Winchester, Oklahoma

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Winchester is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 546 at the 2020 census, an increase of 5.8% from the figure of 516 recorded in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is a recently built residential community, having incorporated February 18, 1974.<ref name="EOHS-Winchester">Coleman, Glynis. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Winchester." [1]</ref>

This is not to be confused with the old settlement of Winchester<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in Woods County, Oklahoma<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> near the Kansas border, west of the present-day U.S. Route 281 and west-southwest of Hardtner, Kansas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Winchester began as a residential community on 2,500 acres of land acquired by William D. Crews in 1959. It was intended to attract people who were "tired and frustrated" with life in Tulsa.<ref name="EOHS-Winchester"/> It incorporated February 18, 1974. By 1980, it had a population of 150. However, by 2000 it still had no retail businesses or municipal services. Telephone, mail, school, and fire-fighting services are supplied by the town of Beggs.<ref name="EOHS-Winchester"/>

Geography

Winchester is located approximately Template:Convert south of downtown Tulsa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The town's fenceline runs approximately from U.S. Route 75, a major national north/south artery,<ref>U.S. Route 75</ref> on the west side to approximately Template:Convert east of the highway, and from 241st St. in the north to Oklahoma State Highway 16 in the south.<ref name="Town of Winchester website">Template:Cite web</ref> Winchester residents have a Beggs mailing address, but the town of Beggs is actually southwest of Winchester and on the opposite side of U.S. 75.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

Template:US Census population As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 424 people, 153 households, and 123 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 169 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 83.73% White, 0.71% African American, 6.37% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 2.83% from other races, and 6.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.60% of the population.

There were 153 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,031, and the median income for a family was $49,444. Males had a median income of $34,792 versus $20,833 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,614. About 4.0% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 21.7% of those age 65 or over.

In the news

William D. Crews on behalf of the Green Country Racing Association applied to the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission to build a $120 million pari-mutuel horse racetrack in the town, to be called Winchester Park, on December 16, 1983.<ref>http://newsok.com/article/2050739 Mike Hammer, “Winchester Park Application Filed for Horse Track Near Tulsa,” December 17, 1983, NewsOK (The Oklahoman) website. Accessed August 24, 2017.</ref> However, that application was turned down twice, once in 1984 based on insufficient financing and unrealistic attendance and wagering projections, and finally in 1985 as incomplete.<ref>http://newsok.com/article/2124494 Aleta Walther & Nolan Clay, “Plan to Build Southwest Oklahoma City Racetrack Scrapped,” October 15, 1985, NewsOK (The Oklahoman) website. Accessed August 24, 2017.</ref>

Winchester again made the news in March 1989 when the Institute for the Study of American Wars (ISAW), a Delaware-based nonprofit organization, chose Winchester over competing sites in Oklahoma, Arizona, Pennsylvania and New Mexico<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> for a proposed $150 million war museum complex.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the selection was withdrawn in April after a disagreement regarding donation of the land. ISAW claimed the State of Oklahoma could not or would not follow through on an earlier pledge of immediate donation in fee of 300 acres of land, and was instead offering only a 200-year lease of the land and/or was demanding proof that ISAW had the funding to build the museum prior to transfer of the land.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ISAW later admitted to having raised only $65,000.<ref name="deseret">Template:Cite news</ref> ISAW then selected the Phoenix area<ref name="deseret"/> and on July 17, 1989, announced the exact site as a donated 300 acres of a 7,500-acre cotton farm between Phoenix and Tucson once owned by movie star John Wayne, known as John Wayne's Red River Ranch, in Casa Grande, Arizona.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the end, the museum was never built in any location, and ISAW's entity status was voided effective March 1, 1998, by the Delaware Secretary of State.<ref>Entity Details report on the Institute for the Study of American Wars (ISAW), File Number 2038270, from the Delaware Secretary of State, accessed July 24, 2012.</ref>

Ordinances and land covenants

The town's website indicates Winchester is a "restricted residential community"; i.e., the town is subject to land covenants and zoning ordinances which restrict, among other things, mobile homes in many locations.<ref name="Town of Winchester website"/> At least one lawsuit to enforce the ordinances and covenants against a homeowner placing a mobile home in an unauthorized location has been successfully prosecuted.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>