Editing Bethany, Oklahoma

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Bethany, Oklahoma
| settlement_type                 = [[City]]
| motto                           =
| nickname                        = 
| image_caption                   = Downtown Bethany 2007
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
| image_map                       = Oklahoma County Oklahoma Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bethany highlighted.svg
| map_caption                     = Location in [[Oklahoma County, Oklahoma|Oklahoma County]] and the state of [[Oklahoma]].
| pushpin_map                     = USA
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in the United States
| coordinates                     = {{coord|35|30|17|N|97|38|20|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Oklahoma]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Oklahoma County, Oklahoma|Oklahoma]]
| established_title               = 
| established_date                = 
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = council-manager
| leader_title                    = 
| leader_name                     = 
| leader_title1                   = 
| leader_name1                    = 
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_km2                  = 13.54
| area_total_sq_mi                = 5.23
| area_land_km2                   = 13.54
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 5.23
| area_water_km2                  = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.00
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft                    = 1309
| population_total                = 20831
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_density_km2          = 1538.38
| population_density_sq_mi        = 3984.51
| population_est                  = 
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = 
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 73008
| area_code                       = [[Area code 405|405]]
| website                         = [http://cityofbethany.org/ City of Bethany]
| timezone                        = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -6
| timezone_DST                    = CDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -5
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 40-05700<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2409839<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409839}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Downtown Bethany - December 17, 2017.jpg|thumb|Photo taken during the Annual Tree Lighting Festival on December 17, 2017.]]

'''Bethany''' is a city in [[Oklahoma County, Oklahoma|Oklahoma County]], [[Oklahoma]], United States, and a part of the [[Oklahoma City metropolitan area]]. Bethany has a population of 20,831 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], a 9.3% increase from 2010. The community was founded in 1909 by followers of the [[Church of the Nazarene]] from Oklahoma City.

==History==
Bethany was founded July 28, 1909 as a community where members of the [[Church of the Nazarene]], an [[evangelical]] Christian movement that developed from [[Holiness church]]es, could practice their religious beliefs without interference by non-members. The town was named after the biblical place of [[Bethany]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kwtv.com/news/strange/bethany.htm |title=Oklahoma's Strangely Named Towns |publisher=KWTV |access-date=November 14, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010822212556/http://www.kwtv.com/news/strange/bethany.htm |archive-date=August 22, 2001 }}</ref> The community quickly founded Oklahoma Holiness College (now known as [[Southern Nazarene University]], SNU). Two other institutions were soon established, the Oklahoma Orphanage (now the Children's Center, a medical facility) operated by Mattie Mallory, and the Nazarene Rescue Home for unwed mothers.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany">Fugate, Tally D. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=BE026 "Bethany,"] ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society. Accessed February 22, 2016.</ref>

Bethany incorporated on August 8, 1910 as a rural town; its economy depended on the surrounding farmlands. It gained a post office on March 11, 1913. With a relatively large population of conservative Nazarenes, the town council soon enacted strict [[blue laws]] that banned alcohol, tobacco, gambling, dancing, movies, swearing, and working on Sundays. After Bethany reorganized as a first class city in 1931, it relaxed these laws to some extent.

An F4 tornado struck Bethany on November 19, 1930, killing 23 people and destroying 652 buildings.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/> It is one of three documented violent November tornadoes in Oklahoma since 1900.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Ten Deadliest Oklahoma Tornadoes (1882-Present)|url=http://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-ok-deadliest|publisher=National Weather Service Norman, Oklahoma|access-date=February 17, 2017}}</ref> Recovery from the storm was slow until the outbreak of World War II. Defense industries rapidly developed in the area, and the city added population as bedroom community, or suburb for workers commuting to Oklahoma City.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/>

==Geography==
The city is in the central part of Oklahoma County, approximately {{convert|10|miles|km}} west of downtown [[Oklahoma City]], and is bounded by [[Warr Acres, Oklahoma|Warr Acres]] on the east and by [[Lake Overholser]] and Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge<ref name="SWR1">{{Cite web|title=Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge {{!}} City of OKC|url=https://www.okc.gov/departments/parks-recreation/parks-trails/ward-1-parks/stinchcomb-wildlife-refuge|access-date=2021-08-05|website=www.okc.gov}}</ref> on the west.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|5.2|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 485
|1930= 2032
|1940= 2590
|1950= 5705
|1960= 12342
|1970= 22694
|1980= 22038
|1990= 20075
|2000= 20307
|2010= 19051
|2020= 20831
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR2" /><ref name="Census1960">{{cite web|title=Number of Inhabitants: Oklahoma|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/37749197v1p38ch2.pdf|work=18th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2013 }}{{dead link|date=November 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="Census1990">{{cite web|title=Oklahoma: Population and Housing Unit Counts|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-38.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="2013 Pop Estimate">{{cite web|title=Population Estimates|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=August 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522161634/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|archive-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

According to the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the racial composition of Bethany was as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino By Race |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Race%20and%20Ethnicity&g=1600000US4005700 |website=data.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 3, 2022 |date=June 3, 2022}}</ref>
* [[White American|White or European American]]: 56.0%
* [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]: 23.8%
* [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]: 8.2%
* [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Asian]]: 1.3%
* [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]: 2.6%
* [[Pacific Islands American|Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander]]: 0.01%
* Other race: 0.01%
* [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] (non-Hispanic): 7.6%

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 20,307 people, 8,161 households, and 5,280 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|3,896.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 8,874 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,702.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 85.79% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 4.36% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.87% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.38% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.05% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.18% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.36% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.80% of the population.

There were 8,161 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,073, and the median income for a family was $43,905. Males had a median income of $30,180 versus $24,747 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $17,793. About 6.9% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
The largest employers in the area include: Southern Nazarene University, Southwestern Christian University, The Children's Center, Bethany and Putnam City Public Schools, City of Bethany, and Gilbert Medical Clinic. Bethany became the headquarters for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1975. It is also the headquarters for the [[Pinto Horse Association of America]].<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/>

==Government==
===City===
The city operates using a [[council-manager government]] system. The city council comprises two members elected from each of the four wards. The city manager, city attorney, and municipal judge are appointed by the council. The mayor is elected [[At-large|at large]].<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/> The current mayor is Nikki Lloyd.

===State===
Most of Bethany is represented in the [[Oklahoma Senate]] by Julia Kirt, with some areas falling into the districts of Carrie Hicks and [[Greg Treat]]. It is represented in the [[Oklahoma House of Representatives]] by Tammy West and Marilyn Stark.

==Education==
===Public schools===
Both [[Bethany Public Schools|Bethany School District]] and the [[Putnam City School District]] provide educational needs to citizens within its district borders; the former includes central Bethany while the latter includes the majority of Bethany.<ref name=OKCountyCensusSDmap2020>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st40_ok/schooldistrict_maps/c40109_oklahoma/DC20SD_C40109.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Oklahoma County, OK|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-01-28}}</ref>

The chief educational providers for elementary-aged students include the Southern Nazarene University School for Children on the campus of Calvary Church of the Nazarene, about 1 mile south of Southern Nazarene University, as well as Bethany Earl Harris Elementary. Primary school goes from pre-K - 5th grade. Bethany Middle School and Western Oaks Junior High School respond to those in 6th - 8th grade. Bethany High School, home of the Bronchos, covers grades 9th - 12th. Putnam City schools located within Bethany include: Apollo Elementary, Lake Park Elementary, Overholser Elementary, Western Oaks Elementary, and Western Oaks Middle School.

Much of the Putnam City areas are zoned to [[Putnam City West High School]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3647/PCS/2929836/High_School.png|title=Putnam City West High School Boundaries|publisher=[[Putnam City Public Schools]]|access-date=2024-01-28}} - [https://www.putnamcityschools.org/documents/about-pc/district-boundary-maps/putnam-city-west-boundaries/435059 Linked from here], compare to Warr Acres boundaries.</ref>

The superintendent for Bethany Public Schools is Dr. Reuben Bellows.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bethanyschools.com/. |title=Bethany Public Schools |publisher=Bethany Public Schools |access-date=March 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408194444/http://bethanyschools.com/ |archive-date=April 8, 2012 }}</ref>
The website for Bethany Public Schools is http://bethanyschools.com/.

The superintendent for Putnam City Schools is Dr. Fred Rhodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.putnamcityschools.org/.|title=Meet Our Superintendent|publisher=Putnam City Schools|access-date=January 12, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111225400/https://www.putnamcityschools.org/|archive-date=January 11, 2016}}</ref>
The website for Putnam City Schools is http://putnamcityschools.org/.

===Higher education===
Bethany is home to two universities: [[Southern Nazarene University]] (SNU) and [[Southwestern Christian University]] (SWCU).

SNU offers adult degree completion and many masters programs including an MBA with evening classes. [[Southwestern Christian University]] is a Holiness–Pentecostal university specializing in Bible and Christian ministries and offers adult degree completion and master programs.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany" />

===Public libraries===
[[Metropolitan Library System (Oklahoma)|Metropolitan Library System]] operates the Bethany Library, which has {{convert|23000|sqft|sqm}} of space. It began operations on January 31, 1965 in a different facility. The current facility opened on November 16, 2019, built from a bond approved on April 5, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metrolibrary.org/locations/bethany|title=Bethany Library|publisher=[[Metropolitan Library System (Oklahoma)|Metropolitan Library System]]|access-date=2024-01-28}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[Wiley Post Airport]] handles business and commercial aircraft. It also has an industrial park that contains about fifty aviation-related businesses, including Rockwell International (an aircraft manufacturer), Million Air, Servicenter Incorporated, and the Federal Aviation Administration Systems Management Office.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/>

The main vehicular route in and out of Bethany is the 39th Street Expressway (part of [[U.S. Route 66|Historic Route 66]]), which runs through downtown Bethany.<ref name="EOHC-Bethany"/>

==Attractions==
The Bethany parks and recreation system includes many small neighborhood parks, and four large parks, [[Eldon Lyon Park]], [[McFarland Park Stadium|McFarland Park]], Ripper Park, and Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge. Eldon Lyon Park is the venue for the annual [[Fourth of July]] festival, which is an all-day event with fireworks, a carnival, and a parade that starts on main street. Downtown festivals include Bethany66, the Annual Tree Lighting, Cinco de Mayo and is home to many special one-time musical events hosted by main street businesses.

==Notable people==
*[[Chris Chamberlain]] (b. 1985), Professional Football Player (NFL) was born in Bethany.
*[[Shannon Lucid]] (b. 1943), American biochemist and astronaut, raised in Bethany and graduated from Bethany High School.
*[[Allie Reynolds]] (1917–1994), American professional baseball pitcher was born in Bethany.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category|Bethany, Oklahoma}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cityofbethany.org/ City of Bethany Official Website]
{{Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area}}
{{Oklahoma County, Oklahoma}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Oklahoma City metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1909]]
[[Category:1909 establishments in Oklahoma]]