Blanton, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blanton, Oklahoma
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Blanton railroad stop in the mid-1990s
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1909 map of Garfield County, Oklahoma with Blanton.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Garfield |
| Elevation | 1,240 ft (400 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 580 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1100216 |
Blanton is a small, unincorporated community in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. An unincorporated community is a place that doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's usually managed by the county.
Blanton was once an important stop for trains. It had two different rail lines running through it. One of these lines was used to move grain until the mid-1990s. The community was named after W. B. Blanton, who was an executive for the Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad (DE&G).
Contents
Blanton's Railroad History
Blanton has a long history with trains. As early as 1909, it was a regular stop for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. This shows how important railroads were for travel and trade back then.
The Second Rail Line
A second train track also ran through Blanton. This line was built between 1904 and 1905 for the DE&G railroad. Later, it was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway. This particular line was very important for transporting grain. Farmers would use it to send their crops to other places.
However, by the mid-1990s, the use of this train line for grain started to decline. Trucks became a more common way to move goods.
Why the Line Was Abandoned
In 1996, a company called K & E Railway Company (K&E) bought the unused Blanton to Kiowa branch from the Santa Fe railway. They hoped to start using the line again. But, local grain companies were no longer interested in shipping by train. They preferred to use trucks to send their grain to Enid. Because there was no interest, the K&E company asked for permission to stop using the line completely. They were granted this permission later that same year.
Where is Blanton Located?
Blanton is found at 36°25′38″N 97°55′35″W / 36.42722°N 97.92639°W. This location is about 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) west-northwest of Enid.
Part of a Watershed
Blanton is also part of something called the Lower Cimarron-Skeleton Watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water, like rain or melting snow, drains into a common point, such as a river, lake, or ocean.
Modern Rail Connection
Even today, Blanton is located on the main track of the BNSF Railway's Texas Division. It is specifically at mile 548.2 of this track.
