The Birth of Poteau

POTEAU POWERS UP – LIGHTS, WATER, TELEPHONE!

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Poteau was quickly becoming the most important city in what would become eastern Oklahoma. By the end of 1906, the thriving town would be as modern as any found in the rest of the country.

The Poteau Telephone Company

Stringing up telephone lines across Indian Territory was not an easy task. Since this land was owned by Native Americans, companies had to gain permission from the United States Government, as well as permission from the Native American government that owned the land.

One of the first telephone lines in Indian Territory was built by E. D. Hicks in the year 1886, ten short years after the invention of the telephone. This line ran from Tahlequah to Muskogee, and was, in those days, quite a feat of accomplishment.

This primitive line was mostly hung on trees, with a few trees cut for poles where native trees were not available. In securing the consent of the Cherokee tribe to build the line, it was with the understanding that it should not parallel any roads or paths. Consequently, it was built through the forest and from tree to tree in a very crooked and disorderly manner, without any surveys or other plan being attempted than the running of a wire.

Installation of telegraph and telephone in Oklahoma was made easier by the Indian appropriation act that was approved March 3, 1901. This authorized the Secretary of the Interior to grant rights of way through any Indian reservation or Indian tribe within the Indian Territory.

It literally took an act of congress to allow the railways to construct lines throughout Indian Territory. This act empowered the railroad companies "with the right of locating, constructing, equipping, operating, using, and maintaining a railway, telegraph, and telephone line through the Indian Territory". Each railroad company that wished to establish a line through Indian Territory had to make a special request to the U.S. Government.

When the St. Louis and San Francisco and the Kansas City Southern railroad companies constructed railroads through Poteau, they established telegraph lines that ran the length of the railway. These telegraph lines were used for the sole purpose of communicating between depots, mainly for safety reasons.

By 1902, the Poteau Telephone Company was busy erecting telephone poles along the St. Louis and San Francisco right-of way for an extension of the telephone line from Poteau to Cameron. Additional lines were also run from Hackett City and to Fort Smith. At the same time, the company was in the process of securing a franchise from both Congress and the Choctaw nation in order to operate the phone company within the town of Poteau.

The Poteau Telephone Company secured this franchise in 1904. By this time, the company had run slightly over 36 miles of telephone line that connected Poteau with many of the surrounding towns.

Typically, Small towns had the telephone switchboard installed in the operator's home or in a prominent business. The switchboards were used to connect one phone line to another. The person making the call would pick up the phone and be greeted by an operator. They would then tell the operator whom they were trying to reach. The operator would then connect two wires on the switchboard to establish the connection.

In Poteau, this small switchboard was most likely installed either at the St. Louis and San Francisco depot or in the McKenna building, since that building also contained the federal courthouse. Very few residents had personal telephone lines, so one had to travel to the closest business that had a telephone in order to make a call.

This served Poteau well for a number of years. Because of Poteau’s rapid expansion through the 1910’s, it soon became apparent that this system had to be upgraded. By 1916, the Poteau Telephone Company had established a massive switchboard on the second floor of the building located on the corner of Dewey Avenue and S. McKenna. By this time, the majority of Poteau residences had telephone service and could quickly connect with anyone throughout the country in moments.

Poteau Water Works

Prior to 1906, residents and businesses in Poteau had to rely on well water for their water supply. Simply getting enough water for cooking could be a major chore. People would sometimes have to walk several blocks to get to the closest well. Once there, a mechanical water pump would be used to fill their wood buckets. After the buckets were filled, they would once again begin their trek back to their home or business. Most often, children would be sent several times throughout the day to fetch water.

While bringing back the water was a chore, the task was easy work compared to building the well. Once a suitable site for a well was found, the man of the house set about digging.

The wells were dug by hand, using a pick and shovel. Many times, a pulley system was devised to help haul out the dirt and rock. A simply A-frame would be constructed over the top of the well. A horse would be used to pull a rope that ran through the pulley installed on the frame, effortlessly raising the bucket to the surface.

The deeper the well went, the harder it was to dig. Compacted dirt and rock were sometimes impossible to move. One landowner, desperate to water his stock, used dynamite to shake the rocks and dirt loose. During those days, this was a common practice.

Wells were shored up with whatever material was at hand. Brick or rock was preferred, but scrap wood was also used. These wells were dug anywhere from 30 to 100 ft. deep. When they got to the ground water level and the water came in they just keep digging. When the water got over their heads, they dived in to scrape the buckets as full as they could get them. Finally, when they could go down no farther, they simply had to settle for what amount of water they had in the hole. Many times, it could take several months to get the hole dug out.

Later, the wells were dug with a drive point. A drive point looked like a long spike with a sharp end on it. It was pounded into the ground. It was then raised up and dropped down the hole. This was repeated until the depth needed was reached. Using a drive point was a tremendous improvement over the hand digging.

With Poteau’s rapid expansion, it was obvious that the town could not rely on wells and cisterns alone. Gerhard H. Witte, Poteau’s first elected mayor, was aware of the problem and decided to act. One of the chief events of his administration was the voting of bonds for the construction of municipal water works. Public works projects such as water treatment plants and sewage removal aided a lot in curbing sickness and disease.

In 1906, the O'Neill Engineering Company operating out of Dallas, Texas, secured the contract to construct Poteau’s municipal waterworks. The cost of this construction would add up to close to $80,000.

The Poteau water works pumping station was located one mile north of the post office at the edge of Poteau Lake. Water was pumped from the lake through two 8" pipes into the pumping station, where it was cleaned and processed. The pump station ran on coal-heated steam and could pump 300 gallons per minute. In order to supply the city of Poteau with water, the pump only had to be operational two days out of the week.

From the pump station, the water traveled south into Poteau through a single 8” water pipe. Six-inch lines were laid down the center of the main streets in Poteau.

Although most business and homes had access to a water supply at first, it would still take several years before many buildings would be outfitted with indoor plumbing. For several years, most of the population still depended on outdoor privies and washbasins.

The Poteau Electric Light Company

With the coming of the Poteau Electric Light Company, the town would enter in to a heightened age of energy and prosperity.

In the early days, residents of Poteau had to rely on kerosene or gas lamps for lighting in their homes. Simply keeping a house lit during the night was a big chore. A story states that, “My mother wrote that in the morning when daylight came, her grandmother would check the wick of the oil lamp and trim off the charred top with scissors. Next, she would top up the oil. Then she would wash the globe with soap and water using a wash-leather, and then polish it with a duster. If there were any sooty smears left, she would polish it repeatedly. This was to make sure that the lamp gave out as much light as possible.”

While homes mainly had to rely on kerosene lamps, the town’s government and industry relied heavily on gas lighting. An old photo dating back to the early 1900’s shows a large gas light on the corner of Dewey Ave and McKenna. Even though this is the only photograph that shows gas lighting in use, it’s almost certain that the city used this type of lighting elsewhere. Compared to kerosene, gas was much more cost efficient for extended periods.

This all began to change in 1906. That year, Poteau’s city council granted a twenty-year franchise to R. C. Alexander, of Abilene, Texas, for an electric light and power system in that city. Almost immediately, work began on an electric generating station. Within a few months, electric poles and telephone poles began to dominate the sky above Poteau.

Even though oil lamps were the main source of lighting in rural areas up until the 1930’s, Poteau’s newfound fascination with electricity seemed to take over. New electric lights began replacing the older, more costly gas lamps. The carbon incandescent, or “hot hairpin in a bulb,” had been in use for several years prior to this. Cities found a new brightness in the electric arc lamp.

All along Dewey Avenue, electric streetlights were being installed on either side of the road. By 1908, the downtown streets of Poteau .were finally well-lit during the night time darkness. While the Poteau Electric Light Company helped make the town a little brighter, they also provided new ways for companies to conduct business. Mills and factories began to use electric motors instead of steam.

The Poteau Electric Light Company quickly expanded. They installed an ice plant in 1907, and by 1910, they began moving forward with a massive electric light, water and ice plant for the newly named Poteau Electric Light and Ice Company. This new plant, designed by engineers H. L. Nichols and company of Muskogee would be built at a cost of $15,000. The plant would continue to serve Poteau and the surround area for many years.

THE RISE OF DEWEY AVENUE: 1904 – 1909

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Poteau’s progress had picked up steam by 1904. While much of the development on the west side of the St. Louis and San Francisco virtually came to a halt, the area along East Main Street and Dewey Avenue was a jumble of new construction mixed with early-day houses. Due to this fast-paced development, Dewey Avenue was surveyed and straightened. This, in turn, allowed further progress to continue along this street.

While the McKenna building had bordered the northeast corner of Dewey and E. Main for many years, a new large, two story brick building was constructed on the southeast corner. Bordering E. Main, a hardware, furniture, and undertaker store occupied the largest space. In modern times, having a store such as this may seem bizarre. However, the city funeral director, known as the undertaker, usually operated a furniture store in addition to selling caskets. Furniture makers routinely served as undertakers because the main role of the undertaker was to make the coffin or casket. Besides the furniture store, this building also contained a drug and jewelry store, a restaurant, a barber, and a bank. In addition, the Poteau Post Office now had a permanent home in the back of this building, along McKenna Street.

The Howell Hotel was established further down Dewey Avenue, southeast of where it intersects Witte Road. This hotel was formerly a boarding house, but as business picked up in the area, the owners no longer allowed long-term room rentals. Beside the McKenna building, the old Hotel Eastern was sold, and was now known as Hotel Brighton.

Among the plethora of new businesses springing up along E. Main and Dewey Avenue included offices, general stores, barbers, restaurants, and a relative newcomer to Poteau, the sample rooms. Sample rooms were businesses that didn’t offer any products within the stores; rather, they displayed samples of products they sold. For example, a sample room could be used by traveling salesmen to display their wares without having to rent a building long-term. They could simply set up their products for the duration that they were in town, pay a daily rent, and when it was time for them to leave all they had to do was to load up their products and head off to the next town.

Smaller restaurants, known as lunchrooms, served fresh bread, pies, cakes and cold lunches. They also offered canned goods, candies, nuts, fruits, tobacco and cigars.

In close proximity to the U.S. Federal Courts, law offices had been established since 1900. Most of these offices were held in the practice’s homes, or in quickly constructed wood frame buildings. By 1904, practicing law in Poteau had become big business.

Fredrick and Mitchell, Attorneys at Law, was one of the most prominent law firms established in 1904. In 1905, the laws offices of Varner and Miller were established by T. T. Varner. Varner and Miller remained the oldest law firm in Poteau for many years.

Also established in 1904 was a drugstore owned by James F. Miller. He advertised his services as a “Dealer in pure drugs, toilet articles, paints, oils, and varnishes”.

One of the highlights in 1904 was a citywide picnic held in honor of the confederate forces from LeFlore County who served in the Civil War. This picnic was held on August 10, 1904. A camp of the sons of veterans was organized at the picnic.

Relatively few new businesses were established in the old downtown area of Poteau west of the St. Louis and San Francisco tracks. Most of the businesses that were located here were already established and continued to do well.

In 1903, the Lawson Hotel changed names and was now known as the Lawson House. The owners no longer rented rooms on a nightly basis, but rather, turned the hotel into a popular boarding house. Down the street, the once trendy and long-standing Commercial Hotel caught fire. Because the fire damage was so extensive, the owners never rebuilt.

At the other end of town, Hotel Moore was established along the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks. During this time, most of the streets ran directly into the KCS right of way. As with the Frisco railroad, the KCS right-of-way served as a major street in Poteau. The hotel was located on the south corner of Parker and the railroad right-of-way, directly across from the old KCS depot. The Hotel Moore was a large, wood-frame complex that consisted of a restaurant, a general mercantile store, and the hotel. The hotel was two stories, while the store and restaurant were only one story. A long wood plank porch stretched across all three buildings.

As businesses in Poteau demanded more permanent brick and wood structures, several new industries developed to fill this need. Older industries, such as the Amos Bros. Handle Co. saw a significant increase in sales and production as well. The Amos Bros. Handle Company produced wagon spokes and handles for tools and other machinery. As Poteau expanded, these products were in high demand from the workers who were constructing the new buildings. Horse drawn wagons frequently needed new wheels as the weight of bricks and other building materials wore old ones down. Local blacksmiths produced shovels and other tools for local construction jobs, while the Amos Bros. Handle Company supplied the tools handles. By 1905, this factory employed just over 75 men.

The Poteau Pressed Brick and Tile Co., located ¼ mile northwest of the post office, produced light, hard red brick. The two large kilns were capable of producing 20,000 bricks per day. The clay found in connection with coal mined in the area was exceptionally good for the manufacture of vitrified brick. Large beds of shale found in the area were used in the manufacture of paving brick, sewer pile, and tiling.

Several lumber companies supplied Poteau with finished and raw lumber for the towns building needs. The R. S. Page Lumber Company was the smallest, but because of its location, business remained steady. Since it was a block away from the new construction in downtown, located off McKenna between Dewey and Rogers, workers could easily transport building materials to the job without much time lost.

The McKenna Lumber Co. and Cotton Gin, located to the south of the Amos Bros. Handle Co., was the largest lumber company in Poteau. Rough logs would be brought in on the St. Louis and San Francisco railway and offloaded onto the large plank platforms between the handle factory and the lumber company. After the logs were offloaded, they were moved to the sawmill where they would be cut into rough lumber.

The company also ran a cotton gin and a feed mill. A cotton gin, or cotton engine, is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed by hand. The fibers are processed into cotton goods, and the seeds may be used to grow more cotton or to produce cottonseed oil. If the seeds damaged, they are disposed of. The first modern industrial gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, used a combination of a wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through, while brushes continuously removed the loose cotton lint to prevent jams. The cotton gin used by the McKenna Lumber Co. and Cotton Gin worked on the same premise, but only on a lot larger scale.

Due to competition, and based on the company’s profits, the McKenna Lumber Co. and Cotton Gin decided that it would be more profitable to cut out the lumber yard. By 1905, after only a few years in business, the McKenna closed the lumberyard and turned their focus solely on producing cotton goods.

Raw lumber from both the R. S. Page Lumber Company and the McKenna Lumber Co. would be sent to the G. H. Harper Cotton Gin, Saw Mill & Feed Mill. The G. H. Harper Cotton Gin, Saw Mill & Feed Mill was one of the best-equipped companies in the area. Besides having a cotton gin and a feed mill, the company also had a planing mill.

Raw logs and rough lumber would be brought in from the Kansas City Southern tracks. From there, the logs would be cut into rough lumber. The rough lumber was then put through the planing mill. A planing mill is a facility that takes cut and seasoned boards from a sawmill and turns them into finished dimensional lumber. Machines used in the mill include the planer and matcher, the molding machines, and varieties of saws. In the planing mill, planer operators use machines that smooth and cut the wood for many different uses. From there, the finished lumber would be transported to the lumberyards, or to warehouses that were scattered throughout town.

