Perry, Oklahoma

---

title: "Perry, Oklahoma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-noble-county,-oklahoma", "cities-in-oklahoma", "county-seats-in-oklahoma", "populated-places-established-in-1893", "1893-establishments-in-oklahoma-territory"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry,_Oklahoma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Perry, Oklahoma
settlement_type	City
image_skyline	Downtown Perry, Oklahoma.jpg
image_caption	Downtown Perry (2024)
image_map	OKMap-doton-Perry.PNG
map_caption	Location within Noble County and Oklahoma
coordinates_footnotes
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	United States
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Oklahoma
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	Noble
established_title	Founded
established_title1	Platted
established_title2	Incorporated
area_footnotes
area_total_sq_mi	55.0009
area_land_sq_mi	6.82
area_water_sq_mi	0.96
area_total_km2	20.14
area_land_km2	17.66
area_water_km2	2.48
unit_pref	Imperial
elevation_footnotes
elevation_ft	1060
population_as_of	2020
population_total	4484
population_density_sq_mi	657.77
population_density_km2	253.95
timezone	CST
utc_offset	−6
timezone_DST	CDT
utc_offset_DST	−5
postal_code_type	ZIP code
postal_code	73077
area_code_type	Area code
area_code	580
blank_name	FIPS code
blank_info
blank1_name	GNIS feature ID
blank1_info	2411404
website
::

|name = Perry, Oklahoma |settlement_type = City

|image_skyline = Downtown Perry, Oklahoma.jpg |image_caption = Downtown Perry (2024) |image_flag = |image_seal =

|image_map = OKMap-doton-Perry.PNG |map_caption = Location within Noble County and Oklahoma

|coordinates_footnotes = |coordinates = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = United States |subdivision_type1 = State |subdivision_name1 = Oklahoma |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = Noble

|established_title = Founded |established_date = |established_title1 = Platted |established_date1 = |established_title2 = Incorporated |established_date2 = |named_for =

|area_footnotes = |area_total_sq_mi = 55.0009 |area_land_sq_mi = 6.82 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.96 |area_total_km2 = 20.14 |area_land_km2 = 17.66 |area_water_km2 = 2.48 |unit_pref = Imperial

|elevation_footnotes = |elevation_ft = 1060

|population_footnotes = |population_as_of = 2020 |population_total = 4484 |pop_est_footnotes = |pop_est_as_of = |population_est = |population_density_sq_mi = 657.77 |population_density_km2 = 253.95

|timezone = CST |utc_offset = −6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = −5 |postal_code_type = ZIP code |postal_code = 73077 |area_code_type = Area code |area_code = 580 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info =
|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 2411404 |website =

Perry is a city in and the county seat of Noble County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,126, a 2.0 percent decrease from the figure of 5,230 in 2000. The city is home of Ditch Witch construction equipment manufacture.

History

19th century

The Treaty of New Echota, May 23, 1836, assigned the Cherokee Outlet to the Cherokees as a perpetual outlet to use for passage to travel and hunt in the West from their reservation in the eastern part of what became Oklahoma. This was in addition to the land given to the Cherokees for settlement after their arrival from their home in Georgia.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Sunrise_in_Perry_Oklahoma.jpg" caption="Sunrise in Perry (2007)"] ::

Perry's original name was Wharton, the name of a train station built in 1886 by the Southern Kansas Railway (part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway system) about 1 mile south of the present city and it was located within the Outlet. Before the 1893 Cherokee Outlet Opening, the U.S. government selected a site a mile north of Wharton for a land office. A town around the office was named after J.A. Perry, a man sent by the government to lay out land office towns. Perry later became one of the township location commissioners. Noble County, then known as "County P", was named after John Willock Noble of St. Louis, the Interior Secretary for President William Henry Harrison.

The Dalton Gang, which at that time included Bob Dalton, Emmett Dalton, Charlie Bryant and George Newcomb entered Wharton to rob a train in May 1891 earning $1745. Shortly after the robbery, Bryant fell ill and was taken to Hennessey to see a doctor. After being spotted and arrested by Deputy Marshal Ed Short. During an escape attempt Bryant and Short would kill each other. Among those within the boundary of the Strip prior to the opening, were the notorious Bill Doolin gang. A Santa Fe train was robbed at Wharton before the opening, and the gang escaped into Osage County. U.S. Marshall E.D. Nix and 100 deputies were commissioned to police the area and keep order.

At noon on September 16, 1893, "a run" for land within "the Strip" was opened. An estimated 90,000 men, women, and children took part and by nightfall 40,000 had erected tents in Perry. Jack Tearney started at the county line and reached Perry within 31 minutes. By 4:00 p.m. he had erected and opened the "Blue Bell" saloon selling beer the first day for $1.00 a bottle, due to the scarcity of water. He would sell 38,000 glasses.

Named "Hell's Half Acre", the original town's perimeter included A & F streets and 1st and 9th streets. About 110 saloons and gambling houses were in operation with many of them set up 1/2 block east of the west side of the now existing square.

