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Choctaw Casinos & Resorts

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Choctaw Casinos & Resorts is a chain of seven Native American casinos and hotels located in Oklahoma , owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma .

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72-555: The original location in Durant has 218,844 sq ft (20,331.3 m) of gaming floor, over 7,600 slot machines, and 1,616 hotel rooms. The resort has three casinos and three hotels within the complex. The South Casino was completed in 2006 with 108,844 sq ft (10,111.9 m) of floor space, and the North Casino was completed in 2010 with 110,000 sq ft (10,000 m) more floor space. Choctaw Inn has 101 hotel rooms,

144-696: A float glass manufacturing facility in western Durant. It became operational in July 2004. This plant is number 20 for Cardinal Glass Industries. Big Lots has a 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m ). distribution center in Durant that began operating in January 2004. Durant is home to the headquarters of First United Bank , one of the largest privately owned banks in the United States, and First Texoma National Bank . Indian Nation Wholesale, also headquartered in Durant,

216-497: A monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding, or capture of a modern capital city is a highly symbolic event. For example: The capital city is usually but not always a primary target in a war, as capturing it usually guarantees capture of much of the enemy government, victory for the attacking forces, or at the very least demoralization for the defeated forces. In ancient China , where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on

288-618: A time capsule that contains historic and legal documents, which was unearthed in 2023. The Three Valley Museum houses historical artifacts of Bryan County. Opened in 1976, it is named for a book about Durant, Queen of the Three Valleys by Henry McCreary, which references the city's location in the middle of the Red , Blue River , and Washita River valleys. The museum's exhibits include an early law office, doctor's office, child's room, parlor, and general store. The Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival

360-445: A compromise between two or more cities or other political divisions, historical reasons, or enough land was needed to deliberately build a new planned city for the capital. The majority of national capitals are also the largest city in their respective countries. Modern examples are Beijing , Berlin , Cairo , London , Madrid , Mexico City , Moscow , Paris , Rome , Jakarta , Metro Manila , Seoul , and Tokyo . Counties in

432-893: A major part of the Texoma region. The Durant area was once claimed by both Spain and France before officially becoming part of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase and Adams–Onís Treaty . During the 1820s and 1830s the area was designated as part of the Choctaw Nation in the southern Indian Territory. During the Indian removals the Choctaws followed the Choctaw Trail of Tears from their ancestral homeland in Mississippi and Alabama into this area. The Choctaw Nation originally extended from

504-470: A matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them. Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions. (See also § Capitals in military strategy ) The location may also be based on

576-627: A median income of $ 34,040 versus $ 26,197 for female full-time workers. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,009. About 21% of families and 28% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35% of those under age 18 and 14% of those age 65 or over. Durant was ranked as the fastest growing rural city in Oklahoma in 2004, having the fastest growth rate outside of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas. Durant's daytime population increases to approximately 20,000 people. The city has

648-588: A photo from Durant on August 13, 1911, of a group of townspeople burning the body of an African American man named John Lee. The author of Without Sanctuary summarizes that, "According to the August 14 issue of the Durant Daily Democrat, Lee died at 11:15 p.m. at the hands of a posse of 500. An additional 1,500 citizens were estimated to have been involved in the manhunt. Reports indicate that Lee exchanged gunfire with his would-be captors until his ammunition

720-625: A pull factor of 1.8–2.1 times its population and was named an All-America City finalist for 2006. Since 1999, the Durant Economic Development Department, the Durant Industrial Authority and the City of Durant have developed over $ 600,000,000 in new investments to the city. Durant currently leads the state in economic development. One of the city's strongest industries is tourism; attractions include Lake Texoma ,

792-422: A tenth of the population (7.1%) self-identified as Hispanic or Latino , regardless of race. Individuals of mixed Native American and white heritage accounted for 4.8% of the population. Less than 1% of the population was Asian or Pacific Islander . Durant's first census was recorded in 1900, and the population was 2,969. The 2000 census reported Durant's population as 13,549. There were 6,331 households in