Ever since the first settlers arrived, cotton and other agricultural industries have played an important role in the history of Poteau. In 1908, one of the largest cotton mills was incorporated in Poteau. The Poteau Cotton Mill Co. was organized with capital stock of 100,000. W.A. Campbell, from the National Bank of Poteau, served as president with S. P. Clarke as treasurer. This remained one of the largest cotton mills in the area for many years.

Just outside of Poteau, many events were also taking place. In 1905, the Poteau Coal and Mercantile Company was incorporated. After incorporation, they began operating the mines that the Witteville Coal Company once used.

Elections for a permanent county seat for LeFlore County were held in 1908. Originally, Spiro, Howe, Wister, Panama and Poteau were the candidates, but finally it came down to just Poteau and Spiro. Accusations of using money and liquor to influence voters were made between the two towns. Poteau won in the end, but with a margin of only 400 votes.

FROM POTEAU SWITCH TO POTEAU: 1900-1904

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By 1901, the fire that had wiped out the heart of Poteau was a distant memory. Rowdy laughter echoed from the newly constructed Lawson House, located just down the street from the depot between Beard and Fleener. Next door, just past the grocery store, locals stopped in the pool hall to try their hand at four-ball carom billiards or “61 pool”. Even though 8-ball was invented in 1900, it still took several years for it to catch on in Poteau. Located inside of this pool hall was the Frisco Barber Shop owned by J. W. Jones.

The signs of progress were everywhere. The area where the old Fleener Hotel once stood is now filled with construction equipment and supplies. Within the year, a new two-story brick building would house several general stores, all catering to the needs of both Poteau residents and weary travelers. Just behind this building, a new soda bottling plant had been constructed.

Visitors arriving by train might stay at either the Lawson House or the Commercial Hotel, located just across the tracks from the St. Louis and San Francisco Depot. Mrs. W. A. Lister, the proprietor of the Commercial Hotel, was said to have kept one of the best hotels in the area.

Visitors arriving by horse or wagon also had ample accommodations. On the north end of town, off College and Main, a large wagon yard and stables provided a safe place for travelers to park their wagons and rest their horses. A restaurant located on the wagon yard offered several home cooked meals as well. Towards the south end of town, a large livery stable offered travelers another place to rest their horses.

W. A. Welch and Company continued to run a thriving dry goods business, as did B. A. McDonald. John C. Earl, a prominent Poteau Lawyer and Neal and Bagwell, Attorneys-at-law, both held offices off West Main Street (St. Louis and San Francisco Avenue, known today as Broadway). Daniel and Miller were the proprietors of the People’s Drug Store, also located off West Main. Other business located on the west side of the St. Louis and San Francisco tracks included three restaurants, a corn storage company, a hand printing company, a blacksmith shop, a photo shop and tent, a hardware and furniture store, and several warehouses.

The Welch General Store, late 1800s

The Welch General Store, 1905

While development along the west side of the St. Louis and San Francisco tracks was booming, it was slow progress compared to development towards the east and along Dewey Avenue.

After the McKenna building was completed in 1899, development along Dewey Avenue progressed at a rapid pace. In 1900, the second brick structure was built on the southeast corner of Dewey and McKenna. This two-story building housed a jewelry and drug store and a grocery store. By 1901, the entire block between McKenna and Witte following the brick structure was filled with businesses. Among those businesses were several offices, two barbershops, a restaurant, a meat market, and a poolroom.

Street View, 1906

Along Dewey Avenue, businesses mingled with homes. Historically, before the arrival of the Kansas City Southern, this area had been home to agricultural farms and large manor homes. As development along Dewey progressed, these farms and homes slowly started to disappear.

Just prior to the establishment of the Bank of Poteau, two large, stately homes stood on the corner of Dewey and McKenna. These older homes were sandwiched between a newly developed office building and drugstore. As Poteau grew, scenes like this were common.

The Bank of Poteau was chartered March 7, 1901 and was the first bank in Poteau. It was capitalized with $25,000 and showed a profit of $4,694 for the first year. In 1902, the homes that were located on the corner of Dewey and McKenna were purchased and torn down to make way for a new bank building. In 1904, the Bank of Poteau changed its name to The National Bank of Poteau.

Ed McKenna, a prominent Poteau resident, served as the president of the bank from 1901 through 1913. The salary for the Cashier (bank manager) in 1902 was $85 per month. In 1904, when the bank was nationalized, the bookkeeper's salary was $25 per month.

For over 100 years, the Bank of Poteau has been a staple of Poteau Business. After the 1904 nationalization of the bank and the subsequent name change, the bank changed names again in 1919 to Central State Bank. Three years later, in 1922, the bank would change names one last time. Today, this bank is still known as the Central National Bank.

Along East Main, business was still in full swing. Unaffected by the fire of 1899, Hotel Eastern remained the oldest hotel in Poteau. Further to the north, the Brehm Bakery continued to thrive, serving many delicious treats to the residents of Poteau. The Amos Bros Handle Company, located ¼ northeast of the St. Louis and San Francisco Depot, had expanded operations and remained the largest industrial company in the area.

Other industries included the R. S. Page Lumber Company and an unnamed brick company. Both of these companies were desperately needed as Poteau’s growth continued to skyrocket. The R. S. Page Lumber Company was located between Rogers and Dewey, behind the several storefronts that had been established on Dewey. The Brick Company had kilns that were located on the northeast corner Parker and Witte.

Page Lumber Co., 1930s

Towards the other end of town, along the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad, other businesses were established. The two-story Park Hotel offered some of the finest lodging in the area, and boasted of having an in-room lunch counter. Across Parker Avenue, a large lodging house provided long-term accommodations for people who needed to remain in the area for a while. There was also a restaurant and meat market in this area.

General Mercantile Store along the old settlement near the KCS tracks, late 1800s. This store remained in business until around 1910.

Cotton and corn remained the largest agricultural industries. Large cotton platforms were erected along the sides of both the St. Louis and San Francisco and Kansas City Southern railroads. Several buildings were constructed to store corn. Along the St. Louis and San Francisco, a large stockyard was also established to keep cattle and other animals.

Within the town-site of Poteau, the McKenna-Terry Coal Company owned and operated a small slope off Cavanal. The Slope was opened in the year 1903. The coal averages 24 inches thick. The slope was driven down 300 feet, and consisted of four entries. A large air shaft measuring 28 feet in depth and 7 by 7 feet in size supplied fresh air to the miners. There was an average of 14 men and boys employed in and around this mine. The production of coal per year averaged 557 tons, with most of that being produced in the latter half of the year.

There was no power equipment at this mine, the coal having been hoisted by mule power. Ventilation was had by means of a furnace. This mine was only run during the winter months, and the coal disposed of for purposes in the town of Poteau.

During the early 1900’s, coal was an extremely important industry in and around Poteau. Due to this, and the increasing population of the area, new railroad lines were constructed and changes in the existing railroads happened on an almost yearly basis.

The Poteau Valley Railroad was incorporated on October 19, 1900. The railroad ran from Shady point to Calhoun. The total distance the railroad covered was 6.59 miles.

P. D. Sheehan has been appointed trainmaster on the second and third districts of the Kansas City Southern. His Headquarters was in Poteau, Indian Territory, in 1900.

In 1900, The Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company (K.C.P. & G.) was acquired by the Kansas City Southern Railway.

Map of Poteau, 1901, west side of Frisco Tracks, Copyright Eric Standridge

Map of Poteau, 1901, east side of Frisco Tracks, Copyright Eric Standridge

Origins of the Poteau Fire Department

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Fire was a big concern for Poteau residents. On January 31, 1901, a small tenant house occupied by J. J. Vance and owned by W. A. Welch caught on fire and burned to the ground. One year prior to the fire of 1899, the first volunteer fire department was organized in Poteau. S. C. Roberson served as the first chief. Even though Roberson took on this immense responsibility, when a fire broke out there wasn’t much he could do.

After the 1899 fire, Roberson and his volunteer firefighters established several procedures in order to protect Poteau’s residents. By 1904, a permanent night watchman was posted to watch for fire and any other trouble that may arise in town. If a fire broke out, the night watchman would shoot off his pistol into the air. He would continue until the entire town was aroused enough to come out and fight the fire. Since Poteau didn’t have running water at this time, the volunteer firefighters had to rely on water from wells and cisterns.

Residents of the town continued this practice until the new fire station was built. In 1909, this building was located on the corner of McKenna and the alley at the end of Clayton. By this time, the volunteer fire fighting service had acquired a Horse hose cart, a hand hose cart, a 1,000-foot hose, and several hooks, axes, and ladders. In addition, the city installed a new fire whistle to warn the fire crews of a fire within town.

Volunteer Fire Department, 1920s

Poteau in the Early 1900s

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OKLAHOMA’S A STATE!

November 16, 1907

President Roosevelt Affixes Name to Proclamation

Ceremony at Capital was very Simple

Oklahoma and Indian Territory Officially Proclaimed the State of Oklahoma - New Star to be Added July 4, the Nation's Birthday

Washington: Another grand star was added to the galaxy of states Saturday, November 16th, when President Roosevelt affixed his signature to the proclamation declaring Oklahoma and Indian Territory the state of Oklahoma. After long controversy, suffering and strife the pen of Theodore Roosevelt granted a million and a half people the right of self-government.

This is the forty-sixth member of the family of states, and its birth will be celebrated by the addition of a new star to the flag of the Union on July 4, next, the birthday of the nation.

The ceremonies attending the birth of Oklahoma were very simple. At the hour stated, a small crowd of newspaper men and statesmen assembled in the cabinet room of the White House. Secretary Loeb appeared upon the scene carrying the proclamation, in typewritten form, and an eagle quill sent to the president by Oklahoma friends. President Roosevelt followed closely, took his seat at the head of the cabinet table, caught up the eagle quill, dipped it into the ink well and then dashed off his signature at the bottom of the proclamation.

Poteau, 1905

As the 20th century roared in, the country was swept up in a new and profound energy. Great advancements in industry and technology had been made throughout the United States, and by 1900, a “second” industrial revolution was in full swing. Innovations in new technologies swept across the country in a dizzying speed. Cities were being powered with electricity. The internal combustion engine revolutionized the way people worked. Communication technologies such as the telegraph and radio modernized the way people communicated. While the first industrial revolution was centered on iron, steam technologies and textile production, the second industrial revolution revolved around steel, railroads, and electricity.

The landscape of Poteau would change drastically over the next ten years. The soft hum of electric lights would soon radiate from newly constructed rock and brick buildings. The sight of water buckets and wells would slowly disappear as modern plumbing systems were installed. All of this modern growth expanded east, along Dewey Avenue, towards the Kansas City Southern lines.

By 1900, the population of Poteau hovered right around 1,500. There were ample hotel accommodations for traveling visitors, as well as a wide variety of goods and services offered throughout town. In comparison, Cameron, once a thriving, industrious town, had only one hotel that served a small population of 300.

Trading Cotton in Poteau, around Statehood

POTEAU’S RAPID EXPANSION

The arrival of the U.S. Federal Courts in Poteau was a big boon to business. This not only established Poteau as one of the finest towns in the Choctaw Nation, but also brought in a great influx of new businesses.

Between 1899 and 1904, Poteau had tripled in size. By 1900, there was a toll bridge over the Poteau River. 25 cents was the toll for a wagon, and 10 cents for a person on foot or horseback. During this time, a seemingly constant stream of emigrants was crossing this bridge to come to Poteau.

After the great fire of 1899, the blocks between Beard and Green avenues had been rebuilt. They now boasted several of Poteau’s most successful businesses. Several new brick buildings were constructed east of the St. Louis and San Francisco Tracks, and now Poteau could boast of having three “brick blocks”.

The face of the town had changed as well. Railroad Avenue, once the main road in Poteau, was renamed to Front Street (alternatively, W. Main). Dewey Avenue was now the main road as it stretched from the St. Louis and San Francisco to the K.C.S. tracks. New development shifted towards the southeast along Dewey as residential homes sprang up along towards the west. Between 1901 and 1904, Railroad Avenue was built up between the St. Louis and San Francisco and Kansas City Southern tracks. This road straddled the length of a new connecting track that joined the Kansas City Southern railroad line with the Frisco line. Presently, this road would have been between Reynolds and Whitney Avenues.

The years between 1900 and 1910 were some of Poteau’s most industrious years. Even though the town was growing fast, in the early part of the decade, Poteau remained a small community.

In fact, Poteau’s population plummeted from 1,500 in 1901 to 1,200 in 1904, but saw a massive rebound by 1907. At the time of Oklahoma’s statehood, Poteau had reached its highest population yet. With a population of 2,400 in that 1907, Poteau had reached a great milestone. In 1908, a year after the Indian Territory was admitted to statehood; Governor C. N. Haskell issued a proclamation declaring Poteau to be "a city of the first class."

Poteau Daily News Office, around Statehood

The U.S. Federal Court moves to Poteau

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On March 1, 1895, the Federal Court at South McAlester was re-designated as the Central District and authorized to hold sessions at Atoka, Antlers, and Cameron. During this time, Cameron was one of the fastest growing towns in eastern Indian Territory, and seemed to be the perfect location for a new federal court. Almost overnight, a sturdy, wood-frame structure was built to house the newly arrived courts. While this building served its purpose, the town’s development was not adequate to cover the area that was required.

On February 2, 1900, the 56th congress revised the decision to house the Federal Court in Cameron. The previous decision was approved on March 1, 1895, and was designed to “provide for the appointment of additional judges of the United States court in the Indian Territory, and for other purposes." It also stated, "The central district shall consist of all the Choctaw country, and the places of holding court in said district shall be at South McAlester, Atoka, Antlers, and Cameron."

The Courthouse in Poteau while under construction

Reversal of this decision on February 2nd was based on several factors.

First, Poteau is located at the junction of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway and the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf railway. Because of this, people required to attend court can reach this town from four different lines of road.

Second, Poteau had a population of around 2,000 people. It was considered one of the fastest growing communities in the area.

Third, Poteau has a brick block, which will be provided with an ample courtroom and all necessary office rooms, vaults, etc., for the use of the court officers. This “brick block” refers to the city block on the corner of Dewey where the McKenna building is located. Fourth, Poteau is closer to the center of the central division, and it is closer to the center of population as well.

The Federal Courthouse in Poteau just after construction

The process of moving the federal court to Poteau was not easy. All of the court records and furniture had to be moved to Poteau. Tom T. Varner, son of Robert A. Varner, was a highly esteemed lawyer living in Cameron. When he heard that the federal court was moving to Poteau, he decided to move with it. In addition to moving his practice, he also offered to move the entire Federal Court as well.

After loading all of the courts documents in his wagon, it took him much of the day to travel eight miles to Poteau on rough and rugged road. Several times along the route, Varner and his team had to stop the wagon in order to build temporary bridges. Once in Poteau, Varner and his team quickly set about establishing the courthouse in the second floor of the McKenna building.

