Healdton, OK
This small, tight knit community first flourished as a cotton-based community until the discovery of the Healdton Oil Field. This prosperous community is home to former OU women's basketball coach, Sherri Coale!
What to Do
Check out some of the local attractions like the Healdton Oil Museum. This historical museum offers a glimpse back in time to the early days of the Carter County oil boom. When in the area, stop by the Healdton Oil Museum to explore their array of fascinating artifacts, tools, equipment and photographs.
Healdton Municipal Lake is a bass fishing hotstop, boasting 7 miles of shoreline and 370 surface acres of water. It also offers a convenient place for locals to go to enjoy recreational activities like fishing, boating, trail hiking and camping – somewhere not too far from home. Visitors to the lake have access to a variety of amenities including hiking trails, volleyball court, frisbee golf, boat docks, boat ramps, picnic areas, group facilities and more. Additionally, RV hookups with paved pads, sewer dumps, showers, restrooms and camp stations are available for campers. If you prefer a peaceful outdoor scene with the company of only you and mother nature, this is your ideal lake escape!
Take some time to shop at Love's Florals, Gifts and Antiques where you will find a variety of unique gifts, including plush stuffed animals, balloons, gift baskets, scented candles, silk floral arrangements, home décor items, baby gifts, candy and chocolates, Healdton T-Shirts and more!
History
Healdton is a small, tight-knit community located in the western portion of Carter County along State Highway 76, less than 30 miles west of Ardmore. First known as Mason, after its founder Elisha Mason, the town of Healdton originated with the establishment of a local post office in 1883. The initial townsite was located just one-half mile east of its current position. In 1888, Mason was renamed Healdton after its first postmaster, Charles Hobart Heald. Early Healdton flourished as a cotton-based community until 1913, when the Healdton Oil Field was discovered. This oil boom resulted in the construction of the Ringling and Oil Fields Railway in 1916-17, which was situated just north of Ringling and west of Healdton.
After the institution of the Ringling and Oil Fields Railway, Charles Heald's son and successor as postmaster, Ben Heald, saw an opportunity for further development of the town and moved the post office to the railroad, sowing the seeds for the beginning of a "new" Healdton at its present-day location. The oil boom shaped Healdton into a prosperous community, so much so that by 1918, Healdton accounted for 15 percent of the state's petroleum production. Even a number of Oklahoma's most prominent oil pioneers like Robert A. Hefner, Sr., Erle Halliburton, Wirt Franklin and Lloyd Noble established operations in the Healdton Field. Although the oil boom is no longer in full blast, the oil industry is still alive and well in Healdton today.
