Shamrock, Oklahoma

Shamrock is an unincorporated community in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States, located on Oklahoma State Highway 16 south of Drumright and west-northwest of Bristow.[4] The population was 101 at the 2010 census, a loss of 19.2 percent from the figure of 125 recorded in 2000.[5] It was named for Shamrock, Illinois (just southeast of Bloomington),[6] the hometown of local store owner, James M. Thomas.[7]

Shamrock, Oklahoma
Town
Shamrock Museum Building from 1927, said to be an abandoned auto dealership.[1]
Location within Creek County, and the state of Oklahoma
Coordinates: 35°54′39″N 96°34′48″W
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Creek
Area
• Total	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km^2)
• Land	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km^2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km^2)
Elevation	1,017 ft (310 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	101
• Density	379.2/sq mi (146.4/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74068
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-66600[2]
GNIS feature ID	1097951[3]

History

In 1908, James M. Thomas, a native of Shamrock, Illinois, moved to this area and opened a store. He named the post office that he established on July 9, 1910 in honor of his home town. Between 1915 and 1916, the Sapulpa and Oil Field Railroad[8] (later the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) built a line northward from Depew to Shamrock. In 1916, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway constructed a line that connected Shamrock and Drumright. The railroad bypassed the town by three-fourths of a mile, so the citizens moved their businesses closer to the railroad. This developed Shamrock as a major shipping point for oil field equipment and crude oil. The town adopted an Irish theme, with streets named Tipperary, Dublin, Killarney, Blarney, and Cork.[7]

Shamrock became quite the oil and gas boomtown when the nearby Cushing Oil Field began to develop. Numerous oilfield camps began to spring up in the vicinity, and Shamrock developed a reputation as a bawdy town with saloons, gambling halls, and brothels. However, the oil boom and its workers started moving to new areas in the mid-1920s, and Shamrock began to shrink. Still, Shamrock was exciting enough in 1932 to have its bank robbed by Pretty Boy Floyd.[1]

Shamrock at one point had two weekly newspapers.[7] One was The Shamrock Brogue.[9] The editorial in the first issue dated January 1, 1916 summarized the paper’s view and intent: “Shamrock is on the map to stay and the Brogue is here to boost for the town. The Brogue will never knock. The mission of a newspaper is to boost for its own home town first, last and all the time, and that is the program that the Brogue will follow.”[9] The other paper was the Shamrock Blarney, first printed on March 9, 1916.[7] Both papers were succeeded by the Creek County Democrat,[7] which published to at least January 23, 1930.[10]

The board of trustees voted to dissolve the town in June 2010, and it was placed in receivership with Sapulpa attorney Bill Sellers.[11]

Geography

Shamrock is located at 35°54′39″N 96°34′48″W (35.910737, -96.580131).[12]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 125 people, 47 households, and 29 families residing in the town. The population density was 379.2 people per square mile (146.3/km²). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 212.3 per square mile (81.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.60% White, 8.80% Native American, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.

There were 47 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 35.2% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,250, and the median income for a family was $21,875. Males had a median income of $22,917 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $9,948. There were 20.6% of families and 29.5% of the population living below the poverty line, including 36.2% of under eighteens and 6.3% of those over 64.

References

1. "Shamrock – Oil Boom & Bust". Legends of America. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
4. "Shamrock, Oklahoma". Google Maps. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
5. "Population of the City of Shamrock, Oklahoma". CensusViewer. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
6. "Shamrock, Illinois". Google Maps. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
7. Wilson, Linda D. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Shamrock". Digital.library.okstate.edu.
8. "Sapulpa and Oil Field Railroad, Spur To The Hill Oil And Gas Company near Shamrock, Creek County, Oklahoma". U.S. National Archives. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
9. "The Shamrock Brogue, Volume 1, Number 1, January 1, 1916". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
10. "Creek County Democrat, January 23, 1930". Newspapers.com. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
11. "Creek County town of Shamrock dissolves in $60,000 debt". Tulsa World. 2013-09-30. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
12. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.