Barnsdall is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States.

History

thumb|left|Bigheart in 1910

The community was founded in 1905 and originally named Bigheart, for the Osage Chief James Bigheart. It was initially a 160-acre site along the Midland Valley Railroad in March 1905. The railroad opened Bigheart Station in September 1905 and the Bigheart Post Office opened in January 1906. The community was exempted from the Osage allotment, so lots could be sold to anyone. Lots were auctioned in May 1906. The first newspaper, the Bigheart Star, first appeared in 1906.

Joshua Cosden built the Southwest Refining Company oil refinery in 1910. He sold it to Stone and Webster of Boston, Massachusetts in 1917. The Barnsdall Oil Company had discovered the nearby Bigheart (later Barnsdall) oilfield in 1916. The Barnsdall Oil Company, bought the refinery in 1921. The community was renamed Barnsdall on January 1, 1922, in honor of Theodore N. Barnsdall. Barnsdall Refining Company renamed itself Bareco Oil Company in 1940. It ceased refining oil in 1946 and began producing microcrystalline waxes that year. Petrolite Corporation (later part of Baker Hughes) bought Bareco and continued to operate the plant. and, NuCera was sold in September 2022 to Chase Corporation. NuCera continued as operator until July 2024, when tornado damage lead to announcement of the plant's phased shutdown. At least some of the route south of Barnsdall has been converted into a rail trail.

2024 tornadoes

On the evening of April 1, 2024, an EF1 tornado struck Barnsdall, damaging 35 homes, but no injuries were reported.

On the evening of May 6, 2024, a large and destructive EF4 tornado hit the city, the second tornado in the city within five weeks. Peak wind speeds were estimated at . Two fatalities occurred in Barnsdall as a result of the tornado, and several structures were completely destroyed. Barnsdall Nursing Home was among the structures that were damaged. Several buildings, including schools, were opened to those who had homes damaged or destroyed and needed shelter. At least ten people reportedly suffered injuries due to the tornado. Significant damage was done to the NuCera refinery.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Barnsdall had a population of 1,034. The median age was 39.2 years, with 25.1% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.6% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.9 males age 18 and over.

Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 395 households in Barnsdall, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.1% were married-couple households, 16.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

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| White || 64.3%

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| Black or African American || 0.3%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 20.4%

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| Asian || 0.2%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.1%

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| Some other race || 0.3%

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| Two or more races || 14.4%

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| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1.7%

|}

2022 American Community Survey

American Community Survey estimates, there were people and households. The population density was . There were housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 65.6% White, 19.7% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 0.7% Black or African American, with 14.0% from two or more races. For every 100 females, there were males. Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $ compared to $ for females. Out of the people with a determined poverty status, 6.5% were below the poverty line. Further, 2.2% of minors and 4.6% of seniors were below the poverty line.

In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 16.0% of the population of the town, followed by Irish at 14.7%, American at 9.2%, English at 4.9%, Dutch at 2.5%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 1.4%, Scotch-Irish at 0.8%, and Arab at 0.7%.

Attractions

thumb|right|[[Bank of Bigheart building in Barnsdall. Built in 1911, it is the community's oldest surviving commercial building.]]

Barnsdall has two properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Osage County, Oklahoma:

  • Bank of Bigheart, which is the communities oldest commercial building
  • Barnsdall Main Street Well Site, an oil well in the middle of Main Street.

In addition, the Woolaroc Ranch Historic District, 8 miles east of the junction of State Highway 11 and State Highway 123, is near Barnsdall.

Lake Waxhoma, about 4 miles east, offers fishing opportunities, as well as being a key water source for the town.

Notable people

  • Anita Bryant (1940–2024), singer and anti-gay political activist, born in Barnsdall
  • Clark Gable (1901–1960), actor in Gone With the Wind, was born elsewhere but worked for a time in the Barnsdall area on oil rigs.
  • Thomas Hall (born 1939), retired U.S. Navy rear admiral
  • J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), lawyer, 8-term U.S. Representative from Indiana

References

  • City of Barnsdall
  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Barnsdall