At the same time that the Federal Court was moving to Poteau, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs was engaged in supervising and establishing the exterior limits of the towns found in the Choctaw Nation. Work on this project was begun on March 15, 1900. Within the year, the exterior limits of the following towns had been established, namely: Calvin, Allen, McAlester, Guthrie, Poteau, Grant, Howe, and Kiowa.

The U.S. Federal Courthouse in Poteau during the 1980s

The Great Fire of 1899 in Poteau

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All of the growth in Poteau came to a brief halt around 1899. The exact date is unknown, but Poteau experienced her first major disaster around this time.

During this time, the city bocks between Beard Avenue and Green Avenue were considered the heart of Poteau. The earliest businesses, such as Welch’s general merchandise store and Flener’s Hotel, were first established in this area. As the town grew, Poteau began spreading out from these two blocks.

In late 1899, the heart of Poteau burned.

While there is very little historic information about the fire, by looking at the history that does exist along with similar events during the time one can begin to piece the story together.

Most likely, the fire originated from one of the many pot-bellied stoves that were in use during this time. Old maps from the Sanborn-Perris Map Company show that the majority of buildings contained at least one wood-burning stove. The buildings were constructed of native wood and there was typically less than a foot of space between them. With these conditions, a single spark could have easily set off the fire that destroyed the old downtown district of Poteau.

From January 1899 to January of 1901, old Sanborn maps of Poteau show two radically different layouts. By 1901, the area where the elegant Flener Hotel once stood is now an empty field. Several businesses began rebuilding on what is now the courthouse lawn, including the Lawson House, a poolroom, a barber, and a “lunch room”.

Many old stories tell that the fire started in the living quarters of a general store. Since all of the buildings constructed on the west side of the Frisco railroad tracks were made of wood beam and slat, the wood was already dry and served as the perfect fuel. With most businesses, there was less than a foot separating the buildings. With so many businesses in close proximity and the extremely dry summer, it created the perfect recipe for disaster.

At the time, Poteau did not have a fully functioning fire department. The fire department was made up of volunteers and used a "bucket brigade" system. When a fire started out, the warning system in place was a gunshot, however, this was not always effective. It would be some time before residents knew that a fire had broken out and by then it was too much to contain.

Even though the decade ended with a nearly devastating fire, that disaster did not stop the industrious residents of Poteau from moving forward. Rather, the fire helped urge Poteau into its most prosperous period of growth.

Essentially, the old downtown area on the east side of the tracks was abandoned. The area where the courthouse is today was cleared of rubble and turned into a city park. With the construction starting on the McKenna building, the plans for a second city block along Dewey, and the KCS railroad depot at the other end, it only made sense for expansion to continue down Dewey. The only problem was that Dewey was never intended to be a main road. At this time, it was a side road that led to Harpers Plantation. Still, the fire helped merge the business centers located at both depots together and formed a more unified Poteau.

Poteau Incorporated

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The year 1898 was a monumental year for Poteau. The town was growing rapidly, business was booming, and residents had all they needed. Early in the year, a group of the town’s most influential citizens got together to discuss putting together a petition for Poteau to be incorporated. Throughout the next few months, these citizens worked hard to gather support from the community.

A petition was drafted and circulated throughout town. During this time, women still weren’t allowed to vote, so only men were eligible to sign. Incorporation of towns in Indian Territory had only become possible under the statutes of the state of Arkansas, as adopted by an act of Congress approved May 2, 1890. In all, one hundred and twelve men signed the petition for Poteau’s incorporation.

In October, the petition was presented to Judge Wm. H. Clayton, Judge of the U.S. District Court, Cameron, I.T., asking that Poteau be an incorporated town. On October 8, 1898, Issued and ordered by Judge W. H. Clayton of Indian Territory Central District, Poteau became official.

After Poteau was incorporated under general law, G. H. Witte, who was elected mayor, was the first man to assume the duties of that office in the Indian Territory. Incorporation enabled Poteau to have a nationally recognized government, and came with all the benefits of that reorganization.

As found in “A Place Called Poteau” (1913 Study Club), a list of the names found on the petition include many of Poteau’s early day founders, prominent businessmen, and pillars of society. The names, quoted from “A Place Called Poteau”, include the following:

Jerry McKenna, C. J. Stewart, J. B. Wear, C. M. Bagwell, J. S. Muse, George Lick, I. M. Fuller, Ed McKenna, W. A. Welch Jr., A. P Gaither, W. L. Neel, S. B. Ragon, John Roach, George E. Williams, Herman Gedosh, James B. McDonald, George W. Terry, A. Sidney Page, P. D. Jackson W. H. Pate, W. W. James, John Mack, B. J. Fry, W. R. Hogan, A. W. Kersey, J. J. Bagwell, S. D. Hanley, J. H. Brown, J. G. Duncan, G. D. Eichenberger, Walter Beard, W. J. Forbes, Robert Page, H. D. S. Gillum, H. E. Balay, L. M. Stowes, H. S. McKenna, B. R. Dubois, James F. Miller, Grant Lowe, John Hansard, James Oxley, A. S. Ryder, C. F. Evans, G. A. Poeir, W. J. McKinney, W. E. James, M. Plumlee, James Cromby, Ben James, B. H. Harper, J. R. McManamin, B. A. McDonald, Samuel Sergent, J. S. Terry, S. T. McKissack, T. E. McDonald, R. S. Bridgman, R. E. Steele, L. L. Smith, A. W. Smith, Joseph W. Sage, P. H. Green, E. H. Franch, D. J. Auslin, John F. Miller, J. G. Beard, L. A. Cannon, J. M. McBride, C. Dixon Hill, A. E. Coleman, M. Fleener (Melvin Fleener), W. O. Holliday, W. H. Pearson, I. A. Fry, T. J. Griffich, A. J. Macomber, R. D. Turman, W. T. Parker, Henry Ragou, Esquire Rich, G. A. Spaulding, James Lowe, H. J. Bett, J. J. Murray, W. E. Moore, E. T. Lick, J. D. Howell, W. H. ___, G. H. White, J. E. Beard, M. Duke, A. M. Miller, H. R. Kidd, S. P. Hmphrey, Jessee Martin, N. B. Gaither, E. H. Childers, Amit A Paul, G. R. Ralls, M. C. Caldwell, C. Y. Culp, R. Smith, W. Price, E. M. Emerson, J. M. Bagwell, E. B. Rattteree, James Barton, E. T. Hogan, H. C. Green, Mc. D. Brown, and J. H. Brooks.

Early Poteau Newspapers

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Much of the history of Poteau can be traced through the articles that appear in the towns newspapers. The first newspaper published in Poteau was the Poteau Ledger. This paper, first published in 1895, was owned by H. J. Duke with Ed Hooker as editor. Other newspapers soon followed.

While most of these local papers ran for only a few short years, the Poteau News has remained the longest-lasting newspaper in Poteau. When it was first published in 1895, it had a subscription list of about 350. In 1896, R. S. Bridgman took over as editor and publisher. The paper was put out on Thursdays and consisted of four 18”x24” pages. Subscription cost $1 per month. In 1901, R. S. Bridgman sold the Poteau News to W.W. Denson, who ran it until Robert L. Kidd took over in 1908.

The Poteau News ran until around 1980, when it merged with the LeFlore County Sun. Today, this paper is now known as The Poteau Daily News. Currently, it is one of the most well respected newspapers in the area

Other newspapers during the 1890’s include, The Poteau Leader, The Poteau Star, and The Poteau Times. All of these papers began in 1895 and ran for only a few years.

Early Businesses in Poteau, late 1800s

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Immigration from the Panic of 1893 and the arrival of the Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railroad solidified Poteau’s status among other towns in the region. While many of the nearby towns were either dying out or had reached a stable plateau, Poteau’s economy remained strong. Since Welch’s store was developed on the corner of Fleener Avenue and Railroad Avenue, the town’s growth has remained strong.

Coal mining was still the principal business in the area. A great many coalmines had been established from Cavanal Mountain to Sugar Loaf Mountain, and people continued to pour into the region in order to work these mines. For the railroads, this was big business. The Cavanal, Coal, Coke & Railway Company operated a small railway spur that led up to the side of Cavanal Mountain where the Witteville Coal Mines were located. In 1898 alone, 19,605 tons of coal had been loaded in to the railroad cars.

Logging had also been important in the previous decade, but it wasn’t until the mid-1890’s that it became one of Poteau’s most important industries. Before the modern advancements of the age reached Poteau, trees had to be cut by hand and then drug down the mountains by ox teams to Poteau River. Once at the river, the logs would then be floated downstream until they reached Ft. Smith.

By 1890, several logging camps had been set up throughout Cavanal Mountain. The trees were still cut by hand, but new facilities existed that enabled the loggers to process the logs nearby. Once the wood was processed, they then transported the material by oxen into town. Much of this wood was used for local building. As the country expanded, demand for both raw and processed wood grew. The Kansas City, Pittsburg, and Gulf Railroad quickly seized this opportunity. Shortly after the depot was constructed, the railroad quickly established facilities in order to transport wood from Cavanal Mountain throughout the country.

The Amos Bro’s Handle Company was one of the dominant industries of the area. Located a quarter mile northeast of the St. Louis and San Francisco Depot, this factory was a major employer in the area.

The Amos Brothers Factory

The large complex consisted of numerous buildings. The main factory spanned 4,100 feet and manufactured plow handles, cultivators, wheels and other wooden work for carriages. Wood was brought in from local sawmills and stored under a large shed located north of the main factory. Once the finished product was completed, it was then moved to the warehouse to the south of the factory, where it was held until it could be delivered to market.

Over the next 30 years, the Amos Bro’s Handle Company would continue to be a very successful business. By June 1911, the company had a capital stock of 20,000. By 1920, the company owners had become moderately wealthy, and decided to move on. On May 31, 1920, the Amos Handle Company sold its plant to the Turner, Day & Woolbright Handle Company of Louisville, Kentucky.

While industry around Poteau was flourishing, businesses along the old Railroad Avenue continued to develop.

Bridgman’s Furniture was first established along this road in 1896. For over one hundred years, the Bridgman family has remained a solid pillar of Poteau’s success.

Robert S. Bridgman moved to Poteau from Hackett, Arkansas in the fall of 1896. He was 38 years old. Shortly after arriving, he purchased a moderate one and a half story building off Railroad Avenue. That same year, he also gained ownership of the Poteau Journal. He established a furniture store on the first floor building, and used the second floor as his printing press. Bridgman’s building measured 24 feet wide by 32 feet deep, providing almost 800 square feet of sales space. Residents of Poteau now had one of the finest furniture stores to be found in eastern Indian Territory.

Residents of Poteau got a little sweeter after George Brehm arrived in Poteau. George Brehm was originally from Lupfig, Switzerland. After immigrating to the United States in 1851, he went on to serve the Union Infantry during the Civil War. Not much is known of the Brehm family after the war, but it is known that George and his family finally settled in Poteau in 1896.

After they arrived, they quickly set about building the first bakery and confectionary in Poteau. Unusual for this time, the Brehm Bakery was located on the southeast side of the St. Louis and San Francisco tracks. The wood frame building was constructed with an odd approach, but one that worked remarkably well. The building was set into two parts. The front room consisted of the showcase area, where a wide variety of baked goods and candies was offered for sale. The actual bakery was offset from the front room by several feet. It consisted of a large brick oven that spanned almost the entire room.

Residents of Poteau enjoyed the many sweet and tasty treats that the bakery had to offer. During the hot summer months, people would congregate on the front porches of the bakery to escape the heat. The bakery offered a wide variety of breads and candies. Fruit Syrups, Jellies, pastries, and several varieties of breads dominated the front room, as well as rock candy, round stick “pulled” candies, and the always-popular chocolate candies.

In 1897, a few blocks south of the Brehm Bakery on Railroad Avenue, construction began on the first rock building east of the St. Louis and San Francisco tracks. Captain Edmund McKenna , a Civil War veteran, began construction on this two-story rock building on May 27, 1897.

The rock used for the construction of this building was quarried locally and hauled to the site by ox-driven carts. After completion, the building would measure around 77 feet wide by 82 feet deep, providing 6,266 square feet of space on each floor. The first floor was divided into three sections, each measuring 26 feet wide by 82 feet deep, with around 2126 square feet of floor space. The building featured galvanized iron fronts, plenty of windows, and an ornate architectural style that was prevalent during the period. A large 8-foot wide porch ran the length along the front of the building.

Facing the St. Louis and San Francisco tracks, the first floor housed three stores. The “Racket Store” was located in the middle unit. Racket Stores were often called "Five and Dime" stores. These stores offered products at a low price, and generally offered a good variety of dry goods. To the right of the Racket Store was a millinery store. On the north end of the building, Noble and Bird’s drug store was one of the most frequented stores in the area. The courthouse was located on the second floor of the building. Although heavily remodeled, this building still exists and still houses retail stores on the bottom floor.

While business boomed throughout Poteau during the 1890’s, Melvin Flener had decided that he had had enough. One of the early pioneers to Poteau, Flener had owned and operated several businesses and organizations throughout the area. After twelve years of running the most successful hotel in Poteau, Melvin Flener needed a break. By October of 1898, the Flener was shut down for good.

The Flener House, located on Fleener Avenue. (Trivia: The name of the road, "Fleener" is spelled incorrectly!)

The Arrival of the KCS Railway in LeFlore County

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The Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company (K.C.P. & G.) originated with Arthur E. Stilwell in 1887. He envisioned a railroad that linked the major agricultural centers from Kansas City to a port on the Gulf of Mexico. This began with the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway. Within ten years, his company succeeded in creating a north-south line that extended from Kansas City, Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico.

The KCS Depot in Heavener, early 1900s

In 1894, the K.C.P. & G. began railroad construction in Indian Territory. After passing through Siloam Springs, Arkansas, the railroad continued south through Poteau. Poteau was the final stop before the K.C.P. & G. left Indian Territory. After passing through the Kiamichi Mountains, the railroad then passed through Dallas, Arkansas before finally ending in Beaumont, Texas.

For Poteau, this was a major boon for business. When the St. Louis and San Francisco came through, it turned a sparsely inhabited wilderness into a thriving frontier town. It helped to establish Poteau as a center for agriculture, mining, and logging, while at the same time bringing a large number of new settlers into the area.

The K. C. P. & G. Railroad, following the best route south, constructed their lines almost half of a mile southeast of the St. Louis and San Francisco Depot. The first K. C. P. & G. depot was located just to the east end of Parker Street. Later, a more modern building would be constructed at the end of Dewey.

Located on Railroad, by the KCS tracks, this store was just a couple doors down from the old KCS depot. It is one of the earliest photos of the old "downtown" area by the KCS railroad tracks, taken in 1894.

