Shawnee, Oklahoma

Shawnee, Oklahoma
—  City  —
Pottawatomie County Courthouse in Shawnee, Oklahoma
Location of Shawnee, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°20′33″N 96°56′2″W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Pottawatomie
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
• Mayor	Linda Peterson
Area
• Total	44.7 sq mi (115.7 km2)
• Land	42.3 sq mi (109.5 km2)
• Water	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2)
Elevation	1,060 ft (323 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	29,857
• Density	668.36/sq mi (258.055/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	74801, 74802, 74804
Area code(s)	405
FIPS code	40-66800
GNIS feature ID	1097964

Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Located on Interstate 40, Shawnee is just 30 minutes east of the attractions in downtown Oklahoma City. To the east and northeast, the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System offers barge access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Geography

Shawnee is located at 35°20′33″N 96°56′2″W (35.342474, -96.933775).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.7 square miles (116 km²).About 42.3 square miles (110 km²) of it is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) of it (5.37%) is water.

History

After the Land Run of 1891, four settlers (Etta B. Ray, Henry G. Beard, James T. Farrall, and Elijah A. Alley) each staked a quarter section in the proposed city of Brockway. Following an all-night discussion among early settlers who had their own ideas for the town's name, a compromise was reached, and the town was named Shawnee after the American Indian Tribe.

In 1892, the estimated population was 250. In 1895, the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad built a line to Shawnee, which fostered rapid growth. The population grew to 2,500 in 1896. In 1903-1904 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway extended service to town, after given land inducements from Henry Beard and James Farrall.

Oklahoma Baptist University opened in 1911. Its first building, Shawnee Hall, was a gift from the citizens. St. Gregory's College (now St. Gregory's University) relocated to Shawnee from Sacred Heart in 1915.

In 1930, voters elected to move the county seat of Pottawatomie County from Tecumseh to Shawnee. The courthouse was built with New Deal funding, and opened in 1935.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 28,692 people, 11,311 households, and 7,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 678.9 people per square mile (262.1/km²). There were 12,651 housing units at an average density of 299.3 per square mile (115.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.03% White, 4.06% African American, 12.82% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.

There were 11,311 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,659, and the median income for a family was $35,690. Males had a median income of $29,792 versus $20,768 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,676. About 13.8% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

The Heart of Oklahoma Exhibition Center, opened in 1981, now boasts 152,400 square feet (14,160 m²) of exhibit space, a 19,200-square-foot (1,780 m²) indoor arena that seats 1,000, an outdoor arena seating 7,500, and an RV park, all on 72 acres (290,000 m²). Since 1993, the O.E. Center has been the host of the International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR), the "richest youth rodeo in the world," with a total prize payout of over $2.6 million; over 1,100 young riders register for the event each year.

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the ninth largest Native American tribe in the United States with 26,000 members, is headquartered between Shawnee and Tecumseh. Their Firelake Casino features over 125,000 square feet (11,600 m²) of gaming space and employs 1,800 people.

Shawnee Regional Airport has a 6,000' asphalt lighted runway with services available seven days a week.

International Finals Youth Rodeo in Shawnee, Oklahoma

Schools

Shawnee is the home of St. Gregory's University, a Benedictine Catholic institution founded in 1875, and Oklahoma Baptist University, founded in 1911. The city was chosen by the founders of OBU in part because two Baptist Conventions (one in Indian Territory and one in Oklahoma Territory) had earlier merged. So, the city of Shawnee was neutral territory (Shawnee had been neither in Indian Territory nor Oklahoma Territory, but the Potawatomi Nation).

Shawnee Public Schools operates preschool through twelfth grades.

• Shawnee High School-1001 N. Kennedy
• Shawnee Middle School-4300 N. Union
• Jim Thorpe Academy-1111 N. Kennedy
• Horace Mann Elementary-412 N. Draper
• Sequoyah Elementary-1401 E. Independence
• Jefferson Elementary-800 N. Louisa
• Will Rogers Elementary-2600 N. Union
• Shawnee Early Childhood Center-1831 N. Airport

Shawnee also has four dependent school districts

• North Rock Creek-42400 Garrett's Lake Road (K-8 only)
• South Rock Creek-17800 South Rock Creek Road (K-8 only)
• Pleasant Grove-1927 E. Walnut (K-8 only)
• Grove-2800 N. Bryan (K-8 only)

Liberty Academy, located at 711 E. Federal, operates as a Christian private school and services Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grades. Established in 1978 as a ministry of Liberty Baptist Church, Liberty Academy seeks to provide a biblically-based education with college-oriented content in core courses.

Museums and Theatre

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation operate a Cultural Heritage Center which houses their tribal rolls, archives, and giftshop. The institution also interprets and presents exhibits of Potawatomi culture.

The Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, located on the campus of St. Gregory's University, is one of the oldest museums in Oklahoma. Its collections include Egyptian, Medieval, Renaissance, Contemporary, and Native American.

The Potawatomie County Historical Society run a historical museum in the Santa Fe Depot downtown.

Photo of the Santa Fe Depot in downtown Shawnee

There are three theatre programs in Shawnee, which each organize a season worth of performance.

• Shawnee Little Theatre
• St. Gregory's University Theatre Program
• Oklahoma Baptist University Theatre Program

Ritz Theater in downtown Shawnee

Parks & Recreation

The City of Shawnee maintains Shawnee Twin Lakes, which are located the west of the city.

Shawnee has numerous small parks within the city.

• Woodland Veteran's Memorial Park - located between Union street on the east, Highland street to the north, and Broadway to the west. The park is two blocks north of Main street. First built in 1905, the park originally featured fountains and sunken gardens. The park was also the site of frequent Chautauqua meetings led by such people as William Jennings Bryan. In 1905, the Carnegie library was built on the southwest corner of the park (currently the District Attorney's office of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma). There is also a Veteran's memorial in the southeast corner as well that features a helicopter once used during the Korean Conflict. The park also features a large public swimming pool, built in the 1930's, used during the spring and summer months. Currently, there are plans underway to renovate the existing pool, construct a splash pad, and make parking lot improvements to the nearly 75 year old community pool facility. The park also features two tennis courts which are located on the east side of the pool. This park has many old trees, a playground area, and is home to many special events throughout the year. Although there is no pavilion, there is a stage with metal bleachers. There are numerous stone and concrete picnic tables, some of them dating from over eighty years ago, a small sculpture of a bald eagle atop a sphere in the northeast corner of the park facing the intersection of Highland and Union, along with a miniature version of The Statue of Liberty in the northwest corner of the park facing the intersection of Highland and Broadway streets.

• Briscoe Boy Scout Park - located at the intersection of Main and Pesotum streets, the park features one basketball court, four tennis courts, and one volleyball court along with a large playground for children.

• Red Bud Park - located at the intersection of Beard and Dill streets, this small park was constructed in the 1920's. It features a large drainage ditch, many large trees, some playground equipment, and a wrought-iron entrance sign.

There is also a walking trail which encircles the airport.

Shawnee is home to four wellness facilities.

• Troy & Dollie Smith Family YMCA
• Mabee Aerobic Center, on the campus of St. Gregory's University
• Recreation and Wellness Center, on the Campus of Oklahoma Baptist University
• Firelake Fitness Center, operated by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation

Statue of Liberty Replica in Woodland Veterans Park

Oklahoma Veteran's Memorial in Woodland Veteran's Park

Sports

Shawnee is also home of the Shawnee Warriors, a local semi-professional football team. Shawnee competes in the Oklahoma Metro Football League. Their first season was in 2008, when they competed as the Shawnee Millers. The franchise went 3-5 and was an OMFL State semi-finalist. They were affiliated with the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, a minor league professional arena team of the af2 for the 2008 season. The team was coached by Jack Dingus.

Sister cities

• Nikaho, Japan

This is most likely due to the presence of a TDK plant in Shawnee. Every year, junior high school students from Shawnee visit Nikaho during the month of July, and Japanese junior high school students visit Shawnee, in September.

Notable residents

• Dan Boren, United States representative from Oklahoma
• Samantha Crain, songwriter, musician
• Patrick Cobbs, running back & special teams player for the Miami Dolphins
• Leroy Gordon Cooper, astronaut
• Melodie Crittenden, singer
• Jeremy Dawson, keyboardist for Shiny Toy Guns
• Rev. Gregory Gerrer, OSB, monk, artist, founder of Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
• Darrien Gordon, football player
• Wade Hayes, country singer
• Brad Henry, Former Governor of Oklahoma
• Robert H. Henry, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals judge
• Gregori Chad Petree, singer for Shiny Toy Guns
• Brad Pitt, actor
• Kris Steele, Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
• Krista Tippett, journalist, author, broadcaster; currently host of public radio program, Speaking of Faith
• William O. Wooldridge, first Sergeant Major of the Army

Education

CareerTech

• Gordon Cooper Technology Center

Post Secondary

• Oklahoma Baptist University
• St. Gregory's University.

External links

• Official City of Shawnee Site
• Shawnee Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Shawnee Chamber of Commerce
• Shawnee Public Schools
• Shawnee News-Star
• Countywide News and Shawnee Sun
• Shawnee Public Library
• WikiTravel Article for Shawnee, Oklahoma
• Shawnee Economic Development Foundation