The Pawnee Agency and Pawnee Boarding School were established after the Pawnee tribe came to this area in 1875. The Pawnee Agency was designated as a post office on May 4, 1876. The area was opened to non-Indian settlers on September 16, 1893, during the Cherokee Outlet Opening. Townsite Number Thirteen (later Pawnee) had been designated as the temporary county seat. The post office was redesignated from Pawnee Agency to Pawnee on October 26, 1893. The town incorporated on April 16, 1894. On September 9, 1895, the townspeople dedicated a stone county courthouse.[8]
Pawnee continued to develop during the Great Depression, largely because of Federal works projects. A hospital to care for the Ponca, Pawnee, Kaw, Otoe, and Tonkawa people opened January 15, 1931. A new school building at the Osage Agency opened in 1932. A new county courthouse was also built in 1932.[8] Finally, the federal government built a reservoir named Pawnee Lake two miles north of town in 1932; the lake has 5.4 miles of shoreline, a surface area of 310 acres, and a maximum depth of 24.3 feet.[10]
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,230 people, 878 households, and 581 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,015.4 inhabitants per square mile (392.0/km2). There were 1,054 housing units at an average density of 479.9 per square mile (185.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.18% White, 3.59% African American, 27.89% Native American, 0.18% from other races, and 5.16% from two or more races. HispanicorLatino of any race were 1.03% of the population.
There were 878 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,962, and the median income for a family was $32,850. Males had a median income of $28,182 versus $20,139 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,970. About 16.8% of families and 20.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 23.4% of those age 65 or over.
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Pawnee on September 3, 2016,[12] causing cracks and minor damage to buildings. It was the strongest recorded earthquake in state history, exceeding the 5.7 magnitude 2011 earthquake near Prague, Oklahoma.[13] The earthquake was caused by the deep injection of wastewater created by the practice of fracking to release oil trapped in shale rock.
Items of interest
editPeerless Steam Threshing Engine (Corliss engine) on Static Display at Pawnee County Courthouse
The Pawnee Indian Veterans Homecoming and Powwow, which occurs the weekend that falls closest to the 4th of July.[14]
Pawnee Lake, consisting of 530 surface acres with boating, fishing, and camping, and having a 9-hole golf course and horse facilities adjacent.[18]
Pawnee Bill Historical Museum, with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, the Wild West Shows and the Pawnees.[19]
Oklahoma Steam and Gas Engine Show.[20] This annual event by the Oklahoma Steam Threshers and Gas Engine Association is during the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May.[20]
Pawnee Bill Memorial Rodeo.[21] The event typically includes a Western Heritage Week, a Draft Horse and Mule Sale, an "Old Time Saturday Night" Car-Cruze-In, a youth rodeo, and a Ranch Rodeo.[21]
Pawnee County Historical Society Museum & Dick Tracy Headquarters.[23] The Museum preserves the names, places and history of the Pawnee community, displays artifacts from area ghost towns, shows pieces of Pawnee Tribe history, and showcases Dick Tracy memorabilia.[23]
Ernest E. Evans, Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, Medal of Honor recipient for action as commander of Destroyer USS Johnston (DD-557) off Samar Island, Philippines, 1944
Jennie Stevenson (aka Little Britches), female bandit associated with her companion in crime, Cattle Annie, escaped from custody temporarily from a restaurant in Pawnee in 1895.[24]
^(2009) Kansas Historical Society, Ioway-Otoe-Missouria Language Project, English to Ioway-Otoe-Missouria Dictionary, "Dictionary P (English to Baxoje)", "Pawnee, Okla.". [1]
^"Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
