Stigler, Oklahoma

History

Stigler is home to the Haskell County Courthouse, which has become notable for erecting marble statues of the Ten Commandments and the Mayflower Compact on the front lawn (see Separation of church and state in the United States). In the seventh commandment, the word "adultery" was misspelled as "adultry". The Commandments statue has since been removed following a court ruling.

Stigler was founded in 1889 by Joseph Stigler, who originally named the town Newman.{{Earlier in his life, Stigler had been a deputy marshal serving under the notable Federal Judge Isaac Parker, whose court in Fort Smith, Arkansas, had jurisdiction over Indian Territory. The town was then located in the Choctaw Nation in Indian Territory.}} The post office name was changed to Stigler in 1893 by the U.S. Post Office Service, because the former name caused some confusion with the town of Norman. The Midland Valley Railroad came to Stigler in 1904, which attracted more settlers and more types of businesses. By the following year, the town had become incorporated. At statehood in 1907, Stigler was named as the county seat of newly created Haskell County.

Geography

Stigler is located at 35°15′23″N 95°7′27″W (35.256357, -95.124105). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land. It is 49 miles (79 km) west of Fort Smith, Arkansas and 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Muskogee,

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,731 people, 1,096 households, and 697 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,237.6 people per square mile (477.1/km²). There were 1,216 housing units at an average density of 551.0 per square mile (212.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.76% White, 0.04% African American, 15.45% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 4.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.67% of the population.

There were 1,096 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 81.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,594, and the median income for a family was $28,839. Males had a median income of $24,350 versus $22,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,293. About 20.5% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.1% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Stigler prospered through agriculture during the early part of the 20th Century. However, cotton and corn could not sustain the town through the Great Depression of the 1930s. According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, local farmers became raisers of livestock, largely with the assistance of the Federal government. After World War II, construction of two large new reservoirs, Eufaula Lake and Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, generated many jobs in construction, followed by an upsurge of tourism to the area. Stigler also succeeded in attracting several small manufacturing plants.

The Stigler Industrial Park is owned by the city (Stigler Industrial Trust), and covers 35 acres (14 ha), located a quarter mile off of State Highway 9. It currently houses seven employers, with a total of 194 employees.

Public schools

The Stigler Board of Education is responsible for the Stigler School System, which consists of one grade school, one middle school and one high school. The Board of Education has five members and meets monthly.

Kiamichi Technology Center

One campus of the Kiamichi Technology Center (KTC) is located at 1410 Old Military Road in Stigler. The Stigler branch offers training programs in Automobile Service Technology, Construction Technology, Cosmetology, Emergency Medical Services, Health Science and Welding Technology.

Air

Stigler Regional Airport, owned by the city of Stigler, (FAA Identifier GZL), is 3 miles (4.8 km) NNE of the city. It went into service in January 1997, servicing private aircraft. There is no control tower and no scheduled airline service. Runway 17/35 is asphalt covered, with dimensions of 4296 feet by 60 feet (1309 by 80 meters).

Roads

Stigler is at the intersection of Oklahoma State Highway 9 and Oklahoma State Highway 82.

KI BOIS Area Transit System (KATS) is a rural public transportation system that operates over 200 buses and vans that transport people to Senior Citizens Centers, grocery store, doctor and work. KATS serves residents of Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, Hughes, Latimer, LeFlore, McIntosh, Okmulgee, Okfuskee, Pittsburg, Sequoyah and Wagoner Counties. Its administrative office and maintenance facility is in Stigler.

Council/Manager

Stigler has a Council-Manager form of government. City officials are:

City departments

Media

Stigler has had several newspapers, starting with the Stigler Beacon, which was followed by the State Sentinel. Others have been the Haskell County Leader, the Haskell County News, the Haskell County Tribune, the Country Star, and the Stigler News Sentinel.

Notable residents