The History of Ringling, Oklahoma

A small town named Ringling sits off highway 70 in Jefferson County. It is located in the state of Oklahoma about 25 miles south of Oklahoma City. Ringling is a small rural all American town. It has a very small population of only 1,052 people. This small population is based off the United States Census of 2007. Those that live there are mostly born in the area and others have lived there for years. This town has had a small population growth of 5.13 % since the year 2000.

Ringling was named after John Ringling. John was the brother of Albert, Alfred, Charles, and Otto Ringling. John Ringling was just one of the four Ringling brothers who helped form the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. They started out as a dancing act and turned into a full functioning circus around 1907. Today the circus is well known all around the United States. Some stories are said that John Ringling was one of the first to bring the circus to the area now known as Ringling, Oklahoma.

Ringling is a very small town. It does not have a Walmart or any other well known retail chain. It does not have a McDonalds or Taco Bell. It has no shopping malls or traffic. Thats part of what makes this little rural town so charming. The non existent hustle and bustle of city life makes this town a jewel to some folks. The people who live in Ringling are friendly. Its a place where everyone knows everybody. The town does have a grocery store named "Harry's." Ringling has a newspaper called, "The Ringling Eagle" which is located downtown off Main Street along with the local drug store and some locally owned shopping centers. Ringling also has a library known as the Gleason Memorial Library. It is a public library and has around 3,702 volumes of books.

The average home costs about $71,400 in the area. The cost of living has gone down by 30%. The Ringling Public School spends about $5,330 per student. Which is under the average school expense of $6,058. The majority of people that live there are white, while the other is American Indian.

The town has not changed too much through the years. If you are in good with some of the locals then hunting and fishing are a way to pass the time. They say that the town of Ringling was once a busy bustling place. That on a Saturday everyone came to Ringling to do their shopping. Places like Lantz Theater, Virgil's Barber Shop, Alfa Morris Dry Goods were places to get the things you needed. Some celebrities like Bob Hope came through Ringling once upon a time. That was many years ago when the Ringling brothers came through and attractions drew the crowds. If you stay at the Ringling Motel don't expect any fancy accommodations. However, you can relax and forget the traffic and the noises of the city life. There are plenty of cows, horses, and wildlife. Now there is plenty of time there to procrastinate.