Lawton, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
The city of Lawton is the county seat
of Comanche County
, in the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) southwest of Oklahoma City
, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area
. According to the 2010 US Census, Lawton's population was 96,867, making it the fifth largest city in the state.
Built on former reservation
lands of Kiowa
, Comanche
, and Apache
Indians, Lawton was founded on August 6, 1901 and was named after Major General
Henry Ware Lawton
, a Civil War Medal of Honor
recipient who was killed in action in the Philippine–American War. Lawton's landscape is typical of the Great Plains
with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by the Wichita Mountains
.
The city's proximity to Fort Sill Military Reservation
gave Lawton economic and population stability in the region throughout the 20th century. Although Lawton's economy is still largely dependent on Fort Sill, it has also grown to encompass manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. The city's government is run by a council-manager government
consisting of a city manager and a city council headed by a mayor. Interstate 44
and three major United States Highways
serve the city, while Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
connects Lawton by air. Recreation can be found at the city's many parks, lakes, museums, and festivals. Notable residents of the city include many musical and literary artists as well as several professional athletes.
11500 BC, Folsom
10600 BC and Plainview
10000 BC cultures. Western explorers came to the region in the 16th century with Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
visiting in 1541. Most of the region during this time was settled by the Wichita and Caddo
people. Around the 1700s, two tribes from the North, the Comanches and Kiowas, migrated to the Oklahoma and Texas region.
For most of the 18th century, the Oklahoma region was under French control as Louisiana
. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase
by Thomas Jefferson
brought the area under United States control. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act
, which removed American Indian tribes and relocated them to Indian Territory
. The southern part of the territory was originally assigned to the Choctaw
and Chickasaw
until 1867 when the Medicine Lodge Treaty
allotted the southwest portion of the Choctaw and Chickasaw’s lands to the Comanche
, Kiowa
, and Apache
tribes.
Fort Sill
was established in 1869 by Major General Philip Sheridan
who was leading a campaign in Indian Territory to stop raids into Texas by American Indian tribes. In 1874, the Red River War
broke out in the region when the Comanche, Kiowa and Southern Cheyenne left their Indian Territory reservation. Attrition and skirmishes by the US Army finally forced the return of the tribes back to Indian Territory in June 1875.
In 1891, the United States Congress appointed a commission to meet with the tribal leaders and come to an agreement allowing white settlement. Years of controversy and legal maneuvering ensued before President William McKinley
issued a proclamation on July 4, 1901, that gave the federal government control over 2000000 acres (8,093.7 km²) of surplus Indian land.
Three 320 acres (1.3 km²) sites in Kiowa
, Caddo
and Comanche Counties
were selected for county seats with Lawton designated as the Comanche County seat. The town was named for Major General Henry W. Lawton, a quartermaster at Fort Sill who had taken part in the pursuit and capture of Geronimo
. The city was opened to settlement through an auction of town lots beginning on August 6, 1901, which was completed sixty days later. By September 25, 1901 the Rock Island Railroad
expanded to Lawton and was soon joined by the Frisco Line. The first city elections were held October 24, 1901
The United States entry into World War I
accelerated growth at Fort Sill and Lawton. The availability of 5 million USgals (18,927.1 m³) of water from Lake Lawtonka, just north of Fort Sill, provided the motivation for the War Department to establish a major cantonment named Camp Doniphan
, which was active until 1922. Following World War II, Lawton enjoyed steady population growth with the population increasing from 18,055 to 34,757 from 1940 to 1950. By the 1960s, it had reached 61,697.
Lawton underwent tremendous growth during the late 1940s and 1950s, leading city officials to seek additional water sources to supplement existing water from Lake Lawtonka
. In the late 1950s, the city purchased large parcels of land along East Cache Creek in northern Comanche County for the construction of a man-made lake with a dam built in 1959 on the creek just north of U.S. 277 west of Elgin. Lake Ellsworth
, named for a former Lawton mayor and soft-drink bottler C.R. Ellsworth, was dedicated in the early 1960s and not only offered additional water resources, but also recreational opportunities and flood control along Cache Creek.
In 1966, the Lawton City Council annexed several miles of land on the city's east, northeast, west and northwest borders, expanding east beyond the East Cache Creek area and west to 82nd Street. On March 1, 1964, the north section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike
was completed connecting Lawton directly to Oklahoma City. The south section of the turnpike leading to the Texas border was completed on April 23, 1964. Urban renewal efforts in the 1970s transformed downtown Lawton. A number of buildings dating back to the city's founding were demolished in order to build an enclosed shopping mall.
On June 23, 1998, the city expanded when Lawton annexed neighboring Fort Sill. With the advent of the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005
increasing the size of Fort Sill, Lawton is expected to see continued population and economic growth over the course of the next 20 years.
. Other surrounding cities include Wichita Falls
about 47 miles (76 km) to the south, Duncan
about 33 miles (53 km) to the east, and Altus
about 56 miles (90 km) to the west.
Lawton lies in an area that is typical of the Great Plains
with prairie
, few trees,and flat topography with gently rolling hills. The region north of the city consists of the Wichita Mountains
including Mount Scott
and Mount Pinchot the area's highest peaks. The area consists mostly of Permian
Post Oak Conglomerate limestone
on the northern sections of the city. In the south sections of the city, Permian Garber sandstone is commonly found with some Hennessey Group shale. Area creeks including East Cache Creek contain deposits of Quaternary
Alluvium
. To the northwest, the Wichita Mountains consist primarily of Wichita Granite Group from the Cambrian
era.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa), with frequent variations in weather daily, except during the constantly hot and dry summer months. Frequent strong winds, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, help to lessen the hotter weather. Northerly winds during the winter can occasionally intensify cold periods.
The average mean temperature for the southwest Oklahoma is 61.9 °F (16.6 °C). The summers can be extremely hot; Lawton averages 21 days with temperatures 100 °F (37.8 °C) and above. The winter months are typically mild, though there can be periods of extreme cold. Lawton averages between 8 days that fail to rise above freezing. The city receives about 31.6 inches (802.6 mm) of precipitation and less than 3 inches (76.2 mm) of snow annually.
Lawton is located squarely in area known as Tornado Alley
and is prone to severe weather
in late April through early June. Most notably in 1957, a F4
tornado and again in 1979 a F3
tornado struck the southern region of the city.
