History

By 1889, it was estimated that there were less than 1,000 wild buffalo left. A species that once thundered across the land had been hunted to near extinction. At one time, there were as many as sixty-million roaming throughout the Great Plains. Wild Buffalo once roamed the Great Plains in awesome numbers Wanting to preserve an example of the bison for the U.S. National Museum, William T. Hornaday from the Smithsonian Institute had been asked …

Life took him back to Tulsa, but the journey that Bob Wills took to get there was unique. During the 1930's, radio was huge. It was also hugely expensive. Radio in the 1930's was a sophisticated production that frequently involved live performances from musical guests. Early on, Bob Wills and his band started to get a big following in Texas. Looking to expand into radio, and reach a bigger audience, they signed a contract with …

History is full of irony, especially in the case of the first mayor of Oklahoma City and the infamous Boomer Sooner land runs. Mayor William L. Couch was an early leader of the sooner movement who had an interesting time of it. While most proponents of the land runs were peaceful, many under David L. Payne and later under Couch participated in a type of civil disobedience. Temporary settlements would spring up throughout the future …

1.) The BOK Tower (Williams Center Tower) In 1973, two of the world’s most iconic buildings were constructed. Located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, the World Trade Center Towers represented the financial hub of the country. Once known as the tallest buildings in the world, they dominated the skyline of Manhattan for nearly thirty years. On September 11, 2001, they were brought down in one of the worst atrocities committed on U.S. soil. …

Young Frank was only twenty-five years old when he came to the United States. It was 1850. The Great Hunger spread across Northern Ireland like a plague. It would be two more years before the Irish Potato Famine ended. Frank Murray should have been immune. His family was well off, being part of the landed gentry in Londonderry, but since he was a younger son, his future was limited. He was not entitled to inherit …

Historic Flooding of the Poteau River Prior to the 1946 Wister Lake Project, the Poteau River has had a history of major flooding throughout the region. Some of the earliest recorded stories go back to the mid-1800s. After the Civil War ended in 1865, southeast Oklahoma became known as "Little Dixie". Confederate veterans flocked here to escape repercussions from the United States. As the land was then known as Indian Territory, the United States didn't …

The Taylor's Inn stage | Source Taylor's Inn Oklahoma is well known for its music history, from Cain’s Ballroom to Shelter Records’ Church Studio. During the 1920s, Greenwood became known as America’s Black Wall Street. Located just outside Tulsa at the time, this Black Wall Street was where the legendary Count Basie first encountered jazz music. While most of these facts are well-documented, other places that so deeply inspired Oklahoma’s musical roots have been forgotten. Taylor’s Inn …

Six miles east of Talihina Oklahoma, buried somewhere underneath a century or more of brush an overgrowth, the remains of the foundation of Tushka Lusa Academy can still be found for those who are willing to seek it out.Tushka Lusa, whose translation means "black warrior" can be called one of the long forgotten schools on the western frontier. This school was the one institute established by the Choctaw Nation for the children of their former …

Poteau Public School, 1909 The Subscription Schools The origins of Poteau’s modern school system can be traced back to 1898. Before then, there were two “subscription” schools. The first dates back to around 1875. It was located near the intersection of College and Broadway and consisted of an old log house with dirt floors. The school was primitive by most standards, but it sufficed. Jim Evans taught at the schoolhouse and charged the students one …

Map of Kully Chaha in relation to Cameron, 1896 The Vanishing Towns of Southeastern Oklahoma While many towns in Southeastern Oklahoma flourished, others simply vanished. Many of these towns' virtual abandonment began in the late 1800s as railroad construction flourished throughout Indian Territory. Other towns were simply swallowed up by the progress of their neighbors. 1. Kully Chaha The abandonment of Kully Chaha, located three miles south of Cameron, was the result of the railroads. …

Typical WPA ditch digging operation, source and location unknown. The History of Oklahoma: The Dust Bowl In October 1929, the world erupted in chaos. A massive stock market crash sent Wall Street into a panic, resulting in a near collapse of the economy. What started off as panic on Wall Street soon came knocking on the doors of Main Street. Thousands of people were put out of work by the economic instability. In Oklahoma, this …

Panorama of Pine Valley Oklahoma's Pine Valley Eastern Oklahoma’s Pine Valley was a company-owned lumber town. The picturesque town paralleled the Kiamichi River to the south and was surrounded by the Kiamichi Mountains. Founded in 1926, the entire town was constructed and ready to be occupied by the time the first of the workers arrived. It was just one of such sites owned by the Dierks Lumber Company. Before the first people arrived, thousands of …

The Witteville coal mines Witteville Coal Mines Witteville was once a prosperous mining town during the early 20th century. Located just three miles west of Poteau, the Witteville coal mines drew hundreds of workers from all over the world. During an age where coal was king, the mines in Oklahoma employed over 7,500 men and boys. Oftentimes, children as young as 14 would work in the mines, receiving around a mere five cents for each …

The Jenson tunnel Oklahoma's Only Railroad Tunnel The Jenson Tunnel is Oklahoma's only railroad tunnel. Not only is it Oklahoma's only railroad tunnel, but it is also the only tunnel in the United States built in a foreign nation. Constructed in 1885 through 1886 for the Fort Smith & Southern Railway, it is still in use today. Several times a day, rail cars from the Kansas City Southern roll through the tunnel. The tunnel runs …

Construction of Cowlington School The Quick Rise and Fall of an Oklahoma Town Today, little remains of the old town of Cowlington, Oklahoma. Officially, the town began with the establishment of the post office on August 27, 1884, but it can trace its roots even further back. Named for E. F. Cowling, the town can trace its roots back to the 1830s during the time of the Choctaw removals. Long before the Kerr Lock and …

The story of the House on Terry Hill, also known as the Woodson Home, begins when Oklahoma was still Indian Territory. George W. Terry, a prominent Poteau businessman and civic leader, was also a romantic. Nearly every day, George would get his exercise by hiking up Cavanal Mountain. It was during one of these hikes that he met a young woman from eastern Texas. After they met, George’s began walking up the mountain more frequently. …

Theater Origins in Poteau In the late 1800's and early 1900's, there was a number of entertainment options in Downtown Poteau, Oklahoma. The first theater in Poteau was very Shakespearean in style. Called the Air Dome Theater, this was an open air theater that drew in people from miles around. Besides theaters, Poteau also had a number of pool halls and other entertainment options. One of the best known of the time was the Poteau …

Coal Mining near Hartshorne, Oklahoma About Hartshorne, Oklahoma In Hartshorne, Oklahoma, the Twin Cities Heritage Museum paints a vivid picture of the life of an early coal-mining town. Fantastic artifacts from the early 1900s allow visitors to take a step back in time to when coal was king. Today, Hartshorne is reminiscent of a typical small-town main-street community. Historic brick shops stand like sentinels along the main street, guarding against the ravages of time. Their …