, 6.04%
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 ...
, 6.42%
Native American, 0.26%
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 ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 15.84% 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 6.89% 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 20.97% of the population.
There were 1,284 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,457, and the median income for a family was $26,892. Males had a median income of $22,420 versus $18,203 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 $12,614. About 19.2% of families and 26.1% 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 36.2% of those under age 18 and 19.7% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
, the successor railroad to the Frisco, has a crew change point here on the line from Dallas to Tulsa. Highways serving Madill include
US-70,
US-177,
US-377, and
SH-199.
There is also a small municipal airport (FAA code 1F4) named Madill Municipal Airport, northwest of the city. It has one asphalt runway, 18/36, that is by at elevation . The airport beacon operates between sunrise and sunset every day. There is no control tower.
"Madill Municipal Airport." AirNav.com September 15, 2016.
Accessed September 29, 2016.
Economy
The first manufacturing company to open in Madill was Madill Garment Manufacturing Company, makers of men's dress pants, which started up in 1953. Madill has the oldest Ford Dealership in Oklahoma
Woody Ford
It was established in 1920 by John Woody and has been passed down 3 generations. It is one of the oldest Ford Dealerships in the entire United States. Madill is also well known for its trailer manufacturing firms. These includ
CM Trailers
an
WW Trailers
Other businesses includ
Savage
a manufacturer of agricultural processing equipment
Mid American Steel and Wire
a supplier of steel wire fo
Oklahoma Steel and Wire
an
J&I Manufacturing
a maker of truck beds.
Madill has also benefitted from tourism since the completion of Denison Dam and Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklaho ...
in 1944. Specifically, the city has hosted the National Sand Bass Festival every June since 1963. The week long event also offers fishing, carnival rides, musical entertainment, and arts and crafts.
Media
The ''Madill Record'', local newspaper, originated as the Oakland News in 1895. It is still in operation and has an electronic version.
Notable people
* Raymond Gary (190893), Governor of Oklahoma
* Roy Johnson (18951986), baseball player, manager, and coach.
* Bob Muncrief
Robert Cleveland Muncrief (January 28, 1916 – February 6, 1996) was an American professional baseball pitcher who appeared in 288 games in Major League Baseball over 12 seasons between and with the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Pittsbu ...
(19181996), baseball player
References
External links
Marshall County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Oklahoma
Cities in Marshall County, Oklahoma
County seats in Oklahoma
Populated places established in 1900
1900 establishments in Oklahoma Territory