Stroud, Oklahoma
| Stroud, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Motto: " Oklahoma Winery Grape Capitol " | |
 Location of Stroud, Oklahoma |
|
| Coordinates: 35°45′33″N 96°39′8″W / 35.75917°N 96.65222°WCoordinates: 35°45′33″N 96°39′8″W / 35.75917°N 96.65222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| Counties | Lincoln, Creek |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.5 sq mi (32.3 km2) |
| • Land | 11.5 sq mi (29.8 km2) |
| • Water | 1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2) |
| Elevation | 886 ft (270 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,690 |
| • Density | 220/sq mi (83/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74079 |
| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-71000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1098587 |
| Website | cityofstroud.com |
Stroud is a city in Creek and Lincoln counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,690.
Stroud was founded in 1892 and named for Brayden Weaver Stroud, a trader. Early in its history, Stroud had a reputation as a "wild" town due to its many saloons and other businesses catering to thirsty cowboys and travelers arriving from "dry" Indian Territory. These days were short-lived, however, because Oklahoma statehood forced Stroud to become "dry" as well.
On March 27, 1915 Stroud became the victim of a legendary outlaw: "Henry Starr, along with six other men, decided to rob two banks at the same time... The [Stroud] robbery would prove... disastrous for Henry Starr. Proceeding to rob the Stroud National Bank and the First National Bank, word of the holdup spread quickly and the citizens took up arms against the bandits. Henry and another outlaw named Lewis Estes were wounded and captured in the gun battle. The rest of the gang escaped with $5815...". Henry was sentenced to prison at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, but was paroled after serving only four years.
The town became quiet until about 1926 when U.S. Route 66 was built. When construction of the highway was completed, Stroud became a rest stop with amenities such as motels, gas stations and restaurants. The Rock Café, built during the Great Depression using local sandstone removed during the construction of Route 66, operated 24 hours a day during its 1950s heyday. Business diminished after the Turner Turnpike diverted cross-country traffic from the town's main street.
Stroud was devastated by the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, which destroyed the town's 53-store Tanger Outlet Center, as well as a distribution center owned by foodservice company Sygma. Neither of these facilities were rebuilt; the resulting loss of 800 jobs caused a significant amount of economic distress to the town.
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Wikipedia