EL RENO, Okla., city and county-seat of Canadian County; on the Rock Island Lines, junction main lines north and south, and east and west, being operating headquarters for the second district of the system; terminal for Saint Louis, El Reno and Western Railway, and also for Oklahoma Railway Company — Interurban. Near the geographical centre of State, it exploits a rich agricultural district pro ducing alfalfa, corn,*Wffir, wheat, oats, broom corn, fruits and vegetables. The industries of the city are varied and growing rapidly. They include five lumber yards, two flour mills (daily capacity 3,000 bbls.), vitrified brick and tile factory, two ice plants, incubator factory, washing machine factory, broom factory, cigar factories, foundries, machine shops, tent and awning factory, granite and stone works, plan ing null, gas and electric plants, ice cream fac tory, steam laundry, wholesale groceries, etc. El Reno has 15 churches and 7 public schools, the new High School costing $100,000; school enrolment of 1,600 and a teaching force of 45. The Sacred Heart. Institute (Catholic) has an enrolment of 200, with graded, high school i and music courses. There is also a business col lege, Carnegie Library and two hospitals. The Masons and Elks possess fine buildings and the El Reno theatre has a seating capacity of 1,400. The new office building of the Rock Island system cost $150,000, and the city hall cost $%,000. New Federal building cost $120,000.
The El Reno Country Club has a fine club house and maintains one of the finest golf courses in the State. The Grand Lodge Masons maintain the State Masonic Home at this point, owning 640 acres which the United States government sold to that body recently; fine buildings already built and plans for one of the finest homes in the country are being laid. Old Fort Reno, nearby, has been con verted into a remount station, where horses are gentled and trained for cavalry purposes for use in United States Army. In 1911 El Reno adopted the commission form of government, the executives being commissioner of public affairs— ex-officio mayor, commissioner of finance and commissioner of highways. The city owns its own water plant and extensions, with a capacity of 1,500,000 gallons daily, has 10 miles of paved streets and 15 miles of sewers. The taxable valuation is about $7,000, 000. The city has four banks, with a capital and surplus of $175,000 and average deposits of $1,500,000. It was first settled in 1890, made a borough the same year and a city of the first dass in 11i92. The population has increased very fast, being now over 10,000.