Blackwell, Oklahoma
| Blackwell, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Looking east along West Doolin Avenue
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 Location of Blackwell in Oklahoma. |
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| Coordinates: 36°48′6″N 97°17′23″W / 36.80167°N 97.28972°WCoordinates: 36°48′6″N 97°17′23″W / 36.80167°N 97.28972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Kay |
| Government | |
| • City Manager | Thomas "Chip" Outhier |
| • Mayor | Max Wirtz |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.5 sq mi (14.1 km2) |
| • Land | 5.4 sq mi (14.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,014 ft (309 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 7,092 |
| • Density | 1,300/sq mi (500/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74631 |
| Area code(s) | 580 |
| FIPS code | 40-06600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1090237 |
| Website | City Website |
Blackwell is a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 177 and State Highway 11 along Interstate 35. The population was 7,092 at the 2010 census. Blackwell was established following the September 16, 1893 Cherokee Outlet land run by A. J. Blackwell. Blackwell has an agricultural and fossil fuel based economy.
Blackwell came into existence during the Cherokee Outlet Opening on September 16, 1893 in the run known as the Cherokee Strip Land Run. The town is named for A. J. Blackwell, who was the dominant force in its founding. A post office was established on December 1, 1893. Due to a struggle for regional prominence between Blackwell and nearby Parker, the post office was named Parker from April 2, 1894, to February 4, 1895. After the latter date, the name reverted to Blackwell.
Andrew Blackwell had settled in the area in 1882, having married the former Rosa Vaught who was of Cherokee descent, he was eligible to found the city. Blackwell served as Justice of the Peace and Mayor of Blackwell.
Blackwell's first school opened in September 1893 in a small, frame building with fifty-two students in attendance. A gradual enrollment increase created a need for ten teachers by 1899.
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's expulsion of its African-American residents around 1893 is described in the 1967 book From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin.
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 largest employer, employing 800 people in 1972, and over 1,000 at its peak. It also was one of the largest zinc smelter facilities in the United States. After its closure the land and was donated to the Blackwell Industrial Authority (BIA). Soil from the land was repurposed throughout the city, leading to widespread contamination of air and water, including the Chikaskia River.
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