Best Web Design in Lawton, OK (2026)

Web Design for Lawton, Oklahoma

Lawton is the seat of Comanche County and the largest city in southwestern Oklahoma, born in a single day during a 1901 land lottery on former Kiowa-Comanche-Apache reservation lands. Its fortunes are tied to neighboring Fort Sill, a historic Army post that anchors the local economy and is the burial place of the Apache leader Geronimo. Just up the road, the Wichita Mountains rise above a wildlife refuge full of bison and longhorn, a biblical-looking "Holy City," and a restaurant famous for a one-pound Longhorn burger.

AppWT works with Lawton, OK businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Lawton

Also known as. Gateway to the Wichitas.

History. The area sits on former reservation lands of the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache peoples; Fort Sill was established there in 1869. Lawton was one of three townsites laid out by the federal government for the 1901 land lottery that opened the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache lands to non-Indian settlement. When the lots went up for bid in August 1901, nearly 25,000 people arrived to compete for about 1,200 townsite lots, and the city grew rapidly from that day. It was incorporated in 1901 and named for Major General Henry Ware Lawton, a Civil War veteran killed in action during the Philippine-American War.

Local economy. The economy is still largely tied to Fort Sill, the U.S. Army's field-artillery post, which is the city's largest employer with more than 5,000 full-time workers. The largest private employer is the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant, with roughly 2,400 full-time workers. The economy also includes manufacturing, health care (Comanche County Memorial Hospital), higher education and retail. Lawton is home to Cameron University, a state institution whose roots as a state-sponsored school date to 1908.

Culture and community. Native American heritage is central, with the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center showcasing the Comanche Nation. The Museum of the Great Plains interprets the history and ecology of the southern Great Plains. The Holy City of the Wichitas hosts "The Prince of Peace," the longest-running Easter passion play in the United States, staged outdoors since 1925 against the mountains. Regional food culture centers on the famous Meers Burger, a giant Longhorn-beef patty served in the nearby ghost town of Meers.

What makes Lawton distinct. The whole city was essentially created in a day: a 1901 land lottery drew about 25,000 hopefuls to bid on around 1,200 lots. The nearby Meers Store & Restaurant serves a roughly one-pound Longhorn burger the size of its plate, and keeps a seismograph on site to monitor the adjacent Meers Fault. The Wichita Mountains are ancient, estimated to have formed between about 290 and 330 million years ago. The Holy City's Easter pageant once drew peak crowds of around 225,000 people in 1939.

Lawton Landmarks and Local Life

• Fort Sill - a National Historic Landmark and active Army post that includes the grave of Apache leader Geronimo
• Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge - roughly 30 miles of ancient granite peaks that are home to free-roaming bison, Texas longhorn and elk
• The Holy City of the Wichitas - a 66-acre biblical-style site inside the refuge
• The Museum of the Great Plains and the Comanche National Museum - both in Elmer Thomas Park