About Stroud, Oklahoma
Facts, Trivia and useful information
Elevation: 886 ft. (270 m). Population: 2,690 (2010).
Time zone: Central (CST): UTC minus 6 hours. Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5).
Stroud is a located on the eastern edge of Lincoln County, Oklahoma. Its Motto is: "Oklahoma's Winery and Grape Capital"
For an early history of the region see Tulsa's History.
The town was originally a part of the Oklahoma Territory, just west of the land of the Creek Tribe and therefore was not part of the Indian Territory.
Rock Cafe sign- Route 66 in downtown Stroud, Oklahoma
James Wrexel Stroud was the first to settle the area and, in 1892, built a store about one mile from the current townsite. He also ran the post office and the local saloon which sold alcohol (which was banned in the neighboring Indian Territory).
When Arkansas and Oklahoma Railroad (acquired in 1901 by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway or "Frisco") defined the location of the station along the line it was building, Stroud moved the town to its present location.
James W. Stroud House is listed in the National Register of Historical Places
The Name: Stroud
Chauncey M. Stroud was a U.S. senator (R) for New York from 1899 to 1911. He was a great orator and speaker, and once said: "Speech-making is a tonic to me".
His main focus was the railroad business and he began as a railroad attorney for the N.Y. Central Railroad he eventually became its president. Later on he was accused of catering to the interests of railway and insurance concerns.
When Oklahoma became a state of the U.S. in 1907, the "whiskey town" business ended as it became a "dry state". At that time it had 1,312 residents. It was included in Lincoln county.
Cotton processing at the local cotton gins ando cottonseed-oil mill were the mainstay of the local economy.
A legendary bandit, Henry Starr robbed both local banks, the Stroud National Bank and the First National Bank in 1915, but he was captured after being wounded in a gun battle and sentenced to prison.
The oil industry fueled the local economy after 1920 and Route 66, which passed through Stroud provided additional income as the town catered to the travelers' needs.
The Turner Turnpike (I-44) was completed in the late 1950s and bypassed the downtown district.
Where to Stay
There are several hotels in Stroud and in other nearby towns along Route 66
Lodging Near Stroud
- 51 miles. Motels and Hotels in Tulsa.
- 69 miles. Motels and Hotels in Catoosa.
- 79 miles. Motels and Hotels in Claremore.
- 21 miles. Motels and Hotels in Chandler.
- 56 miles. Motels and Hotels in Edmond.
- 69 miles. Motels and Hotels in Oklahoma City.
- 84 miles. Motels and Hotels in Yukon.
>> There are RV campgrounds in Stroud (see also Sapulpa and Davenport).
Weather in Stroud
During winter, the average high (January) is around 48°F and the low is about 27°F (8.9 & -2.5°C). The summer (July) average high and low are 93 and 71°F (34 & 21.7°C).
Temperatures can exceed 100°F (38°C) during summer. Which is also (together with late spring) the rainest period. Total rainfall averages 41 in. (1.040 mm) and around 90 days a year rainy.
Around 9.6 inches (24.3 cm) of snow falls in winter (Nov. to Mar.).
Thunderstorms may cause tornados at any time of the year, but they are more frequent during Spring and Summer. As Stroud is located inside Oklahoma's "Tornado Alley there are about 10 Tornado watches every year.
The 1999 Tornado Strike
During the night of May 3, 1999, a tornado which had touched down near Sparks Oklahoma headed straight for Stroud and hit it with F2 - F3 strenght.
It destroyed the Tanger Outlet Mall which had 53 stores, the truck distribution center of Sygma, a foodservice company and damaged the Municipal Hospital. It dissipated one mile south of town just before midnight.
Fortunately there were no fatalities but it caused the loss of 800 jobs: neither the mall or the Sygma warehouse were rebuilt.
Tornado Risk: read more about Tornado Risk along Route66.
Getting to Stroud
Map of Stroud and Route66
Map of Stroud and Route 66 in Oklahoma.
Pale Blue: Historic Route 66 alignment; Red line: Interstate highways, where they overlap the old alignment.
Remove or restore State shading
Route 66 itinerary to Stroud
Route 66 in Oklahoma
Click to read the Full description of Route 66 across Oklahoma.
Below we detail the Old Alignment of Route 66 near Stroud and through the town, as well as the historic "Ozark Trails" Segment.
Stroud, Oklahoma: Attractions & Sights
Things to Do and See
Stroud has many vintage Route 66 classic buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places, to the east and west of the town are original 1926 segments of Route 66 and the Ozark Trails alignment too. Enjoy the historic Rock Café and the Sac and Fox Powow, there is plenty to do and see in Stroud.
Historic Places and Buildings
Bon Ton House, 404 N 4th Ave
Joseph Carpenter House, 204 W 6th St
Graham Hotel, Main & 2nd Ave
Hadley House, 622 N 4th Ave
Walter Hadley House, 424 W 7th St
George Hughes House, 308 W 5th St
Moses Keokuk House, 6 miles South of Stroud. (Burned in 2002)
William Alfred Mensch Building, 218 W Main
Old Stroud School, 1 mile east of Jct. of I-44 & SH-99
Southwestern Bell Telephone Building, 301 W 7th
James W. Stroud House, 110 E 2nd Ave
Stroud Trading Company Building, Main & 2nd Ave
Historic Hotel Lincoln, Melodibit
323 Main, Stroud
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
This two-story building is built in red-brick Commercial style and was built in the early 1900s.
It originally catered to those traveling to town in train, but quickly adapted to the flow of visitors that Route 66 brought to town: it is one of the few hotels that competed against tourist courts and motels along Oklahoma's Route 66.
It predates US 66 and the second floor was added in 1924.
Trivia: Rock Café and the movie "Cars"
Pixar - Disney's 2006 animated movie "Cars" was inspired by Route 66's characters and attractions.
One of them, Radiator Springs character Sally Carrera is based on Dawn Welch, proprietor of Rock Café.
The movie mentions her in the final credits: "Dawn Welch, The Rock Cafe, "Home Of The Fried Pickle Spears", Stroud, OK"
Historic Rock Cafe, Stroud, Chuck Coker
114 W. Main St., Stroud, OK.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
A landmark cafe which opened in 1939 and was rebuilt after a fire in 2008.
Roy Rives opened it in 1939 to cater to those traveling along Route 66. It was later a Greyhound bus stop and after World War II it was open 24 hours-a-day.
It is built with rubble sandstone in Giraffe-style (its color resembles the skin of a giraffe) with coarse mortar joints and a very large chimney. It was reopened in 2010 after the fire that gutted it in 2008 and still sells fries and burgers.
Open daily from 6 AM to 9 PM. See its Google Street View
Skyliner Motel sign, Stroud, credits
A Classic motel sign along Route 66, don't miss it:
See its Google Street View and location.
A ghost sign is an old hand-painted advertisment that has survived on a building for a long time and not been removed or painted over.
There is an old sign advertising Coca Cola painted on a brick wall of a building, facing east along Route 66 as you enter town from the east, you will spot it on the south side of the road, it is the famous Ghost Sign.
See its Google Street View and location.
Events and Fun in Stroud
The town hosts an annual, city-wide garage sale in June and, of course, a Fourth of July celebration.
Sac and Fox Indians' Annual Powwow
The tribal festival takes place every year, in early July.
Sac and Fox Nation
Native Americans whose original lands were near Lakes Huron and Michigan. They were relocated to Illinois, Kansas and finally to the Indian Territories which later became Oklahoma in the 1870s.
This can be written powwow, pow-wow, pow wow or pau wau. It is a gathering of Native Americans, and the word originates from the Narragansett language.
Their headquarters is near Stroud and their tribal jurisdiction spans Payne, Pottowatomie and Lincoln counties.
In Stroud they operate the Sac and Fox Nation Casino and they issue their own vehicle license plates for tribal members.
Jim Thorpe (1888-1953) was a Sac and Fox athlete who won gold medals (decathlon and pentathlon) at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
Interestingly, the nation is one of Stroud's major employers.
Local Wines & Wineries
Stroud names itself as "Oklahoma's Winery and Grape Capital" and as such there are several wineries and vineyards in the area.
In June it celebrates the Stroud's Annual Historic Route 66 Wine & Food Festival, a good opportunity to taste its wines and food.
StableRidge Vineyards Winery. www.stableridgevineyards.com. (918) 968-1769.
Territory Cellars LLC. 1521 N Hwy 99. www.territorycellars.com. (918) 987-1800.
