Seminole ( sac, Sheminônîheki) is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 7,488 at the 2010 census. Seminole experienced a large population growth in the 1920s due to an oil boom.

History

The city was platted in 1906 as a relocation setting for the residents of Tidmore, when the railroad line was placed north of the town.Morris, Elsie
SEMINOLE (TOWN)
" Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed July 31, 2013) When Oklahoma Territory and

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

merged to become 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 in 1907, there were 206 residents. Seminole competed to be the county seat of Seminole County, but lost out to Wewoka.Wilson, Linda D
Wewoka
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed July 31, 2013) Upon the discovery of a high-producing oil well in the city in 1926, Seminole transformed from a town of 854 to a boom town of 25,000 to 30,000 residents. In August 1970 Seminole hosted its first All-Night Gospel Singing. During its heyday an estimated twenty-five thousand people attended the annual event. After the boom, the population declined to about 11,000 and remained that way until 1970. There are multiple structures in the Seminole area listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. They include the Home Stake Oil and Gas Company Building, Mekasukey Academy, the Seminole Municipal Building, the Sinclair Loading Rack, Strother Memorial Chapel, and the W.E. Grisso Mansion.State Historic Preservation Office: Oklahoma Historical Societ
''Oklahoma's National Register Handbook''
April 1, 2015. Accessed August 22, 2016. The town was heavily damaged by an EF2 tornado on May 4, 2022.

Geography

Seminole is located at (35.241132, -96.668419). 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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (3.93%) is water.

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 6,899 people, 2,760 households, and 1,827 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 494.7 people per square mile (190.9/km). There were 3,172 housing units at an average density of 227.4 per square mile (87.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 73.42%

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 o ...

, 3.97%

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 ...

, 16.38% Native American, 0.32%

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 ...

, 0.04%

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 ...

, 0.72% 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 5.15% 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 forme ...

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 2.61% of the population. There were 2,760 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,120, and the median income for a family was $29,091. Males had a median income of $26,765 versus $17,474 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 $12,946. About 16.3% of families and 19.9% 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 28.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town is served by Seminole Public Schools. Seminole High School is the local high school. Seminole State College is located in the town.

Transportation

Seminole is served by US Route 270,

US Route 377 U.S. Route 377 (US 377) is a north–south United States highway. Originally formed as a short spur to connect Denton, Texas with Fort Worth, Texas, it has since been extended to Oklahoma and Mexico. Route description Texas The sout ...

, Oklahoma State Highway 3E, and

Oklahoma State Highway 9 State Highway 9, abbreviated as SH-9, OK-9, or simply Highway 9, is a major east–west highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Spanning across the central part of the state, SH-9 begins at the Texas state line near Madge, Oklahoma, and ends at ...

. Seminole Municipal Airport (KSRE, or FAA ID: SRE), owned by the city and located about 3 miles to the north, features two runways, the longer of which is paved and 5004’ by 75’. Commercial air transportation is available out of

Will Rogers World Airport Will Rogers World Airport , Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers, is a passenger airport located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, about 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the city's downtown area. It is a civil-military airport ...

, about 63 miles west-northwest.

Recreation

Sportsman Lake Sportsman Lake is a 354-acre flood control and recreation lake, with 15 miles of shoreline, located in central Oklahoma. It is situated to the east of the town of Seminole, Oklahoma, Seminole and northwest of Wewoka, Oklahoma, Wewoka, the Seminole ...

is to the east-southeast of town. Along with the associated 1400-acre wildlife refuge which surrounds it, the lake offers boat docks and ramps; primitive campsites as well as RV sites; equestrian trails and facilities; and, other amenities. Wewoka Lake is further to the east-southeast. While developed by the City of Wewoka in the 1920’s as a water reservoir, opportunities at the lake today include fishing & boating; RV & primitive camping; and, swimming & water skiing.

Notable people

* David L. Boren, former Oklahoma Governor, State Senator, and former President of the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

* Joe Liggins, musician, early pioneer of rock and roll,

The Honeydripper "The Honeydripper (Parts 1 and 2)" is an R&B song by Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers which topped the US Billboard R&B chart (at that time called the "Race Records" chart) for 18 weeks, from September 1945 to January 1946. History Liggins cla ...

. * Ronald Chase, arts educator, painter, actor, photographer, filmmaker, opera designer * Aaron Gwyn, novelist and short story writer *

Enoch Kelly Haney Enoch Kelly Haney (November 12, 1940 – April 23, 2022) was an American politician and internationally recognized Seminole/ Muscogee artist from Oklahoma, He served as principal chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma from 2005 until 2009 an ...

, Principal Chief of the Seminole Nation, artist, and former Oklahoma State Senator *

Edmond Harjo Edmond Andrew Harjo (November 24, 1917 – March 31, 2014) was an American Seminole Code Talker during World War II. Harjo, who served with his brothers at the Normandy landings and the Battle of the Bulge, was the last surviving code talker from ...

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

Code Talker A code talker was a person employed by the military during wartime to use a little-known language as a means of secret communication. The term is now usually associated with United States service members during the world wars who used their k ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and recipient of the

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

* Arthur Jones, founder of Nautilus, Inc. * Jesse Pearson, actor and screenwriter, born in Seminole in 1930 * Troy N. Smith, founder of Sonic Drive-In * William C. Wantland, Bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire The Episcopal Diocese of Eau Claire is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the northwestern third of Wisconsin. It is part of Province 5 (the upper Midwest). The diocese comprises 20 interdependent con ...

References

External links

City of Seminole official website
{{authority control Cities in Seminole County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma