Stroud is a city in Creek and

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

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. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,690.

History

Stroud was founded in 1892 and named for James W. Stroud, a developer. Early in its history, Stroud lay in Oklahoma Territory, where alcoholic drinks could be sold legally. Towns close to the boundary between Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were known as "whiskey towns," and had a reputation as a "wild" town due to its many

saloons Saloon may refer to: Buildings and businesses * One of the bars in a traditional British pub * An alternative name for a bar (establishment) * Western saloon, a historical style of American bar * The Saloon, a bar and music venue in San Francisc ...

and other businesses catering to thirsty cowboys and travelers arriving from "dry"

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 ...

. These days were short-lived, however, because Oklahoma statehood in 1907, forced Stroud to become "dry" as well.Beltz, Danny R. "Stroud." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed April 21, 2018 In 1901, after a race riot, Stroud became a

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminator ...

, with a prominent sign warning African Americans not to stay overnight. During the first decade of the 20th century, Stroud's economy was based on cotton farming in the surrounding countryside. The population at statehood was 1,312. By 1909, Stroud had two banks, two newspapers, four cotton gins, and a cottonseed-oil mill, but the 1910 census showed population declined to 1,220. On March 27, 1915 Stroud became the victim of a legendary outlaw: "

Henry Starr Henry Starr (1873–1921) was an American criminal of the wild west and an American actor of the silent film era. Biography Starr’s parents were Mary Scott Starr and George Starr. Distantly related to Sam Starr, husband of Belle Starr, he was ...

, along with six other men, decided to rob two banks at the same time... The troudrobbery would prove... disastrous for Henry Starr. Proceeding to rob the Stroud National Bank and the First National Bank, word of the holdup spread quickly and the citizens took up arms against the bandits. Henry and another outlaw named Lewis Estes were wounded and captured in the gun battle. The rest of the gang escaped with $5815...". Henry was sentenced to prison at the

Oklahoma State Penitentiary The Oklahoma State Penitentiary, nicknamed "Big Mac", is a prison of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections located in McAlester, Oklahoma, on . Opened in 1908 with 50 inmates in makeshift facilities, today the prison holds more than 750 male o ...

, but was paroled after serving only four years. The town became quiet until about 1926 when

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

was built. When construction of the highway was completed, Stroud became a rest stop with amenities such as motels, gas stations and restaurants. The

Rock Café The Rock Café in Stroud, Oklahoma, a historic restaurant on U.S. Route 66, takes its name from the local sandstone used in its construction. Originally built in 1936 and opened in 1939, the Rock Café reopened on May 29, 2009 after extensive r ...

, built during the Great Depression using local sandstone removed during the construction of Route 66, operated 24 hours a day during its 1950s heyday. Business diminished after the

Turner Turnpike The Turner Turnpike is a toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May 1953, it is the oldest of the state's eleven turnpikes.Everett, ...

diverted cross-country traffic from the town's main street. Stroud was devastated by the

1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak The 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak was a significant tornado outbreak that affected much of the Central and parts of the Eastern United States, with the highest record-breaking wind speeds of . During this week-long event, 154 tornadoes touched ...

, which destroyed the town's 53-store Tanger Outlet Center, as well as a distribution center owned by foodservice company Sygma. Neither of these facilities were rebuilt; the resulting loss of 800 jobs caused a significant amount of economic distress to the town. In 2001,

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

crews visited to research US 66 for the animated film

Cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, people in ...

, at a time when the town economy was still attempting to recover from the 1999 tornado, and the Rock Café was undergoing historic restoration. The character of

Radiator Springs Radiator Springs is a fictional small Arizona town and the principal setting of the Disney/Pixar franchise ''Cars''. A composite of multiple real-world locations on the historic U.S. Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, it is most prominently f ...

hotelier Sally Carrera is heavily based on Rock Café proprietor Dawn Welch and her efforts to promote and rebuild the town. A fire gutted the restaurant on May 20, 2008 but the grill and the original stone walls survived. The Rock Café was rebuilt by historic preservationist David Burke; Dawn Welch reopened the business on May 29, 2009.

Geography

Stroud is located at (35.759098, -96.652162). Stroud Lake, located approximately northeast of the city, offers recreational opportunities and is also the location of the Wilderness Challenge Center of the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled. 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 12.5 square miles (32.3 km), of which 11.5 square miles (29.8 km) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km) (7.93%) is water.

Demographics

The bulk of the city is in Lincoln County, part of the

Oklahoma City metropolitan area The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is an urban region in the Southern United States. It is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Oklahoma and contains the state capital and principal city, Oklahoma City. It is often known as the Okla ...

. A sliver in the east is in Creek County, part of the Tulsa metropolitan area. 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 2,758 people, 1,139 households, and 731 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 239.9 people per square mile (92.6/km). There were 1,325 housing units at an average density of 115.3 per square mile (44.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 83.72%

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 ...

, 3.66%

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 ...

, 8.45% Native American, 0.54%

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 ...

, 0.47% 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 3.15% 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 1.45% of the population. There were 1,139 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.8% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,222, and the median income for a family was $31,742. Males had a median income of $26,076 versus $18,250 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 $15,010. About 12.3% of families and 17.6% 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 24.6% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Currently, Stroud is enjoying recovery due to increased economic activity in the oil and gas sectors, and is home to Service King, a manufacturer of oilfield workover rigs. Additionally, tourism and agriculture contribute to the local economy, including the emergence of locally produced wines, and affiliated businesses. International tourists are frequently found travelling historic U.S. 66, the main street of Stroud's downtown area. Stroud continues to exploit its location as the centerpoint between

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, a ...

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 with ...

. The city also owns Stroud Midway Industrial Park. The Sac and Fox national headquarters is located about south of the city and is one of the area's largest employers.

Government

Stroud has a city manager-council form of government.

Notable people

Kevin Bookout Kevin Bookout (born March 16, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Stroud, Oklahoma, he attended Stroud High School where he competed in basketball, baseball, shot put and discus. He played college basketball for ...

* Bobby Riley * Thomas G. Andrews lived in Stroud from 1911 until 1918, while serving as City Attorney and subsequently as Lincoln County Attorney. He later became an Associate Judge of the Oklahoma Supreme Court."Andrews, Thomas Galphin" (''sic''). In: ''Makers of Government in Oklahoma''. 1930. Victor E. Harlow, ed., p. 344. Harlow Publishing Co. Oklahoma City.
Accessed April 20, 2018.

Twin towns

* Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK * Stroud Plantation, Texas, US

References

External links

City of Stroud

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control Cities in Oklahoma Cities in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Cities in Creek County, Oklahoma Populated places established in 1892 Sundown towns in Oklahoma