Ingalls, Oklahoma

Ingalls is a ghost town in eastern Payne County, Oklahoma, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Stillwater. The town was settled as a result of the "Unassigned Lands" land run in 1889, and had a post office from January 22, 1890, until October 31, 1907.[1] It was named for Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas.[2] During the 1890s the population peaked at about 150, then began to decline.[3]

Ingalls, Oklahoma
Ghost Town
Ingalls
Location within the state of Oklahoma
Ingalls
Ingalls (the United States)
Coordinates: 36°6′6″N 96°52′53″W
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountyPayne
Government
Population
 (2000)
 • Totalat least 100
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
74074
Area code(s)405
The Ingalls Hotel, E 19th Street (2007)

Ingalls became notable as the site of the Battle of Ingalls on September 1, 1893, which was a shootout between U.S. Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton gang.[4] Three deputy marshals[4] and two residents were killed, one of the residents being killed while shooting at the marshals. Several people were wounded, including two of the outlaws, and one outlaw was captured. A stone monument stands at Ingalls[4] on Ash Street, an unmarked street by the fire station, a short distance from where one of the deputies was shot.

A new post office, named Signet, Oklahoma, was established on a site northwest of the old Ingalls townsite on June 21, 1921, and became part of a new community. The residents protested and the name was then officially changed back to Ingalls.[1]

Only a few deserted, old buildings are still present, including replicas of the Ingalls Hotel, its actual name the Pierce O.K. Hotel, a livery stable, saloon, and general store.[5] There used to be a schoolhouse, the first Sunday school for a Baptist church, right in front of the old fire station building.

Today, the population is an estimated 150, like in its heyday. The land lots are mainly owned by three families that have lived in or near the town for at least 70 years, the Radford/Sharptons, the Burtons, and the Mathesons. Every Saturday night, seniors with ties to the community gather at the Ingalls Community Center for a music show. Usually, a reenactment of the Battle occurs on Sept. 1st of every year, but many of the actors have been getting older and unable to participate.

References
  1. McRill, Leslie. "Old Ingalls: The Story of a Town that Will Not Die." Archived 2006-09-05 at the Wayback Machine, Chronicles of Oklahoma Vol. 36. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  2. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 165.
  3. ""Oklahoma's Past: Payne County" Oklahoma Archaeological Survey. University of Oklahoma. 23 Oct 2007.
  4. Samuelson, Nancy B. "Dalton Gang," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society. Accessed February 19, 2016
  5. "The Ingalls Townsite." Oklahoma Archaeology Survey." Retrieved September 12, 2014.

Sources
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