Medicine Park, Oklahoma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Medicine Park Cobblestone cottage Circa 1915

Medicine Park is a town in Comanche County, Oklahoma, situated in the Wichita Mountains near the entrance to the 60,000 acre Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Medicine Park has a long history as a vintage cobblestone resort town. Medicine Park is also located near the city of Lawton, Oklahoma and Fort Sill. Many of the original structures are constructed out of naturally formed cobblestones—these red granite cobblestones are unique to the Wichita Mountains.

[edit] History

Medicine Park, Oklahoma, on the edge of the Wichita Wildlife Refuge with Mt. Scott as a backdrop, began its life in 1908 the year following the return of the bison to Wildlife Refuge by Teddy Roosevelt. Medicine Park, the brainchild of long time Senator from Oklahoma Elmer Thomas, was the first planned resort town in Oklahoma with its centerpiece being Bath and Gondola Lakes with its swimming and fishing. The eccentric cobblestone cottages cheerfully line the streets, bringing smiles to the visitors and inhabitants of this little community. The red round cannonball-sized stone is a unique natural formation occurring in the Wichita Mountains. Medicine Park has been through good times and bad but never boring times. Always a resort, it catered to families, politicians and as well as the notorious. Medicine Park is in continual evolution but still keeps its historic charisma.

[edit] Geography

Medicine Park is located at 34°43′60″N, 98°29′2″W (34.733270, -98.483923)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.5 km² (1.7 mi²). 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.89%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 373 people, 163 households, and 112 families residing in the town. The population density was 85.7/km² (222.1/mi²). There were 250 housing units at an average density of 57.5/km² (148.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.11% White, 1.34% African American, 6.43% Native American, 0.54% Pacific Islander, 2.68% from other races, and 5.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.70% of the population.

Bridge over Medicine Creek.

There were 163 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,607, and the median income for a family was $33,929. Males had a median income of $22,321 versus $18,854 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,236. About 19.6% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.