Blanchard, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Blanchard is a city in Grady
and McClain
counties in the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. The population was 7,670 at the 2010 census
. Blanchard is part of a rapidly growing area of northern McClain
and Grady
Counties known as the "Tri-City Area" with Newcastle
and Tuttle
.
The townsite was established by three lot sales beginning with the Canadian Valley Construction Company sale on September 19, 1906. The second sale was held on July 18, 1907, and final lots were sold on March 25, 1908, by the Blanchard Townsite Company. Within a year the town was described as having forty business establishments, including a state and national bank, four blacksmith shops, three livery barns, two grain elevators, and a weekly newspaper.
Several incorporation dates are reported in various publications pertaining to the history of Blanchard, and in the town offices as well. The most reliable source seems to be the Blanchard Record of October 25, 1907, which reported, "That Blanchard is now an incorporated town is realized by but a few of our citizens. The petition praying for incorporation was favorably acted upon at the [federal] courts at Chickasha [sic] last week. On or about November 19 notice of an election of officers will be given. In the meantime candidates will be chosen."
A population of 629 was reported by 1910, and 2,116 in 1996. The Blanchard post office charter was granted by the Post Office Department on December 19, 1906. Mail had previously been received at Womack. When Arthur H. "Art" and Bill Blanchard moved their store from Womack to the new townsite in 1906, they took the post office with them.
In 1909, the Northern District Court was established whereby McClain County was divided into two sections for legal matters for the convenience of the citizens. A court house was built in Blanchard, and the first case began on December 13, 1909. The district was disestablished in the late 1920s and combined with District One in Purcell, the county seat. At the turn of the 21st century Legal records could be found at Blanchard.
On the periphery of the city center are schools, businesses and modern housing subdivisions. These subdivisions tend to be low-density (typically one to 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) lots.)
While Blanchard is often described as a commuter town
with much of its workforce commuting to nearby Norman
and Oklahoma City
, local businesses are beginning to surge. As of 2008, local amenities include a supermarket, several restaurants, public library, banks, a large building supply center, new hardware store and a large car dealership.
Residents of Blanchard tend to view it as a small town environment with character and charm, however, the rapid growth in the area has brought change. In an effort to keep the town from being swallowed by urban sprawl
, a large annexation was effected in 2004 to provide Blanchard with a "buffer zone". A Main Street beautification project is underway and infrastructure is being improved to handle the rise in population. In 2007, several older buildings in central Blanchard were removed to allow the widening of U.S. Highway 62
, yet the historic downtown commercial buildings were preserved.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (20.8 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 2816 people. The population density
was 253.7 people per square mile (97.8/km²). There were 11 housing units at an average density of 105.8 per square mile (40.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.62% White, 0.32% African American, 3.23% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.53% from other races
, and 4.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.41% of the population. There were 1,085 households which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 4 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,121, and the median income for a family was $43,028. Males had a median income of $31,691 versus $23,182 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $2.00 About 7.8% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Blanchard High School is home to "The Lions" football
team (class 3A.) The athletic program also includes baseball
, softball
, basketball
, golf
, cheerleading
, powerlifting
and wrestling
. The school also includes a successful Marching Band
program.
Annual festivals include "May Daze" in early May and "Pepperfest" in mid-June.
are served by the weekly newspaper The Blanchard News. The radio station KKNG-FM
("King Country 97.3 KKNG") identifies Blanchard as its home, however, only the transmitter
is located in Blanchard, while the operating offices are in Oklahoma City
.
Grady County, Oklahoma
Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2006, the population was 50,490. Its county seat is Chickasha.Grady County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and McClain
McClain County, Oklahoma
McClain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 27,740 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Purcell. McClain County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is in the top 3 fastest growing counties in Oklahoma with a growth rate of...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The population was 7,670 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
. Blanchard is part of a rapidly growing area of northern McClain
McClain County, Oklahoma
McClain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 27,740 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Purcell. McClain County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is in the top 3 fastest growing counties in Oklahoma with a growth rate of...
and Grady
Grady County, Oklahoma
Grady County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2006, the population was 50,490. Its county seat is Chickasha.Grady County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
Counties known as the "Tri-City Area" with Newcastle
Newcastle, Oklahoma
Newcastle is the largest city in McClain County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 7,685 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Newcastle is located at ....
and Tuttle
Tuttle, Oklahoma
Tuttle is a city in Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,294 at the 2000 census.Tuttle is a largely agricultural community with a focus on wheat, cotton, corn, alfalfa hay, Bermuda grass hay, and cattle. Nearby Braum's Dairy, the largest farm in the area, is located just...
.