There were 34,901 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,566, and the median income for a family was $50,507. Males had a median income of $36,440 versus $31,825 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,655. About 16.6% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
had a violent crime rate of 1,018 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to a rate of 501 in Oklahoma as a whole and 429 nationwide. The property crime rate for 2009 was 4,745 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 3,573 in Oklahoma and 3,036 nationally.
of $4.2 billion produced in 2008 with a majority ($2.1 billion) in the government sector. Fort Sill
is the largest employer of jobs in Lawton, employing over 5,000 full time employees. In the private sector, the largest employer is Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
with 2,400 full time employees. Major employers in the Lawton area also include: Lawton Public Schools
, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, City of Lawton, Cameron University
, and Assurant Solutions
. Lawton includes two major industrial park
s. One is located in the southwest region of town while the second is located near the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
.
At present, the city of Lawton is undertaking the Downtown Revitalization Project. Its goal is to redesign the areas between Elmer Thomas Park at the north through Central Mall to the south to be more visually appealing and pedestrian friendly in order to encourage business growth in the area.
Lawton had 35,374 employed civilians as of the 2010 Census and of them 49.1% were female. Of the civilian workers, 21,842 (61.7%) were private for-profit wage and salary workers. Out of the for-profit wage and salary workers, 659 (1.9% of the total Lawton civilian workforce) were employees of their own corporations. In the non-profit sector, there were 2,571 (7.3%) private non-profit wage and salary workers. The government sector included: 4,713 (13.3%) federal workers, 2,545 (7.2%) state government workers, and 2,160 (6.1%) local government workers. In addition, the city had 1,634 (4.6%) self-employed workers and unpaid family workers.
and continues to Easter Eve. It continues to be one of the longest running Easter Passion plays
in the nation and was the basis for the 1949 movie The Prince of Peace
. In May, Lawton Arts for All, Inc hosts the Arts for All Festival. The festival accommodates several judged art competitions, as well as live entertainment. The festival is typically held at Shepler Park. In late September, Lawton hosts The International Festival. Founded in 1979, the event showcases the many different culture, arts, and music of the community.
is a museum dedicated to natural history and early settlement of the Great Plains. Outdoor exhibits includes a replica of the Red River Trading Post, the original Blue Beaver schoolhouse, and Elgin Train Depot with a Frisco locomotive. The Fort Sill Museum is located on the current military base of the same name and includes the old Fort Sill corral, several period buildings including the old post guardhouse, chapel, and barracks, as well as several artillery pieces. The old fort is also listed as a National Historic Landmark
. The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, which is operated by the Comanche Nation Tribe
, focuses on exhibits and art relating to the Comanche culture past and present. The museum also hosts traveling American Indian exhibitions from the Smithsonian Institute
, Michigan State University Museum, and Chicago's Field Museum.
, which is a Division II school in the Lone Star Conference
. Noted for winning the NAIA
Football National Championship in 1987, the school currently does not have a football program. However, Cameron remains competitive in ten varsity sports including Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, Softball.
Lawton was the former home to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. The Cavalry moved from Oklahoma City to Lawton in 2007 where they won two Continental Basketball Association
championships and a Premier Basketball League
championship. In 2011, the Cavalry ceased operations in their second year in the PBL.
Lawton is home to 80 parks and recreations areas in varying sizes, including the largest Elmer Thomas Park. Along with the park system, the city is nearby three major lakes, Lake Lawtonka
, Lake Ellsworth
, and Elmer Thomas Lake
where boating, swimming, camping, and fishing are permitted. The Lawton branch of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) offers a wide variety of recreational programs to members, and the Lawton Country Club maintains a 18-hole, par 71, golf course. Recreation can also be found in many amateur leagues including: Adult Softball, Youth Baseball, Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball.
Northwest of the city is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in order to preserve the natural fauna of southwest Oklahoma. The refuge includes a Visitor Center, several camping areas, hiking trails, and many lakes for the public to explore.
Lawton uses the council-manager
model of municipal government. The city's primary authority resides in the City Council which approves ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The city is divided into eight wards
with each ward electing a single city council representative for a three year term. The mayor, who is elected every three years, presides and sets the agenda over the City Council, but is primarily ceremonial as a head of government. The administrative day to day operation of the city is headed by the City Manager
who is appointed by the City Council. As of October 2011, the Mayor of Lawton was Fred L. Fitch and City Manager was Larry Mitchell.
Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County
and houses county offices and courts. Three elected commissioners serving four year terms manage the county government.
At the federal level, Lawton lies in Oklahoma 4th Congressional district
, represented by Tom Cole
. In the State Senate
, Lawton is in District 31 (Don Barrington) and 32 (Randy Bass
). In the House
, District 62 (T.W. Shannon), 63 (Don Armes
), 64 (Ann Coody) cover the city.
is the largest four year, state-funded university
, in southwest Oklahoma, offering more than 50 degree programs in areas of Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology. Founded in 1909, Cameron has an average fall enrollment of 6,000 students with 70 endowed faculty positions.
Lawton is also served by the Great Plains Technology Center
, which is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education System. Great Plains provides occupational education, training, and development opportunities to area residents.
serves most of the city of Lawton. The district operates two pre-kindergarten centers, twenty-six elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools – Eisenhower
, Lawton
, and MacArthur
. In 2008, Lawton Public Schools had an enrollment of about 16,000 students with about 1,000 teachers. Two independent districts, Bishop and Flower Mound, serve portions of Lawton. Bishop operates a single PK-6 elementary campus and Flower Mound has a PK-8 campus. Secondary students living in these districts attend Lawton Public Schools. A small portion of far-west Lawton is served by Cache Public Schools
.
Other schools in Lawton include St. Mary's Catholic School, which has both an elementary and middle school. St. Mary's has served the greater Lawton area and the Fort Sill community for over 100 years and offers accredited Catholic education for grades Pre-K through 8th grade. Trinity Christian Academy and Lawton Christian School are two other private schools. Trinity Christian Academy offers classes from K-3 through the 8th grade. Lawton Christian has the city's only private independent high school. Lawton Christian, founded in 1976, offers education from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade and has a student body of 426 students.
is the only daily newspaper published in Lawton and has a circulation of 30,000. In addition the Fort Sill newspaper, The Cannoneer, is published weekly primarily for military personnel as well as the newspaper The Cameron Collegian whose main audience is Cameron University students. Additionally, Okie Magazine is a monthly magazine that focuses on news and entertainment in the Southwest Oklahoma area.
Radio stations in Lawton include, two AM Stations KKRX
1050 and KXCA
1380 as well as 15 FM stations including, NPR affiliate KCCU
89.3, KFXI
92.1, KZCD
94.1, KMGZ
95.3, KJMZ
97.9, KLAW 101.3 and KVRW
107.3
Lawton is located in the Wichita Falls and Lawton Media Market which encompasses 154,450 households with a television, making it the 149th largest in the nation according to Nelson Media Research in 2009-2010. KSWO-TV
channel 7, an ABC
affiliate, is the only broadcast television station in the Lawton area that provides local news. All other major stations including, KFDX-TV 3 (NBC
), KAUZ-TV (CBS
), and KJTL
-TV (Fox
) are based in Wichita Falls.
, designated as the H. E. Bailey Turnpike
. It connects the city to Oklahoma City
to the northeast and to Wichita Falls, Texas
to the south. The city is also connected by US Highway 62
, which connects to the regional towns of Altus
to the west and Anadarko
to the north. Other major thoroughfares include US Highway 277
and 281
, which parallels the H. E. Bailey Turnpike to Wichita Falls to the south and leads to regional towns of Anadarko
and Chickasha
, respectively, to the north, and OK-7 which connects Lawton to Duncan
.
Lawton Area Transit System (LATS) provides public transit for both Lawton and Fort Sill. LATS main terminal is located near the Lawton Public Library and provides five major routes throughout the city.
By air, Lawton is served by the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
(LAW, KLAW). At present, it offers daily American Eagle flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and is also used for military transport.
population. It has 26 beds with a staff of 23 physicians.
, Kelly Willis
, and Leon Russell
, Grammy nominated jazz trombonist Conrad Herwig
and Flaming Lips
drummer Steven Drozd
. Notable authors include Pulitzer Prize
winning author N. Scott Momaday
, poet Don Blanding
, and Hugo Award
winner, C.J. Cherryh.
Kenny Glenn, the 14 year old who posted videos of himself abusing 2 cats on youtube, causing international anger,comes from Lawton, Oklahoma.
Politicians from Lawton include: US Senator Thomas Gore
, US Representatives Scott Ferris
, L. M. Gensman
, Elmer Thomas, Democratic State Senator Randy Bass
and former US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Julian Niemczyk
(born on Fort Sill).
Other notable residents include: WWII Comanche
Code Talker Charles Chibitty
, Academy Award winning actress Joan Crawford
, WWII ace Robert S. Johnson
, three time NBA champion Stacey King, former NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson, Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson
, infamous University of Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson, NFL Pro Bowlers Will Shields
and Jammal Brown
, and 2006 Contender champion boxer Grady Brewer
.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Comanche County
Comanche County, Oklahoma
Comanche County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Built on former reservation lands of the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache in Indian Territory, Comanche County was open for settlement on August 16, 1901 by lottery. The region has three cities and seven towns as well as the Fort Sill...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately 80 miles (128.7 km) southwest of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area
Lawton metropolitan area
The Lawton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of one county – Comanche – in Oklahoma, anchored by the city of Lawton...
. According to the 2010 US Census, Lawton's population was 96,867, making it the fifth largest city in the state.
Built on former reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
lands of Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
, Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, and Apache
Fort Sill Apache Tribe
The Fort Sill Apache Tribe is the federally recognized Native American tribe of Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache in Oklahoma.-History:The Fort Sill Apache Tribe is composed of Chiricahua Apache. The Apache are southern Athabaskan-speaking peoples who migrated many centuries ago from the subarctic to...
Indians, Lawton was founded on August 6, 1901 and was named after Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Henry Ware Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton
Henry Ware Lawton was a highly respected U.S. Army officer who served with distinction in the Civil War, the Apache Wars, the Spanish-American War and was the only U.S. general officer to be killed during the Philippine-American War...
, a Civil War Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient who was killed in action in the Philippine–American War. Lawton's landscape is typical of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by the Wichita Mountains
Wichita Mountains
The Wichita Mountains are located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The mountains are a northwest-southeast trending series of rocky promontories, many capped by 540 million-year old granite. These were exposed and rounded by weathering during the Permian Period...
.
The city's proximity to Fort Sill Military Reservation
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
gave Lawton economic and population stability in the region throughout the 20th century. Although Lawton's economy is still largely dependent on Fort Sill, it has also grown to encompass manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. The city's government is run by a council-manager government
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
consisting of a city manager and a city council headed by a mayor. Interstate 44
Interstate 44 in Oklahoma
Interstate 44 runs diagonally through the U.S. state of Oklahoma, spanning from the Texas state line near Wichita Falls to the Missouri border near Joplin. It connects three of Oklahoma's largest cities, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton. Most of I-44 in Oklahoma is a toll road. In southwestern...
and three major United States Highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
serve the city, while Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport is a public airport located 2 mi south of Lawton, in Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA. It is mostly used for military aviation from nearby Fort Sill and Sheppard Air Force Base, but is also served by American Eagle...
connects Lawton by air. Recreation can be found at the city's many parks, lakes, museums, and festivals. Notable residents of the city include many musical and literary artists as well as several professional athletes.
History
The land that is present day Oklahoma was first settled by prehistoric American Indians including the ClovisClovis culture
The Clovis culture is a prehistoric Paleo-Indian culture that first appears 11,500 RCYBP , at the end of the last glacial period, characterized by the manufacture of "Clovis points" and distinctive bone and ivory tools...
11500 BC, Folsom
Folsom tradition
The Folsom Complex is a name given by archaeologists to a specific Paleo-Indian archaeological culture that occupied much of central North America...
10600 BC and Plainview
Plano cultures
The Plano cultures is a name given by archaeologists to a group of disparate hunter-gatherer communities that occupied the Great Plains area of North America during the Paleo-Indian period in the United States and the Paleo-Indian or Archaic period in Canada....
10000 BC cultures. Western explorers came to the region in the 16th century with Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
visiting in 1541. Most of the region during this time was settled by the Wichita and Caddo
Caddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
people. Around the 1700s, two tribes from the North, the Comanches and Kiowas, migrated to the Oklahoma and Texas region.
For most of the 18th century, the Oklahoma region was under French control as Louisiana
Louisiana (New France)
Louisiana or French Louisiana was an administrative district of New France. Under French control from 1682–1763 and 1800–03, the area was named in honor of Louis XIV, by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle...
. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
brought the area under United States control. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830.The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the Five Civilized Tribes. In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in...
, which removed American Indian tribes and relocated them to Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. The southern part of the territory was originally assigned to the Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
and Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
until 1867 when the Medicine Lodge Treaty
Medicine Lodge Treaty
The Medicine Lodge Treaty is the overall name for three treaties signed between the United States government and southern Plains Indian tribes in October 1867, intended to bring peace to the area by relocating the Native Americans to reservations in Indian Territory and away from European-American...
allotted the southwest portion of the Choctaw and Chickasaw’s lands to the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
, and Apache
Fort Sill Apache Tribe
The Fort Sill Apache Tribe is the federally recognized Native American tribe of Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache in Oklahoma.-History:The Fort Sill Apache Tribe is composed of Chiricahua Apache. The Apache are southern Athabaskan-speaking peoples who migrated many centuries ago from the subarctic to...
tribes.
Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
was established in 1869 by Major General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
who was leading a campaign in Indian Territory to stop raids into Texas by American Indian tribes. In 1874, the Red River War
Red River War
The Red River War was a military campaign launched by the United States Army in 1874, as part of the Comanche War, to remove the Comanche, Kiowa, Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho Native American tribes from the Southern Plains and forcibly relocate them to reservations in Indian Territory...
broke out in the region when the Comanche, Kiowa and Southern Cheyenne left their Indian Territory reservation. Attrition and skirmishes by the US Army finally forced the return of the tribes back to Indian Territory in June 1875.
In 1891, the United States Congress appointed a commission to meet with the tribal leaders and come to an agreement allowing white settlement. Years of controversy and legal maneuvering ensued before President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
issued a proclamation on July 4, 1901, that gave the federal government control over 2000000 acres (8,093.7 km²) of surplus Indian land.
Three 320 acres (1.3 km²) sites in Kiowa
Kiowa County, Oklahoma
Kiowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 10,227. Its county seat is Hobart.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of . is land and is water....
, Caddo
Caddo County, Oklahoma
Caddo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 30,150. Its county seat is Anadarko. It is named after the Caddo tribe who were settled here on the 1870s...
and Comanche Counties
Comanche County, Oklahoma
Comanche County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Built on former reservation lands of the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache in Indian Territory, Comanche County was open for settlement on August 16, 1901 by lottery. The region has three cities and seven towns as well as the Fort Sill...
were selected for county seats with Lawton designated as the Comanche County seat. The town was named for Major General Henry W. Lawton, a quartermaster at Fort Sill who had taken part in the pursuit and capture of Geronimo
Geronimo
Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades during the Apache Wars. Allegedly, "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a Mexican incident...
. The city was opened to settlement through an auction of town lots beginning on August 6, 1901, which was completed sixty days later. By September 25, 1901 the Rock Island Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
expanded to Lawton and was soon joined by the Frisco Line. The first city elections were held October 24, 1901
The United States entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
accelerated growth at Fort Sill and Lawton. The availability of 5 million USgals (18,927.1 m³) of water from Lake Lawtonka, just north of Fort Sill, provided the motivation for the War Department to establish a major cantonment named Camp Doniphan
Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma
Camp Doniphan was a military base adjacent to Fort Sill, just outside of Lawton, in Comanche County, Oklahoma, that was activated for use in World War I for artillery training....
, which was active until 1922. Following World War II, Lawton enjoyed steady population growth with the population increasing from 18,055 to 34,757 from 1940 to 1950. By the 1960s, it had reached 61,697.
Lawton underwent tremendous growth during the late 1940s and 1950s, leading city officials to seek additional water sources to supplement existing water from Lake Lawtonka
Lake Lawtonka
Lake Lawtonka is a lake in Comanche County in the state of Oklahoma in the United States.The lake is 2 square miles in area. It is formed by a dam 60 feet high and 375 feet long across Medicine Bluff Creek...
. In the late 1950s, the city purchased large parcels of land along East Cache Creek in northern Comanche County for the construction of a man-made lake with a dam built in 1959 on the creek just north of U.S. 277 west of Elgin. Lake Ellsworth
Lake Ellsworth (Oklahoma)
Lake Ellsworth is a lake in Oklahoma. It is shown on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation map as being a fairly large lake south of Apache, in Comanche and Caddo counties....
, named for a former Lawton mayor and soft-drink bottler C.R. Ellsworth, was dedicated in the early 1960s and not only offered additional water resources, but also recreational opportunities and flood control along Cache Creek.
In 1966, the Lawton City Council annexed several miles of land on the city's east, northeast, west and northwest borders, expanding east beyond the East Cache Creek area and west to 82nd Street. On March 1, 1964, the north section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike
H. E. Bailey Turnpike
The H. E. Bailey Turnpike is a toll road in southwestern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The route, opened on April 23, 1964, is a four-lane limited access highway that connects Oklahoma City to Lawton in its northern section and Lawton to Wichita Falls along its southern section. The...
was completed connecting Lawton directly to Oklahoma City. The south section of the turnpike leading to the Texas border was completed on April 23, 1964. Urban renewal efforts in the 1970s transformed downtown Lawton. A number of buildings dating back to the city's founding were demolished in order to build an enclosed shopping mall.
On June 23, 1998, the city expanded when Lawton annexed neighboring Fort Sill. With the advent of the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005
Base Realignment and Closure, 2005
The preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
increasing the size of Fort Sill, Lawton is expected to see continued population and economic growth over the course of the next 20 years.
Geography
Lawton is located at 34°36′16"N 98°23′45"W (34.604444, −98.395833). The city has a total area of 75.1 square miles (194.5 km²), all of it land. Lawton is located about 84 miles (135 km) southwest of Oklahoma CityOklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. Other surrounding cities include Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
about 47 miles (76 km) to the south, Duncan
Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 23,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County.The official birthdate of the town is considered to be when the first train arrived there on June 27, 1892...
about 33 miles (53 km) to the east, and Altus
Altus, Oklahoma
Altus is a city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,813 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County....
about 56 miles (90 km) to the west.
