Poteau had remained a sleepy little agricultural village until the late 1880’s. Once the railroad to Bengal was completed in 1886, the area immediately saw a building boom. Poteau didn’t gain official status until the following year when, on October 27th, the first post office in town was established. The new town, officially known as […]
Tag: People
Poteau River Flood: A Tale of Wister, Oklahoma
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 […]
The Legacy of the Black Angus in Poteau, Oklahoma
A Small Town Named Poteau During the 1950s and 1960s, the small town of Poteau was booming. Downtown, you could do anything from your routine grocery shopping to catching the latest flick at the Victory, Ritz, or Kemp theater. In 1952, a new drive-in theater was built on Broadway, which became an instant hit. Occasionally, […]
The Great Train Robbery of 1912 in Poteau, Oklahoma
A Bold Robbery Poteau, Oklahoma, was still a wild and rugged place even after the territory officially became a state. While this story can be repeated many times throughout Oklahoma, it really shows how rural areas were still very much stuck in the old days of the Wild, Wild West. It was a clear, chilly morning […]
The Tushka Lusa Institute; a “lost” Freedmen Academy
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 […]
Servant Leadership: A Journey
While attending collage at the University of South Florida in Tampa, I spent a few years living in the Leadership House. As part of the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership, to live there, you were required to attend seminars, take leadership courses, assist with non-profits, and participate in various activities throughout the year. Now at […]
Downtown Poteau Town Square (Pocket Park) Revitalization
In 1981, a series of devastating fires destroyed much of downtown Poteau. This left large gaping holes throughout downtown. While these were eventually filled in, such as with Dewey Plaza, others soon became blights on the downtown business appeal. Sadly, this is common in many towns. Either through fire, negligence, or structural damage, historic buildings […]
3 Fascinating Tales of Buried Treasure in Oklahoma
Forgotten Treasure During the 1800s, the land that would become Oklahoma was in flux. During the early part of the century, France owned the land. Over the next 100 years, it would be part of Texas, Arkansas Territory, Indian Territory, and Oklahoma Territory. Because of this constant shifting, the future state was largely ignored until […]
Outlaw Jesse James Treasure Tales of Oklahoma
The Wild West of Oklahoma Oklahoma is full of treasure tales. Some are quite detailed, while others are obscure and impossible to trace. Most of these tales originated during the mid to late 1800s before Oklahoma became a state. During that time, much of the state was considered uncivilized. Other than the few military forts […]
Activeworlds Virtual Sandbox: Build, Play, Interact!
Active Worlds was founded in 1995 and is the longest-running virtual sandbox on the web. For more than twenty years, a thriving community has called Active Worlds home. The amount of history that can be found within Active Worlds is staggering. Visitors can find “citizen” created “builds” older than twenty years. During the time that […]