Perkins Downtown Historic District - Perkins, OK - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

This District includes one and two-story buildings along the east and west side of Main Street in a one block area. The coordinates shown are at the old Payne County Bank on the north end of the downtown area.

Perkins currently has a population just under 3,000. Located in Payne County, it lost the bid with Stillwater to become the county's Seat. Located on the north side of the Cimarron River it was strategically situated to become the entry point to the Iowa Tribe lands when they were opened in 1891. It is currently the tribal headquarters of the Iowa Tribe. The town was named for a Kansas Congressman who was instrumental in establishing Perkins' first post office. The town was settled in the Land Run of 1889, and incorporated in 1891. The residents had the foresight to construct a bridge over the Cimarron which allowed the town to become a focal point for settlement and trade in those early days. In 1893, Perkins was known as the Queen City of the Cimarron. With the coming of the railroad and the early establishment of telephone service, the town was poised for rapid growth.

Many of the downtown buildings were constructed in the late 1800s, and several were built after a devastating fire damaged the downtown area in 1916. The buildings are all currently occupied and have been well maintained in most cases. Located ten miles south of Oklahoma State University, the town has a rich history, including being the burial spot of Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton, OSU's iconic symbol.

When you visit Perkins, be sure to stop and visit the Territorial Plaza on the north end of town which contains numerous sculptures of early days' figures, as well as several restored buildings and museums.

Street address: 100 block of Main Street bounded by Stumbo and Thomas Streets Perkins, OK US 74059 County / Borough / Parish: Payne County Year listed: 2000 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1950-1974; 1925-1949; 1900-1924; 1875-1899 Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Education Current function: Commerce/Trade, Education Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/03/2018 Max and 99 visited it 07/29/2015 Schnauzme visited it

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