Kingfisher 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 civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Kingfisher County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

,. The population was 4,903 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the former home and namesake of Kingfisher College. According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Kingfisher is now primarily a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

for people employed in Enid and

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 ...

.McIntyre, Glen
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Kingfisher."
Retrieved March 6, 2015.

History

Kingfisher came into existence on April 22, 1889, when land owned by the federal government was opened to settlement by "

land run A land run or land rush was an event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened to homestead on a first-arrival basis. Lands were opened and sold first-come or by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run. The s ...

". A huge area in what is now central Oklahoma was literally "peopled" by Americans overnight. The city is situated on a part of the Chisholm Trail, over which millions of

Texas longhorns The Texas Longhorns are the athletic teams representing the University of Texas at Austin. The teams are sometimes referred to as the Horns and take their name from Longhorn cattle that were an important part of the development of Texas, and a ...

were driven to railheads in Kansas in the years immediately following the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Extension of the railroads and settlement of the open range ended this colorful era. The town was named for an early resident who several landmarks were named for, a man named King Fisher.Alley, John. City Beginnings in Oklahoma Territory. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1939. The bill that opened Oklahoma Territory to non-Indian settlement limited the sizes of townsites to . Settlers in the Kingfisher area formed two communities: Kingfisher City, on the north side of the settlement, and Lisbon, on the south side. The two merged on June 14, 1890, and the resulting town was named Kingfisher. Oklahoma Territory was organized May 2, 1890, and consisted of the Unassigned Lands and the Panhandle. The Western District included present-day Kingfisher County, part of

Canadian County Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 154,405, making it the fifth most populous county in Oklahoma. Its county seat is El Reno. The county is named for the Canadian Ri ...

and the Panhandle.

Abraham Jefferson Seay Abraham Jefferson Seay (November 28, 1832 – December 12, 1915) was an American lawyer, soldier, judge, and politician. Seay attained the rank of colonel in the Union army during the American Civil War. Later, Seay would serve as an associate j ...

, a

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

native, was appointed as District Judge and moved to Kingfisher. In 1892, Seay was appointed as the second territorial governor by President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

. The Kingfisher County Development Foundation was created in 1958 for the purpose of assisting and promoting industrial, economic and civic growth within, and surrounding the Kingfisher area of Oklahoma.A present K.C.D.F. strategy includes the investment for development of the Kingfisher Industrial Park. The industrial park is located just south of Kingfisher, further closing the gap between

and Kingfisher. Kingfisher has quickly become a suburban community of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, already home to many commuters to Oklahoma City. Kingfisher is a Certified City and has received a Community Development Block Grant to inventory infrastructure features for Capital Improvement Planning (CIP). On August 19, 2007, the city was 25% flooded when Kingfisher Creek and Uncle John Creek overflowed their banks, the result of heavy rain from Tropical Depression Erin. One woman died in the flood. The

Coleman Company The Coleman Company, Inc. is an American brand of outdoor recreation products, especially camping gear, now owned by Newell Brands. The company's new headquarters are in Chicago, and it has facilities in Wichita, Kansas, and in Texas. There are ...

was founded in Kingfisher by W. C. Coleman in 1900.

Geography

Kingfisher is located south-central Kingfisher County at . It is northwest of Oklahoma City.

U.S. Route 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Stat ...

(Main Street) passes through the center of town, leading north to Enid and south to

El Reno El Reno is a city in and county seat of Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 16,989, marking a change of 1.55% from 16,729, recorded in the 2010 census. The city was begun shortly after the 18 ...

Oklahoma State Highway 3 State Highway 3, also abbreviated as SH-3 or OK-3, is a highway maintained by the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Traveling diagonally through Oklahoma, from the Panhandle to the far southeastern corner of the state, SH-3 is the longest state highway i ...

(Broadway Avenue) crosses US 81 in the center of town, leading east to Guthrie and west to Watonga. 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 the ...

, Kingfisher has a total area of , of which , or 1.21%, are water. The city is drained by Kingfisher Creek, a northeast-flowing tributary of the Cimarron River.

Climate

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 4,633 people, 1,804 households, and 1,217 families residing in the city.DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010--2010 Demographic Profile Data
''United States Census Bureau'', retrieved April 27, 2015. The racial makeup of the city was 83.9%

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 ...

, 1.6%

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 ...

, 3.8% Native American, 0.5%

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 ...

, 6.9% 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 3.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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 12.4% of the population. There were 1,804 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families while 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 37 years. 52.1% of the population was female and 47.9% male. As of the 2013 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $49,727, and the median income for a family was $59,408.DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics: 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
, ''United States Census Bureau'', retrieved April 27, 2015. Males had a median full-time income of $49,444 versus $32,996 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 $24,363. About 7.7% of families and 5.8% 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 7.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

Places of interest

Kingfisher's only permanent tourist attraction is the Chisholm Trail Museum, which houses the Gov. Seay Mansion. This facility preserves relics and information of the community's unique heritage.

Government

Kingfisher has a commission-manager government.

Notable people

* George S. Benson, missionary, college administrator, conservative political activist and segregationist *

Don Blanding Donald Benson Blanding (November 7, 1894—June 9, 1957) was an American poet, sometimes described as the "poet laureate of Hawaii." He was also a journalist, cartoonist, author and speaker. Early life Blanding was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma ...

, poet *

Sol Butler Solomon Wellings “Sol” Butler (March 3, 1895 – December 1, 1954) was a multi-talented athlete who competed in American football and track and field. He finished seventh in the long jump competition at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

, pioneering black Olympian and 1920s NFL player * Arthur A. Collins, founder of

Collins Radio Company Rockwell Collins was a multinational corporation headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, providing avionics and information technology systems and services to government agencies and aircraft manufacturers. It was formed when the Collins Radio Comp ...

* Elmer Crumbley, jazz trombonist *

Curtis Lofton Curtis Tremayne Lofton (born June 2, 1986) is a former American football inside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Oklahoma, and earned All-American honors. Lofton was drafted by th ...

, NFL linebacker for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

* Joe Redington, founder of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race *

, Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Territorial Supreme Court and second Governor of

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 th ...

Carl Mays Carl William Mays (November 12, 1891 – April 4, 1971) was an American baseball pitcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929. During his career, he won over 200 games, 27 in 1921 alone, and was a member of four Wor ...

, baseball pitcher *

Jace Sternberger Jace Evan Sternberger (born June 26, 1996) is an American football tight end for the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Kansas, and Texas A& ...

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player *

James "Bud" Walton James Lawrence "Bud" Walton (December 20, 1921 – March 21, 1995) was the brother of Sam Walton and co-founder of Walmart. Biography Early life Walton was born to Thomas Gibson Walton and Nancy "Nannie" Lee Lawrence Walton on December 20, 19 ...

, co-founder of Wal-Mart *

Sam Walton Samuel Moore Walton (March 29, 1918 – April 5, 1992) was an American business magnate best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam's Club, which he started in 1962 and 1983 respectively. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. grew to be the world's l ...

, founder of

Wal-Mart 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 from the United States, headquarter ...

References

External links

Official website

Chisholm Trail Museum

Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{Authority control Cities in Oklahoma Cities in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1889 1889 establishments in Indian Territory