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Sapulpa is a city in Creek and
Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...
counties in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census. The population as of 2022 is 22,205. As of 2019, the estimated population was 21,278. It is 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 ...
of Creek County.


History


Early history

The town was named after the area's first permanent settler, a full-blood Lower Creek Indian named ''Sapulpa,'' from the Kasihta or Cusseta band, from Osocheetown in
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
. About 1850, he established a
trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...
near the meeting of Polecat and Rock creeks (about one mile (1.6 km) southeast of downtown Sapulpa). When the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (which became the Frisco) built a spur to this area in 1886, it was known as Sapulpa Station. The Sapulpa post office was chartered July 1, 1889 and the town was incorporated March 31, 1898.


Controversy over Creek County seat location

After Oklahoma became a state, each county held an election to determine the location of 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 ...
. Sapulpa competed with Bristow to be the county seat of Creek County. After five years of contested elections and court suits, the issue was settled by the
Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.
on August 1, 1913. Sapulpa was ruled the winner. The county courthouse was completed in 1914, replacing an earlier structure built in 1902.


Economic development

When Sapulpa was founded, the main crop of the area was
walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...
s. In 1898, the Sapulpa Pressed Brick was established, followed in a few years by the Sapulpa Brick Company. This began the clay products industry. Sapulpa is still the home of Frankoma Pottery. The founding of Premium Glass Company in 1912 marked Sapulpa's entry to glass manufacturing. Premium Glass was acquired by Liberty Glass Company in 1918. The plant, after many changes to the facilities and in ownership, makes beer bottles under the Ardagh Group. Other glass factories in the city included the Bartlett-Collins Glass Company, originally opened in 1914, which was closed by subsequent owner Anchor Hocking in 2008. The Schram Glass Company, which opened a jar and jar cap plant in 1914, was closed by the Ball Brothers in 1931. The Sunflower Glass Plant, which produced window glass, began operations in 1913 and, after being leased to Victory Window Glass Co. in 1924, ceased operations in 1932. According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History'', Sapulpa was known as "The Crystal City of the Southwest". Dianna Everett, "Glass Manufacturing." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
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Rail transportation

In 1889, the Frisco opened the route between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, passing through Sapulpa. The Frisco built a railyard in Sapulpa and by 1900 designated Sapulpa as an overhaul base for its
rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles ca ...
. Also in 1900, construction of the line from Sapulpa to
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was started and rushed to completion by March 1901. With changes in ownership over the years, the portion of the old Frisco line between Sapulpa and
Del City, Oklahoma Del City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 21,822 at the United States Census, 2020. Del City is located near two major interstate highways, both of whi ...
, near
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, and ...
ended up being owned by the State of Oklahoma. In 1998, the line was leased to Stillwater Central Railroad, and in 2014 was sold to them. The sale contract required initiating a six-month trial of daily passenger service before August 2019—known as the
Eastern Flyer The ''Eastern Flyer'' was a proposed medium distance inter-city train traveling between Oklahoma City in central Oklahoma and Tulsa in north-eastern Oklahoma. It was originally planned to be a private operation by the Iowa Pacific Railroad, and ...
—with a financial penalty of $2.8 million for failure to meet the deadline. On August 5, 2019, with no passenger service in place, the Stillwater Central defaulted on the contract and paid the penalty. Sapulpa in its early days was on the route of the Sapulpa & Interurban Railway (“S&I”) streetcar/interurban line connecting to
Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...
in one direction, and Kiefer,
Glenpool Glenpool is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (TMSA). As of 2020, the population was 14,040, which represented an increase of 29.9% since the 2010 census, which reported the to ...
, and
Mounds A mound is an artificial heap or pile, especially of earth, rocks, or sand. Mound and Mounds may also refer to: Places * Mound, Louisiana, United States * Mound, Minnesota, United States * Mound, Texas, United States * Mound, West Virginia * ...
in the other. S&I subsequently underwent a series of mergers and name changes, with only the Tulsa-to-Sapulpa portion continuing as the Tulsa-Sapulpa Union Railway.


Route 66

Sapulpa is on old U.S. Route 66, now SH-66 and Historic Route 66 (a/k/a the West Ozark Trail) through town. Route 66 sites include the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum, which opened in August 2016 in an armory built in 1948. It features the world's tallest replica antique visible gas pump, at 66 feet, or 74 feet including the circular sign on top. Still standing is the Rock Creek Bridge, a/k/a the historic Bridge #18 at Rock Creek, a 1921 metal bridge that became a link in the original Route 66 in 1926.


