Watonga, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Watonga, Oklahoma
City
Location of Watonga, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Blaine
Government
• Type	Aldermanic
Area
• Total	3.79 sq mi (9.80 km2)
• Land	3.77 sq mi (9.76 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	1,522 ft (464 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,690
• Density	713.72/sq mi (275.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	73772
Area code(s)	580
FIPS code	40-78950
GNIS feature ID	2412193

Watonga is a city located in Blaine County, Oklahoma. It is about 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. In 2020, the city had a population of 2,690 people. Watonga is also the county seat of Blaine County, meaning it's where the main government offices for the county are located.

History of Watonga

Watonga is built on land that was once part of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation. This land was later opened up for new settlers in an event called the Land Run of 1892. The city gets its name from Arapaho Chief Watonga, whose name means "Black Coyote."

How Watonga Began

The town of Watonga started as a "tent city" on April 19, 1892. This means people lived in tents when they first arrived. A post office was set up in Watonga that same year. A railroad line was built through Watonga between 1901 and 1902. This railway helped connect Watonga to other places like Guthrie.

Geography and Location

Watonga is located in Oklahoma. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of about 3.79 square miles (9.80 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this area, about 0.28%, is water.

People of Watonga

The number of people living in Watonga has changed over the years.

Population Details (2000 Census)

In 2000, there were 4,658 people living in Watonga. They lived in 1,273 households, and 858 of these were families. The population density was about 1,703 people per square mile.

Many different groups of people lived in Watonga. About 61% were White, 15% were African American, and 8% were Native American. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 12% of the population.

Age and Income

The population of Watonga in 2000 included people of all ages. About 20.5% were under 18 years old. The median age was 34 years. This means half the people were younger than 34, and half were older.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,208. For families, the median income was $31,391. The average income per person in the city was $10,567.

Watonga's Economy

For a long time, Watonga's economy has been mostly based on agriculture. Farmers in the area mainly grew wheat.

Dairy and Other Businesses

The dairy industry grew in western Oklahoma, leading to the opening of the Watonga Cheese Factory in 1941. This factory was one of only five active dairy product plants in Oklahoma in 2004. However, the factory closed in 2007.

Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores started in Watonga in the mid-1960s with one leased gas station. Today, Love's has nearly 500 travel centers across 41 states and employs 25,000 people.

Changes in Local Employment

The city was home to the Diamondback Correctional Facility, a prison, from 1998. This prison became the town's largest employer. However, the prison closed in May 2010, which meant about 300 workers lost their jobs or had to move. The prison building was still empty in 2017. The local Walmart store also closed in 2016.

Arts and Culture in Watonga

Watonga hosts a fun event every October called the Watonga Cheese Festival. This festival started in 1976 because Watonga had the only cheese factory in Oklahoma at the time. Even after the factory closed in 2007, the festival continued. In 2013, a wine competition was added to the festival.

The town's newspaper, the Watonga Republican, has been published since 1892.

Watonga also has the T.B. Ferguson Home Museum. This museum is in a Victorian-style house built in 1901. It belonged to a newspaper publisher named T.B. Ferguson and shows what life was like back then.

Notable People from Watonga

Many interesting people have come from Watonga, including:

• Sis Cunningham – A musician known for folk and protest music.
• Thompson Benton Ferguson – A newspaper publisher who became the eighth governor of the Oklahoma Territory.
• Trevon Hartfield – An NFL safety (a position in American football).
• Robert J. Helberg – An engineer for NASA who helped with the Lunar Orbiter program.
• Byron Houston – A retired NBA (National Basketball Association) player.
• Clarence Nash – The original voice of Donald Duck!

Parks and Recreation

Roman Nose State Park is a beautiful park located seven miles north of Watonga. It opened in 1937 and was one of Oklahoma's first state parks.

What to Do at Roman Nose State Park

The park has two lakes, Lake Boecher and the larger Lake Watonga. Visitors can enjoy hiking trails, guided horseback rides, and hayrides to a historic natural-rock swimming pool. There's also miniature golf and an 18-hole golf course.

For places to stay, the park has the Roman Nose Lodge, which was built in 1956 and updated in 2010. There are also over 90 campsites for RVs and tents.

Historic Sites in Watonga

Watonga has several important historic places.

Ferguson Chapel

Ferguson Chapel was a Presbyterian Church built in 1903. It was used as a church until 1972. In 1992, people in the town worked to restore the building, and now it's used as a place for events.

National Register of Historic Places

Seven sites in Watonga are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Blaine County Courthouse, the Noble Hotel, and the United States Post Office Watonga. These places are important because they show the history and architecture of the area.

Transportation

Watonga is connected by several main roads, including U.S. Route 270, State Highway 3, State Highway 8, and State Highway 51a.

The city has its own airport, the Watonga Regional Airport. For bigger flights, people can go to Will Rogers World Airport, which is about 68 miles away.

Trains also help move goods like grain and fertilizer through Watonga. The AT&L Railroad runs from Watonga to Geary and El Reno, Oklahoma.

See also

In Spanish: Watonga (Oklahoma) para niños