Ragtown: Wirt, Oklahoma, and the Healdton Boom

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Article describes the growth and subsequent problems of the Oklahoma oil-boom town of Wirt in Carter County, also known as Ragtown. Emerging overnight as the center of the Healdton Field, Ragtown provided shelter and work for hundreds of assorted oil-field characters.

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22 p. : ill.

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Freeman, Elizabeth F. Spring 2009.

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This article is part of the collection entitled: The Chronicles of Oklahoma and was provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society to The Gateway to Oklahoma History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 598 times, with 7 in the last month. More information about this article can be viewed below.

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  • Oklahoma Historical Society

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The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. The OHS was founded on May 27, 1893, by members of the Territorial Press Association.

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Description

Article describes the growth and subsequent problems of the Oklahoma oil-boom town of Wirt in Carter County, also known as Ragtown. Emerging overnight as the center of the Healdton Field, Ragtown provided shelter and work for hundreds of assorted oil-field characters.

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22 p. : ill.

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Abstract: The untamed Oklahoma oil-boom towns of the 1920s included Wirt, also called Ragtown, in Carter County. Emerging overnight as the center of the Healdton Field, Ragtown provided shelter and work for hundreds of assorted oil-field characters. Elizabeth Freeman describes the community's growth and the problems of fire and police protection created by the lifestyles of people attracted to labor and play in the oil field.

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  • Chronicles of Oklahoma, 87(1), Oklahoma Historical Society, 2009, pp. 34-55

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  • Publication Title: Chronicles of Oklahoma
  • Volume: 87
  • Issue: 1
  • Page Start: 34
  • Page End: 55

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The Chronicles of Oklahoma

The Chronicles of Oklahoma is the scholarly journal published by the Oklahoma Historical Society. It is a quarterly publication and was first published in 1921.

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Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 87, Number 1, Spring 2009 (Journal/Magazine/Newsletter)

Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 87, Number 1, Spring 2009

Quarterly publication containing articles, book reviews, photographs, illustrations, and other works documenting Oklahoma history and preservation.

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Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 87, Number 1, Spring 2009, ark:/67531/metadc1835641

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  • Spring 2009

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  • Nov. 14, 2022, 7:39 p.m.

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  • Oct. 2, 2023, 1:03 p.m.

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Freeman, Elizabeth F. Ragtown: Wirt, Oklahoma, and the Healdton Boom, article, Spring 2009; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2016960/: accessed June 17, 2025), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

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