Editing Barnsdall, Oklahoma (section)

==History==
[[File:Scene on Main Street in Bigheart, Oklahoma.jpg|thumb|left|Bigheart in 1910]]
The community was founded in 1905 and originally named '''Bigheart''', for the Osage Chief [[James Bigheart]]. It was initially a 160-acre site along the [[Midland Valley Railroad]] in March 1905. The railroad opened Bigheart Station in September 1905 and the Bigheart Post Office opened in January 1906.  The community was exempted from the [[Osage Nation#Osage Allotment Act|Osage allotment]], so lots could be sold to anyone. Lots were auctioned in May 1906. The first newspaper, the ''Bigheart Star'', first appeared in 1906.<ref name = "EOHC-Barnsdall">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=BA023 Jon D. May, "Barnsdall," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.] Accessed May 8, 2015.</ref>

Joshua Cosden built the Southwest Refining Company oil refinery in 1910. He sold it to Stone and Webster of Boston, Massachusetts in 1917. The Barnsdall Oil Company had discovered the nearby Bigheart (later Barnsdall) oilfield in 1916. The Barnsdall Oil Company, bought the refinery in 1921.  The community was renamed '''Barnsdall''' on January 1, 1922, in honor of Theodore N. Barnsdall.<ref name = "EOHC-Barnsdall" />

Barnsdall experienced a [[tornado]] in April 1911, a major fire in March 1913 and a flood in September 1915. Despite these calamities, the population increased from 307 in 1910 to 2,099 in 1920.<ref name = "EOHC-Barnsdall" /> That proved to be the high point of population in the community.

[[Henry Latham Doherty|Henry L. Doherty]] bought the holdings of Theodore N. Barnsdall, founder of Barnsdall Oil Company, in 1912.<ref name="Doherty">[http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=DO006 Weaver, Bobby D. "Doherty, Henry Latham (1870 - 1939)." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.] Accessed December 1, 2016</ref>  Barnsdall Refining Company renamed itself Bareco Oil Company in 1940. It ceased refining oil in 1946 and began producing [[microcrystalline wax]]es that year. [[Baker Hughes#Petrolite (1997)|Petrolite Corporation]] (later part of [[Baker Hughes]]) bought Bareco and continued to operate the plant.<ref name = "EOHC-Barnsdall"/> The business was sold to SK Capital in September 2020 and renamed NuCera Solutions;<ref>{{cite web|url= https://chasecorp.com/nucerasolutions/sk-capital-closes-acquisition-of-specialty-polymers-business-from-baker-hughes-rebranding-the-business-nucera-solutions-announces-leadership-team |title= SK Capital Closes Acquisition of Specialty Polymers Business from Baker Hughes, Rebranding the Business NuCera Solutions; Announces Leadership Team |publisher=NuCera Solutions, September 30, 2020|accessdate=July 31, 2024}}</ref> and, NuCera was sold in September 2022 to Chase Corporation.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://chasecorp.com/nucerasolutions/chase-corporation-announces-closing-of-acquisition-of-nucera-solutions |title= Chase Corporation Announces Closing of Acquisition of NuCera Solutions|publisher=NuCera Solutions, September 6, 2022|accessdate=July 31, 2024}}</ref>  NuCera continued as operator until July 2024, when tornado damage lead to announcement of the plant's phased shutdown.<ref name=Shutdown/>

The [[Midland Valley Railroad]] trackage both north and south of Barnsdall has been abandoned, the southern portion in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=MI008 |title=Midland Valley Railroad|publisher=Augustus J. Veenendaal, Jr., Oklahoma Historical Society|accessdate=October 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.facebook.com/WatcoCompanies/photos/osage-railroad-1000-leads-a-south-kansas-oklahoma-railroad-train-in-the-moline-k/10155335611710518/  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/153854920517/10155335611710518 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=Osage Railroad 1000 leads a South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad train in the Moline, KS yard in July 1991|publisher=Watco, July 19, 2018 (accessed on Facebook)|accessdate=October 26, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>  At least some of the route south of Barnsdall has been converted into a [[rail trail]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7094529/osage-prairie-trail |title=Osage Prairie Trail|publisher=HikingProject|accessdate=October 27, 2021}}</ref>

===2024 tornadoes===
{{See also|Tornado outbreak and derecho of April 1–3, 2024|2024 Barnsdall–Bartlesville tornado}}
On the evening of April 1, 2024, an [[Enhanced Fujita scale|EF1]] tornado struck Barnsdall, damaging 35 homes, but no injuries were reported.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cleanup progresses in Barnsdall after April 1 tornado |url=https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/progress-made-from-cleanup-volunteer-help-in-barnsdall-after-april-1-tornado |website=[[KJRH-TV|KJRH]] 2 tv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240507045527/https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/progress-made-from-cleanup-volunteer-help-in-barnsdall-after-april-1-tornado |archive-date=May 7, 2024 |date=April 3, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On the evening of May 6, 2024, an EF4 tornado hit the city, the second tornado in the city within five weeks. Peak wind speeds were estimated at {{convert|180|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=LIVE BLOG: Tornado reported in Barnsdall |url=https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/live-blog-tornado-reported-in-barnsdall |website=2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa |access-date=7 May 2024 |language=en |date=7 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Media |first1=Griffin |title=Barnsdall Hit By Tornado; Houses Damaged With Trees, Power Lines Downed |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/6639a77e58729f087504d17f/barnsdall-hit-by-tornado-houses-damaged-with-trees-power-lines-downed |website=www.newson6.com |access-date=7 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Two fatalities occurred in Barnsdall as a result of the tornado, and several structures were completely destroyed. Barnsdall Nursing Home was among the structures that were damaged. Several buildings, including schools, were opened to those who had homes damaged or destroyed and needed shelter.<ref>[https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/live-blog-tornado-reported-in-barnsdall 1 killed by storms after apparent tornado hits Barnsdall; May 6, 2024; KJRH 2 TV.]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/interactive/2024/deadly-tornado-strikes-oklahoma/ In photos: The scene after a deadly tornado strikes Oklahoma; May 8, 2024; The Washington Post.]</ref> At least ten people reportedly suffered injuries due to the tornado.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.koco.com/article/barnsdall-bartlesville-tornado-oklahoma-ok-damage/60713699 | title=Deadly Barnsdall tornado gets preliminary EF4 rating, search continues for missing man: What we know | date=May 9, 2024 }}</ref> Significant damage was done to the NuCera refinery.<ref name=Shutdown/>