Duncan

History

The Chisholm Trail passed to the east of Duncan prior to the town's founding. An estimated 9,800,000 Longhorn cattle were herded up the trail between Texas and Abilene, Kansas, during its existence. After learning that an extension of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was being built from Kansas to Texas, Scotsman William Duncan brought his wife, parents, and other relatives and created a trading post situated at the intersection of the north-south Chisholm Trail and the east–west military passage between Fort Arbuckle and Fort Sill. The first train arrived on June 27, 1892; that date is considered the official birth date of the town. Many of the city's first buildings were wood frame but were replaced by sandstone and brick structures after natural disasters destroyed them. At the time of its founding, Duncan was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation. Four fires in 1901 burned down several buildings. Centrally located in Stephens County, Oklahoma, Duncan became the county seat after Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907. As a compromise between residents of the northern and southern parts of the county, the county courthouse was located in the middle of Duncan's Main Street, half of it in the northern part of the city and county and half in the southern. Main Street made a wide circle around it on both ends. Oil wells opened in Stephens County in 1918 led to rapid development in Duncan. Shacks were prohibited immediately following the opening of the wells and other regulations were also put in place to channel the growth in an organized manner. Several Tudor Revival-style homes were built in the 1930s. Works Progress Administration projects meant to rebuild the economy after the Great Depression resulted in a public library, a senior high school,…

Geography

Duncan is situated approximately 30 miles east of Lawton and south of Oklahoma City. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (15.67%) are covered by water. Duncan is known for crape myrtle trees, Oklahoma prairie, and rich farmland. State lawmakers designated the city as Oklahoma's official "Crape Myrtle Capital". Oklahoma's grasslands are made up of shortgrass, mixed-grass and tallgrass prairie. The city is part of the Great Plains and has four lakes. Duncan receives 34 inches of rain per year, with five inches of snowfall. The city also receives an average of 241 sunny days per year. It lies 1,128 feet above mean sea level. The downtown area lies between Walnut and Willow Avenues, from the railroad tracks to Highway 81. |date=October 2, 2010 }}

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  358
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  253
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  225
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  213
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  206
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  181
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  178
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  176

Most recent

• M 3.29 — 2026-09-04
  2 km SSW of Dibble, Oklahoma
• M 2.72 — 2026-05-15
  4 km SE of Ratliff City, Oklahoma
• M 2.91 — 2026-03-22
  5 km SE of Ratliff City, Oklahoma
• M 2.76 — 2026-03-21
  10 km N of Alex, Oklahoma
• M 3.27 — 2026-03-01
  7 km SE of Ratliff City, Oklahoma
• M 2.53 — 2026-02-28
  6 km SE of Ratliff City, Oklahoma