Just south of Drumright, Oklahoma lies an almost abandoned ghost town bathed in Irish heritage. The town could have been named Ardmore, or Prairie View, but the few early settlers that lived there settled on Shamrock, Oklahoma. This wasn’t the first time the town founder established a town named Shamrock. Back in Illinois, he started […]
Tag: Urban Exploration
Oklahoma’s Historic Roads: U.S. 69 And The Texas Road
What began as a minor French fur trading trail became one of Oklahoma’s north/south transportation routes. Around 1802, the French Chouteau brothers, Pierre and Auguste from St. Louis established a flourishing trading post centered in the Three Forks area, near modern Muskogee. Furs purchased from the Osage would be sent along the Arkansas river to […]
From Irish Famine to Oklahoma Fame: The Story of Frank Murray
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 […]
History of the Muscle Car Ranch Open Air Museum in Chickasha, OK
Oklahoma’s Muscle Car Ranch takes you back to a time when sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll reigned supreme. The wild energy of the road provided freedom throughout years of social and political unrest; it was a time of raw energy and boundless design. What started off as a simple fundraiser has evolved into a place that […]
Ten Totally Cool and Unusual Museums in Tulsa, Oklahoma that you may not have known about!
Tulsa is a city rich in American history, heritage and creative expression – from its Native American origins to its oil industry growth to its art deco landmarks. With this history, a plethora of Tulsa attractions has been established through the years. Some of these museums are world renown for their impressive collections, while others […]
Poteau’s Growth through the Railroads
Development of the Frisco Railroad in Poteau The Poteau area was growing rapidly, but the biggest growth didn’t come until the railroad. During the late 1800’s, most long-distance travel was done through the railways. In Indian Territory, there were no railroad tracks laid until the 1880’s. In 1882, the Fort Smith and Southern Railway acquired […]
Oklahoma Skate parks: Poteau’s Skatepark on Broadway
In Oklahoma, Skateboarding is alive and well. There are skateparks spread all across the state, from the massive Mat Hoffman Action Sports Park of Oklahoma City to the hundreds of community skateparks found in almost every major town and city. Skateparks, in general, have a relatively short history. The first skateboards from the 1950s were […]
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 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 […]