Durant, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Durant is a city in Bryan County
, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census
. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010. Durant ranks as the second largest city within the Choctaw Nation
, following McAlester
, and ahead of Poteau
.
The city was founded by Dixon Durant, a Choctaw who lived in the area, after the MK&T railroad came through the Indian Territory in the early 1870s. It became the county seat
of Bryan County
in 1907 after Oklahoma statehood.
Durant is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University
and the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
. The city is officially known as the Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma.
and Adams-Onis Treaty
. During the 1820s and 1830s the area was designated as part of the Choctaw Nation in the southern Indian Territory. During the Indian removal
s the Choctaws followed the Choctaw Trail of Tears
from their ancestral homeland in Mississippi
and Alabama
into this area. The Choctaw Nation originally extended from the Mexican
border in the west (now part of the Texas panhandle
) to the Arkansas Territory
in the east, from the Red River in the south to the South Canadian River in the north.
Pierre Durant and his four sons, all of French-Choctaw origin, made the journey up the Trail of Tears on the way to the southeastern part of the Choctaw Nation
in 1832. The brothers, grown, with families of their own, established homesteads from the Arkansas line to Durant. One son, Fisher, married to a full blood Choctaw
, found a beautiful location for a home between Durant's present Eight and Ninth Avenues.
Fisher Durant's son Dixon Durant is recognized as the founder of Durant and is honored as its namesake. As an early day minister, businessman and civic leader, Dixon Durant is credited with pastorates in local Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Methodist churches. He established the first store selling general merchandise in 1873, around the time of the 1872 creation of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
(Katy Railroad) siding at Durant, which was the initial impetus for establishing the community.
The first post office at the site was known as Durant Station, opening on February 20, 1879 and closing on July 11, 1881. A.E. Fulsom was post master. The USPS re-established the post office at the site as Durant on March 8, 1882, dropping the word "station" from the name.
W.H. Hilton was elected as the first mayor of Durant.
A memorable event in Durant’s rail history occurred on April 5, 1905. A special southbound Katy train stopped in the city with none other than President Theodore Roosevelt
aboard.
Bryan County was created from Choctaw lands in 1907, the same time as statehood, and was named after William Jennings Bryan
. He was nominated three times for President of the United States and at the age of 36 lost to William McKinley
. He also lost to Woodrow Wilson
, and William H. Taft. Woodrow Wilson appointed Bryan as United States Secretary of State
.
11 people were killed in Durant by a tornado in April 1919.
The town's population grew from 2,969 in 1900 to 5,330 in 1910, 12,823 in 1990, and to 13,549 in 2000.
, or Texomaland, because of its short distance from Lake Texoma
. The city is also part of Kiamichi Country
and Arbuckle Country. Its geographic coordinates are 33°59′59"N 96°23′5"W (33.999834, −96.384825). It is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) north of the Texas border at the Red River. Dallas is also about 88 miles (141.6 km) south of Durant. The north edge of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
, in McKinney
. is about 58 miles (93.3 km) to the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²), of which, 19 square miles (49.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.16%) is water.
, and 4.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.56% of the population.
Durant's first census was recorded in 1900, and the population was 2,969. The 2000 census reported Durant's population to be 13,549. In 2005, Durant's population grew to 14,795. The city's population in 2006 was 15,050 and in 2007, it was 16,161.
There were 5,488 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.9% 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 2.32 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,328, and the median income for a family was $32,988. Males had a median income of $26,574 versus $19,676 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,849. About 17.2% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
and Tulsa metropolitan areas. Today, the city is ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
Durant's daytime population increases to approximately 20,000 people. The city has a pull factor of 1.8–2.1 times its population and was named an All-American City finalist for 2006.
Since 1999, the Durant Economic Development Department, the Durant Industrial Authority and the City of Durant have developed over $600,000,000 in new investments to the city.
Durant currently leads the state in economic development. One of the city's strongest industries is tourism; attractions include Lake Texoma
, Lake Durant, the Choctaw Casino Resort
, Choctaw Casino Bingo
and Fort Washita
. Manufacturing
and distribution
are growing industries in Durant with several factories being constructed and planned.
Durant is headquarters to J.C. Potter meat processing facility.
Another important part of Durant's economy is the city's Historic Central Business District and the Retail District. In the past few years, Downtown Durant has seen growth, renewal projects such as streetscaping, and new businesses arriving. Durant is part of the Main Street Program. The Retail District is west of Downtown, at the intersection of U.S. 69
/75
and U.S. 70
, and is Durant's fastest growing area.
Cardinal Glass Industries has a float glass manufacturing facility in western Durant. It became operational in July 2004. This plant is number twenty for Cardinal Glass Industries. This is the largest single investment ever made in Durant and Bryan County of $122,000,000.
Big Lots
has a 1200000 sq ft (111,483.6 m²). distribution center in Durant that began operating in January 2004. This represents the second largest investment ever for Durant, and Bryan county, of $80,000,000.
