Watonga, Oklahoma
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Watonga is a city in Blaine 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 ...
. It is 70 miles northwest 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 population was 2,690 as of the 2020 United States census. It is the
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 Blaine County.


History

Watonga is located on former
Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation were the lands granted the Southern Cheyenne and the Southern Arapaho by the United States under the Medicine Lodge Treaty signed in 1867. The tribes never lived on the land described in the treaty and did n ...
lands that were allotted to individual tribal members, and the excess opened to white settlers in the
Land Run of 1892 The Land Run of 1892 was the opening of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation to settlement in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. One of seven in Oklahoma, it occurred on April 19, 1892, and opened up land that would become Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Washita ...
. Watonga is named after
Arapaho The Arapaho ( ; , ) are a Native American people historically living on the plains of Colorado and Wyoming. They were close allies of the Cheyenne tribe and loosely aligned with the Lakota and Dakota. By the 1850s, Arapaho bands formed t ...
Chief Watonga, whose name means "Black Coyote".Crawford, Terri
"Watonga,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
The town began as a tent city on April 19, 1892. A post office opened in Watonga during the same year. However, the first railroad line through Watonga was not built until 1901–02, when the Enid and Anadarko Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) constructed a rail line from Guthrie.


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 , or 0.28%, is water.


Demographics

, there were 4,658 people, 1,273 households, and 858 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,507 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 61.19%
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 ...
, 15.33%
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 ...
, 8.24% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 2.02%
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 ...
, 4.89% from other races, and 6.78% 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 11.91% of the population. There were 1,273 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% 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, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.3% 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 2.53 and the average family size was 3.16. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 169.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 191.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,208, and the median income for a family was $31,391. Males had a median income of $23,056 versus $16,146 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 $10,567. About 12.4% of families and 17.5% 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 24.1% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over. According to one report, Watonga's 42.9% reduction in population from 2010 to 2017 makes it the fastest shrinking place in Oklahoma.


Economy

Since statehood, Watonga's economy has largely been based on agriculture. In the early days, local farmers primarily produced wheat. The dairy industry grew in western Oklahoma and led to the opening of the Watonga Cheese Factory in 1941. It was one of the state's five active dairy product plants in 2004.Spicer, Leon J
"Dairy Industry,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
The plant subsequently closed in 2007.Bates, Richenda Davis
"Watonga Cheese Festival,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores Love's Travel Stops, doing business as Love's (or stylized as Loves), is an American family-owned and -operated chain of more than 650 truck stops in 42 states in the United States. The company is privately owned and headquartered in Oklahoma ...
began with a single leased gas station in Watonga in the mid-1960s. Love's is now in 41 states, is approaching 500 travel centers, and employs 25,000 nationwide. The city hosted the Diamondback Correctional Facility, owned by the
Corrections Corporation of America CoreCivic, Inc. formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. Co-founded in 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas W. ...
from 1998, and the prison grew to become the town's largest employer. But the prison, housing Arizona inmates, experienced a riot in May 2004. The contract to utilize the facility was not renewed, resulting in the prison closing in May 2010.After losing possible federal contract, Watonga hopes to find a use for Diamondback Correctional Facility
Enid News and Eagle The ''Enid News & Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published Tuesday through Sunday in Enid, Oklahoma, United States. The publication covers several counties in northwest Oklahoma and is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. The newspaper also ...
, Cass Rains, June 14, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
This left 300 prison workers jobless or transferred elsewhere. The prison was still vacant in March 2017. The town
Walmart 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 ...
closed in 2016.


Government

Watonga has an
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
ic form of government.


Arts and culture

The city hosts an annual Watonga Cheese Festival in October. The festival was formed in 1976 by the Watonga Chamber of Commerce because the town had the only cheese factory in Oklahoma at the time. The festival continued even after the factory closed in 2007. In 2013, a wine competition was added to the festival. The town newspaper, the Watonga Republican, has been published since 1892. Watonga has the T.B. Ferguson Home Museum, which consists of the 1901 Victorian-style house of publisher T.B. Ferguson and various artifacts of the era.


Notable people

*
Sis Cunningham Agnes "Sis" Cunningham (February 19, 1909 – June 27, 2004) was an American musician, best known as a performer and publicist of folk music and protest songs. She was the founding editor of '' Broadside'' magazine, which she published with her hu ...
, musician known for
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
and
protest music A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...
*
Thompson Benton Ferguson Thompson Benton Ferguson (March 17, 1857February 14, 1921) was the sixth governor of Oklahoma Territory. Early life Ferguson was born on March 17, 1857, near Des Moines, Iowa. The following year, he moved to Emporia, Kansas, with his parents. Hi ...
, newspaper publisher and eighth governor of the
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 ...
*
Trevon Hartfield Trevon Hartfield (born November 17, 1991) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Southwestern Oklahoma State. College career Hartfield first attended Northern Oklahoma College in Enid, Oklahoma, where he played bas ...
,
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 ...
safety * Robert J. Helberg, aeronautical engineer for
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
who contributed to the
Lunar Orbiter program The Lunar Orbiter program was a series of five uncrewed lunar orbiter missions launched by the United States in 1966 and 1967. Intended to help select Apollo landing sites by mapping the Moon's surface, they provided the first photographs from ...
* Byron Houston, retired
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player * Guy Lookabaugh, coach and former player of multiple sports *
Jim Lookabaugh Edwin Maurice "Jim" Lookabaugh (June 16, 1902 – May 13, 1982) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College—now known as Oklahoma State University–Stillwater ...
, football player and coach *
Clarence Nash Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor and impressionist. He is best remembered as the original voice of the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck. He was born in the rural community of W ...
(1904–1985), the original voice of
Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...
. * Patrick Sherrill, perpetrator of the
Edmond post office shooting The Edmond post office shooting was a mass shooting that occurred in Edmond, Oklahoma, on August 20, 1986. In less than fifteen minutes, 44-year-old postal worker Patrick Sherrill pursued and shot several coworkers, killing 14 and injuring anoth ...


Parks and recreation

Roman Nose State Park, which opened in 1937 and was one of the state's seven original state parks, is seven miles north of Watonga, off State Highway 8 and 8a. It includes two lakes, the smaller being Lake Boecher, and the larger the 55-surface-acre Lake Watonga. The park includes hiking trails, guided horseback rides and hayrides to a historic natural-rock swimming pool, miniature golf, and an 18-hole par-70 golf course. For lodging, the park has Roman Nose Lodge, built in 1956 and renovated in 2010, along with more than 90 campsites, almost equally split between RV and tent sites.


Historic sites

Ferguson Chapel was a Presbyterian Church dedicated in 1903 and continued in use until 1972. In 1992, the building was restored by town volunteers and is used as an event center. Seven of 17 NHRP-listed sites in Blaine County are located in Watonga, including the Blaine County Courthouse, the
Noble Hotel The Noble Hotel, at 112 N. Noble St. in Watonga, Oklahoma, is a two-story red brick hotel which was built in 1912 and 1937. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Fed ...
, and the United States Post Office Watonga.


Transportation

Watonga connects with
U.S. Route 270 U.S. Route 270 (US 270) is a spur of US 70. It travels for from Liberal, Kansas at US 54 and US 83 to White Hall, Arkansas at Interstate 530 (I-530) and US 65. It travels through the states of Arkansas, Oklah ...
, State Highway 3, State Highway 8, and State Highway 51a. Watonga is served by Watonga Regional Airport. 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 68 miles to the southeast. Rail freight carriage of grain, fertilizer, and other agriculture-related products is provided by
AT&L Railroad The AT&L Railroad was started in May 1985 by Wheeler Brothers Grain Company operating about of former Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P) track in Oklahoma. It replaced the North Central Oklahoma Railway, which operated the track ...
, which runs from Watonga to Geary to
El Reno, Oklahoma El Reno is a city in and the 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 ...
, with overhead trackage rights on the
Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...
from El Reno to
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 ...
.


Notes


References


External links

*
Watonga.com


{{authority control Cities in Blaine County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma