Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Bartlesville is a city in Oklahoma, forty-seven miles north of Tulsa and very close to the Kansas/Oklahoma state line. The population was 34,748 at the 2000 census. Bartlesville is the county seat of Washington County; however, the city extends west so that it is also partially in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States.

Bartlesville is notable for being the longtime home of Phillips Petroleum Company (now merged with Conoco as ConocoPhillips). Frank Phillips, who has a principal street named after him (the hospital is named after his wife Jane), founded Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville in 1905 when the area was still Indian Territory. Phillips has always been the top employer. Chiefly white-collar workers are employed by the company in Bartlesville, because most of the industrial extraction and refining work is done elsewhere in the state and throughout the world.

In spite of its proximity to Tulsa, Bartlesville has a daily newspaper, the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise.

Bartlesville is one of two places in Oklahoma where a Lenape tribe lives, the other being Anadarko.

Bartlesville is the US headquarters of the Christian ministry Voice of the Martyrs, and the birth place of Tyson Meade and Patrick Cranshaw.

Schools

The public school system in Bartlesville has one high school. However, the city splits them into "Bartlesville Mid-High" with a 9th and 10th grade, and "Bartlesville High School" with 11th and 12th grade. Therefore, all public school students must attend the mid-high on the east side and the high school on the west side in order to graduate.

Public Schools High School: ^* Mid-high: ^* Madison Middle School: ^* Central Middle School: ^* Jane Phillips Elementary: ^* Hoover Elementary: ^* Richard Kane Elementary: ^* Oak Park Elementary: ^* Ranch Heights Elementary: ^* Wayside Elementary: ^* Wilson Elementary: ^*

Bartlesville is home to Oklahoma Wesleyan University, a private religious school that affiliates itself with the Wesleyan Church. Enrollment is about 600. There is also a campus of Rogers State University where approximately 400 students are enrolled. Rogers has acquired the Reda Building in downtown Bartlesville and will transfer classes and administration there in fall of 2005.

Geography

Bartlesville is located at (36.747193, -95.959498).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.7 km² (21.1 mi²). 54.7 km² (21.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.09%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 34,748 people, 14,565 households, and 9,831 families residing in the city. The population density was 635.5/km² (1,646.4/mi²). There were 16,091 housing units at an average density of 294.3/km² (762.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.09% White, 3.20% African American, 7.18% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 5.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.

There were 14,565 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% 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 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,827, and the median income for a family was $44,617. Males had a median income of $35,699 versus $23,071 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,195. About 9.4% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

"The Nexus"

Bartlesville also happens to be the home of a very strong underground punk, hardcore, metalcore, metal and alternative music scene, mostly centering around a Christian-oriented, but not exclusively, venue called "The Wherehouse" which was started in 1990 by Tim Cook. Cook went on to start Cook Management who was later joined by Australian native Tim Ottley. Clientele of Cook Management includes Blindside, Pillar, and the multi-platinum P.O.D. The current director of "The Wherehouse" is Mike Willaford and co-directed by Ryan Merket.

Also, Bartlesville had, for a long time, another music venue/cafe called us75.com/. Its name coming from the fact that it was situated on highway 75. This venue was a source of bands of many different genres. Some of the most notable things about us75.com/, mostly called "us75" or "75", was the free acoustic night, one dollar shows in the summertime, great atmosphere, board games, and amazing cheesy rice, all at great prices. Some would say that us75.com/ closed because of their low ticket prices and rules they had against Moshing.

Due to the obscurity of a vibrant music scene in a place as rural as Bartlesville, OK, it has often been nicknamed "The Nexus" by participants in the scene.

It's also called by its nickname B'ville or the 'Ville.

Tourism

Bartlesville is home to the Price Tower, the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that was actually built. It is also home to the Comunity Center designed by Taliesin West-The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Frank Phillips's home in Bartlesville is now a house museum that is maintained by the Oklahoma Historical Society. His ranch, Woolaroc, about 10 miles south-west of Bartlesville contains a museum of his art collection, and is also a big-game preserve with many native and exotic animals such as American Bison, Elk, and Zebra.

A frequent stop for tour busses is the Keepsake Candle Factory, 2 miles west of Bartlesville on Radar Hill. A Bartlesville tradition since 1969! It began in the family kitchen as a Christmas bazaar project for the Oak Park United Methodist Church.

Next door is the Red Dirt Soap Company®, founded in 1996, is named for the red clay found in Oklahoma.

The Wall of Honor Veterans Memorial recognizes and honors veterans and current military personnel for the bravery and sacrifices they've made to preserve our country's freedom. Located at the northwest entrance of Washington Park Mall, it stands as a permanent tribute to all Americans who have served and are serving our Great Nation. Names are listed on panels beside the display cabinets. Also on display are photos, story boards, World War II murals, eternal flame and POW/MIA Listings. In addition a special display has been created to honor Lance Corporal Thomas A. Blair, Oklahoma's first casualty during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For more information on some of the other interesting sites to see in Bartlesville Vistor's Guide

Prairie Song, I.T. (Indian Territory)
La Quinta Foster Mansion
Atchison M-K-T Railroad Depot
Bartlesville Visitor Information Center
National Biplane Assoc. Memorial Plaza
Historic Phillips Aviation Office
Historic Cherokee Avenue
Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain
Nellie Johnstone #1
1909 Santa Fe Engine & Hulah Depot
Biplane Museum
Historic Grave Sites

Points of interest

it's also the home of former NBA Point guard Mark Price

External links

Cities in Oklahoma | Osage County, Oklahoma | Washington County, Oklahoma | County seats in Oklahoma