Picher, Oklahoma
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| Picher, Oklahoma | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 36°58′58″N 94°49′58″W / 36.98278°N 94.83278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Ottawa |
| Area | |
| - Total | 2.2 sq mi (5.8 km2) |
| - Land | 2.2 sq mi (5.8 km2) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 820 ft (250 m) |
| Population (2000) Only 148 residents remain in 2008 |
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| - Total | 1,640 |
| - Density | 734.0/sq mi (283.4/km2) |
| - Estimate (2007) | 1,609 |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74360 |
| Area code(s) | 918 |
| FIPS code | 40-58550[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1096611[2] |
Picher was a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was formerly a center of lead and zinc mining. The population was 1,640 at the 2000 census. Discoveries of ground contamination and the possibility of a cave in of mines under the city have prompted all of its population to evacuate, and the nearby town of Cardin is following suit. The town is within the boundaries of the Tar Creek Superfund site.
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[edit] History
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Picher was home to mines that supplied bullets for U.S. soldiers fighting in World War I and II.[3] Its population reached a peak of 16,000 as World War II approached.[4] By 1970 the last mine in the area had closed.[3]
On April 24, 2006, Reuters reported that Picher had been scheduled to be closed and all residents removed. Due in large part to the removal of large amounts of subsurface material during mining operations, many of the city's structures have been deemed in imminent danger of caving in.[5]
The city's pharmacist, Gary Linderman was featured in the May 28, 2007, issue of People Magazine in the Heroes Among Us article "Prescription for Kindness". He vowed to stay as long as there was anyone left who needed him and to be the last one out of the city.[6]
On May 10, 2008, Picher was struck by a tornado. There were eight confirmed deaths, possibly including one child, and many other injuries.[7] The tornado first touched down near the Kansas-Oklahoma border in Oklahoma southwest of Chetopa, Kansas and tracked eastward. It then slammed into Picher with devastating results. 20 blocks of the city suffered extensive damage with houses and businesses destroyed or flattened. The damage in Picher was rated at "EF4". At least 150 others were injured in Picher alone. The tornado continued eastward, passing just north of Quapaw and Peoria before crossing Interstate 44 into Missouri. This was the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma since the South Oklahoma City F5 tornado on May 3, 1999 which killed 36. The federal government also decided that there would be no aid given to rebuild homes, but the buyouts would continue as previously scheduled and people will be assisted in relocation.[8]
Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry sent National Guard Troops as well as emergency personnel to assist the hardest hit area in Picher; twenty blocks which suffered major damage including several destroyed structures. Damage was reported in Peoria and Quapaw.[9]
Loss of power from the tornado forced the city to go on a boiled water notice. Staff from the Oklahoma Rural Water Association arrived to assist, since the utility's testing equipment was destroyed by the storm. With an emergency generator to supply power, rural water staff had the system running normally only two days after the tornado struck.[10]
[edit] Closure
In April 2009, residents voted 55-6 to dissolve the Picher-Cardin school district; it graduated its final class of 11 in May. [11] As of 2009, the district's enrollment had dropped to a total of 49 students from approximately 340 three years prior. Remaining students will attend Commerce and Quapaw school districts.[12]
The city's post office is scheduled to close in July 2009 and the city ceased operations as a municipality on September 1, 2009.[13]
As of June 29, 2009, all of the residents had been given federal checks to enable them to relocate from Picher permanently. The town is considered to be too toxic to be habitable. On the last day, all the final residents met at the school auditorium to say goodbye.[14]
The people of the adjacent town of Treece, Kansas would like to see the government carry out a similar relocation program in their town, too. ON October 29th, Congress voted to allow the EPA to fund the relocation of the remaining citizens of Treece. [15]
[edit] Geography and demographics
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²), all of it land.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 9,676 |
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| 1930 | 7,773 | −19.7% | |
| 1940 | 5,848 | −24.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,553 |
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| 1970 | 2,363 | −7.4% | |
| 2000 | 1,640 |
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As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,640 people, 621 households, and 417 families residing in the city. The population density was 734.0 people per square mile (283.9/km²). There were 708 housing units at an average density of 316.9/sq mi (122.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.13% White, 13.78% Native American, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 0.12% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 8.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population.
Of the 621 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,722, and the median income for a family was $25,950. Males had a median income of $22,321 versus $15,947 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,938. About 21.1% of families and 25.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 30.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Documentary film
Picher was featured in the PBS Independent Lens film The Creek Runs Red discussing the connection of the people and their desire to leave or stay in the city.[16]
Picher was also featured in the Jump the Fence Productions film titled Tar Creek. The film which was written, produced, and directed by Matt Myers features music from Blues legend Watermelon Slim.[17]
[edit] Notable residents
- Joe Don Rooney, country pop musician with the band Rascal Flatts.[18]
[edit] See also
- Asarco, operated in Picher as "Federal Mining and Smelting Company"
- Abandoned Oklahoma Article
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b "'Last man standing' at wake for a toxic town", John D. Sutter. CNN.com, June 30, 2009.
- ^ ""A Tainted Mining Town Dies as Residents Are Paid to Leave"". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201692.html. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ^ Gillam, Carey. - "FEATURE-Slow death consumes Oklahoma mining town" - Reuters - April 24, 2006
- ^ Heroes Among Us: "Prescription for Kindness" - People Magazine - May 28, 2007
- ^ "Six Dead, 150 Injured After Tornado Levels Town Of Picher". KTUL. http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0508/518665.html. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ^ Evans, Murry. - Weather: "Rebuilding unlikely in Okla. town". - Associated Press. - (c/o MSNBC.com) - May 13, 2008
- ^ "Tornado Death Toll Increases In Picher". - KOTV.com - May 12, 2008
- ^ "Rural Water assists Picher after tornado strikes". National Rural Water Association. 2008. http://nrwa.org/NRWAupdates/2008%2006%20June/Picher%20Tornado.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
- ^ http://www.kswo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10242602
- ^ http://newsok.com/in-brief-vote-marks-end-for-picher-school/article/3359873
- ^ Sheila Stogsdill, "Picher projects its end as official municipality", Tulsa World, June 23, 2009.
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/30/oklahoma.toxic.town/index.html#cnnSTCText
- ^ [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/us/14kansas.html?hp Treece Journal: Welcome to Our Town. Wish We Weren’t Here]. SUSAN SAULNY, The New York Times, September 13, 2009
- ^ "The Creek Runs Red" - Independent Lens - PBS
- ^ "Tar Creek" - [Jump the Fence Productions]]
- ^ "Joe Don Rooney Biography". AOL. AOL Music. http://music.aol.com/artist/joe-don-rooney/biography/1435362. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
[edit] Further reading
- "Pollution brings end to Oklahoma mining town". msnbc.com. Microsoft. May 12, 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24555711/. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
- "EPA/HUD Joint Statement on the Picher, Oklahoma, Housing Authority". Environmental Protection Agency. January 26, 2009. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/a883dc3da7094f97852572a00065d7d8/c999d2489fe3207b8525754a0077c530!OpenDocument. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
Hard as the Rock Itself: Place and Identity in the American Mining Town by David Robertson ISBN-13:978-0-87081-850-9 (hardcover:alk.paper) ISBN-10:0-87081-850-3 HD95483t65r632006 307376'60973-dc22 The University Press of Colorado 55890 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 206c Boulder, Colorado 80303
[edit] External links
- Picher, Oklahoma is at coordinates 36°58′58″N 94°49′58″W / 36.982824°N 94.832777°WCoordinates: 36°58′58″N 94°49′58″W / 36.982824°N 94.832777°W
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http://www.upcolorado.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=978-0-87081-850-9
