Editing Stilwell, Oklahoma

{{short description|City in Oklahoma, US}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Stilwell, Cherokee Nation
| native_name        = {{native name|chr|ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ}}
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_blank_emblem = StilwellOKlogo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| nickname           = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Stilwell Oklahoma train depot.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Defunct train station in Stilwell
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map          = Adair County Oklahoma incorporated and unincorporated areas Stilwell highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location within [[Adair County, Oklahoma|Adair County]] and the state of [[Oklahoma]]

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Oklahoma]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Oklahoma|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Adair County, Oklahoma|Adair]]

<!-- Government -->| government_footnotes = 
| named_for          = [[Arthur Stilwell]] (Stilwell) / Strawberries (ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ)
| government_type    = Mayor and council
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Jean Ann Wright{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = 1897

<!-- Area -->| 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     = 8.95
| area_land_km2      = 8.89
| area_water_km2     = 0.06
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.46
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.43
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.02

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 3700
| population_density_km2 = 416.12
| population_density_sq_mi = 1077.77
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 1083
| coordinates        = {{coord|35|48|55|N|94|37|53|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 74960
| area_code          = [[area codes 539 and 918|539/918]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 40-70350<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        = 2411983<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2411983}}</ref>
| blank2_name        = [[Per capita income]]
| blank2_info        = $12,872 per year
| blank3_name        = Adult poverty rate
| blank3_info        = 37.2%
| blank4_name        = Child poverty rate
| blank4_info        = 49.0%
| website            = [http://www.cityofstilwell.com cityofstilwell.com]
| footnotes          = 
| official_name      = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}

'''Stilwell''' / '''ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ''' is a city located in the sovereign territory of the [[Cherokee Nation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-10 |title=Cherokee Nation |url=https://spthb.org/about-us/who-we-serve/cherokee-nation/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=SPTHB |language=en-US}}</ref> It is also the [[county seat]] of [[Adair County, Oklahoma|Adair County]], [[Oklahoma]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The population was 3,700 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], a decline of 6.7 percent from the 3,949 population recorded in [[2010 United States census|2010]].<ref name=":0" /> The Oklahoma governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as the "Strawberry Capital of the World” in 1949, but the role of strawberries in the local economy has diminished significantly since then.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Jarvis |first=Jencee |date=2022-05-26 |title=Small-town Strawberries |website=Oklahoma State University |url=https://news.okstate.edu/magazines/agriculture/cowboy-journal/articles/2022/small-town-strawberries.html |access-date=2024-06-15 |language=en}}</ref> Today, residents of Stilwell are among the poorest and most [[Poverty in the United States|impoverished]] in the United States.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":0" /> Stilwell also serves as a gateway to [[Lake Tenkiller]] and [[Adair State Park|Adair Park]], formerly called Adair State Park before it was [[defund]]ed.<ref name="EOHC-Stilwell">Barker, Betty Starr. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Stilwell."  Retrieved September 10, 2010.[http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/S/ST038.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501152706/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/S/ST038.html|date=2010-05-01}}.</ref>

==History==
Stilwell's history began in 1838 as an end point of the [[Trail of Tears]], with the [[ethnic cleansing]] and [[Forced displacements|forced displacement]] of thousands of Indigenous people to the Stilwell area. The trail was called ''nu na da ul tsun yi'' in [[Cherokee language]], or "the place where they cried". The U.S. federal government set up a “disbandment depot” outside what is present-day Stilwell in the early months of 1839 to distribute food and supplies to the newly arrived Indigenous people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Stilwell and the Trail of Tears|url=https://www.nps.gov/trte/learn/historyculture/upload/TRTE_StilwellOK_MrsWebbers_3panels.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> Those with resources quickly left to settle across the rest of [[Indian Territory]], but the sickest and poorest stayed in the Stilwell area, close to the safety of the depot.<ref>{{Cite web|last=World|first=Michael Overall Tulsa|title=Stilwell, Oklahoma, has lowest life expectancy in the United States|url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/stilwell-oklahoma-has-lowest-life-expectancy-in-the-united-states/article_c32cce0a-73cd-5506-a7c8-9d19843e818a.html|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Tulsa World|date=September 18, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

