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45-510: Watonga is a city in Blaine County , Oklahoma . It is 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City . The population was 2,690 as of the 2020 United States census . It is the county seat of Blaine County. Watonga is located on former Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation lands that were allotted to individual tribal members, and the excess opened to white settlers in the Land Run of 1892 . Watonga

90-560: A sheriff of the City of London . The title "Alderman" is used for both men and women and may be prefixed to a person's name (e.g., Alderman John Smith, Alderman Smith, or for women; Alderman Mrs (or Miss) Smith). In Scotland , the office of " baillie " bore some similarities to that of alderman in England and Wales. Depending on the jurisdiction, an alderman could have been part of the legislative or judicial local government. A "board of aldermen"

135-514: A "mayor" and "aldermen". Since 1994, all local and regional government areas in Queensland elect a "mayor" and "councillors". (Australian capital cities usually have a Lord Mayor ). An example of the use of the term alderman is evident in the City of Adelaide . Aldermen were elected from the electors in all the wards . Historically, in Canada , the term "alderman" was used for those persons elected to

180-523: A county clerk, a county assessor, and a county treasurer. The three commissioners each have districts with approximately equal populations based on the latest census. The county government is primarily housed in the Blaine County Courthouse in Watonga . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 939 square miles (2,430 km ), of which 928 square miles (2,400 km )

225-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.16. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

270-403: A long term of service (commonly 20 years), or a combination of term of service along with leadership positions held within the council. In some councils the title is automatically conferred on the mayor regardless of their term of service. Although the term originated in England, it had no single definition there until the 19th century, as each municipal corporation had its own constitution. It

315-485: A municipal council to represent the wards. As women were increasingly elected to municipal office, the term " councillor " slowly replaced "alderman", although there was some use of the term "alderperson". Today, the title of "alderman" is rarely used except in some cities in Alberta and Ontario , as well as some smaller municipalities elsewhere in the country, that retain the title for historical reasons. The title "alderman"

360-611: A population of 2,561 by 1902. The town was home to "the oldest bank in Blaine County." Okeene was also established in the year of the land run and was surrounded by farmers of German descent. In 1904, Blaine County was the birthplace of voice actor Clarence Nash , the original voice of Disney's Donald Duck . The county's population was 17,227 in 1907, rising to 17,960 in 1910. It had declined to 15,875 by 1920. The U.S. highway system reached Oklahoma in 1926. U.S. Highways 270 and 281 were constructed through Blaine County. The county

405-696: A term of six years, which allowed a party that narrowly lost an election to retain control by choosing aldermen. This was changed by the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act 1910, so that outgoing aldermen were no longer allowed to vote. County councils , created in Great Britain in 1889 and in Ireland in 1899, also elected aldermen, but rural district and urban district councils did not. The Local Government Act 1972 finally abolished Aldermen with voting rights, with effect from 1974, except in

450-445: A third (29%) were made up of individuals, 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older, and 8.6% were run by a female with no husband present. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 3.08. The county's median age in 2000 was 38 years, with almost a third (28.6%) of the population aged 25 to 44. Individuals under the age of 18 made up 24% of the population, individuals aged 45 to 64 made up 21.4% of

495-642: Is essentially an upper house of a bicameral legislature (as it was in New York City until the 20th century). In Illinois , the Illinois Municipal Code allows for the formation and existence of an aldermanic-city form of municipal government. As an example, in Chicago , the Chicago City Council is composed of fifty aldermen (not councilors). As of 2021, Chicago aldermen are legally referred to by

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540-688: Is home to the U.S. Gypsum Company, the largest industrial plant in the county. Lying in the Cimarron Valley, Okeene 's economy has been based on agriculture, primarily wheat and hay. Major manufacturing businesses are the Okeene Milling Company, Seaboard Farms, and Mountain Country Foods, a manufacturer of pet food. The Okeene Municipal Hospital and Clinic is one of the primary medical centers of northwest Oklahoma. School districts include: The following sites in Blaine County are listed on

585-607: Is land and 10 square miles (26 km ) (1.1%) is water. The northeastern half of the county is located on the western edge of the Red Bed Plains while the southwestern half lies in the Gypsum Hills. The North Canadian River runs through the county from northwest to southeast. The county includes the largest lake in western Oklahoma, Canton Lake . The county seat of Watonga hosts an annual cheese festival in October, celebrating

630-584: Is little used in England and Wales, but is used more often in Northern Ireland, where councils may also designate up to a quarter of their elected councillors as aldermen. In the City of London , but not elsewhere in London , aldermen are still elected for each of the wards of the City by the regular electorate. To be a candidate to be Lord Mayor of the City of London , it is necessary to be an alderman and to have been

675-520: Is named after Arapaho Chief Watonga, whose name means "Black Coyote". The town began as a tent city on April 19, 1892. A post office opened in Watonga during the same year. However, the first railroad line through Watonga was not built until 1901–02, when the Enid and Anadarko Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway ) constructed a 60 miles (97 km) rail line from Guthrie . According to

720-540: Is provided by AT&L Railroad , which runs from Watonga to Geary to El Reno, Oklahoma , with overhead trackage rights on the Union Pacific from El Reno to Oklahoma City . Blaine County, Oklahoma Blaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma . As of the 2020 census , the population was 8,735. Its county seat is Watonga . Part of the Cheyenne-Arapaho land opening in 1892,

765-460: Is the governing executive or legislative body of many cities and towns in the United States. Boards of aldermen are used in many rural areas of the United States as opposed to a larger city council or city commission ; its members are typically called "alderman". The term is sometimes used instead of city council , but it can also refer to an executive board independent of the council, or to what

810-640: The Blaine County Courthouse , the Noble Hotel , and the United States Post Office Watonga . Watonga connects with U.S. Route 270 , State Highway 3 , State Highway 8 , and State Highway 51a . Watonga is served by Watonga Regional Airport . Commercial air transportation is available at Will Rogers World Airport , about 68 miles to the southeast. Rail freight carriage of grain, fertilizer, and other agriculture-related products

855-710: The Corrections Corporation of America from 1998, and the prison grew to become the town's largest employer. But the prison, housing Arizona inmates, experienced a riot in May 2004. The contract to utilize the facility was not renewed, resulting in the prison closing in May 2010. This left 300 prison workers jobless or transferred elsewhere. The prison was still vacant in March 2017. The town Walmart closed in 2016. Watonga has an aldermanic form of government. The city hosts an annual Watonga Cheese Festival in October. The festival

900-487: The Greater London Council and the London borough councils , where they remained a possibility until 1978. Councils in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland still have the power to create honorary aldermen and alderwomen, as a reward for their services as a councillor, but must do so at a special meeting, and in each case the granting of the title needs to be approved by two-thirds of those attending. This power

945-1047: The National Register of Historic Places : 35°53′N 98°26′W  /  35.88°N 98.43°W  / 35.88; -98.43 Alderman The title is derived from the Old English title of ealdorman , which literally means "elder person", and which was used by the chief nobles presiding over shires . Similar titles exist in other Germanic languages, such as ålderman in Swedish , oldermann in Norwegian , rådmand in Danish and Low German , Olderman in West Frisian , ouderman in Dutch , and Ältermann in German . Finnish also has oltermanni , which

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990-531: The State of Illinois as alderpersons, though the terms alderman and aldermanic remain in common use. Some cities such as, Ithaca, New York identify aldermen as 'alderpersons'. Others, including New Haven, Connecticut , use the term "alders". Historically the term could also refer to local municipal judges in small legal proceedings (as in Pennsylvania and Delaware ). Pennsylvania's aldermen were phased out in

1035-541: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km), of which 0.012 square miles (0.03 km), or 0.28%, is water. As of the 2000 census , there were 4,658 people, 1,273 households, and 858 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,703.1 inhabitants per square mile (657.6/km). There were 1,507 housing units at an average density of 551.0 units per square mile (212.7 units/km). The racial makeup of

1080-468: The poverty line , including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 16.8% of those age 65 or over. According to one report, Watonga's 42.9% reduction in population from 2010 to 2017 makes it the fastest shrinking place in Oklahoma. Since statehood, Watonga's economy has largely been based on agriculture. In the early days, local farmers primarily produced wheat. The dairy industry grew in western Oklahoma and led to

1125-404: The city was 61.19% White , 15.33% African American , 8.24% Native American , 1.55% Asian , 2.02% Pacific Islander , 4.89% from other races , and 6.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.91% of the population. There were 1,273 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 11.5% had

1170-415: The city's cheese factory. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,976 people, 4,159 households, and 2,865 families residing in the county, nearly half of them located in the county seat of Watonga . The population density of the county was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km ). There were 5,208 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3/km ). The racial makeup of

1215-534: The county had gained rail lines by the early 1900s and highways by the 1930s. The county was named for James G. Blaine , an American politician who was the Republican presidential candidate in 1884 and Secretary of State under President Benjamin Harrison . Blaine County was one of several counties created by the Land Run of 1892 . It was designated county "C" in 1890 before the land run. According to one account,

1260-455: The county was 76.29% white , 8.70% Native American , 6.65% Black or African American , 0.71% Asian , 0.81% Pacific Islander , 2.86% from other races , and 3.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 6.62% of the population. There were 4,159 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Slightly more than half (56.20%) were married couples living together, nearly

1305-443: The designation "C" remained until the first public elections in 1892. When the time came to choose another name for the county, there seemed to be roughly equal support for two military heroes: "Sheridan" and "Custer". Before voting began, the chair gave a stirring speech proposing Blaine, who had recently died and was a local favorite. The majority of voters swung behind Blaine's name, which was ultimately chosen for County C. The area

1350-453: The era. Roman Nose State Park , which opened in 1937 and was one of the state's seven original state parks, is seven miles north of Watonga, off State Highway 8 and 8a. It includes two lakes, the smaller being Lake Boecher, and the larger the 55-surface-acre Lake Watonga. The park includes hiking trails, guided horseback rides and hayrides to a historic natural-rock swimming pool, miniature golf, and an 18-hole par-70 golf course. For lodging,

1395-467: The first several candidates elected were styled "alderman" and the rest "councillor". Someone co-opted to fill a seat vacated by an alderman would be styled "councillor". In the Netherlands, an alderman (Dutch: wethouder ) is part of the municipal executive and not of the municipal council , which controls the aldermen's actions in office. The alderman is comparable to the office of minister at

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1440-400: The national level. However, the alderman can not propose bills to the council. The alderman can be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence by the council. In South Africa, the term alderman refers to senior members of municipal councils . They are distinguished from ordinary councillors for their "long and distinguished service as a councillor". The title may be awarded on the basis of

1485-571: The opening of the Watonga Cheese Factory in 1941. It was one of the state's five active dairy product plants in 2004. The plant subsequently closed in 2007. Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores began with a single leased gas station in Watonga in the mid-1960s. Love's is now in 41 states, is approaching 500 travel centers, and employs 25,000 nationwide. The city hosted the Diamondback Correctional Facility, owned by

1530-414: The park has Roman Nose Lodge, built in 1956 and renovated in 2010, along with more than 90 campsites, almost equally split between RV and tent sites. Ferguson Chapel was a Presbyterian Church dedicated in 1903 and continued in use until 1972. In 1992, the building was restored by town volunteers and is used as an event center. Seven of 17 NHRP-listed sites in Blaine County are located in Watonga, including

1575-403: The population, individuals aged 65 or older made up 16.8% of the population, and individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 made up 9.1% of the population. There were slightly more males than females, with 119.3 males for every 100 females and 125 adult males (18 or older) for every 100 female adults. The county's median income for a household in 2000 was $ 28,356, and the median income for a family

1620-408: Was $ 34,565. Males had a median income of $ 26,284 versus $ 18,619 for females. The county's per capita income was $ 13,546. About 12.8 percent of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over. Southard , located in central Blaine County, is the site of one of the purest gypsum deposits in the United States and

1665-410: Was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 169.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 191.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 27,208, and the median income for a family was $ 31,391. Males had a median income of $ 23,056 versus $ 16,146 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 10,567. About 12.4% of families and 17.5% of the population were below

1710-580: Was abolished for local authorities in the Republic of Ireland by the Local Government Act 2001 , with effect from the 2004 local elections . Early usage of the term mirrored that of England and Wales . Local elections since the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 have used the single transferable vote in multiple-member electoral areas. In each electoral area of a borough or county borough ,

1755-577: Was also served by the Postal Highway as early as 1912; it later became part of U.S. Highway 66. The county's population peaked at 20,452 in 1930. New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps employed county residents and built Roman Nose State Park , which opened in 1937. By the 21st century, the county had a population of 11,976. Between 2010 and 2020, the population of Blaine County declined by 26.9 percent to 8,735. It

1800-542: Was borrowed from Swedish. All of these words mean "elder person" or "wise man". Many local government bodies used the term "alderman" in Australia. As in the way local councils have been modernised in the United Kingdom and Ireland , the term alderman has been discontinued in a number of places. For example, in the state of Queensland before 1994, rural "shires" elected "councillors" and a "chairman", while "cities" elected

1845-460: Was established in the county seat of Watonga , the same year as the land run. The Enid and Anadarko Railway and the Blackwell, Enid, and Southwestern Railroad ran lines through the county from 1901 to 1903. The Blaine County Courthouse was built in 1906. The town of Geary, which also received a post office in the same year as the land run, became an agricultural trade center in the county and had

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1890-582: Was formed in 1976 by the Watonga Chamber of Commerce because the town had the only cheese factory in Oklahoma at the time. The festival continued even after the factory closed in 2007. In 2013, a wine competition was added to the festival. The town newspaper, the Watonga Republican, has been published since 1892. Watonga has the T.B. Ferguson Home Museum, which consists of the 1901 Victorian-style house of publisher T.B. Ferguson and various artifacts of

1935-531: Was settled by Creek and Seminole , whom the federal government relocated to the area in the 1820s and 1830s. The Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes were relocated to the area from Colorado in 1869 after the Reconstruction Treaties of 1866 had taken the land back from the Creek and Seminole. The land run was held after giving members of the tribe allotments of 160 acres (0.65 km ) each. A post office

1980-423: Was the largest decrease in percentage terms during the decade of any Oklahoma county. Although population decreases are typical of most rural Oklahoma countries, much of the population decline of Blaine County from 2010 to 2020 was due to the closing in 2010 of a prison which was the largest employer in the county. The county is served by seven elected county officials: a county sheriff, three county commissioners,

2025-514: Was used in England, Wales and Ireland / Northern Ireland (all of Ireland being part of the United Kingdom from January 1801 until December 1922), but was not used in Scotland . Under the Municipal Reform Act 1835 , municipal borough corporations consisted of councillors and aldermen. Aldermen would be elected not by the electorate, but by the council (including the outgoing aldermen), for

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