Vinita is a city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Craig County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,193.

History

Vinita was founded in 1870 by

Elias Cornelius Boudinot Elias Cornelius Boudinot (August 1, 1835September 27, 1890) was an American politician, lawyer, newspaper editor, and co-founder of the ''Arkansan'' who served as the delegate to the Confederate States House of Representatives representing th ...

. In 1889, gunman and lawman

Tom Threepersons Tom Threepersons (July 22, 1889 – April 2, 1969) was an American lawman. He is considered to have been one of the last of gunfighters of the Old West although his career did not begin until the early 20th century. He invented the "Tom Th ...

was born there. It was the first city in the state with electricity. The city was first named "Downingville", and was a primarily Native American community. It was later renamed "Vinita" after Boudinot's friend, sculptor

Vinnie Ream Lavinia Ellen "Vinnie" Ream Hoxie (September 25, 1847 – November 20, 1914) was an American sculptor. Her most famous work is the Statue of Abraham Lincoln (U.S. Capitol), statue of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in the United States Capit ...

. The city was incorporated in

Indian Territory 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 States, ...

in 1898.Craig County Genealogical Society
"Vinita,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, Accessed September 3, 2015. Vinita is along the path of the

Texas Road The Texas Road, also known as the Shawnee Trail, or Shawnee-Arbuckle Trail, was a major trade and emigrant route to Texas across Indian Territory (later Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri). Established during the Mexican War by emigrants rushing to ...

cattle trail, and the later

Jefferson Highway The Jefferson Highway was an automobile highway stretching through the central United States from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. The Jefferson Highway was replaced with the new numbered US Highway system in the late 1920 ...

of the early

National Trail System The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

, both roughly along the route of U.S. Route 69 through Oklahoma today. The First National Bank opened in 1892, and the local Masonic Lodge was founded in 1894. Newspapers founded before the turn of the 20th Century included ''Vinita Indian Chieftain'' (1882), ''Vinita Leader'' (1885) and the ''Daily Indian Chieftain'' (1899). The ''Vinita Daily Journal'' began publication in 1907 and has continued into the 21st Century. Eastern State Hospital, a state mental health facility, was constructed in 1912 and admitted the first patients in January 1913. It was one of the county's largest employers until its operations were reduced during the 1990s. The Will Rogers Archway, a service station over the top of

Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an 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 Falls, T ...

, has a McDonald's restaurant that was once the world's largest by area, occupying . It was renovated in 2014 and is now smaller. Built in 1957, it is also the world's first

bridge restaurant A bridge restaurant or restaurant bridge is a restaurant, usually indoors, built like a bridge over a road, mostly over freeways or motorways. It usually provides access from both sides of the road without the need of crossing the road by tunnel or ...

Geography

Vinita is located in northeastern Oklahoma, a region of the state known as

Green Country Green Country, sometimes referred to as Northeast Oklahoma, is the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which lies west of the northern half of Arkansas, the southwestern corner the way of Missouri, and south of Kansas. Alternate ...

. According to the Vinita Chamber of Commerce, the town is often called the "Crossroads to Green Country." It sits at the base of the

Ozark Highlands The Ozark Highlands is a Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in four U.S. states. Most of the region is within Missouri, with a part in Arkansas and small sections in Oklahoma and Kansas. It is the largest ...

topographical region in a mix of

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

and

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

. It is located in southern Craig County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Vinita is in a valley. Vinita is northeast of

Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

and southwest of

Joplin, Missouri Joplin is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, Jasper and Newton County, Missouri, Newton counties in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bulk of the city is in Jasper County, while the southern portion is in Newton County. J ...

, both via

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 6,472 people, 2,381 households, and 1,454 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,694 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 67.32%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 6.12%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 14.86% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.62% from other races, and 10.77% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population. There were 2,381 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,511, and the median income for a family was $33,461. Males had a median income of $26,263 versus $18,182 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $13,980. About 14.3% of families and 17.2% 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 21.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Early in its history, cattle ranching in the surrounding countryside contributed heavily to Vinita's economy. When Craig County was created at statehood, Vinita was designated as the county seat. City and county governments became significant employers. In 1935, the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) was created. GRDA put its headquarters in Vinita. It is still one of the largest employers in the city, along with two of its many customers: Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma Electric Company (KAMO) and Northeast Oklahoma Electric Co-op. Other important employers have included trucking companies, tower-building companies, Munsingwear, General Mills, Cinch, Dana Industries, and Hope Industries. In 2023, a company called American Heartland said it was planning a $2 billion, 1000-acre development containing a 125-acre Disneyland-type theme park. The land was six miles east of Vinita, but the town voted to annex the area in October, 2023. Ground was broken in early November, 2023 on the first phase of the project, being a 350-acre 750-slot RV park with 300 cabins.

