Purcell is a city in and the county seat of McClain 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. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 6,651, a 13% increase from 2010. Founded in 1887, Purcell was a railroad town named after Edward B. Purcell, an official with the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at vario ...

("AT&SF").Joyce A. Rex, "Purcell," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.
Accessed April 12, 2015. Purcell is often called the "Quarterhorse Capital of the World", and its official motto is "Heart of Oklahoma." The city has registered trademarks on both titles.

History

Purcell was at the north end of the

Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) was chartered in Texas in 1873 to build a railroad from Galveston, Texas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. By 1886, it had built from Galveston to a junction in Temple, Texas, which was founded by the co ...

, owned by the AT&SF. Today,

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

serves the town with the ''

Heartland Flyer The ''Heartland Flyer'' is a daily passenger train that follows a route between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas. It is operated by Amtrak and jointly funded by the states of Oklahoma and Texas. The train's daily round-trip begin ...

'' at the

station Station may refer to: Agriculture * Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production * Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle ** Cattle statio ...

near the old AT&SF depot. Purcell was the only town on the border of the Unassigned Lands, and began attracting hopeful settlers even before the

Land Rush of 1889 The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands of the former western portion of the federal Indian Territory, which had decades earlier since the 1830s been assigned to the Creek and Seminole native peoples. T ...

. Town lots went on sale April 5, 1887, and a post office was established 16 days later. The ''Purcell Register'', the town's oldest newspaper, was established in 1887, and continued operating into the 21st Century. Residents elected the town's first mayor, James Taylor Bradley, on August 13, 1895. The town was incorporated on October 3, 1898. Located on the Canadian River, it was called the "Queen City of the Chickasaw Nation." In 1895, one of the five district courts of the Chickasaw Nation was located in Purcell, with the first session opening November 18, 1895. The court house escaped destruction the next day, when a fire destroyed most of the buildings in the business district. Construction of the Oklahoma Central Railroad ("OCR"), which would connect the Lehigh coal mines with Chickasha, reached Purcell in March 1907. The OCR located its main yards, barns and most of its equipment in Purcell. Although the OCR went bankrupt in the following year, its assets were acquired by the AT&SF.

Geography

Purcell is within the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

region, located at (35.017465, -97.369537). It is east of the center of McClain County and is bordered to the east by the

Canadian River The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .Cleveland County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 3.40%, are water. Purcell is located along the

I-35 Corridor Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bord ...

in the central part of the state, on a bluff overlooking the Canadian River valley within the

Interior Plains The Interior Plains is a vast physiographic region that spreads across the Laurentian craton of central North America, extending along the east flank of the Rocky Mountains from the Gulf Coast region to the Arctic Beaufort Sea. In Canada, it ...

region. It is south of Norman and south 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 ...

. The view from atop Purcell's Red Hill offers a scenic glimpse at both the

South Canadian River The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River in the United States. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma. The drainage area is about .University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

campus in neighboring Norman. The central core of Purcell is located at the intersection of

US-77 U.S. Route 77 (US 77) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway which extends for in the central United States. As of 2005, Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the Mexican border, ...

and OK-74/ OK-39. Access to

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexico–Uni ...

is at the north and south ends of the town. Prior to the construction of I-35, this route of US-77 was the heavily traveled road from Oklahoma City to

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

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 5,571 people, 2,120 households, and 1,500 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,789 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.60%

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 ...

, 2.21%

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 ...

, 6.53% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 4.51% from other races, and 4.86% 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 10.09% of the population. There were 2,120 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% 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, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,283, and the median income for a family was $36,128. Males had a median income of $25,494 versus $18,919 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 $15,261. About 12.5% of families and 14.4% 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 19.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Purcell is a member of the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce, and is at the center of a micropolitan trade area which includes the communities of Goldsby, Lexington,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, and Wayne. Several small businesses and banks are located in Purcell, including a Walmart Supercenter. Purcell has historically served as an agribusiness area and a center for Oklahoma's equestrian industry. Purcell is the site of the first planned double-wide

trailer park A trailer park, caravan park, mobile home park, mobile home community or manufactured home community is a temporary or permanent area for mobile homes and travel trailers. Advantages include low cost compared to other housing, and quick and e ...

with underground utilities, paved roads, greenbelts and other amenities, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The largest area employer is

Oklahoma Department of Corrections The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC or ODOC) is an government agency, agency of the state of Oklahoma. DOC is responsible for the administration of the List of Oklahoma state prisons, state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklaho ...

at 2 nearby prison facilities

Joseph Harp Correctional Center Joseph Harp Correctional Center (JHCC) is an Oklahoma Department of Corrections state prison for male inmates located in Lexington, Cleveland County, Oklahoma. The medium-security facility opened in September 1978. JHCC was named for Joseph Harp ...

and

Lexington Assessment and Reception Center Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC) is a maximum-security state prison for men located in Lexington, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, owned and operated by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. The LARC complex also hosts the medium-se ...

, with other area employers including

Tinker Air Force Base Tinker Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, adjacent to Del City and Midwest City. The ba ...

Midwest City Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,409, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The city was developed in ...

, Purcell Public Schools, and The City of Purcell (which operates electric, water and sewer service).

Arts and culture

Historic landmarks

Purcell's downtown business district and its many historic buildings underwent major improvements and revitalization at a cost of over $1 million in the 1990s via the "U.S. Main Street" program. The improvements included new sidewalks, Victorian lamp posts, storefront restorations, and landscape islands in the downtown area. Purcell has four sites that are NRHP-listed: * Hotel Love, a three-story Victorian brick building that currently houses an antique store, a bed and breakfast inn, and retail offices/storefronts. *

McClain County Courthouse The McClain County Courthouse, on Courthouse Sq. in Purcell, Oklahoma, was built in 1928. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It was designed by architects Hawk & Parr. It is a three-story almost square red brick c ...

