[6] Before the opening of the Cherokee Outlet to non-Indian settlement on September 16, 1893, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway (later the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad) built a line from southern Kansas that passed through the future Medford townsite in a north–south direction.

In 1897 the Gulf Railroad (later the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) built a line that passed through Medford from northwest to southeast.

[6] Located in a wheat-growing region, Medford served as an agricultural trade center with a flour mill and several grain elevators.

[7][8] On July 11, the evacuation zone was decreased to one mile around the plant.

[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land.

There were 591 housing units at an average density of 554.3 per square mile (214.0/km2).

Of all households, 35.0% were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.