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864-548: A territory: Plymouth in Montserrat . There are several countries where, for various reasons, the official capital and seat of government are separated: Some historical examples of similar arrangements, where the recognized capital was not the official seat of government: With the rise of the modern nation-state , the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government , and imbued with political meaning. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever

936-699: Is approximately 14 miles (23 km) north of the Texas border at the Red River . Dallas is about 88 miles (142 km) south of Durant. The north edge of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , in McKinney , is about 58 miles (93 km) to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city of Durant has a total area of 26.8 square miles (69.3 km ), of which 26.7 square miles (69.2 km )

1008-538: Is built atop the Grand Casino. The Bingo Hall then closed, shortly after the opening of the expansion. The Choctaw Casino Resort and Choctaw Casino Bingo complex is a major tourist destination for Durant, the State of Oklahoma, North Texas , including the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , Arkansas , Louisiana , and Kansas . Some 20,000-25,000 people patronize the facility each week, about 1,200,000 annually. About 75 percent of

1080-464: Is housed on the campus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival is one of the top summer theatre festivals in America. It has made Durant and Southeastern Oklahoma State University a destination for tourists, professional and aspiring actors and theatre artisans. Although no major sports team is located in Durant, many sporting opportunities are found in the city, including

1152-541: Is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km ), or 0.24%, is water. According to the 2020 census , the racial composition of Durant was as follows: As of the census of 2010, there were 15,856 people and 3,651 families residing in the city. The population density was 830 inhabitants per square mile (320/km ). There were 7,202 housing units. Nearly three fourths of the city's population (74.7%) self-identified as white , 13.3% self-identified as Native American , and 2.2% self-identified as black or African American . Less than

1224-626: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . John Lee was an African American man who was lynched on August 12, 1911, in Durant, Oklahoma. He was subjected to a brutal act of mob violence, denial of judicial due process, and the desecration of his body posthumously. The event is a reflection of the racial tensions and injustices prevalent in the United States during the early 20th century. The book Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America by Twin Palms Publishers includes

1296-626: Is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the Republic and the Empire , and later as the centre of the Catholic Church . In several English-speaking states , the terms county town and county seat are also used in lower administrative divisions . In some unitary states , subnational capitals may be known as 'administrative centres'. The capital is often the largest city of its constituent, though not always . Historically,

1368-582: Is the case with Nanjing by Shanghai , Quebec City by Montreal , and several US state capitals . The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred at Babylon and Cahokia . "Political nomadism" was practiced in ancient Near East to increase ties between the ruler and the subjects. Although many capitals are defined by constitution or legislation, many long-time capitals have no such legal designation, including Bern , Edinburgh , Lisbon , London , Paris , and Wellington . They are recognized as capitals as

1440-448: Is the city's historic central business district and the retail district. In the past few years, downtown Durant has seen growth, renewal projects such as streetscaping, and new businesses arriving. Durant has a Main Street program . The retail district is west of downtown, at the intersection of U.S. 69 / 75 and U.S. 70 , and is Durant's fastest growing area. Cardinal Glass Industries has

1512-607: Is under construction, and a walking and biking trail is planned to be built around the lake. The cost of the complex was $ 7 million. Southeastern Oklahoma State University competes in NCAA Division II in the Great American Conference . The Savage Storm compete in the following sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, men's and women's tennis, men's golf, rodeo, women's cross country, softball, women's track & field and women's volleyball. In 2000,

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1584-529: Is usually not a separate national capital, but rather the capital city of one constituent nation will also be the capital of the state overall, such as London , which is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. Similarly, each of the autonomous communities of Spain and regions of Italy has a capital city, such as Seville and Naples , while Madrid is the capital of the Community of Madrid and of

1656-510: The Byzantine capital, Constantinople , Byzantine forces were able to regroup in several provinces; provincial noblemen managed to reconquer the capital after 60 years and preserve the empire for another 200 years after that. The British forces sacked various American capitals repeatedly during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 , but American forces could still carry on fighting from

1728-678: The Choctaw Casino Resort , and Fort Washita . Manufacturing and distribution are growing industries in Durant with several factories being constructed and planned. The largest employer in Durant is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, including the Choctaw Nation Headquarters and the Choctaw Casino Resort, which has two Choctaw Travel Plazas, two Choctaw casinos, the Choctaw Inn, and more facilities that are located in

1800-546: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma . Proceeds from the casino are used to fund many development and education programs benefiting local communities and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. 33°57′07″N 96°24′52″W  /  33.95194°N 96.41444°W  / 33.95194; -96.41444 Durant, Oklahoma Durant ( / d uː r æ n t / ) is a city in Bryan County , Oklahoma , United States. The population

1872-668: The Kingdom of Spain as a whole and Rome is the capital of Italy and of the region of Lazio . In the Federal Republic of Germany , each of its constituent states (or Länder , plural of Land ) has its own capital city, such as Dresden , Wiesbaden , Mainz , Düsseldorf , Stuttgart , and Munich , as do all of the republics of the Russian Federation . The national capitals of Germany and Russia (the Stadtstaat of Berlin and

1944-510: The Latin word caput (genitive capitis ), meaning ' head ', later borrowed from Medieval Latin capitālis ('of the head'). The Latin phrase Roma Caput Mundi meaning 'Rome capital of the world' ( lit.   ' head of the world ' ) was already used by the poet Ovid in 1st century BC . It originates out of a classical European understanding of the known world : Europe , North Africa , and Southwest Asia . The phrase

2016-723: The Mexican border in the west (now part of the Texas panhandle ) to the Arkansas Territory in the east, from the Red River in the south to the South Canadian River in the north. In 1855, the Choctaw and Chickasaws formally divided their land into two separate nations, with Durant remaining in Choctaw territory on the east. Chickasaw land extended west to the boundary that would divide Indian Territory from Oklahoma Territory after passage of

2088-629: The St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (also known as "SL&SF" or "Frisco") had intended to build an east–west line through Caddo, where it would intersect the Katy. A rapid land price increase near Caddo instead caused the Frisco to bypass it in favor of Durant. In 1904, Durant was named in a grand jury instruction as a sundown town where a notice had been posted warning African Americans not to stay after dark. The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention selected Durant as

2160-524: The United Kingdom have historic county towns, which are often not the largest settlement within the county and often are no longer administrative centres, as many historical counties are now only ceremonial, and administrative boundaries are different. The number of new capitals in the world increased substantially since the Renaissance period, especially with the founding of independent nation-states since

2232-513: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Naypyidaw was founded in Burma 's interior as the former capital, Rangoon , was claimed to be overcrowded. A few nation-states have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. Some have a city as the capital but with most government agencies elsewhere. There is also a ghost town which is currently the de jure capital of

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2304-488: The federal city of Moscow ) are also constituent states of both countries in their own right. Each of the states of Austria and cantons of Switzerland also have their own capital cities. Vienna , the national capital of Austria , is also one of the states, while Bern is the ( de facto ) capital of both Switzerland and of the Canton of Bern . Governing entities sometimes plan, design and build new capital cities to house

2376-516: The "Magnolia Capital of the World" in 1993. Every year since, the town has celebrated a Magnolia Festival during the weekend following Memorial Day. Durant has a "World's Largest Peanut" monument, a title it shares with two other monuments in Texas and Ashburn, Georgia . This monument to the peanut growers in Bryan County is located on the front lawn of Durant's city hall. Dedicated in 1973, it includes

2448-426: The 8 stand-alone casinos, Choctaw also operates 15 casinos inside their travel plazas which are referred to as Casino Too. They are located in the following towns: Antlers, Atoka, Broken Bow, Calera, Durant, Grant, Heavener, Hugo, Idabel, McAlester, Pocola, Poteau, Stigler, Stringtown, and Wilburton. The Choctaw Casino Resort sits on a 50-acre site, adjacent to the former Choctaw Casino Bingo . The Choctaw Casino Bingo

2520-539: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Completed in September 2015, the District is an entertainment center with attractions including a video arcade, movie theater, bowling alley, and virtual reality arena. The District is a non-smoking area. Choctaw Resort of Durant was expanded with a Sky Tower featuring 21 floors and 1,000 hotel rooms. This expansion opened in August 2021. The Choctaw casinos in Oklahoma are owned and operated by

