Clinton, Oklahoma

Clinton is a city in Custer and Washita counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 9,033 at the 2010 census.

Clinton, Oklahoma
City
Motto(s): 
"Hub City of Western Oklahoma"
Location of Clinton, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°30′34″N 98°58′27″W
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountiesCuster
Government
 • TypeCouncil / Manager
Area
 • Total9.42 sq mi (24.40 km2)
 • Land9.40 sq mi (24.35 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
1,565 ft (477 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total9,033
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
9,087
 • Density966.50/sq mi (373.15/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
73601
Area code(s)580
FIPS code40-15400[3]
GNIS feature ID1091467[4]
WebsiteClinton, Oklahoma

History

The community began in 1899 when two men, J.L. Avant and E.E. Blake, decided to locate a town in the Washita River Valley.

Because of governmental stipulations that an Indian could sell no more than one half of a 160-acre (0.6 km2) allotment, the men made plans to purchase 320 acres (1.3 km2) from four different Indians (Hays, Shoe-Boy, Nowahy, and Night Killer) and paid them each $2,000 for 80 acres (320,000 m2) to begin the small settlement of Washita Junction.

Congressional approval for the sale was granted in 1902 and Washita Junction quickly developed.[5] The first businesses were the office of the Custer County Chronicle newspaper and the First National Bank building. When a post office was started, the postal department would not accept the name of Washita Junction; so the town was named for Judge Clinton F. Irwin.

Clinton was served by the Frisco Railroad and Rock Island. It was also the eastern terminus of the Clinton, Oklahoma, and Western Railroad Company, which lay track westward to Hemphill County, Texas. Once in Hemphill County, a second similarly-named railroad, the Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad Company of Texas, joined with Pampa in Gray County, Texas. Both of these companies were soon leased and purchased by the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway, which held them until disestablishment in 1965.[6]

Clinton particularly benefited from the presence of U.S. Highway 66. Like most other cities and towns on Route 66, Clinton was home of tourist businesses including several restaurants, cafés, motels and filling stations. The Pop Hicks Restaurant was once the longest running restaurant on Route 66. It opened in 1936 and closed after a fire in 1999. The U.S. Highway 66 Association, founded 1927 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, curtailed its activity when World War II rationing of rubber and fuel disrupted leisure travel. After the war, Jack and Gladys Cutberth revived the organization in Clinton, where it promoted the "Main Street of America" from 1947 until it disbanded in the 1980s.[7] Dr. Walter S. Mason Jr. operated a Best Western motel (1964–2003) which welcomed Elvis Presley as an occasional guest in the 1960s.[8]

Today, cross-country traffic passes Clinton to the south on Interstate 40, which bypassed the city in 1970.[7] Clinton remains a popular tourist stop as one of the largest Route 66 cities between Oklahoma City and Amarillo, Texas. Much of the old U.S. 66 route that passed through the city is now designated as an I-40 business loop; the town became home to the first state sponsored Route 66 Museum in the nation.[9]

In 1942, the federal government built a naval airfield at nearby Burns Flat and named it Naval Air Station Clinton. During the World War II period, the population of Clinton grew to nearly 7,000 residents. In 1949, Naval Air Station Clinton was deactivated and the airfield was deeded to the City of Clinton, specifying that the land could be recaptured in case of national emergencies. Later, the government leased the site back and used it as Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base a bomber base supporting 4123rd Strategic Wing, then the 70th Bombardment Wing, Heavy of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), operating B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. Purchasing more land, the site soon expanded to more than 3,500 acres (14 km2), where both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy utilized the airfield for both operational and training purposes. When military operations were de-emphasized, the Clinton-Sherman base was designated for closure in 1969. The entire complex was deeded to the City of Clinton in 1971 and three years later became the Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark.

Clinton is also home to the Clinton Daily News, a six-day daily newspaper edited by Rod Serfoss which has a circulation of 4,500.[10] The newspaper has been published continuously from its inception in 1927 to the current day.[11]

Geography

Clinton is located at 35°30′34″N 98°58′27″W (35.509369, −98.974063),[12] sitting at an elevation of 1,592 feet (485 m). The town is located on historic U.S. Route 66, which is now Interstate 40.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.2 km2), of which 8.9 square miles (23.1 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.22%) is water.