The U.S. government opened the Stilwell area to American settlers in 1893.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Oklahoma - Land Run, Tulsa Race Riot, and Dust Bowl {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Oklahoma-state/United-States-settlement-and-statehood |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Kansas City Southern Railway]] built a rail line through what is present-day Stilwell in 1896.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/kansas-city-southern-railway-6302/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas|language=en-US}}</ref> The municipality developed because of the rail line and it was incorporated as a town on January 2, 1897. The town was named after [[Arthur Stilwell]], founder of the Kansas City Southern Railway.<ref name="lutherhill">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Luther B.|url=https://archive.org/stream/ahistorystateok00hillgoog#page/n504/mode/2up|title=A History of the State of Oklahoma|publisher=The Lewis Publishing Company|year=1910|volume=I|page=470}}</ref><ref name="stilwellpedia">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/S/ST038.html|title=Stilwell|last=Barker|first=Betty Starr|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|publisher=[[Oklahoma Historical Society]]|access-date=June 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501152706/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/S/ST038.html|archive-date=May 1, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> By the turn of the twentieth century, white settlers outnumbered the [[Cherokee]] people.<ref name=":9" />

As early as 1901, Stilwell and [[Westville, Oklahoma|Westville]], in anticipation of Oklahoma statehood, vied for the role of county seat. When Adair County was formed in 1907, Westville was identified as the county seat, due partly to its location at the intersection of two major railroads: the Kansas City Southern Railway and the [[St. Louis–San Francisco Railway]].<ref name=lutherhill/> After three intensely contested elections, however, Oklahoma governor Charles Haskell proclaimed Stilwell as the county seat on May 6, 1910.<ref name="EOHC-Stilwell"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Oklahoma Almanac Online|url=http://www.odl.state.ok.us/almanac/2005/counties/adair.pdf|year=2005|publisher=Oklahoma Department of Libraries}}</ref>

In 1944, during [[World War II]], a [[prisoner of war]] (P.O.W.) [[Prisoner-of-war camp|camp]] was established {{convert|5|mi|km}} south of Stilwell. The camp housed 200 [[Axis powers|axis]] soldiers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=POW Camps of Oklahoma |url=http://genealogytrails.com/oka/powcamps.html |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=genealogytrails.com}}</ref>

Stilwell was served by Kansas City Southern's [[Southern Belle (KCS train)|''Southern Belle'']] passenger rail line until November 2, 1969. The rail line connected Stilwell with daily trains to [[New Orleans]] and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], with stops in [[Northwest Arkansas]], [[Joplin, Missouri|Joplin]], [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]] and many other cities in-between. A second passenger line, ''The Flying Crow'', also stopped in the town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Flying Crow {{!}} University of Missouri-St. Louis Digital Library |url=https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/umsl/islandora/object/umsl:333331#page/1/mode/1up |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=dl.mospace.umsystem.edu}}</ref> The town's train station fell into disrepair due to vandalism and was closed on February 22, 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/index/9970|title=Stilwell train depot remains Adair County fixture|website=Cherokee Phoenix|date=January 19, 2016 |access-date=2020-01-19}}</ref> The station building itself was restored in 2004 though passenger rail service was not.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/1901261/tracks-to-a-new-era-stilwell-revives-old-train-station-br-restored-depot-to-be-dedicated-friday|title=Tracks to a new era: Stilwell revives old train station|website=Cherokee Phoenix|date=5 May 2004|access-date=2020-01-19}}</ref>