Lawton lies in an area that is typical of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
with prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
, few trees,and flat topography with gently rolling hills. The region north of the city consists of the Wichita Mountains
Wichita Mountains
The Wichita Mountains are located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The mountains are a northwest-southeast trending series of rocky promontories, many capped by 540 million-year old granite. These were exposed and rounded by weathering during the Permian Period...
including Mount Scott
Mount Scott (Oklahoma)
Mount Scott is a prominent mountain just to the northwest of Lawton Oklahoma rising to a height of above sea level. It is located in the Wichita Mountains near Fort Sill Military Reservation and lies in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible...
and Mount Pinchot the area's highest peaks. The area consists mostly of Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
Post Oak Conglomerate limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
on the northern sections of the city. In the south sections of the city, Permian Garber sandstone is commonly found with some Hennessey Group shale. Area creeks including East Cache Creek contain deposits of Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
Alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
. To the northwest, the Wichita Mountains consist primarily of Wichita Granite Group from the Cambrian
Cambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
era.
Climate
Lawton lies in a dry subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa), with frequent variations in weather daily, except during the constantly hot and dry summer months. Frequent strong winds, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, help to lessen the hotter weather. Northerly winds during the winter can occasionally intensify cold periods.
The average mean temperature for the southwest Oklahoma is 61.9 °F (16.6 °C). The summers can be extremely hot; Lawton averages 21 days with temperatures 100 °F (37.8 °C) and above. The winter months are typically mild, though there can be periods of extreme cold. Lawton averages between 8 days that fail to rise above freezing. The city receives about 31.6 inches (802.6 mm) of precipitation and less than 3 inches (76.2 mm) of snow annually.
Lawton is located squarely in area known as Tornado Alley
Tornado Alley
Tornado Alley is a colloquial and popular media term that most often refers to the area of the United States where tornadoes are most frequent. Although an official location is not defined, the area between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains is usually associated with it.The areas...
and is prone to severe weather
Severe weather
Severe weather phenomena are weather conditions that are hazardous to human life and property.- Examples Include :Severe weather can occur under a variety of situations, but three characteristics are generally needed: a temperature or moisture boundary, moisture, and , instability in the...
in late April through early June. Most notably in 1957, a F4
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
tornado and again in 1979 a F3
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
tornado struck the southern region of the city.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 96,867 people, 34,901 households, and 22,508 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,195.4 people per square mile (461.5/km²). There were 39,409 housing units at an average density of 486.3 per square mile (187.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.3% White, 21.4% African American, 4.70% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 4.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.6% of the population.There were 34,901 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,566, and the median income for a family was $50,507. Males had a median income of $36,440 versus $31,825 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,655. About 16.6% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Crime
In 2009, the Lawton MSALawton metropolitan area
The Lawton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of one county – Comanche – in Oklahoma, anchored by the city of Lawton...
had a violent crime rate of 1,018 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to a rate of 501 in Oklahoma as a whole and 429 nationwide. The property crime rate for 2009 was 4,745 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 3,573 in Oklahoma and 3,036 nationally.
Economy and workforce
Lawton is primarily centered on government, manufacturing and retail trade industries. Lawton MSA ranks fourth in Oklahoma with Gross Domestic ProductGross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
of $4.2 billion produced in 2008 with a majority ($2.1 billion) in the government sector. Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
is the largest employer of jobs in Lawton, employing over 5,000 full time employees. In the private sector, the largest employer is Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
with 2,400 full time employees. Major employers in the Lawton area also include: Lawton Public Schools
Lawton Public Schools
Lawton Public Schools is a public school district based in Lawton, Oklahoma, United States.The district serves most of the city of Lawton, a small portion of Medicine Park, and surrounding rural areas in central Comanche County...
, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, City of Lawton, Cameron University
Cameron University
Cameron University is a four-year, state-funded university located in Lawton, Oklahoma, that offers more than 50 degrees through two-year, four-year and graduate programs. The degree programs emphasize the liberal arts, science and technology and graduate and professional studies...
, and Assurant Solutions
Assurant
Assurant is a specialty insurance company headquartered in New York City. Assurant’s four businesses provide a wide range of insurance products and related services, including creditor-placed homeowners insurance, manufactured housing homeowners insurance, credit insurance, individual health and...
. Lawton includes two major industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
s. One is located in the southwest region of town while the second is located near the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport is a public airport located 2 mi south of Lawton, in Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA. It is mostly used for military aviation from nearby Fort Sill and Sheppard Air Force Base, but is also served by American Eagle...
.
At present, the city of Lawton is undertaking the Downtown Revitalization Project. Its goal is to redesign the areas between Elmer Thomas Park at the north through Central Mall to the south to be more visually appealing and pedestrian friendly in order to encourage business growth in the area.
Lawton had 35,374 employed civilians as of the 2010 Census and of them 49.1% were female. Of the civilian workers, 21,842 (61.7%) were private for-profit wage and salary workers. Out of the for-profit wage and salary workers, 659 (1.9% of the total Lawton civilian workforce) were employees of their own corporations. In the non-profit sector, there were 2,571 (7.3%) private non-profit wage and salary workers. The government sector included: 4,713 (13.3%) federal workers, 2,545 (7.2%) state government workers, and 2,160 (6.1%) local government workers. In addition, the city had 1,634 (4.6%) self-employed workers and unpaid family workers.
Events and festivals
Lawton is home to many annual attractions including the annual Prince of Peace Easter Passion Play. It is held in the Holy City in the Wichita Mountain Refuge each year on Palm SundayPalm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
and continues to Easter Eve. It continues to be one of the longest running Easter Passion plays
Passion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
in the nation and was the basis for the 1949 movie The Prince of Peace
The Prince of Peace
The Prince of Peace, also known as The Lawton Story, was a film that later made the exploitation rounds under the production of Kroger Babb. The film was based on a passion play created in 1948 in Lawton, Oklahoma. Filmed in Cinecolor, it was presented in various forms in the years following its...
. In May, Lawton Arts for All, Inc hosts the Arts for All Festival. The festival accommodates several judged art competitions, as well as live entertainment. The festival is typically held at Shepler Park. In late September, Lawton hosts The International Festival. Founded in 1979, the event showcases the many different culture, arts, and music of the community.
Museums
Lawton has three museums that are open to the public. The Museum of the Great PlainsMuseum of the Great Plains
The Museum of the Great Plains is a history museum located in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. The museum’s major exhibits reveal the diverse cultures inhabiting the Great Plains region beginning with the arrival of the Paleo-Indians known as the Clovis culture at approximately 11,500 BCE...
is a museum dedicated to natural history and early settlement of the Great Plains. Outdoor exhibits includes a replica of the Red River Trading Post, the original Blue Beaver schoolhouse, and Elgin Train Depot with a Frisco locomotive. The Fort Sill Museum is located on the current military base of the same name and includes the old Fort Sill corral, several period buildings including the old post guardhouse, chapel, and barracks, as well as several artillery pieces. The old fort is also listed as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, which is operated by the Comanche Nation Tribe
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
, focuses on exhibits and art relating to the Comanche culture past and present. The museum also hosts traveling American Indian exhibitions from the Smithsonian Institute
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, Michigan State University Museum, and Chicago's Field Museum.
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
Sports
Lawton is home to Cameron University AggiesCameron University
Cameron University is a four-year, state-funded university located in Lawton, Oklahoma, that offers more than 50 degrees through two-year, four-year and graduate programs. The degree programs emphasize the liberal arts, science and technology and graduate and professional studies...
, which is a Division II school in the Lone Star Conference
Lone Star Conference
The Lone Star Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico...
. Noted for winning the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Football National Championship in 1987, the school currently does not have a football program. However, Cameron remains competitive in ten varsity sports including Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, Softball.
Lawton was the former home to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. The Cavalry moved from Oklahoma City to Lawton in 2007 where they won two Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
championships and a Premier Basketball League
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...
championship. In 2011, the Cavalry ceased operations in their second year in the PBL.
Parks and recreation
Lake Lawtonka
Lake Lawtonka is a lake in Comanche County in the state of Oklahoma in the United States.The lake is 2 square miles in area. It is formed by a dam 60 feet high and 375 feet long across Medicine Bluff Creek...
, Lake Ellsworth
Lake Ellsworth (Oklahoma)
Lake Ellsworth is a lake in Oklahoma. It is shown on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation map as being a fairly large lake south of Apache, in Comanche and Caddo counties....
, and Elmer Thomas Lake
Elmer Thomas Lake
Elmer Thomas Lake is a lake in Comanche County in the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It is located on the boundary between the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge and Fort Sill military base.The lake is in area and primarily used for recreation....
where boating, swimming, camping, and fishing are permitted. The Lawton branch of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) offers a wide variety of recreational programs to members, and the Lawton Country Club maintains a 18-hole, par 71, golf course. Recreation can also be found in many amateur leagues including: Adult Softball, Youth Baseball, Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball.
Northwest of the city is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in order to preserve the natural fauna of southwest Oklahoma. The refuge includes a Visitor Center, several camping areas, hiking trails, and many lakes for the public to explore.
Government
| Mayor | Fred L. Fitch |
| Ward 1 | Bill Shoemate |
| Ward 2 | Michael Tenis |
| Ward 3 | Rosemary Bellino-Hall |
| Ward 4 | Jay Burk |
| Ward 5 | Rex Givens |
| Ward 6 | Richard Zarle |
| Ward 7 | Stanley Haywood |
| Ward 8 | Doug Wells |
Lawton uses the council-manager
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
model of municipal government. The city's primary authority resides in the City Council which approves ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The city is divided into eight wards
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
with each ward electing a single city council representative for a three year term. The mayor, who is elected every three years, presides and sets the agenda over the City Council, but is primarily ceremonial as a head of government. The administrative day to day operation of the city is headed by the City Manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
who is appointed by the City Council. As of October 2011, the Mayor of Lawton was Fred L. Fitch and City Manager was Larry Mitchell.
Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County
Comanche County, Oklahoma
Comanche County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Built on former reservation lands of the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache in Indian Territory, Comanche County was open for settlement on August 16, 1901 by lottery. The region has three cities and seven towns as well as the Fort Sill...
and houses county offices and courts. Three elected commissioners serving four year terms manage the county government.
At the federal level, Lawton lies in Oklahoma 4th Congressional district
Oklahoma's 4th congressional district
Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District is located in south-central Oklahoma and covers a total of 15 counties. Its principal cities include Midwest City, Norman, Moore, Ada, Duncan, Lawton/Ft. Sill, and Ardmore...
, represented by Tom Cole
Tom Cole
Thomas Jeffery Cole is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a Deputy Minority Whip. The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2006 to 2008, he was, during his tenure, the fourth-ranking Republican leader in the...
. In the State Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
, Lawton is in District 31 (Don Barrington) and 32 (Randy Bass
Randy Bass
is a former American baseball player and current politician. He is less notable for his career in Major League Baseball than for his success in Japan's Hanshin Tigers of Central League, where he had the most spectacular run of any American to ever play in Japan...
). In the House
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
, District 62 (T.W. Shannon), 63 (Don Armes
Don Armes
Don Armes is a United States Republican politician from U.S. state of Oklahoma. Armes currently serves in the Oklahoma House of Representatives as the District 63 State Representative. He was first elected to the seat in 2002...
), 64 (Ann Coody) cover the city.
Higher education
Cameron UniversityCameron University
Cameron University is a four-year, state-funded university located in Lawton, Oklahoma, that offers more than 50 degrees through two-year, four-year and graduate programs. The degree programs emphasize the liberal arts, science and technology and graduate and professional studies...
is the largest four year, state-funded university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, in southwest Oklahoma, offering more than 50 degree programs in areas of Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology. Founded in 1909, Cameron has an average fall enrollment of 6,000 students with 70 endowed faculty positions.
Lawton is also served by the Great Plains Technology Center
Great Plains Technology Center
Great Plains Technology Center is a public career and technology education center that has campuses in Lawton, Oklahoma and Frederick, Oklahoma. It is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system.-Student organizations:...
, which is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education System. Great Plains provides occupational education, training, and development opportunities to area residents.
Primary and secondary schools
Lawton Public SchoolsLawton Public Schools
Lawton Public Schools is a public school district based in Lawton, Oklahoma, United States.The district serves most of the city of Lawton, a small portion of Medicine Park, and surrounding rural areas in central Comanche County...
serves most of the city of Lawton. The district operates two pre-kindergarten centers, twenty-six elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools – Eisenhower
Eisenhower High School (Lawton, Oklahoma)
Eisenhower Senior High School is one of three public high schools and is located in west Lawton, Oklahoma. It was the second high school built in Lawton, Oklahoma in the early 1960s....
