Greetings Forest Park residents and visitors to the Forest Park website!  

Long before Forest Park was incorporated, this territory had a colorful history. April 22, 1889, was a significant day in Oklahoma history. As noon approached, horsemen and wagons jockeyed for positions on the starting line. At the firing of guns and canons, families such as Schroeder, Bartell, Coltrane, Maxwell, and Evans took off and staked their claim on land in this territory which would begin to define Forest Park. Because of the social restraints of the day few African Americans were at the front, though many came in immediately behind the initial rush and were rightfully "Eighty-niners."

Fast forward to 1956, the year in which residents of Forest Park Addition decided to incorporate, thwarting Oklahoma City’s expansion plans on the east side of Oklahoma County. The residents voted 107-30 to incorporate a day before Oklahoma City approved an emergency ordinance to annex. Never to be outdone, Oklahoma City filed suit against the Town of Forest Park. The suit was finally decided by the Oklahoma State Supreme Court in 1959, whose decision was in favor of Forest Park. Which brings us to why we are celebrating our 65^th anniversary this year.

Since 1959, Forest Park has been governed and managed professionally and competently, occasionally annexing more land to increase rooftops and population in what has been described as an “upscale bedroom community”. With the dawn of integration in the 1960’s, and the upward mobility of the African-American population, more African-Americans were able to afford larger homes in more prosperous neighborhoods. Thus, the beginning of integration in Forest Park. This migration into Forest Park was so impactful, that in a July 2011 issue of Ebony Magazine Forest Park was listed as one of ten majority/minority cities in the United States with a per capita income of more than $75,000/year.

In 2006, Twin Hills Golf and Country Club was annexed into Forest Park. Annexation in 2023 included OKC Fireworks Warehouse, Vance Bros Asphalt Co, and Cityside Farms, Inc. In 2024 annexation was completed to add R.W. Timms/Texas Investments, LLC (formerly Hugg & Hall Bldg.). This building is occupied by White’s Welding, LLC, a premier welding, and fabrication company.

The Founding Fathers adopted the motto, “Multum en parvo” literally translates to mean, “much in a small space.” In the past 65 years we have grown from fifty houses to over five hundred houses, the aforementioned businesses, four churches, an elementary school, two popular event centers – Blueberry Hill and The Venue at Forest Lake, and a corporate farm – Cityside Farms, all in approximately 2.8 square miles.

The proximity of Forest Park to the Adventure District, one of the major tourist destinations in the State of Oklahoma, has given the trustee board a vision as to what Forest Park can evolve into. With continued excellent governance, wisely managing financial as well as personnel resources, and a continued vision for growth, Forest Park can and will evolve from an “upscale bedroom community” into an “upscale community” in the 21^st century.

Congratulations to all of the residents of The Town of Forest Park on the 65^th anniversary of our town. Because of you, we are and will remain an integral part of the State of Oklahoma.

Mayor George H. Smith