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Pawnee, Oklahoma

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Pawnee (Pawnee: Paári,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Langx<ref>(2009) Kansas Historical Society, Ioway-Otoe-Missouria Language Project, English to Ioway-Otoe-Missouria Dictionary, "Dictionary P (English to Baxoje)", "Pawnee, Okla.". [1]</ref>) is a city and county seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The town is northeast of Stillwater at the junction of U.S. Route 64 and State Highway 18.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It was named for the Pawnee tribe, which was relocated to this area between 1873 and 1875.<ref name="EOHC-Pawnee">Linda D. Wilson, "Pawnee." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved April 13, 2012.]</ref> The population was 1,936 as of the 2020 Census. <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

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The Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School were established after the Pawnee tribe came to this area in 1875. The Pawnee Agency was designated as a post office on May 4, 1876. The area was opened to non-Indian settlers on September 16, 1893, during the Cherokee Outlet Opening. Townsite Number Thirteen (later Pawnee) had been designated as the temporary county seat. The post office was redesignated from Pawnee Agency to Pawnee on October 26, 1893. The town incorporated on April 16, 1894. On September 9, 1895, the townspeople dedicated a stone county courthouse.<ref name="EOHC-Pawnee" />

The Eastern Oklahoma Railway, which later became part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, built a line through Pawnee between 1900 and 1902. In 1902, the Arkansas Valley and Western Railway (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) also built a line through the city. The railroads enabled Pawnee to develop as an agricultural trade center. The population was 1,943 at statehood in 1907.<ref name="EOHC-Pawnee" /> Since statehood, Pawnee has seen a overall decline in population with the 2020 Census reporting a population of 1,936.

Pawnee continued to develop during the Great Depression, largely because of Federal works projects. A hospital to care for the Ponca, Pawnee, Kaw, Otoe, and Tonkawa people opened January 15, 1931. A new school building at the Osage Agency opened in 1932. A new county courthouse was also built in 1932.<ref name="EOHC-Pawnee" /> Finally, the federal government built a reservoir named Pawnee Lake two miles north of town in 1932; the lake has 5.4 miles of shoreline, a surface area of 310 acres, and a maximum depth of 24.3 feet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.

Demographics

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Template:US Census population As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 2,230 people, 878 households, and 581 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,054 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 63.18% White, 3.59% African American, 27.89% Native American, 0.18% from other races, and 5.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.03% of the population.

There were 878 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,962, and the median income for a family was $32,850. Males had a median income of $28,182 versus $20,139 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,970. About 16.8% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 23.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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Pawnee has an aldermanic form of government.<ref name="EOHC-Pawnee" />

2016 earthquake

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A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Pawnee on September 3, 2016,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> causing cracks and minor damage to buildings. It was the strongest recorded earthquake in state history, exceeding the 5.7 magnitude 2011 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma.<ref>Wilmoth, Adam. "Pawnee earthquake upgraded to magnitude 5.8" The Oklahoman, September 7, 2016. Accessed September 7, 2016.</ref> The earthquake was caused by the deep injection of wastewater created by the practice of fracking to release oil trapped in shale rock.

Items of interest

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File:Peerless Steam Threshing Engine Pawnee County Courthouse Oklahoma.JPG
Peerless Steam Threshing Engine (Corliss engine) on Static Display at Pawnee County Courthouse
  • The Pawnee Indian Veterans Homecoming and Powwow, which occurs the weekend that falls closest to the 4th of July.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Served by Meridian Technology Center<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Pawnee High School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Home of the Pawnee people and government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Pawnee Lake, consisting of 530 surface acres with boating, fishing, and camping, and having a 9-hole golf course and horse facilities adjacent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Pawnee Bill Historical Museum, with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, the Wild West Shows and the Pawnees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Oklahoma Steam and Gas Engine Show.<ref name ="Threshers">Template:Cite web</ref> This annual event by the Oklahoma Steam Threshers and Gas Engine Association is during the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May.<ref name="Threshers" />
  • Pawnee Bill Memorial Rodeo.<ref name="Rodeo">Template:Cite web</ref> The event typically includes a Western Heritage Week, a Draft Horse and Mule Sale, an "Old Time Saturday Night" Car-Cruze-In, a youth rodeo, and a Ranch Rodeo.<ref name="Rodeo" />
  • Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Large Dick Tracy wall mural<ref name= "Museum" />
  • Pawnee County Historical Society Museum & Dick Tracy Headquarters.<ref name="Museum">Template:Cite web</ref> The Museum preserves the names, places and history of the Pawnee community, displays artifacts from area ghost towns, shows pieces of Pawnee Tribe history, and showcases Dick Tracy memorabilia.<ref name= "Museum" />

Historic sites

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Template:Main Eight of 12 NRHP-listed sites in Pawnee County are located in Pawnee, including:

Notable people

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References

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Template:Pawnee County, Oklahoma

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