Editing Watonga, Oklahoma (section)

==Economy==
Since statehood, Watonga's economy has largely been based on agriculture. In the early days, local farmers primarily produced wheat.
The dairy industry grew in western Oklahoma and led to the opening of the Watonga Cheese Factory in 1941. It was one of the state's five active dairy product plants in 2004.<ref name="spicer">Spicer, Leon J. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=DA003 "Dairy Industry,"] ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2015.</ref> The plant subsequently closed in 2007.<ref name="bates">Bates, Richenda Davis. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=WA044 "Watonga Cheese Festival,"] ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2015.</ref>

[[Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores]] began with a single leased gas station in Watonga in the mid-1960s. Love's is now in 41 states, is approaching 500 travel centers, and employs 25,000 nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://oklahoman.com/article/5637190/capitalism-no-good-tell-that-to-pawhuska | title= Capitalism no good? Tell that to Pawhuska|publisher= The Oklahoman, July 28, 2019 |access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>

The city hosted the Diamondback Correctional Facility, owned by the [[Corrections Corporation of America]] from 1998,<ref name="EnidNews" /> and the prison grew to become the town's largest employer.<ref name="TulsaWorld">{{cite web|url= https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/private-prison-in-watonga-closes/article_08a9983f-33a3-5bf9-af97-2aa14cd9b046.html | title=Private prison in Watonga closes| publisher= John Estus, NewsOK.com (posted on Tulsa World website), May 28, 2010|access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref> But the prison, housing Arizona inmates, experienced a riot in May 2004. The contract to utilize the facility was not renewed, resulting in the prison closing in May 2010.<ref name="EnidNews">[http://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/after-losing-possible-federal-contract-watonga-hopes-to-find-a/article_f60219a2-0ecf-518e-ad48-e44bde66f0ff.html After losing possible federal contract, Watonga hopes to find a use for Diamondback Correctional Facility], [[Enid News and Eagle]], Cass Rains, June 14, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.</ref><ref name="TulsaWorld" /> This left 300 prison workers jobless or transferred elsewhere.<ref name="TulsaWorld" /> The prison was still vacant in March 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/oklahoma-watch-private-prison-company-seeks-to-buy-more-halfway/article_c22179d3-4a6c-51ed-8182-b979d85ee26e.html | title=Oklahoma Watch: Private prison company seeks to buy more halfway houses, shut down Tulsa facilities | publisher= Clifton Adcock, [[Oklahoma Watch]], Tulsa World, March 27, 2017|access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>

The town [[Walmart]] closed in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/update-wal-mart-plans-to-shutter-stores-six-in-oklahoma/article_de90e72a-4a9e-56df-850a-70648c4d14dd.html | title=Update: Wal-Mart plans to shutter 269 stores, six in Oklahoma|publisher=Anne D'Innocenzio, Associated Press (posted on Tulsa World website), January 15, 2016|access-date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>