Chandler, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Chandler is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census
. It is the county seat
of Lincoln County and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.
Chandler is located east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
on U.S. Route 66
and Interstate 44
, and north of Shawnee, Oklahoma
on State Highway 18.
) but the site survey had not been completed. The Chandler Post Office
had opened September 21, the day before the planned run. When Oklahoma
county A (Lincoln County) was organized, Chandler became the county seat. On May 30, 1897, a tornado
destroyed most of the fledgling town and killed 14 residents.
In 1891 the county government operated out of an office building until the original courthouse was built. The courthouse was destroyed by the tornado of 1897, and a temporary courthouse was erected on the present site. This building was removed in 1907 to make way for a stone courthouse. This third courthouse burned down on December 23, 1967 and the current courthouse was set in its place.
Chandler is one of the many cities along the famous U.S. Route 66
and contains a number of attractions to devotees of "The Mother Road." These include The Route 66 Interpretive Center, The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Museum and Hall of Fame, The Lincoln County Museum of Pioneer History, several Route 66-themed murals, the newly restored old cottage-style Phillips 66 gas station, Papa's BBQ, and one of the last remaining painted barns adverting Meramec Caverns
west of town.
U.S. Route 66
brought a significant amount of commercial
business to Chandler - due to travelers crossing the state and the country; however when the Turner Turnpike
(Interstate 44
) was built, much of this business died out.
In 1958, professional baseball player Bo Belcher opened Chandler Baseball Camp. For 42 years, the camp hosted campers from around the world for a bootcamp-like baseball camp during summers. The camp closed in 2000 due to the death of Tom Belcher. In 2011 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
is driven mostly by agriculture
and livestock
, as well as insurance, construction, and manufacturing. Downtown Chandler, which is located on Route 66, is home to many shops and restaurants.
Lincoln County's first Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in 2008 on the east side of Chandler.
Chandler also serves as a commuter town
of sorts, with many residents working and shopping in Oklahoma City
or Tulsa.
, Chandler has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (10.43%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,842 people, 1,146 households, and 747 families residing in the city. The population density
was 389.3 people per square mile (150.3/km²). There were 1,290 housing units at an average density of 176.7 per square mile (68.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.77% White, 9.68% African American, 5.63% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.49% from other races
, and 4.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.
There were 1,146 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples
living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% 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 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,833, and the median income for a family was $35,744. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $19,397 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,676. About 12.1% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
1986, 2005-Football State Champions
1972, 1997- Boys Basketball State Champions
1971- Boy's State Track Champions
1933- Girl's Basketball State Champions
Lincoln County, Oklahoma
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population as of 2010 was 34,273. It is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.Its county seat is Chandler....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lincoln County and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.
Chandler is located east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
on U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
and Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
, and north of Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical...
on State Highway 18.
History
Chandler was named after Judge George Chandler, a member of Congress and commissioner of the general land office in Washington, D.C. Chandler was opened by a land run on September 28, 1891. The town had been planned to be opened on September 22, (the date of the Land Run of 1891Land run
Land run usually refers to an historical event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened for homesteading on a first arrival basis. Some newly opened lands were sold first-come, sold by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run...
) but the site survey had not been completed. The Chandler Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
had opened September 21, the day before the planned run. When 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...
county A (Lincoln County) was organized, Chandler became the county seat. On May 30, 1897, a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
destroyed most of the fledgling town and killed 14 residents.
In 1891 the county government operated out of an office building until the original courthouse was built. The courthouse was destroyed by the tornado of 1897, and a temporary courthouse was erected on the present site. This building was removed in 1907 to make way for a stone courthouse. This third courthouse burned down on December 23, 1967 and the current courthouse was set in its place.
Chandler is one of the many cities along the famous U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
and contains a number of attractions to devotees of "The Mother Road." These include The Route 66 Interpretive Center, The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Museum and Hall of Fame, The Lincoln County Museum of Pioneer History, several Route 66-themed murals, the newly restored old cottage-style Phillips 66 gas station, Papa's BBQ, and one of the last remaining painted barns adverting Meramec Caverns
Meramec Caverns
Meramec Caverns is the collective name for a cavern system in the Ozarks, near Stanton, Missouri. The caverns were formed from the erosion of large limestone deposits over millions of years. Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts have been found in the caverns...
west of town.
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
brought a significant amount of commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
business to Chandler - due to travelers crossing the state and the country; however when the Turner Turnpike
Turner Turnpike
The Governor Roy J. Turner Turnpike is a toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It was authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May, 1953, it is the oldest of the state's ten turnpikes. The route is signed as Interstate 44 for...
(Interstate 44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
) was built, much of this business died out.
In 1958, professional baseball player Bo Belcher opened Chandler Baseball Camp. For 42 years, the camp hosted campers from around the world for a bootcamp-like baseball camp during summers. The camp closed in 2000 due to the death of Tom Belcher. In 2011 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Oklahoma
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lincoln County, Oklahoma.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States...
.
Economy
Today, Chandler's economyEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
is driven mostly by agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, as well as insurance, construction, and manufacturing. Downtown Chandler, which is located on Route 66, is home to many shops and restaurants.
Lincoln County's first Wal-Mart Supercenter opened in 2008 on the east side of Chandler.
Chandler also serves 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...
of sorts, with many residents working and shopping 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...
or Tulsa.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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...
, Chandler has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (10.43%) is water.
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 2,842 people, 1,146 households, and 747 families residing in the city. 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 389.3 people per square mile (150.3/km²). There were 1,290 housing units at an average density of 176.7 per square mile (68.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.77% White, 9.68% African American, 5.63% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.49% 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 4.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.
There were 1,146 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% 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, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% 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 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,833, and the median income for a family was $35,744. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $19,397 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 $14,676. About 12.1% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Recreation
Chandler is home to several city parks, a baseball complex, a municipal swimming pool, and Ripped Health and Fitness. Chandler has two lakes, Bell Cow Lake, and Chandler Lake. Bell Cow Lake, which features camping, boating, fishing, and horse trails, is located north of town, along with Chandler Golf Course. The Lincoln County Raceway, a quarter mile dirt track, is located south of Chandler.Notable residents
- The composer Roy HarrisRoy HarrisRoy Ellsworth Harris , was an American composer. He wrote much music on American subjects, becoming best known for his Symphony No...
was born near Chandler - Tom Belcher - Professional Baseball Player and owner of Chandler Baseball Camp.
Sports
Chandler High School State Championships:1986, 2005-Football State Champions
1972, 1997- Boys Basketball State Champions
1971- Boy's State Track Champions
1933- Girl's Basketball State Champions
National Register of Historic Places
- Boston Store
- Chandler Armory
- Chandler Baseball Camp
- Chandler Bookstore
- Chandler High School
- Clapp-Cunningham Building
- Conklin HouseConklin House (Chandler, Oklahoma)Conklin House in Chandler, Oklahoma was built in 1905. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
- Crane Motor Company Building
- First Presbyterian Church of Chandler
- Johnson House
- Mascho Building and Public Privy (Murphy Building)
- National Guard Statistical Building
- Oleson-Crane Building
- St. Cloud Hotel
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
- Wolcott Building
- Midlothian School
- Seaba's Filling Station
- Spring Dell School
- Marshall William M. Tilghman Homestead