Fort Towson

Wheatland, Oklahoma in 1889

Wheatland is a neighborhood located on State Highway 152 in southwestern Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States.[2] ZIP Codes that cover the area include 73097 and 73169.

History

Wheatland was formerly a rural town, but it was annexed by Oklahoma City in 1910.[3][4] The town was named after its main crop, wheat.[5]

The post office opened February 10, 1902. That same year, the town church was built.[3]

The bank was built in 1904. In 1913, the bank was robbed by three men: George King, Charley Davis, and George "Harry" Williams. The men blew up the bank's safe with nitroglycerin.[6][7][4] When the bank opened, it was initially called the Farmer's State Bank of Wheatland, but in 1922, the name was changed to First National Bank of Wheatland. The Great Depression was felt in both Wheatland and nearby Bethany. Bethany's local bank failed in 1932 and the town of Wheatland went into a decline from which it never recovered. With no future in Wheatland, in 1941 the bank relocated and changed its name to First National Bank of Bethany.[8]

The Wheatland Weekly Watchword was published from 1909 to 1914 by the Suburban Newspaper Publishing Company.[9][10][11] The Wheatland Weekly Watchword published poetry, sayings, local comings and goings, state and national news, and advertising. Hula Lisel was the editress.[12]

In 1942, the population of Wheatland was 183.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wheatland, Oklahoma
  2. ^ Oklahoma City, OK (Wheatland). Neighborhood Scout. https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ok/oklahoma-city/wheatland#overview
  3. ^ a b Culver, Galen. "Great State: No Longer a Town, Wheatland Church Still Carries the Name after 125 Years." KFOR, 2014. https://kfor.com/2014/11/10/great-state-no-longer-a-town-wheatland-church-still-carries-the-name-after-125-years/
  4. ^ a b Lackmeyer, Steve. "How Wheatland, others became lost towns in Oklahoma County." The Oklahoman, 2023. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2023/05/14/oklahoma-county-lost-towns-wheatland-britton-carter-park-karen-park/70119948007/
  5. ^ Wheatland. ePodunk. http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=16209
  6. ^ Stafford, Roy. "Three Suspects Held for Trial." The Oklahoman, 1913. http://oliveweb-02.newsok.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_OKLAHOMAN&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin&Path=DOK/1913/06/29&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar02800&PageLabel=28
  7. ^ Stafford, Roy. "Held Guilty of Robbing a Bank." The Oklahoman, 1913. http://oliveweb-02.newsok.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_OKLAHOMAN&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin&Path=DOK/1913/10/22&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar00803&PageLabel=8
  8. ^ Closed, Merged, and Relocated Banks of Oklahoma. State of Oklahoma, 2021. https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/banking/documents/history/closed-merged-banks-2022mar%20.pdf
  9. ^ About Wheatland Weekly Watchword. (Wheatland, Okla.) 1908-19??. Library of Congress. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95076296/
  10. ^ Wheatland Weekly Watchword Archive. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/paper/wheatland-weekly-watchword/23138/
  11. ^ Wheatland Weekly Watchword. Oklahoma Historical Society, 2016. https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc936365/
  12. ^ Wheatland Weekly Watchword. Vol 1., No. 2, 1908. Oklahoma Historical Society.https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc937603/m1/2/
  13. ^ "Schools at War: A Report to the Nation." Wheatland, District 87. https://shareok.org/bitstream/handle/11244/334566/Wheatland.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y