Prague, Oklahoma

Prague, Oklahoma
City
Location of Prague, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°29′10″N 96°41′16″W / 35.48611°N 96.68778°W / 35.48611; -96.68778Coordinates: 35°29′10″N 96°41′16″W / 35.48611°N 96.68778°W / 35.48611; -96.68778
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Lincoln
Area
• Total	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Land	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,010 ft (308 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	2,138
• Density	1,211.6/sq mi (467.8/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	74864
Area code(s)	405
FIPS code	40-60500[1]
GNIS feature ID	1096887[2]

Prague /ˈpreɪɡ/ is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,386 at the 2010 census, an 11.6 percent increase from 2,138 at the 2000 census.^[3] Originally settled by Czech immigrants, the city is named for the capital of the Czech Republic.

History

Prague was originally settled by Czech immigrants, after the opening of the Sac and Fox Reservation by a land run on September 22, 1891. The land was owned by Eva Barta who named the new town "Prague" for the Czech capital in Europe. The town incorporated in 1902.^[4]

On the first Saturday of May each year there is a 'Kolache Festival'. It celebrates the Czech culture brought from the 'old country.' One can learn more at the Prague Historical Museum on the town's main street, Jim Thorpe Boulevard, which is named for the town's most famous son, the Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe. Reflecting its Czech Catholic heritage, Prague is also the home of the National Shrine of the Infant Jesus, which draws numerous visitors each year.^[5]

On May 24, 1952, Indian mystic Meher Baba was seriously injured in a head-on automobile collision near Prague.^[6]

On November 5, 2011 a series of earthquakes struck near Prague, the first one a magnitude 4.7 at 2:15 AM CST, followed by a series of aftershocks, and then a second quake of magnitude 5.6 at 10:53 PM CST, the strongest recorded in Oklahoma history. This continued on November 7, 2011 when another 4.7 hit at 8:45 PM, just five miles northwest of Prague.

Geography

Prague is located at 35°29′10″N 96°41′16″W / 35.48611°N 96.68778°W / 35.48611; -96.68778 (35.486092, -96.687792)^[7].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,138 people, 864 households, and 567 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,211.6 people per square mile (469.0/km²). There were 1,021 housing units at an average density of 578.6 per square mile (224.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.07% White, 3.70% African American, 9.92% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.

There were 864 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.9% 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 2.34 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,779, and the median income for a family was $32,137. Males had a median income of $24,083 versus $19,438 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,381. About 11.3% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

It has an airfield with a 840 m (2757 ft) asphalt runway, located about a kilometer west of the town center, its identifier is "O47".^[8]

Newspapers

Prague is covered "journalistically" by the Shawnee News Star and the Prague Times Herald and praguecommunity.com, which is formerly praguetimesherald.com. As of September 1, 2007,after some contract disagreements, the Times Herald is no longer covered online by AndersonCorp LLC, and the former site is now existing as www.praguecommunity.com and is still run by AndersonCorp LLC as an independent online newspaper.

Education

Approximately 1,000 students are served by the Prague Public Schools.

Economy

The economy of Prague was initially driven by agriculture, with cotton as the most important crop, and this was still true at the turn of the 21st Century. Industry and commerce were added later.^[4]

Government

Prague has a council-manager form of city government.^[4]

Notable people

• Kyle Denney, former major league baseball player.
• Walter E. Fountain, United States Army Brigadier General, Assistant Adjutant General of the Oklahoma Army National Guard, acting Deputy Director of the Army National Guard
• Olinka Hrdy (1902 - 1987), muralist was born in Prague, Oklahoma.^[9]
• Richard James, lawyer and legislator
• Jim Thorpe, Olympic gold medalist, considered one of the most versatile athletes in modern sports.

Other

In May 2013 filming began for a movie called Justice with Tommy Lister, Jr. and James Russo.

References

External links

• City of Prague, Oklahoma
• The Shawnee News Star
• PragueCommunity.com
• Prague Public Schools
• Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
• Tower, William Ray. "A General History of the Town of Prague, Oklahoma 1908 - 1948."

v t e Municipalities and communities of Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States County seat: Chandler Cities Chandler Prague Stroud‡ Towns Agra Carney Davenport Fallis Kendrick Meeker Sparks Tryon Warwick Wellston Unincorporated communities Arlington Jacktown Midlothian Parkland Payson Rossville Ghost town Avery Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties