Kingfisher, Oklahoma

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Kingfisher, Oklahoma
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
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pushpin_label_position =left
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of Oklahoma
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Oklahoma
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Kingfisher

government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 10.7
area_land_km2 = 10.7
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 4.1
area_land_sq_mi = 4.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 4380
population_density_km2 = 408.8
population_density_sq_mi = 1058.9

timezone = Central (CST)
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 321
elevation_ft = 1053
latd = 35 |latm = 51 |lats = 22 |latNS = N
longd = 97 |longm = 56 |longs = 4 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 73750
area_code = 405
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 40-39850GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1094390GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Kingfisher is a city in and the county seat of Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States.GR|6 The population was 4,380 at the 2000 census. It is the former home and namesake of Kingfisher College.

History

Kingfisher is one of those towns which came into existence on April 22, 1889, when land owned by the federal government was opened to settlement by "land run." A huge area in what is now central Oklahoma was literally "peopled" by Americans overnight. The city is situated on a part of the Chisholm Trail, over which millions of Texas longhorns were driven to railheads in Kansas in the years immediately following the Civil War. Extension of the railroads and settlement of the open range ended this colorful era. Kingfisher's main permanent tourist attractions are the Chisholm Trail Museum, and the Gov. Seay Mansion nearby. These facilities preserve relics and information of the community's unique heritage.

Economically, the Kingfisher County Development Foundation was created in 1958 for the purpose of assisting and promoting industrial, economic and civic growth within, and surrounding the Kingfisher area of Oklahoma. By better serving the needs of business development and investment, the K.C.D.F.'s pursuit of economic stability and growth has benefited its merchants, city, schools, hospital and citizens. A present K.C.D.F. strategy includes the investment for development of the Kingfisher Industrial Park. The industrial park is located just south of Kingfisher, further closing the gap between Oklahoma City and Kingfisher. Investing and the development of incentives for builders and developers in Kingfisher have never been so promising, as it quickly becomes a bedroom suburban community of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, already home to many commuters to the big city.

Kingfisher is a Certified City and has received a Community Development Block Grant to inventory infrastructure features for Capital Improvement Planning (CIP).

Kingfisher is also notable for being the birthplace of W.C. Coleman.

Kingfisher was the town in which W.C. Coleman (1870-1957) got his real start in the lantern business. It started as simply as this: In 1900, a young man bent on replenishing his educational funds so he could complete his last year of law school set out to sell lamps in what is now Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He had first encountered the lamp that would change the course of his life in a drugstore window in Alabama. Plagued with such poor vision he sometimes had to ask classmates to read aloud to him, the brilliant light from that window stopped W.C. Coleman in his tracks. He went in to inquire about it and discovered he was able to read even the small print on a medicine bottle by this light. The lamps had mantles, not wicks, and were fueled by gasoline under pressure instead of coal oil. Their light was clean and white. And when Coleman heard the company was looking for salesmen, he used the funds he'd accumulated to buy inventory. He could sell these lamps in a flash to merchants who wanted to keep their shops open in the evening. As it turned out, he couldn't sell even one. Merchants in Kingfisher had just been stung by a lighting salesman with a less-than-stellar product. Shopkeepers would not be swayed. So, using the ingenuity and resourcefulness that would later build his company, W.C. decided to sell a lighting service instead of the lamps themselves. He drew up contracts with a "no light, no pay" clause and, with the risk removed, customers signed up. Soon Kingfisher was a beacon on the prairie. The service eventually expanded to cities as far west as San Diego and Las Vegas. In 1902, Coleman relocated to Wichita, Kansas, reasoning it would be about the center of his potential territory. As it turned out, his territory would one day come to encompass the world. [SOURCE: http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/WhoWeAre2.asp]

On August 19, 2007 the [http://okkingfisher.googlepages.com City of Kingfisher] was 25% flooded when Kingfisher Creek and Uncle John Creek overflowed their banks. This was the result of heavy rain from Tropical Depression Erin, one women died in the flood. (KWTV August 19, 2007)

Geography

Kingfisher is located at coor dms|35|51|22|N|97|56|4|W|city (35.856216, -97.934517)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.7 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,380 people, 1,727 households, and 1,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,058.9 people per square mile (408.5/km²). There were 1,935 housing units at an average density of 467.8/sq mi (180.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.05% White, 1.96% African American, 5.71% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.00% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.10% of the population.

There were 1,727 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,059, and the median income for a family was $47,037. Males had a median income of $31,818 versus $17,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,117. About 9.8% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

* [http://www.kingfisher.org Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://okkingfisher.googlepages.com OK Kingfisher.com]