Blackwell, Oklahoma Blackwell, Oklahoma Location of Blackwell in Oklahoma.
Location of Blackwell in Oklahoma.
Blackwell is a town/city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States, positioned at the intersection of U.S.
Blackwell was established following the September 16, 1893 Cherokee Outlet territory run by A.
Blackwell came into existence amid the Cherokee Outlet Opening on September 16, 1893 in the run known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run.
Due to a struggle for county-wide eminence between Blackwell and close-by Parker, the postal service was titled Parker from April 2, 1894, to February 4, 1895.
Andrew Blackwell had settled in the region in 1882, having married the former Rosa Vaught who was of Cherokee descent, he was eligible to found the city.
Blackwell's first school opened in September 1893 in a small, frame building with fifty-two students in attendance.
Blackwell has a reputation as a sundown town, having kept out African Americans through violent expulsion and the display of a sign warning them to leave town by sunset.
Blackwell Zinc Smelter (Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper, September 23, 1958.
Caption: 'The Blackwell Zinc Co.
Smelter employs upward of 1,000 persons in Blackwell and contributes an annual industrialized payroll to the town/city estimated at $4 millions.') The Blackwell Zinc Company smelter first began operations in 1917. In 1974, the 80-acre Blackwell Zinc Smelter facility ceased operations. At the time, it was the city's biggest employer, employing 800 citizens in 1972, and over 1,000 at its peak. It also was one of the biggest zinc smelter facilities in the United States. After its closure the territory and was donated to the Blackwell Industrial Authority (BIA). Soil from the territory was repurposed throughout the city, dominant to widespread contamination of air and water, including the Chikaskia River. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has been overseeing remediation of contamination at the industrialized park, groundwater, and soil throughout parts of the town/city since 1992. Phelps Dodge Corporation, a subsidiary of Freeport-Mc - Mo - Ran Copper & Gold Inc, has owned the site since 1999. On October 15, 2009 the City of Blackwell filed suit against Freeport-Mc - Mo - Ran calling the contamination a nuisance, and alleging that 58 million pounds of toxic waste remained in the city, causing illness inside its 7,200 residents. Following a several shifts of venue between Federal court and Kay County courts, the City of Blackwell and Freeport settled for 54-million dollars on February 4, 2010. Blackwell was a victim of the 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak, a deadly tornado outbreak that hit the southern and central U.S Great Plains States on May 25 26, 1955.
It produced at least 46 tornadoes athwart seven states including two F5 tornadoes in Blackwell, Oklahoma, and Udall, Kansas.
The Blackwell tornado formed in Noble County at around 9:00 PM CDT before crossing through the easterly portions of the Kay County town of Blackwell as an F5 wedge tornado.
Then about 400 yd (0.23 mi) wide (Grazulis 1991), It claimed the lives of 20 citizens in Blackwell and injured over 200 before crossing into and dissipating over Cowley County, Kansas.
In May 1906, an L5 meteorite fell, landing in Blackwell, Oklahoma.
On May 25, 1955, a deadly F5 tornado, part of the 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak, hit Blackwell at approximately 9:30 pm and cut a swath of destruction through the northeastern portion of the city, roughly centered in the neighborhoods encircling Riverside Park.
The tornado outbreak encompassed another F5 tornado that hit Udall, Kansas killing 82 citizens and injuring 270. The outbreak spawned 19 tornadoes athwart Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas alone. Climate data for Blackwell, Oklahoma Blackwell Public Schools has four schools, including an early childhood center, an elementary school, a middle school and a high school.
The Blackwell Public Library was constructed in 1921.
The Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum is positioned in the Electric Park Pavilion and displays artifacts from the territory run, antiques, and small-town history. Blackwell hosts the Kay County Free Fair in September.
Blackwell is served by 5 primary parks including Riverside, Bagby, Rogers, Memorial, and Legion parks.
Blackwell has 1 primary and 2 minor enhance pools.
Blackwell is also home to a brick WPA armory which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Blackwell is a Home Rule Charter City, which is governed by Council-City Manager form of government.
The Blackwell School District consists of Blackwell Middle School and Blackwell High School, as well as Huston, Northside, Parkside, and Washington Elementary Schools, which are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The school mascot in the Maroon's Historically, Oklahoma Baptist College served the city's college studies needs between 1901 and 1913. Blackwell's small-town paper is the Blackwell Journal-Tribune, Radio station KOKB 1580 AM broadcasts sports.
Blackwell has a full-service town/city government, that includes, electricity, sewage and police and fire services.
The Blackwell Fire Department is a full-time fire department, staffed with 20 paid firefighters/EMT/Paramedics and also provides ambulance service to Blackwell and the encircling communities.
Blackwell is home to the Blackwell-Tonkawa Municipal Airport (ICAO: KBKN, FAA LID: BKN, formerly 4 - O3) with neighboring Tonkawa, Oklahoma.
Historically, Blackwell was home to the Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railway.
Blackwell and the encircling communities are served by the City owned Blackwell Regional Hospital, a 53-bed facility with 24-hour emergency services and Heli-Pad.
Jim Reese, former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture a b c d Wilson, Linda D.Blackwell, Oklahoma Oklahoma Historical Society a b Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture Archived December 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
"Blackwell, Andrew Jackson," Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography of the Nineteenth Century.
Welch, Judy, "Oklahoma town suing over contamination", News Cow, April 17, 2008 Blackwell Zinc Co.
City of Blackwell, Oklahoma Receives Major Settlement in Environmental Case Fact Sheet: Blackwell Zinc Smelter Site In Blackwell Oklahoma Archived September 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine., Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, June 2007 "Lawsuit claims Blackwell polluted from old zinc smelter" April 14, 2008 CJ200915 City of Blackwell vs.
Rowen, Sharon, "Public Hearing Held On Blackwell Lawsuit Archived July 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.", The Ponca City News, February 19, 2010 Oklahoma Tornado Table KWTV 9 1956 TV Special about Blackwell OK tornado Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
"Historical Weather for Blackwell, Oklahoma, United States".
"Blackwell Public Schools".
Blackwell Public Schools.
City Of Blackwell Blackwell Uncovered The only place you will uncover the truth about Blackwell! Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Blackwell
Categories:
Cities in Kay County, Oklahoma - Cities in Oklahoma - Populated places established in 1893 - 1893 establishments in Oklahoma Territory
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