Чикаша қаласы: халық, тарих және мәдениет

Chickasha '/tʃ//ɪ//k//ə//ʃ//eɪ/ is a city in and the county seat of Grady County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,051 at the 2020 census, a 0.1% increase from 2010. The city is named for and strongly connected to Native American heritage, as "Chickasha" (Chikashsha) is the Choctaw word for Chickasaw. Chickasha is home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

As of the 2010 Census, there were 16,036 people, 6,374 households, and 3,898 families residing in the city. From 2000 to 2010, the Chickasha city population growth percentage was 1.2% (or from 15,850 people to 16,036 people). There were 7,380 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 80.0% White, 7.1% African American, 4.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% of the population. Of the 6,434 households, 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95. According to the 2009 2013 American Community Survey (ACS), the median income for a household in the city was $38,341, and the median income for a family was $44,547. Males had a median income of $38,987 versus $27,357 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,848. About 12.9% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Agriculture, particularly wheat production, and cattle raising have been important to the city's economy since its earliest days. Manufacturing became important about the middle of the 20th century. ArvinMeritor Replacement Parts and Delta Faucet opened facilities in the 1970s. The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma hosts an annual festival, the Spring Triad, which is made up of the Montmartre Chalk Art Festival, the Droverstock music festival, and the Scholastic Meet. The event is held annually on the first Thursday of April. The art festival is held around the USAO Oval, where over 700 artists compete in a chalk art contest. Droverstock features over 12 hours of live music from various bands of all styles and genres. There are also many vendors, inflatables, and activities associated with the festival. The competition is the largest academic meet in the state. Overall, the day long event attracts thousands into the community. The concert has featured rock and roll groups such as The Byrds, The Grass Roots, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Jefferson Airplane, The Lovin' Spoonful, Firefall, John Conlee, Dr. Hook and Bad Company. From a small local swapmeet, the Chickasha Pre war Swap Meet has evolved to be one of the significant swapmeets for owners and collectors of cars from before 1942 (World War II). According to numerous posts in the forum of the Model T Club of America, the Chickasha Pre war Swap Meet is considered the best Ford Model T swapmeet in the US.

Lake Chickasha is a City owned lake located northwest of town in neighboring Caddo County. It offers recreation such as swimming, boating, and water sports, as well as hiking, camping, and playground usage. Shannon Springs Park has a splash pad and pool, free fishing for those under 16 or over 65, playground equipment, an outdoor amphitheater, pavilions and more. Chickasha is the current location of a historic schoolhouse that served black children in Grady County. Verden Separate School was built by African American Allen Toles on his own property in the nearby town of Verden in 1910. The school operated until 1935. The school building was rediscovered by historians in 2004 and restored and relocated to Chickasha. The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Oklahoma's public liberal arts college, is located in Chickasha. It was founded in 1908 by the Oklahoma State Legislature as Oklahoma Industrial Institute and College for Girls. The school's name was officially changed to Oklahoma College for Women in 1916. In 1965, the school became coeducational, and its name was changed to Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts. The school is currently known as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

Chickasha is served by Interstate 44, US Route 62, US Route 81, US Route 277, US Route 62, State 39, State 19, and State 92. Chickasha Municipal Airport (KCHK; FAA ID CHK), owned by the city and about 3 miles northwest, has multiple runways, the longest of which is 5101 ft by 100 ft and concrete surfaced. Commercial air transportation is available at Will Rogers World Airport, about 38 miles northeast. Rail freight service is provided by Union Pacific. Union Pacific honors Chickasha as a “Train Town USA,” one of 131 communities out of the 7,300 communities it serves, because of the town’s unique, long standing relationship with the railroad.