Уэтерфорд, Оклахома: История и современность города

Weatherford is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 12,076 at the time of the 2020 census, a gain of about 11.5% over the 10,833 figure from the 2010 census.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.05 square miles (18 km2), all land.

Situated on land made available to homesteaders as part of the Cheyenne Arapaho Opening on April 19, 1892, Weatherford was incorporated on August 3, 1898, on a townsite location chosen by banking and civic leader Beeks Erick. By 1900, the town's population was 1,017. The town's original post office was located approximately two miles north of town, on William John and Lorinda Powell Weatherford's homestead. Lorinda Weatherford served as its postmaster and namesake. In its early years, farming and ranching provided the major economic base, with corn, cotton, and maize the major crops. Additionally, a brick plant, a cement plant, and a broom factory provided jobs as well as supplies for early residents.

The Stafford Air & Space Museum is home to the Gemini 6A spacecraft, an actual Titan II missile, WWII V 2 rocket, Saturn V F 1 engine as well as flown space suits, flight equipment, Space Shuttle engines, and a Moon rock. Aircraft displays include an actual Sopwith Pup, F 86, F 104, T 33, T 38, F 16, and a rare MIG 21, as well as full scale replicas of the Wright Flyer, Bleriot and Spirit of St. Louis. Weatherford is the hometown of astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, veteran of four space flights and commander of the Gemini 9, Apollo 10 missions and the Apollo–Soyuz project. The 12,000 square foot building contains many artifacts from the late 1800s through the 1950s in thirty two major historical exhibits, including a 1931 Model A Ford sports coupe, and features three historic theme buildings (diner, school house, and blacksmith's shop) on the museum grounds. Weatherford has four NRHP listed sites including the Owl Blacksmith Shop at 208 W. Rainey.

At the turn of the 20th century, Weatherford beat out several other cities vying to become the home to Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), at the time known as Southwestern Oklahoma State College. Founded in 1901, it was first known as Southwestern State Teachers College. SWOSU became the largest institute of higher education in Western Oklahoma, with more than 4,200 undergraduates and post graduates by 2015. SWOSU is placed in Tier 2 of the "Regional Universities (West)" category in the 2016 edition of the U. S. News & World Report Education Rankings and offers associate, bachelor's, master's and professional doctorate degree programs. It is one of two universities in the state that feature an accredited school of pharmacy. Parochial schools in the area include ACSI accredited Western Oklahoma Christian School, which has campuses in Weatherford, as well as nearby Clinton and Elk City, serving grades pre kindergarten through six. Corn Bible Academy, located in the Washita County town of Corn, serves students in grades seven through twelve. Weatherford Public Schools provides public education services to the city of Weatherford as well as surrounding rural areas in southeastern Custer and northeastern Washita counties. The district operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Western Technology Center (WTC) provides the opportunity for adults and high school students to get occupationally specific training. Weatherford Public Schools is a member of the WTC district. As a member of the WTC district, high school juniors and seniors living in the Weatherford School District have the opportunity to attend classes at WTC. High school students who are residents of the WTC District can enroll in WTC full time training on a tuition free basis. Adult students are allowed to attend classes on a tuition basis.

Weatherford is home to the wind power facility called the Weatherford Wind Energy Center, with 98 GE 1.5 MW Wind Turbines, for a total nameplate capacity of 147 MW.

Weatherford was, for many years, situated on a main line of the now defunct Rock Island Railroad, which is still in operation by Farmrail Corporation. With the advent of the automobile, the city was initially located on State Highway 3 starting in the early 1920s, which was redesignated as U. S. Route 66 in 1926 and paved entirely across Western Oklahoma by 1932. Route 66, which followed Main Street through the city, was lined with various tourist businesses including cafes, motels and gasoline stations like most other cities along the highway. Several blocks of Main Street were also paved in brick until the mid 1950s when it was widened to a four lane thoroughfare. Interstate 40 was completed east and west of the city in 1960 generally paralleling the old U. S. 66 alignment, which was retained as frontage road. The I 40 bypass skirting Weatherford to the south was completed in July, 1970 the same day the I 40 bypass was opened to traffic 15 mile (24 km) to the west at Clinton and followed shortly thereafter by bypasses at Elk City and Sayre. In addition to Route 66 and I 40, Weatherford is also served by north–south State Highway 54. The Thomas P Stafford Airport (KOJA; FAA ID: OJA), two miles northeast of town, features a 5100’ x 75’ paved runway. Commercial air transportation is available at Will Rogers World Airport, about 69 miles to the east.