A Compelling Restaurant Landscape Oklahoma is full of strange and unusual places. When most people go out to eat, they expect to find a traditional restaurant. These types of places can be found all across Oklahoma, from small towns to big cities. Occasionally though, visitors may run across the unexpected. These are not your typical […]
Tag: People
Oklahoma’s Own Mister Ed: The Legendary Star’s Final Resting Place
The Horse From Mister Ed What does Oklahoma have in common with a talking horse? Mister Ed, of course! For those who don’t remember, Mister Ed was a black-and-white television sitcom that ran from 1961 through 1966. The show featured a talking horse and his owner, Wilbur Post. This iconic TV show was so popular because it was […]
Comics, Cops, and Crime: “Dick Tracy’s” Oklahoma Legacy
History and Legacy of Dick Tracy The legendary police detective Dick Tracy stems from an era where mob bosses and gangsters seemingly ruled the world. Speakeasies were the place to be, catering to the unemployed, the politicians, and the rich and famous. The Roaring ’20s was an age of decadence and free spirits. To curb the tide of […]
4 Unusual Creations in Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Unusual Creations Oklahoma is a strange place. Sure, we know that Oklahoma had cowboys; we know the state has Indians; we know that there’s a great big oil man hiding out somewhere in Downtown Tulsa, but did you know that there are also colossal frogs, metal dinosaurs, and two-headed cows? If not, now you […]
Origins of Poteau’s Schools: Oklahoma’s First Free School
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 […]
A History of the Choctaw Country Club & Golf Course in Poteau
Golf Throughout the Ages Throughout recorded history, every civilization has played a game with a club and a ball. For example, Pangea, as described by Roman scribes, would appear to be the source of a precursor to modern hockey and the Celtic games of Shinty and Hurling. In one form or another, older varieties of […]
Desegregation in Oklahoma: The First School in Oklahoma to Be Integrated
Slavery, Freedmen, and Southeast Oklahoma The first black slaves began to arrive in what would become Oklahoma long before the American Civil War. They arrived during the push for westward migration. As the wild frontier began to dwindle, many white cotton farmers began to seek land in the American Southeast, primarily within the Mississippi River […]
1st Lt. Clarence E. Coggins: Oklahoma’s Own War Hero
Who Was Clarence E. Coggins? Clarence Coggins was born in Poteau, Oklahoma on July 3, 1920. Growing up, he probably would have never dreamed that he would go on to become one of the nation’s most celebrated heroes. During World War II, he did exactly that. Before joining the war effort, Coggins’ dream was to […]
The Forgotten Town 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 […]
A Coal Miner’s Life in the Early 20th Century: The Story of Witteville, Oklahoma
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 […]