Jenks is a suburb of Tulsa, sitting between U.S. Route 75 and the Arkansas River. Between 2000 and 2010, the population grew by almost 80%, making it one of Oklahoma’s fastest growing cities. By way of several different bridges, the city has served as a river crossing point the past century, which has been instrumental in its growth, including the single-lane bridge constructed in 1910 and the 2-lane bridge built in 1948.

The 4-lane bridge that was constructed in 1996 only propelled that growth as it is seen today. Before all that, until the water level was up in the river, only shallow draft steamboats were able to travel through here.

It all started in 1904 when the owner and director of Midland Valley Railroad established a community along the Arkansas River between Muskogee and Tulsa. The town would be named after him, William Henry Jenks.

In 1905, the town was officially platted and the discovery of petroleum bolstered the area’s economy. Oil claims would start, including the “Glenn Pool” and business people began to come. Jenks would soon be the location of many oil depots by 1906, and by the time Oklahoma became a state, there were over 450 inhabitants in Jenks.