Government

;Administrative *Mayor - Josh D. Lee *City Administrator- Brian Prince *City Clerk - Amber Knoll ;City Council *Dale Haire and Linda Lucas - Ward 1 *Jeff Lair and John Swift - Ward 2 *Roger Tyler and Skip Briley - Ward 3 *Terry Young and Kevin Wofford - Ward 4

Education

Almost all of the city limits, excluding some portions of highway, are in Vinita Public Schools. Educational institutions were begun during Vinita's earliest days. Worcester Academy opened in 1883. The Worcester Academy in Vinita should not be confused with the

Worcester Academy Worcester Academy is a co-ed private boarding school in Worcester, Massachusetts serving grades 6-12. It is the oldest school founded in Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest day-boarding schools in the United States. A coeducation ...

that was founded in 1843 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts school is still in operation. It was followed by Willie Halsell College in 1888. Halsell College was originally established as Galloway College, named for Methodist Bishop Charles B. Galloway. The school was renamed in 1891 for Willie Halsell, the deceased daughter of a wealthy rancher, W. E. Halsell, who had rescued the school financially. However, the school again failed and closed permanently in 1908. Attala, Meghan Iman. "Galloway College." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed October 15, 2016. The Roman Catholic Church operated Sacred Heart Academy, a boarding school, from 1897 until 1968.

Transportation

Air

Vinita Municipal Airport (FAA Identifier H04) has served the city since 1965. It is about SE of downtown Vinita on 4410 Road. The airport is located next to the famous McDonalds that spans over the Will Rogers Turnpike. Pilots can fly into H04 and walk to the McDonalds. The airport manager is Allen Goforth. This is a municipally-owned facility that primarily handles personal or chartered aircraft.Vinita Municipal Airport. 15 September 2016.
Accessed October 16, 2016. AVGAS is available 24 hours a day. H04 also has a GPS approach. South Grand Lake Regional Airport (FAA Identifier 1K8) is further to the southeast of Vinita. Starting as a grass strip in 2005, the current facility includes a 75’ x 5,200’ hard-surface runway, runway lights and GPS all weather approach. Theldor Airfield was a temporary World War II airfield located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northeast of Vinita. It was closed after the war.

Notable people

* Jim Beauchamp (1939-2007) — born in Vinita; MLB baseball player *

Bryan Burk Bryan Burk (born December 30, 1968) is an American film and television producer. He is mostly known for producing movies in collaboration with J. J. Abrams, including the ''Star Trek'' reboot series, the ''Mission: Impossible'' films '' Gh ...

(1968) — born in Vinita, American television personality, actor *

Yvonne Chouteau Myra Yvonne Chouteau () (March 7, 1929 – January 24, 2016) was an American ballerina and one of the "Five Moons" or Native Americans in the United States, Native ''prima ballerinas'' of Oklahoma. She was the only child of Corbett Edward and Luc ...

(1929-2016) — ballerina (one of the "Five Moons") *

Jim Edgar James Robert Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 38th governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. A Moderate Republican (modern United States), moderate Republican Party (United States), Republican, he previously s ...

(1946–present) — born in Vinita, but raised in Charleston, Illinois, was

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

governor (1991–1999) * W. H. Kornegay (1865-1935) — came to Vinita in 1891; served on Constitutional Convention; was appointed Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. *

Phil McGraw Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), also known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author who is best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased ...

(1950) — born in Vinita; American television personality, author, psychologist *

(1889-1969) — possibly born in Vinita; lawman, gunfighter, and inventor of the Threepersons holster

National Register of Historic Places

Nine of the ten NHRP-listed locations in Craig County are in Vinita: * Attucks School * Carselowey House * Craig County Courthouse * First Methodist Episcopal Church, South * Hotel Vinita * Little Cabin Creek Bridge * McDougal Filling Station * Randall Tire Company * Spraker Service Station

Gallery

Image:Vinita OK City Hall.jpg, Vinita Oklahoma City Hall and Chamber of Commerce Image:Vinita Inn.jpg, Vinita Inn on Route 66 in Vinita File:Hotel Vinita.jpg, Hotel Vinita (2010)

Notes

References

External links

City of Vinita

Vinita Chamber of Commerce

Glass House Oral History Project
{{Authority control Cities in Craig County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1870 1870 establishments in Indian Territory Cherokee towns in Oklahoma