After construction was completed on the railroad in 1895, Poteau was thrust into a new era of expansion. Prior to this, the heart of Poteau was located northwest of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad lines, with the old business district clustered around the St. Louis and San Francisco depot. Almost immediately after the construction of the K. C. P. & G. depot, the town began expanding east along Dewey Avenue. By 1896, the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (acquired by the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1900) initiated freight service through town.

Working on the KCS Tracks, photo clipped from the Poteau Daily News

Two years later, in 1898, the K. C. P. & G. built a sixteen-mile branch from Spiro, Indian Territory, to serve the important business center of Fort Smith Arkansas. For Poteau, this meant that both the St. Louis and San Francisco and the K. C. P. & G. offered access to Indian Territory’s most important border city. This helped to cement Poteau’s reputation for being an industrial and progressive town.

KCS locomotive and cars in Spiro, Oklahoma

A New Decade: Introduction to Poteau in the 1890s

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Dark plumes of smoke billowed over the St. Louis and San Francisco station as the fire spread. Shop owners watched in horror as the wooden structures burst into flame. Residents scrambled into frantic action. Grabbing anything that would hold water, they rushed to fill them at the hand-dug wells. Others fruitlessly beat at the flames with old blankets. Still, the fire was relentless.

One by one, the buildings began to collapse in a heap of burning ash and splintered wood. With each crash, sparks flew up and into the faces of the weary onlookers. They cautiously backed away, looks of surprise still etched on their faces.

They watched in fascinated horror as the old town was slowly devoured. The heat licked at their ashen faces and all they could do was watch.

As the last building crumbled and the flames began to die, they looked out across the rubble. Not a single building had survived. The stores, the blacksmith shop, and even old Welch’s store fell victim.

Tomorrow they would rebuild; tonight, they wept.

Downtown Poteau, 1896

By the early 1890’s, Poteau was no longer considered as a frontier town. While it was still a wild and rugged place, it was also quickly growing into a well-developed, lively place that boasted several of the most prosperous businesses in the area. By the end of the 1890’s, Poteau would grow to become the dominant town in the area.

With all of this growth and expansion, the earlier name of Poteau Switch was dropped. The town was named “Poteau” because of the nearby river, and “Switch” because of the town’s status as a railroad switching station. Even though the railroad still played an important part in the daily life of Poteau, new industries and businesses were quickly changing the nature of the town.

Poteau, Oklahoma, taken from above the courthouse looking towards College and Church streets, 1890s

Poteau was known as Poteau Switch as late as 1890. Before this time, Cameron was the largest “modern” town in the area. Before Poteau had a passenger service, people went to Cameron to board a train. While Poteau was expanding during the 1890’s, Cameron was in a state of decline. By 1900, Cameron would have a population of only 300, while Poteau’s was climbing at well over 1,000. To better illustrate this, Cameron only had one hotel at this time, but Poteau could boast of having four “world-class” hotels.

During the early 1890’s, Poteau continued expanding at a steady pace. Businesses boomed, farmers produced booster crops, and the town had achieved a highly reputable status in the area.

However, this moderate expansion would soon blossom into another explosion of progress. Within ten years, the entire landscape of Poteau would be changed.

THE PANIC OF 1893

Many factors helped foster this decade of prosperity in Poteau, but perhaps one of the most important was simply the town’s location.

Across the United States, Americans enjoyed a great economic bounty during the 1880’s. It was a period of remarkable expansion driven by railroad speculation. New railroads were being built almost on a daily basis, pulling the country closer than it ever was before. As the world seemed to grow smaller, companies continued growth by taking over competitors, endangering their own stability. New mines were being opened, and their products, especially silver, began to flood the market.

It was called “The Gilded Age”, and the U.S. economy grew at the fastest rate in its history. It was the age where super-rich industrialists and financiers such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew W. Mellon, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Flagler, J.P. Morgan, and Cornelius Vanderbilt of the Vanderbilt family came into full bloom. It was also an age where corruption ran rampant and commerce remained unchecked.

This rampant growth came to a sudden halt in 1893 as the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing set off a series of bank failures. The severity was great in all American industrial cities and mill towns. Once the banks and railroads began to fail, industrial output plummeted. Many farms failed because of falling prices for export crops such as wheat and cotton. Until the Great Depression, the Panic of 1893 was considered the worst depression the United States had ever experienced.

Despite the bleak economic landscape and turbulent times the country was in, towns and settlements across Indian Territory were thriving. Many people from the more industrialized eastern United States abandoned their homes and moved west. Since the lands in Indian Territory were still relatively untamed, people saw this open expanse of un-moderated land as prime real estate.

The small town of Poteau was perfectly situated to receive this influx of new immigrants. Although still a rough town, Poteau’s growth was stable and businesses continued to flourish.

The U.S. economy began to recover in 1897. Confidence in the economy was restored after the election of Republican McKinley. The Klondike Gold Rush that began in July 1897 also helped foster the growth of the U.S. economy.

B. H. Harper's Cotton Plantation, located where Downtown Poteau is today, taken around Harper Street, 1890s

Edward B. "Coon" Ratterree and other famous Outlaws, Marshals and Lawmen from Southeast Oklahoma

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Edward B. “Coon” Ratterree, made famous in Larry McMurtry’s novel “Zeke and Ned”, was a Deputy U.S. Marshal in Indian Territory from 1889 to 1896.

In November of 1892, Ratterree was selected as one of the sixteen deputy marshals to travel to Ned’s Fort Mountain near Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, to put an end to Cherokee outlaw Ned Christie. In May of 1885, Christie was charged with killing Deputy Marshal Dan Maples in an ambush. Several officers over a period of several years tried to bring the much-wanted outlaw to justice without avail. The Cherokee Indian Police appeared to turn their back in trying to bring Ned Christie to justice.

Ratterree lived one mile south of Poteau Switch for several years. Presently, this would be around the Carl Albert State College area. Ratterree served in the Western District at Fort Smith, Arkansas. For several months out of the year, he spent most of his time on horseback or in court at Fort Smith.

Typical of his life, Ratterree would spend several months tracking down known criminals in order to bring them to justice. One such incident, in May of 1890, Ratterree arrested W. L. Daniels at Prairie Grove, Texas, who was wanted on an assault to kill charge. The outlaw had a reward of $150 on his head.

After retiring from service, Ratterree lived out the rest of his life in Poteau. He died April 20, 1912 in Poteau, Oklahoma. Today, his bones lie buried at Old Panther Cemetery in Haskell County, Oklahoma, along with the rest of his relatives.

Outlaws, Marshals and Lawmen

Train robbers, bank robbers, and other gun-toting outlaw gangs are all a part of the heritage of LeFlore County. Throughout the years, the stories of these outlaws have made for great novels and movies. However, the grim reality is that law and order in the early days of Oklahoma was a deadly business, and shootouts between outlaws and lawmen were common.

Newspapers of the age are filled with numerous stories of shootouts, murders, and robberies, such as these stories:

A local newspaper reported, “J. M. Harris and Elisha Harris were charged with the murder of William Webb at Poteau Switch on January 15, 1888. Both J. M. Harris and Elisha Harris were acquitted on April 17, 1889”.

On Thursday, January 17, 1889, a local newspaper reported of a triple killing a few miles north of Poteau Switch. The fight was between two brothers and three other men.

Another report mentions the murder of two officers on July 17, 1898 by Jasper Simpson. The victims were Deputy U. S. Marshals L. S. Hill and J. B. Grady.

Crimes such as this had a devastating effect on people’s lives. While outlaws such as Belle Starr and the James Gang have been sensationalized, the simple fact is that they were notorious criminals who simply had a way of avoiding the law – for a while.

In Sugarloaf County of the Choctaw Nation, later LeFlore County, laws that were broke ranged from petty thievery, horse and cattle thieves, robbery, rape, and murder. By 1902, horse and cattle thievery had become so rampant that an anti-horse thief organization was formed in Poteau Switch. Many ranchers willingly paid the 10 cents per month dues in order to receive some protection from the thieves.

While the Choctaw Nation had the Light horsemen to keep peace among the Native Americans, virtually no law enforcement existed for whites in Indian Territory.

Judge Isaac Parker, better known as the "Hanging Judge," took on the outlaws who hid out in the Indian Territory, hiring almost 200 deputy marshals to track down the lawbreakers who robbed and killed in both Oklahoma and the surrounding states. Indian Territory was a favorite hiding place for outlaws wanted elsewhere because there was no law to extradite them for their crimes in another state or territory. Parker’s court was the only court available for the 74,000 square miles of Indian Territory. Judge Isaac Parker served from May 10, 1875 to September 1, 1896.

Many of the U.S. Marshals that Parker hired became well-known names throughout Poteau. Known U.S. Marshals that lived and patrolled in the county included Jimmie Hale, Bill (known as Will) H. Tucker, Melvin Tucker, Jack and Tony McClure, Henry Donathan, Joe Morgan of Sallisaw, Goodlow Gay, Ed Underwood, Emmert of Talihina, Eulas Pollan of Durant, and Edward B. “Coon” Ratteree of Cavanal. These Marshals were paid $100 per month.

U. S. Deputy Marshals that worked in Poteau and the surrounding areas included S. W. Tate, Allen M. McMurtrey, T. P. Hackett, John Wallace McMurtrey (served 1889-1896), R. E. Patrick (Served 1904-?), Wilson McKinney, John A. Hunt (Served 1907-1912), and Frank S. Gennung. Many of these men lived in Poteau.

The only detailed information available on the U.S. Deputy Marshals that lived in Poteau is that which was found on John McMurtrey, Wilson McKinney, and Frank S. Gennung.

John Wallace McMurtrey was commissioned on August 5, 1889, in the Western District at Ft. Smith, Arkansas, living in Poteau, Choctaw Nation. John later served as jailer in the Central District of Indian Territory at the Atoka jail. A forty by fifty foot brick two-story building served as a jail for the Choctaw Indian police and deputy marshals. The ground floor had three apartments. One apartment was for the jailer and guards, the second was for the white prisoners and the third was for the colored prisoners. The upper story had four apartments for women; one for white women, one for colored women and restrooms for each. The jail operated until 1913.

Wilson McKinney was appointed field deputy marshal in April of 1904, at Hughes. McKinney was appointed by Marshal George K. Pritchard of the Central District. In March of 1905, Deputy Marshal McKinney of Poteau went to arrest George McGuire, a whiskey peddler. The bootlegger pulled a gun, shooting Wilson. The wound was believed to be fatal. Bloodhounds were used to trail the guilty man. McGuire’s defense was he did not know McKinney was an officer.

Frank S. Gennung served in the Central District in 1895 and 1896. He went to Washington before the Attorney General and congress to issue a statement of the conditions in Indian Territory. Genning’s statement concluded that a ruling made by the Attorney General deprived the deputy marshals of fees in all federal cases in Indian Territory which left the door open for all kinds of crime and outlawry. Crimes not covered by fees would not be controlled by the deputy marshals and would be a travesty to the territory. Genning was one of the deputy marshals that transported nineteen prisoners from the Antlers court to stand trial in Poteau, then an additional ten prisoners were taken to the Ft. Smith jail to serve their sentences. Marshal Hackett was selected as Marshal over the Central District on March 19, 1901, when he selected Frank Genning as his Chief Deputy Marshal. The Attorney General’s office conducted an investigation and asked that Marshal Benjamin Hackett of the Central District be removed from office because he allowed several of his deputy marshals to perform misconduct while on duty. The deputies were charged with allowing prisoners to escape, being drunk while on duty and permitting liquor to enter Indian Territory. Deputy Marshal Gennung was cleared of any wrongdoing in the investigation that was concluded in February of 1894.

The Antlers Democrat dated March 8, 1901 tells a little more about the transfer of prisoners: “Jeff Jones helped the court officials transport nineteen prisoners from the Antlers court to the Poteau court for trial. They transported another ten prisoners to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, to serve their sentences. Jones served under Marshal J. P. Grady of the Central District Indian Territory.”

After statehood, law enforcement officers of Poteau included Sheriffs Carl Wagnon, John Hunt, Doc Kerbow, Marshal Blaylock, Jack Craig, and Hosea Pilgreen.

Horse Thief Springs in Southeastern Oklahoma

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During the 1800s, Eastern Oklahoma was a wild and rugged place. Stories like "True Grit" and Clint Eastwood's "Hang 'Em High" were based on real events that took place along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. Believing that the Indian Nations of what is now Oklahoma would provide them with safety, outlaws flooded to the region.

They came because of the laxity of law enforcement in this area. Law enforcement at that time was under the direction of the Choctaw Nation and the laxity of law enforcement was not due to disinterest on the part of Choctaw Officials, but because the "lighthorsemen" who patrolled the Choctaw Nation were so few in number compared to the area that they had to cover.

Their presence terrified the peaceful inhabitants of the Nations and surrounding areas and the U.S. Government launched an aggressive campaign to round up these outlaws and bring them to justice. Isaac Parker was appointed as the Federal Judge for the Western District of Arkansas, which held jurisdiction over the region, and before his career was over would hang more murders, rapists and robbers than any Federal Judge in American history. He would also suffer the loss of dozens of deputy marshals in the line of duty.

As Parker's deputies penetrated deeper and deeper into the outlaw hideouts, the outlaws found new locations deeper and deeper in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. Traces of their presence can still be found there today at places like Robbers Cave and Horse Thief Spring.

Located along the beautiful Talimena Scenic Drive that winds its way along the tops of the Ouachita Mountains, Horse Thief Spring is a site rich in history and tradition. A small spring, now surrounded by a stone enclosure erected during the Great Depression, bubbles from the side of the mountain.

According to legend, this spring was used as a watering place by Old West outlaws who hid out in the vicinity. The site is relatively close to the Old Military or Fort Towson Road, which led from Fort Smith south to Fort Towson near the Texas border. This road was a major route for travelers in the 19th century and was frequented by outlaws.

From the end of the Civil War until the early 1900s, outlaws used places like Horse Thief Springs before the diligent deputies and Indian police finally brought their presence to an end.

Horse Thief Springs is located on the North side of the Winding Stair Mountain just below the crest of the ridge. The springs have been rock-enclosed. This picnic area adjoins the Choctaw Game Management Area where wild deer and other game animals are protected from hunters. Five outdoor ovens are available for use by visitors. The area affords an excellent view of Cedar Lake.

Choctaw Nation Council House

2021-07-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

The big red brick building might seem out of place to the unknowing visitor coming on it unexpectedly there in the center of the Yanush Valley. It stands empty, alone, surrounded by the woods and hills of northern Pushmataha County, far from any sizeable town. But it has an air of having once known affairs of importance. Obviously old, its narrow white-framed windows, heave stone foundation, Mansard-type roof and dormers give it an imposing look. It was an important and imposing structure in its day, for it was the capitol of a republic, the center of a constitution government with a system of laws, courts and schools for an industrious people.

This was the last capitol of the Choctaw Nation. The tribal council house at Tuskahoma should not be confused with the three district Council Houses which were located in the Choctaw Nation. The three district Council Houses and their original chiefs were: Fort Towson, Chief Greenwood LeFlore, near Antlers; Chief Nitakechi; and Latham, Chief Mosholatubbee. Near the Tuskahoma Council House is the site of Nanih Waiya, which translates to "Leaning Mountain," the original Choctaw capitol established in 1834. It was named for a sacred hill in Mississippi, the Choctaws home before they were horded over the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory in the 1830s. The stately old capitol was completed in 1884 when Jackson McCurtain was tribal chief. Native timbers and stone wont into it and the door and window facings and stair railings were hand-carved. They're still sound. Each spacious room has at least one fireplace, and some have two. All the fireplaces are vented through one chimney outlet. The fire places still draw well and heat the rooms effectively; there are 21 in all. Members of a supreme court, senate, House of Representatives—and other national officers—conducted tribal affairs here. The "lighthorsemen", tribal police, had their headquarters here. The building fell into near ruin after Oklahoma statehood and the end of the Choctaw government as a separate republic. It was restored by Indian workers in the CCC in the 1930's and is now the scene of occasional councils and an annual Labor Day gathering of the tribe. A caretaker lives in a cottage nearby. He keeps the old building in repair, keeps the 5-acre grounds neat and battles the woodpeckers which threaten to take over the structure. It's a popular picnic spot and sightseeing stop, drawing several thousand visitors each summer despite its remoteness. The Choctaw capitol one day soon may again become more than just an empty building. Tribal leaders are exploring ways, including federal aid, of turning it into a first-rate museum. Two extremely large trees stand on the capitol grounds. One, a giant bois-d'arc tree, is located at the southwest corner of the Council House. A huge oak tree standing on the capitol grounds is sometimes identified as a "hanging tree". Visitors are always welcome at the Choctaw Capitol at old Tuskahoma.

Famous Choctaws: Captain Welch Grave Marker

2021-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Captain Welch is buried near the old Brazil Cemetery, just South of Brazil Creek where the Oklahoma Historical Society has erected a marker at his grave.

This is also the location of the Brazil Creek Stage Coach Station where horses were changed for the Stage Coach of the old Butterfield Mail Route, which started through Indian Territory in 1858. Captain John Welch was a confederate officer who returned as a horse trader after the civil war and found his wife had remarried. From many accounts, he simply killed the new husband and resumed living with his wife, until he died and was buried at the Brazil Creek Station. Another story of his life is listed below. This story comes from findagrave.com and tells a different story of how Captain Welch came to Indian Territory.

The following is Quoted from findagrave.com:

Sarah Wilson was the only daughter of Mathew and Mary Holley Wilson. She married David Robert Welch on 9/8/1858. During the Civil War, David enlisted as a private in Company F, Dawson's Regiment, 19th Arkansas Infantry, and was believed to have died while a prisoner of the North in 1864 or 1865. This left Sarah with two small sons to care for, James age 4 and William Wilson who was close to age one at the time.

In 1867 Sarah, out of necessity, accompanied her widowed mother and relatives’ north to the Dutch Creek Settlement in Scott County, Arkansas, and had not remarried as of 1870. The census for that year showed she and her two sons were living with her mother, Mary Holley Wilson and her two brothers, Isaac and Jehu. Convinced that her husband was dead, she married George Washington Terry, whose first and second wives, Anna Indiana and Betty Barloe, had died leaving him with four girls to raise as well. By 1885, according to census records, they had four more children. Then suddenly, their lives were abruptly changed.

One day, an old tin peddler pulled up in front of the house. He wore an old slouch hat and a long beard. Sarah and her children as well as the neighbors crowded around the peddler's wagon to inspect his wares. Sarah remarked to one of her neighbors that the peddler looked like her late husband, Dave Welch. Her neighbor assured surely he was not Dave and he said nothing. However, he was in fact, her "deceased" husband.

It seems that Dave, upon his release from a Union prison in Washington, D.C., was without money. He labored to acquire sufficient funds for several years to buy a wagon and team, then to outfit it with wares for his new peddling business. Once accomplished, he slowly began to work his way across the country to Sevier County, Arkansas and home. When he arrived he found his property sold and after some searching, eventually found the family trail north to Dutch Creek. When he came upon his wife and family and saw that she had remarried, he realized the hopelessness of the situation and chose not to reveal his identity. It is unknown as to why he never wrote to her or sent any other type of message to let his family know he was still alive and trying to get home.

Dave eventually moved on leaving Sarah and his family behind and ventured into Indian Territory (Oklahoma) where in June, 1873 he married Louvenia James, an Indian woman with a head right and considerable wealth. Together, with what Dave had earned as a peddler, they were able to contact his sons, James and William Welch, and both went to live with him. Dave gave each of the boys $1000.00 and set them up in a business. In later years, Sarah, George and the rest of their family moved to Indian Territory so she could be closer to her sons. She and George ran a store at Bates, Oklahoma for several years. After George died in 1907, Sarah lived with her son John and his wife Priscilla in Heavener, Oklahoma. The exact date of her death is not known. Her grave is located near the entrance into Weeks Cemetery in Scott County, Arkansas.

After Louvenia's death in 1874, Dave next married a Lucinda Daniels (1845 - 1/1/1875), a Choctaw Indian woman who was a widow. Her first husband had been an Albert McKee Folsom. Lucinda died shortly thereafter just as Louvenia had. He next married a Phoebe A. Harris on 10/1/1878.

David is buried in the Welch Family Cemetery at Brazil Station, LeFlore County, Oklahoma on private property. The graves are about 500 yards from where Brazil Station once stood, which reportedly was an old stagecoach stop.

The Welch Family Cemetery is located about 6 miles West of Shady Point. A historical marker is located there.

Famous Choctaws: Chief Kincaid’s Gravesite

2021-07-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Chief Joseph Kincaid was a nephew of the Great Chief Mosholatubbee. He was educated at the Choctaw Academy before moving to Indian Territory from Mississippi. During the planning of the Choctaw National Government, Kincaid was instrumental in assisting Mosholatubbee in its development. Although at the time he was only a sub-chief, his importance in the area was great. In 1836, He signed the agreement to put the Choctaw National Capital at Tuskahoma.

Kincaid became chief of the Mosholatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation in 1838 when Chief Mosholatubbee died. He organized the district like a state, and divided it into counties. He set up the judicial system, and the police force. He built a council house at Latham for the district and voted with the other two chiefs to build the national Council house at Tuskahoma. Chief Kincaid served the two remaining years of the term left vacant by Mosholatubbee's death and was succeeded by Chief Thomas McKinney. Chief Kincaid was well educated and was thought of as a great authority on civil government.

He served from 1836 until 1838.

The following comes from an interview of a local resident conducted in 1934:

"Joseph Kincaid was selected to fill out the unexpired term of Mosholetvbbi. It is not known where Joseph Kincaid lived in Indian Territory after he migrated here, but he had a brother named Robert Kincaid who was a student at Choctaw Academy, Kentucky, who migrated to Indian Territory, and located about three miles west of what is now the town of Shady Point, Oklahoma. Last February, 1934, an old log house said to have been built by Robert Kincaid, which had been occupied by his relatives, was burned down. I passed by where it had stood just after it had burned. I assume then that Joseph Kincaid probably lived in that vicinity."

Choctaw Chief Mosholatubbee Monument

2021-07-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

"Warrior who preserves"

Moshulatubbee (1770-1838)

Moshulatubbee, a great medal chief and the son of Homastubbe, succeeded his father as chief of the Northern District of the Choctaw Nation in 1809. Next to Pushmataha, he was the most influential Choctaw leader through the removal era. He signed the treaties of Fort Confederation (1816), Doak's Stand (1820), Washington (1825), and Dancing Rabbit Creek (1830).

While Moshulatubbee won renown as a warrior for his exploits against the Osage, he gained more influence through his service in the Creek War of 1813-14 and at the battle of New Orleans with Andrew Jackson. He was a noted orator with a powerful build and possessed great personal magnetism that attracted supporters and detractors. While he prospered as a farmer and slave owner, raising cattle, hogs and horses, he also influenced the Choctaw shift toward a market economy.

Although Moshulatubbee supported the educational efforts of the missionaries, he opposed their religious activities and helped establish the Choctaw Academy in traditionalists who opposed Greenwood LeFlore's efforts to control the Choctaw Nation with his more progressive, cosmopolitan, and predominantly mixed-blood faction. Moshulatubbee was replaced by David Folsom as district chief in 1826, but he regained the office in 1830 during the removal crises.

Despite their political differences, the three district chiefs, Moshulatubbee, Greenwood LeFlore, and Nitakechi, signed the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek on the 27th of September 1830. He emigrated west in 1832, continued his resistance to missionaries, signed the Fort Holmes treaty in 1835, and served as district chief until 1836. Moshulatubbee died of smallpox (the white man's disease), on August 30, 1838, near the Choctaw Agency on the Arkansas River.

For many years no one knew just where the Great Chief was buried. Based on information given by a former Choctaw slave, it was assumed that Mosholatubbee was buried at Latham. Later the Latham grave proved to be that of Chief Kincaid.

About 1956, Elbert Costner noticed the grave in Hall Cemetery and did considerable reading and research which led to the generally accepted fact that the grave in Hall Cemetery is actually that of Chief Mosholatubbee. Mosholatubbee's home in Mississippi was on a lovely prairie near the Natchez Trace and when he came to this area, he picked his new home on a prairie, very much like his old home in Mississippi. This home was located on an old Military road. The only Military Road in the Mosholatubbee district during the Chief’s life time was the Fort Smith-Fort Towson Road built or started in 1826, by the U. S. Army. The Military Road from Skullyville to Brazil Station and Southwest across the Choctaw Nation was constructed to move the Chickasaws to their new lands from Fort Coffee to the Western lands they had purchased from the Choctaws. This road was built after the Chief Mosholatubbee built his home at Kulli Chaha.

When first coming to the Choctaw Nation's new land, Mosholatubbee and Nitakechi decided the division for the three chief's districts without taking Greenwood LeFlore, the other main Choctaw chief, into account. Mosholatubbee told Nitakechi that he could have the district near Antlers and that LeFlore could have the district near Towson on the Red River, with Mosholatubbee taking the district north of the Kiamichi Mountains and South of the Arkansas River.

Mosholatubbee said LeFlore need not be consulted because he was not a full blood Choctaw anyway. The first building put up m the Mosholatubbee District for a school by the government as provided by a treaty was built at Kulli Chaha, East of Poteau, near the home of Mosholatubbee. The chief received $6,000 annually from the government and spent it all educating young men from his district at the Choctaw Academy in Kentucky during a six year period. He gave very little of the funds to the other chiefs. Mosholatubbee handled the money with President Andrew Jackson's blessing and Jackson ordered the Choctaws to elect Mosholatubbee as chief for two terms after reaching their new home.

Mosholatubbee served only two years of the last term when he died from Smallpox on August 3 1838.

The Smallpox was contracted from Chickasaws when he met their boat at Fort Coffee just previous to his death. Military letters show that he died at his home about eight miles from Skulleyville and was buried near his home. There were no surveys made locating the townships and sections until 1897 under the Dawes commission, so it must have been difficult for an Army Officer to guess that it was about 12 miles to Mosholatubbee's home; however, it would have been over 25 miles on a straight line to Latham and there was no road at the time.

In Mississippi, many of the Indians nicknamed Mosholatubbee, “Hushatubbee”, and records of the Tucker family, and seven other people that attended school in the original school building, show that the Chief was known by his nickname; They all agree that a great Choctaw Chief Hushatubbee was buried in what is now known as the Hall Cemetery and can remember their parents telling them about the Great Chief. In 1832-34, a number of Indians became sick at Kulli Chaha. Armstrong, the Agent, told Chief Mosholatubbee that it might be caused by the stagnant creek water they were drinking, so the chief ordered wells dug. About two dozen wells were dug in the village near his home. Mr. Coatner found signs of these wells and some of them are still very plain and can still be located. Historians are firmly of the opinion that this is the grave of Chief Mosholatubbee. The Oklahoma Historical Society upheld this belief by establishing a monument at the grave on June 27, 1965.

The inscription on the rose granite monument is as follows:

CHIEF MOSHOLATUBBEE

AMOSHOLI-T-VBI

"WARRIOR WHO PERSEVERES"

Born 1770

Chief Mosholatubbee of the N. E. District, Choctaw Nation in Mississippi, received his name as a young warrior. He was dignified in bearing, of fine physique, steady and thoughtful in disposition. As Chief, he was noted for his orders to ban the liquor traffic and drinking in his country. He strongly favored education, and a mission school was located at his prairie village near the Natchez Trace in 1824. Mosholatubbee was one of the three leading Choctaw chiefs who signed the early treaties with the United States, including that at Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830, providing for the removal of the Choctaws from Mississippi. He had high hopes in the removal coming west with his people to their new country in 1832. He made his home in the prairie not far from the Fort Towson Road, north of Sugar Loaf Mountain, near which there was a Baptist mission school in 1836. He died at his home, August 3, 1838, during an epidemic, and was buried nearby, his grave covered with unmarked stones. The region from the Arkansas River to the Winding Stair Mountains was called "Mosholatubbee District" in Choctaw law books, 1834 to 1907, in memory of this great Chief, a founder of the Choctaw Nation West.

Luriel H. Wright, Oklahoma Historical Society, 1965.

Chief Mosholatubbee was one of the three Choctaw chiefs that signed the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek which was the treaty which provided for the removal of the Choctaws from Mississippi. The treaty was signed in 1830 but was not ratified until February 24, 1831. The treaty allowed three years for the removal. Chief Mosholatubbee is the only one of the three signing chiefs that is buried in Oklahoma. In early life, he was a great warrior, but in later life he was more of a politician and was one of most brilliant orators of the Choctaw nation.

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 35.09500, Longitude: -94.49940

The Old Choctaw Indian Jail

2021-07-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

In the wild and wooly days before Oklahoma became a state, the Choctaw were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands and were transplanted in what was then known as Indian Territory. They were given land that would be theirs for eternity, according to the treaty’s they signed. This was an area outside of U.S. control. A sovereign nation for the Choctaw Indian was established. They quickly set about establishing their own court system, their own government, and their own police force, which was known as the Choctaw Lighthorsemen.

From the time of the Choctaw Removals in the 1830s to the Civil War, things went relatively smoothly. They made great strides in developing the land and in advancing their civilization. The Choctaw that remained in Mississippi didn’t fare as well, as they had virtually no say in the local or federal government.