Climate
Climate data for Clinton, Oklahoma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 85
(29)		 84
(29)		 95
(35)		 98
(37)		 106
(41)		 112
(44)		 112
(44)		 115
(46)		 111
(44)		 98
(37)		 89
(32)		 89
(32)		 115
(46)
Average high °F (°C) 50
(10)		 55
(13)		 63
(17)		 73
(23)		 81
(27)		 91
(33)		 95
(35)		 96
(36)		 88
(31)		 77
(25)		 62
(17)		 53
(12)		 74
(23)
Average low °F (°C) 25
(−4)		 29
(−2)		 35
(2)		 47
(8)		 56
(13)		 66
(19)		 69
(21)		 68
(20)		 60
(16)		 48
(9)		 34
(1)		 28
(−2)		 47
(8)
Record low °F (°C) −14
(−26)		 −4
(−20)		 −2
(−19)		 20
(−7)		 31
(−1)		 44
(7)		 53
(12)		 49
(9)		 34
(1)		 22
(−6)		 8
(−13)		 −1
(−18)		 −14
(−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.0
(25)		 1.0
(25)		 1.6
(41)		 2.8
(71)		 5.1
(130)		 3.5
(89)		 2.6
(66)		 2.3
(58)		 2.1
(53)		 2.6
(66)		 1.0
(25)		 1.1
(28)		 26.5
(670)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 3.3
(8.4)		 2.3
(5.8)		 2.2
(5.6)		 0.5
(1.3)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.2
(0.51)		 1.5
(3.8)		 10
(25)
Average rainy days 2.8 2.8 4 5.9 7.2 6.2 5.1 4.6 3.7 4.4 2.3 2.9 51.9
Average relative humidity (%) 63 60 56 55 61 64 57 56 65 62 63 67 61
Source 1: weather.com
Source 2: Weatherbase.com[13]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
19102,781—
19202,596−6.7%
19307,512189.4%
19406,736−10.3%
19507,55512.2%
19609,61727.3%
197010,3597.7%
19809,730−6.1%
19909,248−5.0%
20008,833−4.5%
20109,0332.3%
2019 (est.)9,087[2]0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

As of the census[3] of 2015, The population density was 989.1 people per square mile (381.9/km2). There were 3,818 housing units at an average density of 427.5 per square mile (165.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 52.2% White, 3.2% African American, 3.4% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 13.62% from other races, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.8% of the population.

There were 3,331 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,051, and the median income for a family was $32,242. Males had a median income of $24,588 versus $18,596 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,606. About 14.6% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Automotive manufacturer SportChassis, a maker of customized tow rigs, has its global headquarters in Clinton.[15]

Events

The Clinton Regional Airport was the site of the first crash of a C-5 Galaxy (68-0227) on September 27, 1974.[16]

Notable people

Schools

Clinton has three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school within the public school system. There is also an alternative school that is part of the public school system.

Sports

Clinton is known for its high school football team, the "Red Tornadoes". The Red Tornadoes have won 16 state championships (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012)[18] which ranks currently second in the state of Oklahoma behind Ada. The Red Tornado football program currently ranks first in the state in all-time wins. Along with football, Clinton excels at a number of other sports. Other school sports include boys' and girls' basketball (the "Lady Red Tornadoes" or "Lady Reds"), baseball, girls' softball, wrestling, tennis, soccer, girls' volleyball, and track and field. Clinton's wrestling team earned its first trip to a state championship in 2015; it would lose to longtime rival Tuttle Tigers. The Lady Red Tornadoes soccer team won the State Championship in 2017 under the leadership of Coach Eugene Jefferson.

Team colors are maroon and gold and the school mascot is an anthropomorphic tornado named "Tony."

Sights

Museums
  • Oklahoma Route 66 Museum is the state's official showcase of Route 66, operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society, and located on historic U.S. Route 66.[19]
  • The Cheyenne Cultural Center was founded in hopes of preserving the Cheyenne people's way of life. The site has become a regional interpretive center for Cheyenne history and culture.[20]

National Register of Historic Places
Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Custer County, Oklahoma

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. Clinton at Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Archived May 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (accessed April 27)
  6. "Clinton-Oklahoma-Western Railroad". tshaonline.org. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  7. Sonderman, Jon; Ross, Jim (2011-12-05). Route 66 in Oklahoma. Arcadia Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 9780738590516. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  8. "Old-style motels fading out". USA Today. 2003-12-03. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
  9. "Oklahoma Route 66 Museum". OKHistory.org. Clinton, Oklahoma: Oklahoma Historical Society.
  10. "Clinton Daily News". Finder Binder: Oklahoma's Updated Media Directory. Winter 2009.
  11. "About this Newspaper: Clinton Daily News". chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  12. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  13. "Historical Weather for Clinton, Oklahoma, United States".
  14. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. "Homepage". SportChassis. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  16. "Lockheed C-5A Galaxy, 68-0227, 27 September 1974". okwreckchasing.org. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2018. Cites "Jumbo Jet Burns at Clinton". Daily Oklahoman. September 28, 1974.
  17. "WWII Army Enlistment Records".
  18. Godfrey, Ed (19 October 2012). "High school football: Clinton honors 1967 team that was proclaimed high school national champions". NewsOK. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  19. "Oklahoma Route 66 Museum". City of Clinton. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  20. "Cheyenne Cultural Center Inc". dexknows.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
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