, a turn-of-the-century three-story brick building. It underwent a $2 million restoration in 1995. * US 77 James C. Nance Memorial Bridge, at Canadian River, connecting Purcell to Lexington. * United States Post Office Purcell, located at 228 W Main Street.

Historic site of Federal Courthouse for Indian Territory

The site of the now demolished U.S. Federal Courthouse for Indian Territory, at the east end of Main Street, is landmark site of the former court of jurisdiction for

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

. Prior to demolition, it was renovated into a car dealer showroom, later used as a fitness center and finally a retail floral shop before it became structurally unsound and demolished. The territorial courthouse was established under the

Nonintercourse Act The Nonintercourse Act (also known as the Indian Intercourse Act or the Indian Nonintercourse Act) is the collective name given to six statutes passed by the United States Congress in 1790, 1793, 1796, 1799, 1802, and 1834 to set boundaries of ...

. Beginning with the

Dawes Act of 1887 The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887) regulated land rights on tribal territories within the United States. Named after Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, it authorized the P ...

, Congress passed several laws designed to divide and allocate land between members of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes in the Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma). As part of this scheme, subsequent legislation authorized a “Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes,” commonly known as the

Dawes Commission The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893. Its purpose was to convince the Five Civilized Tribes to agree to cede tribal title ...

, to determine the citizenship of Native Americans claiming membership in these tribes. Unsuccessful applicants were entitled to appeal to the United States District Court for Indian Territory which was located on the east end of Main Street in Purcell OK.

Parks and recreation

Facilities include: * Brent Bruehl Memorial Golf Course * Purcell Multipurpose Center, featuring an indoor gym * Purcell City Lake * Sharp Memorial Park, featuring a playground and splashpad * McCurdy Park * Santa Fe Plaza, featuring a Santa Fe Caboose

Government

Purcell has a Council-Manager Charter form of government. The city council consists of five elected members who serve three-year terms, with one or two members facing election annually. The mayor and a vice mayor are selected by the council members to preside over its meetings. The city's council members also serve as trustees for the Purcell Public Works Authority (PPWA) which manages city services such as water, wastewater, electric, and solid waste collection, in addition to the Purcell Municipal Hospital and the city golf course. The city council/PPWA members appoint the City Manager. The mayor is Graham Fishburn.

Education

Education is administered by Purcell Public Schools. Schools include: *Purcell High School *Purcell Jr High School *Purcell Intermediate School *Purcell Elementary School

Infrastructure

Transportation

Purcell's Amtrak train station features daily rail service via the ''

''. Purcell Municipal-Steven E. Shephard Field has a paved runway, and was renamed in 2005 to honor a Purcell High School alumnus who became a U.S. pilot and died in the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. Highways include: *

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

* U.S. Highway 77 * State Highway 39 * State Highway 74. * State Highway 77C in downtown Purcell. The James C. Nance Memorial Bridge, originally built circa 1938, connects Purcell with Lexington across the

Health care

Purcell Municipal Hospital (PMH) a 50-bed acute care facility and emergency room, owned by the City of Purcell. The hospital ended surgery services in 2018. A new PMH hospital facility began construction in 2020.

Notable people

* Earl Bartlett, professional football player * Lisa Johnson Billy, member of Oklahoma House of Representatives * Eric Buterbaugh, American florist and perfumer *

Wallace Fox Wallace Fox (March 9, 1895 – June 30, 1958) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1927 and 1953. He was born in Purcell, Oklahoma, and died in Hollywood, California. Selected filmography * ''Trail of Cour ...

, film director * Lester Lane, gold medal winner in the

1960 Olympics The 1960 Olympics may refer to: *The 1960 Winter Olympics, which were held in Squaw Valley, United States *The 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 19 ...

Tom Lester Thomas William Lester (September 23, 1938 – April 20, 2020) was an American actor and evangelist. He was best known for his role as farmhand Eb Dawson on the television show ''Green Acres'' as well as crossover appearances on Petticoat Junct ...

, actor and former school teacher in Purcell, best known for TV role as farmhand Eb Dawson on ''

Green Acres ''Green Acres'' is an American television absurdist sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to ''Petticoat Junction'', the series was first br ...

'' * F. C. Love, president of the

Kerr-McGee The Kerr-McGee Corporation, founded in 1929, was an American energy company involved in oil exploration, production of crude oil, natural gas, perchlorate and uranium mining and milling in various countries. On June 23, 2006, Anadarko Petroleu ...

oil company * Bill McClard, professional football player * James C. Nance, newspaper publisher and politician *

Parker Millsap Parker Millsap is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Purcell, Oklahoma, playing a blend of blues, country, rock, Americana, and folk music. Named one of Americana Music Association's 2014 Emerging Artists of the Year afte ...

, alt-country and blues musician * William T. Pheiffer, Representative from New York in 77th Congress, and ambassador to the Dominican Republic * Joe Simpson, professional baseball player *

Bert Seabourn Bert Dail Seabourn (July 9, 1931 – November 17, 2022) was an American Abstract expressionism, expressionist painter, known for his stylized and nonrepresentational neo-expressionist artist. In his early career, he published comic book art and r ...

, American artist and painter * Kevin Ray Underwood, murderer * Charles W. Wantland, coach * Neil B. Ward, meteorologist and storm chaser * David W. Whitlock, 15th president of Oklahoma Baptist University

References

External links

* {{Authority control Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Oklahoma Cities in Cleveland County, Oklahoma Cities in McClain County, Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Populated places established in 1887 1887 establishments in Indian Territory