Durant, Oklahoma

Bryan County Courthouse and Confederate monument

The Durant area was once claimed by both Spain and France before officially becoming part of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase and Adams–Onís Treaty. During the 1820s and 1830s the area was designated as part of the Choctaw Nation in the southern Indian Territory. During the Indian removals the Choctaws followed the Choctaw Trail of Tears from their ancestral homeland in Mississippi and Alabama into this area. The Choctaw Nation originally extended from the Mexican border in the west (now part of the Texas panhandle) to the Arkansas Territory in the east, from the Red River in the south to the South Canadian River in the north. In 1855, the Choctaw and Chickasaws formally divided their land into two separate nations, with Durant remaining in Choctaw territory on the east. Chickasaw land extended west to the boundary that would divide Indian Territory from Oklahoma Territory after passage of the Oklahoma Organic Act in 1890.[9]

Pierre Durant and his four sons, all of French-Choctaw origin, made the journey up the Trail of Tears on the way to the southeastern part of the Choctaw Nation in 1832. The brothers, grown, with families of their own, established homesteads from the Arkansas line to Durant. One son, Fisher, married to a full-blood Choctaw, found a beautiful location for a home between Durant's present Eighth and Ninth avenues. At the time of Durant's founding it was located in Blue County, a part of the Pushmataha District of the Choctaw Nation.[10]

Fisher Durant's son Dixon Durant is recognized as the founder of Durant and is honored as its namesake. A minister, businessman and civic leader, Dixon Durant is credited with pastorates in local Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist churches. He established the first store selling general merchandise in 1873,[9] around the time of the 1872 creation of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (Katy Railroad) siding at Durant, which was the initial impetus for establishing the community.[9]

The Missouri-Kansas and Texas Railway (also known as the MKT or "Katy") had already laid a line through the area that would become Durant by November 1882. A wheelless boxcar was parked on the siding there and named "Durant Station". Dixon Durant erected the first building, adjacent to the boxcar, where he opened a general store in 1873. The first post office, also named as Durant Station, Indian Territory, opened February 20, 1879, but closed on July 11, 1881.[11] A.E. Fulsom was postmaster.[12] The U.S. Postal Service re-established the post office at the site as Durant on March 8, 1882, dropping the word "station" from the name.[11] Beginning in 1882, the area was simply called Durant.[9]

W.H. Hilton was elected the first mayor of Durant.

A memorable event in Durant's rail history occurred on April 5, 1905. A special southbound Katy train stopped in the city with President Theodore Roosevelt aboard.[13]

In 1895, a fire destroyed the original business district, which had spread along the Katy tracks.

Durant City Hall

Calvin Institute was opened in 1894, representing the first institute of higher education in the immediate area, which was an outgrowth of Presbyterian mission work among the Choctaw Indian nation. Its success led it being reopened as a larger school, Durant Presbyterian College in 1901, later renamed as Oklahoma Presbyterian College.[14] After statehood became effective on November 16, 1907, the state legislature created the Southeastern State Normal School at Durant, which opened March 6, 1909. This school was renamed Southeastern State Teachers College in 1921, and renamed again in 1974 as the present Southeastern Oklahoma State University.[9]

Further growth of the town was inhibited by its proximity to the larger town of Caddo (also on the Katy line) and the fact that Dixon Durant did not want to sell more of the land he had inherited to non-Indians. In the 1902-1903 timeframe, the St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad, an affiliate of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (also known as "SL&SF" or "Frisco") had intended to build an east–west line through Caddo, where it would intersect the Katy; however, the land prices near Caddo had increased rapidly, causing the Frisco to bypass Caddo in favor of Durant.[15][16]

In 1904, Durant was named in a grand jury instruction as a sundown town where a notice had been posted warning African Americans not to stay after dark.[17]

The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention selected Durant as the county seat for Bryan County, Oklahoma, which would supersede Blue County at statehood. In 1908, a special election ratified this choice over three other candidates for the honor: Bokchito, Blue, and Sterrett (later renamed Calera).[15]

Bryan County was created from Choctaw lands in 1907, the same time as statehood, and was named after William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was nominated three times for President of the United States and at the age of 36 lost to William McKinley. He lost to McKinley again in 1900, and to William H. Taft in 1908. Woodrow Wilson appointed the county's namesake as United States Secretary of State in 1913.

Eleven people were killed in Durant by a tornado in April 1919.[18]

The town's population grew from 2,969 in 1900 to 5,330 in 1910, 12,823 in 1990, and to 13,549 in 2000.[9]

The Durant Downtown Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Durant is located in southeast Oklahoma, in a region named Texoma, or Texomaland, because of its short distance from Lake Texoma. The city is also part of Choctaw Country, formerly Kiamichi Country. Its geographic coordinates are 33°59′59″N 96°23′5″W (33.999834, −96.384825).[19] It is approximately 14 miles (23 km) north of the Texas border at the Red River. Dallas is about 88 miles (142 km) south of Durant. The north edge of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, in McKinney, is about 58 miles (93 km) to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Durant has a total area of 26.8 square miles (69.3 km²), of which 26.7 square miles (69.2 km²) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km²), or 0.24%, is water.[4]

According to the 2020 census, the racial composition of Durant was as follows:[26]

• White or European American: 60.5%
• Hispanic or Latino: 10.3%
• Black or African American: 2.4%
• Asian: 1.0%
• Native American: 13.7%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.01%
• Other race: 0.01%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): 11.9%

As of the census of 2010,[27] there were 15,856 people and 3,651 families residing in the city. The population density was 830 people per square mile (322/km²). There were 7,202 housing units. Nearly three fourths of the city's population (74.7%) self-identified as white, 13.3% self-identified as Native American, and 2.2% self-identified as black or African American. Less than a tenth of the population (7.1%) self-identified as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. Individuals of mixed Native American and white heritage accounted for 4.8% of the population. Less than 1% of the population was Asian or Pacific Islander.

Durant's first census was recorded in 1900, and the population was 2,969. [lower-alpha 1] The 2000 census reported Durant's population as 13,549.

There were 6,331 households in the city, of which 26% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. Individuals living alone accounted for 32.9% of households and 25.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22% under the age of 18, 18.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.9 years. There were slightly more females (51.4% of the population) than males (48.6%).

The median income for a household in the city was $35,135, and the median income for a family was $41,014. Males working full-time had a median income of $34,040 versus $26,197 for female full-time workers. The per capita income for the city was $18,009. About 21% of families and 28% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35% of those under age 18 and 14% of those age 65 or over.

Durant was ranked as the fastest growing rural city in Oklahoma in 2004, having the fastest growth rate outside of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas.[28]

Durant's daytime population increases to approximately 20,000 people. The city has a pull factor of 1.8–2.1 times its population and was named an All-American City finalist for 2006.

Since 1999, the Durant Economic Development Department, the Durant Industrial Authority and the City of Durant have developed over $600,000,000 in new investments to the city.

Durant currently leads the state in economic development. One of the city's strongest industries is tourism; attractions include Lake Texoma, the Choctaw Casino Resort, and Fort Washita. Manufacturing and distribution are growing industries in Durant with several factories being constructed and planned.

North building of Choctaw Casino Resort

The largest employer in Durant is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, including the Choctaw Nation Headquarters and the Choctaw Casino Resort, which has two Choctaw Travel Plazas, two Choctaw casinos, the Choctaw Inn, and more facilities that are located in the resort. Over 5,400 people work for the Choctaw Nation in Durant. Though the capital of the Choctaw Nation is recognized as being Tuskahoma, the administrative offices are located in Durant.

In 1894, Calvin Institute, a school for Native American youths, was established in Durant. By 1899, it had attracted an enrollment of 300. It was renamed Durant Presbyterian College in 1900 and Oklahoma Presbyterian College in 1910. The support for the school came from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the federal government, and several denominational missionary boards. Because of financial difficulties, the school was closed as a learning institution in the late 1960s. Chief Clark David Gardner established the Choctaw Nation administrative offices at the old Oklahoma Presbyterian College Building in 1975.

In 1976, in cooperation with the Durant Chamber of Commerce and the owners of the buildings, the Red River Valley Historical Association, title was transferred to the federal government. Ceremonies were held August 17, 1976, commemorating the title transfer. Reacquisition of this building allowed centralization of government which permits more effective utilization of personnel in administering current programs and developing future programs. The buildings has been renovated, and administration of many Choctaw programs are headquartered there.

Another important part of Durant's economy is the city's historic central business district and the retail district. In the past few years, downtown Durant has seen growth, renewal projects such as streetscaping, and new businesses arriving. Durant has a Main Street program.[29] The retail district is west of downtown, at the intersection of U.S. 69/75 and U.S. 70, and is Durant's fastest growing area.

Cardinal Glass Industries has a float glass manufacturing facility in western Durant. It became operational in July 2004. This plant is number 20 for Cardinal Glass Industries.

Big Lots has a 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m²). distribution center in Durant that began operating in January 2004.

