Perry, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Perry is a city in Noble County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,126. It is the county seat
of Noble County
.
, May 23, 1836, assigned the Cherokee Outlet to the Cherokee
s as a perpetual outlet to use for passage to travel and hunt in the West from their reservation in the eastern part of what became Oklahoma. This was in addition to the land given to the Cherokees for settlement after their arrival from their home in Georgia
.
Perry's first name was Wharton, the name of a train station about 1 mile south of the present city and it was located within the Outlet. Perry came to be named after J.A. Perry, one of the township location commissioners. Noble County, then known as "County P", was named after the John Willock Noble
of St. Louis, the Interior Secretary for President William Henry Harrison
.
The Dalton Gang
, which at that time included Bob Dalton
, Emmett Dalton
, Charlie Bryant and George Newcomb entered Wharton to rob a train in May 1891 earning $1745. Shortly after the robbery, Bryant fell ill and was taken to Hennessey
to see a doctor. After being spotted and arrested by Deputy Marshal Ed Short. During an escape attempt Bryant and Short would kill each other. Among those within the boundary of the Strip prior to the opening, were the notorious Bill Doolin gang. A Santa Fe train was robbed at Wharton before the opening, and the gang escaped into Osage County. U.S. Marshall E.D. Nix and 100 deputies were commissioned to police the area and keep order.
At noon on September 16, 1893, "a run" for land within "the Strip" was opened. An estimated 100,000 men, women, and children took part and by nightfall 40,000 had erected tents in Perry. Jack Tearney started at the county line and reached Perry within 31 minutes. By 4:00 p.m. he had erected and opened the "Blue Bell" saloon selling beer the first day for $1.00 a bottle, due to the scarcity of water. He would sell 38,000 glasses.
Named "Hell's Half Acre", the original town's perimeter included A & F streets and 1st and 9th streets. About 110 saloons and gambling houses were in operation with many of them set up 1/2 block east of the east side of the now existing square.
was stopped on April 19, 1995, along Interstate 35 outside of Perry by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper. The trooper had passed McVeigh's yellow 1977 Mercury Marquis and noticed it had no license plate. He arrested McVeigh for carrying a loaded firearm. Three days later, while still in jail, McVeigh was identified as the subject of the nationwide manhunt.
It is the smallest town in Oklahoma with a daily newspaper.
, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (10.98%) is water.
of 2000, there were 5,230 people, 2,203 households, and 1,445 families residing in the city. The population density
was 860.1 people per square mile (332.1/km²). There were 2,493 housing units at an average density of 410.0 per square mile (158.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 3.1% African American, 3.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races
, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 2,203 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,653, and the median income for a family was $37,731. Males had a median income of $30,485 versus $22,039 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,924. About 10.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
machinery and employs over 1,300 people.
Noble County, Oklahoma
Noble County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 11,561. Its county seat is Perry.-21st century:In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed north to south through Noble County....
, 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...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,126. 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 Noble County
Noble County, Oklahoma
Noble County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 11,561. Its county seat is Perry.-21st century:In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline was constructed north to south through Noble County....
.
19th century
The Treaty of New EchotaTreaty of New Echota
The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, known as the Treaty Party...
, May 23, 1836, assigned the Cherokee Outlet to the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
s as a perpetual outlet to use for passage to travel and hunt in the West from their reservation in the eastern part of what became Oklahoma. This was in addition to the land given to the Cherokees for settlement after their arrival from their home in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Perry's first name was Wharton, the name of a train station about 1 mile south of the present city and it was located within the Outlet. Perry came to be named after J.A. Perry, one of the township location commissioners. Noble County, then known as "County P", was named after the John Willock Noble
John Willock Noble
John Willock Noble was a U.S. lawyer and brevet general in the Civil War. He served as the Secretary of the Interior between 1889 and 1893....
of St. Louis, the Interior Secretary for President William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
.
The Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
, which at that time included Bob Dalton
Bob Dalton (outlaw)
Robert Reddick Dalton , better known as Bob Dalton, was an American outlaw in the American Old West. He led the ill-fated Dalton Gang raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. Ambushed by town citizens Bob, Bill Power, Grat Dalton and Dick Broadwell were all killed.-Early life:The Dalton family...
, Emmett Dalton
Emmett Dalton
Emmett Dalton was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old West. Part of the ill-fated Dalton raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, he survived despite receiving 23 gunshot wounds...
