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Yukon is a city in eastern
Canadian County, Oklahoma Canadian County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 154,405, making it the fourth most populous county in Oklahoma. Its county seat is ...
, United States. The population was 23,630 at the 2020 census. Founded in the 1890s, the town was named in reference to a
gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...
in
Yukon Territory Yukon () is a territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s westernmost territory and the smallest ...
, Canada, at the time. Historically, Yukon served as an urban center for area farmers and the site of a
milling Milling may refer to: * Milling (minting), forming narrow ridges around the edge of a coin * Milling (grinding), breaking solid materials into smaller pieces by grinding, crushing, or cutting in a mill * Milling (machining), a process of using ro ...
operation. Currently, it is primarily a residential community for people who work in the
Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is an urban region in Central Oklahoma. It is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Oklahoma and contains the state capital and principal city, Oklahoma City. It is often known as the Oklahoma City Metr ...
.


History

Yukon was founded by A.N. Spencer in 1891Savage, Cynthia
"Yukon,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society. Accessed April 17, 2015.
and was named for the
Yukon River The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. From its source in British Columbia, it flows through Canada's territory of Yukon (itself named after the river). The lower half of the river continues westward through the U.S ...
which flows from
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, across the
Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...
, and into Alaska. Spencer, a cattleman from
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
turned railroad builder, was working on a line from El Reno to
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
when he decided to build the town.About YukonCity of Yukon website
(accessed May 4, 2010).
Spencer filed the plat on the townsite on February 14, 1891. He had agreed to do so and lay the train tracks through the town in exchange for half of the lots, which were owned by Minnie Taylor and Luther S. Morrison. Taylor and Morrison had acquired the land in the 1889 land run. Spencer also bought two quarter sections south of Main Street from Joseph Carson and his sister, Josephine. Spencer and his brother, Lewis, named the town after the
Yukon Territory Yukon () is a territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s westernmost territory and the smallest ...
of
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, where a
gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...
was booming at the time. The first houses and businesses were located on the north side of Spencer Avenue (now Main Street) and present Fourth and Fifth streets. The ''Canadian County Courier'' reported on April 1, 1891, that the city had 25 homes, one bank, two real estate offices, two restaurants, a lumber yard, a hardware store, a grocery, a livery stable, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, a printing office, a barber shop, and a second barber shop "about completed." The Choctaw,
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 ...
and Gulf Railway Company laid its track, causing the abandonment of Frisco, which had a population of 1,000 at the time. Beginning in about 1898, Yukon began to attract immigrants from
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
. Following World War I and the dissolution of Bohemia into
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
and
Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...
, the immigrants became known as "
Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...
." Yukon is known as the "Czech Capital of Oklahoma". The town voted to incorporate in 1901 and voted to add water works, sewer, and electricity from the mill in 1910. Businesses remained clustered on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth, until the 1920s, when they began to locate in other parts of the town. The interurban was built from
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 ...
to El Reno in 1911. It closed in 1940. Paved roads didn't arrive until the construction of State Highway 66 in 1926. Yukon thrived as the urban center for area farmers and had an organized library by 1905 and a dedicated library building in 1927. A small milling operation, the Yukon Mill and Grain Company, opened in 1893 and grew to shipping flour and feeds throughout the south and exporting them overseas by 1915. The milling operation was owned by the Kroutil and Dobry families, but the Dobry family built their own mill and parted ways with the Kroutils in the 1930s. The mills were sold to larger corporations; Shawnee Mills purchased the Yukon Mill and Grain Company and Mid-Continent purchased the Dobry Mills. Paying homage to that history, the students of
Yukon High School Yukon High School is a secondary school located within Canadian County in Yukon, Oklahoma. Notable alumni * Phil Ball (1943), former college football coach *Garth Brooks (1980), country singer * Cam Martin (2017), NBA G League basketball player ...
are known as "Millers", and their mascot is "The Miller Man". In 1949, Yukon garnered national media attention because of the plight of Grady the Cow, who was stuck inside a silo for four days.Associated Press
"Grady Dies; Famous As Cow in Silo,"
''Reading Eagle'' (Reading, Pennsylvania), July 25, 1961. Accessed April 30, 2015.
Sutter. Ellie
"Silo Landmark Torn Down Grady the Cow Only a Memory,"
''NewsOK'' (website of ''The Oklahoman''), January 6, 1997. Accessed April 30, 2015.
From a population of 830 in 1907, Yukon grew to 1,990 by 1950. By 1960, the population registered at 3,076. Oklahoma City annexed nearly all of the land around Yukon during the 1960s. This brought a boom in residential construction and commercial development. The town had grown to approximately 22,000 residents in 2005.


Geography

Yukon is located in east central Canadian County. The western boundary 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 ...
is at the county line 3.5 miles east of the center of Yukon. The town is traversed by
Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...
and state highways 4 and 92. It lies just 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 ...
. Downtown Oklahoma City is to the east. 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 , or 0.21%, is water.


Demographics

As of the 2010
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 ...
, there were 22,709 people, 8,744 households, and 6,390 families residing in the city.United States Census Demographic Profile of Yukon, Oklahoma, a
U.S. Census website
(cite does not allow direct link). (accessed September 5, 2013)
The population density was . There were 9,231 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.8%
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 ...
, 1.2%
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 ...
, 3.7% Native American, 2% Asian, 0.1%
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 ...
, 1.5% from other races, and 3.7% 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 made up 4.9% of the population. There were 8,744 households, out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% 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, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families.2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Yukon, Oklahoma, a
U.S. Census website
(cite does not allow direct link). (accessed September 5, 2013)
Single individuals living alone accounted for 21% of households and individuals 65 years of age or older living alone accounted for 9.2% of households. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 59.9% from 18 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. The population was 52.8% female and 47.2% male. The median income for a household in the city was $59,803, and the median income for a family was $66,635. Males had a median income of $49,836 versus $34,717 for females. About 6.5% of families and 8.5% 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 ...
.


Arts and culture

The Czech Hall, a national and state historic site, is devoted to preserving
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
customs, heritage, and culture. Community events include the Czech Festival, which takes place on the first Saturday of October, and the Chisholm Trail and Crawfish Festival, which takes place on the first Saturday of June. In late August Yukon also holds a country music festival, called "Rock the Route."


Government

Yukon has a Council-Manager government. This form of government combines elected officials with an appointed manager. All authority to set policy rests with a nonpartisan Mayor and City Council. The governing body in turn hires a nonpartisan manager who has broad authority to run the organization. Yukon is divided into four geographical wards and one at-large ward. A representative from each Ward are the five members of the City Council. They are elected to four-year terms. The voters of each Ward elect a council member to represent them and the Mayor is elected yearly by council. The Mayor and Council appoint a City Manager to serve as the city's chief administrative official. The Mayor and Council also appoint the City Attorney and Municipal Court judges.


Education

The Yukon Public Schools district covers most of Yukon.
Text list
/ref> It includes 11 schools, served a community of 36,938 people, and encompasses 66.10 square miles of land and 2.18 square miles of water.
(accessed September 5, 2013)
The school district offers pre-school through secondary school education. The school served 8,781 students in the 2017–2018 school year. Parts of Yukon are zoned to Banner Public School and some other parts are zoned to Riverside Public School . The high school has won state titles in softball in 1986, 1991, 1997, 2000, and 2010; in boys basketball in 1974 and 1979; in baseball in 1982, 1996, and 1997; and cheerleading in 2002.


Notable people

* Joe Albertson, founder of the
Albertsons Albertsons Companies, Inc. is an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. With 2,253 stores as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 270,000 employees as of fiscal year 2019, the company is the second-large ...
chain of grocery stores and a notable philanthropist; born in Yukon * Dan Bailey, kicker for Oklahoma State University and Dallas Cowboys * Phil Ball, former UCO football coach. *
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
, country music singer; grew up in Yukon * Josh Shipp, motivational speaker: grew up in Yukon * Brad Dalke, golfer; born in Yukon * Max Gleason, a cappella YouTube musician "Smooth McGroove" * Steve Heller, writer; raised near Yukon * Daniel Lewis Lee, convicted murderer; born in Yukon * Cross Canadian Ragweed, band founded in Yukon * Ed Roberts, poet and author; born in Yukon * Dale Robertson, actor in films and television's ''
Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...
'', '' The Iron Horse'' and ABC's 1981 hit ''
Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...
''


See also

* Yukon Public Schools


References


External links


City of Yukon official website

City Council

Yukon Chamber of Commerce

Yukon Public Schools

Mabel C. Fry Public Library

Oklahoma Czech Festival

Stage Door Theatre of Yukon, former District School building and Historic Society


statistical data about Yukon {{authority control Oklahoma City metropolitan area Cities in Canadian County, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma Czech-American culture in Oklahoma