Pawnee (Pawnee: Paári, ) is a city in and the county seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States. The town is northeast of Stillwater at the junction of U.S. Route 64 and State Highway 18.

It was named for the Pawnee tribe, which was relocated to this area between 1873 and 1875. The population was 1,936 as of the 2020 Census.

History

The Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School were established after the Pawnee tribe came to this area in 1875. The Pawnee Agency was designated as a post office on May 4, 1876. The area was opened to non-Indian settlers on September 16, 1893, during the Cherokee Outlet Opening. Townsite Number Thirteen (later Pawnee) had been designated as the temporary county seat. The post office was redesignated from Pawnee Agency to Pawnee on October 26, 1893. The town incorporated on April 16, 1894. On September 9, 1895, the townspeople dedicated a stone county courthouse.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Pawnee had a population of 1,936. The median age was 39.6 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older.

There were 736 households in Pawnee, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.9% were married-couple households, 17.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

|-

| White || 53.4%

|-

| Black or African American || 1.5%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 35.3%

|-

| Asian || 0%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0%

|-

| Some other race || 0.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 9.1%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 2.9%

|}

2000 census

As of the 2000 census causing cracks and minor damage to buildings. It was the strongest recorded earthquake in state history, exceeding the 5.7 magnitude 2011 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma. The earthquake was caused by the deep injection of wastewater created by the practice of fracking to release oil trapped in shale rock.

Items of interest

thumb|right|Peerless Steam Threshing Engine (Corliss engine) on Static Display at Pawnee County Courthouse

<!-- Deleted image removed: thumb|right|Dick Tracy mural in downtown Pawnee -->

  • The Pawnee Indian Veterans Homecoming and Powwow, which occurs the weekend that falls closest to the 4th of July.
  • Served by Meridian Technology Center
  • Pawnee High School
  • Home of the Pawnee people and government.
  • Pawnee Lake, consisting of 530 surface acres with boating, fishing, and camping, and having a 9-hole golf course and horse facilities adjacent.
  • Pawnee Bill Historical Museum, with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, the Wild West Shows and the Pawnees.
  • Oklahoma Steam and Gas Engine Show. This annual event by the Oklahoma Steam Threshers and Gas Engine Association is during the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May. The event typically includes a Western Heritage Week, a Draft Horse and Mule Sale, an "Old Time Saturday Night" Car-Cruze-In, a youth rodeo, and a Ranch Rodeo.
  • Large Dick Tracy wall mural The Museum preserves the names, places and history of the Pawnee community, displays artifacts from area ghost towns, shows pieces of Pawnee Tribe history, and showcases Dick Tracy memorabilia.
  • Della Warrior (b. 1946), born in Pawnee, served as first (and so far, only) female chair of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. Also was president of the Institute of American Indian Arts.
  • Moses J. "Chief" YellowHorse, first full blooded Native American Pro Baseball Player (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1921-2)

References

  • City of Pawnee
  • Pawnee County Historical Society
  • Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and Nebraska
  • Pawnee Nation College
  • Pawnee Public Schools