Early history
Blanchard is situated in Township 8 North, Range 4 West, Section 30 in northwestern McClain County. The town is served by U.S. Highway 62 and State Highway 76. Named after William G. "Bill" Blanchard, the community was organized originally by the Canadian Valley Construction Company, which also planned to build a railroad. However, the company went into bankruptcy, and the railroad came under the control of the Oklahoma Central Railroad which also experienced financial problems. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway took over and completed the line.The townsite was established by three lot sales beginning with the Canadian Valley Construction Company sale on September 19, 1906. The second sale was held on July 18, 1907, and final lots were sold on March 25, 1908, by the Blanchard Townsite Company. Within a year the town was described as having forty business establishments, including a state and national bank, four blacksmith shops, three livery barns, two grain elevators, and a weekly newspaper.
Several incorporation dates are reported in various publications pertaining to the history of Blanchard, and in the town offices as well. The most reliable source seems to be the Blanchard Record of October 25, 1907, which reported, "That Blanchard is now an incorporated town is realized by but a few of our citizens. The petition praying for incorporation was favorably acted upon at the [federal] courts at Chickasha [sic] last week. On or about November 19 notice of an election of officers will be given. In the meantime candidates will be chosen."
A population of 629 was reported by 1910, and 2,116 in 1996. The Blanchard post office charter was granted by the Post Office Department on December 19, 1906. Mail had previously been received at Womack. When Arthur H. "Art" and Bill Blanchard moved their store from Womack to the new townsite in 1906, they took the post office with them.
In 1909, the Northern District Court was established whereby McClain County was divided into two sections for legal matters for the convenience of the citizens. A court house was built in Blanchard, and the first case began on December 13, 1909. The district was disestablished in the late 1920s and combined with District One in Purcell, the county seat. At the turn of the 21st century Legal records could be found at Blanchard.
Blanchard today
Blanchard consists of a one square mile "core" of streets roughly laid out in a grid pattern situated atop a gentle hill surrounded by newer development and agricultural areas within about a four mile (6 km) radius of the center. Central Blanchard consists of homes (about half built before 1960), several churches and a historic Main Street downtown area. The commercial downtown features antique shops, eating establishments, city services, senior center and a fitness center.On the periphery of the city center are schools, businesses and modern housing subdivisions. These subdivisions tend to be low-density (typically one to 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) lots.)
While Blanchard is often described as a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
with much of its workforce commuting to nearby Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
and Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, local businesses are beginning to surge. As of 2008, local amenities include a supermarket, several restaurants, public library, banks, a large building supply center, new hardware store and a large car dealership.
Residents of Blanchard tend to view it as a small town environment with character and charm, however, the rapid growth in the area has brought change. In an effort to keep the town from being swallowed by urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, a large annexation was effected in 2004 to provide Blanchard with a "buffer zone". A Main Street beautification project is underway and infrastructure is being improved to handle the rise in population. In 2007, several older buildings in central Blanchard were removed to allow the widening of U.S. Highway 62
U.S. Route 62 in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, U.S. Highway 62 runs diagonally across the state, from the Texas state line in far southwestern Oklahoma to the Arkansas state line near Fayetteville. US-62 spends a total of in the Sooner State. The highway passes through fifteen of Oklahoma's counties...
, yet the historic downtown commercial buildings were preserved.
Topography
Blanchard is located at 35°8′56"N 97°39′2"W (35.148830, -97.650677) at the intersection of Oklahoma State Highways 76 and 62.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.1 square miles (20.8 km²), all land.
Climate
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2816 people. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 253.7 people per square mile (97.8/km²). There were 11 housing units at an average density of 105.8 per square mile (40.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.62% White, 0.32% African American, 3.23% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.53% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.41% of the population. There were 1,085 households which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 4 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,121, and the median income for a family was $43,028. Males had a median income of $31,691 versus $23,182 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $2.00 About 7.8% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Blanchard is served by four secondary schools with an average enrollment (as of 2008) of about 1,460 students. The elementary school is of recent construction and houses grades Pre-K through third. There is also an intermediate school for fourth and fifth grades and a middle school for sixth through eighth grades.Blanchard High School is home to "The Lions" football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team (class 3A.) The athletic program also includes baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, powerlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. The school also includes a successful Marching Band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
program.
Recreation
There are currently two parks in Blanchard as well as an athletic stadium and three nearby golf courses.Annual festivals include "May Daze" in early May and "Pepperfest" in mid-June.
Media
Residents of Blanchard and nearby Dibble, OklahomaDibble, Oklahoma
Dibble is a town in McClain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population within city limits was 878 at the 2010 census. The town was named after two brothers James and John Dibble.The community has 8,868 residents in its 73031 zipcode, according to Sperling's Best Places...
are served by the weekly newspaper The Blanchard News. The radio station KKNG-FM
KKNG-FM
KKNG-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Blanchard, Oklahoma, USA, the station serves the Blanchard, Oklahoma area...
("King Country 97.3 KKNG") identifies Blanchard as its home, however, only the transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
is located in Blanchard, while the operating offices are in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
.