Wynnewood ( ) is a city in Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. It is south of Oklahoma City. The population was 1,927 at the time of the 2020 census. Located in what was then the Chickasaw Nation of Indian Territory, it began as a village called "Walner" in 1886, on the proposed route of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway. Railroad workers from Pennsylvania named the community for Wynnewood, a community outside of Philadelphia. The name became official on April 6, 1887.

History

At the time of its founding, Wynnewood was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation.

thumb|Eskridge Hotel (a museum since 1973), November 7, 2015

Wynnewood quickly became a market town for the surrounding area. In 1887, Presbyterian missionary Mary Semple Hotchkins moved her school for Chickasaw children from Cherokee Town to Wynnewood. In 1901, local citizens paid for building Indianola College.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Wynnewood had a population of 1,927. The median age was 40.5 years; 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.4 males age 18 and over. 0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 789 households in Wynnewood, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.6% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Percent

|-

| White || 66.3%

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| Black or African American || 7.0%

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| American Indian and Alaska Native || 8.6%

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| Asian || 0%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0.2%

|-

| Some other race || 4.6%

|-

| Two or more races || 13.4%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 9.3%

|}

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,367 people, 965 households, and 607 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,104 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.27% White, 10.73% African American, 7.77% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.68% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.83% of the population.

There were 965 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,149, and the median income for a family was $31,856. Males had a median income of $28,929 versus $19,375 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,539. About 13.6% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

For many years, the local economy was based on agriculture. Principal crops in the early 20th century included pecans, peaches, corn, wheat, oats, alfalfa, cotton and clover. A cottonseed oil company and four cotton gins supported the cotton industry. The Wynnewood refinery was one of only five operating in Oklahoma as of 2015.

Media

The Wynnewood Gazette began publication in 1906, and has continued into the 21st century.

Other early newspapers were the Wynnewood Republic and the Wynnewood Times.

  • Joe Exotic, zookeeper and the subject of the documentary series Tiger King
  • Tommy Franks, general who commanded the invasion forces of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq
  • Roy Milton (1907–1983), musician and bandleader
  • Donna Shirley, who led the Mars Pathfinder project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

See also

  • List of oil refineries

Notes

References

  • Wynnewood Public Schools