Wine Village. 405 W Main St. (918) 866-2529.
Tours & Itineraries
Nearby Route 66 Towns
Route 66 alignment through Oklahoma
Learn more about alignment of Historic Route-66 through Oklahoma.
The Historic "Original" segments of Route 66 near Stroud
Drive along the Original Route 66 alignment of the 1920s
The original road that linked Bristow, Sapulpa and Depew was the "Ozark Trails" system, which was built in 1915 and had many unpaved sections. It was incorporated into the new U.S. Highway 66 when it was created in 1926.
East of Stroud
Following OK-66 from Depew towards Stroud, after 8 miles, the road approaches I-44 (Turner Turnpike) and turns towards the southwest. At this point there are two options to follow the "old" alignments of Route 66:
Oldest Alignment: 1926 - 1930
2.3 miles long.
At the curve, head straight west until reaching Graham Rd., turn right, pass under I-44 and once on the north side, take a left along 17th St.
Just ahead is an original concrete bridge built in 1930, spanning Lilly Creek. It has concrete spans 30 ft. long. It is shown below:
Old Route 66: Lilly Creek Bridge, Stroud
Keep westwards and take a left on Allied Rd., head south, cross I-44 and continue, crossing the bridge (a pony truss bridge) built in 1921 over Salt Creek, which is five years older than Route 66 itself. It is shown below:
Old Route 66: Salt Creek Bridge, Stroud
Continue southbound until reaching OK-66 again at the point where it becomes Main St. and enters Stroud.
Newer Alignment: 1930 - 1960
1.4 miles long
Take the curve mentioned above (8 mi. west of Depew) and continue until reaching Graham Rd. Take a right and a left to go along the Old Hwy 66. The road crosses Salt Creek on a steel pony truss bridge built in 1928. The road was built and paved later, in 1930.
Keep along the road until reaching Allied St. at Main St. where the "older" and "newer" alignments meet and enter Stroud along Main St.
West of Stroud, to Davenport
Current OK-66 west of Stroud follows the alignment of the 1930 road, upgraded in 1960. But the older road is futher south, and follows a dirt road. We describe it below:
5.5 miles long.
Leave Main St. along South 8th St. (OK-99) and take a right along W Central Ave. this is the original 1926 - 1930 alignment of Route 66 west of Stroud. The road reaches the railroad and curves towards the south (the left) along S 15th Ave. Follow it until reaching E 0880Rd. and take another right, along it.
At N 3540 Rd., the Ozark Trail begins:
Ozark Trail Section
Take a left along M 3540 Rd. and continue along the dirt surface road until reaching E 08990 Rd. At the junction there is a very rare monument built in 1915, a Ozark Trail marker.
Ozark Trail Route 66, Stroud
Ozark Trail Monument
The Ozark Trails Monument is a stone obelisk that is 21 feet tall, it is quite unique and rare. It marked the intersection of Ozark Trail roads.
Turn right along E 08990 Rd. and continue along it until reaching OK-66 again and the 1930 alignment just after Dosie Creek (the old 1909 wood plank pony truss bridge has been replaced with a concrete one in 2004) and the railroad. The 1930 bypass of the older alignment was paved in Portland concrete and shortened the road.
Ozark Trail Section of Route 66: 1915 - 1930
This section predates Route 66.
The private organization, the Ozark Trail Association petitioned the Lincoln County commissioner to create and designate a county road system belonging to the "Frisco-Ozark Trail system". The roadbed was built between 1915 and 1917 and was incorporated into the Ozark Trail highway network.
The network was a collection of dirt or gravel roads linking the towns in Lincoln county. Later, when Route 66 was created in 1926 it included these roads into its initial alignment.
When US 66 was paved in 1930, it was shortened and shifted to a new roadbed. The old road however remains in use until this day as a "improved" dirt road, that is, one that is ocassionally graded and surfaced with some gravel.
Just 6 miles northeast of the town is a spot for water sports, swimming, fishing and camping. It has RV parking space.
Full details and camping space reservations: Website. (405) 747-7300
National & State Parks
www.cityofstroud.com, city website.
Danny R. Beltz, Stroud, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, www.okhistory.org
Image Used as per Google Street View Image Api Updated Dec. 31, 2014.