Durant is home to the headquarters of First United Bank, one of the largest privately owned banks in the United States, and First Texoma National Bank. Indian Nation Wholesale, also headquartered in Durant, was the 15th largest wholesaler in the United States as of 2008.[30]

The large peanut in Durant

Durant is home to the annual Magnolia Festival and the Three Valley Museum. The festival is put on by the Durant Chamber of Commerce and Durant Main Street Program the weekend following Memorial Day. It features music, shopping, shows, and two pageants – the Magnolia Pageant and the Choctaw Princess Pageant.[31]

The Oklahoma Legislature proclaimed Durant as the "Magnolia Capital of the World" in 1993. Every year since, the town has celebrated a Magnolia Festival during the weekend following Memorial Day.[9]

Durant has a "World's Largest Peanut" monument, a title it shares with two other monuments in Texas and Ashburn, Georgia. This monument to the peanut growers in Bryan County is located on the front lawn of Durant's city hall. Dedicated in 1973, it includes a time capsule that contains historic and legal documents, which will be unearthed in the year 2023.

The Three Valley Museum houses historical artifacts of Bryan County. Opened in 1976, it is named for a book about Durant, Queen of the Three Valleys by Henry McCreary, which references the city's location in the middle of the Red, Blue River, and Washita River valleys. The museum's exhibits include an early law office, doctor's office, child's room, parlor, and general store.

The Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival is housed on the campus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival is one of the top summer theatre festivals in America. It has made Durant and Southeastern Oklahoma State University a destination for tourists, professional and aspiring actors and theatre artisans.[32]

Although no major sports team is located in Durant, many sporting opportunities are found in the city, including the Durant Multi-Sports Complex, golf, soccer pitches, and baseball fields.

The Durant Multi-Sports Complex is an athletic facility located 2 mi (3 km) southeast of Durant, on Highway 78. The sports complex, dedicated on November 17, 2006, sits on 80 acres (32 ha), with 100 acres (40 ha) undeveloped. It consists of baseball and softball fields, soccer pitches, and a football stadium/track field. A 17-acre (69,000 m²) lake is under construction, and a walking and biking trail is planned to be built around the lake. The cost of the complex was $7 million.

The City of Durant maintains and operates 11 parks totaling more than 251 acres (1.02 km²). They include:

• Durant Multi-Sports Complex
• Dixon Durant Park – formerly Northside Park, or Rocket Park, renamed in honor of the founder of Durant.
• Carl Albert Memorial Park & public pool
• Billy Miller Park
• Schuler Park
• Lake Durant

Less than 15 miles (24 km) away, Lake Texoma has between 8–10 million visitors every year and is the 12th largest lake in the United States, and also one of the largest reservoirs in the country, contributing to Durant's economic and population growth.

Durant is governed by a council-manager form of municipal government. The city manager is the administrative leader of the government and is appointed by the city council. The city's ceremonial head is the mayor, who is a voting member of the council with limited administrative power.

The city manager is John Dean.[33] The current mayor is Oden Grube.[34] The city is divided into four wards with a member of the city council from each. There is also an at-large city council member. The current mayor also represents Ward 1.[35]

Durant is served by a newspaper, The Durant Democrat, formerly The Durant Daily Democrat, which publishes three days each week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Democrat was purchased by Graystone Media Group LLC, a group of local businessmen, in 2018. Graystone Media has also started monthly publications in Kingston, OK and Calera, OK. No television studios are located in the city, but it receives over the air reception from the Sherman-Ada DMA, which happens to have studios in Sherman and Denison, Texas, with branch studios in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The city has an independent cable television and Internet provider called Vyve. On August 26, 2016, Ryan Nazari, an Oklahoma City Thunder fan, created a petition to change the city's name to "Westbrook" because Kevin Durant left the team for the Golden State Warriors that received 1,999 supporters.[42]

The city receives the following stations:

• KTEN Channel 10 – (NBC)
• KTEN DT Channel 10.2 – (The CW Texoma)
• KXII Channel 12 – (CBS)
• KXII DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma)
• KXII DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)
• A low-power translator of OETA and its subchannels

Public-access television cable television stations include:

• Durant Public Schools 24-hour station which usually only airs slide shows
• A local classified advertisements with KLBC playing
• Duane Sheriff Ministries
• FBC-TV, which relays FamilyNet and Worship when there are not local church broadcasts
• A NEXRAD station

The city receives the following radio stations:

• KSEO, AM 750/FM 94.1, Oldies/Classic Hits
• KLBC, 106.3 FM, "Today's Best Country"
• KBBC. 99.7, "The Buzz" – Hot AC
• KSSU, "POWER 92", a SOSU station aimed at college students
• KZRC, 96.1 "Mix 96" – Hot AC, The home Southeastern Oklahoma State Athletics, Pottsboro Cardinal Football, and Kingston Athletics. Won OAB "Best Video Broadcast Award" 2020 for Southeastern Oklahoma State Football Broadcast.