, Lawton
Lawton High School
Lawton High School was the first high school built in Lawton, Oklahoma. Lawton High is located at 601 Northwest Fort Sill Boulevard in Lawton, Oklahoma. The school was originally housed in a building on 800 Southwest 'C' Avenue...
, and MacArthur
MacArthur High School (Lawton, Oklahoma)
MacArthur High School was the third high school built in Lawton, Oklahoma. MacArthur was built and opened for the east Lawton area in 1969...
. In 2008, Lawton Public Schools had an enrollment of about 16,000 students with about 1,000 teachers. Two independent districts, Bishop and Flower Mound, serve portions of Lawton. Bishop operates a single PK-6 elementary campus and Flower Mound has a PK-8 campus. Secondary students living in these districts attend Lawton Public Schools. A small portion of far-west Lawton is served by Cache Public Schools
Cache Public Schools
Cache Public Schools is a public school district located in Cache, Oklahoma.-References:...
.
Other schools in Lawton include St. Mary's Catholic School, which has both an elementary and middle school. St. Mary's has served the greater Lawton area and the Fort Sill community for over 100 years and offers accredited Catholic education for grades Pre-K through 8th grade. Trinity Christian Academy and Lawton Christian School are two other private schools. Trinity Christian Academy offers classes from K-3 through the 8th grade. Lawton Christian has the city's only private independent high school. Lawton Christian, founded in 1976, offers education from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade and has a student body of 426 students.
Media
The Lawton ConstitutionLawton Constitution
The Lawton Constitution is a newspaper published in Lawton, Oklahoma. It began publishing in 1904.-References:*...
is the only daily newspaper published in Lawton and has a circulation of 30,000. In addition the Fort Sill newspaper, The Cannoneer, is published weekly primarily for military personnel as well as the newspaper The Cameron Collegian whose main audience is Cameron University students. Additionally, Okie Magazine is a monthly magazine that focuses on news and entertainment in the Southwest Oklahoma area.
Radio stations in Lawton include, two AM Stations KKRX
KKRX
KKRX is a radio station broadcasting a Urban Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Lawton, Oklahoma, USA, the station serves the Lawton area. The station is currently owned by Perry Broadcasting of Lawton and features programing from ABC Radio....
1050 and KXCA
KXCA
KXCA is a radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format. Licensed to Lawton, Oklahoma, USA, the station serves the Lawton area. The station is currently owned by Perry Broadcasting of Southwest Oklahoma and features programing from ESPN Radio and Westwood One....
1380 as well as 15 FM stations including, NPR affiliate KCCU
KCCU
KCCU , is a National Public Radio member radio station in Lawton, Oklahoma, owned by Cameron University.-Repeaters:* KOCU 90.1 FM Altus, Oklahoma* KLCU 90.3 FM Ardmore, Oklahoma* KYCU 89.1 FM Clinton, Oklahoma...
89.3, KFXI
KFXI
KFXI is a 100,000 watt radio station with a 600 foot tower, allowing it reach further than other stations in the Chickasha, Duncan and Lawton markets. KFXI Foxy92 radio broadcasts a Country music format and is known as "The Real Country Giant"...
92.1, KZCD
KZCD
KZCD is a radio station broadcasting a Rock format. Also known as Z94, it serves the Lawton, Oklahoma area. It is owned by Townsquare Media.Signed on 1987 as Adult Contemporary Lite 94 KQLI FM, changes calls to KZCD in 1993....
94.1, KMGZ
KMGZ
KMGZ is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. The station serves the Lawton, Oklahoma area and Wichita Falls, Texas on 107.1 Mhz on the translator K296FE. It appears to be privately owned....
95.3, KJMZ
KJMZ
KJMZ is a radio station broadcasting a Urban Contemporary format. The station is licensed to Cache, Oklahoma, and serves the Lawton area. KJMZ owned by Perry Broadcasting.-History:...
97.9, KLAW 101.3 and KVRW
KVRW
KVRW is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits music format. Licensed to Lawton, Oklahoma, USA, the station serves the Lawton area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media and features programing from Dial Global....
107.3
Lawton is located in the Wichita Falls and Lawton Media Market which encompasses 154,450 households with a television, making it the 149th largest in the nation according to Nelson Media Research in 2009-2010. KSWO-TV
KSWO-TV
KSWO-TV, virtual channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station located in Lawton, Oklahoma. It also serves Wichita Falls, Texas. Its transmitter is located near Grandfield, Oklahoma. KSWO broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 11...
channel 7, an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate, is the only broadcast television station in the Lawton area that provides local news. All other major stations including, KFDX-TV 3 (NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
), KAUZ-TV (CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
), and KJTL
KJTL
KJTL, virtual channel 18, is the Fox affiliate located in Wichita Falls, Texas also serving Lawton, Oklahoma owned by Nexstar Broadcasting "affiliate" Mission Broadcasting in a virtual duopoly with NBC affiliate KFDX channel 3...
-TV (Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
) are based in Wichita Falls.
Transportation
Lawton is primarily served by Interstate 44Interstate 44 in Oklahoma
Interstate 44 runs diagonally through the U.S. state of Oklahoma, spanning from the Texas state line near Wichita Falls to the Missouri border near Joplin. It connects three of Oklahoma's largest cities, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton. Most of I-44 in Oklahoma is a toll road. In southwestern...
, designated as the H. E. Bailey Turnpike
H. E. Bailey Turnpike
The H. E. Bailey Turnpike is a toll road in southwestern region of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The route, opened on April 23, 1964, is a four-lane limited access highway that connects Oklahoma City to Lawton in its northern section and Lawton to Wichita Falls along its southern section. The...
. It connects the city to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
to the northeast and to Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
to the south. The city is also connected by US Highway 62
U.S. Route 62 in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, U.S. Highway 62 runs diagonally across the state, from the Texas state line in far southwestern Oklahoma to the Arkansas state line near Fayetteville. US-62 spends a total of in the Sooner State. The highway passes through fifteen of Oklahoma's counties...
, which connects to the regional towns of Altus
Altus, Oklahoma
Altus is a city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,813 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County....
to the west and Anadarko
Anadarko, Oklahoma
Anadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County.-Early History:Anadarko got its name when its post office was established in 1873...
to the north. Other major thoroughfares include US Highway 277
U.S. Route 277
U.S. Route 277 is a north–south United States Highway. It is a spur of U.S. Route 77. It runs for 633 miles across Oklahoma and Texas. US 277's northern terminus is in Newcastle, Oklahoma at Interstate 44, which is also the northern terminus of the H.E. Bailey Turnpike. Its southern...
and 281
U.S. Route 281
U.S. Route 281 is a north–south United States highway. At 1,872 miles long it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route....
, which parallels the H. E. Bailey Turnpike to Wichita Falls to the south and leads to regional towns of Anadarko
Anadarko, Oklahoma
Anadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County.-Early History:Anadarko got its name when its post office was established in 1873...
and Chickasha
Chickasha, Oklahoma
Chickasha is a city in and the county seat, business and employment center of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,850 at the 2000 census. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and hosts an annual Festival of Light celebration located at...
, respectively, to the north, and OK-7 which connects Lawton to Duncan
Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 23,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County.The official birthdate of the town is considered to be when the first train arrived there on June 27, 1892...
.
Lawton Area Transit System (LATS) provides public transit for both Lawton and Fort Sill. LATS main terminal is located near the Lawton Public Library and provides five major routes throughout the city.
By air, Lawton is served by the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport is a public airport located 2 mi south of Lawton, in Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA. It is mostly used for military aviation from nearby Fort Sill and Sheppard Air Force Base, but is also served by American Eagle...
(LAW, KLAW). At present, it offers daily American Eagle flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and is also used for military transport.
Health care
Lawton has three major hospitals in the area. The largest, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, is a 283-bed non-profit hospital that employs 250 physicians. Southwestern Medical Center is a 199-bed hospital with a staff of 150 physicians. In addition, the US Public Health Lawton Indian Hospital is located in the city to provide health services for the large American IndianNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
population. It has 26 beds with a staff of 23 physicians.
Notable residents
Notable residents include country singers: Bryan WhiteBryan White
Bryan White is an American country music artist. Signed to Asylum Records in 1994 at age 20, White released his self-titled debut album that year. Both it and its follow-up, 1996's Between Now and Forever, were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and 1997's The...
, Kelly Willis
Kelly Willis
Kelly Willis is an American country music singer-songwriter, whose music has been described as contemporary country, alternative country and new traditionalist.-Early life:...
, and Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
, Grammy nominated jazz trombonist Conrad Herwig
Conrad Herwig
Conrad Herwig is a jazz trombonist from New York City in the United States. He has recorded 20 albums as a leader.-Biography:He began his career in Clark Terry's band in the early 1980s and has been a featured member in the Joe Henderson Sextet, Tom Harrell’s Septet and Big Band, and the Joe...
and Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
drummer Steven Drozd
Steven Drozd
Steven Gregory Drozd is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist and lead guitarist for The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
. Notable authors include Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning author N. Scott Momaday
N. Scott Momaday
Navarre Scott Momaday is a Kiowa-Cherokee Pulitzer Prize-winning writer from Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.-Background:...
, poet Don Blanding
Don Blanding
Donald Benson Blanding was an American poet who sentimentalized warm climates and was sometimes described as "poet laureate of Hawaii". He was also known as a journalist, author of prose, and speaker....
, and Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
winner, C.J. Cherryh.
Kenny Glenn, the 14 year old who posted videos of himself abusing 2 cats on youtube, causing international anger,comes from Lawton, Oklahoma.
Politicians from Lawton include: US Senator Thomas Gore
Thomas Gore
Thomas Gore was a Democratic politician. He was blind and served as a United States Senator from Oklahoma from 1907 until 1921 and from 1931 until 1937. He was the maternal grandfather of author Gore Vidal.-Life and career:...
, US Representatives Scott Ferris
Scott Ferris
Scott Ferris was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma.Upon the admission of Oklahoma as a State into the Union, Ferris was elected as a Democrat to the 60th Congress. He was reelected to the 61st and to the six succeeding Congresses and served from November 16, 1907, until March 3, 1921...
, L. M. Gensman
L. M. Gensman
Lorraine Michael Gensman was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma.Born near Wichita, Kansas, Gensman attended the public schools, the Garden Plains Graded School, Wichita Commercial College, Lewis Academy, and the Kansas State Normal School at Emporia. Gensman was Principal of the Andale, Kansas...
, Elmer Thomas, Democratic State Senator Randy Bass
Randy Bass
is a former American baseball player and current politician. He is less notable for his career in Major League Baseball than for his success in Japan's Hanshin Tigers of Central League, where he had the most spectacular run of any American to ever play in Japan...
and former US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Julian Niemczyk
Julian Niemczyk
Julian Martin Niemczyk was a United States diplomat.Born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Niemczyk was the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1986 to 1989.-References:...
(born on Fort Sill).
Other notable residents include: WWII Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
Code Talker Charles Chibitty
Charles Chibitty
Charles Joyce Chibitty was a Comanche Numunu code talker, who spoke in his native language to relay messages for the United States Army during the European Theatre of World War II.-Life:...
, Academy Award winning actress Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
, WWII ace Robert S. Johnson
Robert S. Johnson
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Samuel Johnson was a USAAF fighter pilot during World War II. He is credited with scoring 27 victories during the conflict flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt....
, three time NBA champion Stacey King, former NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson, Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson
Lauren Nelson
Lauren Paige Nelson is a beauty queen from Lawton, Oklahoma who holds the Miss America 2007 title. Nelson is the second consecutive Miss America and sixth in the history of Miss America to hail from this state....
, infamous University of Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson, NFL Pro Bowlers Will Shields
Will Shields
Will Herthie Shields is a former American football offensive guard. He attended the University of Nebraska and played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his 14 seasons in the NFL, Shields never missed a game...
and Jammal Brown
Jammal Brown
-New Orleans Saints:He was selected to attend the 2006 Pro Bowl alongside the player he protects, quarterback Drew Brees, after anchoring the line that got the Saints to the NFC Championship Game. Brown's prototypical size at left tackle makes him good at both run and pass blocking. He led the...
, and 2006 Contender champion boxer Grady Brewer
Grady Brewer
Grady Brewer, , is a professional boxer. A former IBA Light Middleweight titleholder, he is the 2006 winner of the ESPN reality show, The Contender. Outside the ring, he works at the Goodyear plant in Lawton to support his wife and four children.In a family of boxers, it was natural that Brewer...
.