Lawton, Oklahoma

The city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately 80 mi southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 US Census, Lawton's population was 96,867, making it the fifth largest city in the state.

Built on former reservation lands of Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Indians, Lawton was founded on August 6, 1901 and was named after Major General Henry Ware Lawton, a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in the Philippine–American War. Lawton's landscape is typical of the Great Plains with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by the Wichita Mountains.

The city's proximity to Fort Sill Military Reservation gave Lawton economic and population stability in the region throughout the 20th century. Although Lawton's economy is still largely dependent on Fort Sill, it has also grown to encompass manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. The city's government is run by a council-manager government consisting of a city manager and a city council headed by a mayor. Interstate 44 and three major United States Highways serve the city, while Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport connects Lawton by air. Recreation can be found at the city's many parks, lakes, museums, and festivals. Notable residents of the city include many musical and literary artists as well as several professional athletes.

History
The land that is present day Oklahoma was first settled by prehistoric American Indians including the Clovis 11500 BCE, Folsom 10600 BCE and Plainview 10000 BCE cultures. Western explorers came to the region in the 16th century with Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado visiting in 1541. Most of the region during this time was settled by the Wichita and Caddo people. Around the 1700s, two tribes from the North, the Comanches and Kiowas, migrated to the Oklahoma and Texas region.

For most of the 18th century, the Oklahoma region was under French control as Louisiana. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson brought the area under United States control. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which removed American Indian tribes and relocated them to Indian Territory. The southern part of the territory was originally assigned to the Choctaw and Chickasaw until 1867 when the Medicine Lodge Treaty allotted the southwest portion of the Choctaw and Chickasaw’s lands to the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache tribes.

Fort Sill was established in 1869 by Major General Philip Sheridan who was leading a campaign in Indian Territory to stop raids into Texas by American Indian tribes. In 1874, the Red River War broke out in the region when the Comanche, Kiowa and Southern Cheyenne left their Indian Territory reservation. Attrition and skirmishes by the US Army finally forced the return of the tribes back to Indian Territory in June 1875.

In 1891, the United States Congress appointed a commission to meet with the tribal leaders and come to an agreement allowing white settlement. Years of controversy and legal maneuvering ensued before President William McKinley issued a proclamation on July 4, 1901, that gave the federal government control over 2000000 acre of surplus Indian land.

Three 320 acre sites in Kiowa, Caddo and Comanche Counties were selected for county seats with Lawton designated as the Comanche County seat. The town was named for Major General Henry W. Lawton, a quartermaster at Fort Sill who had taken part in the pursuit and capture of Geronimo. The city was opened to settlement through an auction of town lots beginning on August 6, 1901, which was completed sixty days later. By September 25, 1901 the Rock Island Railroad expanded to Lawton and was soon joined by the Frisco Line. The first city elections were held October 24, 1901

The United States entry into World War I accelerated growth at Fort Sill and Lawton. The availability of 5 e6USgal of water from Lake Lawtonka, just north of Fort Sill, provided the motivation for the War Department to establish a major cantonment named Camp Doniphan, which was active until 1922. Following World War II, Lawton enjoyed steady population growth with the population increasing from 18,055 to 34,757 from 1940 to 1950. By the 1960s, it had reached 61,697.

Lawton underwent tremendous growth during the late 1940s and 1950s, leading city officials to seek additional water sources to supplement existing water from Lake Lawtonka. In the late 1950s, the city purchased large parcels of land along East Cache Creek in northern Comanche County for the construction of a man-made lake with a dam built in 1959 on the creek just north of U.S. 277 west of Elgin. Lake Ellsworth, named for a former Lawton mayor and soft-drink bottler C.R. Ellsworth, was dedicated in the early 1960s and not only offered additional water resources, but also recreational opportunities and flood control along Cache Creek.

In 1966, the Lawton City Council annexed several miles of land on the city's east, northeast, west and northwest borders, expanding east beyond the East Cache Creek area and west to 82nd Street. On March 1, 1964, the north section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike was completed connecting Lawton directly to Oklahoma City. The south section of the turnpike leading to the Texas border was completed on April 23, 1964. Urban renewal efforts in the 1970s transformed downtown Lawton. A number of buildings dating back to the city's founding were demolished in order to build an enclosed shopping mall.