During the [[Great Depression]], [[Strawberry|strawberries]] emerged a major crop and cornerstone of the local economy. In 1948, a [[strawberry festival]] was organized, and in 1949, the state governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as "Strawberry Capital of the World." Stilwell's strawberry festival became an annual event. Over time, the strawberry industry weakened, cultivated acreage decreased and the role of strawberries in the local economy dissipated.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Stilwell {{!}} The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=ST038|access-date=2021-02-04|website=www.okhistory.org}}</ref> Despite this, Stilwell still holds a strawberry festival annually and the town's 2015 festival had approximately 30,000 people in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/9/350/files/2018/06/OK2015-Report-Economic_Contribution_of_the_Stilwell_Strawberry_Festival_to_Adair_County%E2%80%99s_Economy-26vajqt.pdf|title=Economic Contribution of the Stilwell Strawberry Festival to Adair County's Economy}}</ref> Stilwell's 2022 strawberry festival featured the largest parade in its 75-year history with over 100 [[Float (parade)|floats]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=David |title=Thousands Gather For 75th Annual Stilwell Strawberry Festival, Parade |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/62806c1962e4dc0724de1087/thousands-gather-for-75th-annual-stilwell-strawberry-festival-parade |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=www.newson6.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Tornado im Bereich Hennessey und Stillwater, Oklahoma, 19. Mai 2010 VII.jpg|thumb|Tornados are common around Stilwell during [[Tornado climatology|tornado season]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=US Department of Commerce|first=NOAA|title=Adair County, OK Tornadoes (1875-Present)|url=https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-county-ok-adair|access-date=2021-01-19|website=www.weather.gov|language=EN-US}}</ref>]]
Stilwell is {{convert|8|mi|km}} west of the [[Arkansas]] state line and {{convert|23|mi|km}} east of [[Tahlequah, Oklahoma]]. Stilwell is at the intersection of [[U.S. Route 59 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 59]] and [[Oklahoma State Highway 51|State Highway 51]]. Sallisaw and Little Lee creeks are nearby.<ref name="adairpedia">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Whitaker |first=Rachel |url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/A/AD003.html |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society |title=Adair County |access-date=2010-06-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728123920/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/A/AD003.html |archive-date=2010-07-28}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|3.2|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|3.2|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}} (0.63%) is water.

[[Earthquake]]s are often felt in Stilwell due to oil and gas production activities in central Oklahoma.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oklahoma has had a surge of earthquakes since 2009. Are they due to fracking?|url=https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/oklahoma-has-had-a-surge-earthquakes-2009-are-they-due-fracking?qt-news_science_products=4#qt-news_science_products|access-date=2021-02-05|website=www.usgs.gov|language=en}}</ref>

According to Jennifer Patterson, [[Oklahoma State University–Stillwater|Oklahoma State University]] Adair County Extension Director, Stilwell is good for growing strawberries because of its rocky, acidic soil and good drainage. Below the ground in Stilwell lays chert rock, which breaks down into the soil and purportedly gives strawberries a unique taste.<ref name=":7" />

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1900= 779
|1910= 1039
|1920= 1155
|1930= 1366
|1940= 1717
|1950= 1813
|1960= 1916
|1970= 2134
|1980= 2369
|1990= 2663
|2000= 3276
|2010= 3949
|2020= 3700
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 3,700 people residing in the city. The population of Stilwell is declining.<ref name=":6" /> The ethnic makeup of the Stilwell is 48.41% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Indigenous]], 41.88% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.49% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.21% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.45% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.53% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] residents representing any race are 6.99% of the population.

There were 1,269 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no partner present, and 36.2% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males. The population density was {{convert|1,033.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,434 housing units at an average density of {{convert|452.5|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}.

==Economy==
Stilwell's economy is characterized by high rates of poverty, low incomes and a low standard of living.<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|last=MICHAEL OVERALL World Staff|title=Rural poverty: 'A way of life' for numerous Oklahomans|url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/rural-poverty-a-way-of-life-for-numerous-oklahomans/article_0418af35-3ba4-5410-b867-d7cfa635e19b.html|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Tulsa World|date=August 8, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Residents of Stilwell are among the poorest and most [[Poverty in the United States|impoverished]] in the United States.<ref name=":8">{{Citation|title=Oklahoma's Poorest County|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY6p0yJT8IA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/OY6p0yJT8IA| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-03-16}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

The [[per capita income]] for Stilwell is $12,872 per year, and [[median household income]] is $31,637 per year, as of 2017.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|publisher=United States Census Bureau|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|access-date=2020-01-22|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> As of 2017, 37.2% of adults and 49.0% of children in Stilwell are living below the poverty line. Poverty in the town is increasing<ref name=":0" /> and 50.4% of residents do not have an internet subscription.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Adair County, Oklahoma|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/adaircountyoklahoma/INT100219#INT100219|access-date=2021-02-01|website=www.census.gov|language=en}}</ref>