During and after the American Civil War, Indian Territory quickly became an outlaw’s haven. While the U.S. sent marshals into the territory, and had a small military presence, the Choctaw Nation went mostly unguarded. The Lighthorsemen had jurisdiction over the Choctaw, but they could do very little against the white encroachment on their lands. White justice was left up to the military and the U.S. Marshal Service.

By 1907, at the time of Oklahoma’s Statehood, the Choctaw Nation had virtually disintegrated. While it still existed, it finally had to bow to the large influx of white settlers and control over Choctaw land.

The old Choctaw Jail stands as a testament to the early days of Indian Territory. Typically, this jail was used for minor crimes. The Choctaw had a strict code of honor. If a man was sentenced to death, he was released and given time to get his affairs in order. When the appointed time for their execution came, they usually returned on their own to face their punishment. A white cross would be painted on their chest and, if possible, the prisoner would be allowed to choose the person who would carry out the punishment. These executions took place in a gulley behind the old jail. The last man executed was William Going in 1899. Just behind the old jail was a large “whipping tree”. Lawbreakers would be tied up to this tree and would be flogged with a blacksnake whip.

The walls of the old jail are approximately 2 feet thick and were constructed from native sandstone. The stone was laid in such a manner that it not only laps the joints at the outside edge of the wall but it also laps the joints from the inside to the outside of the wall. It still has the original heavy iron door, which was made from flat bars of iron that is approximately ½” inch thick by 1 ½” inches wide.

The door was made in a lattice work design with a hot rivet being inserted at each crisscross. The studs for the home-made hinges are mounted in the stone wall and the door is still perfectly balanced. When the door closes, the slotted strap of iron that is permanently attached to the door still closes perfectly over the huge iron staple that is embedded in the wall on the opposite side of the door from the hinges. The floor appears to be the original floor that was put in the jail that was first built in Indian Territory Days. The coiling of the jail is lined with plate iron and there are 2 windows on either side of the building with each window having 3 sets of hand-fashioned bars. It is a mystery why any bars were used at all because the windows are only about 9 or 10 inches square and are not large enough for even a small boy to pass through. However, the bars were well installed having holes chiseled into the rock at the top and bottom of the window in which each individual bar rests.

The jail was used for Choctaw Indian prisoners and federal prisoners in Indian Territory, but not all prisoners who had been sentenced ware detained in the jail. Especially was this so of the Choctaw Indians who had been sentenced to be shot. They were not kept in jail at all following their trial but were allowed to return home and wind-up their business affairs after which they would return at the appointed date and place to be executed. They usually requested that their closest friend be allowed to do the shooting and in most cases a white cross was pinned over their heart as a target for the executioner. The Choctaw Indian's word was his bond, and there was never any doubt among the Choctaw officials that the condemned man would return for his execution.

There was a large elm tree near a hand dug well close to a ravine about 200 yards from the jail where executions took place. White men who rented land from the Indians, and who were to pay a portion of their crops as rent, but who failed to make such payment were often sentenced by the Choctaw Courts, and in most cases, upon conviction, were tied to this large elm tree and whipped with a "cat-o-ninetails."

The Choctaw Indian Rock Jail is located on private property; however, you can drive by and see it from the road. In the past, the owners have had problems and want to preserve the property they have maintained it for the last 38 years.

The Wild Frontiers of Poteau Switch

2021-07-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

During the 1880’s, Poteau Switch was well known as a rough and tumble town. While most citizens made a go at civilization, it would be close to fifteen years before the law finally prevailed. The years immediately preceding and following the construction of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad were some of the wildest times for this young town.

Poteau Switch, 1890s

An 1806 territorial law banned the sale of alcohol to American Indians. Almost thirty years later, on June 30, 1834, Congress also prohibited distilleries in Indian Territory. Even though these laws were on the books, they did not deter anyone from slipping across the Arkansas border to purchase liquor. In fact, these laws were rarely enforced.

Before statehood, Indian Territory was governed by U.S. Marshals out of Ft. Smith. The Native Americans living in Indian Territory were self-governed. Because of this, the U.S. Marshals only had authority over white U.S. citizens. The few marshals that policed Indian Territory received little supervision, and some were almost as corrupt as the outlaws that freely roamed the future state.

The marshals were paid very little, so they focused on the cases that would earn them the most money. Chasing down whiskey peddlers was not high on their priority list.

While alcohol was outlawed in Indian Territory, it was freely available in Arkansas. After the St. Louis and San Francisco arrived, residents would board the train at Poteau Switch, travel through Cameron, and arrive in Jenson, Arkansas. Jenson was once a thriving border town, and many speculate that it was established with the sole purpose of supplying whiskey to people living in the Indian Territory.

The alcohol sold in Jenson was much stronger than what can be found in modern times. Much of the whiskey sold there was made with raw alcohol, burnt sugar, and a little chewing tobacco. It took on names such as Tanglefoot, Forty-Rod, Tarantula Juice, Taos Lightning, Red Eye, and Coffin Varnish.

The lax enforcement of the liquor laws mixed with the high content of alcohol made for a deadly brew. More fights turned deadly because of this than for any other reason. This, more than anything, was what gave Poteau Switch such a wild reputation.

This reputation was enhanced by such notorious criminals such as Belle Starr and the Younger Gang. Outlaws and bandits roamed widely across what would become southeastern Oklahoma. Forty miles to the east, Robbers cave was made famous as being a haven for outlaws hiding out. The area around Winding Stair Mountain, twenty-five miles south of Poteau Switch, also offered several well-concealed hideouts. Outlaws and bandits frequented the area now known as Horsethief Springs. Youngers Bend, home of Belle Starr and the Younger Gang, lie almost forty miles northeast of town. As Poteau Switch was one of the fastest growing towns in the area, and since it was in the heart of outlaw country, it’s easy to see why it attracted so many outlaws, bandits, and bootleggers.

The Wanderings of Belle Starr

The most famous frequent visitor to early day Poteau was Belle Starr. Sugarloaf Mountain, less than ten miles east of Poteau, is reputed to have been a popular hideout of Belle Starr and other Wild West outlaws. A local rumor says that a group of friends was exploring in the area one day and found a cave that contained saddles and guns. The legend says that there was a good amount of gold hidden at the rear of the cave, but since the cave has collapsed, this legend remains unproven.

Nearby, there was an old, run down shack where many of the early day outlaws would meet. Another rumor says that Belle Starr would occasionally go there and stay for extended periods. While this “hotel” has long since crumbled into dust, its foundation remains.

There are many old stories of early settlers in the area catching a glimpse of Belle Starr passing through Poteau Switch. While none of these accounts provide many details, it is certain that the frequently visited the town. Belle Starr was murdered on February 3, 1889.

One such story of Belle Starr in Poteau came from Mr. R. Lessel, an early day pioneer in the area. According to an interview done on him in the 1920’s, he recalls seeing Belle Starr in the company of two men. He and his sister were fishing in James Fork near Rock Island when he saw Belle Starr. Belle was dressed in men’s clothing, and everyone in her group was all armed with Winchesters and six-shooters. They paused to let their horses drink as they forded the creek. They were traveling south on the Old Fort Towson road, probably headed for Horse Thief Springs.

Another story originated in the area around 1875 when Belle Starr, along with Sam Starr and Choctaw Charlie held up some travelers from Missouri on their way to Texas. During the holdup, they took their horses, food, and clothing. It is claimed that this happened near where Poteau is today and a woman dressed in men's clothing was the leader.

Although Belle Starr wasn’t directly involved in this story, it offers good proof that she frequented the area. John Middleton, long associated with Belle Starr, reached Shady Point and a short distance to the swollen Poteau River at Hay Ford on Lewis Bend. Here unexpectedly he was confronted with Sam Starr with a drawn shotgun aimed at his head. The men argued. Starr was desperate. He accused Middleton of stealing his wife after he gave him one chance to leave her alone. Middleton made a quick draw for his gun and Starr emptied his gun in Middleton's face, blowing away a great portion of it. Middleton's horse, saddled and bridled, was found the next day, and his body a few hundred yards below the ford by local citizens. It was buried in a rough pine box in the Hemp Tally grave yard. An early Poteau newspaper stated that, "The citizens took charge of the race mare which he had stolen in Texas, two ivory handled pistols and a sum of money. This was all turned over to Dr. Jones, the P. M. at Shady Point and a Texas Sheriff, who had been pursuing Middleton and had the body exhumed. Not long after the sheriff left, Belle Starr came and demanded all of the property the dead man had that had been turned over to Dr. Jones."

Frank and Jesse James

Jesse James and Frank James were two brothers who were among the most notorious outlaws of the American West. Their exploits came to represent the hazards of the 19th-century frontier as it has been portrayed in motion picture Westerns.

Reared on a Missouri farm, Frank and Jesse shared their family’s sympathy with the Southern cause during the American Civil War. When frank joined William C. Quantrill’s Confederate guerrillas, he became friends with Cole Younger, a fellow member. Jesse followed suit by joining “Bloody” Bill Anderson’s guerrilla band. At the end of the war, the bands surrendered, but Jesse was reportedly shot and severely wounded by Federal soldiers while under a flag of truce.

He and Frank, joined by eight other men, began their outlaw career by robbing a bank in Liberty, Missouri on February 13, 1866. During the same year, Cole Younger joined the gang, with the other Younger brothers following his lead one by one during the next few years.

The James gang robbed banks from Iowa to Alabama and Texas and began holding up trains in 1873. The bandits also preyed upon stagecoaches, stores, and individuals. Throughout their long career and afterward, their exploits were seized upon by writers who exaggerated and romanticized their deeds to meet the demands of Eastern readers for bloody Western tales of derring-do. To the Missouri Ozark people, Jesse James emerged as a romantic figure, hounded into a life of crime by authorities who never forgave his allegiance to the South. Jesse and Frank did, in fact, always seek to justify their banditry on grounds of persecution.

On Sept. 7, 1876, the James gang was nearly destroyed while trying to rob the First National Bank at Northfield, Minn. Of the eight bandits, only the James brothers escaped death or capture. After gathering a new gang in 1879, the James brothers resumed robbing, and in 1881, Missouri governor Thomas T. Crittenden offered a $10,000 reward for their capture, dead or alive.

During the 1870's and early 1880's, Frank and Jessie James were known to have roamed throughout the region. In the book, "A Place Called Poteau", Jim Dennis, an early resident of Poteau, recalls how he saw Frank James trading at Cavanal. At one time, Cavanal was an early railroad town on the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad, six miles south of Poteau. Dennis states that he recalls Frank James purchasing groceries at the general mercantile store in Cavanal.

According to legend, Frank and Jesse James had a secret hideout on Riddle Creek, around 300 feet south of the Indian Territory line. Riddle Creek, a tributary off the Poteau River just south of Poteau, was well off the beaten path during that time.

Another legend says that east of Kulley Chaha, two miles in the Sugar Loaf Mountain foothills, the noted outlaws, Frank and Jesse James, had a secret hideout for three years where they secretly slipped away from the gang to rest and relax.

The rumor also says that that the boys’ hid loot consisting of rings, watches, gold, and silver, all obtained from various train and bank robberies. A total of $60,000 is hidden at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain. The ruins of the old hotel that they used as a hiding is visible and the old chimney place and surrounding grounds are pock marked with holes where people have dug.

Another legend claims that a secret stash of gold is located somewhere in the mountainous areas that make up the southern end of LeFlore County. Other secret stashes have been told of between robbers cave in the west, as well as in various places throughout the mountainous region.

While living at St. Joseph, Missouri, under the pseudonym of Thomas Howard, the unarmed Jesse was adjusting a picture on the wall in his home when he was shot in the back of the head and instantly killed. Bob Ford put an end to the James Legend with a single bullet on April 3, 1882.

A few months later, Frank James gave himself up. He was tried for murder in Missouri and found not guilty, tried for robbery in Alabama and found not guilty and finally tried for armed robbery in Missouri and again released. A free man, he retired to a quiet life on his family’s farm, dying in 1915 in the room in which he was born.

Education at Poteau Switch

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The first school in the area that would eventually become Poteau Switch was located where the St. Louis and San Francisco train depot now stands. Built sometime in the late 1870’s, this small schoolhouse only served a few families, both white and Choctaw. It was a one-room, wood frame structure with dirt floors.

Another school was established in 1887 near where Oakland Cemetery is now located. One of the teachers in this school was Belle Kidd Taylor. The cost of this building was paid for by public donations. These schools were also known as subscription schools, where the teachers were paid by the students that attended.

According to “A Place Called Poteau”, there was a third school erected on the corner of Hill and College. This was a two-story building. However, no further information about this school has been found.

Beyond these schools, there were several smaller “Indian” schools in the area.

Skullyville School 1890

In the early 1880’s, the schoolhouse served as the focus of most people’s lives outside of home and work. Besides being used for the daily routine of educating children, it also served as a place for the community to hold church services, parties, community parties, dances, and other events.

For the most part, school attendance was voluntary, and varied from day to day depending on the weather or the need for labor at home. By the 1890's, children were required to attend at least three months out of the year.

Teaching was a full-time job. As mentioned in the previous chapter, Jim Evans was the first schoolmaster and charged the students one dollar a month to attend. An interview of Montie Page from the early 1920’s describes the schoolroom as being sparsely furnished, and as there were no chairs, students were required to sit on the windowsills during class.

During the summer, the windows were left open in order to cool the room. During winter, the schoolhouse was heated by a pot-bellied stove, which did little to increase the temperature to a comfortable level. The heat would escape through small cracks in the walls and windows, making the schoolhouse unbearable at times.

As the population grew, it became apparent that this small structure wouldn’t suffice. By 1899, a new building had been constructed along Railroad Avenue in the southwest. Presently, this would be located between Beard Avenue and Husley Avenue, right off of Broadway Street.

During the 1890’s, perceptions about education in the United States had taken a dramatic turn. The government had instituted several new laws governing education. Schools were required to offer better facilities and meet specific guidelines laid out by the new laws.

This new building off Railroad Avenue was built with education in mind. The new, two-story structure measured 47 feet long by 23 feet wide and offered almost 1,140 square feet of space. The wood frame construction of the building ensured that the interior would be comfortable enough for both the students and the teacher.

Reading, good penmanship, and arithmetic were stressed more than the other subjects were. With the scarcity of books and paper, memorization and oral drilling were the primary ways that students learned. Occasionally, slate boards were used to practice writing and arithmetic.

While learning was taking place, good behavior and strict discipline were enforced. Students that didn't show the proper respect due to the schoolmaster were quickly introduced to the "ferula". The ferula was a rod or ruler 15 to 18 inches long used to strike the palms or buttocks. Other disciplinary measures included whipping, standing on the floor on one foot, and staying in during recess.

It can be assumed that a typical school day at Poteau Switch resembled that of any other small-town school across the country. Plumbing hadn’t arrived yet, so water had to be brought in every day before the students arrived, restroom breaks had to be taken at the outhouse, and kerosene lamps provided light on dark and dreary days.

Despite the hardships of formal education during the early days of Poteau, the students were well educated and brought up to become hard-working, dedicated members of society.

Just outside of Poteau Switch, there was also a school at Tarby Prairie during the late 1800's/early 1900's.

The Tarby Prairie School was a one-room log cabin. This was a subscription school, parents paying one dollar and a half a month for each scholar. It had a dirt floor and a clapboard roof. The students would sit on log benches and work at box desks. For light, two small half-windows were located on opposite sides of the building. A large fireplace was located on the other side by a door. The room measured sixteen feet square, and accommodated up to forty people.

While the school was still in operation, both Jim Bagwell and Walter Beard served as schoolteachers at different times.

Some of the Indian children who went to school there were the James, Willis, and Harris children.

Around 1905, a permanent schoolhouse was constructed at Tarby Prairie.

Maud E. McDaniels describes a little of the early schoolhouse:

The article of furniture which served as a desk was a small table at which all the pupils who were far enough advanced received instruction in penmanship. That table was too small to accommodate more than two people at one time, so each pupil in penmanship awaited his or her time for the use of the table.

This lack of necessary equipment caused much confusion for the reason that class recitals, in which a penmanship pupil was to take a part, were never complete.

The benches were uncomfortable in the extreme. They were made of split logs, the heart, or inner side smoothed, after a manner, for the for the surface of the bench, while the outer, or bark, side were inserted wooden pegs which served as legs for the bench. There were no backs to these benches.

Slates and slate pencils were used instead of tablets and lead pencils. In the absence of desks, those slates enabled the pupil to have a hard and firm surface on which to prepare a report of his lesson, something which could not be done with a loose leaf of paper so the primitive school slate not only provided a reasonably good desk, when placed upon the knees of the pupil, but had the added advantage of being ready for further use upon the erasure of completed work. Erasures were most easily made. The pupils usually were provided with a small sponge or cloth attached to the slate by means of a cord as an eraser but the rougher boys scorned this and when they desired to make an erasure would spit on the surface of the slat and with vigorous rubbing with the bare hand quickly remove all traces of previous work. The shirt and coat sleeves were also often called into use for this purpose.

Exceptionally cold days were hailed with great delight by the pupils as they afforded them excuses to leave their hard and uncomfortable seats and approach the fireplace to warm their almost frozen hands and feet. Nor more than half a dozen of them were permitted to leave their seats at the same time for that purpose. The discomfort experienced in an attempt to keep warm in a not too well built log cabin where the heat finds its way out through the openings at the eaves and the spaces between the warping clapboards, while cold air is constantly drawn in through badly chinked openings between the logs, can only be appreciated by those who have suffered it. Only children who were endowed with vigorous constitutions survived it. Both white and Indian children attended this school and both races mingled in the recreations of the school play yard.

Prior to statehood, there were two types of early schools in LeFlore County: The Indian schools, and the white "pay or subscription" schools. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, it was easy task for a white child to receive a good education in LeFlore County. Primarily, the reason being is that education was not a top priority to many pioneers on coming to Indian Territory. Many of the parents had a meager education and the need of it, they thought, in a virgin country was not as important as it was to be able to clear and break the new ground that was being put into cultivation. Young men were needed to do much of the farm work, along with cotton picking and corn gathering.

In many cases, white children were allowed to go to the Indian school by paying a small fee. The fees for schooling were typically $1.00 per month. This was often paid in meat, butter, and eggs, or by the parent in labor. No rural school could be organized on a legal basis before statehood. There were also no federal regulations on what the teacher could teach or what the teacher could be paid. Sometimes rules and regulations were set by members of the community, but most typically, someone would simply take over and begin a school.

Poteau Switch: The Early Years

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The No. 2 passenger train rolled in from Ft. Smith at precisely 1:39 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. The air brakes clamped hard on the wheels and the train slowly screeched to a halt. Curious onlookers watched as passengers step off the train and on to the wood-planked platform. Dust billows up along Railroad Avenue and then quickly dissipates, revealing a score of newly built businesses.

Across the street, a horse-drawn hack rumbles down Beard Avenue towards the train as passengers begin making the way across the tracks and into town. Most will stay at the newly established Fleener Hotel for the night, while others headed towards Cavanal stop only to rest their weary backs. The train only stops for fifteen minutes to take on coal and water, and to clean the fires before the whistle sounds and the train departs once more.

Back at Fleener’s Hotel, the onlookers continue to watch from a second story balcony. Rowdy laughter echoes through the door as men pass time playing poker or seven-up. The steady staccato of horse hooves ricochets off the wood-plank buildings. As they enter, the stale reek of cigar smoke welcomes them home for the night.

LIFE IN A FRONTIER TOWN

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 “Poteau Switch” took its name from the nearby Poteau River. The post office was located in Bud Tate’s general store, located on what would eventually become the courthouse lawn. The first postmaster that served Poteau Switch was Jap Evans.

Eight miles northeast of Poteau Switch, Cameron was a lively, bustling town. The town had a population that nearly doubled that of Poteau Switch. As the Federal court was located in Cameron, residents of Poteau Switch had to travel there for official business. Before the St. Louis and San Francisco established the first passenger service in Poteau, people had to travel on horseback through rugged terrain to reach Cameron. Traffic to Cameron was frequent, as the town also hosted the nearest passenger train service.

During this time, life in Poteau Switch resembled much of the rest of the country. The railroad depot served as the core of the town. As in many cities throughout the country, people milled about the depot as they waited for the train to arrive. Other groups congregated in one of the four hotels in the area, engrossed in popular gambling games such as poker or seven-up. During the hot summer months, porches in front of the businesses lining Railroad Avenue would be nearly overcrowded with people, while during the winter they would huddle up around their wood-burning stoves.

Much of the area surrounding Poteau Switch was dotted with large farms. Benjamin Harper, who was mentioned earlier, owned a large cotton farm on the land where the present downtown area of Poteau now resides. His house was located where the current Methodist Church resides now. Horses pulled the farmers crop-laden carts along the wide roads to the freight depot or to the market. Corn and cotton were among the more popular crops to plant. During this time, farmers would produce about 45 bushels of corn or 1 1/2 bales of cotton per acre. Poteau Switch area also contained numerous horse farms, hog farms, dairy farms, and cattle ranches.

Jap Evans, who would later become the first postmaster of Poteau Switch, lived just south of Benjamin Harper. Jap Evans kept many pigs on his farm. At night, the howl of Prairie wolves would echo loudly across the region. Occasionally, Evans would wake up to find that a good number of his pigs had been killed by the wolves.

During the early days, settlers into Poteau Switch simply began building where there was room. No town plan had ever been laid out, and remnants of this chaotic building spree can still be seen in modern Poteau. As mentioned before, the home of Bud Tate had to be moved in order to make room for the new railroad. Walter Beard’s blacksmith shop was once located in the center of Beard Avenue, near the corner of the current county courthouse. On present day Dewey Avenue, between South Witte Street and North Harper Street, Dewey begins curving significantly towards the south. An old story states that the reason the street is like that. During the time the street was laid out, a log cabin hung halfway over where the street was scheduled to go. The owner of the cabin refused to move it. Undeterred, the builders simply moved the street.

After the railroad came through Poteau Switch in 1886, the main business district began in the area where the courthouse lawn is today. After Bud Tate’s store was moved here, John Dennis and his son, Jim, built a store for William Anderson Welch, Sr. John and Jim Dennis also constructed a store for R.F. Forbes almost 200 feet south of Welch’s store, which would be known then as Forbes and Donage’s.

By 1890, Welch’s store became one of the most visited stores in the area. Welch’s store was close to 30 feet back from the edge of the present courthouse lawn. Bud Tate’s store had closed down, and the old Poteau Hotel was constructed in its place. Sam McKissack constructed the first blacksmith shop in Poteau. Other businesses located on the present courthouse square included two barbershops and a butcher shop. Cox’s Drug Store, Smith’s Millinery, the post office, and the city hall were all located in one building on the southeast corner of the courthouse square.

As Poteau Switch continued to expand, new wood-frame buildings were constantly under construction. Resembling a scene from an old western movie, these buildings ran the length of the St. Louis and San Francisco right-of-way for quite a distance. At this time, there were very few businesses on the southeast side of the tracks, where present day downtown Poteau now stands.
Since whisky was illegal in Indian Territory, saloons and other, such establishments didn’t exist. Still, that did not deter residents from seeking a good time. In 1886, Fleener’s Hotel was built directly across the street from Welch’s store and was one of the most popular destination spots at Poteau Switch. While many visitors came to the two-story hotel for the beds, others came for the entertainment. On weekends and for special occasions, Melvin Fleener would convert the dining room into a dance hall. Local musicians would play popular songs such as "When the Foeman Bares His Steel" or "When a Felon's Not Engaged".

Melvin Fleener served as the floor manager at these events, and he was a no-nonsense type of guy. One old report told that anyone who became too rowdy “was promptly and quietly visited by Fleener who hit the said unwanted customer in the head and took him out for fresh air.” In the front room, it was a common sight to see patrons playing gambling games. For the most part, these games remained civil. Occasionally, especially when whisky was smuggled in from Jensen, Arkansas, the games got too heated. Pistols would appear and Fleener would have to take drastic measures. On October 5, 1898, Melvin Fleener closed the hotel for good. By then, he had been in business for twelve years and wanted a rest.

Besides Fleener’s, other hotels included the smaller Howell hotel and the Poteau Hotel, both located on northwest side of the tracks. Hotel Eastern was the only one on the other side, and it was almost as big as Fleeners.

Several millinery stores and barbershops served the more fastidious residents, as well as the casual visitor.

For men, a weekly visit to the barbershop was almost essential. As the town grew in stature, any well-respected man in Poteau Switch had to keep a clean and tidy appearance. Many could no longer be seen as a shaggy-looking settler. The three barbershops in town kept a brisk business, serving not only the residents of the town but also serving the many railroad travelers.

Most shops were small and tidy. The shop consists of a straight-backed chair with a head piece resembling a crutch, a basin of water, a piece of common soap and a brush, 'setting' chairs and enough towels to last a week; "One towel to every ten to twelve customers.” Haircuts were generally five or ten cents and shaves were three cents.

As the barbershops were of paramount importance to men, the millinery stores were essential for women. During the late 19th century, etiquette articles suggest that it would be a disgraceful act for a woman to venture out of the house without a hat or even gloves. The two millinery stores at Poteau Switch served the population well. Massively elaborate hats to simple schoolgirl bonnets were produced here.

Fashion followed the same lines as it did across the rest of the country. Men typically dressed well, wearing slacks, button down shirts covered with fashionable vests, and the ever-present fedora. Even while working, men still wore button down shirts, minus the vest, and comfortable trousers held up by suspenders. Women’s dress was a quite a bit more elaborate. Fancy dresses and ornate hats were standard. The dresses typically consisted of a tight bodice with the skirt gathered at the waist and sweeping down to the ground. Underneath, women wore tight fitting corsets, a trend that wouldn’t disappear for many years. It could easily take a woman more than an hour to get dressed, and a change of clothes was required for different events throughout the day.

Most clothing and other common household items were purchased through the local general stores, but many people opted to purchase these items through mail order catalogues. Companies such as Montgomery Ward sent catalogs all across the country, and many people of Poteau Switch took advantage. Within a few weeks, the items they had ordered would arrive by train.

Besides the general merchandise stores, Poteau Switch boasted of having a hardware store, a furniture store, and a cobbler. For such a young town, this in itself proves the rapid growth that took part here.

When people were sick or injured, they relied on one of the two drug stores in the town. During the 1880’s, Dr. Cox was the only doctor in town. He also owned the largest drug store in the area. While these stores did a brisk business, most people relied on home remedies for minor irritations. In fact, during this time, whiskey seemed to be the cure for any type of ailment.

The drug stores stocked the medicines that were available to them. Rows of glass bottles lined the shelves with such unique labels as “Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People", "Beechham's Pills", and "Ayer's Sarsaparilla". These pills promised to do everything from changing the color of one’s skin to instantly reliving constipation. Opiates were welcomed as an ideal tonic, and large numbers of Americans became addicted. Antiseptics and Antibiotics were not available until after the 1900’s. Even aspirin, the modern day cure-all, was not invented until 1899, and it would be several years until they gained widespread popularity.

Even with their lack of modern medicine, doctors and druggists got by fairly well. Most physical ailments were treated to the satisfaction of the patient. Diet and exercise in the form of physical labor contributed to the wellbeing of the residents of Poteau Switch.

As the area around Poteau Switch was mainly agricultural, and game was varied, most residents were able to keep a healthy diet. Two butcher shops supplied residents with fresh meat from the nearby farms. In addition, the two grocery stores imported foods by rail from around the country and sold them to local residents.

Mentioned previously, people relied on horse for travel throughout the area. Farmers also made great use of horses, as powerful machinery had not arrived in Poteau Switch yet. To house the large population of horse in the area, several stables were constructed throughout town. These stables were located on just about every corner of old Poteau Switch, and it seemed that there were more stables than there were businesses.

For those traveling about Poteau Switch, a livery yard was established. The livery yard offered horses and teams for hire, and provided a place where privately owned horses could be boarded for a short time. In addition to providing vital transportation service, the livery was the source of hay, grain, coal, and wood. Because of the stench, noise, and vermin that surrounded the livery, cities and towns attempted to control their locations and activities. Often the scene of gambling, cockfighting, and stag shows, they were condemned as sources of vice. With the advent of the automobile after 1910, the livery stables quietly disappeared.

This one and a half story building was located on the southwest end of town. Towards the northeast, near the edge of town, a larger wagon yard was established. This wagon yard provided the same services as the livery, but also offered wagons and buggies for hire.

The shop owner’s homes were scattered about the outskirts of the main business district. Beyond that, the larger farmers’ homes were scattered about the countryside. Even though these homes were not large, they served the residents well.

Typically, most homes averaged an area of around 500 square feet. Larger, more lavish homes, like the ones found behind the few shops along Dewey Avenue could range closer to 2,000 square feet, but these were rare. By 1899, there were only two houses that equaled this size.

Most homes consisted of a single room, or, at most, a couple small rooms separated by full-length partitions. As the inhabitants of Poteau Switch grew more settled, larger “cottage” style homes began to replace the older homes.

As modern electricity was a thing of the future, homes during this time consisted of an iron wood-burning stove for cooking and heating and kerosene lamps were used for light. During the hot summer months, residents would spend most of their time cooling off on their wide porches. Many times, especially during the hottest times of the year, people would sleep outside in order to stay cool.

The First White Settlers Poteau in LeFlore County, Oklahoma

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Nearly a decade after the final shot was fired during the Civil War westward expansion was in full gallop. Many people fled from homes that had been ravaged by the war and headed towards the untamed wilds in search for a new start. Many of these early settlers passed through Fort Smith and on into the Indian Territory.

