Granite, Oklahoma

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Coordinates: 34°57′45″N 99°22′53″W / 34.9625, -99.38139
Granite, Oklahoma
Location of Granite, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Greer
Area
- Total	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²)
- Land	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	1,614 ft (492 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	1,844
- Density	1,166.3/sq mi (450.3/km²)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	73547
Area code(s)	580
FIPS code	40-30950^[1]
GNIS feature ID	1093311^[2]

Granite is a town in Greer County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,844 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Local Business
4 Bobbi Parker
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Granite is located at 34°57′45″N, 99°22′53″W (34.962367, -99.381356)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 1,844 people, 443 households, and 283 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,166.3 people per square mile (450.6/km²). There were 533 housing units at an average density of 337.1/sq mi (130.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 69.47% White, 16.97% African American, 4.93% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 3.85% from other races, and 4.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.16% of the population.

There were 443 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out with 13.7% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 43.2% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 259.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 304.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,438, and the median income for a family was $30,703. Males had a median income of $23,125 versus $20,368 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,599. About 13.1% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Local Business

Situated at the foot of the Wichita Mountains, Granite, Oklahoma is home to significant mining operations. Quarries such as Willis Granite Products extract native red granite for use in headstones, memorials, and signs throughout the United States.

Granite is also home to Oklahoma State Reformatory, a medium-security corrections facility also boasting some maximum and minimum-security housing for adult male inmates. Located off of U.S. Highway 9, the ten-acre facility has a maximum capacity of 999 inmates.

[edit] Bobbi Parker

Granite made national headlines in 1994 when convicted organized crime hitman Randolph Franklin Dial escaped from Oklahoma State Reformatory and abducted deputy warden Randy Parker's wife, Bobbi Parker. Dial eluded local, state, and federal authorities before finally being captured – with Parker – April 5, 2005 on a chicken farm in Center, Texas. Bobbi Parker was reunited with her husband and two daughters, and Randolph Dial was returned to custody.

There has been widespread speculation since the original escape and abduction that Bobbi Parker actually fled willingly with Dial, acting more as an accomplice than a hostage. As of January 2006, Greer County District Attorney John Wampler and other Oklahoma authorities had heavily considered pursuing charges against Bobbi Parker for aiding a known fugitive. To date, no charges have been filed against Parker and no authoritative determination has been made as to whether Parker was truly a hostage, or an accomplice to the escape and decade-long flight from justice.

Randolph Franklin Dial died in custody on June 13, 2007 due to terminal health problems.