Guthrie (Oklahoma)
Logan County
40-31700
Guthrie is a small town in Oklahoma, about 30 kilometers north of the capital, Oklahoma City.
Geography
By Guthrie runs the U.S. Highway 77, which branches off five kilometers south of Guthrie from Interstate 35, which runs north -south direction and about three kilometers east of the city lies. The city area is 49.8 km ², the area is predominantly rural. About five kilometers north of Guthrie runs the Arkansas River.
Population
Guthrie had a population of 9925th Nearly 76 % were White, 16 % African- Americans and nearly three percent of American Indians at the 2000 census. The per capita income was $ 15,774, about 17 % of the population were below the poverty line.
History
The area of Guthrie was settled during the Oklahoma Land Runs of 1889, when within a short time about 50,000 settlers staked out their land in the former settlement of the Indians. The area was the construction of the Southern Kansas Railway ( later under the name Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, AT & SF ) is already easily accessible.
In the area of the later Guthrie was built a railway station in March 1887, which was known as Deer Creek. The settlement grew rapidly and was named after the jurist John Guthrie from Kansas.. Already on April 4, 1889 a post office was established, and a United States Land Office opened on April 22, 1889 At this time there was a limit on the size of a newly established settlement, four independent settlements in the area were built: Guthrie, East Guthrie, West Guthrie and Capital Hill, each with its own mayor and its own administration. 1890, the four sub- cities were merged under the name Guthrie. The city 's population grew from just under 5,300 inhabitants in 1890 to more than double in 1900 to.
The city developed into a trading center for goods around and chatted eight newspapers, nine churches and eleven schools. Around Guthrie numerous railway was built, such as 1902, the Eastern Oklahoma Railway Cushing and the Denver, Enid and Gulf Railroad to Enid (both later AT & SF), 1903, the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Western Railroad (later Chicago, rock Iceland and Pacific Railway ) to Chandler, and 1904 the Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (later known as Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway) between Guthrie and Fallis.
Guthrie, the capital of Oklahoma
1906 passed the U.S. Congress drafted legislation establishing the State of Oklahoma, and the new city of Guthrie was determined as the capital of Oklahoma. End of the year the Constitution was signed in the city hall of Guthrie, and 1907 were held in the Constitution ceremonies for the new state on the steps of Guthrie's Carnegie Library.
Early 20th century grew the rivalry between Guthrie and Oklahoma City, and on June 11, 1910 started off with a majority of the population of Oklahoma City Oklahoma City as the new capital.
A legend in Oklahoma stating that Oklahoma City has its position as the capital of the State of Oklahoma only surreptitiously. After the accession of the State to the Union in 1907 was initially Guthrie the capital. The government of Oklahoma but was planning to bring this item to Oklahoma City. So a constitution was written which identified Oklahoma City as its capital. But the residents of Guthrie did not want to admit defeat so quickly and kept the state seal with him. Without this seal, the Constitution was not final. In a " night and fog " action, however, the seal was stolen from the town hall of the unknown and brought to Oklahoma City. There, the Constitution was legally chosen and Oklahoma City as the new capital.
Guthrie as a provincial city
Following the transfer of the capital title to Oklahoma City, he has attracted Guthrie. Due to good transport links, yet businesses continue to settle in the city. Had already in 1907 Guthrie 39 factories, including a cotton mill and a corn mill. 1931 employed the cotton mill 175 workers, and in a carpet factory 25 workers were employed. This year, about 2,000 truckloads were sent to mainly agricultural goods from Guthrie. 1948 moved the Oklahoma Furniture Manufacturing Company its headquarters from Oklahoma City to Guthrie, the company employed in the 1970s, more than 500 people and generated sales of about 3.4 million dollars. Another major employer was the Furrow and Company greenhouses, a manufacturer of greenhouses.
Guthrie today
The historical development brought with it, that the economic and urban development did not take place with Guthrie as the center, but in Oklahoma City. In Guthrie today a largely intact Victorian houses ensemble is obtained, the 2,169 buildings were stated on an area of six square kilometers in 1974 to the National Historic Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The city was for this reason several times as a film set, such as in the films Twister and Rain Man.
Guthrie is now part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. An important economic factor is tourism. The city is home to several museums, including the Four -string Banjo Hall of Fame. Every year in the three-day Guthrie Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival, which about 15,000 people visit regularly.
Historical buildings
In Guthrie, the historic Logan County Courthouse (also known as Old State Capitol ). The courthouse is located at number 301 in the East Harrison Avenue and was accepted as a historical monument with the number 84,003,141 on 26 October 1984 of the National Register of Historic Places.
Attractions
- National Four - String Banjo Hall of Fame
- National Lighter Museum
- Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum
- Oklahoma Territorial Museum
Sons and daughters of the town
- Leon Breeden (1921-2010), jazz musician, bandleader and high school teachers
- Wendell Fleming ( b. 1928 ), mathematician
- Jesse Thomas (1928-2012), American football player and coach