Prague ( ) is a city in

Lincoln County, Oklahoma Lincoln County is a county in eastern Central Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. Its county seat is Chandler. Lincoln County is part of the Oklahoma City, OK metropolitan statistical area. In 2010, the center of popu ...

, United States. The population was 2,356 at the 2020 census, a 1.76 percent decrease from the figure of 2,388 in 2010. Czech immigrants founded the city, and named it after the

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of the present-day

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

History

After the opening of the

Sac and Fox Reservation SAC or Sac may refer to: Organizations Education * Santa Ana College, California, US * San Antonio College, Texas, US * St. Andrew's College, Aurora, Canada * Students' Administrative Council, University of Toronto, Canada * SISD Student Acti ...

by a land run on September 22, 1891, Czech immigrants settled and founded Prague. Eva Barta owned the land, and named the new town "Prague" for the Czech capital in Europe, then part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. The town incorporated in 1902.Pritchett, Roger
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Prague."
Retrieved March 6, 2015. The town's name has been adopted in Sac and Fox language as ''Pwêkeki''. On March 27, 1943, the film ''

Hangmen Also Die! ''Hangmen Also Die!'' is a 1943 war film directed by the Austrian director Fritz Lang and written by John Wexley from a story by Bertolt Brecht (credited as Bert Brecht) and Lang. The film stars Brian Donlevy, with Walter Brennan, Anna Lee, and ...

'' had its world premiere in Prague in an event which featured

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

Hirohito , Posthumous name, posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until Death and state funeral of Hirohito, his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigni ...

and

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...

being hanged in effigy on Main Street. The town of Prague was apparently chosen because the movie is loosely based on the 1942 assassination of

Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( , ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a German high-ranking SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He held the rank of SS-. Many historians regard Heydrich ...

, the Nazi Reich Protector of the German-occupied city of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, now in the Czech Republic. After the premiere, the film opened nationwide in the first days of April, beginning with 20 key cities. On May 24, 1952, a head-on automobile collision seriously injured Indian mystic

Meher Baba Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969) was an Indian spirituality, spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following o ...

near Prague. The accident site has become a place of pilgrimage for world wide Meher Baba followers. An F5 tornado tore through Prague on May 5, 1960. For the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

, the torch was carried through the town of Prague in order to commemorate the legacy of the legendary Sac and Fox native Olympic athlete,

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...

, who was born and raised in this region. On November 5, 2011, a series of

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

s struck near Prague, the first one a magnitude 4.7 at 2:15 a.m. CST, followed by a series of aftershocks, and then a second quake of magnitude 5.7 at 10:53 p.m. CST, the strongest recorded in Oklahoma history until a 5.8-magnitude earthquake occurred on September 3, 2016. This continued on November 7, 2011 when another 4.7 hit at 8:45 p.m., just five miles northwest of Prague. On February 2, 2024, there was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake around 11:25pm.

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 ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

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 2000, there were 2,138 people, 864 households, and 567 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,021 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.07%

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 ...

, 3.70%

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 ...

, 9.92% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 2.90% 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 1.12% of the population. There were 864 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,779, and the median income for a family was $32,137. Males had a median income of $24,083 versus $19,438 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 $14,381. About 11.3% of families and 17.0% 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 17.4% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

Newspapers

The ''Shawnee News Star'' and the ''Prague Times Herald'', provide news coverage of Prague. The ''Oklahomski Noviny'' was a Czech-language newspaper printed in Prague in the 20th century.

Education

The

Prague Public Schools Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, the school district for this community, serve approximately 1000 students.

Economy

Agriculture, with corn as the primary crop, initially drove Prague's economy. This was still true at the beginning of the 21st century. Industry and commerce began to contribute later.

Government

Prague has a council-manager form of city government.

Transportation

Prague is at the intersection of U.S. Routes 377 and 62, and is approximately 10 minutes north of

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 ...

. The Prague-owned Prague Municipal Airport (FAA Identifier—O47) is two miles west of town, and features a 3600’ asphalt runway.

Culture

The Prague Historical Museum is located on the town's main street, Jim Thorpe Boulevard. The street is named for Olympic athlete and Sac and Fox Tribe member

. Reflecting its Czech Catholic heritage, Prague has hosted an annual "

Kolache A kolach, from the Czech and Slovak koláč (plural koláče, diminutive koláčky, meaning "cake/pie"), is a type of sweet pastry that holds a portion of fruit surrounded by puffy yeast dough. Common filling flavors include tvaroh, fruit ...

Festival" on the first Saturday in May since 1965. The festival was cancelled in 2020 for the first time due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Prague is also the home of a Papal-authorized copy of the

Infant Jesus of Prague The Infant Jesus of Prague (: ) is a 16th-century wax-coated wooden statue of the Child Jesus holding a ''globus cruciger'' of Spanish origin, now located in the Discalced Carmelite Church of Our Lady of Victories in Malá Strana, Prague, C ...

, known as the National Shrine of the Infant Jesus, which draws numerous visitors each year.

Notable people

Kyle Denney Kyle Dean Denney (born July 27, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Denney made four starts for the Cleveland Indians in . Career Denney was born in Prague, Oklahoma and attended Prague High School, where he played baseball, footbal ...

(born 1977), baseball player * Walter E. Fountain (born 1961),

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officer * Olinka Hrdy (1902–1987), artist * Richard James (1926–2013), lawyer and legislator * Orville Edwin Langley (1908–1973), U.S. District Judge for Eastern Oklahoma (1965-1973) *

(1887–1953), athlete, the first Native American Olympic gold medalist

NRHP sites

The following sites in Prague are listed on 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 ...

: *Prague City Hall and Jail * ZCBJ Lodge No. 46, also known as Bohemian Hall

References

External links

City of Prague, Oklahoma

Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory

* ttps://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-okpra.html Flag of Prague, Oklahoma {{authority control Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma Czech-American culture in Oklahoma 1902 establishments in Oklahoma Territory