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Barnsdall, Oklahoma
City
Barnsdall Main Street Well Site (2007)
Nickname: Bigheart
Location of Barnsdall in Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36°33′20″N 96°09′16″W / 36.55556°N 96.15444°W / 36.55556; -96.15444
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Osage
Founded	1905 (Bigheart) 1922 (Barnsdall)
Named for	James Bigheart Theodore Barnsdall
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Mayor	Johnny Kelley
Area
• Total	1.18 sq mi (3.06 km)
• Land	0.98 sq mi (2.55 km)
• Water	0.20 sq mi (0.51 km)
Elevation	735 ft (224 m)
Population
• Total	1,034
• Density	880/sq mi (340/km)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	74002
Area code	539 / 918
FIPS code	40-04250
GNIS ID	2409788
Website	cityofbarnsdallok.org

Barnsdall is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,034.

History

The community was founded in 1905 and originally named Bigheart, for the Osage Chief James Bigheart. It was initially a 160-acre site along the Midland Valley Railroad in March 1905. The railroad opened Bigheart Station in September 1905 and the Bigheart Post Office opened in January 1906. The community was exempted from the Osage allotment, so lots could be sold to anyone. Lots were auctioned in May 1906. The first newspaper, the Bigheart Star, first appeared in 1906.

Joshua Cosden built the Southwest Refining Company oil refinery in 1910. He sold it to Stone and Webster of Boston, Massachusetts in 1917. The Barnsdall Oil Company had discovered the nearby Bigheart (later Barnsdall) oilfield in 1916. The Barnsdall Oil Company, bought the refinery in 1921. The community was renamed Barnsdall on January 1, 1922, in honor of Theodore N. Barnsdall.

Barnsdall experienced a tornado in April 1911, a major fire in March 1913 and a flood in September 1915. Despite these calamities, the population increased from 307 in 1910 to 2,099 in 1920. That proved to be the high point of population in the community.

Henry L. Doherty bought the holdings of Theodore N. Barnsdall, founder of Barnsdall Oil Company, in 1912. Barnsdall Refining Company renamed itself Bareco Oil Company in 1940. It ceased refining oil in 1946 and began producing microcrystalline waxes that year. Petrolite Corporation (later part of Baker Hughes) bought Bareco and continued to operate the plant. The business was sold to SK Capital in September 2020 and renamed NuCera Solutions; and, NuCera was sold in September 2022 to Chase Corporation. NuCera continued as operator until July 2024, when tornado damage lead to announcement of the plant's phased shutdown.

The Midland Valley Railroad trackage both north and south of Barnsdall has been abandoned, the southern portion in 2000. At least some of the route south of Barnsdall has been converted into a rail trail.

2024 tornadoes

On the evening of April 1, 2024, an EF1 tornado struck Barnsdall, damaging 35 homes, but no injuries were reported.

On the evening of May 6, 2024, an EF4 tornado hit the city, the second tornado in the city within five weeks. Peak wind speeds were estimated at 180 mph (290 km/h). Two fatalities occurred in Barnsdall as a result of the tornado, and several structures were completely destroyed. Barnsdall Nursing Home was among the structures that were damaged. Several buildings, including schools, were opened to those who had homes damaged or destroyed and needed shelter. At least ten people reportedly suffered injuries due to the tornado. Significant damage was done to the NuCera refinery.

Geography

Barnsdall is located 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Pawhuska, the Osage County seat, and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Tulsa.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km), all land.

Climate

Demographics

2022 American Community Survey

As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 1,019 people and 360 households. The population density was 1,035.6 inhabitants per square mile (399.8/km). There were 461 housing units at an average density of 468.5 per square mile (180.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 65.6% White, 19.7% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 0.7% Black or African American, with 14.0% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.3% of the population.

Of the 360 households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 5.8% were couples cohabitating, 11.7% had a male householder with no partner present, and 28.3% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was 2.74 and the median family size was 3.42.

The age distribution was 28.0% under 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.4 males.

The median income for a household was $56,500, with family households having a median income of $67,625 and non-family households $23,516. The per capita income was $23,458. Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $40,402 compared to $34,688 for females. Out of the 982 people with a determined poverty status, 6.5% were below the poverty line. Further, 2.2% of minors and 4.6% of seniors were below the poverty line.

In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 16.0% of the population of the town, followed by Irish at 14.7%, American at 9.2%, English at 4.9%, Dutch at 2.5%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 1.4%, Scotch-Irish at 0.8%, and Arab at 0.7%.

Economy

NuCera Solutions was located in Barnsdall, a manufacturer of specialty waxes and polymers and the town's largest employer. On May 6, 2024, the plant sustained severe damage from an EF4 tornado. It was announced on July 30, 2024, that the plant would close permanently in 6–12 months, despite initial efforts to rebuild the plant.

Events

Barnsdall's annual Bigheart Day is held The Saturday before Memorial Day.

Attractions

Barnsdall has two properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Osage County, Oklahoma:

• Bank of Bigheart, which is the communities oldest commercial building
• Barnsdall Main Street Well Site, an oil well in the middle of Main Street.

In addition, the Woolaroc Ranch Historic District, 8 miles east of the junction of State Highway 11 and State Highway 123, is near Barnsdall.

Notable people

• Anita Bryant (born 1940), singer and political activist, known for anti-gay activism, was born in Barnsdall. She was Miss America runner-up in 1958.
• Clark Gable (1901–1960), movie star famous for his role in "Gone With the Wind", came to Barnsdall with his father for a short while when the community was in the oil business. The native stone shotgun house where he resided on West Walnut Street still stands. Clark was also noted to sing in a quartet while he lived in Bigheart (Barnsdall).
• Thomas Hall (born 1939), retired rear admiral of the United States Navy.
• J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), lawyer, World War II veteran, served eight terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1959 to 1969, and 1971 to 1977.

References

1. ^ "Barnsdall, Oklahoma", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
3. ^ "Profile of Barnsdall, Oklahoma in 2020". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
4. ^ Jon D. May, "Barnsdall," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed May 8, 2015.
5. Weaver, Bobby D. "Doherty, Henry Latham (1870 - 1939)." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed December 1, 2016
6. "SK Capital Closes Acquisition of Specialty Polymers Business from Baker Hughes, Rebranding the Business NuCera Solutions; Announces Leadership Team". NuCera Solutions, September 30, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
7. "Chase Corporation Announces Closing of Acquisition of NuCera Solutions". NuCera Solutions, September 6, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
8. ^ "Barnsdall's biggest employer, NuCera Solutions plant, closing permanently after EF4 tornado". July 30, 2024.
9. "Midland Valley Railroad". Augustus J. Veenendaal, Jr., Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
10. "Osage Railroad 1000 leads a South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad train in the Moline, KS yard in July 1991". Watco, July 19, 2018 (accessed on Facebook). Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
11. "Osage Prairie Trail". HikingProject. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
12. "Cleanup progresses in Barnsdall after April 1 tornado". KJRH 2 tv. April 3, 2024. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024.
13. "LIVE BLOG: Tornado reported in Barnsdall". 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa. May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
14. Media, Griffin. "Barnsdall Hit By Tornado; Houses Damaged With Trees, Power Lines Downed". www.newson6.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
15. 1 killed by storms after apparent tornado hits Barnsdall; May 6, 2024; KJRH 2 TV.
16. In photos: The scene after a deadly tornado strikes Oklahoma; May 8, 2024; The Washington Post.
17. "Deadly Barnsdall tornado gets preliminary EF4 rating, search continues for missing man: What we know". May 9, 2024.
18. "Historical Weather for Barnsdall, Oklahoma, United States".
19. "2020 Cenus Results". Census.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
20. ^ "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Selected Social Characteristics in the United States for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
21. ^ "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Demographic and Housing Estimates for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
22. To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in "The 2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files".
23. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Housing Units for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
24. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Age and Sex for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
25. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
26. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
27. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
28. "2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months for Barnsdall city, OK". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
29. NuCera Solutions

External links

• City of Barnsdall
• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Barnsdall

v t e Municipalities and communities of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States
County seat: Pawhuska
Cities	Barnsdall Bartlesville‡ Hominy Pawhuska Sand Springs‡ Shidler Skiatook‡ Tulsa‡
Towns	Avant Burbank Fairfax Foraker Grainola Osage Prue Webb City Wynona
CDPs	Bowring McCord Nelagoney Pershing Whippoorwill
Other communities	Carter Nine Gray Horse Whizbang
Indian reservation	Osage reservation
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Oklahoma portal United States portal

v t e Tulsa metropolitan area
Counties	Creek Okmulgee Osage Pawnee Rogers Tulsa Wagoner
Principal city	Tulsa
Cities over 20k	Bixby Broken Arrow Jenks Owasso Sapulpa
Cities 10k-20k	Claremore Glenpool Okmulgee Sand Springs
Cities 5k-10k	Catoosa Collinsville Coweta Henryetta Skiatook Verdigris Wagoner
Cities and towns 1k-5k	Barnsdall Beggs Bristow Chelsea Cleveland Drumright Fairfax Hominy Inola Kellyville Kiefer Mannford Morris Oologah Pawhuska Pawnee

• 1905 establishments in Oklahoma Territory
• Cities in Osage County, Oklahoma
• Cities in Oklahoma
• Populated places within the Osage Nation reservation
• Tulsa metropolitan area
• Populated places established in 1905