Editing Wetumka, Oklahoma (section)

==History==
The [[St. Louis, Oklahoma and Southern Railway]]{{efn|Later the [[St. Louis–San Francisco Railway]] (SLSF or the Frisco)}} built a line from [[Sapulpa, Oklahoma]] through Wetumka to the Red River in 1900-1901. Wetumka prospered as a major shipping point for cotton, corn, pecans, and livestock produced by farmers in the surrounding area. An election was held in 1908 to determine the permanent county seat, and Wetumka made it to a runoff election for that title, although [[Holdenville, Oklahoma|Holdenville]] prevailed.<ref name="EOHC-Holdenville">[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/H/HO011.html Wilson, Linda D. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Holdenville."] Retrieved October 20, 2013.</ref>  By 1909, the community had three banks, two cotton gins, three blacksmith shops, two liveries, and a tin shop. Early newspapers included the ''Wetumka News-Herald'', the ''Wetumka News'', the ''Wetumka Herald'', and the ''Wetumka Gazette''. A two-story building constructed in 1912 housed the city hall and the Masonic Lodge.<ref name="EOHC-Wetumka"/>

By 1918, four cotton gins, a mill and elevator, a wagonyard, an ice company, and a water and light company had joined the list of businesses open in Wetumka. The 1920 census reported that the population had jumped from 231 in 1910 to 1422 in 1920.<ref name="EOHC-Wetumka"/> Growth would continue through 1950. Since then a long-term decline has lasted through the 2010 census as agriculture has needed fewer workers.

The Wetumka oil field opened in 1919. A crowd of oil workers poured into town. The ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' estimates the number of temporary workers brought the total city population to about four thousand.<ref name="EOHC-Wetumka"/> However, the 1920 census does not support this number. There was sufficient activity to cause the railroad to build a large freight warehouse in April 1925. A three-story hotel opened in June of that year. With the booming economy, the city paved the streets and added three rooms to the school building.

Perhaps the most significant sign of growth was that the citizens petitioned Governor Jack C. Walton to designate Wetumka as a city of the "first class". Walton signed the proclamation on May 21, 1923, and the city held an election on June 26, 1925 for a mayor, a city marshal, and council members.<ref name="EOHC-Wetumka"/>

By 1930, oil and agriculture were the dominant employers in Wetumka's economy, with five cotton gins and twelve oil companies operating. The city had added nine churches, a park, a lake, and a junior college.  Railey Manufacturing Company provided employment to workers who crafted wood flooring and doors. Municipal plants provided water and electricity, Oklahoma Natural Gas supplied gas, and Southwestern State Telephone furnished phone service. But in the 1930s, cotton production began a major decline.

During World War II, the Army operated a prisoner-of-war camp for German prisoners. This closed in 1945 after the end of the war.  The city-owned Wetumka General Hospital opened in March 1960. In March 1973 a municipal complex opened to replace city hall, which had been destroyed by fire on November 13, 1971. By the 1970s all cotton gins were defunct.<ref name="EOHC-Wetumka"/>