City of Skiatook
Skiatook Real Estate
The town of Skiatook is synonymous with its beautiful lake and rolling wooded hills. The area is also one of the greatest expanses of the Tall Grass Prairie. Since the 1800’s the town has continued to grow with the population increasing by 35 percent per decade over the last thirty years and increased by 93% since 1990.
Residents of Skiatook are only five miles away from a plethora of outdoor activities near the lake including hunting, fishing, skiing, sailing, camping, swimming and even scuba diving. Skiatook Lake is located on Highway 20 and is surrounded by beautiful views, trees, and the Tall Grass Prairie. The lake has a surface area of about 10,500 acres and 160 miles of shoreline. Each year the lake hosts several annual sport fishing tournaments for Largemouth bass, channel catfish, black and white crappie, sunfish, and lake perch.
Other wildlife surrounding the lake includes deer, squirrel, rabbit, quail and many other native bird species. About 8,000 acres of land are open for hunting during the hunting season. 1,800 acres around the lake is available as public use for camping and picnicking, as well as nature trails. Parking, boat ramps and sanitary facilities are also available.
Skiatook has a diverse economic base with agriculture being the leading industry. The dairy industry alone contributes approximately $140 million. The manufacturing industry has also increased steadily in the area over the past few years.
Residents are never far from all of the excitement that Tulsa has to offer either. The Tulsa International Airport is just a few minutes away, and downtown Tulsa is just 18 miles away.
With Skiatook being one of the fastest growing communities in Oklahoma, Skiatook real estate opportunities abound. If you’re interested in making Skiatook home, call us at Bedlam Realty at (918) 274-HOME.
The History of Skiatook
In 1872, Chief of the Cherokee, William C. Rogers, founded Skiatook. Rogers established a trading post south of Bird Creek where it could easily be crossed.
There are several stories and conflicting data that propose where the name came from. One story is that an Osage Indian name Skiatooka was a regular trader at the post or perhaps the post was located on his land. Another story suggests that the name is Cherokee in origin meaning “big injun me.” A fourth story told by native local Osage describes the area being struck by a tornado in its early years and the natives explained to the white settlers that the “sky-a-took” – or that the sky took the settlement. This story has been told by at least four generations of native Osage descendants in the area.
The first post office was established in Roger’s trading post in the 1880s and in 1892, the town’s name was transformed from Ski-a-took to Skiatook. The first deed was for the Skiatook Bank in December 1904. Active construction began immediately.
1904 also saw the Midland Valley Railroad being built and the weekly newspaper was first published. The town was incorporated the summer of 1905. By late 1906, residents had gas and telephones.
After statehood in 1907, roads and bridges were built and Skiatook consolidated the numerous schools in the area into one. The First Christian Church was the first church constructed in 1907.
Between 1909 and 1910, more improvements were made including the construction of cement sidewalks and in 1912, water, sewer and electrical improvements were made. The population grew quickly due to the oil, gas and agricultural industries. As traffic increased, more streets were required and by 1919, the town had 15 blocks of paved streets. By 1920, the population included 2,000 residents and 50 businesses.
In the early 1920s, a road to Tulsa was built and due to their abundance of paved roads from all directions, Skiatook was referred to as the “Gateway to all points North, South, East and West.” In the 30s, the town received its water from the Spavinaw Dam, but the completion of the lake in 1984 provide the town its own water supply.
