Purcell, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
 McClain County Courthouse in Purcell | |
| Nicknames: Heart of Oklahoma, Quarterhorse Capital of the World, Queen City of the Chickasaw Nation | |
 Location in Oklahoma | |
| Coordinates:35°1′3″N97°22′10″W / 35.01750°N 97.36944°W /35.01750; -97.36944 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | McClain |
| Incorporated | 1898 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager Charter |
| • Mayor | Graham Fishburn[1] |
| • City Manager | Dale Bunn |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.73 sq mi (40.75 km2) |
| • Land | 15.20 sq mi (39.36 km2) |
| • Water | 0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,099 ft (335 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,651 |
| • Density | 437.6/sq mi (168.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
|
| Area code | 405 |
| FIPS code | 40-61150[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1096963[6] |
| Website | www |
Purcell is a city in and the county seat ofMcClain County,Oklahoma, United States.[7] As of the2020 census, the city population was 6,651, a 13% increase from 2010.[8][9]
Founded in 1887, Purcell was a railroad town named after Edward B. Purcell, an official with theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway ("AT&SF").[10]
Purcell is often called the"Quarterhorse Capital of the World", and its official motto is "Heart of Oklahoma." The city has registered trademarks on both titles.[11]
Purcell was at the north end of theGulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, owned by the AT&SF. Today,Amtrak serves the town with theHeartland Flyer at thestation near the old AT&SF depot.[10]
Purcell was the only town on the border of the Unassigned Lands, and began attracting hopeful settlers even before theLand Rush of 1889. Town lots went on sale April 5, 1887, and a post office was established 16 days later. ThePurcell Register, the town's oldest newspaper, was established in 1887, and continued operating into the 21st Century. Residents elected the town's first mayor, James Taylor Bradley, on August 13, 1895. The town was incorporated on October 3, 1898.[10]
Located on the Canadian River, it was called the "Queen City of the Chickasaw Nation." In 1895, one of the five district courts of the Chickasaw Nation was located in Purcell, with the first session opening November 18, 1895. The court house escaped destruction the next day, when a fire destroyed most of the buildings in the business district.[10]
Construction of theOklahoma Central Railroad ("OCR"), which would connect the Lehigh coal mines with Chickasha, reached Purcell in March 1907. The OCR located its main yards, barns and most of its equipment in Purcell. Although the OCR went bankrupt in the following year, its assets were acquired by the AT&SF.[10]
Purcell is within theGreat Plains region, located at35°1′3″N97°22′10″W / 35.01750°N 97.36944°W /35.01750; -97.36944 (35.017465, -97.369537).[12] It is east of the center of McClain County and is bordered to the east by theCanadian River, which forms the border withCleveland County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km2), of which 15.2 square miles (39 km2) are land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), or 3.40%, are water.[3]
Purcell is located along theI-35 Corridor in the central part of the state, on a bluff overlooking the Canadian River valley within theInterior Plains region. It is 13 miles (21 km) south of Norman[10] and 36 miles (58 km) south ofOklahoma City. The view from atop Purcell's Red Hill offers a scenic glimpse at both theSouth Canadian River and theUniversity of Oklahoma campus in neighboring Norman.
The central core of Purcell is located at the intersection ofUS-77 andOK-74/OK-39. Access toI-35 is at the north and south ends of the town.
Prior to the construction of I-35, this route of US-77 was the heavily traveled road from Oklahoma City toDallas.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 2,277 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,740 | 20.3% | |
| 1920 | 2,938 | 7.2% | |
| 1930 | 2,817 | −4.1% | |
| 1940 | 3,116 | 10.6% | |
| 1950 | 3,546 | 13.8% | |
| 1960 | 3,729 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,076 | 9.3% | |
| 1980 | 4,638 | 13.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,784 | 3.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,571 | 16.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,884 | 5.6% | |
| 2020 | 6,651 | 13.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13][failed verification] 2020[8] | |||
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Newer information is available from the 2010 and 2020 census reports. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2022) |
As of thecensus[5] of 2000, there were 5,571 people, 2,120 households, and 1,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 560.1 inhabitants per square mile (216.3/km2). There were 2,789 housing units at an average density of 233.3 per square mile (90.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.60%White, 2.21%African American, 6.53%Native American, 0.29%Asian, 4.51% fromother races, and 4.86% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 10.09% of the population.
There were 2,120 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% weremarried couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,283, and the median income for a family was $36,128. Males had a median income of $25,494 versus $18,919 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $15,261. About 12.5% of families and 14.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Purcell is a member of the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce, and is at the center of a micropolitan trade area which includes the communities ofGoldsby,Lexington,Washington, andWayne.[14] Several small businesses and banks are located in Purcell, including a Walmart Supercenter.[15] Purcell has historically served as an agribusiness area and a center for Oklahoma's equestrian industry.[16] Purcell is the site of the first planned double-widetrailer park with underground utilities, paved roads, greenbelts and other amenities, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The largest area employer isOklahoma Department of Corrections at 2 nearby prison facilitiesJoseph Harp Correctional Center andLexington Assessment and Reception Center, with other area employers includingTinker Air Force Base inMidwest City, Purcell Public Schools, and The City of Purcell (which operates electric, water and sewer service).
Purcell's downtown business district and its many historic buildings underwent major improvements and revitalization at a cost of over $1 million in the 1990s via the "U.S. Main Street" program. The improvements included new sidewalks, Victorian lamp posts, storefront restorations, and landscape islands in the downtown area.
Purcell has four sites that are NRHP-listed:
The site of the now demolished U.S. Federal Courthouse for Indian Territory, at the east end of Main Street, is landmark site of the former court of jurisdiction forIndian Territory. Prior to demolition, it was renovated into a car dealer showroom, later used as a fitness center and finally a retail floral shop before it became structurally unsound and demolished. The territorial courthouse was established under theNonintercourse Act.
Beginning with theDawes Act of 1887, Congress passed several laws designed to divide and allocate land between members of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes in the Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma). As part of this scheme, subsequent legislation authorized a “Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes,” commonly known as theDawes Commission, to determine the citizenship of Native Americans claiming membership in these tribes. Unsuccessful applicants were entitled to appeal to the United States District Court for Indian Territory which was located on the east end of Main Street in Purcell OK.
Facilities include:[17]
Purcell has a Council-Manager Charter form of government. The city council consists of five elected members who serve three-year terms, with one or two members facing election annually. The mayor and a vice mayor are selected by the council members to preside over its meetings. The city's council members also serve as trustees for the Purcell Public Works Authority (PPWA) which manages city services such as water, wastewater, electric, and solid waste collection, in addition to the Purcell Municipal Hospital and the city golf course. The city council/PPWA members appoint the City Manager.[2]
The mayor is Graham Fishburn.[1]
Education is administered by Purcell Public Schools. Schools include:[18]
Purcell'sAmtrak train station features daily rail service via theHeartland Flyer.
Purcell Municipal-Steven E. Shephard Field has a paved runway,[19][20] and was renamed in 2005 to honor a Purcell High School alumnus who became a U.S. pilot and died in theIraq War.
Highways include:
TheJames C. Nance Memorial Bridge, originally built circa 1938, connects Purcell withLexington across theCanadian River viaU.S. Route 77.[23][24][25]
Purcell Municipal Hospital (PMH) a 50-bed acute care facility and emergency room, owned by the City of Purcell. The hospital ended surgery services in 2018. A new PMH hospital facility began construction in 2020.[26]
Municipalities and communities ofCleveland County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Neighborhood | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofMcClain County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
