Elk City is a city in Beckham 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. The population was 11,561 at the time of the 2020 census, a slight decrease from the 11,693 figure of the 2010 census. Elk City is located on

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...

and Historic U.S. Route 66 in western Oklahoma, approximately west 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 ...

and east of

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County, though most of the southern half of the city extends into Randall County, Texas, Randall County ...

History

European exploration

In 1541,

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comm ...

became the first known

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an to pass through the area. The

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

was traveling northeast across the prairie in search of a place called

Quivira Quivira was a province of the ancestral Wichita people, located near the Great Bend of the Arkansas River in central Kansas, The exact site may be near present-day Lyons extending northeast to Salina. The Wichita city of Etzanoa, which flouris ...

, a city said to be fabulously wealthy with gold.

Founding to statehood

Elk City's history dates back to the days immediately following the opening of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation in western

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 ...

on April 19, 1892, when the first white settlers made their appearance. Prior to this time, many early ranchers had driven cattle over the

Great Western Cattle Trail The Great Western Cattle Trail is the name used today for a cattle trail established during the late 19th century for moving beef stock and horses to markets in eastern and northern states. It ran west of and roughly parallel to the better know ...

from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Dodge City, Kansas Dodge City is a city in and the county seat of Ford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 27,788. It was named after nearby Fort Dodge, which was named in honor of Grenville Dodge. The city ...

; Elk City lies on the route of that trail. The creation of Elk City was an idea conceived by land promoters from

Weatherford, Oklahoma Weatherford is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 12,076 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a gain of about 11.5% over the 10,833 figure from the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. ...

, when they learned that the

Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (CO&G), known informally as the "Choctaw Route," was an American railroad in the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Origins The company, originally known as the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company, completed it ...

(CO & G) was coming to the area (in 1898, the CO & G Railroad completed its western route to Weatherford; beginning in 1901, it continued building west). They formed the Choctaw Townsite and Development Company. These men with great foresight determined that the area at the source of Elk Creek would be an ideal location for a town, so they came to the area to purchase lands from the homesteaders who had claims along the railroad. Probably the most important day in Elk City's history is March 20, 1901, the date the first lots were sold by the Choctaw Townsite and Development Company. By this time, hundreds of prospective purchasers had built a tent city. On that day, the townsite company sold $32,000 worth of property (about $870,000 in 2012 dollars) and continued doing a good business for some time thereafter. There is some confusion about how Elk City got its name. Elk City was so named because it is located at the

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...

of Elk Creek, which in turn was named by U.S. Army Captain

Randolph B. Marcy Randolph Barnes Marcy (April 9, 1812 – November 22, 1887) was an officer in the United States Army, chiefly noted for his frontier guidebook, the ''Prairie Traveler'' (1859), based on his own extensive experience of pioneering in the west. This ...

who was leading an expedition to explore the Red River in 1852. Marcy and his troops had left the

Wichita Mountains The Wichita Mountains are located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the principal relief system in the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen, being the result of a failed continental rift. The mountains are a northwest-south ...

and the waterway which he named Otter Creek during his exploration, and they were traveling northwest along the North Fork of the Red River. On May 31, in the official journal of the expedition, Marcy wrote about the productive soil, the dense grass, and the vertical red clay banks of a "bold running stream of good water." Continuing, he wrote, "From the circumstance of having seen

elk The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...

tracks upon the stream we passed in our march today, I have called it 'Elk Creek'. I am informed by our guide that five years since, elk were frequently seen in the Wichita Mountains; but now they are seldom met with in this part of the country." Confusion also stems from the early post offices that served the residents of the town. Even though the town of Elk City has had only one name, its early settlers were served by a post office named Crowe, and later, one named Busch. Consequently, on many early maps of

the names of "Crowe" or "Busch" are seen instead of "Elk City". Finally, on July 20, 1907, shortly before statehood, the Busch Post Office had its name officially changed to Elk City Post Office. On August 13, 1901, the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (purchased in 1904 by the

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad The original Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. At ...

in 1904) laid its last rail on the so-called "Choctaw Route", bringing rail access to Elk City. The first regular train service commenced seven days later on August 20, and city folk rejoiced, predicting that the dugouts, claim shacks, and prairie stables would soon disappear and be replaced by handsome residences, commodious barns, and granaries. By January 1902, Elk City had more than sixty businesses and a population exceeding 1,000. Paving the streets with bricks also began in 1902. Though not yet a year old, the town had become one of the largest in western Oklahoma. Even with two devastating fires (one on October 28, 1903, which destroyed more than a dozen businesses, and the other in March 1906 which burned sixteen businesses to the ground), Elk City continued to grow into a major transportation and commercial hub, and by statehood in 1907, the population had more than tripled to 3,000 people. The

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 ...

community had become a

boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although t ...

Geography

Elk City is located in northeastern Beckham 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 , of which is land and , or 1.37%, is water.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Elk City has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Elk City was on July 19, 2022, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 17, 1930, and January 19, 1984.

