Owasso

History

Owasso began as a settlement in 1881, located in the Cooweescoowee District of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory, near what is now 66th Street North and North 129th East Avenue. It was called Elm Creek and was named for Elm Creek, a tributary of Bird Creek. The first settler was H.T. (Tole) Richardson. In June 1893, plans began for a rail line to be extended south from Bartlesville to the cattle ranches in the vicinity of Bird Creek. At that time, already several residences, a blacksmith shop, and a general store were in the Elm Creek settlement. Preston Ballard, the owner of the general store, established a post office in the general store on February 10, 1898, and was appointed the first postmaster. The Joseph T. Barnes family moved to the settlement in 1897. Joseph and Luther Barnes bought the blacksmith shop in 1898. The first filling station was opened in 1902 by Donovan Ranta. In 1897, the Kansas, Oklahoma Central and Southwestern Railway acquired right-of-way about northwest of the Elm Creek settlement, dammed a natural spring to form a lake as a water supply for the rail line, and built a depot about a mile south of the lake. The depot was torn down in 1942. Late in 1898, Joseph and Luther Barnes moved their blacksmith shop to the new community. The shop became a temporary home for the Joseph Barnes family. It was the first residence officially moved to the new depot community. In 1898, many of the residents and businesses moved from the Elm Creek settlement to the new community. Preston Ballard moved his post office and general store during that time. The new community became known as Elm Creek since the post office retained its name. The railroad completed its line in 1899. Its parent company, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, took…

Geography

Owasso is a northern suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma known as "Green Country" for its vegetation, hills, woods, and lakes, in contrast to the drier Great Plains region of central and western Oklahoma. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , 99.1% of which is land, the remainder water. Owasso lies in Tornado Alley and has a temperate climate of the humid subtropical variety (Köppen Cfa) with a yearly average temperature of and average precipitation of .

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• OWASSO HS
  High · Owasso · 2,986 students · 21.5:1 ratio
• EAST CENTRAL HS
  High · Tulsa · 1,185 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• COLLINSVILLE HS
  High · Collinsville · 881 students · 18:1 ratio
• TRAICE
  High · Tulsa · 779 students · 18.1:1 ratio
• OWASSO 6TH GRADE CTR
  Middle · Owasso · 774 students · 19.8:1 ratio
• MCLAIN HS FOR SCIENCE AND TECH
  High · Tulsa · 763 students · 24.6:1 ratio
• OWASSO 7TH GRADE CTR
  Middle · Owasso · 757 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• OWASSO 8TH GRADE CTR
  Middle · Owasso · 752 students · 18.8:1 ratio