Oklahoma: A Story Through Her People

CITY OF STROUD
Above: Rock Cafe, established 1936.
Below: Main Street, Stroud, on Historic
Route 66.
“The history of this town reads like a fairy
tale.”–so said the March 11, 1898 issue of the
Stroud Star newspaper. Like all fairy tales, Stroud
has had its share of challenges and setbacks; yet
for every villain there has been a hero, and every
loss has been met with the drive to recover and
thrive. The school mascot is the tiger, yet the
phoenix could apply for the position as Stroud
is indeed a city that always rises from the ashes
of loss and continues to grow toward the future.
Economic growth has always been a priority
for the community. Following the opening of
Sac and Fox Nation lands for settlement in
1895, the men of Stroud widened roads and
hauled a cotton gin from Guthrie to Stroud
over forty miles of bridgeless country. When
the Ozark Trail (forerunner to Route 66) was
plotted to travel through Stroud, the citizens
worked to again widen the roads and some of
the stone was used to build the world famous
Rock Café and local homes.
When news broke in 1898 that the new
railroad would bypass Stroud, the entire town
was moved to the railroad, one house at a time,
by teams of oxen, horse and mules; all while
business continued inside the stores. Every time
a challenge has arisen, Stroudites have dealt with
the current crisis, rebuilt and moved forward.
When a tornado destroyed the Tanger Mall in
1999, Stroudites chose to focus on the future
and build new infrastructure for the future
instead of dwelling on the current misfortune.
Quality of life has always been important. In
1903 a rapidly growing Stroud had an opera, 2
schools, 5 cotton gins, 2 newspapers, 9 saloons,
11 hotels, 7 livery stables, and numerous
churches and stores. With the growth, there was
a need for improved infrastructure and city leaders
added amenities as they became available,
including water wells, which were eventually
replaced by beautiful Stroud Lake; gas for heating;
electricity; paved roads; and telephones.
This continued lifestyle improvement, as
well as being located on Interstate 44, Highway
99 and Route 66, has attracted many people
and companies to Stroud. Several companies
have worldwide distribution lines including:
Mint Turbines, remanufacturer of turbine
engines for helicopters and airplanes; John
Cassidy Company, distributor of oil field
equipment; Miller Truck Lines, transporter
of freight; Service King, manufacturer and
distributor of oil field equipment; TIMCO,
rebuilder of rail cars and servicer of the
oil industry with hydrochloric acid, and the
Sac & Fox Tribal Nation are poised to grow
in the future from tourism to new industry.
Stroud is also a planned destination for
international and domestic tourist along
“America’s Highway”—Route 66, with dining
and photo opportunities at the Historic Rock
Café and beautiful Stableridge Winery.
O K L A H O M A : A S t o r y T h r o u g h H e r P e o p l e
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