, Charlie Bryant and George Newcomb entered Wharton to rob a train in May 1891 earning $1745. Shortly after the robbery, Bryant fell ill and was taken to Hennessey
Hennessey, Oklahoma
Hennessey is a town in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census.-History:Hennessey is named after Pat Hennessy, an Irish freighter who was killed at the present townsite in April, 1874...
to see a doctor. After being spotted and arrested by Deputy Marshal Ed Short. During an escape attempt Bryant and Short would kill each other. Among those within the boundary of the Strip prior to the opening, were the notorious Bill Doolin gang. A Santa Fe train was robbed at Wharton before the opening, and the gang escaped into Osage County. U.S. Marshall E.D. Nix and 100 deputies were commissioned to police the area and keep order.
At noon on September 16, 1893, "a run" for land within "the Strip" was opened. An estimated 100,000 men, women, and children took part and by nightfall 40,000 had erected tents in Perry. Jack Tearney started at the county line and reached Perry within 31 minutes. By 4:00 p.m. he had erected and opened the "Blue Bell" saloon selling beer the first day for $1.00 a bottle, due to the scarcity of water. He would sell 38,000 glasses.
Named "Hell's Half Acre", the original town's perimeter included A & F streets and 1st and 9th streets. About 110 saloons and gambling houses were in operation with many of them set up 1/2 block east of the east side of the now existing square.
20th century
Timothy McVeighTimothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
was stopped on April 19, 1995, along Interstate 35 outside of Perry by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper. The trooper had passed McVeigh's yellow 1977 Mercury Marquis and noticed it had no license plate. He arrested McVeigh for carrying a loaded firearm. Three days later, while still in jail, McVeigh was identified as the subject of the nationwide manhunt.
21st century
Perry moved from a strong mayor form of government to a Home Rule Charter. The town is in the process of transitioning to a City Manager.It is the smallest town in Oklahoma with a daily newspaper.
Geography
Perry is located at 36°17′29"N 97°17′28"W (36.291424, -97.291144). 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...
, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (10.98%) is water.
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 5,230 people, 2,203 households, and 1,445 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 860.1 people per square mile (332.1/km²). There were 2,493 housing units at an average density of 410.0 per square mile (158.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 3.1% African American, 3.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% 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 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.
There were 2,203 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,653, and the median income for a family was $37,731. Males had a median income of $30,485 versus $22,039 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 $16,924. About 10.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
- Perry High School, grades 9-12.
- Perry Junior-High School, grades 7-8.
- Perry Upper Elementary School, grades 4-6.
- Perry Lower Elementary School, grades 1-3.
- Perry Early Childhood School, grades Pre-K -K
Business
The city is home to The Charles Machine Works, which is the headquarters and manufacturing facility of Ditch WitchDitch Witch
Ditch Witch is an American brand of underground construction equipment built by The Charles Machine Works, Inc., which has been in operation under the current name since 1949...
machinery and employs over 1,300 people.
Notable people
- Danny HodgeDanny HodgeDaniel "Danny" Allen Hodge is a retired American wrestler and boxer. He is renowned for his wrestling career, both amateur and professional, and has also been a boxer. Hodge was born, grew up, and still lives in Perry, Oklahoma...
, NWANWA-Nwa:*Nwa, Kale, a village in Burma*Nwa, Cameroon, a commune in the Nord-Ouest region of Cameroon-Groups or organizations:* Northwest Airlines, a defunct U.S...
wrestler, Olympic wrestler - Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, actor - Henry S. JohnstonHenry S. JohnstonHenry Simpson Johnston was an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention, the first President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and the seventh Governor of Oklahoma...
, governor - Sharron MillerSharron MillerSharron Miller is an American television and film director, producer, and screenwriter. She has also worked as a sound editor and film editor. Miller was the first woman ever to win the coveted Directors Guild of America Award for directing drama....
, Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning television director, writer, producer - Billy PricerBilly PricerBilly Pricer is a former professional American football player who played running back for five seasons for the Baltimore Colts and Dallas Texans. Played for the University of Oklahoma football team from 1954 to 1956. During this time he played under Bud Wilkinson and as a sooner never lost a game...
, NFL football player - Jack Swagger, Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion
- Jack van BebberJack van BebberJack van Bebber was an American wrestler and olympic champion. He competed at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where he received a gold medal in freestyle welterweight.-References:...
, Olympic wrestler