Over a century of quiet living in Rosedale
Like most of Oklahoma, Rosedale traces its roots back to the Oklahoma land runs. Settlers wanted plenty of space to live and farm, and today’s residents in this McClain County area have similar desires. Rosedale was founded in 1908 as a farming town, and while over a century has passed, not much has changed. Rosedale’s town limits hold the fire department, Rosedale First Baptist Church and homes that are fairly close together. Most of the area has open fields, ranches and a few locally owned businesses. Ginger Jackson runs Prairie Moon Primitives, which has been open since 2016, though the Jackson family has lived in the Rosedale area much longer. “My husband owns DJ Trailers, and my kids went to school in Wayne,” Jackson says. “It’s a very quiet and friendly place with good neighbors."
Older homes and spacious lots for new construction
More land goes for sale in Rosedale than homes. Existing homes are usually manufactured or brick ranch-style houses built in the 1950s to 1970s. Homes here have sold for $90,000 to $350,000, though estimated prices can reach into the $400,000s for properties with larger lots. Residents looking for enough space for some horses and farm animals might build a home on a lot with anywhere from less than 4 acres to about 40 acres. A growing trend is to build barndominiums — homes with simple designs that resemble barns, usually with expansive attached garages and covered porches. Due to the rural setting, homes run on well water and septic tank systems.
Access to Purcell and Pauls Valley
Rosedale residents rely on their cars to get around the area and to nearby cities. Purcell is one of the larger cities nearby, and it takes roughly 20 minutes to drive 16 miles to the city from Rosedale. Pauls Valley is 15 miles south and another destination for shopping and dining. Drivers heading to Norman, 40 miles north, connect onto Interstate 35, also known as Monarch Highway. The Purcell Municipal Hospital is the nearest option for emergency medicine, though Pauls Valley has family medicine and primary care clinics.
Local businesses in Rosedale, retail in Purcell and Pauls Valley
Most businesses in Rosedale are locally owned and sell supplies for ranches and farms, but Prairie Moon Primitives is a store and crafting retreat destination. “We’re open Tuesday through Thursday and some Saturdays and Mondays,” Jackson says. “We do open retreats, and we have a retreat barn so people can stay overnight. We just had a teacher come down from Ohio, and she brought kits, but some people bring their own.” Aside from hosting retreats, the store sells craft supplies, from cross-stitch and quilting to rug hooking and crochet. Life in Rosedale is centered around being out in nature and away from busy city life, but residents still have access to grocery stores and restaurants less than 30 minutes from home. “You can get groceries delivered with Walmart or Amazon,” Jackson says. “Or you go into Purcell or Pauls Valley.” Wayne is nearest to the area and has a Family Dollar, but Purcell and Pauls Valley have Walmart Supercenters. Purcell also has locally owned restaurants, like All In Diner, which serves Southern comfort food for breakfast and lunch. Bravo's Mexican Grill is popular for its Tex-Mex dishes and swift service.
Students attend Wayne Public Schools
Rosedale falls in the Wayne Public Schools district, which receives a B-minus from Niche. The B-rated Wayne Elementary School and C-rated Wayne Middle School share a building. Students later transfer to Wayne High School, right across the street, which earns a B-minus.
Hunting at home or exploring recreation in Pauls Valley
Because properties are so spacious, residents can build playgrounds in their backyards or even hunt on their properties. However, anyone who wants space to fish can drive 20 minutes south to Pauls Valley City Lake. Pauls Valley also has Wacker Park, where visitors can play on one of the paved tennis courts, run on the track or practice on the baseball or softball fields. The park is also where competitors in the annual Okie Noodling Tournament gather to see who caught the largest catfish with their bare hands. Anyone who isn’t interested in competing can visit for a live concert at the park’s bandshell, grab food from local vendors and see who is crowned the Okie Noodling Queen.
Keeping an eye out for severe weather
Rosedale occasionally experiences severe weather, from heavy snowfall to tornadoes, but these weather patterns affect all of Oklahoma. The only tornado siren in the area is behind the Rosedale Fire Department, but sirens are only intended to warn people outside of their homes of incoming weather. Emergency alerts during tornadic activity are sent by phone, radio and TV. Rosedale has a 1 out of 10 CAP Index Crime Score, lower than the national average of 4.
