Pond Creek, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Pond Creek is a city in Grant County
, Oklahoma
, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 856.
. When many of the Native American groups were moved onto reservations in what is now Oklahoma, towns and trading posts were established. Eventually the present-day Oklahoma was divided into Oklahoma Territory
and Indian Territory. The history of Pond Creek and the surrounding area can be easily confused with other streams called Pond Creek (see e.g.). The present community of Pond Creek is located in what is called the Cherokee Strip, more properly known as the Cherokee Outlet
. The Cherokee Outlet, more often referred to as the Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma, in the United States. It was a sixty-mile (97 km) wide strip of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between the 96th
and 100th meridians
. It was about 225 miles (362.1 km) long and in 1891 contained 8144682.91 acres (32,960.4 km²) The land at the confluence of Osage Creek and Pond Creek was known as the Pond Creek Stockade on the original Chisholm Trail
used by cattle drivers bringing herds of Texas longhorns north to the railroad head first at Abilene, Kansas
then later to Wichita
and Caldwell
.
This location is about 4 miles north of the present town of Pond Creek near the present village of Jefferson
. Two markers have been placed in this area commemorating the untimely demise of two cowboys. There are two granite markers placed near Pond Creek on the old Chisholm Trail
.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Caldwell, Kansas
to Pond Creek in 1888. By 1893, it was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas
. It foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad
, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
Pond Creek was settled as a town during the Cherokee Strip run of 1893, the largest land run
ever held. "The government townsite of Pond Creek was first entered at 2:10 on the day of the run. By evening, it contained some 8,000 inhabitants, and boasted a good hotel, several restaurants, a dozen law offices, two general stores and six or seven grocery stores."
"The government had previously dug at least one well on each of the government townsites, but Pond Creek's well was soon pumped dry, and an emergency well, dug by the soldiers, struck salt water. Water was hauled from the Salt Fork river and sold for five cents a cup, but it was not suitable for animals to drink, not to consider human beings. Beer sold for fifty and seventy-five cents a bottle, although it had not been iced. Horses were forced to drink from the few stagnant creek pools that could be located. And to add to the misery of being without water, a violent sand storm swept across the prairies, and fires raged in many sections."
In addition to these tribulations, the citizens of Pond Creek had to do battle with the powerful railroad interests, in this case the "Rock Island Line" or CRI&P railroad, to get a coveted depot. Briefly, the railroad had established a station for Pond Creek and the federal government established a different station about 4 miles south of the railroad town. The railroad refused to stop at the government Pond Creek until a combination of citizen action and congressional action forced them to change. Pond Creek legend has it that the railroad specified a mail stop at Pond Creek so to keep face they merely changed the name of railroad Pond Creek to Jefferson
and made government Pond Creek the Pond Creek station. This story doesn't quite correspond with most personal histories of the controversy but it makes a colorful tale.
, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 896 people, 364 households, and 263 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,072.4 people per square mile (411.8/km²). There were 437 housing units at an average density of 523.1 per square mile (200.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.53% White, 3.57% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races
, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.
There were 364 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,515, and the median income for a family was $36,346. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $19,097 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,456. About 13.6% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Grant County, Oklahoma
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010 census, the population was 4,527. Its county seat is Medford.-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...
, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River
Salt Fork Arkansas River
The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma in the United States. Via the Arkansas River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 856.
History
Before people of European descent came on the scene, the region around the present town of Pond Creek was traversed by many of the nomadic Native Americans of the Great Plains. Although the land is now heavily agricultural there are still traces of campsites along the numerous creeks of the drainage of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas RiverArkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
. When many of the Native American groups were moved onto reservations in what is now Oklahoma, towns and trading posts were established. Eventually the present-day Oklahoma was divided into Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
and Indian Territory. The history of Pond Creek and the surrounding area can be easily confused with other streams called Pond Creek (see e.g.). The present community of Pond Creek is located in what is called the Cherokee Strip, more properly known as the Cherokee Outlet
Cherokee Outlet
The Cherokee Outlet, often mistakenly referred to as the Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma, in the United States. It was a sixty-mile wide strip of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between the 96th and 100th meridians. It was about 225 miles long and in 1891...
. The Cherokee Outlet, more often referred to as the Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma, in the United States. It was a sixty-mile (97 km) wide strip of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between the 96th
96th meridian west
The meridian 96° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 100th meridians
100th meridian west
The meridian 100° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, North America, the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
. It was about 225 miles (362.1 km) long and in 1891 contained 8144682.91 acres (32,960.4 km²) The land at the confluence of Osage Creek and Pond Creek was known as the Pond Creek Stockade on the original Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
used by cattle drivers bringing herds of Texas longhorns north to the railroad head first at Abilene, Kansas
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
then later to Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
and Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...
.
This location is about 4 miles north of the present town of Pond Creek near the present village of Jefferson
Jefferson, Oklahoma
Jefferson is a town in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 37 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jefferson is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
. Two markers have been placed in this area commemorating the untimely demise of two cowboys. There are two granite markers placed near Pond Creek on the old Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...
to Pond Creek in 1888. By 1893, it was incrementally built to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. It foreclosed in 1891 and taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad
-OKT I:The Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad , was originally created on May 29, 1980 after the demise of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad on March 31, 1980...
, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad
Union 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....
. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
Pond Creek was settled as a town during the Cherokee Strip run of 1893, the largest land run
Land run
Land run usually refers to an historical event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened for homesteading on a first arrival basis. Some newly opened lands were sold first-come, sold by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run...
ever held. "The government townsite of Pond Creek was first entered at 2:10 on the day of the run. By evening, it contained some 8,000 inhabitants, and boasted a good hotel, several restaurants, a dozen law offices, two general stores and six or seven grocery stores."
"The government had previously dug at least one well on each of the government townsites, but Pond Creek's well was soon pumped dry, and an emergency well, dug by the soldiers, struck salt water. Water was hauled from the Salt Fork river and sold for five cents a cup, but it was not suitable for animals to drink, not to consider human beings. Beer sold for fifty and seventy-five cents a bottle, although it had not been iced. Horses were forced to drink from the few stagnant creek pools that could be located. And to add to the misery of being without water, a violent sand storm swept across the prairies, and fires raged in many sections."
In addition to these tribulations, the citizens of Pond Creek had to do battle with the powerful railroad interests, in this case the "Rock Island Line" or CRI&P railroad, to get a coveted depot. Briefly, the railroad had established a station for Pond Creek and the federal government established a different station about 4 miles south of the railroad town. The railroad refused to stop at the government Pond Creek until a combination of citizen action and congressional action forced them to change. Pond Creek legend has it that the railroad specified a mail stop at Pond Creek so to keep face they merely changed the name of railroad Pond Creek to Jefferson
Jefferson, Oklahoma
Jefferson is a town in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 37 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jefferson is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
and made government Pond Creek the Pond Creek station. This story doesn't quite correspond with most personal histories of the controversy but it makes a colorful tale.
Geography
Pond Creek is located at 36°40′7"N 97°48′7"W (36, -97). 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 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
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 896 people, 364 households, and 263 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 1,072.4 people per square mile (411.8/km²). There were 437 housing units at an average density of 523.1 per square mile (200.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.53% White, 3.57% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.11% 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 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.
There were 364 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% 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, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,515, and the median income for a family was $36,346. Males had a median income of $30,682 versus $19,097 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 $17,456. About 13.6% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.