Miami, Oklahoma


Miami is a city in and county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining established by 1918, caused it to boom.
It is the capital of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, after which it is named, the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Peoria Tribe of Indians and Shawnee Tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city had 13,570 inhabitants, a one percent decline since 2000.

History

Miami began in an unusual way, compared to other towns in Indian Territory. Per the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture "... it was settled in a business-like way by men of vision who looked into the future and saw possibilities. It didn't just grow. It was carefully planned."
W. C. Lykins petitioned the U.S. Congress to pass legislation on March 3, 1891 to establish the town. He met with Thomas F. Richardville, chief of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, who agreed to meet in turn with the U.S. Indian Commission and the Ottawa Tribe.
That meeting resulted in Congress authorizing the secretary of the United States Department of the Interior to approve the townsite purchase from the Ottawas. Lykins, Richardville and Manford Pooler, chief of the Ottawa, are identified in historical accounts as "fathers of Miami." Lykins' company, the Miami Town Company, bought of land from the Ottawa for ten dollars an acre. On June 25–26, 1891 they held an auction of lots. In 1895, Miami incorporated and had more than 800 residents.
The discovery of rich deposits of lead and zinc under Quapaw land a few miles north caused Miami to boom. In 1907, at the time of statehood, its population was 1,893, which increased as mining was established to 6,802 by 1920.
Miami was on the route of the Jefferson Highway established in 1915, with that road running more than 2,300 miles from Winnipeg, Manitoba to New Orleans, Louisiana. It was later on Route 66, and still has an historic Original Nine-Foot Section of Route 66 Roadbed.
It is the capital of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, after which it is named, the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Peoria Tribe of Indians and Shawnee Tribe.

Geography

Miami is located near . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Flooding

Miami is located on the Neosho River, and was impacted by the Great Flood of 1951. The town has flooded more than two dozen times since the 1990s, most recently during the 2019 Arkansas River floods. Town residents and neighboring Native American groups have objected to maintaining high water levels on the river at Pensacola Dam and its popular vacation area, Grand Lake, on the grounds that when water backs up downstream, it can increase Miami's flooding problems.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, there were 13,570 people, 5,315 households, and 3,337 families residing in the city. a one percent decline from 13,704 at the 2000 census. The population density was 1,258.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 68.9% white, 1.3% African American, 17.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 4.8% of the population.
There were 5,315 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 15% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. Single individuals living alone accounted for 31.9% of households and individuals 65 years of age or older living alone accounted for 14.7% of households. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city, the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 57.1% from 18 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.8 years. The population was 53.2% female and 46.8% male.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,561, and the median income for a family was $42,313. Males had a median income of $32,699 versus $25,320 for females. About 14.2% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line.
In 2020, about one in four residents lived in poverty.

Government

Local government in Miami consists of a Mayor and four councilmen representing four Wards.
As of 2015, the city is represented in the Oklahoma House of Representatives by Democrat Ben Loring, and in the Oklahoma Senate by Republican Micheal Bergstrom. The city lies within Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district, represented by Markwayne Mullin since 2013.

Coleman Theatre & Historical Buildings

Miami and Ottawa County, together with nearby Delaware County to the south, have a large impact on tourism in Oklahoma. Said counties combined are the third-largest tourism destination in the state, following only the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas.
Miami is home to the historic Coleman Theatre, located at 103 N. Main St. On April 18, 1929, the 1,600 seat Coleman Theatre enjoyed a festive grand opening. Designed by the Boller Bros. Architectural Firm, Kansas City, Missouri, built by George L. Coleman Sr. at a cost of $600,000, the elegant Louis XV interior includes gold leaf trim, silk damask panels, stained glass panels, marble accents, a carved mahogany staircase, Wurlitzer pipe organ, decorative plaster moldings, and bronze railings. In 1983 the Coleman Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historical Places for Ottawa County. A local non-profit community group established in 1959 the Miami Little Theatre, which performs five large-scale productions on the Coleman stage every year.
Other Miami structures are also listed on the National Register of Historical Places for Ottawa County, including the George L. Coleman Sr. House, the Miami Marathon Oil Company Service Station, and the Miami Downtown Historic District.

Education

Public schools are managed by the Miami Public Schools school district. The high school is Miami High School, whose mascot is the Wardog. The Wardog is a mascot unique to Miami and has not been adopted as a mascot by any other school in the United States.
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College was initially accredited in 1925 by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is a two-year community college with about 2,000 students.

Notable people