Geography

Sapulpa is located in the northeast corner of Creek County at (36.003536, -96.104822). A small portion of the city that extends north into Tulsa County was annexed into Sapulpa in 2004. Downtown
Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...
is to the northeast via
Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fal ...
. The
Creek Turnpike The Creek Turnpike, also designated State Highway 364 (SH-364), is a freeway-standard toll road that lies entirely in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The turnpike forms a partial beltway around the south and east sides of Tulsa, Oklahoma's secon ...
(State Highway 364) branches east from I-44 in northeastern Sapulpa and provides a southern and eastern bypass of Tulsa. In January 2018, the Sapulpa City Council voted to approve the annexation of approximately 300 acres of land in West Tulsa. The land is bordered to the north by 51st Street, to the south by Southwest Blvd, and to the west by 65th West Avenue. Originally, this annexation included the future site of the interchange of the Gilcrease Expressway and I-44. However, the city has now planned to de-annex this area back to the city of Tulsa. 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 th ...
, the city of Sapulpa has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.21%, is water.


Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 20,544 people, 8,015 households, and 5,497 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 RosenberPopu ...
was 844.3 people per square mile. There were 8,903 housing units at an average density of 435.4 per square mile (168.2/km). The racial makeup of the city was 77.5%
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 ...
, 3.0%
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 ...
, 10.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.5% from other races, and 6.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population. There were 7,430 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% 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 ...
living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $40,372 and the median income for a family was $52,639. Males had a median income of $30,524 versus $21,609 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 $22,275. About 11.5% of families and 16.3% 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 ...
, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.


Culture and education

Sapulpa has an organization known as Sapulpa Main Street, one of the various national Main Street programs, the purpose of which is to preserve and enhance the cultural heritage of the town, and to improve its quality of life, by revitalizing the Central Business District as the center of the Community. In 2013, the Sapulpa Creek Community Center graduated a class of 14 from its Muscogee Creek language class.


Historical sites

The following are NRHP-listed sites in Okmulgee: *Berryhill Building (14-20 E. Dewey) *Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek (the junction of old US Route 66 and Rock Creek) *Creek County Courthouse (222 E. Dewey Ave.) * John Frank House (1300 Luker Ln.) *McClung House (708 S. Main St.) *Sapulpa Downtown Historic District (roughly bounded by Hobson Ave, Elm St., Lee Ave, & Main St) * West Sapulpa Route 66 Roadbed (junction of Ozark Trail of State 66 .25 miles west of Sahoma Lake Rd)


Parks and recreation

The Sapulpa Parks and Recreation System includes twenty-one parks and recreation facilities, including 501 land acres. Sixteen sites are considered developed and open to the public, while five are not yet developed. Kelly Lane Park Trail, Liberty Park Trail, Davis Park Trail, Hollier Park Trail, and Pretty Water Lake Trail offer one-quarter-mile to one-mile walking experiences. Among other facilities is Pretty Water Lake, spring-fed and 25-acres large, open for fishing and stocked with trout and channel catfish/panfish. Sahoma Lake covers 277 acres, and fishing opportunities there include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, perch, blue gill, and redear perch. In August 2021 a new $600,000 playground was opened at Liberty Park called the "Everyday Heroes" inclusive playground. The playground has specific areas designed for 2 to 5 year olds, 5 to 12 year olds, and adults.


Newspaper controversy

The '' Sapulpa Daily Herald'' gained national media attention in early November 2008 for not reporting the election of
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
as president, reporting only that
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...
had won among the voters of Creek County.


Notable people

*
Bob Ballinger Bob Ballinger (born January 31, 1974) is an American attorney and politician. He served in the Arkansas General Assembly from 2013 to 2023. Early life and education Ballinger was born in Bremerton, Washington and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He ...
, Republican member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...
, taught history in Sapulpa from 1999 to 2002. * The Collins Kids, musicians, Lorrie and Larry Collins, resided near Sapulpa in the early 1950s. *
Joe Haymes Joseph Lawrence Haymes (February 10, 1907 – July 10, 1964) was an American jazz bandleader and arranger. Life and career Born in Marshfield, Missouri, United States, Haymes relocated with his family to Springfield, Missouri, after his railroad ...
, jazz orchestra leader, lived here for extended periods in the 1940s and '50s. * Regina Holliday, art teacher, artist, muralist, and patient rights advocate, graduated from Sapulpa High School. * William Miller Jenkins (1856–1941), a native Ohioan, he was appointed as the fifth governor of the Territory of Oklahoma in 1901. He moved to Sapulpa in 1920, where he lived for the rest of his life * George William Miller (1925–2006), former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Carter from August 6, 1979, to January 20, 1981. And previously as the 11th Chairman of the Federal Reserve * Shara Nova, lead singer and songwriter for
My Brightest Diamond My Brightest Diamond is the project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Nova. The band has released five studio albums and a remix album, five studio EPs and four remix EPs, and made several tours across the United States. Histo ...
. Former backup vocalist for
Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nom ...
and the frontwoman of Awry.


References


External links


City of Sapulpa official website
* Jackson, Pauline P. "The Sapulpa and Bristow County Seat Contest." Accessed August 31, 201
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{{authority control Cities in Creek County, Oklahoma Cities in Tulsa County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Tulsa metropolitan area