Agriculture has been the mainstay of the local economy for a century. Strawberry farming was particularly successful during the [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]]. At its peak, the town had about 2,000 acres of farmland devoted to strawberries. Over time, the role of strawberries diminished significantly and only seven strawberry farms remained as of 2022.<ref name=":5" /> Ranching became important around 1960 and the town's local industries were largely an outgrowth of agriculture. Employers included [[Tyson Foods]], the Stilwell Canning Company and its successor, Mrs. Smith's Bakery/Stilwell Foods, [[Cherokee Nation]] Industries, and Facet Industries.<ref name="EOHC-Stilwell" /> As of 2022, the [[Minimum wage in the United States|minimum wage]] in Stilwell is $7.25 per hour. For full-time students, tipped employees, farm workers, seasonal workers and people with disabilities, the minimum wage is $2.13 per hour.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oklahoma Department of Labor - Wage and Hour|url=https://www.ok.gov/odol/Employment_Issues/Wage_and_Hour/index.html|access-date=2020-01-19|website=www.ok.gov}}</ref>

==Health==
Scientists have suggested Stilwell's environment may be contaminated with unsafe levels of [[Mercury (element)|mercury]], and as of 2021, studies are ongoing.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Sather|first1=Mark E.|last2=Mukerjee|first2=Shaibal|last3=Smith|first3=Luther|last4=Mathew|first4=Johnson|last5=Jackson|first5=Clarence|last6=Callison|first6=Ryan|last7=Scrapper|first7=Larry|last8=Hathcoat|first8=April|last9=Adam|first9=Jacque|last10=Keese|first10=Danielle|last11=Ketcher|first11=Philip|date=2013-04-01|title=Gaseous oxidized mercury dry deposition measurements in the Four Corners area and Eastern Oklahoma, U.S.A.|journal=Atmospheric Pollution Research|volume=4|issue=2|pages=168–180|doi=10.5094/APR.2013.017|issn=1309-1042|doi-access=free|bibcode=2013AtmPR...4..168S }}</ref> Rainfall samples collected over a 13-year span at an air quality station near Stilwell found abnormally high levels of mercury. The study found an annual average mercury concentration of nearly 11&nbsp;ng/L, about one and a half times higher than the national average.<ref name=":3" /> The [[Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality]] warned residents against eating certain fish from Stilwell's city lake in 2019, furthering suspicion that the town's aquifer could be contaminated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=dsmoot@muskogeephoenix.com|first=D. E. Smoot|title=Fish consumption advisory at Stilwell Lake furthers suspicions|url=https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/fish-consumption-advisory-at-stilwell-lake-furthers-suspicions/article_61e54830-8fc2-5717-b7c4-5eee85f776ed.html|access-date=2021-01-21|website=Muskogee Phoenix|date=October 15, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Stilwell was labelled "the early death capital of the world" after a detailed report by the [[National Center for Health Statistics]] surfaced in 2018 indicating the life expectancy of the town's residents was just 56.3 years. The agency stated the report was their "most detailed local health data ever released"<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=|title=The Strawberry Capital of the World is the early death capital of the world|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/09/14/wrong-neighborhood-can-take-plus-years-off-your-life-average/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> and the life expectancy of Stilwell residents was lower than that in every jurisdiction in [[North America]], [[Europe]] or [[Asia]], with a similar life-expectancy to the poorest regions of [[sub-Saharan Africa]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=World|first=Michael Overall Tulsa|title=Stilwell, Oklahoma, has lowest life expectancy in the United States|url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/stilwell-oklahoma-has-lowest-life-expectancy-in-the-united-states/article_c32cce0a-73cd-5506-a7c8-9d19843e818a.html|access-date=2021-01-21|website=Tulsa World|date=September 18, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Cherokee Nation]] disputed the report initially before further studies were done, stating the data "has to be flawed.”<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|last=Maureen Wurtz, KTUL|date=2020-02-24|title=CDC data was "flawed" when it listed Stilwell as the town with the lowest life expectancy|url=https://ktul.com/news/local/cdc-data-was-flawed-when-it-listed-stilwell-as-the-town-with-the-lowest-life-expectancy|access-date=2021-01-21|website=KTUL}}</ref> In February 2020, the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] stated they would soon release their own report increasing the town's life expectancy figure to 74 years.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Overall|first1=Michael|title=Oklahoma town doesn't have the nation's lowest life expectancy after all|url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/oklahoma-town-doesn-t-have-the-nation-s-lowest-life/article_8a7ff136-f834-557a-8ce6-df1511b16183.html|access-date=25 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wurtz|first1=Maureen|title=CDC data was "flawed" when it listed Stilwell as the town with the lowest life expectancy|url=https://ktul.com/news/local/cdc-data-was-flawed-when-it-listed-stilwell-as-the-town-with-the-lowest-life-expectancy|access-date=25 February 2020}}</ref> The CDC stated that the National Center for Health Statistics report was "flawed" because 90 deceased individuals with P.O. box addresses in Stilwell that lived outside city limits were included in the report, producing inaccurate data. Despite the correction, Stilwell's Roberts Reed Culver Funeral Home reports half of all funerals performed in 2018 were for people in their 50's and 60's.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wurtz|first=Maureen|date=2019-02-04|title=Living to 56: A look at life in Stilwell, Oklahoma|url=https://ktul.com/news/investigations/living-to-56-a-look-at-life-in-stilwell-oklahoma|access-date=2021-01-19|website=KTUL}}</ref>