• Brett Butler, professional baseball player, attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University
• Mike Christian, state representative, attended University of Oklahoma
• Joe Dobson, Major League Baseball pitcher, 1948 American League All-Star, inducted in Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
• Gail Farrell, cast member of The Lawrence Welk Show; Gail Farrell Drive, avenue located on far north side of city, named in her honor in mid-1970s
• Ralph Faudree, mathematician and provost of the University of Memphis
• Billie Letts, author
• Tracy Letts, playwright and actor
• Reba McEntire, recording artist, Grammy Award-winning singer and actress, attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University
• Kirby Minter, retired basketball player, played for Team USA in 1954 FIBA World Championship in Rio de Janeiro
• Dennis Rodman, professional basketball player, attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University
• Robert L. Williams, first Chief Justice of Oklahoma Supreme Court, third Governor of Oklahoma, U.S. district and appellate judge

• The Wendell Baker Story – A reference is made in the 2005 film to Neil King (Owen Wilson)'s mother living "nine miles due south of Durant, Oklahoma."[47]
• All About Steve – In the 2009 film, Sandra Bullock's character, Mary Horowitz, tells her friends "...if I had a car, I could drive through Durant, Oklahoma, where they have the world's largest peanut."
• On the Road with Austin & Santino – Durant was prominently featured in the 2010 episode "Wedding Knots", as the two designers created a wedding dress for a local woman. Local businesses visited include the Choctaw Casino Resort, Bliss Boutique, and Doylene's Fabric Outlet.[48]
• Criminal Minds – In the 2011 episode "Proof," the team of investigators are led to a case in Durant involving two young women who were found murdered and sexually assaulted.[49] While set in Durant, the production never actually filmed any material there. Many locals were critical of the show and its unrealistic portrayal of the city.
• Bonnie & Clyde – In this 2013 mini-series, Durant, Oklahoma is referenced in a newspaper article that appears on screen. It reads "Barrow Gang spotted in Durant, Oklahoma," with a sub-headline reading "Three Businesses Robbed At Gunpoint. Outlaws wanted in multiple states." True to the mini-series' inspiration, this was based upon true events.
• The Small Business Revolution - Durant saw an exciting end to 2018 and subsequent beginning to 2019 with a spot in competition to be the location for filming of Season 4 of The Small Business Revolution, a television show produced by Deluxe Corporation for distribution on Hulu and YouTube. The town applied to be considered in August 2018. The announcement was made in November that Durant was included as a finalist in a list of Top 20. The following month, Durant made the top 10. In January, the producers, along with host, Amanda Brinkman, visited the community for a welcome rally and to visit with small business owners who had applied to appear on the show, should Durant win the competition.[50][51] In a live web announcement on February 12, Brinkman, along with co-host Ty Pennington, announced that there had been a slight change in the competition, with 6 finalists, rather than 5, proceeding to the final weeklong public vote. As a part of the campaign for votes, Durant garnered shout outs from Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, and Barry Switzer, among others. During the weeklong public vote, the show made three announcements as to where the votes stood, with Durant in first place as of the final update. At the conclusion of voting, with a week to go before the announcement of the winning town, Durant went to work planning for the #MyDurant party, where Brinkman would appear if Durant should win. Ultimately, Searcy, Arkansas was announced as the winner. The competition gave the city a boost in morale and saw the city work together toward the goal of winning the show. Despite it all, Durant was featured in several blogs published by the production.[52][53]

Durant has had the honor to be recognized on a national scale on various occasions, regarding famous visitations or other attention. An example of this is as follows:

President Theodore Roosevelt addressed the community from the back of his train car on April 5, 1905.

