Everything about Claremore Oklahoma totally explained
Claremore is a city in and the
county seat of
Rogers County,
Oklahoma,
United States. The population was 15,873 at the
2000 census. The city is best known as the birthplace of entertainer
Will Rogers.
History
Around 1802, a band of
Osage Indians settled in the area of present-day Claremore. The town's name came from an Osage chief called "Gra-moi." French traders in the area pronounced his name as "Clairmont," which means "mountain with a clear view." The area experienced some minor damage during the American
Civil War, but quickly recovered after the end of the conflict.
After the
Indian Removal Act of 1830 was passed by the United States, Claremore became part of
Indian Territory and the
Cherokee Nation. Claremore was a part of the Cooweescoowee District in the northwestern part of the
Cherokee Nation. The Rogers family, for whom the county is named, was among the first settlers.
Clem Rogers, father of the famous Will Rogers, who, along with his family, is buried at the Will Rogers Memorial, moved to the county in 1856. His ranch eventually was more than 60,000 acres (243 km²), and his home, which still stands outside
Oologah, is an important historical site. Clem Rogers was a major advocate of Oklahoma statehood and was the oldest delegate to the state's Constitutional Convention in 1907 at age 69.
The coming of railways to Indian Territory was the driving factor in Claremore's early growth. Two early lines intersected in the center of town. The name of Claremore changed from Clermont to its present spelling on September 19, 1882. A clerk recording the town as having a post office spelled the name incorrectly, and it stuck. The city was incorporated in the
Cherokee Nation in 1883.
Another major factor in the growth of Claremore was an area known as "
Radium Town". In 1903, a man named George Eaton owned an oil company in Claremore. He was drilling just to the east of Claremore and struck an underground pool of water that smelled of sulfur. A local doctor, Dr. W.G. Williams, tested the water and marketed it as a cure. The water, known as "Radium Water," contained impurities that supposedly made it medically useful. Bath houses sprang up all over this area of Claremore, and many are still standing today.
Claremore's first hospital was established on Will Rogers Boulevard, or Highway 88, in the early 1900s. Today it's the site of a dry cleaners. Claremore's newspaper, the
Claremore Daily Progress, was established in 1893 by cowboy Joe Klein and is still published daily. It is the oldest business in Rogers County.
There are many historic homes and other buildings in Claremore, including the old business district. In 2002, Claremore's historic core received a rebuilding grant from the state's
Oklahoma Main Street program. Renovation work on the downtown was completed in 2007.
The
Rodgers and Hammerstein musical
Oklahoma! is set in Claremore and the surrounding area. The movie
Where the Heart Is starring
Natalie Portman and
Ashley Judd is fictionally portrayed in Rogers County and the area surrounding Claremore.
Geography
Claremore is located at (36.315181, -95.612784).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.3
square miles (31.8
km²), of which, 12.0 square miles (31.2 km²) of it's land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.96%) is water.
Claremore's primary water source is called Claremore Lake. The lake flows into Dog Creek which in turn flows eventually into the Verdigris River.
Transportation
Claremore is a major intersection of heavily-traveled highways. U.S. Interstate 44 crosses the city to its southeast. U.S. Highway 66, also known as the Mother Road (
Route 66), forms one of the main roads of the town. The city is also intersected by
Oklahoma State Highway 88 and
Oklahoma State Highway 20.
Two railroads, the
St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway (now controlled by
Union Pacific) and the
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway or "Frisco" (now controlled by
BNSF), intersect in Claremore. The traffic problems spawned by the intersection of two major national rail lines has led to discussion among city officials about how best to improve traffic flow. As of 2007, the city plans to elevate the BNSF railroad throughout the entire town.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 15,873 people, 6,283 households, and 4,165 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,319.4 people per square mile (509.4/km²). There were 6,784 housing units at an average density of 563.9/sq mi (217.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.69%
White, 1.99%
African American, 14.31%
Native American, 0.44%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 1.12% from
other races, and 6.42% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.
There were 6,283 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were
married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,547, and the median income for a family was $45,810. Males had a median income of $36,227 versus $21,742 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $17,853. Abuot 8.9% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 15.4% of those under the age of 18 and 15.0% of those 65 and older.
Education
Claremore Independent School District and Sequoyah Public Schools are the public school districts serving the city of Claremore. CISD currently consists of Claremore High School, Will Rogers Junior High, Central Upper Elementary, Westside Elementary, Claremont Elementary, Stuart Roosa Elementary, and the Alternative Learning Center. The district has plans to open a fourth elementary school once funds are secured for the project. Sequoyah Public Schools consists of Sequoyah High School, Sequoyah Junior High School, and Sequoyah Elementary School.
The first school in the Claremore area was opened to students in 1870. Claremore's first major high school was built in 1919 and was the most expensive public school building in the state of Oklahoma at the time. The building was used as a school for almost 80 years, until 1999, when the increasing costs of maintenance forced its closure.
Claremore is home to the main campus of
Rogers State University, a
bachelor's and
associate's degree granting state institution. The university serves over 4,000 students.
Economy
Claremore's economy is diversified.
Baker Hughes has a large presence in the town, along with several other large companies in Claremore Industrial Park, which is only a few miles away from the
Tulsa Port of Catoosa on the
Kerr/McClellan Navigational Channel (
Verdigris River and
Arkansas River). Coal mining is also an important industry; strip-style mines are currently operating on both the north and south sides of the town.
Famous Citizens
Attractions
J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum
Will Rogers Memorial
Will Rogers Downs
Oklahoma Military Academy Museum
Lynn Riggs Memorial Museum
National Register of Historic Places
The Belvidere - the 1907 Victorian-style mansion of prominent citizen and banker John M. Bayless
Claremore Auto Dealership - now called "Claremore Tire," an old auto dealer in the central business district
Eastern University Preparatory School - administration building of Rogers State University
Mendenhall's Bath House - a historic building in "Radium Town"
Maurice Meyer Barracks - a building on the campus of Rogers State University, contains OMA Museum
Will Rogers Hotel - a hotel in downtown Claremore, now renovated for usage as apartments for senior citizensFurther Information
Get more info on 'Claremore Oklahoma'.
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