On June 23, 1998, the city expanded when Lawton annexed neighboring Fort Sill. With the advent of the Base Realignment and Closure of 2005 increasing the size of Fort Sill, Lawton is expected to see continued population and economic growth over the course of the next 20 years.

Geography
Lawton is located at 34.60444°N, -98.39583°W (34.604444, &minus;98.395833). The city has a total area of 75.1 sqmi, all of it land. Lawton is located about 84 mi southwest of Oklahoma City. Other surrounding cities include Wichita Falls about 47 mi to the south, Duncan about 33 mi to the east, and Altus about 56 mi to the west.

Lawton lies in an area that is typical of the Great Plains with prairie, few trees,and flat topography with gently rolling hills. The region north of the city consists of the Wichita Mountains including Mount Scott and Mount Pinchot the area's highest peaks. The area consists mostly of Permian Post Oak Conglomerate limestone on the northern sections of the city. In the south sections of the city, Permian Garber sandstone is commonly found with some Hennessey Group shale. Area creeks including East Cache Creek contain deposits of Quaternary Alluvium. To the northwest, the Wichita Mountains consist primarily of Wichita Granite Group from the Cambrian era.

Climate
Lawton lies in a dry subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with frequent variations in weather daily, except during the constantly hot and dry summer months. Frequent strong winds, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, help to lessen the hotter weather. Northerly winds during the winter can occasionally intensify cold periods.

The average mean temperature for the southwest Oklahoma is 61.9 °F. The summers can be extremely hot; Lawton averages 21 days with temperatures 100 °F and above. The winter months are typically mild, though there can be periods of extreme cold. Lawton averages between 8 days that fail to rise above freezing. The city receives about 31.6 in of precipitation and less than 3 in of snow annually.

Lawton is located squarely in area known as Tornado Alley and is prone to severe weather in late April through early June. Most notably in 1957, a F4 tornado and again in 1979 a F3 tornado struck the southern region of the city.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 96,867 people, 34,901 households, and 22,508 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,195.4 people per square mile (461.5/km²). There were 39,409 housing units at an average density of 486.3 per square mile (187.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.3% White, 21.4% African American, 4.7% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.6% of the population.

There were 34,901 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,566, and the median income for a family was $50,507. Males had a median income of $36,440 versus $31,825 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,655. About 16.6% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Crime
In 2010, the Lawton MSA had a violent crime rate of 771.7 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to a rate of 479.5 in Oklahoma as a whole and 403.6 nationwide. The property crime rate for 2010 was 4,964.6 incidents per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 3,415.5 in Oklahoma and 2,941.9 nationally.

Economy and workforce
Lawton is primarily centered on government, manufacturing and retail trade industries. Lawton MSA ranks fourth in Oklahoma with Gross Domestic Product of $4.2 billion produced in 2008 with a majority ($2.1 billion) in the government sector. Fort Sill is the largest employer of jobs in Lawton, employing over 5,000 full time employees. In the private sector, the largest employer is Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company with 2,400 full time employees. Major employers in the Lawton area also include: Lawton Public Schools, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, City of Lawton, Cameron University, and Assurant Solutions. Lawton includes two major industrial parks. One is located in the southwest region of town while the second is located near the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport.

At present, the city of Lawton is undertaking the Downtown Revitalization Project. Its goal is to redesign the areas between Elmer Thomas Park at the north through Central Mall to the south to be more visually appealing and pedestrian friendly in order to encourage business growth in the area.

Lawton had 35,374 employed civilians as of the 2010 Census and of them 49.1% were female. Of the civilian workers, 21,842 (61.7%) were private for-profit wage and salary workers. Out of the for-profit wage and salary workers, 659 (1.9% of the total Lawton civilian workforce) were employees of their own corporations. In the non-profit sector, there were 2,571 (7.3%) private non-profit wage and salary workers. The government sector included: 4,713 (13.3%) federal workers, 2,545 (7.2%) state government workers, and 2,160 (6.1%) local government workers. In addition, the city had 1,634 (4.6%) self-employed workers and unpaid family workers.

Events and festivals
Lawton is home to many annual attractions including the annual Prince of Peace Easter Passion Play. It is held in the Holy City in the Wichita Mountain Refuge each year on Palm Sunday and continues to Easter Eve. It continues to be one of the longest running Easter Passion plays in the nation and was the basis for the 1949 movie The Prince of Peace. In May, Lawton Arts for All, Inc hosts the Arts for All Festival. The festival accommodates several judged art competitions, as well as live entertainment. The festival is typically held at Shepler Park. In late September, Lawton hosts The International Festival. Founded in 1979, the event showcases the many different culture, arts, and music of the community.

Museums
Lawton has three museums that are open to the public. The Museum of the Great Plains is a museum dedicated to natural history and early settlement of the Great Plains. Outdoor exhibits includes a replica of the Red River Trading Post, the original Blue Beaver schoolhouse, and Elgin Train Depot with a Frisco locomotive. The Fort Sill Museum is located on the current military base of the same name and includes the old Fort Sill corral, several period buildings including the old post guardhouse, chapel, and barracks, as well as several artillery pieces. The old fort is also listed as a National Historic Landmark. The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, which is operated by the Comanche Nation Tribe, focuses on exhibits and art relating to the Comanche culture past and present. The museum also hosts traveling American Indian exhibitions from the Smithsonian Institute, Michigan State University Museum, and Chicago's Field Museum.

Sports
Lawton is home to Cameron University Aggies, which is a Division II school in the Lone Star Conference. Noted for winning the NAIA Football National Championship in 1987, the school currently does not have a football program. However, Cameron remains competitive in ten varsity sports including Men's and Women's Basketball, Baseball, and Softball.

Lawton was the former home to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry. The Cavalry moved from Oklahoma City to Lawton in 2007 where they won two Continental Basketball Association championships and a Premier Basketball League championship. In 2011, the Cavalry ceased operations in their second year in the PBL.

Parks and recreation
Lawton is home to 80 parks and recreations areas in varying sizes, including the largest Elmer Thomas Park. Along with the park system, the city is nearby three major lakes, Lake Lawtonka, Lake Ellsworth, and Elmer Thomas Lake where boating, swimming, camping, and fishing are permitted. The Lawton branch of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) offers a wide variety of recreational programs to members, and the Lawton Country Club maintains a 18-hole, par 71, golf course. Recreation can also be found in many amateur leagues including: Adult Softball, Youth Baseball, Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball.

Northwest of the city is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in order to preserve the natural fauna of southwest Oklahoma. The refuge includes a Visitor Center, several camping areas, hiking trails, and many lakes for the public to explore.

Government
Lawton uses the council-manager model of municipal government. The city's primary authority resides in the City Council which approves ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The city is divided into eight wards with each ward electing a single city council representative for a three year term. The mayor, who is elected every three years, presides and sets the agenda over the City Council, but is primarily ceremonial as a head of government. The administrative day to day operation of the city is headed by the City Manager who is appointed by the City Council. As of October 2011, the Mayor of Lawton was Fred L. Fitch and City Manager was Larry Mitchell.

Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County and houses county offices and courts. Three elected commissioners serving four year terms manage the county government.

At the federal level, Lawton lies in Oklahoma 4th Congressional district, represented by Tom Cole. In the State Senate, Lawton is in District 31 (Don Barrington) and 32 (Randy Bass). In the House, District 62 (T.W. Shannon), 63 (Don Armes), 64 (Ann Coody) cover the city.

Higher education
Cameron University is the largest four year, state-funded university, in southwest Oklahoma, offering more than 50 degree programs in areas of Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology. Founded in 1909, Cameron has an average fall enrollment of 6,000 students with 70 endowed faculty positions. Other colleges in Lawton include Comanche Nation College. Founded in 2004, the college provides lower division programs and educational opportunities in higher education for the Comanche Nation and the public.

Lawton is also served by the Great Plains Technology Center, which is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education System. Great Plains provides occupational education, training, and development opportunities to area residents.

Primary and secondary schools
Lawton Public Schools serves most of the city of Lawton. The district operates two pre-kindergarten centers, twenty-six elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools – Eisenhower, Lawton, and MacArthur. In 2008, Lawton Public Schools had an enrollment of about 16,000 students with about 1,000 teachers. Two independent districts, Bishop and Flower Mound, serve portions of Lawton. Bishop operates a single PK-6 elementary campus and Flower Mound has a PK-8 campus. Secondary students living in these districts attend Lawton Public Schools. A small portion of far-west Lawton is served by Cache Public Schools.

Other schools in Lawton include St. Mary's Catholic School, which has both an elementary and middle school. St. Mary's has served the greater Lawton area and the Fort Sill community for over 100 years and offers accredited Catholic education for grades Pre-K through 8th grade. Trinity Christian Academy and Lawton Christian School are two other private schools. Trinity Christian Academy offers classes from K-3 through the 8th grade. Lawton Christian has the city's only private independent high school. Lawton Christian, founded in 1976, offers education from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade and has a student body of 426 students.

Media
The Lawton Constitution is the only daily newspaper published in Lawton and has a circulation of 30,000. In addition the Fort Sill newspaper, The Cannoneer, is published weekly primarily for military personnel as well as the newspaper The Cameron Collegian whose main audience is Cameron University students. Additionally, Okie Magazine is a monthly magazine that focuses on news and entertainment in the Southwest Oklahoma area.

Radio stations in Lawton include, two AM Stations KKRX 1050 and KXCA 1380 as well as 15 FM stations including, NPR affiliate KCCU 89.3, KFXI 92.1, KZCD 94.1, KMGZ 95.3, KJMZ 97.9, KLAW 101.3 and KVRW 107.3

Lawton is located in the Wichita Falls and Lawton Media Market which encompasses 154,450 households with a television, making it the 149th largest in the nation according to Nelson Media Research in 2009-2010. KSWO-TV channel 7, an ABC affiliate, is the only broadcast television station in the Lawton area that provides local news. All other major stations including, KFDX-TV 3 (NBC), KAUZ-TV (CBS), and KJTL-TV (Fox) are based in Wichita Falls.

Transportation
Lawton is primarily served by Interstate 44, designated as the H. E. Bailey Turnpike. It connects the city to Oklahoma City to the northeast and to Wichita Falls, Texas to the south. The city is also connected by US Highway 62, which connects to the regional towns of Altus to the west and Anadarko to the north. Other major thoroughfares include US Highway 277 and 281, which parallels the H. E. Bailey Turnpike to Wichita Falls to the south and leads to regional towns of Anadarko and Chickasha, respectively, to the north, and OK-7 which connects Lawton to Duncan.

Lawton Area Transit System (LATS) provides public transit for both Lawton and Fort Sill. Founded in 2002, LATS had a ridership of 427,088 in 2009 and provides five major routes throughout the city.

By air, Lawton is served by the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW, KLAW). At present, it offers daily American Eagle flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and is also used for military transport.

Health care
Lawton has three major hospitals in the area. The largest, Comanche County Memorial Hospital, is a 283-bed non-profit hospital that employs 250 physicians. Southwestern Medical Center is a 199-bed hospital with a staff of 150 physicians. In addition, the US Public Health Lawton Indian Hospital is located in the city to provide health services for the large American Indian population. It has 26 beds with a staff of 23 physicians.

Notable residents
Notable residents include country singers: Bryan White, Kelly Willis, and Leon Russell, Grammy nominated jazz trombonist Conrad Herwig and Flaming Lips drummer Steven Drozd. Notable authors include Pulitzer Prize winning author N. Scott Momaday, poet Don Blanding, and Hugo Award winner, C.J. Cherryh.

Politicians from Lawton include: US Senator Thomas Gore, US Representatives Scott Ferris, L. M. Gensman, Elmer Thomas, Democratic State Senator Randy Bass and former US Ambassador to Czechoslovakia Julian Niemczyk (born on Fort Sill).

Other notable residents include: WWII Comanche Code Talker Charles Chibitty, Academy Award winning actress Joan Crawford, WWII ace Robert S. Johnson, three time NBA champion Stacey King, former NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson, Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson, infamous University of Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson, NFL Pro Bowlers Will Shields and Jammal Brown, and 2006 Contender champion boxer Grady Brewer.

Sister cities

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