Stilwell, Oklahoma
| Stilwell, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Former train depot in Stilwell
|
|
 Location within Adair County and the state of Oklahoma |
|
| Coordinates: 35°48′55″N 94°37′53″W / 35.81528°N 94.63139°WCoordinates: 35°48′55″N 94°37′53″W / 35.81528°N 94.63139°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Adair |
| Incorporated | 1897 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor and council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.2 sq mi (8.3 km2) |
| • Land | 3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,089 ft (332 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,949 |
| • Density | 1,234.0/sq mi (481.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74960 |
| Area code(s) | (918 Exchanges:696,797) |
| FIPS code | 40-70350 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1098544 |
| Website | cityofstilwell.com |
Stilwell is a city and county seat of Adair County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,949 at the 2010, an increase of 20.5 percent from 3,276 at the 2000 census. In 1949, the Oklahoma governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as the "Strawberry Capital of the World." Stilwell also serves as a gateway to Lake Tenkiller and the former Adair State Park.
The town was named after Arthur Stilwell, noted philanthropist and founder of the Kansas City Southern Railway. It was built because of the construction of the railroad, and was incorporated on January 2, 1897.
As early as 1901, Stilwell and Westville vied for the role of county seat. When Adair County was formed in 1907, Westville was identified as the county seat, due partly to its location at the intersection of two major railroads: the Kansas City Southern Railway and the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway. After three intensely contested elections, however, Oklahoma governor Charles Haskell proclaimed Stilwell as the county seat on May 6, 1910.
During the Great Depression and World War II, strawberries became a major crop in Adair County. In 1948, the first Stilwell Strawberry Festival was organized. In 1949, the state governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as "Strawberry Capital of the World." The 2002 festival saw some 40,000 people in attendance.
The former Adair State Park in Stilwell has been taken over by Adair County, after the State of Oklahoma announced in 2011 that it would close the park permanently as part of a budget cutting move.
...
Wikipedia