Durant is home to the headquarters of First United Bank
, one of the largest privately owned banks in the United States, and First Texoma National Bank. Indian Nation Wholesale, also headquartered in Durant, is the 15th largest wholesaler in the United States as of 2008.
Wal-Mart opened a 195000 square feet (18,116.1 m²) supercenter in Durant in 2003, replacing the older, smaller Wal-Mart that had operated since 1986. Smaller grocery stores in Durant include Green Spray, Save-A-Lot
, and Nichol's Dollar Saver.
In 1894, Calvin Institute, one of a few schools for Native American youths, was established in Durant. The school was to change its name twice more (Durant Presbyterian College in 1900, and Oklahoma Presbyterian College in 1910), and by 1899 it had attracted an enrollment of 300. The school eventually became known as Oklahoma Presbyterian College. This was accomplished shortly after Oklahoma was admitted to the Union as a State. The support for the school came from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the federal government, and several denominational missionary boards. Because of financial difficulties, the school was closed as a learning institution in the late 1960s.
Chief Clark David Gardner established the Choctaw Nation administrative offices at the old Oklahoma Presbyterian College Building in 1975.
In 1976, in cooperation with the Durant Chamber of Commerce and the owners of the buildings, the Red River Valley Historical Association, title was transferred into the federal government of the United States
. Ceremonies were held August 17, 1976, commemorating the title transfer. Reacquisition of this building allowed centralization of government which permits more effective utilization of personnel in administering current programs and developing future programs. The buildings has been renovated, and administration of many Choctaw programs are headquartered there.
Calvin Institute was originally the North Building of the Choctaw Nation Headquarters. The establishment of Oklahoma Presbyterian College lead to the construction of the current South Building of the CNHQ. After Choctaw Nation had acquired the former OPC buildings, Choctaw Nation built a third structure, the Financial Building, to accommodate growth. The Nation and has since then built several other structures behind the main buildings to accommodate even more growth, creating today's complex.
Though the Capitol of the Choctaw Nation is recognized as being Tuskahoma
, the administrative offices remain at the old Presbyterian College, formerly the old Calvin Institute. The Choctaws have strong ties with the school, being a part of their culture
, history and religion, having served as one of the early educational institutions for their people.
Durant has a "World's Largest Peanut" monument, a title it shares with two other monuments in Texas and Ashburn, Georgia
. This monument to the peanut growers in Bryan County is located on the front lawn of Durant's city hall. Dedicated in 1973, it includes a time capsule that contains historic and legal documents, which will be unearthed in the year 2023.
Golf Courses:
Less than ten miles (16 km) away, Lake Texoma
has between 8–10 million tourists every year and is the 12th largest lake in the United States, and also one of the largest reservoirs in the country, contributing to Durant's economic
and population growth
.
form of municipal government. The city manager is the administrative leader of the government and is appointed by the city council. The city's ceremonial head is the mayor, who is a voting member of the council with limited administrative power.
The current city manager, James Dunegan, was appointed in 2006. The current mayor is Jerry Tomlinson. The city is divided into four wards with a members of the city council from each. There is also an at-large city council member. The current mayor is also represents Ward 1.
, which has about 4,000 enrolled students. Oklahoma State University (OSU), with branches throughout Oklahoma, is the only university in Oklahoma to offer a Master of Science in Aviation and Space. Southeastern Oklahoma State University offers degrees through its Aviation Sciences Institute (ASI). The ASI the largest aviation program in the state with three locations. The main campus in Durant has facilities at the airport to support flight training and facilities on campus to facilitate the management options in business, maintenance, safety, and security. The institute also has two locations in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Community College and Tinker AFB, offering the undergraduate management degrees as well as the Master of Science degree in Aerospace Administration & Logistics.
http://www.bestaviation.net/school/southeastern_oklahoma_state_university/
OSU also offers a doctoral degree, Ed.D., in Applied Educational Studies with the Aviation and Space Science specialization
and a Graduate Certificate in Aviation Security.
(http://education.okstate.edu/index.php/academic-units/school-of-educational-studies/space-and-aviation)
, which has eight other locations in Southeastern Oklahoma. Kiamichi is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.
is the largest school district in Southeastern Oklahoma and serves approximately 3,100 students. The district includes six schools and includes preschool, primary and secondary education.
The city is also home to the Silo School District, which includes three schools and serves approximately 680 students, and to one of two schools in the Rock Creek School District.
The city also has a private K-12
school, Victory Life Academy, which has an enrollment of about 250 students.
Durant has an independent cable TV & Internet provider called CommuniCom Services.
Public-access television
cable TV stations include:
In a 2006 study by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation
, an average of about 19,100 vehicles pass Durant's Main Street on U.S. 69
/75
everyday. Also, approximately 19,000 vehicles pass under 69/75 on Main Street daily.
The major streets are: First Avenue, Southeast 3rd Avenue, South 9th Avenue, Washington Avenue, Radio Road, University Place, 49th Avenue, Choctaw Road, Rodeo Road, West Main Street, East Main Street, University Boulevard, Chuckwa Street, Gail Farrell Drive, and Mockingbird Lane.
