Ada is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Pontotoc County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was incorporated in 1901. Ada is home to

East Central University East Central University (ECU or East Central) is a public university in Ada, Oklahoma. It is part of Oklahoma's Regional University System. Beyond its flagship campus in Ada, the university has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, and Duran ...

, and is the capital of the

Chickasaw Nation The Chickasaw Nation () is a federally recognized Indigenous nation with headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma, in the United States. The Chickasaw Nation descends from an Indigenous population historically located in the southeastern United States, in ...

. Ada is an Oklahoma Main Street City, an Oklahoma Certified City, and a

Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communitie ...

member.

History

In the late 1880s, the Daggs family (by way of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

) became the first white family to settle what is now known as Ada, which was formerly known as Daggs Prairie. In April 1889, Jeff Reed (a Texan and relative of the Daggs family) was appointed to carry the mail from Stonewall to Center (which was later combined with Pickett), two small communities in then Indian Territory. With his family and his stock, he sought a place for a home on a prairie midway between the two points, where he constructed a log house and started Reed's Store. Other settlers soon built homes nearby. In 1891, a post office was established and named after Reed's oldest daughter, Ada.City of Ada, OK
(accessed February 23, 2007). Ada incorporated as a city in 1901 and grew rapidly with the arrival of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway line. Within a decade the

Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996. The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight transport; at variou ...

and the Oklahoma Central Railway also served the town. Ada was originally a

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...

, where African Americans were not allowed to live. In the 1900s, the town was opened up to African Americans so that black witnesses could stay while testifying in

district court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...

. Ada began allowing Black people to open restaurants, barber shops, stores, and hotels by court order as to offer places where "negro witnesses might stay during the ourtsession". Unnamed individuals threatened them, writing that "unless they left the town immediately they must suffer the consequences." When the threats went unanswered, unnamed parties blew up a Black restaurant with dynamite, seriously injuring one occupant. According to the ''Arkansas City Daily Traveler'' article, published on March 30, 1904, "This action has been condemned by many citizens and a reward has been offered for arrest of the guilty parties...most citizens now believe negroes should be allowed to live there." After the incident, the town remained open to African Americans to provide labor for a local cotton compress. In 1909, the women of Ada organized an effort to build a normal school in their city. It resulted in the founding of East Central College (now

). On April 19, 1909, an organized mob hanged four men, among whom was American outlaw Deacon Jim Miller, who was set to be tried for the murder of a former U.S. marshal and member of the local freemason lodge."Ada, Oklahoma Lynching, 1909"
a
Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon
(accessed April 1, 2010) The town had a population of about 5,000 at the time, and 38 murders a year at the time of the lynching. The '' Daily Ardmoreite'' reported that the four lynched men were "one of the bloodiest band of murderers in the state of Oklahoma and an organization of professional assassins, that for a record of blood crimes, probably has no equal in the annals of criminal history in the entire southwest". The first manufacturing company in Ada, the Portland Cement Company, installed the first

cement clinker 200px, Typical clinker nodules 200px, Hot clinker Cement clinker is a solid material produced in the manufacture of portland cement as an intermediary product. Clinker occurs as lumps or nodules, usually to in diameter. It is produced by sinter ...

in Oklahoma in 1910. American Glass Casket Company began manufacturing glass caskets in 1916, but the business failed. Hazel Atlas Glass bought the plant in 1928 and produced glass products until 1991.

National Register of Historic Places

The following sites in Ada are listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma: * Ada Arts and Heritage Center * Bebee Field Round House * East Central State Normal School * F.W. Meaders House * Mijo Camp Industrial District * Pontotoc County Courthouse * Sugg Clinic * Wintersmith Park Historic District

Geography

Ada is located in the rolling hills of southeastern Oklahoma. Ada is from

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, from

Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

, and from

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.44%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,481 people, 6,611 households, and 3,552 families residing in the city. Chickasawlanguageaudiotour

2010 census

As of the 2010

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, Ada's 16,810 residents consisted of 6,697 households and 3,803 families. The population density was . The 7,862 housing units were dispersed at an average density of . Ada's 2006 racial makeup was 73.81%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.54%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 15.10% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.89% from other races, and 5.81% from two or more races.

Hispanics The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term. The term commonly appli ...

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...

of any race were 2.89% of the population. Of Ada's 6,697 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. The 15.8% of those 65 years or older living alone made up a substantial portion of the 37.1% single-person households. Average household size was 2.20 persons; average family size was 2.91. The age breakdown in 2006 was 22.3% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% aged 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females aged 18 or over, there were 84.5 males, while for all ages, there were 100 females for every 88.4 males. Median household income was $22,977, while median family income was $31,805. Males had a median income of $25,223 versus $17,688 for females. Ada's

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $14,666. Some 14.8% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 27.8% of those under 18 and 11.4% of those 65 or over. An estimated 2,000-3,000 residents speak the

Chickasaw language The Chickasaw language (, ) is a Native American language of the Muskogean family. It is agglutinative and follows the word order pattern of subject–object–verb (SOV). The language is closely related to, though perhaps not entirely mutuall ...

Culture

* McSwain Theatre, opened in 1920

Economy

The economy of Ada is diversified. In the mid and late 20th century, the town was a manufacturing center, producing products such as

Wrangler jeans Wrangler is an American manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items, particularly workwear. The brand is owned by Kontoor Brands Inc., which also owns Lee. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, in the United States, w ...

, auto parts, cement and concrete, plasticware, and other products. Since the start of the 21st century, manufacturers have made major investments in expansions and new technology. In 1975, the Chickasaw Nation opened its headquarters in Ada.Floyd, Billie Fathree and Alberta Johnson Blackburn
"Ada".
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture''. Retrieved 2009-10-7. Revenues for the Nation were over 12 billion dollars in 2011, most of which is funneled through Ada. The Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center, a large water research lab staffed by the

Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...

, opened in 1966.

LegalShield LegalShield (previously known as Pre-Paid Legal Services or simply Pre-Paid Legal) is an American corporation that sells legal service products direct to consumer through employer groups and through multi-level marketing in the United States, an ...

, a

multi-level marketing Multi-level marketing (MLM), also called network marketing or pyramid selling, is a controversial and sometimes illegal marketing strategy for the sale of products or services in which the revenue of the MLM company is derived from a non-salarie ...

provider of pre-paid legal services, is headquartered in the city. Oil and natural gas remain a part of the regional economy. The largest employers in the region are: *Ada City Schools *Chickasaw Nation *East Central University *Pontotoc County Technology Center *

Dart Container Dart Container Corporation is an American manufacturer of disposable food containers. Based in Mason, Michigan, Dart is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined. Dart Cont ...

(formerly

Solo Cup Solo Cup Company is an American manufacturer of disposable consumer products including beverage cups, disposable plates, and bowls. Solo Cup Company is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and in 2006 had sales of $2.4 billion. On May 4, 2012, Solo ...

) *Flex-N-Gate (auto parts manufacturer) *Holcim Inc. (Portland cement) *

*Power Lift Foundation Repair *State of Oklahoma *

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

*Kerr Lab *Mercy Hospital Ada *City of Ada

Education

Higher education

, located in Ada, is a public four-year institution that has been in operation since 1909. ECU serves roughly 4,500 students is known internationally for its

cartography Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

program, as only a few such programs exist. ECU is also home to an Environmental Health Science Program, one of only 30 programs nationally accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC).

Primary and secondary

The majority of Ada is within the Ada Public Schools school district.
Text list
/ref> Ada Public Schools has six primary and secondary schools. * Glenwood Early Childhood Center * Hayes Grade Center * Washington Grade Center * Willard Grade Center * Ada Junior High School * Ada High School Other school districts which have portions of Ada include: Byng Public Schools,

Latta Public Schools Latta may refer to: Buildings * E. D. Latta Nurses' Residence building in North Carolina, USA * Latta Arcade indoor shopping arcade in North Carolina, USA * Latta Historic District No. 1 historic district in South Carolina, United States * ...

, and Stonewall Public Schools. The Latta district has one comprehensive high school:

Latta High School Latta High School is a high school located in Latta, Oklahoma, with an Ada, Oklahoma, Ada postal address. It is the only high school in the Latta Public Schools, Latta School District, which includes Latta and portions of Ada, Oklahoma, Ada. Text ...

Technical school

Pontotoc Technology Center (formerly Pontotoc Area Vo-Tech) is located in Ada.

Infrastructure

Highways

Major highways are: *

Oklahoma State Highway 3 State Highway 3, also abbreviated as SH-3 or OK-3, is a highway maintained by the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Traveling diagonally through Oklahoma, from the Panhandle to the far southeastern corner of the state, SH-3 is the longest state highway ...

* U.S. Route 377

Rail

Rail Freight is serviced by

BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...

and a Union Pacific shoreline.

Air

The Ada Regional Airport (FAA Identifier: ADH), owned and operated by the City of Ada, is located two miles north of downtown, and is home to two major aeronautical industries—General Aviation Modifications, Inc. and Tornado Alley Turbo. From the early 1950s well into the 1960s, the airport was served by

Central Airlines Central Airlines was a local service carrier, a scheduled passenger airline operating in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas from 1949 to 1967. It was founded by Keith Kahle in 1944 to operate charter and fixed base serv ...

Media

Radio

AM

* KADA/1230: rock "Pirate Radio" (simulcasts on FM translator K272FW).

FM

* KAJT/88.7: religion "Son Life Radio". * KAKO/91.3: religion (American Family Radio). * KOUA/91.9: public radio (

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

affiliate). *

KADA-FM KADA-FM (99.3 MHz, "Cool 99.3") is a radio station licensed to serve Ada, Oklahoma, US. The station, established in 1980, is currently owned by the Chickasaw Nation. KADA-FM broadcasts a classic hits music format. History This station receiv ...

/99.3: oldies "Cool 99.3".

=FM translators

= * K212FZ/90.3: religion "K-Love" *K250AU/97.9: public radio (relays KOUA) *K272FW/102.3: rock (relays KADA (AM)). * K286BB/105.1: religion "The Gospel Station".

Notable people

Bill Anoatubby Billy Joe Anoatubby (born November 8, 1945) is the 32nd Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, a position he has held since 1987. From 1979 to 1987, Anoatubby served two terms as Lieutenant Governor of the Chickasaw Nation in the administration of Go ...

– Governor of the Chickasaw Nation since 1987 * Vaughn Ary – Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps *

Nick Blackburn Robert Nicholas Blackburn (born February 24, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2007 to 2012. Early career Blackburn graduated from Del City High Scho ...

– former

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

Harry Brecheen Harry David Brecheen (, , October 14, 1914 – January 17, 2004), nicknamed "the Cat", was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals. In the late 1940s, he was among the tea ...

– former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

All Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

pitcher; graduated from Ada High School; buried at Ada's Rosedale Cemetery * Orel Busby – attorney, lived in Ada from 1912 until appointed Associate Justice of Oklahoma Supreme Court; returned to Ada after retiring from the court in 1937 * Jeff Carpenter, musician and songwriter with the all Native American orchestral rock band Injunuity *

Dan Cody Daniel Price Cody (born December 1, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and was selected by the Baltimore Raven ...

–

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

; born in Ada * Johnson T. Crawford –

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