Perry incorporated on September 20, 1893.

20th century

In 1902, Carl Malzahn, a German immigrant, moved to Perry and opened the Malzahn Blacksmith Shop with his sons, Charles (Charlie) and Gus. The sons took over the business in 1913 and renamed it Malzahn Brothers' General Blacksmithing, specializing in repairing equipment for the nearby oil fields. After Gus died in 1928, the surviving brother renamed the business, Charlie’s Machine Shop. Charlie's son, Ed, a mechanical engineer, joined the business in 1944. Ed noticed a need for a machine to replace hand digging trenches for the installation of residential utility lines, and set to work developing such a device. By 1948, he had a successful device, a compact trencher, which he called the Ditch Witch. Soon, Ditch Witch became a successful company, wholly owned by the now-renamed Charles Machine Works Company, since 2019 a subsidiary of The Toro Company. It has grown into the largest employer in Perry and in Noble County, employing approximately 1,300 people.

Timothy McVeigh was stopped on April 19, 1995, along Interstate 35 outside of Perry by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Charlie Hanger. Trooper Hanger had passed McVeigh's yellow 1977 Mercury Marquis and noticed it had no license plate. He arrested McVeigh for carrying a loaded firearm. Three days later, while still in jail, McVeigh was identified as the subject of a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrator of the Oklahoma City bombing, which had happened on the day of McVeigh's arrest.

21st century

Perry moved from a strong mayor form of government to a Home Rule Charter. The town is in the process of transitioning to a City Manager.

Operating under the Home Rule Charter form of government, the City of Perry divides its responsibilities between the city council and the city manager. The city council acts as the legislative branch, establishing ordinances, setting policy, authorizing budgets, and directing the city manager when appropriate. The city manager oversees day-to- day operations and administration of the city. Together with city staff, the city manager and city council work to make the most efficient use of the limited resources available to the City of Perry.

, it is the smallest town in Oklahoma with a daily newspaper.

Geography

Perry is 60 miles north of Oklahoma City, and 100 miles south of Wichita, Kansas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 sqmi, of which 6.1 sqmi is land and 0.8 sqmi (10.98%) is water.

Climate

| single line = Y | location = Perry, Oklahoma (1991–2020) | Jan high F =48.8 | Feb high F =53.5 | Mar high F =62.5 | Apr high F =72.0 | May high F =80.2 | Jun high F =89.8 | Jul high F =94.8 | Aug high F =93.7 | Sep high F =85.6 | Oct high F =74.6 | Nov high F =61.2 | Dec high F =50.2 | Jan mean F =36.9 | Feb mean F =40.8 | Mar mean F =49.8 | Apr mean F =59.3 | May mean F =69.1 | Jun mean F =78.7 | Jul mean F =83.4 | Aug mean F =82.1 | Sep mean F =73.9 | Oct mean F =61.8 | Nov mean F =49.3 | Dec mean F =39.1 | Jan low F =24.9 | Feb low F =28.1 | Mar low F =37.2 | Apr low F =46.6 | May low F =58.1 | Jun low F =67.6 | Jul low F =72.0 | Aug low F =70.5 | Sep low F =62.2 | Oct low F =48.9 | Nov low F =37.4 | Dec low F =28.0 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch =1.25 | Feb precipitation inch =1.50 | Mar precipitation inch =2.58 | Apr precipitation inch =3.98 | May precipitation inch =5.19 | Jun precipitation inch =4.44 | Jul precipitation inch =3.54 | Aug precipitation inch =3.44 | Sep precipitation inch =3.13 | Oct precipitation inch =3.25 | Nov precipitation inch =1.94 | Dec precipitation inch =1.84 | Jan snow inch =1.5 | Feb snow inch =1.3 | Mar snow inch =1.8 | Apr snow inch =0.0 | May snow inch =0.0 | Jun snow inch =0.0 | Jul snow inch =0.0 | Aug snow inch =0.0 | Sep snow inch =0.0 | Oct snow inch =0.0 | Nov snow inch =0.0 | Dec snow inch =1.9 | source = NOAA

Demographics

|align= right|1900= 3351 |1910= 3133 |1920= 3154 |1930= 4206 |1940= 5045 |1950= 5137 |1960= 5210 |1970= 5341 |1980= 5796 |1990= 4978 |2000= 5230 |2010= 5126 |2020= 4484 |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Perry had a population of 4,484. The median age was 41.4 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.4 males age 18 and over.

98.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,918 households in Perry, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.3% were married-couple households, 21.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 2,279 housing units, of which 15.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.5% were owner-occupied and 32.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.

::data[format=table title="Racial composition as of the 2020 census{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A58250&in=state%3A40|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=January 17, 2026|df=mdy}}"]

Race	Percent
White	80.5%
Black or African American	2.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native	4.2%
Asian	0.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%
Some other race	1.3%
Two or more races	10.9%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	4.8%
::

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 5,230 people, 2,203 households, and 1,445 families residing in the city. The population density was 860.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,493 housing units at an average density of 410.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 3.1% African American, 3.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 2,203 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,653, and the median income for a family was $37,731. Males had a median income of $30,485 versus $22,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,924. About 10.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The city is home to Charles Machine Works, which is the headquarters and manufacturing facility of Ditch Witch machinery and employs over 1,300 people. In November 2022, the company announced an expansion adding over 200,000 square feet to the Ditch Witch campus together with 100 new jobs.

Government

The city of Perry has been governed under a Home Rule City Charter Form of Government since the motion passed by popular vote and was approved by the Governor in 2008.

The Perry Police Department consists of 12 full time police officers, five dispatchers and an animal control officer. The Chief of Police is Brian Thomas.

The Perry Fire Department consists of nine full time firefighters.

Education

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/The_Wrestling_Monument_Park_in_Perry.jpg" caption="Wrestling Monument Park in Perry (2024)"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/The_Carnegie_Library_in_Perry,_OK.jpg" caption="Carnegie Library in Perry (2024)"] ::

• Perry High School, grades 9–12.
• Perry Junior-High School, grades 7–8.
• Perry Upper Elementary School, grades 3–6.
• Perry Lower Elementary School, grades Pre-K–2.

Perry High School is noted for its wrestling program, historically one of the most successful programs in the United States; it has won 63 state championships, including 43 team and 20 dual championships since 1952, and 163 individual state championships.

Perry is also home to one of the many Carnegie Libraries in the United States.

Historic Sites

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Noble County, Oklahoma

Multiple historic sites in Perry are NRHP-listed:

• First National Bank and Trust Company Building
• Noble County Courthouse
• Perry Armory
• Perry Courthouse Square Historic District
• Perry Lake Park
• Wolleson–Nicewander Building

Parks and Recreation

The Cherokee Strip Museum is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society. It provides an opportunity to explore the remarkable events and people constituting the history of the Cherokee Outlet. The facility includes The Rose Hill School, giving fourth-grade students an opportunity to experience an education from yesteryear; and, a Blacksmith Shop, allowing visitors to see what crafting tools was like in pioneer days.{{cite web|url= https://www.cityofperryok.com/visitors#CherokeeStripMuseum |title=Cherokee Strip Museum|publisher=City of Perry|access-date=June 8, 2020}}

Since 2016, Perry has operated the Perry BMAC Baseball Complex, complete with four ball fields, each equipped with a digital scoreboard and control system. The complex includes covered bleachers and a full concessions area.

Perry Lake is two miles off US-77. The lake was originally created to be the primary water source for the City of Perry; however, its primary use is now recreational. The lake offers boating, skiing, swimming, fishing, and RV camping.

CCC Lake and Park, created in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of the New Deal, is just to the south of Perry on SH-86. The lake itself is now Perry’s primary water source; so, while swimming and fishing are allowed, only trolling motors are permitted on the lake. Three pavilions are available for use, as is Centennial Church, a beautiful 1894 building moved to the Park and fully renovated by 2007. All these facilities can be reserved for special occasions.

Lake McMurtry is to the southeast; and, Lake Carl Blackwell is to the south.

Notable people

• Thomas H. Doyle, American attorney, politician, judge who moved to Perry before statehood and served as member of Territorial Congress (1897–1901) and U.S. Congress (1901–1907); later served on Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (1915–1947).
• Ralph Foster, American football player
• Robert Galbreath, Jr. (1863–1953), started Perry Evening Democrat and later discovered the Glenn Pool Oil Reserve
• Jake Hager, MMA fighter, professional wrestler
• Danny Hodge, professional wrestler, Olympic wrestler, boxer
• Henry S. Johnston, Oklahoma governor
• Little Britches, female bandit lived briefly in Perry in 1895
• Sharron Miller, Emmy Award and Directors Guild of America Award winning television director, producer, writer
• Billy Pricer, American football player
• Jack van Bebber, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
• La Vern E. Weber, United States Army Lieutenant General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. {{cite gnis2. 2411404. Perry, Oklahoma
3. "2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau.
4. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=PE017 Mildred Highfill, "Perry." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.] Accessed October 21, 2013.
5. [http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=DI010 Hannemann, Carolyn G. "Ditch Witch." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''.] Accessed November 17, 2016.
6. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/oklahoma/stories/ok042295.htm Arrest of Timothy McVeigh]
7. [http://countyext.okstate.edu/nwdistrict/County%20Extension%20Offices/noble.htm] Noble County Information
8. "City of Perry Oklahoma - Government".
9. "NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". NOAA.
10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
11. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
12. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
13. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. "Perry city, Oklahoma - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder".
15. "Ditch Witch expands operations in Oklahoma town". KOCO Oklahoma City, November 17, 2022 (accessed on MSN.com).
16. (November 2025)
17. "BMAC Complex". City of Perry.
18. "Perry Lake, and CCC Lake and Park". City of Perry.
19. "Carl Blackwell Lake". Google Maps.
20. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100729062344/http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/G/GA002.html O'Dell, Larry. ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. "Galbreath Robert. (1863 - 1953)."] Retrieved May 12, 2014.

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