Bristow began in 1898, when the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway ("SL&SF") built a track between Sapulpa and Oklahoma City. The town was named for Joseph L. Bristow, an Assistant U.S. Postmaster General who later served as a U.S. senator from Kansas. A post office was established April 25, 1898. By the 1900 census, the population was 626.[7]
Bristow was designated as the county seat for Creek County at statehood when its population was 1,134. However, the county held a special election on August 20, 1908, to decide whether the seat would remain in Bristow or move to Sapulpa, which claimed to be more centrally located. Bristow had a larger population and claimed to have better railroad connections. Sapulpa won the election, but Bristow claimed voting irregularities. The election was voided and a new vote was held November 20, 1912. Again, Sapulpa won the election and the title of county seat.
The local economy depended heavily on cotton. Bristow had seven cotton gins and two cottonseed oil mills in the early 20th century. Other farms in the surrounding area produced corn, peanuts, potatoes and fruit. Oil and gas were discovered in the area around 1915. The discovery led to the construction of three refineries and four pipeline companies by 1930. The Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway built a short line from a connection with the SL&SF at Bristow through the oilfields to Slick in 1920, but declining oilfield production and other factors lead to abandonment of that trackage in 1930.[8][9] The peak census population was 6,619 in 1930.[7]
Geography
Bristow is located in northern Oklahoma, just south of the geographic center of Creek County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3km2), of which 3.6 square miles (9.2km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.2km2), or 1.66%, is water.[6]
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 4,325 people, 1,793 households, and 1,161 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,299.2 inhabitants per square mile (501.6/km2). There were 2,019 housing units at an average density of 606.5 per square mile (234.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.42% White, 8.51% African American, 10.64% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 4.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.01% of the population.
There were 1,793 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,351, and the median income for a family was $31,618. Males had a median income of $28,475 versus $21,711 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,819. About 15.8% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.5% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
From its inception, Bristow's economy centered on agriculture, and specifically on growing and processing cotton. By the early 1900s, Bristow had seven cotton gins and two cotton-seed oil mills. Additionally, other farmers in the area produced corn, peanuts, Irish potatoes, and fruits.[7]
Oil and natural gas were discovered nearby in 1914 - 1915, producing an economic boom lasting until 1923. The boom also caused a population spike. According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, nearly 31,000 people lived within a few miles radius of Bristow in 1920.[7]
Although the boom cooled by 1925, by 1930 the city was the site of three oil refineries, four pipeline facilities and offices for several petroleum-related companies. KFRU, one of Oklahoma's first radio stations, started broadcasting from Bristow in January 1925.[7]
Some manufacturing facilities were added during the 1960s, including Bristow Mattress Factory, the Glassmarc Corporation (manufacturer of fiberglass boats and other items), Artemis Incorporated (manufacturer of women's garments), and the U.S. Carpet Company.[7]
Jones Memorial Airport (FAA ID: 3F7), about 3 miles to the southwest, contains a 4001’x75’ asphalt runway completed in June 2020.[12][13] The airport has an annual economic impact of $7.2 million.[13] Commercial flights go in and out of Tulsa International Airport, about 40 minutes away.[14]
Rail freight service is provided by the Stillwater Central Railroad.[15] Passenger trains no longer stop in Bristow, but the Bristow Historical Train Depot & Museum is open for visitation, complete with the original wood floors from 1923.[16]
Arts and entertainment
The Freeland Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2009.[17] The 795-seat theater cost $6.1 million, paid for by a combination of public and private funding.[17] The Center opened with a concert,[17] but is dedicated to diverse experiences which promote a spirit of cultural enjoyment.[18]
The Bristow News, previously the Bristow News and Record Citizen,[7] has been reporting events in Bristow and surrounding areas since 1899.[19]
Parks and recreation
Klingensmith Park is a 320-acre facility featuring Lake Mesina,[1] as well as the NRHP-listed Klingensmith Park Amphitheater, which was a WPA project from 1936 dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1937, and still in use.[20][21]
The Town Square opens onto Historic Route 66/Main Street. It is complete with a small amphitheater and is the site of many community activities.[1]
The Leon Pinson Sports Complex, previously the Bristow Sports Complex,[22] has two softball fields and two baseball fields,[23] as well as the Bristow Rodeo Grounds.[24]
The VFW Post 3656 Wake Island Memorial, complete with a display of artillery and military equipment, commemorates the Battle of Wake Island during World War II.[25]
Bristow Golf & Country Club has a public 9-hole regulation-length course.[26]
Heyburn Lake is about 13 miles to the northeast.[27] RV and tent camping is available, and the lake features picnic areas, a playground, a boat launch, swimming and fishing.[28]
Besides the Klingensmith Park Amphitheater, NRHP sites in Bristow include:
The old Beard Motor Company, a/k/a Bristow Chrysler Plymouth, at 210 E. 9th, being two blocks off Main near its intersection with the old Route 66. Built in 1947, the facility is notable not only for its Art Moderne style, but also for its 75-foot tall Chrysler Plymouth sign out front, intended to be visible to Route 66 traffic.[29] This is not to be confused with the Bristow Motor Company Building at 500 N. Main, which is also NRHP-listed.
Highway-associated sites include the Texaco Service Station at 201 W. 4th Ave., the Bristow Tire Shop at 115 W. Fourth St., the Tank Farm Loop Route 66 Roadbed at the junction of SH-66 and Old Highway 66 0.6 miles west of the I-44 overpass, and the Little Deep Fork Creek Bridge east of the junction of E0830 Rd. and N3700 Rd.[30]
Notable people
Brent Ashabranner, Peace Corps administrator and author, lived in Bristow during his teen years in the 1930s
Gene Autry, actor, rodeo performer, and singer known as The Singing Cowboy, was a telegrapher in Bristow's Frisco Train Depot, now known as the Bristow Historical Train Depot & Museum.[16]
Tulsa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 669,279, making it the second-most populous county in the state, behind only Oklahoma County. Its county seat and largest city is Tulsa, the second-largest city in the state. Founded at statehood, in 1907, it was named after the previously established city of Tulsa. Before statehood, the area was part of both the Creek Nation and the Cooweescoowee District of Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory.
Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,754. Its county seat is Sapulpa.
Kellyville is a town in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,019 at the 2020 census.
Kiefer is a town in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,187 at the 2020 census, a 30% increase over the 1,685 population recorded at the 2010 census, which itself was a 64 percent increase over the 1,026 figure recorded in 2000.
Mounds is a town in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located just south of Tulsa; the town's population was 932 at the 2020 census.
Oilton is a city in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 885 at the 2020 census, a 12.6% decline from the 1,013 recorded in 2010.
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 21,929 at the time of the 2020 census, compared with 20,544 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Creek County.
Shamrock is an unincorporated community in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States, located on Oklahoma State Highway 16 south of Drumright and west-northwest of Bristow. The population was 65 at the time of the 2020 census. It was named for Shamrock, Illinois, the hometown of local store owner, James M. Thomas.
Slick is a town in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 151 at the 2020 census, a 15.3% increase over the population in 2010.
Wetumka is a city in northern Hughes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,135 as of the 2020 Census. The Muscogee Creek who first settled it after removal in the 1830s named it for their ancestral town of Wetumpka in Alabama. Wetumka is a Muskogee language word meaning "rumbling waters."
Haskell is a city, as of March 2024, in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,007 at the 2010 census, a gain of 13.7 percent over the figure of 1,765 recorded in 2000. Haskell was established in 1904 on the Midland Valley Railroad. It was named for town site developer Charles N. Haskell, who would become the first governor of the State of Oklahoma in 1907.
Beggs is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,179 as of the 2020 census. Beggs was named for Charles Hoffman Beggs (1865–1942), vice president of the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railway.
Okmulgee is a city in and the county seat of Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States, and is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area. The name is from the Muskogee word okimulgee, which means "boiling waters". The site was chosen because of the nearby rivers and springs. Okmulgee is 38 miles south of Tulsa and 13 miles north of Henryetta via US-75.
Glenpool is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (TMSA). As of 2020, the population was 14,040, which represented an increase of 29.9% since the 2010 census, which reported the total population as 10,808.
Drumright is a city in Creek and Payne counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It began as an oil boom town. However, the population has declined as oil production has waned in the area. The population was 2,907 at the 2010 census, a figure almost unchanged from 2,905 in 2000. Drumright and nearby Cushing were at the center of the large, productive Cushing-Drumright Oil Field in the 1910s and 1920s. Now Drumright is home to a festival called The Drumright Monthly Market, where hundreds of visitors come on the first Saturday of every month, seeking crafts and delicacies from all over the region.
The Turner Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May 1953, it is the oldest of the state's twelve turnpikes. The route is signed as Interstate 44 for its entire length, but was constructed prior to its designation as such. The Turner Turnpike was named after Governor Roy J. Turner, who pushed for efforts to build this toll road to connect the state's two largest cities.
State Highway 66 is a 192.7-mile (310.1 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, beginning at U.S. Highway 81 in El Reno and ending at U.S. Highway 60 near White Oak. The highway was designated in 1985 as a replacement for the decommissioned U.S. Highway 66. Although most of the highway follows Historic Route 66, the highway follows US 66's final alignment, joining Interstate 44 through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, while older versions of the route follow various city streets through both cities.
The Tulsa metropolitan area, officially defined as the Tulsa metropolitan statistical area is a metropolis in northeastern Oklahoma centered around the city of Tulsa and encompassing Tulsa, Rogers, Wagoner, Osage, Creek, Okmulgee and Pawnee counties. It had a population of 1,034,123 according to the 2022 U.S. census estimates.
Heyburn Lake is a reservoir on Polecat Creek in Creek County, Oklahoma. It is about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Tiger and Brown Creeks also drain into the lake. The nearest town is Kellyville, Oklahoma. It was named for the now-defunct community of Heyburn. Its primary objectives are to provide flood control, drinking water and recreation. It is owned by the Corps of Engineers. Heyburn State Park (Oklahoma) adjoins the lake.
The Bristow Producers were a minor league baseball team based in Bristow, Oklahoma. In 1923 and 1924, the Producers hosted home games at the Bristow Base Ball Park and played exclusively as members of the Class D level Oklahoma State League, winning the 1923 Oklahoma State League pennant and championship.
References
1 2 3 "About Us". Bristow Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
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