Ardmore, Oklahoma

Ardmore, Oklahoma
City

Seal

Location in the state of Oklahoma
Ardmore, Oklahoma

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 34°10′52″N 97°7′46″W / 34.18111°N 97.12944°W / 34.18111; -97.12944Coordinates: 34°10′52″N 97°7′46″W / 34.18111°N 97.12944°W / 34.18111; -97.12944
Country United States
State Oklahoma
County Carter
Government
 • Mayor Martin Dyer
Area
 • Total 51.8 sq mi (134.1 km2)
 • Land 49.9 sq mi (129.2 km2)
 • Water 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2)
Elevation 873 ft (266 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 24,283
 • Density 487/sq mi (188.0/km2)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-6)
ZIP codes 73401-73403
Area code(s) 580
FIPS code 40-02600[1]
GNIS feature ID 1089691[2]
Website www.ardmorecity.org

Ardmore is a business, cultural, and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States.[3] As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,283,[4] with an estimated population of 24,950 in 2013.[5] The Ardmore micropolitan statistical area had an estimated population of 48,491 in 2013.[6] Ardmore is 90 miles (140 km) from both Oklahoma City and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 70, and is generally considered the hub of the ten-county region of South Central Oklahoma, also known by state tourism pamphlets as "Arbuckle Country" and "Lake and Trail Country." Ardmore is situated about 9 miles (14 km) south of the Arbuckle Mountains and is located at the eastern margin of the Healdton Basin, one of the most oil-rich regions of the United States.

Ardmore was named after the affluent Philadelphia suburb and historic Pennsylvania Main Line stop of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, which was named after Ardmore in County Waterford, Ireland, by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1873. The name "Ardmore" is Irish for high grounds or hills. It is also a part of the Texoma region.

History

Main and Washington streets, downtown Ardmore

Ardmore, Indian Territory, began with a plowed ditch for a Main Street in the summer of 1887 in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation. It owes much of its existence to the construction of the Santa Fe Railroad through the area during that time. It grew, as most frontier towns grew, over the years into a trading outpost for the region. In 1894, notorious outlaw William M. Dalton was gunned down by a posse as he tried to flee from his home in Ardmore. A large fire in 1895 destroyed much of the fledgling town, which forced residents to rebuild nearly the entire town.[7] In the early 1900s, Ardmore became well known for its abundance of cotton-growing fields and eventually became known as the world's largest inland cotton port.

After the fields were stripped of their fertility, however, the city found itself positioned next to one of the largest oil fields ever produced in Oklahoma, the Healdton Oil Field. After its discovery in 1913, entrepreneurs and wildcatters flooded the area, and Carter County quickly became the largest oil-producing county in Oklahoma, and has remained so ever since.[8] Ardmore has remained an energy center for the region ever since, with the region's natural wealth giving birth to such energy giants as Halliburton and the Noble Energy companies, among others. Ardmore also learned the perils of being energy-rich with yet another disaster in 1915, when a railroad car containing casing gas exploded, killing 45 people and destroying much of downtown, including areas rebuilt after the 1895 fire.[9] The disaster, which made national news, gave residents the resolve to establish the city's first fire department to ensure that such events would not recur in the future. The city has not experienced any major setbacks since the 1915 fire, save a 1995 tornado that nearly destroyed the Uniroyal Goodrich (now Michelin) tire plant in west Ardmore. Despite a shift at the plant working at the time, miraculously no one was killed as the tornado ripped through the area, due to the public being alerted by area news and tornado sirens. On April 22, 1966, Ardmore was the site of the worst plane crash in Oklahoma history, which killed 83 people.[10]

Ardmore became nationally famous in 2003 when 52 Democratic members of the Texas House of Representatives, known as the Killer Ds, left Texas for Ardmore to deny the Republican-controlled House a quorum when Republicans attempted to pass a redistricting plan for U.S. congressional districts. Redistricting of congressional seats is traditionally done following the decennial U.S. census; the 2003 plan, which had been engineered by U.S. Representative Tom DeLay (R-Texas), would have been an unprecedented second redistricting in the same decade, and was promoted as a way to increase Republican electoral success. By leaving the state to stay in an Oklahoma hotel, Democrats temporarily delayed passage of the redistricting plan the Republican-controlled House. Republicans eventually succeeded at the re-redistricting, although in 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that new borders of the 25th Congressional District, a long thin chain of counties from Austin to Mexico, dubbed the "Fajita Strip", was in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, since it divided up predominantly Hispanic areas into multiple districts, and a U.S. district judge ordered new boundaries favorable to incumbent Democrats Ciro Rodriguez and Lloyd Doggett to be drawn.[11]

