Welcome to Ringling - Ringling, OK
N 34° 09.995 W 097° 35.577
14S E 629688 N 3781520
Welcome to Ringling, Oklahoma, founded in 1914. This sign is located on the east side of OK 89 at the southern town limit.
Waymark Code: WM11NF7
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/19/2019
Views: 3
This sign has a twin on the south side of OK 70 at the southwestern town limit. It is a white circus tent with blue stripes, and there are three blue pennants atop it, trimmed in gold, with red flagpole balls. In an oval is "Welcome to Ringling Founded 1914".
The only thing that this town has to do with the circus is that it is named for one of the Ringling Brothers, who certainly played a role in its establishment. How John Ringling met oilman Jake Hamon must be an interesting tale in and of itself, but they partnered to construct a railroad line that would have gone from Ardmore west to Lawton. The goal was to provide better farm-to-market access for farmers and ranchers in the target area, but as construction progressed, the 1913 Healdton Field oil strike changed their plans considerably. The line ended in this area -- the depot no longer exists -- with a branch line going up to Healdton. John Ringling purchased the land around the depot in 1914, and within two months, there was a post office. A boom town sprung up, and by 1915, the town bearing John Ringling's name had been incorporated. You won't be inundated by them, but if you're paying attention as you drive through Ringling, you'll see some circus references. And yes, some of them are clowns.