Stroud is a city in Creek and Lincoln counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, Stroud had a population of 2,719.

History

Stroud was founded in 1892 and named for James W. Stroud, a developer. Early in its history, Stroud lay in Oklahoma Territory, where alcoholic drinks could be sold legally. Towns close to the boundary between Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were known as "whiskey towns," and had a reputation as a "wild" town due to its many saloons and other businesses catering to thirsty cowboys and travelers arriving from "dry" Indian Territory. These days were short-lived, however, because Oklahoma statehood in 1907, forced Stroud to become "dry" as well.

In 1901, after a race riot, Stroud became a sundown town, with a prominent sign warning African Americans not to stay overnight.

During the first decade of the 20th century, Stroud's economy was based on cotton farming in the surrounding countryside. The population at statehood was 1,312. By 1909, Stroud had two banks, two newspapers, four cotton gins, and a cottonseed-oil mill, but the 1910 census showed population declined to 1,220. Henry was sentenced to prison at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, but was paroled after serving only four years.

The town became quiet until about 1926 when U.S. Route 66 was built. When construction of the highway was completed, Stroud became a rest stop with amenities such as motels, gas stations and restaurants. The Rock Café, built during the Great Depression using local sandstone removed during the construction of Route 66, operated 24 hours a day during its 1950s heyday. Business diminished after the Turner Turnpike diverted cross-country traffic from the town's main street.

Stroud was devastated by the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, which destroyed the town's 53-store Tanger Outlet Center, as well as a distribution center owned by foodservice company Sygma. Neither of these facilities were rebuilt; the resulting loss of 800 jobs caused a significant amount of economic distress to the town.

In 2001, Pixar crews visited to research US 66 for the animated film Cars, at a time when the town economy was still attempting to recover from the 1999 tornado, and the Rock Café was undergoing historic restoration. The character of Radiator Springs hotelier Sally Carrera is heavily based on Rock Café proprietor Dawn Welch and her efforts to promote and rebuild the town. A fire gutted the restaurant on May 20, 2008 but the grill and the original stone walls survived. The Rock Café was rebuilt by historic preservationist David Burke; Dawn Welch reopened the business on May 29, 2009.

Geography

Stroud Lake, located approximately northeast of the city, offers recreational opportunities and is also the location of the Wilderness Challenge Center of the Oklahoma Foundation for the Disabled.

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The bulk of the city is in Lincoln County, part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. A sliver in the east is in Creek County, part of the Tulsa metropolitan area.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Stroud had a population of 2,719. The median age was 38.2 years, with 24.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 18.6% 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.9 males age 18 and over.

0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,082 households in Stroud, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.6% were married-couple households, 17.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

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| White || 75.9%

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| Black or African American || 2.6%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 8.6%

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| Asian || 0.6%

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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0%

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| Some other race || 1.3%

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| Two or more races || 11.0%

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| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 3.6%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

  • Kevin Bookout professional basketball player
  • Bobby Riley football player

Twin cities

  • Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK

See also

  • List of sundown towns in the United States
  • Joseph Carpenter House
  • Rock Café
  • Ozark Trails Section of Route 66

References

  • City of Stroud
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory