Ardmore, Oklahoma

Main and Washington streets, downtown Ardmore

Ardmore, Indian Territory, began with a plowed ditch for a Main Street in the summer of 1887 in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation. It owes much of its existence to the construction of the Santa Fe Railroad through the area during that time. It grew, as most frontier towns grew, over the years into a trading outpost for the region. A large fire in 1895 destroyed much of the fledgling town, which forced residents to rebuild nearly the entire town.[8] In the early 1900s, Ardmore became well known for its abundance of cotton-growing fields and eventually became known as the world's largest inland cotton port.

After the fields were stripped of their fertility, however, the city found itself positioned next to one of the largest oil fields ever produced in Oklahoma, the Healdton Oil Field. After its discovery in 1913, entrepreneurs and wildcatters flooded the area, and Carter County quickly became the largest oil-producing county in Oklahoma, and has remained so ever since.[9] Ardmore has remained an energy center for the region ever since, with the region's natural wealth giving birth to such energy giants as the Noble Energy companies, among others. Ardmore also learned the perils of being energy-rich with yet another disaster in 1915, when a railroad car containing casing gas exploded, killing 45 people and destroying much of downtown, including areas rebuilt after the 1895 fire.[10] The disaster, which made national news, gave residents the resolve to establish the city's first fire department to ensure that such events would not recur in the future. The city has not experienced any major setbacks since the 1915 fire, save a 1995 tornado that nearly destroyed the Uniroyal Goodrich (now Michelin) tire plant in west Ardmore. Despite a shift at the plant working at the time, miraculously no one was killed as the tornado ripped through the area, due to the public being alerted by area news and tornado sirens. On April 22, 1966, Ardmore was the site of the worst plane crash in Oklahoma history, which killed 83 people.[11]

Panorama looking east, downtown Ardmore

Ardmore is located in southeastern Carter County. It is bordered to the west by the city of Lone Grove and to the east by the town of Dickson. Via Interstate 35, which passes through the west side of Ardmore, Oklahoma City is 97 miles (156 km) to the north, while Fort Worth, Texas, is 103 miles (166 km) to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Ardmore has a total area of 51.8 square miles (134.1 km²), of which 49.9 square miles (129.2 km²) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), or 3.67%, is water.[13]

Ardmore is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of the Arbuckles, an ancient, eroded range spanning some 62 mi (100 km) across southern Oklahoma. The geology is highly variegated within the area, with uplifted and folded ridges visible within the shoreline of some of the lakes surrounding Ardmore. The city of Ardmore has no intracity streams or rivers, but is part of the Washita and Red River watersheds, with two tributaries, Caddo and Hickory creeks, flanking the broad, low area in which Ardmore is situated. Ardmore is also 3.1 mi (5 km) north of Lake Murray, an impoundment of the two arms of Anadarche Creek, which eventually flows into the western reaches of Lake Texoma.

As of the census of 2010, there were 24,283 people living in the city.[20] The population density was 482.7 inhabitants per square mile (186.4/km²). There were 10,926 housing units at an average density of 222.4 per square mile (85.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.02% White, 11.27% African American, 8.78% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.70% of the population.

There were 9,646 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 31.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,046, and the median income for a family was $37,758. Males had a median income of $28,685 versus $23,070 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,502. About 13.6% of families and 18.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Ardmore is the principal center of trade for a ten-county region in South Central Oklahoma, with a retail pull factor of 1.7–1.9. Ardmore's major employers are Michelin North America, with 1,900 employees, and Mercy Hospital Ardmore, with 900 employees. Several hundred employees work for regional distribution centers for Best Buy, Dollar Tree (Marietta) and Dollar General Stores, among others. Until early 2009, Ardmore was also home to a large regional distribution center for the now-defunct retail electronics chain Circuit City and was also home to a 1-800-flowers call center. In 2010 Ardmore lost another technology company, IMTEC, which was purchased by 3M and moved away to California. The 85,000 bbl/d (13,500 m³/d) Valero refinery in northeast Ardmore employs some 250 area residents. Ardmore is also home to the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, among the nation's 50 largest private foundations, primarily engaged in agricultural bioresearch activities. In 2001, East Jordan Iron Works opened a foundry located at the Ardmore Industrial Airpark. On September 24, 2020, Oklahoma Blood Institute opened one of the largest blood donation facilities in the state in Oklahoma .

Central Park, view towards historic bandstand, downtown Ardmore

Charles B. Goddard Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, downtown Ardmore

Ardmore is home to many pioneers in the dawn of the American oil industry and the wealth of the oil industry has been channeled into many philanthropical endeavors, as well as reinvested into the area in various art and infrastructure endowments.

Amenities include:

• Ardmore Civic Auditorium, a historic city building that hosts concerts and other local events
• Hardy Murphy Coliseum, historic WPA-built facility that hosts rodeos, cutting shows and various regional events

The Ardmore Masonic Lodge is one of the oldest civic organizations in Ardmore.

The movies Dillinger (1973) and Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider (1979) were partially filmed in Ardmore.[21]

• Thomas Benson, linebacker for the Los Angeles Raiders and three other NFL teams
• Justin Blackmon, former wide receiver for Plainview High School, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Terry Cline Ph.D., former Oklahoma Health and Human Services Commissioner, former head of United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; born in Ardmore in 1958.
• Charles Coe, two-time U.S. Amateur golf champion, World War II combat pilot
• Eric Fields (b. June 14, 1982), professional boxer
• Mark Gastineau, former All-Pro NFL defensive star for New York Jets, born in Ardmore in 1956[28]
• Jermaine Gresham, former tight end for Ardmore High School, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals
• Jake L. Hamon Sr., oil millionaire and murder victim
• John Hinckley, Jr., man who shot former President Ronald Reagan in failed assassination attempt in 1981; Hinckley's father worked for a local oil company
• Columbus Marion Joiner, father of East Texas Oil Field of 1930s, resided in and about Ardmore from 1897 to 1926[29]
• Terence C. Kern, United States District Judge (Northern District of Oklahoma)
• Walt Lamb, football player[30]
• B. P. Loughridge, the first Ardmore High School graduate to become a Fulbright scholar; became a cardiovascular surgeon, author, and health care consultant in Tulsa
• Rue McClanahan (1934-2010), Emmy Award-winning actress, grew up in Ardmore and graduated from Ardmore High School
• Mazola McKerson (1921-2014), first African American mayor of the city, first female mayor of a city of more than 30,000 in the US
• Joe McQueen (1919–2019), jazz musician, was raised in Ardmore
• Tessie Mobley (1906 – 1990) an operatic soprano.
• Samuel Lloyd Noble (1896–1950), oilman and philanthropist, founder of Noble Corporation[31]
• Mike Pouncey, center for the Miami Dolphins, born in Ardmore in 1989; his twin brother is Maurkice Pouncey, center for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Rex Ryan, NFL head coach for Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, born in Ardmore in 1962; his twin brother is pro football coach Rob Ryan
• Russ Saunders, former fullback for Green Bay Packers
• Michael Schwab (designer) (born 1952), American graphic designer and illustrator.[32]
• Tom Tipps, Oklahoma businessman and legislator
• Mauree Turner, Oklahoma politician
• Carolyn Warner, Arizona politician
• Cameron Todd Willingham (1968–2004), convicted of triple murder and arson; executed

• List of oil refineries

• City of Ardmore official website
• Ardmore, Oklahoma at Curlie