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 11,693 people living in the city. The population density was . There were 4,973 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.95%

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 ...

, 3.06%

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 ...

, 3.02% Native American, 0.54% 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 ...

, 2.25% from other races, and 2.15% 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 5.96% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was $28,268, and the median income for a family was $35,383. About 15.4% of families and 19.1% 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 27.2% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Elk City is the principal center of trade for

Western Oklahoma On a simple east/west basis, Western Oklahoma is popularly considered that part of the state west of I-35. I-35 creates a north/south line through the approximate center of the main body of the state (i.e., without regard for the Oklahoma Panhand ...

and part of the Texas Panhandle, with a trade radius that serves more than 50,000 people. Petroleum, agriculture, wind energy, transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and healthcare all contribute to Elk City's economy. Since the 2000 census, Elk City has had a nearly 3% growth in jobs. Over the next decade, the number of jobs available in Elk City is expected to skyrocket by about 42%. Since Elk City lies in a rich oil and

natural-gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

area on the shelf of Oklahoma's

Anadarko Basin The Anadarko Basin is a geologic depositional and structural basin centered in the western part of the state of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, and extending into southwestern Kansas and southeastern Colorado. The basin covers an area of . By t ...

, the petroleum industry is the heart of the city's economy. Because of this, the city is the self-proclaimed "Natural Gas Capital of the World", complete with Parker Drilling Rig #114, located downtown. The rig dominates the Elk City skyline, and at in height, is the world's tallest, non-operating oil rig. Elk City has enjoyed significant growth due to the opening and location of oil field services and drilling companies in the city. The petroleum geologist Gustavus "Gus" E. Archie, known for

Archie's law In petrophysics, Archie's law is a purely empirical law relating the measured electrical conductivity of a porous rock to its porosity and fluid saturation. It is named after Gus Archie (1907–1978) and laid the foundation for modern well l ...

, played an important role in establishing the Elk City oil and natural gas field. Agriculture doesn't play as prominent of a role as it did in the 20th century, with the only remaining viable agricultural market being the

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 ...

auction. Nevertheless, Elk City still serves as a vital retail center for farmers and ranchers in the area. In early 2009,

Acciona Energy Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energía, produces 2 ...

commissioned the first local

wind farm A wind farm, also called a wind park or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an exten ...

, the Red Hills Wind Farm, located approximately north of Elk City. The Red Hills Wind Farm includes 82 wind turbine generators that produce 123 MW of clean energy, enough to power more than 40,000 homes. Transportation has played an important part in Elk City's economy throughout its history, beginning with the building of the famed

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 ...

through the heart of the city in the early 1930s. Today,

serves the city, with 60,000 consumers traveling through Elk City each day, and connects with

to the east and

, to the west. The city is also served by

Oklahoma State Highway 6 State Highway 6, abbreviated SH-6 or OK-6, is a state highway in Oklahoma. It runs in a crescent through the southwestern part of the state, running from the Texas state line north of Quanah, Texas, to SH-152 in the unincorporated town of S ...

, which connects Elk City with

Altus Altus or ALTUS may refer to: Music *Alto, a musical term meaning second highest musical or vocal type * Altus (voice type), a vocal type also known as countertenor Places * Altus, Arkansas, US ** Altus AVA, a wine-growing region near Altus, Ark ...

to the south, and

Oklahoma State Highway 34 State Highway 34 (abbreviated SH-34) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It runs for south-to-north in the western part of the state. The highway begins northeast of Eldorado, in the southwest corner of the state, and extends n ...

, connecting Elk City with Woodward to the north. The Elk City Regional Business Airport is located in the northeast part of the city, from the Interstate. Given that Historic U.S. Route 66 runs through Elk City, a sprawling museum complex has developed, which includes the National Route 66 Museum, the Old Town Museum, the Transportation Museum, the Farm and Ranch Museum, and the Blacksmith Museum. Each museum is housed in separate buildings, which altogether depict a mockup of early Elk City, complete with general stores, bank, a railroad depot and train caboose, opera house, and other buildings. Elk City is also in close proximity to many other attractions in Western Oklahoma, including

Foss State Park Foss State Park is a Oklahoma state park located on Foss Lake, in southwestern Custer County, Oklahoma, near the city of Foss. Recreational activities include hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, boating, swimming and camping. Faciliti ...

Foss Reservoir Foss Reservoir, also known as Foss Lake, is in Custer County, Oklahoma on the Washita River, about west of Clinton, Oklahoma. The reservoir was constructed during 1958–1961 by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. The project was known originally ...

, the

Washita National Wildlife Refuge Washita National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) of the United States located in Custer County, Oklahoma. Created in 1961 on the shore of Foss Lake, it was the fourth NWR in the state. It is west of Butler, Oklahoma.

Black Kettle National Grassland The Black Kettle National Grassland, in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, and Hemphill County, Texas, contains of which are in Oklahoma. Named for the Indian leader Black Kettle, the grassland is managed by the Cibola National Forest, which also ...

, the

, the Antelope Hills, the Quartz Mountains, and the

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site Washita Battlefield National Historic Site protects and interprets the site of the Southern Cheyenne village of Chief Black Kettle where the Battle of Washita occurred. The site is located about west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, near Cheyenne, ...

. Bar-S Foods Company operates a packaged-meat warehouse and distribution center in Elk City.
Great Plains Regional Medical Center
is Elk City's largest employer and serves Western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle. The hospital has been named by ''OKCBusiness'' and Best Companies Group as one of the "Thirty Best Places to Work in Oklahoma" for three consecutive years: 2006, 2007, and 2008. On May 11, 2007, construction began on a new, $60 million, hospital that opened in July 2009. In June 2009, it was announced that a

Walmart 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 ...

would be constructed, bringing at least 150 jobs to the city. Soon afterward, a $2.2 million federal grant was provided through the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a Stimulus (economics), stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed ...

to help fund the project and bring more jobs to Elk City. It opened in October 2010 off I-40 at Exit 40. Featuring area, it is the largest store between Amarillo and Oklahoma City.

Education

Three school districts include section of Elk City, with the former covering more of Elk City: * Elk City Public Schools * Merritt Public Schools * Sayre Public Schools Elk City Public Schools and Merritt Public Schools are members of the Western Technology Center District. WTC provides the opportunity for adults and high school students to get occupationally-specific training. As a member of the WTC district, high school juniors and seniors living in the Elk City School District and Merritt School District have the opportunity to attend classes at WTC. High school students who are residents of the WTC District can enroll in WTC full-time training on a tuition-free basis.

Media

Newspaper

* '' Elk City Daily News''

Radio

* KECO 96.5 FM (Country) * KKZU 95.5 FM (Classic Rock) * KOOL 94.3 FM (Classic Hits) * KADS 1240 AM (Sports Talk)

Transportation

Intercity bus service An intercity bus service (North American English) or intercity coach service (British English and Commonwealth English), also called a long-distance, express, over-the-road, commercial, long-haul, or highway bus or coach service, is a public t ...

is provided by

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

. Elk City Regional Business Airport (KELK; FAA ID: ELK), 1 mile northeast, has a 5399’ x 75’ paved runway. Commercial air transportation is available at

Will Rogers World Airport OKC Will Rogers International Airport , also known as 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 Oklahoma Cit ...

, about 112 miles east, or

Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport is a public airport six miles (10 km) east of downtown Amarillo, in Potter County, Texas, United States. The airport was renamed in 2003 after NASA astronaut and Amarillo native Rick Husband, ...

, about 140 miles west. Rail freight service is available from Farmrail Corporation.

Attractions

National Register of Historic Places

* Casa Grande Hotel *

Hedlund Motor Company Building The Hedlund Motor Company Building is a historic commercial building located at 206 South Main Street in Elk City, Oklahoma. Description and history The building was constructed in 1918 for the Hedlund Motor Company; founded in 1913, the compa ...

Storm House The Storm House is a historic house located at 721 W. Broadway in Elk City, Oklahoma. Description and history The house was built in 1930 for the locally significant Storm family. Architect P. A. Engwall designed the house in the Spanish Co ...

Whited Grist Mill The Whited Grist Mill is a historic gristmill located at the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma. Ruben Whited built the mill in 1903–04; his family operated the mill for its entire existence. The mill ground corn ...

Stops on Route 66

* National Route 66 Museum Complex

Museums

* Elk City features five museums: the Old Town Museum, the National Route 66 Museum, the National Transportation Museum, the Farm and Ranch Museum, and the Blacksmith Museum. Another museum, the Anadarko Basin Museum of Natural History, is currently closed due to lack of funding.

Notable people

* Cade Davis, European basketball player * Keitha Dickerson, basketball player, Texas Tech and WNBA * Richard Hart, jazz guitarist *

Justin McBride Justin Travis McBride (born August 7, 1979) is an American former professional rodeo cowboy who specialized in bull riding. In his career, he competed on the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. He was the 2005 and 2007 PBR World Champion, has ...

, PBR world champion bull rider *

Scott Meacham Scott Meacham (born 1963) served as the 17th State Treasurer of Oklahoma from June, 2005 to January, 2011, having been appointed to that post by then-Governor Brad Henry following the resignation of then-State Treasurer Robert Butkin. Meacham ...

, State Treasurer of Oklahoma (2005–2011) *

Kelli O'Hara Kelli Christine O'Hara (born April 16, 1976) is an American actress and singer, most known for her work on the Broadway and opera stages. An eight-time Tony Award nominee, O'Hara won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her perfor ...

, award-winning

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

actress, singer, and songwriter * Susan Powell, Miss America 1981, actress, and singer * Joe Spencer,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

player *

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

-winning songwriter

References

External links

Elk City official website

Elk City Chamber of Commerce

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Elk City

A Step Back in Time in Elk City, Oklahoma from Legends of America
{{Authority control Cities in Beckham County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma Micropolitan areas of Oklahoma Populated places established in 1901