Sulphur is a city in and

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 Murray 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 5,065 at the 2020 census, a 2.8 percent gain over the figure of 4,929 in 2010. The area around Sulphur has been noted for its mineral springs, since well before the city was founded late in the 19th century. The city received its name from the presence of sulfur in the water.

History

This area was part of Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation in the

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, ...

during the late 19th century. The first known settler was Noah Lael, son-in-law of former Chickasaw Governor Cyrus Harris, who built a ranch south of Pavilion Springs in 1878. In 1882, Harris sold the ranch to Perry Froman, a part Chickasaw rancher. The ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' says the ranch house was the first residence in Sulphur. About 1890, a group of fisherman built a clubhouse at the Sulphur site. Conventions and other gatherings began meeting in the vicinity during the early 1890s. The clubhouse owners enlarged the building and sold it for use as a hotel. Richard A. Sneed, a lawyer who visited the area about 1890 and soon after organized the Sulphur Springs Company. The company bought of land from Froman Ranch and platted a townsite. A post office named Sulphur was established October 2, 1895. The ''Sulphur Headlight'', the first newspaper in town, began publication in 1899, and the first telephone exchange in town went into service in 1900."Murray County, Oklahoma."
OK Gen Web. Accessed October 13, 2016. In the late Spring of 1903, the Sulphur Springs Railway was completed between Sulphur and Scullin, a distance of about , connecting at Scullin to the newly completed St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (Frisco). The Frisco bought the Sulphur Springs Railway in 1907. In 1902, the U.S. Government and the Chickasaw Nation agreed to preserve the area around the springs, and called it the Sulphur Springs Reservation, later renaming it as Platt National Park. People and buildings were required to move out of the reservation area. The people resettled nearby, creating two communities, West Sulphur and East Sulphur, divided by Rock Creek. Another such move occurred in 1904, when the U.S, government decided to add another to the new park. The reservation officially opened to the public on April 29, 1904.National Park Service. Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
"Creating the Park:1902-1910."Retrieved December 24, 2013. Platt National Park was abolished by Congress and made part of the much larger Chickasaw National Recreation Area (CNRA) in 1976, which included Lake of the Arbuckles.Cold Splinters. "Platt National Park/Oklahoma Oasis."
Retrieved December 22, 2013. Sulphur defeated Davis, Oklahoma in an election in 1908 to determine the location of the county seat of the newly created Murray County. A tornado touched down just northwest of the town on May 9, 2016. It was rated EF3 and did severe damage to homes and trees in the area. Late at night on April 27, 2024, the city was hit by a destructive tornado as part of a much larger tornado outbreak that impacted southern and northern parts of Oklahoma. There was one confirmed fatality in Sulphur, and the majority of the town suffered substantial damage as a direct hit of the tornado.

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 , of which is land and (2.16%) is water. Sulphur is in southern Oklahoma, about southeast 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 ...

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 4,794 people, 1,877 households, and 1,244 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,220 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 79.45%

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 ...

, 1.36%

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 ...

, 12.72% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04%

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 ...

, 1.52% from other races, and 4.53% 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 4.80% of the population. There were 1,877 households, out of which 100.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,236, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $28,712 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 $15,691. About 7.9% of families and 12.3% 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 17.5% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Although extraction industries (asphalt, lead, and zinc mines) have long been important, tourism has become the primary support to the local economy.

Attractions

Chickasaw National Recreation Area (originally Platt National Park), a popular destination for many regional tourists, is located just south of the town of Sulphur. Principal attractions in Sulphur besides the park are sulfurous water springs in town that were once thought to cure ailments and other medical conditions. The pungent odor and taste are quite popular with some people. Other attractions include the Arbuckle Mountain range, just to the southwest, complete with many hiking and recreational opportunities. Sulphur is also the home to the Chickasaw Cultural Center, a museum which tells the story of the Chickasaw Nation. Vendome Well remains the state's largest artesian spring. Its sulfur water fed a stream that converged with Travertine Creek and formed a small lake. People smeared the lake's mud on their bodies to cure ailments.

Government

Each of the city's five wards has a councilor, and the councilors collectively form the city's governing body. As of 2020, Andy Freeman currently serves as City Manager.

Education

The city of Sulphur is served by the Sulphur Public School District.
Text list
/ref> The first public school opened in 1904. There is one elementary, intermediate, junior high and high school. During 2008, the enrollment for the district was at 1,383 students. Athletics are a major piece of the school culture in Sulphur. Football is the most popular sport, and the Bulldogs have won State Championships in class 3A (2002) and 2A (2004). They were the 3A state runner-up in 2003. Powerlifting, basketball and baseball are also popular sports. The Bulldogs have won state championships in both baseball (1966 and 2004) and powerlifting (2005 and 2006). There has been a long and heated rivalry between Sulphur and the neighboring town of Davis, OK, located just 7 miles to the west, known locally as the Murray County Bedlam. Oklahoma School for the Deaf is also located in Sulphur, Oklahoma. It opened in 1908 to provide the same educational opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students as other schools provide for hearing students. These also include participation in sports: football, volleyball, track, etc.

Infrastructure

Roads and highways

Major highways are: * Oklahoma State Highway 7 * Oklahoma State Highway 7 Spur * Chickasaw Turnpike * U.S. Route 177

Notable people

* Loyd Arms won the NCAA Wrestling National Championship in the heavyweight division. Arms was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals with the 129th overall selection of the 1943 NFL Draft. * Wayne Bennett,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

guitarist, was born in Sulphur. * Roy Joseph Turner served as state governor from 1947 to 1951. Turner was born on November 6, 1894, in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Territory. Turner Turnpike, linking Tulsa with

was named for him.

Notes

References

External links

Sulphur Chamber of Commerce

Wray, Jacilee and Alexa Roberts. ''An Ethnohistory of the Relationship between the Community of Sulphur, Oklahoma and Chickasaw National Recreation Area''. Chickasaw National Recreation Area. July 29, 2004.
{{authority control Cities in Murray County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Spa towns in the United States Populated places established in 1882 1882 establishments in Indian Territory