Elk City, Oklahoma
The Spanish conquistador was traveling northeast across the prairie in search of a place called Quivira, a city said to be fabulously wealthy with gold.Because Coronado's route across the plains is speculative,[6] it is quite possible that the expedition passed through present-day Elk City or the nearby area.[citation needed] Elk City's history dates back to the days immediately following the opening of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation in western Oklahoma Territory on April 19, 1892, when the first white settlers made their appearance.Probably the most important day in Elk City's history is March 20, 1901, the date the first lots were sold by the Choctaw Townsite and Development Company.On that day, the townsite company sold $32,000 worth of property (about $870,000 in 2012 dollars) and continued doing a good business for some time thereafter.Marcy and his troops had left the Wichita Mountains and the waterway which he named Otter Creek during his exploration, and they were traveling northwest along the North Fork of the Red River.On May 31, in the official journal of the expedition, Marcy wrote about the productive soil, the dense grass, and the vertical red clay banks of a "bold running stream of good water."The first regular train service commenced seven days later on August 20, and city folk rejoiced, predicting that the dugouts, claim shacks, and prairie stables would soon disappear and be replaced by handsome residences, commodious barns, and granaries.Petroleum, agriculture, wind energy, transportation, tourism, manufacturing, and healthcare all contribute to Elk City's economy.Because of this, the city is the self-proclaimed "Natural Gas Capital of the World", complete with Parker Drilling Rig #114, located downtown.[18] Great Plains Regional Medical Center is Elk City's largest employer and serves Western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle.The hospital has been named by OKCBusiness and Best Companies Group as one of the "Thirty Best Places to Work in Oklahoma" for three consecutive years: 2006, 2007, and 2008.Soon afterward, a $2.2 million federal grant was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help fund the project and bring more jobs to Elk City.
Beckham CountyOklahomaCountryCountyBeckhamTime zoneCentral (CST)ZIP codesArea codeFIPS code2020 census2010 censusInterstate 40Historic U.S. Route 66Oklahoma CityAmarillo, TexasFrederic RemingtonFrancisco Vásquez de CoronadoEuropeanSpanishconquistadorQuiviraCheyenne-ArapahoOklahoma TerritoryGreat Western Cattle TrailDodge City, KansasWeatherford, OklahomaChoctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf RailroadRandolph B. MarcyRed RiverWichita MountainsChicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadprairieboomtownUnited States Census BureauKöppen Climate Classificationhumid subtropical climateprecipitationcensusAfrican AmericanNative AmericanPacific Islanderother racesHispanicLatinomarried couplesper capita incomepoverty lineWestern OklahomaTexas Panhandle2000 censusnatural-gasAnadarko BasinArchie's lawlivestockAcciona Energywind farmRed Hills Wind FarmU.S. Route 66Oklahoma State Highway 6Oklahoma State Highway 34WoodwardElk City Regional Business AirportFoss State ParkFoss ReservoirWashita National Wildlife RefugeBlack Kettle National GrasslandAntelope HillsQuartz MountainsWashita Battlefield National Historic SiteWalmart SupercenterAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Sayre Public SchoolsWestern Technology CenterElk City Daily NewsKECO 96.5 FM (Country)KKZU 95.5 FM (Classic Rock)KOOL 94.3 FM (Classic Hits)KADS 1240 AM (Sports Talk)Intercity bus serviceGreyhound LinesWill Rogers World AirportRick Husband Amarillo International AirportFarmrail CorporationNational Register of Historic Places listings in Beckham County, OklahomaCasa Grande HotelHedlund Motor Company BuildingStorm HouseWhited Grist MillCade DavisKeitha DickersonRichard HartJustin McBrideScott MeachamKelli O'HaraBroadwaySusan PowellMiss America 1981Joe SpencerJimmy WebbGrammy AwardAmerican Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) FoundationU.S. Census BureauBeckham County, OklahomaCounty seatCitiesCarterSweetwaterTexolaUnincorporatedcommunities Delhi MayfieldRetropTaylorNational Register of Historic PlacesEdwards Archaeological SiteFirst National BankWest Winds MotelBeckham County CourthouseSayre Champlin Service StationSayre City ParkJ. W. Danner HouseSayre Downtown Historic DistrictSayre Rock Island DepotMagnolia Service StationList of National Historic Landmarks in Oklahoma