Brinkman, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brinkman, Oklahoma
|
|
|---|---|
 Brinkman, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
Brinkman, Oklahoma
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Greer |
| Elevation | 1,693 ft (516 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1090501 |
Brinkman is a small, quiet place in Greer County, Oklahoma, in the United States. It's not a city or town with its own government anymore. It's what people call an "unincorporated community." This means it's a group of homes or businesses that are not part of an official town. Brinkman is located about nine miles north of Mangum, Oklahoma. Today, it's mostly known as a ghost town, meaning most people have moved away.
Contents
The Story of Brinkman
How Brinkman Began
Brinkman started in 1910. It was named after John Brinkman. He was a business partner of Joseph A. Kemp and Frank Kell, who built railroads. A post office opened in Brinkman on June 17, 1910. This was an important step for the new community.
By late 1911, Brinkman even had its own weekly newspaper. It was called the Brinkman Courier. The community grew, and by 1925, the high school had over 450 students. This shows it was a busy place.
Facing Challenges
Brinkman was a market town for the farms around it. It had two large grain elevators. These were used to store crops like wheat. But the town faced some big problems. The local bank closed in 1927. Then, a fire destroyed half the town in 1929. Many buildings were never rebuilt after the fire.
In 1931, Oklahoma State Highway 34 was built. This new road went around the town, not through it. This made it harder for people to visit Brinkman. It also made the town's decline happen faster.
Becoming a Ghost Town
The school in Brinkman closed in 1957. The school building was taken down. The school district joined with a larger one nearby. On December 30, 1965, the post office closed its doors for good.
The railroad that helped start the town was no longer used in 1972. By 1974, the train tracks were removed. With the railroad gone, Brinkman had very little activity left. By 1980, only a few people still lived there. Today, you can only see a few old buildings and a very small number of residents.
In 2012, a special historical marker was put up. It helps remember the community of Brinkman.
Where is Brinkman?
Brinkman is located in Greer County, Oklahoma. It sits at an elevation of 1,693 feet (516 meters). This means it is about 1,693 feet above sea level.