Geography

Panorama looking east, downtown Ardmore

Ardmore is located in southeastern Carter County at 34°10′52″N 97°07′46″W / 34.181240°N 97.129363°W / 34.181240; -97.129363 (34.181240, -97.129363).[12] It is bordered to the west by the city of Lone Grove and to the east by the town of Dickson. By Interstate 35, which passes through the west side of Ardmore, Oklahoma City is 97 miles (156 km) to the north, while Fort Worth, Texas, is 103 miles (166 km) to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ardmore has a total area of 51.8 square miles (134.1 km2), of which 49.9 square miles (129.2 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), or 3.67%, is water.[13]

Ardmore is located about 10 miles (16 km) south of the Arbuckle Mountains, an ancient, eroded range spanning some 62 mi (100 km) across southern Oklahoma. The geology is highly variegated within the area, with uplifted and folded ridges visible within the shoreline of some of the lakes surrounding Ardmore. The city of Ardmore has no intracity streams or rivers, but is part of the Washita and Red River watersheds, with two tributaries, Caddo and Hickory creeks, flanking the broad, low area in which Ardmore is situated. Ardmore is also 3.1 mi (5 km) north of Lake Murray, an impoundment of the two arms of Anadarche Creek, which eventually flows into the western reaches of Lake Texoma.

Climate

Climate data for Ardmore, Oklahoma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28)		 87
(31)		 92
(33)		 96
(36)		 97
(36)		 105
(41)		 109
(43)		 110
(43)		 107
(42)		 98
(37)		 87
(31)		 92
(33)		 110
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 53
(12)		 57
(14)		 63
(17)		 74
(23)		 81
(27)		 91
(33)		 94
(34)		 96
(36)		 89
(32)		 77
(25)		 64
(18)		 55
(13)		 74.5
(23.7)
Average low °F (°C) 29
(−2)		 34
(1)		 38
(3)		 50
(10)		 59
(15)		 68
(20)		 72
(22)		 70
(21)		 63
(17)		 51
(11)		 37
(3)		 31
(−1)		 50.2
(10)
Record low °F (°C) −4
(−20)		 0
(−18)		 6
(−14)		 26
(−3)		 37
(3)		 48
(9)		 58
(14)		 54
(12)		 43
(6)		 25
(−4)		 13
(−11)		 5
(−15)		 −4
(−20)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.8
(46)		 1.8
(46)		 2.4
(61)		 3.8
(97)		 5.8
(147)		 3.7
(94)		 3
(80)		 2.3
(58)		 3.5
(89)		 3.2
(81)		 1.5
(38)		 1.7
(43)		 34.3
(871)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.1
(5.3)		 1
(3)		 0.5
(1.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.1
(0.3)		 0.9
(2.3)		 4.6
(11.7)
Source: Weatherbase.com [14]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
19005,681—
19108,61851.7%
192014,18164.6%
193015,74111.0%
194016,8867.3%
195017,8905.9%
196020,18412.8%
197020,8813.5%
198023,68913.4%
199023,079−2.6%
200023,7112.7%
201024,2832.4%
Est. 201525,176[15]3.7%
Sources:[1][5][16][17][18][19]

As of the census of 2010, there were 24,283 people residing in the city.[20] The population density was 482.7 people per square mile (186.4/km2). There were 10,926 housing units at an average density of 222.4 per square mile (85.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.02% White, 11.27% African American, 8.78% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.70% of the population.

There were 9,646 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 31.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,046, and the median income for a family was $37,758. Males had a median income of $28,685 versus $23,070 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,502. About 13.6% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Ardmore is the principal center of trade for a ten-county region in south central Oklahoma, with a retail pull factor of 1.7 - 1.9. Ardmore's major employers are Michelin North America, with 1,900 employees, and Mercy Memorial Health Center, with 900 employees. Several hundred employees work for regional distribution centers for Best Buy, Dollar Tree (Marietta) and Dollar General Stores, among others. Until early 2009, Ardmore was also home to a large regional distribution center for the now-defunct retail electronics chain Circuit City and was also home to a 1-800-flowers call center. In 2010 Ardmore lost another technology company, IMTEC, which was purchased by 3M and moved away to California. The 85,000 bbl/d (13,500 m3/d) Valero refinery in northeast Ardmore employs some 250 area residents. Ardmore is also home to the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, among the nation's 50 largest private foundations, primarily engaged in agricultural bioresearch activities. In 2001, East Jordan Iron Works opened a foundry located at the Ardmore Industrial Airpark.

Arts and culture

Central Park, view towards historic bandstand, downtown Ardmore
Charles B. Goddard Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, downtown Ardmore

Being home to many pioneers in the dawn of the American oil industry, Ardmore has been blessed with riches far beyond most cities of its size, as well as the colorful past that often accompanies such "instant" wealth. The wealth has been channeled into many philanthropical endeavors, as well as reinvested into the area in various art and infrastructure endowments.

