Chandler ()Gordon Whittaker, 2005, "A Concise Dictionary of the Sauk Language", The Sac & Fox National Public Library Stroud, Oklahoma

/ref> 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of, Lincoln 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. and is part of the

Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is an urban region in Central Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma City Metr ...

. The population was 2,858 at the time of the 2020 census. Chandler is located northeast of

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

on SH-66 and

I-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 ...

, and north of

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

on SH-18.

History

Chandler was named after Judge George Chandler, also Assistant Secretary of the Interior. The site of Chandler was opened by a land run on September 28, 1891.Sally Bourne Ferrell and Donald F. Ferrell, "Chandler'" ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed March 28, 2015. The town had been planned to be opened on September 22, (the date of the ''

Land Run of 1891 The Land Run of 1891 was a set of horse races to settle land acquired by the federal government through the opening of several small Indian reservations in Oklahoma Territory. The race involved approximately 20,000 homestead principle, homesteader ...

'') but the site survey had not been completed. The Chandler

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

had opened September 21, the day before the planned run. When

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as ...

County A (Lincoln County) was organized, Chandler became the county seat. On March 30, 1897, a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of 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, although the ...

destroyed most of the fledgling town and killed 14 residents. In 1891 the county government operated from an office building until a courthouse was built. The courthouse was destroyed by the tornado of 1897, and a two-story frame building was erected as a temporary courthouse on the present site. The building was removed in 1907 to make way for a stone courthouse. This third courthouse burned down on December 23, 1967 and the current courthouse was constructed in its place. On July 31, 1894,

Cherokee Bill Crawford Goldsby (February 8, 1876 – March 17, 1896), also known by the alias Cherokee Bill, was an American outlaw. Responsible for the murders of eight men (including his brother-in-law), he and his gang terrorized the Indian Territory for o ...

and the gang he was riding with stole $500 from the Lincoln County Bank in Chandler, Oklahoma. The St. Louis and Oklahoma City Railroad (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, also known as the "Frisco") built a line through Chandler in 1898. Another railroad, the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Western Railroad (later a part of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway), built between Chandler and Guthrie in the 1902-1903 timeframe. The railroads enabled Chandler to move its agricultural products, as well as bricks made by the Chandler Brick Company, to markets. Chandler is one of the many cities along the famous

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is 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 high ...

and contains a number of attractions to devotees of "The Mother Road." These include The Route 66 Interpretive Center, The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Museum and Hall of Fame, The Lincoln County Museum of Pioneer History, several Route 66-themed murals, the newly restored old cottage-style Phillips 66 gas station, and one of the last remaining painted barns advertising

Meramec Caverns Meramec Caverns is the collective name for a cavern system in the Ozarks, near Stanton, Missouri. The caverns were formed from the erosion of large limestone deposits over millions of years. Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts have been f ...

, which is on Route 66 in Missouri.

brought a significant amount of

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

business to Chandler, due to travelers crossing the state and the country; much of this business died out when the

Turner Turnpike The Turner Turnpike is a controlled-access 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 twelve ...

(

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 ...

) was built. In 1949, the Oklahoma legislature declared Chandler to be "The pecan capital of the world," in Resolution No. 5. In 1958, professional baseball player Bo Belcher opened Chandler Baseball Camp. For 42 years, the camp hosted campers from around the world for a bootcamp-like baseball camp during summers. The camp closed in 2000 due to the death of Tom Belcher (not to be confused with fellow baseball player

Tim Belcher Timothy Wayne Belcher (born October 19, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 2000 for seven different teams. He was named ''The Sporting News'' Rookie Pitcher of the Year ...

). In 2011 it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Geography

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 ...

, Chandler has a total area of , of which is land and (10.43%) is water.

Climate

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 2010, there were 3,100 people, 1,204 households, and 801 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,403 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 79.77%

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 ...

, 9.68%

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 ...

, 5.63% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 4.05% 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 1.79% of the population. Of all households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% 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, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% 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 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,833, and the median income for a family was $35,744. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $19,397 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 $14,676. About 12.1% of families and 16.7% 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 20.3% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Today, Chandler's

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

is driven mostly by

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

, oil and gas services, and manufacturing. The National American Insurance Company is headquartered in Chandler. Downtown Chandler, which is located on historic

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is 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 high ...

and is home to many shops and restaurants. Lincoln County's first

Wal-Mart Supercenter Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

opened in 2008 on the east side of Chandler. The Ioway Casino opened west of Chandler on June 1, 2013. The Ioway Casino is operated by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and is the sister casino to Cimarron Casino located in

Perkins Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England. Another derivation com ...

. The Ioway Casino has 250 machines and is located on SH-66 between Chandler and US-177.

Recreation

Chandler is home to several city parks, a baseball complex, a splash pad, and a municipal swimming pool. Chandler has two lakes, Bell Cow Lake, and Chandler Lake. Bell Cow Lake, which features camping, boating, fishing, and horse trails, is located north of town, along with Chandler Golf Course. The Lincoln County Raceway, a quarter mile dirt track, is located south of Chandler.

Notable people

* Thomas G. Andrews city and county attorney also 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. * Wade Ellis (19091989), mathematician and professor * Sam P. Gilstrap (1907–1989), U.S. Ambassador to Malawi *

Jon Gray Jonathan Charles (Jon) Gray (born November 5, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies. Gray pla ...

, baseball player *

Roy Harris Roy Ellsworth Harris (February 12, 1898 – October 1, 1979) was an American composer. He wrote music on American subjects, and is best known for his Symphony No. 3. Life Harris was born in Chandler, Oklahoma on February 12, 1898. His ancestry ...

, (18981979), composer, born in Chandler * James C. Nance, Oklahoma newspaper publisher and politician *

Joseph C. Pringey Joseph Colburn Pringey (May 22, 1858 – February 11, 1935) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. Biography Born in Somerset, Pennsylvania, Pringey was the son of George and Effie Colburn Pringey and attended the com ...

(18581935), politician and U.S. Representative * James Brooks Ayers Robertson (18711938), fourth

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of Oklahoma *

Bill Tilghman William Matthew Tilghman Jr. (July 4, 1854 – November 1, 1924) was a career lawman, gunfighter, and politician in Kansas and Oklahoma during the late 19th century. Tilghman was a Dodge City city marshal in the early 1880s and played a role in ...

(18541924), frontier lawman

Education

Chandler and the surrounding area is served by the Chandler Public School District. The Chandler High School Alumni Association describes itself as "the oldest and most active" in the state. Chandler High School Lions State Championships: *2016 Fast Pitch Softball State Champs *2016 Slow Pitch Softball State Champs *2015 Slow Pitch Softball State Champs *2005 Baseball State Champs *2005 Football State Champs *1998 Baseball State Champs *1998 Pom State Champs *1997 Baseball State Champs *1997 Boys Basketball State Champs *1984 Football State Champs *1972 Boys Basketball State Champs *1933 Girls Basketball State Champs

National Register of Historic Places

* Boston Store * Chandler Armory * Chandler Baseball Camp * Chandler Bookstore * Chandler High School * Clapp-Cunningham Building * Conklin House * Crane Motor Company Building * First Presbyterian Church of Chandler *

Johnson House Johnson House may refer to: United Kingdom *Dr. Johnson's House, 17 Gough Square, London United States Alabama * John Johnson House (Leighton, Alabama) Arkansas * Johnson House (514 East 8th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas) * Johnson House (516 ...

* Mascho Building and Public Privy ( Murphy Building) * National Guard Statistical Building * Oleson-Crane Building * St. Cloud Hotel * St. Stephen's Episcopal Church * Wolcott Building * Midlothian School * Seaba's Filling Station * Spring Dell School * Marshall William M. Tilghman Homestead

References

External links

*
Biography of George Chandler

''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - Chandler

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control * Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1891 1891 establishments in Oklahoma Territory