Bixby, Oklahoma
Bixby, Oklahoma | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 40-06400[4] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 1090185[5] | |
Website | bixbyok.gov |
Bixby is a city in
History
Fry, a community located north of the original townsite but later annexed by Bixby, served the surrounding trade area when the only way to get across the Arkansas River was by way of the Shellenberger Ferry. Fry's post office operated from 1896 until 1909.[10]
The Bixby Bulletin, the town's first newspaper, began publication in February 1905. It continued publication until 2005. A second paper, the Bixby Journal existed only from 1907 until 1910.[8]
Bixby was impacted and enriched by the discovery of nearby natural gas deposits in 1905-1906 and oil fields in 1913, but farming remained the backbone of the community well into the 20th Century.
Another point of history commemorated by Bixby is the 1832 visit to the area by the famous American writer Washington Irving. Irving accompanied a U.S. Army exploration party on an excursion from Fort Gibson west onto the prairie and the lands occupied by the Osage and Pawnee tribes. He described his adventure in his book A Tour on the Prairies (1835). In it, he relates camping in a grove of large trees on the banks of the Arkansas River in what is present-day Bixby. The town has honored his visit by the creation of Washington Irving Park and Arboretum near the location. The park contains an amphitheatre stage patterned after the front facade of Irving's home, Sunnyside, in Tarrytown, New York, as well as gates near the park entrance that are replicas of ones at Irving's estate. A bronze statue of Washington Irving sits near the stage. Bixby Middle School drama students present a popular retelling of Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" in the park each October. The park is also the location of the heavily attended "Bixby BBQ & Music Festival" each May and the Bixby "Deutschesfest" in September.
In 2009, CNN Money.com placed Bixby No. 67 on its list of 100 Best Places to Live.[11]
Geography
Bixby is located at 35°57′39″N 95°52′42″W / 35.96083°N 95.87833°W (35.960898, −95.878258).[12] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.1 sq mi (65 km2), of which 24 sq mi (62 km2) is land and 1 sq mi (2.6 km2) is water. The average elevation is 750 ft (230 m) above MSL. The town is bisected into north and south portions by the Arkansas River; the original town center is located south of the river.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1900 | 283 | — | |
1910 | 384 | 35.7% | |
1920 | 1,249 | 225.3% | |
1930 | 1,251 | 0.2% | |
1940 | 1,291 | 3.2% | |
1950 | 1,517 | 17.5% | |
1960 | 1,711 | 12.8% | |
1970 | 3,973 | 132.2% | |
1980 | 6,969 | 75.4% | |
1990 | 9,502 | 36.3% | |
2000 | 13,336 | 40.3% | |
2010 | 20,884 | 56.6% | |
2020 | 28,609 | 37.0% | |
Sources:[13][14][15][16][4][17] |
As of the 2010 census, there were 20,884 people, 7,658 households, and 5,295 families residing in the city. The population density was 889.3 inhabitants per square mile (343.4/km2). There were 8,187 housing units at an average density of 319.8 per square mile (123.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 84.2%
There were 7,658 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $73,163 and the median income for a family was $85,000. The
Points of interest
- Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum
- SpiritBank Event Center
- Plummer’s Service Station from 1921 in downtown Bixby, a restoration project of the Bixby Historical Society.[22]
Government
Bixby has a Council/City Manager form of government.[8] As of 2022, the Mayor is Brian Guthrie and the Vice Mayor is Paul Blair.[23]
Education
Bixby Public Schools are in the Bixby School District. There are nine schools in the district, including Bixby High School, Bixby 9th Grade Center, Bixby Middle School for 7th through 8th, Bixby North Intermediate, Bixby Central Intermediate, Bixby East Intermediate, Bixby East Elementary, Bixby North Elementary, Bixby Central Elementary and upcoming Bixby West Intermediate and Elementary.
For the 2011 school year, there were approximately 5,000 students.[24]
Media
Newspaper
Bixby has one newspaper, the Bixby Bulletin. The paper is published every Thursday. It is owned by Community Publishers, a newspaper and Internet publisher and commercial printer that serves Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Television
Cox Communications Cable channel 24.3 is the Bixby Government-access television (GATV) cable TV municipal information channel. It displays, among other things, information about the city government, city council meeting, upcoming events, and general information about the city. The channel also features local sports and weather reports.
Communications
Bixby Telephone Company, commonly known as BTC Broadband, is a well-known company in the Bixby community, and has been providing internet services since 1993 and telephone services since 1914. BTC Broadband is one of the first companies in Oklahoma to offer a gigabit connection over fiber optic cables to select neighborhoods. In addition to adding fiber optic support to existing neighborhoods, BTC Broadband is active in working with local developers to ensure select areas are pre-installed with fiber optic support.
Cultural references
Bixby has been used as the setting for at least two popular works of
- Bixby, Oklahoma is the setting of Midnighters Trilogy", in which the location of Bixby on an exact point along the 36th parallelcreates a secret hour at midnight where everyone is frozen, except for five teenagers born at the stroke of midnight.
- The majority of the movie Tex was shot in Bixby. The characters attend Bixby High School and drive through Bixby, as well as Tulsa.
Notable people
- Notable former or current residents of Bixby include comedian Cleveland Indians outfielder Roy Foster.
References
- ^ "city of bixby, oklahoma - Oklahoma State Auditor" (PDF). Oklahoma State Auditor. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 6, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ "Bixby, OK". City of Bixby, Oklahoma. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ CensusViewer, "Population of the City of Bixby, Oklahoma." Accessed August 22, 2012.[1] Archived June 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stephanie Andre. "Bixby, Oklahoma's 'Garden Spot,' is blooming upscale businesses," Tulsa World. Archived June 26, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Accessed June 28, 2015
- ^ a b c d e "Dianna Everett, "Bixby." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ^ "History of Bixby, Oklahoma". Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- ^ "Tulsa County Historic Sites :: TULSA AND OKLAHOMA HISTORY COLLECTION". cdm15020.contentdm.oclc.org. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
- ^ Best Places to Live, CNN Money.com Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Population-Oklahoma" (PDF). U.S. Census 1910. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ "Population-Oklahoma" (PDF). 15th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^ "Number of Inhabitants: Oklahoma" (PDF). 18th Census of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 22, 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Oklahoma: Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
- ^ "American FactFinder - Results". Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
- ^ United States Census
- ^ "Choose Bixby". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ a b "Bixby (City) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ "Hundred-year-old Bixby gas station getting makeover as part of historical society's bigger plans". Tim Stanley, Tulsa World, March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "City Council". City of Bixby, OK. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ "Bixby Public Schools". Bixby Public Schools. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- ^ Jimmie Tramel, "WWE Hall of Fame to induct 'Cowboy Bill'" Archived April 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Tulsa World, April 3, 2009.