Amenities include:

The Ardmore Masonic Lodge is one of the oldest civic organizations in Ardmore.

Education

Colleges and universities

Ardmore is home to the Ardmore Higher Education Center (a consortium-model system of higher education) which offers courses and degrees to the local population from four participating institutions of higher education: Murray State College, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, East Central University and Oklahoma State University (from the Oklahoma City campus).

Primary and secondary schools

Ardmore City Schools , Plainview Public Schools , and the Ardmore Christian School operate public schools in Ardmore.

Ardmore-Oak Hall Episcopal School is one of only three Episcopal diocesan schools in the state of Oklahoma.

CareerTech

Southern Oklahoma Technology Center, a career and technical education school for high school, college and adult continuing education in technology and career development, is run by the state of Oklahoma with taxpayer assistance. It also serves as a training facility for the TASO (Training Alliance Services of Oklahoma) in which businesses train their employees to help perform their jobs better with better training.

Media

Tucker's Tower, on the eastern shore of Lake Murray, which borders the southern city limits of Ardmore

Newspaper

Television

Radio

AM

FM

Transportation

Historic Santa Fe Rail Station and adjacent track yard. This facility serves as the Amtrak station for Ardmore on the Heartland Flyer route.

Highways

Interstate 35 is passes through the western side of Ardmore, as it traverses the United States from Duluth, Minnesota, to Laredo, Texas.

Ardmore has four exits off I-35:

Ardmore is also home to the junction of US-70 and US-77, SH-142, and SH-199. Ardmore is connected to Lake Murray via State Highway 77S.

Airports

Ardmore has two general aviation airports, Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport and Ardmore Municipal Airport. The nearest scheduled air service occurs at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, 99 miles (159 km) north and 95 miles (153 km) south of Ardmore, respectively. Ardmore is linked by rail with the DFW Airport via the Heartland Flyer to Trinity Railway Express connection.

Rail

Ardmore has one principal rail line,[21] that being one of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainlines running from Fort Worth, Texas to Oklahoma City (also connecting with Kansas City and Chicago), formerly part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail network before the merger with Burlington Northern. The line dates back to 1887, and the first train arrived on July 28 in that year.[22] The company has multiple parallel tracks (5+) running through central Ardmore (MP 450.5), added concomitantly with the rise of the trading status of the city and region throughout the early 1900s. There is also a lightly used transverse rail spur from the BNSF line to the Michelin tire plant in west Ardmore, mainly intended for the transport of raw materials to the factory.

Mass transit

The historic Santa Fe depot in downtown Ardmore is also a stop on Amtrak's Heartland Flyer train route, with daily service to and from Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.

Ardmore also has a scheduled stop on the Greyhound/Jefferson Bus Lines system.

Southern Oklahoma Rural Transit System (SORTS) provides transit services for the public in Ardmore and the surrounding areas.

In the early twentieth century, Ardmore had a fairly extensive traction (streetcar/interurban) railway system, franchised in February 1905, that linked outlying areas, such as the Dornick Hills Country Club, to the central business district.[22] The main part of the streetcar line originally ran down the center lane of Main Street. Service ended in 1922.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.}
  4. ↑ "Ardmore's Population Grows 2.4% in the Last 10 Years". Retrieved 2011-03-12.
  5. 1 2 "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 (PEPANNRES): Incorporated Places in Oklahoma". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 - United States -- Micropolitan Statistical Area (GCT-PEPANNRES)". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  7. ↑ Bamburg, Maxine. "Ardmore", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed February 5, 2010).
  8. ↑ "2005 Oil & Gas Annual Report (charting oil production from 1975-2005), Oklahoma Corporation Commission (PDF)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2007-03-06. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  9. ↑ Burton, Laura M. "Ardmore Gas Explosion," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed February 5, 2010).
  10. ↑ http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=04221966&reg=N183H&airline=American+Flyers+Airline
  11. ↑ "LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS et al. v. PERRY, GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, et al".
  12. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  13. ↑ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Ardmore city, Oklahoma". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Historical Weather for Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States".
  15. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Population-Oklahoma" (PDF). U.S. Census 1910. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Population-Oklahoma" (PDF). 15th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
  18. ↑ "Number of Inhabitants: Oklahoma" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "Oklahoma: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  20. ↑ "2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Rail Network Map, BNSF Texas Operating Region, 2005 (PDF)" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  22. 1 2 "Events in the Early History of Ardmore, Oklahoma". Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  23. ↑ "IMDB: Mark Gastineau". Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
  24. ↑ Jeff Reed (2014). "The "Dad" Of East Texas Oil - The Story of Columbus Marion Joiner". oilpro.com. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  25. ↑ "WALT LAMB". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  26. ↑ "NOBLE, SAMUEL LLOYD (1896-1950)". Retrieved 2009-10-28.

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