16% of adults in Stilwell have [[diabetes]], 27% [[Smoking|smoke]], and 42% are [[Obesity|obese]], according to the [[Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences]].<ref name="omaha.com">{{Cite web|title=Stilwell, Oklahoma, tops troubling list: shortest life spans in nation|url=https://omaha.com/eedition/sunrise/articles/stilwell-oklahoma-tops-troubling-list-shortest-life-spans-in-nation/article_a0d22202-d90b-52c1-b3f1-d72ea1258683.html|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Omaha.com|language=en}}</ref> Health services include the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller Health Clinic, the Stilwell Memorial Hospital, the Oklahoma Department of Public Health, and the Stilwell Nursing Home.<ref name="EOHC-Stilwell" /> According to the [[United States Census Bureau|Census Bureau]], 28.5% of all residents, and 60% of those in Stilwell who are unemployed do not have [[Health insurance in the United States|health insurance]].<ref name=":0" />

Stilwell city council passed a [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|mask mandate]] in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Oklahoma|COVID-19 pandemic]] on July 8, 2020, taking advice from a local infectious disease specialist.<ref name="editor@stilwelldemocrat.com">{{Cite web|last=Fite|first=Renee|title=Stilwell mask mandate generates controversy|url=https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/news/stilwell-mask-mandate-generates-controversy/article_cc4b8f39-6d44-54ae-9966-ce6a01516099.html|access-date=2021-02-14|website=Tahlequah Daily Press|date=July 8, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Just 10 days later, city council struck down the mandate advising face masks would no longer required after receiving "extremely hostile" responses and threats against officials.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Oklahoma|first=Renee Fite {{!}} CNHI|title=Stilwell City Council strikes down mask mandate|url=https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/news/stilwell-city-council-strikes-down-mask-mandate/article_b232053a-c854-11ea-ae90-d7c04004529b.html|access-date=2021-02-14|website=Tahlequah Daily Press|date=July 18, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="editor@stilwelldemocrat.com"/>

==Education==
{{Clear|left}}
Stilwell Public Schools provides education for children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. There is one elementary school, one middle school and one high school. Technical and vocational studies beyond high school level are offered by the [[Indian Capital Technology Center]] campus in Stilwell.<ref name="EOHC-Stilwell"/>

Stilwell was briefly served by the Flaming Rainbow University, a private, baccalaureate university between 1971 - 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uwwhistory.org/uww-programs/uwwflaming-rainbow|title=UWW Flaming Rainbow {{!}} University Without Walls Research Collaborative|date=11 January 2014|access-date=2020-01-19}}</ref> Despite being dubbed a "non-traditional university", it obtained accreditation from the [[Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education]] in 1974 and was accredited by the [[North Central Association of Colleges and Schools]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/2139449/school-fights-tradition-seeks-own-credibility/|title=School Fights Tradition, Seeks Own Credibility|date=1986-03-02|website=Oklahoman.com|access-date=2020-01-19}}</ref> According to its founder, David Hilligoss, the school was created to ''"Provide an education to'' ''Isolated Indians and rural whites in this beautifully treed and poverty stricken section of the state"''. The Flaming Rainbow University was named in honor of a [[Sioux]] medicine man's vision, which featured a rainbow symbolizing knowledge and its power.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/indian-college-might-lose-federal-funds/article_ba3edbe1-db8d-5355-9bf7-b103f42b9934.html|title=Indian College Might Lose Federal Funds|last=Fink|first=Jerry|website=Tulsa World|date=May 12, 1989 |access-date=2020-01-19}}</ref> The university lost all accreditation in 1989 and closed.