There are four exits in Durant from U.S. 69
/75
which are at First Avenue, Washington Avenue, University/Chuckwa (the exit off of northbound 69/75 is the only one complete), and Main Street. There are also traffic lights at the intersection of U.S. 69
/75
and Choctaw Road south of Durant, where the Choctaw Casino Resort is located.
's Aviation Sciences Institute, was a U.S. Navy auxiliary airfield during World War II. It is named after U.S. Army Air Force General Ira C. Eaker, early commander of the legendary Eighth Air Force
in wartime England, who graduated from the university (then known as Southeastern State Teacher's College) in 1917.
The closest international airports to Durant are Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
, Will Rogers World Airport
in Oklahoma City
, and Tulsa International Airport
.
and Kiamichi Railroad
intersect in Downtown, with Union Pacific being the busier railway.
, is served by the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma. Built in 1987, MCSO replaced the Bryan Memorial Hospital. MCSO is at the heart of Durant's medical district, along with the Durant Medical Complex, Choctaw/Chickasaw Indian Clinic, dentist offices, health clubs, and numerous other medical establishments.
Bryan County, Oklahoma
Bryan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 36,534 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Durant. The county shares the same boundaries as the Durant Micropolitan Area. It is also home to the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma located in Durant...
, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 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...
. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010. Durant ranks as the second largest city within the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
, following McAlester
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant....
, and ahead of Poteau
Poteau, Oklahoma
Poteau is a city in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,520 at the 2010 census, ranking fifth in the Greater Fort Smith Area. It is the county seat of Le Flore County...
.
The city was founded by Dixon Durant, a Choctaw who lived in the area, after the MK&T railroad came through the Indian Territory in the early 1870s. It became 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 Bryan County
Bryan County, Oklahoma
Bryan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 36,534 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Durant. The county shares the same boundaries as the Durant Micropolitan Area. It is also home to the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma located in Durant...
in 1907 after Oklahoma statehood.
Durant is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
and the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
. The city is officially known as the Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma.
History
The Durant area was once claimed by both Spain and France before officially becoming part of the United States after the Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
and Adams-Onis Treaty
Adams-Onís Treaty
The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty or the Purchase of Florida, was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain . It settled a standing border dispute between the two...
. During the 1820s and 1830s the area was designated as part of the Choctaw Nation in the southern Indian Territory. During the Indian removal
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
s the Choctaws followed the Choctaw Trail of Tears
Choctaw Trail of Tears
The Choctaw Trail of Tears was the relocation of the Choctaw Nation from their country referred to now as the Deep South to lands west of the Mississippi River in Indian Territory in the 1830s...
from their ancestral homeland in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
into this area. The Choctaw Nation originally extended from the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border in the west (now part of the Texas panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
) to the Arkansas Territory
Arkansas Territory
The Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819 until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.-History:The...
in the east, from the Red River in the south to the South Canadian River in the north.
Pierre Durant and his four sons, all of French-Choctaw origin, made the journey up the Trail of Tears on the way to the southeastern part of the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
in 1832. The brothers, grown, with families of their own, established homesteads from the Arkansas line to Durant. One son, Fisher, married to a full blood Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
, found a beautiful location for a home between Durant's present Eight and Ninth Avenues.
Fisher Durant's son Dixon Durant is recognized as the founder of Durant and is honored as its namesake. As an early day minister, businessman and civic leader, Dixon Durant is credited with pastorates in local Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Methodist churches. He established the first store selling general merchandise in 1873, around the time of the 1872 creation of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....
(Katy Railroad) siding at Durant, which was the initial impetus for establishing the community.
The first post office at the site was known as Durant Station, opening on February 20, 1879 and closing on July 11, 1881. A.E. Fulsom was post master. The USPS re-established the post office at the site as Durant on March 8, 1882, dropping the word "station" from the name.
W.H. Hilton was elected as the first mayor of Durant.
A memorable event in Durant’s rail history occurred on April 5, 1905. A special southbound Katy train stopped in the city with none other than President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
aboard.
Bryan County was created from Choctaw lands in 1907, the same time as statehood, and was named after William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
. He was nominated three times for President of the United States and at the age of 36 lost to William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
. He also lost to Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, and William H. Taft. Woodrow Wilson appointed Bryan as United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
.
11 people were killed in Durant by a tornado in April 1919.
The town's population grew from 2,969 in 1900 to 5,330 in 1910, 12,823 in 1990, and to 13,549 in 2000.
Geography
Durant is located in southern Oklahoma, in a region named TexomaTexoma
Texoma, a portmanteau of the words Texas and Oklahoma, is used to describe the area on either side of the border between these two states along the Red River valley, in particular the area around Lake Texoma, a popular recreation area...
, or Texomaland, because of its short distance from Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
. The city is also part of Kiamichi Country
Kiamichi country
Southeastern Oklahoma, also known by its official tourism designation, Kiamichi Country, encompasses the southeastern quarter of the state of Oklahoma. The term "Kiamichi Country" was coined by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation as one of six travel destination regions within the...
and Arbuckle Country. Its geographic coordinates are 33°59′59"N 96°23′5"W (33.999834, −96.384825). It is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) north of the Texas border at the Red River. Dallas is also about 88 miles (141.6 km) south of Durant. The north edge of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
, in McKinney
McKinney, Texas
McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States, and the second in population to Plano. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 131,117 The Census Bureau listed McKinney as the nation's fastest growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in...
. is about 58 miles (93.3 km) to the south.
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 19.1 square miles (49.5 km²), of which, 19 square miles (49.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.16%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,549 people, 5,488 households, and 3,309 families residing in the city. The population density was 712.1 people per square mile (274.9/km²). There were 6,082 housing units at an average density of 319.7 per square mile (123.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.99% White, 1.54% African American, 12.27% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other racesRace (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 4.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.56% of the population.
Durant's first census was recorded in 1900, and the population was 2,969. The 2000 census reported Durant's population to be 13,549. In 2005, Durant's population grew to 14,795. The city's population in 2006 was 15,050 and in 2007, it was 16,161.
There were 5,488 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.9% 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 2.32 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,328, and the median income for a family was $32,988. Males had a median income of $26,574 versus $19,676 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,849. About 17.2% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Durant was ranked as the fastest growing rural city in Oklahoma in 2004, having the fastest growth rate outside of the Oklahoma CityOklahoma 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...
and Tulsa metropolitan areas. Today, the city is ranked as one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
Durant's daytime population increases to approximately 20,000 people. The city has a pull factor of 1.8–2.1 times its population and was named an All-American City finalist for 2006.
Since 1999, the Durant Economic Development Department, the Durant Industrial Authority and the City of Durant have developed over $600,000,000 in new investments to the city.
Durant currently leads the state in economic development. One of the city's strongest industries is tourism; attractions include Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
, Lake Durant, the Choctaw Casino Resort
Choctaw Casino Resort
The Choctaw Casino Resort is a luxury casino and hotel located in Durant, Oklahoma. The hotel tower has 12 floors and contains 330 rooms and suites, and a casino covering more than with over 3,000 slot machines...
, Choctaw Casino Bingo
Choctaw Casino Bingo
Choctaw Casino Bingo in Durant, Oklahoma was the first Choctaw casino to be constructed, in 1987, and was also the original casino before the construction of new Choctaw Casino Resort in 2005...
and Fort Washita
Fort Washita
Fort Washita is the former United States military post and National Historic Landmark located near Nida, Oklahoma on SH 199. Established in 1842 by General Zachary Taylor to protect citizens of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations from the plains indians it was later abandoned by Federal forces at...
. Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
and distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
are growing industries in Durant with several factories being constructed and planned.
Durant is headquarters to J.C. Potter meat processing facility.
Another important part of Durant's economy is the city's Historic Central Business District and the Retail District. In the past few years, Downtown Durant has seen growth, renewal projects such as streetscaping, and new businesses arriving. Durant is part of the Main Street Program. The Retail District is west of Downtown, at the intersection of U.S. 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
/75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
and U.S. 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
, and is Durant's fastest growing area.
Cardinal Glass Industries has a float glass manufacturing facility in western Durant. It became operational in July 2004. This plant is number twenty for Cardinal Glass Industries. This is the largest single investment ever made in Durant and Bryan County of $122,000,000.
Big Lots
Big Lots
Big Lots, Inc. is a Fortune 500 retail corporation with annual revenues well over $4 billion.Its department stores focus mainly on selling closeout and overstock merchandise. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio, USA and currently operates over 1,400 stores in 47 states...
has a 1200000 sq ft (111,483.6 m²). distribution center in Durant that began operating in January 2004. This represents the second largest investment ever for Durant, and Bryan county, of $80,000,000.
Durant is home to the headquarters of First United Bank
First United Bank
First United Bank, headquartered in Durant, Oklahoma, is the sixth largest bank in the state of Oklahoma with more than $2.05 billion in total assets...
, one of the largest privately owned banks in the United States, and First Texoma National Bank. Indian Nation Wholesale, also headquartered in Durant, is the 15th largest wholesaler in the United States as of 2008.
Wal-Mart opened a 195000 square feet (18,116.1 m²) supercenter in Durant in 2003, replacing the older, smaller Wal-Mart that had operated since 1986. Smaller grocery stores in Durant include Green Spray, Save-A-Lot
Save-A-Lot
Save-a-Lot is a discount supermarket chain headquartered in Earth City, Missouri, near St. Louis, United States. The subsidiary of Supervalu comprises approximately 1,250 stores in the United States with over $4 billion in annual sales....
, and Nichol's Dollar Saver.
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The largest employer in Durant is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, including the Choctaw Nation Headquarters and the Choctaw Casino Resort, which has two Choctaw Travel Plazas, two Choctaw casinos, the Choctaw Inn, and many more facilities that are located in the resort with more plans of construction. Over 5,400 people work for the Choctaw Nation in Durant.In 1894, Calvin Institute, one of a few schools for Native American youths, was established in Durant. The school was to change its name twice more (Durant Presbyterian College in 1900, and Oklahoma Presbyterian College in 1910), and by 1899 it had attracted an enrollment of 300. The school eventually became known as Oklahoma Presbyterian College. This was accomplished shortly after Oklahoma was admitted to the Union as a State. The support for the school came from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the federal government, and several denominational missionary boards. Because of financial difficulties, the school was closed as a learning institution in the late 1960s.
Chief Clark David Gardner established the Choctaw Nation administrative offices at the old Oklahoma Presbyterian College Building in 1975.
In 1976, in cooperation with the Durant Chamber of Commerce and the owners of the buildings, the Red River Valley Historical Association, title was transferred into the federal government of the United States
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. Ceremonies were held August 17, 1976, commemorating the title transfer. Reacquisition of this building allowed centralization of government which permits more effective utilization of personnel in administering current programs and developing future programs. The buildings has been renovated, and administration of many Choctaw programs are headquartered there.
Calvin Institute was originally the North Building of the Choctaw Nation Headquarters. The establishment of Oklahoma Presbyterian College lead to the construction of the current South Building of the CNHQ. After Choctaw Nation had acquired the former OPC buildings, Choctaw Nation built a third structure, the Financial Building, to accommodate growth. The Nation and has since then built several other structures behind the main buildings to accommodate even more growth, creating today's complex.
Though the Capitol of the Choctaw Nation is recognized as being Tuskahoma
Tuskahoma, Oklahoma
Tuskahoma is a community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, four miles east of Clayton, Oklahoma.-History:A United States Post Office was established at Tushka Homma, Indian Territory on February 27, 1884. On October 28, 1891, the spelling changed to Tushkahomma. On December 6, 1910 the...
, the administrative offices remain at the old Presbyterian College, formerly the old Calvin Institute. The Choctaws have strong ties with the school, being a part of their culture
Culture of the Choctaw
The Culture of the Choctaw has greatly evolved over the centuries combining mostly European-American influences; however, interaction with Spain, France, and England greatly shaped it as well. The Choctaws, or Chahtas, are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
, history and religion, having served as one of the early educational institutions for their people.
Arts and culture
Durant is home to the annual Magnolia Festival and the Three Valley Museum. The festival is put on by the Durant Chamber of Commerce and Durant Main Street Program the weekend following Memorial Day. It features music, shopping, shows, and two pageants (the Magnolia Pageant and the Choctaw Princess Pageant).Durant has a "World's Largest Peanut" monument, a title it shares with two other monuments in Texas and Ashburn, Georgia
Ashburn, Georgia
Ashburn is a city in, and the county seat of, Turner County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,419 at the 2000 census.The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,898. Ashburn's government is classified as a "council/manager" form of municipal government. The City Manager of Ashburn...
. This monument to the peanut growers in Bryan County is located on the front lawn of Durant's city hall. Dedicated in 1973, it includes a time capsule that contains historic and legal documents, which will be unearthed in the year 2023.
Three Valley Museum
The city's Three Valley Museum houses historical artifacts of Bryan County. Opened in 1976, it is named for a book about Durant, Queen of the Three Valleys by Henry McCreary, which references the city's location in the middle of the Red, Blue, and Washita River valleys. The museum has several exhibits, including an early law office, doctors office, childs room, parlor, and general store.Sports
Although there is no major sports team located in Durant, there are sporting opportunities located within the city, including the Durant Multi-Sports Complex, Golf, soccer fields and baseball fields.Parks and recreation
The City of Durant maintains and operates 11 parks totaling more than 251 acres (1 km²). Including:- Durant Multi-Sports ComplexDurant Multi-Sports ComplexThe Durant Multi-Sports Complex is a multi-purpose athletic facility located two miles southeast of Durant, Oklahoma, on Highway 78. The sports complex, dedicated on November 17, 2006, sits on , with undeveloped. It consists of baseball and softball fields, soccer fields, and a football...
- Dixon Durant Park – Formerly Northside Park, or Rocket Park, renamed in honor of the founder of Durant.
- Carl AlbertCarl AlbertCarl Bert Albert was a lawyer and a Democratic American politician from Oklahoma.Albert represented the southeastern portion of Oklahoma as a Democrat for 30 years, starting in 1947. He is best known for his service as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1977...
Memorial Park & Public pool - Billy Miller park
- Schuler Park
Golf Courses:
- Durant Golf & Country Club
- Silverado Golf Course
Less than ten miles (16 km) away, Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
has between 8–10 million tourists every year and is the 12th largest lake in the United States, and also one of the largest reservoirs in the country, contributing to Durant's economic
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
and population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
.
Government
Durant is governed by a council-managerCouncil-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
form of municipal government. The city manager is the administrative leader of the government and is appointed by the city council. The city's ceremonial head is the mayor, who is a voting member of the council with limited administrative power.
The current city manager, James Dunegan, was appointed in 2006. The current mayor is Jerry Tomlinson. The city is divided into four wards with a members of the city council from each. There is also an at-large city council member. The current mayor is also represents Ward 1.
Higher education
Durant is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversitySoutheastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
, which has about 4,000 enrolled students. Oklahoma State University (OSU), with branches throughout Oklahoma, is the only university in Oklahoma to offer a Master of Science in Aviation and Space. Southeastern Oklahoma State University offers degrees through its Aviation Sciences Institute (ASI). The ASI the largest aviation program in the state with three locations. The main campus in Durant has facilities at the airport to support flight training and facilities on campus to facilitate the management options in business, maintenance, safety, and security. The institute also has two locations in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Community College and Tinker AFB, offering the undergraduate management degrees as well as the Master of Science degree in Aerospace Administration & Logistics.
http://www.bestaviation.net/school/southeastern_oklahoma_state_university/
OSU also offers a doctoral degree, Ed.D., in Applied Educational Studies with the Aviation and Space Science specialization
and a Graduate Certificate in Aviation Security.
(http://education.okstate.edu/index.php/academic-units/school-of-educational-studies/space-and-aviation)
Career and technical education
Durant is also home to the Kiamichi Technology CenterKiamichi Technology Center
Kiamichi Technology Center is a public career and technology education center located in Wilburton, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system.-Student organizations:...
, which has eight other locations in Southeastern Oklahoma. Kiamichi is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.
Elementary and secondary
The Durant Independent School DistrictDurant Independent School District
Durant Independent School District is a public school district based in Durant, Oklahoma. Durant ISD takes some students in from places such as Calera, Armstrong, Mead, Silo, Caddo, and Atoka...
is the largest school district in Southeastern Oklahoma and serves approximately 3,100 students. The district includes six schools and includes preschool, primary and secondary education.
The city is also home to the Silo School District, which includes three schools and serves approximately 680 students, and to one of two schools in the Rock Creek School District.
The city also has a private K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
school, Victory Life Academy, which has an enrollment of about 250 students.
Television stations
Durant, Oklahoma does not have any television studios, but gets over the air reception of the Sherman-Ada DMA, which happens to have studios nearby in Sherman and Denison, Texas with branch studios in Ardmore, Oklahoma.- KTENKTENKTEN is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southeastern Oklahoma and North Texas that is licensed to Ada, Oklahoma. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter north of Milburn, Oklahoma along OK 7. Owned by the Lockwood Broadcasting Group, the station...
Channel 10 – (NBC) - KTEN DT Channel 10.2 – (The CW Texoma)
- KXIIKXIIKXII, channel 12, is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Texoma region of Texas and Oklahoma. It is licensed to Sherman, Texas. Its transmitter is located southwest of Madill, Oklahoma...
Channel 12 – (CBS) - KXII DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma)
- KXII DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)
- A Low Power translator of OETA and its subchannels.
Durant has an independent cable TV & Internet provider called CommuniCom Services.
Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV stations include:
- Durant Public Schools has a 24 hour station which usually only airs slide shows.
- A local classified advertisements with KLBC playing.
- Duane Sheriff Ministries
- FBC-TV, which relays FamilyNet and Worship when there aren't any local church broadcasts.
- A NEXRADNEXRADNEXRAD or Nexrad is a network of 159 high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of Commerce...
Station
Radio Stations
- KSEO, AM 750.
- KLBC, 106.3 FM, "Today's Best Country", is the top-rated Oklahoma radio station in the Sherman/Ada DMA and the most listened-to radio station in southeastern Oklahoma, according to a 2008 Arbitron Rating survey.
- KSSU, "POWER 92", a SOSU station aimed at young college students.
Magazines
Durant's KLBC publishes a monthly entertainment guide, The KLBC Buzz. Available online and the print version is distributed to a six-county region of Texoma.Roads and highways
-
US 69/US 75 – A north-south four-lane divided highwayDivided HighwayDivided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...
and freeway. US 69/75 enters Oklahoma as an interstate grade highway from the DallasDallas/Fort Worth MetroplexThe Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
area. It then downgrades to a divided four-lane highway just north of ColbertColbert, OklahomaColbert is a town in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,065 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated in 1939. It was named after Benjamin Franklin Colbert, a Native American Chickasaw descendant of Scots trader James Logan Colbert and his Chickasaw wife Minta Hoye, who had...
. The highway then enters Durant from the south. After its at-grade intersectionAt-grade intersectionAn at-grade intersection is a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level .-Traffic management:With areas of high or fast traffic, an at-grade intersection normally requires a traffic control device such as a stop sign, traffic light or railway signal to manage conflicting...
with Choctaw Road, it again upgrades to an interstate. US 69/75 goes through western and northern Durant as an interstate highway, and again downgrades at the Bryan-Atoka County line. -
US 70 – An east-west route. Highway 70 enters Durant from the east as a two-lane highway as Mulberry Street, crossing a Union Pacific railroad via a bridge. It then heads southward toward Downtown on First Avenue as a 3-lane, concurrent with SH 78 and Business Routes 69/75. In Downtown it has an intersection with Main Street, then continuing its route westward on West Main Street concurrent with Business Routes 69/75. Just west of Downtown it turns into a three-lane street, and after its intersection with 9th Avenue it converts into a 5-lane street. At Washington Avenue it downgrades to a two-lane again while it travels through West End Heights, a historicHistoric districtA historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
and upscaleLuxury goodLuxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
neighborhood. At 21st Avenue it turns into a divided four-lane highway in the Retail District, intersecting with 69/75 as a parclo interchangeParclo interchangeA partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
. Highway 70 continues westward toward MeadMead, OklahomaMead is a town in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 123 at the 2000 census. Mead has seen very slow growth in recent years due to its proximity to Lake Texoma and the fast growing town of Durant.-Geography:...
and Lake TexomaLake TexomaLake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
as a 5-lane highway. -
SH 78Oklahoma State Highway 78State Highway 78 is long state highway in southern Oklahoma. It runs from the Red River to Tishomingo. It has no lettered spur routes.-Route description:...
– A north-south route. SH 78 enters Durant from the south as Southeast 3rd Avenue and as a two-lane. It comes to and intersection with East Main Street and turns westward toward Downtown continuing its route. At the intersection of Main and First Avenue, the highway turns northward onto First Avenue as a 3-lane street, concurrent with Highway 70 and Business Routes 69/75. It continues northward to University Boulevard and turns into a two-lane highway. Just before its intersection with 69/75 (via ramps), SH 78 turns into a divided four-lane highway for a short time and then turns into a two-lane highway again, exiting the city.
In a 2006 study by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation
Oklahoma Department of Transportation
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for the construction, maintenance, and regulation the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
, an average of about 19,100 vehicles pass Durant's Main Street on U.S. 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
/75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
everyday. Also, approximately 19,000 vehicles pass under 69/75 on Main Street daily.
The major streets are: First Avenue, Southeast 3rd Avenue, South 9th Avenue, Washington Avenue, Radio Road, University Place, 49th Avenue, Choctaw Road, Rodeo Road, West Main Street, East Main Street, University Boulevard, Chuckwa Street, Gail Farrell Drive, and Mockingbird Lane.
There are four exits in Durant from U.S. 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
/75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
which are at First Avenue, Washington Avenue, University/Chuckwa (the exit off of northbound 69/75 is the only one complete), and Main Street. There are also traffic lights at the intersection of U.S. 69
U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
/75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
and Choctaw Road south of Durant, where the Choctaw Casino Resort is located.
Air
Durant Regional Airport – Eaker Field, the city's airport, and home to Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversitySoutheastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
's Aviation Sciences Institute, was a U.S. Navy auxiliary airfield during World War II. It is named after U.S. Army Air Force General Ira C. Eaker, early commander of the legendary Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
in wartime England, who graduated from the university (then known as Southeastern State Teacher's College) in 1917.
The closest international airports to Durant are Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is the busiest airport in the U.S. state of Texas...
, Will Rogers World Airport
Will Rogers World Airport
Will Rogers World Airport , also known as Will Rogers Airport or simply Will Rogers, is located in southwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 6 miles from downtown and is the principal commercial airport of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area...
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...
, and Tulsa International Airport
Tulsa International Airport
Tulsa International Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located five miles northeast of downtown Tulsa, a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was originally named Tulsa Municipal Airport, when the city acquired it in 1929...
.
Rail
Durant is also a major railroad center. Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and Kiamichi Railroad
Kiamichi Railroad
The Kiamichi Railroad Company is a Class III short-line railroad headquartered in Hugo, Oklahoma.KRR operates two lines totaling which intersect in Hugo, as well as maintaining trackage rights on an additional of track....
intersect in Downtown, with Union Pacific being the busier railway.
Utilities
Durant has a water plant and a sewage treatment center. Electricity is served from OG&E.Healthcare
The city of Durant, as is Bryan County, Southeastern Oklahoma and North TexasNorth Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
, is served by the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma. Built in 1987, MCSO replaced the Bryan Memorial Hospital. MCSO is at the heart of Durant's medical district, along with the Durant Medical Complex, Choctaw/Chickasaw Indian Clinic, dentist offices, health clubs, and numerous other medical establishments.
- The Medical Center of Southeastern OklahomaMedical Center of Southeastern OklahomaThe Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma, also known as MCSO, is a hospital located at 1800 University Boulevard in Durant, Oklahoma. The hospital was founded in 1987, replacing the older Bryan Memorial Hospital.-Capabilities:...
is ranked as one of the best 100 hospitals in the United States.
Notable people
- Steve BurrageSteve BurrageSteve Burrage is an American politician from Oklahoma and the former Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector. Burrage was appointed as State Auditor by the Governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry on July 10, 2008, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of former State Auditor Jeff McMahan, serving...
, Okahoma State Auditor and Inspector since 2008 - Joe DobsonJoe DobsonJoseph Gordon Dobson , nicknamed "Burrhead," was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox ....
– 1948 American League All-StarMajor League Baseball All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. - Gail FarrellGail FarrellGail Farrell American singer and songwriter who is famous as a member of the long running TV musical variety program The Lawrence Welk Show.-Biography:...
– Cast member of The Lawrence Welk ShowThe Lawrence Welk ShowThe Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
. Gail Farrell Drive, an avenue located on the far north side of the city was named in her honor in the mid 1970s. - Ralph FaudreeRalph FaudreeRalph Jasper Faudree is a mathematician, a professor of mathematics and the provost of the University of Memphis.Faudree was born in Durant, Oklahoma. He did his undergraduate studies at Oklahoma Baptist University, graduating in 1961, and received his Ph.D. in 1964 from Purdue University under...
– mathematician and provost of the University of MemphisUniversity of MemphisThe University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.... - Senator Jay Paul GummJay Paul GummJay Paul Gumm is an Oklahoma Democratic politician who served in the Oklahoma Senate representing District 6, which includes all of Bryan, Johnston and Marshall counties and parts of Atoka and Coal counties in southern Oklahoma from 2002 through 2010...
– Oklahoma Senator representing District 6 - Kirby MinterKirby MinterJames Kirby Minter is a retired American basketball player. Minter graduated from Durant High School in 1947, and was inducted to the Durant Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007...
– Well-known retired basketball player, played for team USA in the 1954 FIBA World Championship1954 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1954 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Ginásio do Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from October 22 to November 5, 1954...
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - Billie LettsBillie LettsBillie Letts is an American novelist and educator. She was a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.-Family:She was married to professor-turned-actor Dennis Letts until his death in 2008, and is the mother of playwright/actor Tracy Letts, jazz musician/composer Shawn Letts, and Dana...
– Author of No. 1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah WinfreyOprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
Book Club selection Where the Heart IsWhere the Heart Is (novel)Where the Heart Is is a 1995 novel by Billie Letts. It was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection in December 1998. A 2000 film of the same name was directed by Matt Williams, starring Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd and Stockard Channing....
(Warner, 1996), made into a 2000 film of the same titleWhere the Heart Is (2000 film)Where the Heart Is is a 2000 drama/romance film directed by Matt Williams and produced by Susan Cartsonis, David McFadzean, Patricia Whitcher and Matt Williams. Filmed in Austin, Texas, and Waco, Texas at Baylor University. The movie stars Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd...
, starring Ashley JuddAshley JuddAshley Judd is an American television and film actress, who has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is and High Crimes...
and Natalie PortmanNatalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
. The novel has sold more than 3.2 million hardcover and mass-market paperback copies combined. Although a Tulsa native, she was an English professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. Other novels: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (Warner, 1998), Shoot the Moon (2004) and Made in the USA (2008). - Tracy LettsTracy LettsTracy Letts is an American playwright and actor who received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play August: Osage County.-Biography:...
– a Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and Tony award winning American playwright and actor. - Robert L. WilliamsRobert L. WilliamsRobert Lee Williams was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the third Governor of Oklahoma. Williams would also play a role in the drafting of the Oklahoma Constitution...
– First Chief Justice of Oklahoma Supreme Court, third Governor of the State of Oklahoma. - Jack WyattJack WyattJohn Francis Minford "Jack" Wyatt was an advertising executive and television host from New York City and Dallas, Texas, who, during his early fifties, was ordained as an Episcopalian priest...
– Host of ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's ConfessionConfession (TV series)Confession is a short-lived ABC crime/police reality show which aired from June 19, 1958, to January 13, 1959, with interviewer Jack Wyatt questioning criminals from assorted backgrounds. The program was carried by videotape from WFAA-TV, the network affiliate in Dallas, Texas, the first station to...
(1958–1959), later an EpiscopalEpiscopal Church (United States)The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
priest in Durant.
Further reading
- Blaisdell, Lowell L. "Anatomy of an Oklahoma Lynching: Bryan County, August 12–13, 1911," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 79 (Fall 2001).
- MacCreary, Henry. A Story of Durant: "Queen of Three Valleys" (Durant, Okla.: Democrat Printing Co., 1946).
- Milligan, James C., Norris, L. David, and Vanmeter, Ann. Durant, 1872–1990 (Durant, Okla.: Bryan County Heritage Association Inc., 1990).
- Norris, L. David. Southeastern Oklahoma State University Since 1909, Vol. 1 (Durant, Okla.: Mesa Publishing Co., 1986).
- Durant leading the state in economic development
External links
- City of Durant
- Durant Area Chamber of Commerce
- Durant Daily Democrat
- KLBC 106.3 FM and The Buzz
- Durant Economic Development
- Durant, Oklahoma (OK 74701, 74702) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, sex offenders, news, sex offenders
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Durant
- Durant Oklahoma