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'Claremore' is the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,773 at the 2006 census. The city is best known as the birthplace of entertainer Will Rogers.

Contents

History

Geography

Transportation

Demographics

Education

Economy

Famous Citizens

Attractions

National Register of Historic Places

Nearby Locations

External links

History

Around 1802, a band of Osage Indians settled in the area of present-day Claremore. The town's name came from an Osage chief called "Gra-moi." French traders in the area pronounced his name as "Clairmont," which means "mountain with a clear view." The area experienced some minor damage during the American Civil War, but quickly recovered after the end of the conflict.
After the Indian Removal Act of 1830 was passed by the United States, Claremore became part of Indian Territory and the Cherokee Nation. Claremore was a part of the Cooweescoowee District in the northwestern part of the Cherokee Nation. The Rogers family, for whom the county is named, was among the first settlers. Clem Rogers, father of the famous Will Rogers, who, along with his family, is buried at the Will Rogers Memorial, moved to the county in 1856. His ranch eventually was more than 60,000 acres (243 km²), and his home, which still stands outside Oologah, is an important historical site. Clem Rogers was a major advocate of Oklahoma statehood and was the oldest delegate to the state's Constitutional Convention in 1907 at age 69.
The coming of railways to Indian Territory was the driving factor in Claremore's early growth. Two early lines intersected in the center of town. The name of Claremore changed from Clermont to its present spelling on September 19, 1882. A clerk recording the town as having a post office spelled the name incorrectly, and it stuck. The city was incorporated in the Cherokee Nation in 1883.
Another major factor in the growth of Claremore was an area known as "Radium Town". In 1903, a man named George Eaton owned an oil company in Claremore. He was drilling just to the east of Claremore and struck an underground pool of water that smelled of sulfur. A local doctor, Dr. W.G. Williams, tested the water and marketed it as a cure. The water, known as "Radium Water," contained impurities that supposedly made it medically useful. Bath houses sprang up all over this area of Claremore, and many are still standing today.
Claremore's first hospital was established on Will Rogers Boulevard, or Highway 88, in the early 1900s. Today it is the site of a dry cleaners. Claremore's newspaper, the Claremore Daily Progress, was established in 1893 by cowboy Joe Klein and is still published daily. It is the oldest business in Rogers County.
There are many historic homes and other buildings in Claremore, including the old business district. In 2002, Claremore's historic core received a rebuilding grant from the state's Oklahoma Main Street program. Renovation work on the downtown was completed in 2007.
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''Oklahoma!'' is set in Claremore and the surrounding area. The movie Where the Heart Is starring Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd is fictionally portrayed in Rogers County and the area surrounding Claremore.

Geography

Claremore is located at (36.315181, -95.612784).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.8 km² (12.3 mi²). 31.2 km² (12.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.96%) is water.
Claremore's primary water source is called Claremore Lake. The lake flows into Dog Creek which in turn flows eventually into the Verdigris River.

Transportation

Claremore is a major intersection of heavily-traveled highways. U.S. Interstate 44 crosses the city to its southeast. U.S. Highway 66, also known as the Mother Road (Route 66), forms one of the main roads of the town. The city is also intersected by Oklahoma State Highway 88 and Oklahoma State Highway 20.
Two railroads, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern Railway (now controlled by Union Pacific) and the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway or "Frisco" (now controlled by BNSF), intersect in Claremore. The traffic problems spawned by the intersection of two major national rail lines has led to discussion among city officials about how best to improve traffic flow. As of 2007, the city plans to elevate the BNSF railroad throughout the entire town.

Demographics

As of the census of 2006, there are 16,773 people, 6,283 households, and 4,165 families residing in the city. The population density is 509.4/km² (1,319.4/mi²). There are 6,784 housing units at an average density of 217.7/km² (563.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 75.69% White, 1.99% African American, 14.31% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 6.42% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,283 households out of which 33.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% are married couples living together, 12.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% are non-families. 29.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.43 and the average family size is 3.02.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,547, and the median income for a family is $45,810. Males have a median income of $36,227 versus $21,742 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,853. 11.9% of the population and 8.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.4% of those under the age of 18 and 15.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

Claremore Independent School District is the public school district serving the city of Claremore. It currently consists of Claremore High School, Will Rogers Junior High, Central Upper Elementary, Westside Elementary, Claremont Elementary, Stuart Roosa Elementary, and the Alternative Learning Center. Currently, the district has plans to open a fourth elementary school once funds are secured for the project.
The first school in the Claremore area was opened to students in 1870. Claremore's first major high school was built in 1919 and was the most expensive public school building in the state of Oklahoma at the time. The building was used as a school for almost 80 years, until 1999, when the increasing costs of maintenance forced its closure.
Claremore is home to the main campus of Rogers State University, a bachelor's and associate's degree granting state institution. The Claremore campus serves almost 3,000 students.

Economy

Claremore's economy is diversified. Baker Hughes has a large presence in the town, along with several other large companies in Claremore Industrial Park, which is only a few miles away from the Tulsa Port of Catoosa on the Kerr/McClellan Navigational Channel (Verdigris River and Arkansas River). Coal mining is also an important industry; strip-style mines are currently operating on both the north and south sides of the town.

Famous Citizens

★ Garth Brooks, country singer and entertainer

★ Patti Page, singer and entertainer

★ Andy Payne, winner of transcontinental footrace in 1928

★ Lynn Riggs, playwright

★ Will Rogers, entertainer, comedian, and actor

★ Stuart Roosa, astronaut

★ Helen Walton, philanthropist and wife of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton

Attractions

★ J. M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum

★ Will Rogers Memorial

★ Will Rogers Downs

★ Oklahoma Military Academy Museum

★ Lynn Riggs Memorial Museum

National Register of Historic Places

★ The Belvidere - the 1907 Victorian-style mansion of prominent citizen and banker John M. Bayless

★ Claremore Auto Dealership - now called "Claremore Tire," an old auto dealer in the central business district

★ Eastern University Preparatory School - administration building of Rogers State University

★ Mendenhall's Bath House - a historic building in "Radium Town"

★ Maurice Meyer Barracks - a building on the campus of Rogers State University, contains OMA Museum

★ Will Rogers Hotel - a hotel in downtown Claremore, now renovated for usage as apartments for senior citizens

Nearby Locations

★ Tulsa, Oklahoma

★ Oologah, Oklahoma

★ Catoosa, Oklahoma

★ Inola, Oklahoma

★ Chelsea, Oklahoma

★ Foyil, Oklahoma

★ Talala, Oklahoma

★ Verdigris, Oklahoma

★ Owasso, Oklahoma

External links

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