Hugh Henry established a ranch on Creek Nation land in 1885. He soon found a deposit of coal, which he began using to fuel the forge at his ranch. Discovery of more coal deposits in the large Henryetta Coal Formation attracted several railroads to develop these mines. A settlement named Furrs grew up around the mines. The name changed to Henryetta when a post office opened on August 28, 1900.[5]
At statehood in 1907, Henryetta had 1,051 residents. The economy was based on agriculture, coal, natural gas and oil. In 1909, the area had 14 coal mines, producing 65,000 tons per month. By 1910, the population had grown to 1,671. The town added a broom factory, several brick factories and a bottling plant during the 1920s.[5] By the time of the 36th annual report of the Department of Mines and Minerals in 1943, combined yearly production by Acme Coal Company, Atlas Coal Company, Ben Hurr Coal Company, Starr Coal Company, and Wardin-Pullen Coal Company—all of Henryetta—was over 600,000 tons.[6]
Henryetta's manufacturing base continued to expand. Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) built a plate glass window plant in Henryetta in 1929–30,[7] employing 900 people and claiming to be the largest west of the Mississippi River. The factory closed in 1974, but was purchased and refitted for making glass containers, and continues in operation by Anchor Glass Container.[7][8]
Eagle-Picher placed a massive zinc smelting facility in the Spelter City area of town, which continued through the 1960’s.[9] The company also employed more than 700 people at its plant that extracted the rare metal germanium.[5] The plant has since closed and become a Superfund cleanup site.
Besides Anchor Glass, current employers include the international oilfield-services company Shawcor;[10] Henryetta Pallet, a regional wood pallet manufacturer;[11] and, G&H Decoy, a waterfowl decoy manufacturer since 1934.[12]
On May 1, 2023, six people were killed in a mass murder in Henryetta, allegedly by Jesse McFadden.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.1 square miles (16km2), of which 6.0 square miles (16km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10km2) (0.66%) is water.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,096 people, 2,460 households, and 1,589 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,009.8 inhabitants per square mile (389.9/km2). There were 2,844 housing units at an average density of 471.1 per square mile (181.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.69% White, 0.57% African American, 12.30% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 6.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population.
There were 2,460 households, out of which 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $20,115, and the median income for a family was $24,760. Males had a median income of $28,661 versus $14,268 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,908. About 19.9% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.8% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Henryetta has a council-manager form of government with an elected mayor.[5]
Henryetta Municipal Airport (FAA ID: F10), owned by the City of Henryetta, is located about 3 miles southwest and offers a 3501 x 50ft. (1067 x 15 m) paved runway.[16]
Henryetta is served by the KI BOIS Area Transit System ("KATS"), a low-cost public bus/van service established in 1983 to help communities, primarily in southeast Oklahoma, by providing access to Senior Citizen centers, groceries, medical services, and jobs.[18][19] Their service includes transportation to Okmulgee and Tulsa.[18]
Just south of town is Nichols Park, developed between 1938 and 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Park Service, which is over 300 acres in size, and includes the 17 acre Nichols Lake offering fishing opportunities.[22] The park hosts many outdoor activities such as disc golf, baseball, all terrain vehicle off road trails, hiking trails, several playgrounds, multiple covered shelters for picnicking, primitive campsites, and large open fields for events. In June 2022, Nichol's park was the site of the town's Highway to Henryetta event. This event was a charity event planned, to bring much needed revenue to the town and Henryetta schools.
Jim Hall Lake, also known as Lake Henryetta, is 450 surface acres southeast of town. Amenities include boat ramps, docks, primitive campsites, picnic areas, and outdoor grills.[23] Lake Henryetta is the town's source of public drinking water.
Historic locations
The Henryetta Historical Museum is housed in what was the town's first schoolhouse, and later what was the town's first courthouse.[24]
The Henryetta Golf Course and Country Club was established in the 1920s. It is open year-round and usually does not require advance tee-time reservations.[25]
Both the Henryetta Free-Lance and TheHenryettan.com offer news services to the community.[26][27]
Henryetta's school teams were known for their unusual nickname, the "Mud Hens" (later "Hens" and "Fighting Hens"), until a student petition led to a name change (to "Knights") in 1989.[28]
Henryetta is notable in its theatrical performances, most of which is done by the drama team of its local high school. A showcase of over 15 musical songs was performed in February 2023, which was labeled "a success".[29]
Related Research Articles
Okmulgee County is a county in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,706. The county seat is Okmulgee. Located within the Muscogee Nation Reservation, the county was created at statehood in 1907. The name Okmulgee is derived from the Hitchita word okimulgi, meaning "boiling waters".
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.
Lehigh is a city in Coal County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 356 at the 2010 census.
Bristow is a city in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,222 at the 2010 census, down 2.4 percent from the figure of 4,325 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.
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and a suburb of Tulsa. 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.
Hitchita is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture says that the town was named for a band of Muskhogean Indians that had been absorbed into the Creek tribe. The population was 88 at the 2010 census, a decline of 22.1 percent from 113 in 2000.
Beggs is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,179 as of the 2020 census. Beggs was named for C.H. Beggs, vice president of the St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railway.
Dewar is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 763 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1909 by workers for the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (MO&G), it was named for William Peter Dewar, a railroad official. It incorporated in 1909.
Grayson is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 127 at the 2020 census.
Hoffman is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 81 at the 2020 census.
Morris is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,299 at the 2020 census.
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 Mvskoke 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.
Schulter is a town in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 422 at the time of the 2020 census.
Burbank is a town in western Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 141 at the 2010 census, a 9 percent decrease from the figure of 155 recorded in 2000.
Copan is a town in Washington County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 733 at the 2010 census, a decline of 7.9 percent from the figure of 796 recorded in 2000.
Catoosa is a city in Rogers and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 7,440 at the 2020 census compared to 7,159 at the 2010 census.
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.
Liberty is a town that sits astride the line dividing Okmulgee and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population is 153.
The Henryetta Hens were a minor league baseball team based in Henryetta, Oklahoma.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
