Jenks began in 1904 as a community site established by the
Midland Valley Railroad between
Tulsa and
Muskogee, alongside the
Arkansas River. Though the river could only be utilized by shallow draft
steamboats while the water level was up, these two transportation routes proved vital to Jenks' early development.Jenks was named after the director of the
Midland Valley Railroad.In 1905, a major
petroleum discovery was made, further bolstering the economy of the area. The "
Glenn Pool" oil well and subsequent oil claims brought many business people to the general area. In 1906, many
oil depots (also known as "tank farms") were constructed in Jenks.As oil production waned, tank farms were dismantled, and agriculture became once again a major contributor to the Jenks economy. The economy of the area was further improved in the 1920s when many
Bulgarian families immigrated to the area to farm.From 1904 through the 1950s, Jenks experienced many floods from the overflow of the
Arkansas River and
Polecat Creek. In the 1920s and 1930s floods were very severe. During one flood in the late 1920s the water was so deep that it completely covered every building but the roof of the three story high school. Everyone was evacuated except two men and one woman. They had one shotgun, one small boat, food and a tent on top of the school. They guarded the remains of Jenks for several weeks until the water receded. In 1948, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a
levee around Jenks, and the community subsequently grew as a result of the increased safety and security.Jenks has served as a river crossing point via several bridges over the past century. In 1910, a single-lane bridge was built and strengthened the economic success of the area. 1948 saw the construction of a replacement two-lane bridge which still stands today and now serves as a pedestrian crossing between the Riverwalk and the South Tulsa River Parks. The original 1910 bridge was destroyed and all that is left are a few columns and pieces of metal that are seen when the river is not filled with rain or water is not being released from the dam. A four-lane bridge was built in 1996.The current High School building was built in 1960-61 and has had 3 major additions. The United States Census of 1970 placed the population of the City at 1990 and there were approximately 1100 student in public school.In the 1970s, the
Tulsa water system was expanded into Jenks. That decade also saw the construction of a nearby
Public Service of Oklahoma gas-fired electric power plant. These developments improved the infrastructure of the area and helped the economy.In the 1980s,
Kimberly-Clark built a manufacturing facility that provides many jobs for the area to this day.[
edit] Community and Tourism Riverwalk Crossing on the Arkansas River, Jenks.Popular tourist draws include the
Oklahoma Aquarium (the state's only freestanding aquarium) and the Riverwalk Crossing shopping/walking district along the
Arkansas River. A pedestrian bridge links the Jenks riverfront area with the
Tulsa Riverparks walking trail on the East side of the river. Another one of Jenks main attractions is the High School Football Team who has won 12 state championships, 6 of those are in a row 96-01. The Trojans have sent many players to the collegiate level in the last 15 years including
Rocky Calmus (Oklahoma/Tennessee Titans),
Sean Mahan (Notre Dame/Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jason Lohr (Nebraska), Jason Carter (Oklahoma),
Garrett Mills (Tulsa/Minnesota Vikings), Chase Beeler (Stanford), Bryan Pickryl (Texas), Kejuan Jones (Oklahoma), Jay Henry (West Virginia), Phillip Dillard (Nebraska/New York Giants), Corey Callans (Oklahoma), Jake Laptad (Kansas), Cory Dorris (Tulsa), Chris Adkins (Tulsa), Gabe Lynn (Oklahoma),Tramaine Thompson (Kansas State).Jenks also is home to numerous antique stores and hosts many street festivals and parades each year such as Art on Main.The Jenks School District is one of the largest in the state and encompasses significant portions of southwest Tulsa, while many of the Jenks schools are actually located within the city of Tulsa.On November 22, 2005, President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez announced
Jenks Public Schools as a recipient of the 2005
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence.
[
edit] GeographyJenks is located at
36°0′37″N 95°58′47″W / 36.01028°N 95.97972°W / 36.01028; -95.97972 (36.010276, -95.979850).According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.9 square miles (38.6 km²), of which, 14.3 square miles (37.1 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (3.69%) is water.[
edit] DemographicsAs of the
census of 2000, there were 9,557 people, 3,451 households, and 2,757 families residing in the city. The
population density was 666.2 people per square mile (257.3/km²). There were 3,592 housing units at an average density of 250.4 per square mile (96.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.39%
White, 1.58%
African American, 4.74%
Native American, 0.81%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 1.73% from
other races, and 3.74% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 4.12% of the population.There were 3,451 households out of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were
married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.12.In the city the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.The median income for a household in the city was $54,637, and the median income for a family was $61,050. Males had a median income of $42,148 versus $28,419 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $22,804. About 2.6% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.[
edit] Famous People from JenksThe following famous people are known to be from Jenks or to have attended the Jenks Public Schools:
