Some cities hold a special place in my heart for reasons that most people will not know about me, or maybe they don't see what I see, but El Reno is one of those places. The first time I visited El Reno, I was really young. We went out to a lake to fish, but I don't remember much more than that, and the old town, the way it must have looked when it was first inhabited. The main streets remain largely unchanged from their original state. It's about 20 minutes outside of Oklahoma City by car, approximately 18 miles, and it's really nice. It wasn't always that way.
El Reno, back at the turn of the 20th century, was a rather rough place. It was far enough outside of the city to be far enough outside of the hand of the law. It was a sizable city even then, but it was mostly comprised of hard-working people with little to spend, even after working long, hard hours. There were cowpokes, farmers, ranchers, saloons, and edgy places. There were fewer churches per capita, but they had a few.
The reason I love El Reno is that it was the county seat of Canadian County, and it had the courthouse where my favorite lawyer of all time, Temple Houston, came a few times. I will walk the streets of any town that I believe he walked, and I will go into any house, hotel, building, church, or courtroom where I believe he spent even a fraction of an hour. He was the best defense attorney in the world, and I simply love the man. He and Perry Mason had a few things in common, but Temple really lived.
I've decided to save my money and buy a house in El Reno next spring. That's the plan. Today, my good friend Tammie Fox Raynor and I set out to explore the various neighborhoods and see what's available. I can't buy one now, but it gave me a glimpse into what to expect and where to look when I start my search. I think I found the general area, so we cruised around it several times to see what I could see.
I want to be close enough to shopping, close enough to the hospital, close enough to gas stations, and the sort of places I would go to - but if I had to do bigger or different types of shopping, I can always head east about 3 or 4 miles to Yukon. That's not a problem. I love that city too. Both have homes with established trees and good sidewalks. They are just good places to live.
On AreaVibes, it rates a 67, and there are really low ratings for things like commute, amenities, schools, and employment but I don't need any of those. I work from home, don't go many places, and have no kids in school. The hospital isn't as big as the ones in the city, but if I have an emergency room, I'm good. If I need to be transported, I will be. It's a good place, and I'm genuinely looking forward to the move.
Tammie and I ate at Sid's Cafe, an onion burger place. The thing is, all of the onion burgers in the world can thank Ross Davis of El Reno, Oklahoma, for their start. He created the first one, and that town has sold a few! There are 4 cafes of that style, the old-fashioned 50's vibe style diner, within a 1/2 mile. All of them rate right up there with other good nostalgic places, and for the price, unbeatable. We paid $21 for two of us, and we got big, fat burgers and a basket of onion rings for the money. Awesome!
We drove around, looked at houses, looked at people, and looked at neighborhoods. We found the drug stores, the tack stores, the gas stations, and the grocery stores. I'll still have my food delivered by Kroger, but if I do need milk or something to tide me over, I can always hit up Braum's. You know, there are two, maybe even three, Braum's in any small town; Sonic, too. I counted three Dollar Generals, so that's good - I can do some damage there too.
Well, that's it - Google the history of El Reno to find out more. It's a Railroad Town. That should tell you all you need to know, but it's also an amazing hub of Native American culture, West-meets-Southern culture, and it's an overall gutsy, edgy town that isn't soft and isn't playful. It's where real Americans live and where they love their homes and their neighbors. El Reno is a good, solid piece of American pie. It will be the center of attention in my next Nick Posh book. I will start writing it in January 2026 - "Amicus Curiae" (Friend of the Court)
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