==Government==
Stilwell has a mayor-council form of government, with five members on the city council. City departments reporting to the mayor include the police department, volunteer fire department, sewer and garbage service, natural gas and electric service. As of 2021, the mayor of Stilwell is Jean Ann Wright. She was elected in 2019 and is the first Indigenous woman to hold the office.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Election 2019 {{!}} Stilwell, OK|url=https://www.cityofstilwell.com/201/Election-2019|access-date=2021-02-01|website=www.cityofstilwell.com}}</ref>

The town has voted staunchly [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] for over 45 years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adair County, Oklahoma|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Adair_County,_Oklahoma|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}</ref> 77.5% of voters in Stilwell voted for [[Donald Trump]] in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 U.S. presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=OK Election Results|url=https://results.okelections.us/OKER/?elecDate=20201103|access-date=2021-02-01|website=results.okelections.us}}</ref>

After being de-funded and closed by the Oklahoma state government, Adair Park in Stilwell has since been acquired by the county government.<ref>[http://www.newson6.com/story/15259499/all-7-oklahoma-state-parks-slated-for-closure-remain-open "All Seven Oklahoma State Parks Slated For Closure To Remain Open."] News on 6. August 12, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2013.</ref> The municipal government bans the sale of [[Alcoholic drink|alcohol]] on Sundays, in addition to 7 holidays per year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=STILWELL TOWN ORDINANCE 388-A|url=https://www.cityofstilwell.com/DocumentCenter/View/750/388-A-Selling-of-Alcoholic-Beverages?bidId=}}</ref>

==Crime==
Stilwell has one of the highest crime rates in America, compared to communities of all sizes. The crime rate in Stilwell is 122% higher than the national average, and 71% higher than the state average.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Stilwell, OK Crime Rates & Crime Map|url=https://www.areavibes.com/stilwell-ok/crime/|access-date=2020-01-21|website=[[AreaVibes]]}}</ref> Violent crime has increased every year since 2009<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ok/stilwell/crime|title=Crime in Stilwell, Oklahoma|website=www.city-data.com|access-date=2020-01-21}}</ref> and Stilwell has an [[List of countries by incarceration rate|incarceration rate]] higher than what's found in every other country in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Wagner |first1=Peter |last2=Sawyer |first2=Wendy |title=States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2018|url=https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2018.html |date=June 2018 |access-date=2024-06-15|website=Prison Policy Initiative |language=en}}</ref> The murder rate in Stilwell is 10 per 100,000 people, double the national average.<ref name="omaha.com"/> In response to the town's high crime rate, Stilwell has a year-round [[curfew]] in place that prohibits people under the age of 18 from being in public past midnight.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AN ORDINANCE SETTING CURFEW WITHIN THE TOWN OF STILWELL|url=https://ok-stilwell.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/577/237-Curfew-Minors}}</ref>

Three bombs were detonated in Stilwell on January 23, 2012. The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI), [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] (ATF), [[Oklahoma Highway Patrol]], Adair County Sheriffs, and Stilwell city police investigated the explosions. The investigation concluded the explosions were intentional and were caused by pipe bombs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=David |title=FBI: Explosions At Stilwell Business Early Monday Were Intentional |url=https://www.newson6.com/story/5e3651d22f69d76f62068a52/fbi:-explosions-at-stilwell-business-early-monday-were-intentional |access-date=2022-10-06 |website=www.newson6.com |language=en}}</ref>

Approximately {{convert|12|mi|km}} southeast of Stilwell is [[Elohim City, Oklahoma|Elohim City]], an armed, evangelical, [[White supremacy|white supremacist]] compound with alleged ties to the [[Oklahoma City bombing|Oklahoma City Bombing]]. The enclave has ties to myriad criminal, terror and racist organizations, including the [[The Order (white supremacist group)|Aryan Resistance Movement]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=1997-02-23|title=Elohim City on Extremists' Underground Railroad|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-02-23-mn-31595-story.html|access-date=2021-03-21|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2005-07-10|title=Elohim City questions resurrected by Nichols|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/1548200/elohim-city-questions-resurrected-by-nichols/|access-date=2021-03-21|website=Oklahoman.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=ADL Combating Hate: Elohim City|url=https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/combating-hate/Elohim-City.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> An [[Associated Press]] investigation from 2003 concluded that white supremacists from Elohim City played a “major role” in the bombing of the [[Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building]] that killed 168 people.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Where there more OKC conspirators?: The Elohim City Mystery|url=http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mcveigh/moreconspirators.html|access-date=2021-01-19|website=law2.umkc.edu}}</ref> The [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] calls the compound “the meeting ground for America’s most sinister extremists”.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Who's Afraid of Elohim City? {{!}} This Land Press - Made by You and Me|url=https://thislandpress.com/2012/04/15/whos-afraid-of-elohim-city/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=thislandpress.com}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===

