Yukon, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Yukon is a city in Canadian County
, Oklahoma
, United States
and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 22,709 at the 2010 census
.
Yukon is the hometown of country singer Garth Brooks
, actor Dale Robertson
, 2001 Miss Oklahoma USA
Cortney Phillips and the red dirt band
Cross Canadian Ragweed
. In 1949, Yukon garnered national media attention because of the plight of Grady the Cow
.
The Czech Hall
, a national and state historic site, is devoted to preserving Czech
customs, heritage, and culture. Community events include the Czech Festival in October, and the Chisholm Trail
Festival in June. Yukon's sister city is Krnov
in the Czech Republic
.
turned railroad builder, was working on a line from El Reno to Arkansas
when he decided to build the town. Spencer filed the plat on the townsite on February 14, 1891. He had agreed to do so and lay the train tracks through the town in exchange for half of the lots, which were owned by Minnie Taylor and Luther S. Morrison. Taylor and Morrison had acquired the land since the 1889 land run. Spencer also bought two quarter sections south of Main Street from Joseph Carson and his sister, Josephine.
The first houses and businesses were located on the north side of Spencer Avenue (now Main Street) and present Fourth and Fifth Streets. The Canadian County Courier reported on April 1, 1891, that the city had 25 homes, one bank, two real estate offices, two restaurants, a lumber yard, a hardware store, a grocery, a livery stable, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, a printing office, a barber shop, and a second barber shop "about completed."
The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway Company laid its track, causing the abandonment of Frisco, which had a population of 1,000 at the time. Beginning in about 1898, Yukon began to attract immigrants from Bohemia. Following World War I and the dissolution of Bohemia
into Czechoslovakia
and Moravia
, the immigrants became known as "Czechs." Yukon is known as the "Czech Capital of Oklahoma."
The town voted to incorporate in 1901 and voted to add water works, sewer, and electricity from the mill in 1910. Businesses remained clustered on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth, until the 1920s, when they began to locate in other parts of the town. The interurban was built from Oklahoma City
to El Reno in 1911. It closed in 1911. Paved roads didn't arrive until the construction of State Highway 66 in 1926.
Yukon quickly thrived as the urban center for area farmers and had an organized library by 1905 and a dedicated library building in 1927. A small milling operation, the Yukon Mill and Grain Company, opened in 1893 and grew tremendously, shipping flour and feeds throughout the south and exporting them overseas by 1915. The milling operation was owned by the Kroutil and Dobry families, but the Dobry family built their own mill and parted ways with the Kroutils in the 1930s. The mills were sold to larger corporations; Shawnee Mills purchased the Yukon Mill and Grain Company and Mid-Continent purchased the Dobry Mills. Paying homage to that history, the students of Yukon High School are known as "Millers," and their mascot is "The Miller Man."
From a population of 830 in 1907, Yukon grew slowly to 1,990 by 1950. By 1960, the population registered at 3,076. The town had grown to approximately 22,000 residents in 2005.
, and it is located in the central portion of the east side of Canadian County, Oklahoma
at 35°30′8"N 97°44′57"W (35.502255, -97.749120). The town is traversed by historic Route 66 and state highways 4 and 92. It lies just north of Interstate 40
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 25.8 square miles (66.8 km²), of which, 25.8 square miles (66.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04% is water.
of 2000, there were 21,043 people, 7,830 households, and 5,989 families residing in the city. The population density
was 816.8 people per square mile (315.4/km²). There were 8,135 housing units at an average density of 315.8 per square mile (121.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.93% White, 0.36% African American, 2.68% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races
, and 2.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.01% of the population.
There were 7,830 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,265, and the median income for a family was $52,646. Males had a median income of $36,516 versus $25,014 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,773. About 5.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Canadian County, Oklahoma
Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 115,541. Its county seat is El Reno. Canadian County is also part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Canadian County is named for the Canadian River.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 22,709 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
Yukon is the hometown of country singer Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, actor Dale Robertson
Dale Robertson
Dayle Lymoine "Dale" Robertson is an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the role of Jim Hardie in the TV series, Tales of Wells Fargo, and the owner of an incomplete railroad line in ABC's The Iron Horse, often appearing as the deceptively thoughtful but...
, 2001 Miss Oklahoma USA
Miss Oklahoma USA
For the article about the Miss America state pageant, see Miss OklahomaThe Miss Oklahoma USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oklahoma in the Miss USA pageant....
Cortney Phillips and the red dirt band
Red Dirt (music)
Red Dirt Music is a music genre that gets its name from the color of soil found in Oklahoma. Although Stillwater, Oklahoma is considered to be the epicenter of Red Dirt music, there's a Texas Red Dirt sound as well. Outlaws Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson are associated with that distinctive...
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Cross Canadian Ragweed was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country/Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross , Cody Canada , and Randy Ragsdale . Jeremy Plato's name was not involved in the band naming...
. In 1949, Yukon garnered national media attention because of the plight of Grady the Cow
Grady the Cow
Grady the Cow became famous for being the cow stuck inside a storage silo on a farm in Yukon, Oklahoma in 1949.- Story :...
.
The Czech Hall
Czech Hall
The Czech Hall is a building near Yukon, Oklahoma, also known as Bohemian Hall, that was built in 1925. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980....
, a national and state historic site, is devoted to preserving Czech
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
customs, heritage, and culture. Community events include the Czech Festival in October, and the Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
Festival in June. Yukon's sister city is Krnov
Krnov
Krnov is an Upper Silesian city in the northeastern Czech Republic, in the Moravian-Silesian Region, the District of Bruntál, on the Opava River, near the Polish border....
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
History
Yukon was founded by A.N. Spencer in 1891. Spencer, a cattleman from TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
turned railroad builder, was working on a line from El Reno to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
when he decided to build the town. Spencer filed the plat on the townsite on February 14, 1891. He had agreed to do so and lay the train tracks through the town in exchange for half of the lots, which were owned by Minnie Taylor and Luther S. Morrison. Taylor and Morrison had acquired the land since the 1889 land run. Spencer also bought two quarter sections south of Main Street from Joseph Carson and his sister, Josephine.
The first houses and businesses were located on the north side of Spencer Avenue (now Main Street) and present Fourth and Fifth Streets. The Canadian County Courier reported on April 1, 1891, that the city had 25 homes, one bank, two real estate offices, two restaurants, a lumber yard, a hardware store, a grocery, a livery stable, two saloons, a blacksmith shop, a printing office, a barber shop, and a second barber shop "about completed."
The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway Company laid its track, causing the abandonment of Frisco, which had a population of 1,000 at the time. Beginning in about 1898, Yukon began to attract immigrants from Bohemia. Following World War I and the dissolution of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
into Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, the immigrants became known as "Czechs." Yukon is known as the "Czech Capital of Oklahoma."
The town voted to incorporate in 1901 and voted to add water works, sewer, and electricity from the mill in 1910. Businesses remained clustered on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth, until the 1920s, when they began to locate in other parts of the town. The interurban was built from 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 El Reno in 1911. It closed in 1911. Paved roads didn't arrive until the construction of State Highway 66 in 1926.
Yukon quickly thrived as the urban center for area farmers and had an organized library by 1905 and a dedicated library building in 1927. A small milling operation, the Yukon Mill and Grain Company, opened in 1893 and grew tremendously, shipping flour and feeds throughout the south and exporting them overseas by 1915. The milling operation was owned by the Kroutil and Dobry families, but the Dobry family built their own mill and parted ways with the Kroutils in the 1930s. The mills were sold to larger corporations; Shawnee Mills purchased the Yukon Mill and Grain Company and Mid-Continent purchased the Dobry Mills. Paying homage to that history, the students of Yukon High School are known as "Millers," and their mascot is "The Miller Man."
From a population of 830 in 1907, Yukon grew slowly to 1,990 by 1950. By 1960, the population registered at 3,076. The town had grown to approximately 22,000 residents in 2005.
Geography
Yukon is a western suburb 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...
, and it is located in the central portion of the east side of Canadian County, Oklahoma
Canadian County, Oklahoma
Canadian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 115,541. Its county seat is El Reno. Canadian County is also part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area. Canadian County is named for the Canadian River.-Geography:According to the U.S...
at 35°30′8"N 97°44′57"W (35.502255, -97.749120). The town is traversed by historic Route 66 and state highways 4 and 92. It lies just north of Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 25.8 square miles (66.8 km²), of which, 25.8 square miles (66.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 21,043 people, 7,830 households, and 5,989 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 816.8 people per square mile (315.4/km²). There were 8,135 housing units at an average density of 315.8 per square mile (121.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.93% White, 0.36% African American, 2.68% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.01% of the population.
There were 7,830 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,265, and the median income for a family was $52,646. Males had a median income of $36,516 versus $25,014 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 $19,773. About 5.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Famous residents
- Yukon is the hometown of Garth BrooksGarth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, country music singer. - Dale RobertsonDale RobertsonDayle Lymoine "Dale" Robertson is an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the role of Jim Hardie in the TV series, Tales of Wells Fargo, and the owner of an incomplete railroad line in ABC's The Iron Horse, often appearing as the deceptively thoughtful but...
, Actor in Tales of Wells FargoTales of Wells FargoTales of Wells Fargo is an American Western television series that ran from March 18, 1957 to June 2, 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season when it expanded to an hour.-Synopsis:...
, The Iron HorseThe Iron HorseThe Iron Horse is an American Western television series that appeared on ABC from 1966 to 1968. It featured Dale Robertson as fictional gambler-turned-railroad baron Ben Calhoun...
and ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...
's 1981 hit DynastyDynastyA dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
. - Red dirtRed Dirt (music)Red Dirt Music is a music genre that gets its name from the color of soil found in Oklahoma. Although Stillwater, Oklahoma is considered to be the epicenter of Red Dirt music, there's a Texas Red Dirt sound as well. Outlaws Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson are associated with that distinctive...
band Cross Canadian RagweedCross Canadian RagweedCross Canadian Ragweed was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country/Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross , Cody Canada , and Randy Ragsdale . Jeremy Plato's name was not involved in the band naming...
. - Writer Steve HellerSteve Heller (fiction)Steve Heller is the American award-winning author of The Automotive History of Lucky Kellerman.His novel The Automotive History of Lucky Kellerman was a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club. His writings have earned a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, two O. Henry Awards Steve Heller...
grew up near Yukon. - Home of poet and author Ed Roberts