Just before this influx of new settlers, the area around modern day Poteau was a hunter and trapper's paradise. There was plenty of wild game, such as black bear, panther, timber wolves, and along the Poteau River, there were raccoon and other small fur bearing animals. Fur buyers out of Ft. Smith would travel to the camps set up at the base of Cavanal Mountain and purchase fur from the trappers. After the Civil War, this began to change as more settlers arrived.

Map showing Northern LeFlore County near Poteau during the late 1800s

While most of the early settlers were hard working, law-abiding citizens, infamous groups such as the Belle Starr gang and outlaws such as Frank and Jesse James still roamed the countryside. The land was still wild and rugged, but for many, this was the perfect place to begin a new life.

The first pioneers in LeFlore county included gamblers, whiskey peddlers, speculators, and vagabond squatters on Indian land. Along with this group, other more law-abiding citizens came to settle the country. These early settlers found a hard life waiting for them. The mountainous region where Poteau now stands was covered with dense forests and tall sage grass. Hunting was bountiful, but newcomers quickly had to learn how to deal with the coyotes and cougars that ranged throughout the mountains.

Before the white settlers arrived, the Choctaw had already established a small community. While many Choctaw Indians already lived in the area around modern-day Poteau, white migration into the area did not occur until 1875. Bill Allen and his family were the first to arrive. They bought large tracts of land from the Choctaw and immediately began making improvements.

Some sources claim that James Wilson and his family also settled in the Poteau area, but this is mostly incorrect. While the Wilson family did come to Indian Territory, they only stayed for a year before moving back to Indiana.

In 1874, the Wilson family loaded their possessions in a covered wagon and moved from Indiana to Tamaha in the Indian Territory. They arrived after spending many weeks traveling over shoddy roads and immediately began constructing a rudimentary shelter and planting crops to sustain them. After a year of trying to barely survive, the hardships became too much. They had lived in the Indian Territory for a little less than a year, and, after the fall harvest, they had to give up and return to Indiana.

Sam Yost was nine years old when James Wilson brought him to Indian Territory. After the Wilson's left, Yost moved to the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain and lived with a full-blood Choctaw family by the name of Seerat. Seerat owned a large farm and ranch, and needing help, took Sammy on and brought him up as his own. While Yost never lived in Poteau Switch, he was one of the first white men to settle in the area.

In 1881, Buck and Hester Davis were the third white family to arrive in the area. They settled on the hill immediately west of Tarby Lake, presently named Poteau City Lake, near where the St. Louis and San Francisco and Kansas City Southern tracks cross. Prior to the St. Louis and San Francisco water pump being installed, the lake was much larger than it appears today. Drought, combined with the constant pumping out of the water for the railroads, caused the water levels in the lake to drop. Subsequent development further drained the water and backfilled the old lakebed until it appears as it does today.

When Buck Davis moved his family from Sugar Loaf Creek to the future Poteau area, he moved with horses and wagons. Besides bringing his immediate family, several of his relatives also followed him to the area. Among those relatives were Davis's younger sister and husband, Ophelia Davis and John Calloway Monroe Maxey, as well as Hester's sister and husband, Dezina Noe and Robert Wilson Turman.

Travel to the Town Creek area was rough for the Davis family. Before modern water control was established, the Poteau River was wildly unpredictable. By the time they arrived at the river, the waters were up and the river churned violently. Knowing that it was unsafe to cross, they dumped their belongings on the bank and waited for the water to go down. When the water finally went down, they carefully crossed the river at what was then called Anderson Ford. Anderson Ford was most likely directly east of the end of modern day Roanoke Avenue, just before the river curve.

Once they arrived at Tarby Lake, the Davis family set about building a one-room peeled log house. Within this ten by twenty foot log house, there were three beds and a fireplace to keep the family warm. Shortly after the log home was built, they built a log smoke house in back.

Buck Davis

Hester Jane Davis

Throughout the first years of Poteau’s history, Buck Davis would be instrumental in the development of the future town.

The closest town during this time was Kulley Chaha, located almost five ½ miles northeast of present day Poteau. The few families that lived in the area had to travel to Kully Chaha for supplies. Travel was rough, and the men traveling on horseback had to ford the Poteau River to get to the town.

After settling in, Buck Davis began taking his skiff-boat across the river, just below where the Slough runs into the river. He would then use this boat to carry people across the river, and swim their horses to the opposite side. As this crossing became more popular, Davis decided to build a ferryboat. He cut pine logs and hewed the gunwales by himself. He then he went up to Pace's Saw Mill, which was located above the McKenna Fruit Farm on Cavanal Mountain, to get lumber for the floor of the boat.

The sturdy ferry could easily accommodate a team and wagon, with enough room left over to walk around freely. Ramps were installed at either end to allow for easy loading and unloading. Four-foot high banisters ran along the length of the sides to ensure safety and to keep the horses in place. Once the ferry was running, Davis would typically charge fifty cents to ferry people across the river. During the times that the river was up, he would raise his price. The old ferry is most likely located where the current Old State Highway 112 Bridge crosses the Poteau River.

While this ferry helped spur the growth of the area, it also cost Davis the life of his son. While Buck Davis was constructing the ferry in 1884, he sent his son, Garret Wilson Davis, up to Cavanal Mountain to get lumber. Garret was about half way down the mountain when the wagon, stacked full with lumber, turned over and killed him. Garret was only nineteen years old.

The remaining children of Buck and Hester attended school in 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 dollar a month to attend. While this fee paid for his salary and other teaching supplies, it did not leave enough left over for furniture. The children had to use the windowsills for seats.

After Buck Davis arrived in Poteau, other families slowly began trickling in. Even though the Choctaw originally owned the land, they didn’t mind this new migration of white settlers. In fact, they used this to their advantage. Indians received royalties from income generated by these settlers. Most of these royalties were generated from mining and lumber.

Benjamin Harper was among those few pioneers who also decided to make the area his home. Despite his meager education, he would grow to become one of Poteau’s most influential citizens.

Harper was only 16 when he was thrust out into the world to fend for himself. When he was a young boy, his father died in the Civil War. Six months after his sixteenth birthday, his mother died, and young Harper had to decide what to do with his life.

For the next two years, Harper began his adult life earning pennies a day by working on a farm. In 1875, he decided to go into business for himself. Newly married, the small family bought a farm near Hackett City, where they spent the next few years making improvements on the property. By 1882, the industrious family had accumulated enough money to buy a large tract of land southeast of the old town of Poteau.

After purchasing this land, Harper then built a large, two-story house near the foot of Cavanal Mountain. His early successes in the agriculture industry vaulted him into a whirlwind of activity. During the next few years, he continued to purchase land near Poteau. He owned a twelve-acre fruit farm, several cattle farms and a large ranch where he raised horses. Besides his agricultural successes, he was made several profitable banking investments. He promoted the first cotton gin in the area, helped establish the first planing mill in Poteau, and owned a large sawmill that supplied much of early Poteau’s lumber.

Throughout the early 1880’s, Poteau remained a serene agricultural community. Farms dotted the countryside, intermixed with large strands of pine and hardwood forests. Developed roads were non-existent, and residents had to travel over an hour on horseback to reach the nearest general store. As more people trickled in, the population of the area grew significantly.

Another early settler in Poteau Switch was Millard “Bud” House. He came to Poteau Switch with his parents in 1885. In the late 1870’s, they made the trip into Indian Territory from Arkansas by ox team and wagon. From that time until 1885, it is unknown where they lived, however, it is possible that they settled somewhere around Kully Chaha.

After arriving at Poteau Switch, they leased a small tract of land from a full blood Choctaw Indian by the name of Isreal Huentobie. There was a double log house on the tract of land and fifteen acres were ready for cultivation. Millard’s father worked as a logger while the rest of the family cultivated the land. They raised corn on all the land except for a small garden patch, which was reserved for family use. It took a great deal of corn for the three yoke of oxen used in logging, and corn had to be bought when the corn they had raised had been used up. They paid from 50 cents to one dollar per bushel for the corn in which they bought.

harvesting timber outside of Heavener, late 1800’s

Millard's father was an experienced timber man. His father and J. W. Cooper took a job of cutting logs and rafting them to a mill at Fort Smith. Mr. House did this for seven years. The logs were mostly cut on Sugar Creek and were mostly Walnut, Cedar, and Cherry, although some oak logs were cut. These logs were hauled to the Arkansas River at the nearest point where they were arranged on seventy-five to 100 foot rafts and floated to Fort Smith. Cooper and House kept twenty-four men for their logging operations.

Logging near Heavener, late 1800s

At one time the river got very high and the rafts had to be watched very closely as they would be stolen. A large rowboat was used to follow and guide the rafts. Another time, the river got so high that the great loss and damage was caused to the surrounding country and many heads of livestock were drowned. In following the log rafts the carcasses of many hogs, cattle, and other stock could be seen floating in the water or lodged in tree. The house family lost some cattle and hogs in the flood. The Indians had so many wild hogs in the river bottom that no estimate could be made of the hogs that they lost.

Later, Millard’s father was involved in the Oklahoma Land run when the Strip opened in 1893. He did not stake a claim and returned to Poteau. Shortly after he returned to Poteau, he gathered his family and moved to Cleveland. Oklahoma.

Another enterprising man saw great potential in the undeveloped area. In 1885, Bud Tate moved to Poteau. He built his home on what became the St. Louis and San Francisco right-of-way, south of where present day College Avenue and Broadway Streets cross. Tate lived in the back of this house, while the front served as the first general merchandise store in the area.

Along with the ferry that Buck Davis built a few years earlier, Tate’s store would serve as a major boon to the early development of Poteau. Residents no longer had to travel several miles to purchase much needed supplies. This convenience helped draw even more people to the Poteau area.

Despite the popularity of Tate’s store, it wouldn’t remain there for long. The following year, he was forced to move to a new location. The St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad company had bought the land in order to run a new railroad, and Tate’s house and store was located where the tracks needed to be laid.

Bud Tate wasn’t deterred; the store was too valuable to the community. John Dennis, and his son, Jim, built another store for Tate six hundred feet south of its former location, on what would become part of the courthouse lawn.

The American Civil War Changes the Choctaw Nation (1861-1865)

2021-07-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

The American Civil War took more American lives than any other war in history. It so divided the people of the United States that in some families’, brother fought against brother. In Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, the four years that the United States was embroiled in Civil War were chaotic times for the Native Americans.

Because of the number of slaveholders among its leadership, the Choctaw people were the most strongly committed of the Indian Territory's nations to the Southern cause. Soon after the war started, the Choctaw Nation signed a treaty with the Confederate government in 1861. Ultimately, this, along with the white western migration, would lead to the collapse of the Choctaw Nation.

On February 7, 1861, the Choctaw nation announced its loyalty to the Confederacy. An agreement among the Choctaw Leaders was reached at their tribal council in Doaksville:

“That we view with deep regret and great solicitude the present unhappy political disagreement between the Northern and Southern states of the American Union, tending to a permanent dissolution of the Union and the disturbance of the various important relations existing with that government by treaty stipulations and international laws, and portending much injury to the Choctaw government and people. …

“That in the event a permanent dissolution of the American Union takes place, our many relations with the general government must cease, and we shall be left to follow the natural affections, education, institutions and interests of our people, which indissolubly bind us in every way to the destiny of our neighbors and brethren of the Southern states.”

This event marked the true beginning of the Civil War in the Indian Territory.

Doaksville, Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society

While the Union and Confederate forces clashed in the east, the Choctaw, along with the Chickasaw, clashed with the Union supporting Creeks and Cherokees. This formed a kind of civil war within a civil war.

This was due in part to the Confederate forces capture of Fort Smith. The capture of Fort Smith led to the union withdraws from Indian Territory. After the Native Americans were settled in Indian Territory, the U.S. Government created several forts in order to help keep the peace between the tribes. After the war started, and after the capture of Fort Smith, the forts in Indian Territory were abandoned in order to supply more troops to the main battlegrounds.

The Choctaw’s also sympathized more strongly with southern sentiment than the Cherokees. Prior to the Civil War, The Choctaws led an agricultural existence, relying on slaves to do the hard labor. This way of life was being threatened, and they had no choice other than to side with the Confederates.

The Choctaw soldiers were poorly clothed, poorly fed, unpaid, and arms and ammunition was scarce. They were untrained and undisciplined. Under these conditions, the Choctaw people quickly became demoralized throughout the war. Because of this, many soldiers, along with civilians not involved with the war, took refuge in a camp on top of Winding Stair Mountain.

During the Civil War, Indian Territory was plunged into chaos. Even though the devastation was not as significant as it was further east, many homes and lives were still ruined by the effects of war.

One of the most significant impacts on the Choctaw economy was that of cattle theft. Prior to the Civil War, great numbers of cattle were herded from Texas, across Oklahoma, and into Kansas or Missouri. Known as the Great Cattle Drives, this was a significant source of income for many who were located along the cattle trails, as well as those Choctaws who raised livestock in the area.

During the Civil War, well-organized bands of thieves stealing cattle and horses practically stripped the county of livestock under pretext of army use. During this time, a yoke of oxen was worth $50.00, cows $10, and horses were worth $20 each. Cattle thieves would steal the cattle and then drive them to the border of Kansas. Once in Kansas, the livestock would be sold with fake bills of sale. They were also taken to Texas to be sold. This continued until the close of the war when the Indian chiefs took drastic steps to stop this.

On June 19, 1865, Peter Pitchlyn, who was the Choctaw Chief, surrendered the last of the Choctaw Troops who were stationed at Doaksville. On April 28, 1866, a peace treaty was signed in Washington. Once the war was over, the Choctaws were slow in returning to their lands.

The Confederacy's fall meant that the Five Tribes were forced to negotiate new treaties with the U.S. government. As defeated nations, they were forced to cede territory and to comply with the United States' demands for expanded railroad rights-of-way across Indian lands. The federal government also forced them to sell their western lands. It was during the negotiations of these treaties that Choctaw chief Allen Wright suggested the name "Oklahoma" for the western territory that the tribe was forced to relinquish for the settlement of western tribes.

Captain Reynolds and his wife, 1870s, shortly after relocating to Indian Territory following the American Civil War

The result of the Civil War was to undermine tribal governments. The conflict opened Indian Territory to exploitation by railroads and non-Indian ranchers, coal miners, and commercial entrepreneurs. It set up the Dawes Commission to register Indian families and parcel out individual plots of land. In 1889, the Oklahoma Territory was opened to white settlement.

Although the Choctaw Nation had tried to regulate the activities of non-Indians by imposing fees and licenses, and in the 1870s to regulate marriage between tribal citizens and non-Indians, the nation was quickly overwhelmed by noncitizens. They had suffered thefts, violent crimes and murders at the hands of whites and other tribal members. In the decades that followed, the Choctaw Nation essentially became a non-entity as more whites settled on land formerly owned by the tribe.