====Airports====
Painting Planes Airport is the primary [[general aviation]] airport for Stilwell. It has a single {{convert|1,084|ft|m|adj=on}} runway and is located {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} southwest of the town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AirNav: 1PP - Painting Planes Airport |url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/1PP |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=www.airnav.com}}</ref> The airport is in poor condition and lacks basic facilities such as a [[Windsock|wind cone]]. The runway's numbers and markings are faded and its surface is in disrepair with many cracks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1PP - Painting Planes Airport {{!}} SkyVector |url=https://skyvector.com/airport/1PP/Painting-Planes-Airport |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=skyvector.com}}</ref> The closest [[Commercial service airport|commercial service]] airport is [[Northwest Arkansas National Airport]] (often referred to by its [[IATA airport code]], XNA) and is located {{convert|51|mi|km}} northwest of Stilwell, out of state.

====Highways ====
Stilwell sits at the confluence of two highways, [[U.S. Route 59 in Oklahoma|U.S. Highway 59]] and [[Oklahoma State Highway 51]].

====Pedestrian and cycling====
There are minimal pedestrian facilities in Stilwell. Almost all city streets do not have sidewalks, aside from a few of the oldest streets in the downtown area. Many of these sidewalks are in disrepair. There are no paved pathways outside parks and there is no [[cycling infrastructure]] in the town. Almost all errands require an [[automobile]], according to [[Walk Score]], an online, independently calculated walkability index that, based on a number of metrics, provides a score on how walkable an area is.

====Public transportation====
There is a limited on-demand transit service in the town, privately operated by the [[KI BOIS Area Transit System]]. Though the service is open to the public, it is not widely used and its primary purpose is to provide low-cost rides to disadvantaged, elderly and impoverished Stilwell residents.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KI BOIS About Us |url=https://www.kibois.org/home_aboutus.html |access-date=2021-01-19 |website=www.kibois.org}}</ref> There are no fixed bus routes, intercity buses or passenger rail services in Stilwell.

====Railways====
Stilwell is situated on the [[Kansas City Southern Railway|Kansas City Southern]] (KCS) main line, it runs north and south through the east end of the town.

==NRHP Sites==
{{Main|National Register of Historic Places listings in Adair County, Oklahoma}}
Sites in Stilwell listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] include:
{{colbegin}}
* The [[Adair County Courthouse (Oklahoma)|Adair County Courthouse]], on Division Street
* [[Golda's Mill]]; the ruins are 12 miles northwest 
* The KCS Railway Depot, off [[US Route 59]]
{{colend}}

==Notable people==
* [[Sam Claphan]], Cherokee, former football player for the Oklahoma Sooners and San Diego Chargers of the NFL.
* [[Frankie Hargis]] (1965–2021), Cherokee Nation Registrar (2018–2021), Tribal Councilor (2011–2018)
* [[Wanda Hatfield]], Cherokee Nation tribal councilor (2015–2019)
* [[Wilma Mankiller]], the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
* [[Samuel Houston Mayes|Samuel Mayes]], principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), serving from 1895 to 1899.
* [[Markwayne Mullin]], Republican [[United States Senate|U.S. senator]] and multimillionaire.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Many Oklahoma Congressional candidates worth millions, financial disclosures show|url=https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/many-oklahoma-congressional-candidates-worth-millions-financial-disclosures-show/|access-date=2021-03-29|website=The Frontier|language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cookson Hills]]
* [[Strawberry Festival]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.cityofstilwell.com }}

{{Adair County, Oklahoma}}
{{Oklahoma county seats}}
{{NRHP in Adair County}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Adair County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Cities in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:County seats in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Cherokee towns in Oklahoma]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1897]]
[[Category:Stilwell, Oklahoma]]