Shamrock, Oklahoma

Shamrock started out as a farming community that established their first post office on July 9, 1910. The town was named by the towns first postmaster, J.M. Thomas. He named it Shamrock after his hometown back in Illinois. The town would take on a lot of Irish overtones in almost everything over the years. They named roads Irish names, painted buildings green, St. Patrick's Day was the main celebration of the town, the two newspapers to serve the town had Irish names, and in 1916 the post office even sold green 1 cent stamps, making them the only town that sold them at the time.

In 1913 the town only consisted in two general stores, a restaurant, and the population was only a mere 35 residents. This would all soon change however with a oil boom in Cushing, OK in 1915. The population soon soared into the 100,000s. This would bring in not only people but businesses started multiplying almost in weeks. The train even came to Shamrock in Jan. of 1916. In this same year at least 60 businesses were in the district, and jail was bought and moved from Oilton, OK. Some of the businesses included gambling halls, saloons, and brothels that were brought in by the oil field workers. One of the pool halls even attracted a certain well know oil field entertainer by the name of Ruby Darby, she would climb up on top of the pool table and dance for the men there.

This lively town did not last long though. In the mid 1920's it started to decline. The oil field workers started to move on and try to find work elsewhere. They left the town and it slowly it started to deteriorate. By 1930 the town had declined in it's number to 700. Even with this decline the bank was doing well still, or at least well enough that "Pretty Boy Floyd" came through town and robbed the bank in 1932.

All that is left today is a few old buildings from the old business district, the jail, and the gymnasium is all that is left of the school that burned down. The town now has a population of about 150.

© Trista Wilmot 2008