Wilson is a town in
Carter 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 community had 1,399 residents.
It is about 17 miles west of
Ardmore off
US Route 70
U.S. Route 70 or U.S. Highway 70 (US 70) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. It is a major east–west highway of the Southeastern United States, Southeastern, Southern Unite ...
, and is part of the
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 24,725 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 1.8% increase over the 2010 census figure of 24,283. The Ardmo ...
Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to one of the oldest
Assemblies of God
The World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), commonly known as the Assemblies of God (AG), is a global cooperative body or communion of over 170 Pentecostal denominations that was established on August 15, 1989. The WAGF was created to provi ...
churches in Oklahoma, the
Wilson Assembly of God Church.
History
John Ringling
John Nicholas Ringling (May 31, 1866 – December 2, 1936) was an American entrepreneur who is the best known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus, Ringling Br ...
(of
Ringling Brothers fame) in 1913 built his
Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific Railway west from
Ardmore to the spot that would become Wilson.
Ringling himself chose the name—originally “New Wilson”--- as a tribute to Charles Wilson, manager of the
Ringling Brothers Circus
Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows is a circus founded in Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States in 1884 by five of the seven Ringling brothers: Albert, August, Otto, Alfred T., Charles, John, and Henry. The Ringling brothers were sons of a Germ ...
.
A post office was established on January 17, 1914; the town voted to incorporate the same year; and, the name changed to Wilson in 1918.
[
The murder of Jared Lakey in 2019 achieved national attention.
]
Geography
Wilson is located in southwestern Carter County. U.S. Highway 70 passes through the city north of the populated center; it leads east to Ardmore, the Carter County seat, and west to Waurika.
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 ...
, Wilson has a total area of , of which , or 0.23%, is water.
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 ...
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 ...
, 0.25% 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 ...
, 6.57% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 2.59% 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 1.83% of the population.
There were 625 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% 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, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,667, and the median income for a family was $28,199. Males had a median income of $29,063 versus $17,619 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 $11,258. About 15.4% of families and 20.8% 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 ...
, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
[De Semlyen, Nick]
"Chuck Norris: In His Own Words: It’s Chuck’s world – we just live in it,"
''Empire'', Originally published in May 2007 issue of ''Empire'' magazine. Accessed May 4, 2015.
Historic Landmark
The Healdton Oil Field Bunkhouse, just north of Wilson, is NRHP-listed.
References
External links
Wilson Public Schools
{{authority control
Cities in Carter County, Oklahoma
Cities in Oklahoma
Ardmore, Oklahoma micropolitan area