Guymon, Oklahoma

In the 1890s, Edward T. "E.T." Guymon, president of the Inter-State Land and Town Company, purchased a section of land west of the Beaver River, also known as the North Canadian River. The site grew very rapidly after the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway (Rock Island) built a line from Liberal, Kansas, to Texhoma, Texas, in 1901. A community, first named Sanford by the U.S. Post Office Department, was situated along the line. It was renamed Guymon a month later by postal officials to avoid confusion with the town of Stratford, Texas, which was further down the line. Guymon incorporated in 1901. The town plat was filed in Beaver County, Oklahoma Territory, in 1904. ==Geography==

Located on the High Plains of the central Oklahoma Panhandle, Guymon sits north of Amarillo, Texas, and west-northwest of Woodward. Optima National Wildlife Refuge, Optima Lake, and the state-run Optima Wildlife Management Area lie roughly to the east along the North Canadian River. Guymon sits at an elevation of . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and (0.27%) is covered by water. Climate Guymon has a semi-arid steppe climate with hot summers (July mean maximum temperature of 93°F/34°C) and cool winters (January mean minimum of 21°F/−6°C). Precipitation ranges from 13 mm (0.5 inch) in January to 89 mm (3.5 inch) in July. Snowfall averages 9.9 cm (3.9 inch) in February. BSk is the Köppen Classification of the climate. ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Guymon had a population of 12,965. The median age was 30.6 years. 31.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 9.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 108.1 males age 18 and over. There were 4,325 households in Guymon, of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.8% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. The average household size was 3.28 persons. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Recent developments In 2022 the Hispanic population had increased to 57 percent of the population of Guymon. Guymon has been cited as an example of how immigration can save rural communities, most of which in Oklahoma and many other states have been losing population for decades. ==Economy==

Guymon is a hub for the local economy, which includes wheat farming, livestock, hog and dairy farming, manufacturing, and oil and natural gas production. A United States soil conservation station is located nearby. Local manufacturers produce agricultural tillage tools, pressure tanks, and formula feeds. The town of Goodwell, Oklahoma, home of Oklahoma Panhandle State University, lies to the southwest of Guymon. Opening of the Hugoton-Panhandle Gas Field led to the establishment of two carbon black plants, the Dandee Manufacturing Company (makers of farming equipment), an ice plant, the OK Welding Manufacturing Company, a feed mill, the Phillips Petroleum cracking plant, and the Southwestern Public Service Company generating plant. The Guymon Municipal Hospital (later renamed Memorial Hospital of Texas County) opened in 1949. ==Government==

Guymon has a council-manager form of government. ==Education==

Guymon residents are served by the Guymon School District. The school system was begun in 1902–3. The first high school building was built in 1917. Guymon schools were closed for one year during the Great Depression because funds were insufficient to keep them operating. The school district opened a new high school in 1954. This was replaced with a new facility in 1974. ;High school • Guymon High School ;Middle school • Guymon Junior High School ;Elementary schools • Academy • Academy "C" • Carrier • Homer Long • Northeast • North Park • Prairie More than 80% of high school students qualify for a reduced-price school lunch, a common proxy for poverty. About 30% of residents lack a high school diploma. ==Media==

Guymon has one newspaper and four radio stations, although one is a translator. • Guymon Herald, printed since 1891, is the only daily newspaper for the entire Oklahoma Panhandle. • KKBS 92.7 FM - Rock • KBIJ 99.5 FM - Regional Mexican • KGYN 1210 AM - News and Sports Talk • K215CV 90.9 FM - Christian Contemporary (Air1) ==Recreation==

• Golden Mesa Casino is 2 1/2 mi west on US Hwy 54. • Sunset Hills golf course – an 18-hole par-71 municipal course - is open to members and guests in Guymon. • Sunset Lake and Thompson Park – a 32-acre stocked municipal lake - is open to fishing year-round, with paddle boats, an operating miniature train, ducks to be fed, playground equipment for children, picnic tables, and covered pavilions. • No Mans Land Rifle and Pistol Club – a 50-station handgun and rimfire rifle range - is open to members of the club, located near Sunset Lake and Thompson Park, and open for use during daylight hours. • Nearby Optima National Wildlife Refuge offers bird and wildlife viewing opportunities, and the Optima Wildlife Management Area, run by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, offers hunting opportunities. ==Infrastructure==

Transportation Guymon is served by US-54, US-64, US-412, SH-3, and SH-136, some of said roads being partially concurrent or completely concurrent with others through Guymon. Guymon Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the central business district of Guymon. Commercial air transport is available out of Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport in Kansas, about 41 miles northeast of town. Rail freight service is available from the Union Pacific Railroad. ==Notable people==

• Jeremy Sochan (b. 2003) - Basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs, was born in Guymon but relocated to Southampton as an infant. • Michael D. Brown (b. 1954) – former FEMA director was born in Guymon in 1955. • Claudia Bryar (1918–2011) - film and television actress, was born in Guymon. • F. Hiner Dale (1881–1968) – Judge and founder of Guymon law firm of Wright, Dale, and Jett • Gordon Grice (b. 1965) – award-winning nature writer, was born in Guymon. • Ross Rizley (1892–1969) - former U.S. Representative, is buried in Guymon. • Sammi Smith (1943–2005) - country music star - born Jewel Faye Smith ==See also==