Cushing (, , meaning: "Soft-seat town") is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cushing had a population of 8,327. Cushing was established after the Land Run of 1891 by William "Billy Rae" Little. It was named for Marshall Cushing, private secretary to U.S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker.

The city is primarily known for its oil industry. A 1912 oil boom led to the city's development as a refining center, with over 50 refineries operating in Cushing over its history. and is more generally the main oil-pricing hub of the United States. It is known as the "Pipeline Crossroads of the World."

History

The area that became Cushing was part of the Sac and Fox Nation. With the Land Run of 1891, a former government trader for the tribe, William Rea "Billy" Little, built a house, established his claim, and laid out town lots. The town got a post office on November 10, 1891, and was named for Marshall Cushing, private secretary to U.S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker. Pipelines and storage facilities have since made it "the pipeline crossroads of the world".

The oil boom did not last long. Production peaked in 1915 with 8.3 million barrels of oil, but went down by 50% in 1916.

During the 1970s and 1980s refining operations continued in Cushing until the last two refineries, Kerr-McGee and Hudson, closed. Rail service ended in 1982. The next-generation refinery, built with a goal of zero-carbon footprint operation, should be operational in 2027.

| date=October 2010

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Cushing had a population of 8,327 and a median age of 36.5 years. Children under 18 made up 20.3% of residents while 14.4% were 65 or older, and there were 137.6 males for every 100 females (148.2 males per 100 females age 18 and over).

There were 2,786 households in Cushing, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.3% were married-couple households, 20.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Percent

|-

| White || 70.3%

|-

| Black or African American || 8.8%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 7.8%

|-

| Asian || 0.4%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || <0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 3.4%

|-

| Two or more races || 9.2%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 6.8%

|}

2000 census

As of the census Crude oil tank farms around Cushing have over 90 million barrels of storage capacity.

The new refinery announced in May 2023 is expected to create 423 direct jobs and produce a payroll of $39.3 million, resulting in a total economic impact of $18.2 billion over the following decade.

Parks and recreation

The foundations of Cushing Municipal Park were established in 1935 with Cushing Memorial Park, constructed by the WPA. Over time, more and more features have been added, including a Duck Pond, a picnic pavilion, gazebos, various playground areas, skate park, disc golf course, sand volleyball court, and baseball diamond. The Cushing Aquatic Center includes a splashpad, wading pool, full sized pool with swim lanes, and a three-tiered ramp with 5 pool slides.

Buffalo Rock Golf and Venue Golf Course, originally the Cushing Country Club dating from 1921, is an 18-hole course open to the public.

Cushing Lake, 6 miles west of the city, offers a boat ramp, dock, and picnic area.

Government

Cushing has a commissioner-manager form of government.

Education

The Cushing school district has five schools that include a preschool, two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district serves approximately 1,800 students.

Transportation

Cushing is at the eastern intersection of State Highway 33 (east-west) and State Highway 18 (north-south).

Cushing is served by the Cushing Municipal Airport (KCUH, or FAA Identifier CUH), featuring a paved 5201' x 100' runway. Commercial air transportation is available out of the Stillwater Regional Airport about 20 miles to the northwest, and the Tulsa International Airport, about 59 miles to the east-northeast.

Historic Sites

The following are NRHP-listed:

  • The Bassett House
  • Luke D. Berry House
  • Cushing American Legion Building
  • Cushing Armory
  • Gillespie Drilling Company Building
  • Christian K. Usher Luston House

Notable people

  • Paul Blair, professional baseball player
  • Al Buell, former painter of pin-up art
  • Kelly Cook, former running back in the National Football League
  • Harold DeMarsh, first ever NCAA Wrestling Champion
  • Brian Kelly, professional boxer
  • Frank Lewis, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at 1936 Summer Olympics
  • Robert Pearce, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at 1932 Summer Olympics
  • Jay Rubenstein, Rhodes Scholar, MacArthur Fellow, medieval historian
  • Bob Shirley, former professional baseball pitcher

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References

  • Cushing Chamber of Commerce
  • Cushing Public Schools
  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - "Cushing"
  • Cushing in 2009, ABC TV
  • Weekly Cushing, OK Ending Stocks (crude oil), U.S. Energy Information Administration.