• On April 5, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Durant on a train, and gave a speech, using the rear of the train as his platform.[54] He later revisited the community in 1910, staying in the downtown Bryan Hotel, while on a hunting trip in the area.[55]
• First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited the community, speaking on March 20, 1937 for Senior Day at Southeastern Teachers College, as it was known at the time. She spoke at the invitation of the president of the college, Kate Galt Zaneis. Mrs. Roosevelt noted in her diary, "I spoke to a packed auditorium of young people, who proved to be a remarkably good audience." As Mrs. Roosevelt stepped up to speak, the orchestra played "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." Mrs. Zaneis said the song was chosen because Mrs. Roosevelt was loved so much.[56] Mrs. Roosevelt received around 2300 people that afternoon. She notes "I rarely do this, but it is also rare for a woman to be a president of a college where there are both men and women students." She also wrote that upon boarding the train to leave town, some of the students waiting at the depot assisted her in loading fifty-four boxes of flowers as gifts to her onto the train.[57]
• In 1953, actor José Ferrer and actress/singer Rosemary Clooney were married in Durant while Jose was performing in the musical Kiss Me, Kate in Dallas.[58]
• According to papers from the FBI released during the drop of Kennedy documents released in 2017, Jack Ruby went to Durant to look at purchasing a motel just north of town in 1960. He was accompanied by Roy Kimes and Joe Russell Wyatt to area, dropping off Wyatt in Colbert and subsequently picking him up on the way back to Farmersville.[59]
• On June 2, 1965, less than two years after her former husband was believed to have shot President John F Kennedy (and was subsequently shot himself), Marina Oswald and fiancé Kenneth Porter, came to Durant to get married due to the blood testing laws of the time. They arrived early in the day to take the blood tests, but were told to return at 2pm for the results. They ate lunch and drove out to Lake Texoma to pass time before 2pm. By the time 2pm came around, the media had caught up to them and they fled to Sherman, Texas to avoid the attention. They were eventually married that evening in Fate, Texas.[60][61]
• On July 15, 2015, President Barack Obama visited the city to address the nation from Durant High School on his "Promised Zone" initiative.[62] In 2014, the President designated five areas in the United States as Promised Zones, including the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The other areas designated were Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Southeastern Kentucky. The initiative was "designed to create jobs and increase economic security by partnering local communities with business." While speaking, he also introduced his ConnectHome initiative, which is designed to open up greater access to the internet for low income households.[63][64]
• In August 2016, Durant found itself at the unlikely center of controversy after an online petition was created by a citizen of Edmond, Oklahoma suggesting that Durant should be forced to change its name to Westbrook in honor of Russell Westbrook, after Kevin Durant's unpopular departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder. "Ladies and gentleman, the great state of Oklahoma has been betrayed...It is because of this heinous action that I believe the State of Oklahoma has a responsibility to change the name of the City of Durant to Westbrook, the man who is loyal, whom we believe in, and who will lead our team to glory. Yes, it is understood that the city Durant was not named after the evil Kevin Durant, but it is just another hideous reminder of what happened," the petition read. Neither the creator of the petition, nor Kevin Durant had ever visited the community. The news surrounding the petition led to an article by ESPN[65] and later by The New York Times.[66]
• In December 2016, Durant gained national attention again. People published a light-hearted article regarding the Durant Fire Department's annual Christmas Card. The Department had experienced the birth of six babies during the year and decided to feature them in their annual Christmas card. "If you ask many of the fire fighters in Durant, OK what defines them; they will say brotherhood and family. That is why when this small paid department of 33 looked back on the year and saw that 6 of their brothers had newborn babies, it was time to show the public what was at the core of their department."[67]

• Foreman, Grant (March 1928). "Early Post Offices of Oklahoma". The Chronicles of Oklahoma. 6 (1). Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
• Phipps, B. L. (June 1929). "First Exploration of the Headwaters of Red River". The Chronicles of Oklahoma. 7 (2). Retrieved May 8, 2010.
• Shirk, George (1987). Oklahoma Place Names. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 74, 268. ISBN 978-0-8061-2028-7.

• Blaisdell, Lowell L. "Anatomy of an Oklahoma Lynching: Bryan County, August 12–13, 1911," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 79 (Fall 2001).
• MacCreary, Henry. A Story of Durant: "Queen of Three Valleys" (Durant, Okla.: Democrat Printing Co., 1946).
• Milligan, James C., Norris, L. David, and Vanmeter, Ann. Durant, 1872–1990 (Durant, Okla.: Bryan County Heritage Association Inc., 1990).
• Norris, L. David. Southeastern Oklahoma State University Since 1909, Vol. 1 (Durant, Okla.: Mesa Publishing Co., 1986).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Durant, Oklahoma.

• Imagine Durant
• City of Durant
• Durant Area Chamber of Commerce
• Durant Daily Democrat
• Durant Economic Development
• "Durant, Oklahoma" at City-data.com
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Durant
• Durant leading the state in economic development