2592-536: The Durant Multi-Sports Complex, golf, soccer pitches, and baseball fields. The Durant Multi-Sports Complex is an athletic facility located 2 mi (3.2 km) southeast of Durant, on Highway 78 . The sports complex, dedicated on November 17, 2006, sits on 80 acres (32 ha), with 100 acres (40 ha) undeveloped. It consists of baseball and softball fields, soccer pitches , and a football stadium /track field. A 17-acre (69,000 m ) lake

2664-529: The Grand Tower has 204,000 sq ft (19,000 m) of floor space, 330 rooms and suites, and is 12 floors tall. The Spa Tower was opened in 2015 as another expansion for the resort adding 286 rooms and suites. The latest Sky Tower adds 1,000 hotel rooms and suites to the property and is part of the latest expansion opened in 2021. The $ 860 million resort is the flagship of the Choctaw Nation gaming industry. [REDACTED] = Casino Resort In addition to

2736-619: The Oklahoma Organic Act in 1890. Pierre Durant and his four sons, all of French-Choctaw origin, made the journey up the Trail of Tears on the way to the southeastern part of the Choctaw Nation in 1832. The brothers, grown, with families of their own, established homesteads from the Arkansas line to Durant. One son, Fisher, married to a full-blood Choctaw , found a beautiful location for a home between Durant's present Eighth and Ninth avenues. At

2808-496: The United States and at the age of 36 lost to William McKinley . He lost to McKinley again in 1900, and to William H. Taft in 1908. Woodrow Wilson appointed the county's namesake as United States Secretary of State in 1913. Eleven people were killed in Durant by a tornado in April 1919 . The town's population grew from 2,969 in 1900 to 5,330 in 1910, 12,823 in 1990, and to 13,549 in 2000. The Durant Downtown Historic District

2880-461: The area was simply called Durant. W.H. Hilton was elected the first mayor of Durant. A memorable event in Durant's rail history occurred on April 5, 1905. A special southbound Katy train stopped in the city with President Theodore Roosevelt aboard. In 1895, a fire destroyed the original business district, which had spread along the Katy tracks. Calvin Institute was opened in 1894, representing

2952-485: The baseball team won the Division II college world series. The City of Durant maintains and operates 11 parks totaling more than 251 acres (1.02 km ). They include: Capital city This is an accepted version of this page A capital city or just capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country , state , province , department , or other subnational division , usually as its seat of

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3024-696: The capital has been changed for geopolitical reasons; Finland 's first city, Turku , which had served as the country's capital since the Middle Ages under the Swedish rule, lost its position during the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, when Helsinki was made the current capital of Finland by the Russian Empire. The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals as

3096-617: The casino's customers are from Texas, and the casino is heavily marketed on television, radio, and the internet to people in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Marketing materials put emphasis on the casino's location as being "One Hour North of Dallas ." In addition to the casino's gaming floor, the Choctaw Casino & Resort features The Oasis swimming area where visitors will find multiple pool areas, water slides, Jacuzzis, cabanas, and dive-in movies being shown on an inflatable screen during

3168-409: The city, of which 26% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. Individuals living alone accounted for 32.9% of households and 25.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96. In

3240-425: The city, the population was spread out, with 22% under the age of 18, 18.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.9 years. There were slightly more females (51.4% of the population) than males (48.6%). The median income for a household in the city was $ 35,135, and the median income for a family was $ 41,014. Males working full-time had

3312-469: The coming "race war". In several days, without additional violence, tensions calmed. Durant is located in southeast Oklahoma, in a region named Texoma , or Texomaland, because of its short distance from Lake Texoma . The city is also part of Choctaw Country , formerly Kiamichi Country . Its geographic coordinates are 33°59′59″N 96°23′5″W  /  33.99972°N 96.38472°W  / 33.99972; -96.38472 (33.999834, −96.384825). It

3384-421: The county seat for Bryan County, Oklahoma, which would supersede Blue County at statehood. In 1908, a special election ratified this choice over three other candidates for the honor: Bokchito , Blue , and Sterrett (later renamed Calera ). Bryan County was created from Choctaw lands in 1907, the same time as statehood, and was named after William Jennings Bryan . Bryan was nominated three times for President of

3456-484: The eighteenth century. In Canada , there is a federal capital , while the ten provinces and three territories each have capital cities. The states of such countries as Mexico , Brazil (including the famous cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo , capitals of their respective states), and Australia also each have capital cities. For example, the six state capitals of Australia are Adelaide , Brisbane , Hobart , Melbourne , Perth , and Sydney . In Australia,

3528-400: The first building, adjacent to the boxcar, where he opened a general store in 1873. The first post office, also named as Durant Station, Indian Territory, opened February 20, 1879, but closed on July 11, 1881. A.E. Fulsom was postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service re-established the post office at the site as Durant on March 8, 1882, dropping the word "station" from the name. Beginning in 1882,

3600-595: The first institute of higher education in the immediate area, which was an outgrowth of Presbyterian mission work among the Choctaw Indian nation . Its success led it being reopened as a larger school, Durant Presbyterian College in 1901, later renamed as Oklahoma Presbyterian College . After statehood became effective on November 16, 1907, the state legislature created the Southeastern State Normal School at Durant, which opened March 6, 1909. This school

3672-401: The government . A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status as capital is often designated by its law or constitution . In some jurisdictions , including several countries, different branches of government are in different settlements, sometimes meaning multiple official capitals. In some cases, a distinction is made between

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3744-534: The great crisis of Japanese invasion . National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, because of socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies. In 1204, after the Latin Crusaders captured

3816-417: The major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through conquest or federation . Historical examples are ancient Babylon , ancient Athens , ancient Rome , Abbasid Baghdad , Constantinople , Chang'an , and ancient Cusco . The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an itinerant (wandering) government

3888-454: The official ( constitutional ) capital and the seat of government, which is in another place . English-language news media often use the name of the capital city as an alternative name for the government of the country of which it is the capital, as a form of metonymy . For example, the "relations between London and Washington " refers to the " relations between the United Kingdom and the United States ". The word capital derives from

3960-615: The owners of the buildings, the Red River Valley Historical Association , title was transferred to the federal government . Ceremonies were held August 17, 1976, commemorating the title transfer. Reacquisition of this building allowed centralization of government which permits more effective utilization of personnel in administering current programs and developing future programs. The buildings has been renovated, and administration of many Choctaw programs are headquartered there. Another important part of Durant's economy

4032-459: The provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. In the Three Kingdoms period, both Shu and Wu fell when their respective capitals of Chengdu and Jianye fell. The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing , where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus . The Ming

4104-400: The remains on fire. It burned from nine in the morning until late in the afternoon. All that remained were ashes and a "few charred parcels". Whites rioted throughout the town of Durant. The city's remaining blacks were warned "not to let the sun go down on them here". All left by sunset. Rumors spread that blacks were organizing to return and avenge Lee's death. Durant's white citizens armed for

4176-448: The resort. Over 5,400 people work for the Choctaw Nation in Durant. Though the capital of the Choctaw Nation is recognized as being Tuskahoma , the administrative offices are located in Durant. In 1894, Calvin Institute , a school for Native American youths, was established in Durant. By 1899, it had attracted an enrollment of 300. It was renamed Durant Presbyterian College in 1900 and Oklahoma Presbyterian College in 1910. The support for

4248-486: The school came from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the federal government, and several denominational missionary boards. Because of financial difficulties, the school was closed as a learning institution in the late 1960s. Chief Clark David Gardner established the Choctaw Nation administrative offices at the old Oklahoma Presbyterian College Building in 1975. In 1976, in cooperation with the Durant Chamber of Commerce and

4320-424: The seat of government of a polity or of a subdivision. Deliberately planned and designed capitals include: These cities satisfy one or both of the following criteria: Some examples of the second situation (compromise locations) are: Changes in a nation's political regime sometimes result in the designation of a new capital. Akmola (renamed Astana in 1998) became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, following

4392-456: The summer months. Currently closed for renovations as of Spring of 2023. Aqua includes 3 acres of swimming for all ages. With two separate pools, Aqua has a family pool and Adults pool (21+ only). Amenities of Aqua include water slides, a swim-up bar, cabanas, hot tubs, and more. The Choctaw Wellness Center has amenities including a full gymnasium and an indoor walking track. This facility is only open for Choctaw Tribal members or team members of

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4464-655: The term "capital cities" is regularly used to refer to those six state capitals plus the federal capital Canberra , and Darwin , the capital of the Northern Territory . Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and also of the United Arab Emirates overall. In unitary states which consist of multiple constituent nations, such as the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Denmark , each will usually have its own capital city. Unlike in federations , there

4536-569: The time of Durant's founding it was located in Blue County , a part of the Pushmataha District of the Choctaw Nation. Fisher Durant's son Dixon Durant is recognized as the founder of Durant and is honored as its namesake. A minister, businessman and civic leader, Dixon Durant is credited with pastorates in local Presbyterian , Congregational and Methodist churches. He established the first store selling general merchandise in 1873, around

4608-541: The time of the 1872 creation of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (Katy Railroad) siding at Durant, which was the initial impetus for establishing the community. The Missouri-Kansas and Texas Railway (also known as the MKT or "Katy") had already laid a line through the area that would become Durant by November 1882. A wheelless boxcar was parked on the siding there and named "Durant Station". Dixon Durant erected

4680-575: Was 18,589 in the 2020 census . It serves as the capital of the Choctaw Nation , and is the largest settlement on the reservation, ranking ahead of McAlester and Poteau . Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area , which had a population of 46,067 in 2020. Durant is also part of the Dallas–Fort Worth Combined Statistical Area , anchoring the northern edge. The city

4752-438: Was built in 1987 and was the first of the Choctaw gaming franchise. In 2006, the original $ 60 million resort (now known as the Link Casino) was completed with construction. Soon after completion, tribal officials determined they built too small for their clientele and went underway with an expansion. In February 2010, a larger casino was built adjacent to the existing resort and became known as the Grand Casino. The Grand Hotel Tower

4824-598: Was common. The capital city attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of national or imperial governments, such as lawyers , political scientists , bankers , journalists , and public policy makers . Some of these cities are or were also religious centres , e.g. Constantinople (more than one religion), Rome / Vatican City (the Roman Catholic Church ), Jerusalem (more than one religion), Babylon, Moscow (the Russian Orthodox Church ), Belgrade (the Serbian Orthodox Church ), Paris, and Beijing. In some countries,

4896-456: Was destroyed when Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century. After the Qing dynasty 's collapse, decentralization of authority and improved transportation and communication technologies allowed both the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists to rapidly relocate capitals and keep their leadership structures intact during

4968-437: Was founded by Dixon Durant, a Choctaw who lived in the area, after the MK&T railroad came through the Indian Territory in the early 1870s. It became the county seat of Bryan County in 1907 after Oklahoma statehood. Durant is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation. The city is officially known as the Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma. The city and its micropolitan are

5040-453: Was renamed Southeastern State Teachers College in 1921, and renamed again in 1974 as the present Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Further growth of the town was inhibited by its proximity to the larger town of Caddo (also on the Katy line) and the fact that Dixon Durant did not want to sell more of the land he had inherited to non-Indians. In the 1902-1903 timeframe, the St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans Railroad , an affiliate of

5112-408: Was spent. The posse "calmly emptied their guns into his body". Lee was accused of a range of crimes, the most serious of which was the critical wounding of a white woman, Mrs. Fanny Campbell. She identified the corpse as that of her assailant. Mrs. Campbell expired later the same day. The mob took John Lee's body to a vacant lot near the railroad tracks, where they built a pyre of gathered lumber and set

5184-676: Was the 15th largest wholesaler in the United States as of 2008. Durant is home to the annual Magnolia Festival and the Three Valley Museum . The festival is put on by the Durant Chamber of Commerce and Durant Main Street Program the weekend following Memorial Day . It features music, shopping, shows, and two pageants – the Magnolia Pageant and the Choctaw Princess Pageant. The Oklahoma Legislature proclaimed Durant as

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