Chickasha, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Chickasha is a city in and the county seat
, business and employment center of Grady County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. The population was 15,850 at the 2000 census
. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
and hosts an annual Festival of Light celebration located at Shannon Springs Park. The city is named for, and strongly connected to Native American heritage as Chickasha (Chikashsha) is the Choctaw
word for Chickasaw
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²), of which, 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.
of 2000, there were 15,850 people, 6,434 households, and 4,111 families residing in the city. The population density
was 877.5 people per square mile (338.9/km²). There were 7,424 housing units at an average density of 411.0 per square mile (158.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.20% White, 8.45% African American, 4.73% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.52% from other races
, and 3.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.76% of the population.
There were 6,434 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% 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 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,369, and the median income for a family was $33,621. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $19,889 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,797. About 13.1% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.
According to Chickasha city Census 2010 results, the population of the area was approximately 16,036 people. From 2000 to 2010, the Chickasha city population growth percentage was 1.2% (or from 15,850 people to 16,036 people). 22.8% of the Chickasha city residents were under 18 years of age. Census 2010 race data for Chickasha city include the racial breakdown percentages of 7.0% black, 0.5% Asian and 6.5% Hispanic. Also, there were 7,380 housing units in Chickasha city, 86.4% of which were occupied housing units.
According to numerous posts in the forum of Model T Club of America, Chickasha Pre War Swap Meet is considered the best Ford Model T swapmeet in the US.
Official Website
, a land developer, banker, farmer and Rock Island Railroad executive.
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....
, business and employment center of Grady County
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:...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 15,850 at the 2000 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...
. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, or USAO, is a public liberal arts college located in Chickasha, Oklahoma. It is the only public college with a strictly liberal arts-focused curriculum in Oklahoma. It provides Bachelor's Degrees and many students move on to graduate schools across...
and hosts an annual Festival of Light celebration located at Shannon Springs Park. The city is named for, and strongly connected to Native American heritage as Chickasha (Chikashsha) is the Choctaw
Choctaw language
The Choctaw language, traditionally spoken by the Native American Choctaw people of the southeastern United States, is a member of the Muskogean family...
word for Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
.
Geography
Chickasha is located at 35°2′18"N 97°56′46"W (35.038431, -97.946021).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 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²), of which, 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.28%) 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 15,850 people, 6,434 households, and 4,111 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 877.5 people per square mile (338.9/km²). There were 7,424 housing units at an average density of 411.0 per square mile (158.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.20% White, 8.45% African American, 4.73% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.52% 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 3.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.76% of the population.
There were 6,434 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% 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 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,369, and the median income for a family was $33,621. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $19,889 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 $14,797. About 13.1% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.
According to Chickasha city Census 2010 results, the population of the area was approximately 16,036 people. From 2000 to 2010, the Chickasha city population growth percentage was 1.2% (or from 15,850 people to 16,036 people). 22.8% of the Chickasha city residents were under 18 years of age. Census 2010 race data for Chickasha city include the racial breakdown percentages of 7.0% black, 0.5% Asian and 6.5% Hispanic. Also, there were 7,380 housing units in Chickasha city, 86.4% of which were occupied housing units.
The Festival of Light
The annual festival takes place at the 43 acres (174,015 m²) Shannon Springs park and opens nightly from around Thanksgiving to the end of December. Concessions, carriage rides, pictures with Santa, and shopping are available. The Festival of Light has received many prestigious awards over the years including Regional Event of the Year, A.B.A. Top 100 Event, National Top 25 Holiday Event, Festival of the Year, Best Community Festival Event and Best Place to Take Out of Town Visitors. The Festival has been featured statewide on Discover Oklahoma and ranked as a Top Place to Visit by Fine Living Network (2004) and has also been designated as an official 2007 Oklahoma Centennial Event. Over 140 businesses and clubs sponsor the event in various ways. The installation of lights in 290 trees, eight miles (13 km) of walk-ways, bridges, arbors, gazebos and buildings begins in September; however, it takes through March to get the lights taken down and stored away. More than 1,200 volunteers donate time and skill, and now Display Sponsors have reached the 100 mark. The park has over 3.5 million lights and the crystal pedestrian bridge boasts over 75,000 lights alone! It draws together over a thousand local volunteers and more than 300,000 visitors from across the United States. Official WebsiteUSAO Spring Triad
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) hosts an annual festival, The Spring Triad, which is made up of the Montmartre Chalk Art Festival, the Droverstock music festival, and the Scholastic Meet. The event is usually held during the beginning of April. The Art Festival is held along the oval drive in front of Te Ata Memorial Auditorium (previously known as Troutt Hall) where over 700 artists compete in a chalk art contest. Droverstock features over 12 hours of live music from various bands of all styles and genres. There are also many games, rides, and activities associated with the festival. And for over 27 years the Scholastic Meet has attracted close to 1,800 students from over 50 Oklahoma counties competing in academic disciplines such as math, science, music, history and other subjects. The competition is the largest academic meet in the state. Overall, the day-long event attracts thousands into the community.Muscle Car Ranch Swap Meet and Concert
The Muscle Car Ranch located on the south edge of Chickasha hosts and annual swap meet and concert, which is held in August. The Ranch, located on 70 acres (283,280.2 m²) of a 1900s Dairy farm, features over hundreds of nostalgic advertisement signs and memorabilia representing the last 75 years of American history. The concert has featured Rock & Roll hall of fame groups like the Byrds, Grass Roots, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Jefferson Airplane, The Lovin’ Spoonful, FireFall, John Conlee, and Dr Hook and Bad Company. Official WebsiteChickasha Pre-war Swap Meet
From a small local swapmeet, the Pre-war Swap Meet have evolved to be one of the significant swapmeets for owners and collectors of cars from before 1942 (WW II).According to numerous posts in the forum of Model T Club of America, Chickasha Pre War Swap Meet is considered the best Ford Model T swapmeet in the US.
Official Website
History
Chickasha was founded by Hobart Johnstone WhitleyHobart Johnstone Whitley
Hobart Johnstone Whitley , also known as H.J. Whitley is the "Father of Hollywood", was a real estate developer who helped create the Hollywood subdivision in Los Angeles, Southern California. He and his wife, Margaret Virginia Whitley named the town while on their honeymoon in 1886...
, a land developer, banker, farmer and Rock Island Railroad executive.
Notable people from Chickasha
- Stephen AlexanderStephen AlexanderStephen Todd Alexander is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma.Alexander was selected to the Pro Bowl while with the Redskins in 2000...
-American football tight end who currently plays for the Denver Broncos. - Chet AllenChet Allen (actor)-Life and career:Allen was born in Chickasha, the seat of Grady County, Oklahoma.Allen was known for his supporting role as the 31-year-old "Slats" in the 1959-1960 NBC adventure/drama television series The Troubleshooters with costars Keenan Wynn and Bob Mathias...
, -actor, co-starred in NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The TroubleshootersThe Troubleshooters (1959 TV series)The Troubleshooters is a 26-segment half-hour adventure series starring Keenan Wynn as Kodiak and Bob Mathias as Frank Dugan, which aired new episodes on NBC Television from September 11, 1959, to April 10, 1960. Based on unusual events at international construction sites, the program was...
(1959–1960) - Patricia BarchasPatricia BarchasPatricia Barchas was a scholar committed to the study of the interaction of social behavior and physiological processes. She was a pioneer in the study of brain electrical activity and hormonal function in social processes, such as the development of status hierarchies in small social...
- Anthropologist from Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
who created the academic field of Physiological Sociology, known today as Social neuroscienceSocial neuroscienceSocial neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding how biological systems implement social processes and behavior, and to using biological concepts and methods to inform and refine theories of social processes and behavior. Humans are fundamentally a social species, rather...
. - Bill G. ChapmanBill G. ChapmanBilly Gene "Bill" Chapman , known as Bill G. Chapman, was an advocate for visually impaired persons, principally in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The founder of Vision Loss Technology, Chapman, himself blind, authored in 2001 Coping With Vision Loss: Maximizing What You Can See and Do, with...
-advocate for the blind, author - W.A. Criswell -served as a pastor of the First Baptist Church and later served as president for the Southern Baptist Convention.
- DebrisDebrisDebris is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc. The singular form of debris is debris...
-a proto-punk band who released one lone, influential album in 1976 - Ada Lois Sipuel FisherAda Lois Sipuel FisherAda Lois Sipuel Fisher was a key figure in the Civil Rights movement in Oklahoma. She applied for admission into the University of Oklahoma law school in order to challenge the state's segregation laws and to become a lawyer...
-African-American lawyer, administrator and activist; see: Sipuel v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Okla.Sipuel v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Okla.Sipuel v. Board of Regents of Univ. of Okla., 332 U.S. 631 is a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.... - Shug FisherShug FisherShug Fisher , born George Clinton Fisher, Jr., was an American character actor, singer, songwriter, musician and comedian. During a 50-year career, he appeared in many Western films, often as a member of The Sons of the Pioneers in Roy Rogers serials...
- Western film and TV character actor, singer, songwriter, comedian and member of the Sons of the PioneersSons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
. - Emmett GoodwinEmmett GoodwinEmmett Goodwin was the chief of police of Chickasha, Oklahoma killed while on duty the night of February 1, 1909, in front of People's Store on Chichasha Avenue by Chickasha night police chief Will Thomas....
-former chief of police in Chickasha who was murdered by a fellow officer. - Terry HumphreyTerry HumphreyTerryal Gene Humphrey is a former professional baseball player who played nine seasons for the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, and California Angels of Major League Baseball.-References:...
- Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player - Merle KilgoreMerle KilgoreWyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.-Early life:Although born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Merle Kilgore was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Wyatt and Gladys B. Kilgore...
-country music personality. - Cleavon LittleCleavon LittleCleavon Jake Little was an American film and theatre actor.Little was widely known for his lead role as Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. He also was the irreverent Dr...
-actor and comedian. - Jack McCrackenJack McCrackenJack "Jumping Jack" McCracken was a basketball player in 1930s and 1940s. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Amateur Athletic Union players of all time and was officially named as the greatest player of all time by the AAU organization.A native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, McCracken went to...
-basketball player in 1930s and 1940s and widely regarded as one of the greatest Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) players of all time. - Don McNeill (tennis)Don McNeill (tennis)William Donald McNeill was an American male tennis player. He was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma and died in Vero Beach, Florida, United States....
-American tennis player. - Scott MeachamScott MeachamScott Meacham was the 17th State Treasurer of Oklahoma, having served from June, 2005 to January, 2011, having been appointed to that post by then-Governor Brad Henry following the resignation of then-State Treasurer Robert Butkin...
-Oklahoma politician. - Orville MoodyOrville MoodyOrville James Moody was an American professional golfer who won numerous tournaments in his career. He won the 1969 U.S. Open, the last champion in the 20th century to win through local and sectional qualifying....
-American professional golfer. - Lee PaceLee PaceLee Grinner Pace is an American actor. Pace has been featured in film, stage and television. He is known best for his starring role as Ned in the ABC series Pushing Daisies for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2008.-...
-Actor - Sam RayburnSam Rayburn (football player)Sam Rayburn is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
-defensive tackle for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(2003–2006)and San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
(2007–present). - Leon Polk SmithLeon Polk SmithLeon Polk Smith was an American painter. His geometrically oriented abstract paintings were influenced by Piet Mondrian and his style has been associated with the Hard-edge school, of which he is considered one of the founders....
-painter. - Randy SoudersRandy SoudersRandy Souders is an American painter in the realistic and magic realism traditions. He is best known for highly detailed works painted with acrylic on wood panel , and sometimes on canvas...
-Artist (born in Chickasha) - Dean WooldridgeDean WooldridgeDean Everett Wooldridge was a prominent engineer in the aerospace industry....
-prominent engineer in the aerospace industry