Pushmataha County Historical Society
Encyclopedia
The Pushmataha County Historical Society is a historical society
devoted to collecting and preserving the history of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
. It is headquartered in the historic Frisco Depot
in Antlers, Oklahoma
, which it operates as a public museum
.
The organization’s first meeting was held on April 10, 1984 at which a constitution and by-laws were adopted. Incorporation as a not-for-profit entity had already been established.
A general membership drive began at once, and proved successful.
. Built by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, also called the Frisco, in 1913, it had fallen into disrepair and general disuse. The Frisco had ended passenger operations in 1958 and in 1981 it ended all remaining freight operations. At that time the railroad track and trestles
north of Antlers were removed. Track south of Antlers continued in operation for purposes of hauling pulpwood
, which was loaded onto rail cars at the Antlers Depot until 1999, when a loading facility was built just south of town.
Burlington Northern Railroad
—the successor to the Frisco Railroad—gave the depot to the new Pushmataha County Historical Society in June 1985. Efforts began immediately to stabilize the building and restore it. A new roof, some new window glass, electrical wiring and a furnace and air conditioning system were installed. Much of the labor was donated by area residents.
A second major initiative was identifying and inventorying all cemeteries in Pushmataha County. Many cemeteries both large and small were found, and each grave
was carefully listed. As a companion effort the burial records of the local funeral home
, Mills-Coffey Funeral Home, were used to accomplish as complete an inventory for each burial site as possible. This effort culminated in the publication of a book in 1988, Pushmataha County Cemeteries—Old and New.
As part of the cemetery identification project almost 12,000 burials and grave sites were inventoried at approximately 119 locations. Several volunteers completed this mammoth project, including co-chairmen Jerry Miller and Everett Helm, assisted by Allan Birdsell, Kay Black, Kenneth and Myrtle Edmond, Christine Ives, Marjorie Rember, and others.
the Pushmataha County Historical Society has placed historical exhibits on public display as well as established a research library
. Volunteers staff the facility throughout the week. The Depot itself is an artifact from an earlier time—the interior is divided into separate waiting rooms for white people and black people, with separate sets of toilets—allowing the society to educate visitors about the effect that lack of equal rights
and racial equality
had on both architecture and social customs.
Ownership of the Depot has been contested recently. Originally given by Burlington Northern to the historical society, the society appears to have deeded it inadvertently to the City of Antlers as part of a legal process intended to accomplish other objectives. The city now maintains the Depot, relieving the society of the responsibility. In exchange, however, the city has placed the Pushmataha County Chamber of Commerce in a portion of the facility originally used for historical exhibits.
No official projects are currently underway, nor does the society have a publications program, although the society remains active in opening the facility throughout the week, giving tours, and conducting research on behalf of the public. In addition, individual members are or have recently contributed to the historical legacy through a variety of methods.
Indian allottee— was a gifted writer and trained journalist who collected historical information for decades before compiling and publishing it. Born in 1902 in Antlers, Indian Territory—when it was a part of Jack’s Fork County in the Choctaw Nation
—she was an active witness to the county’s history until her death March 22, 2010.
Kay Black, another society member, has been active in compiling vital records from a variety of sources. The results of her research are not published formally, but have been released as painstakingly detailed unpublished books. Because the county court house burned during the Great Depression
, Ms. Black has used primary historical sources, such as newspapers, to compile much of the data. She has also used census data generated by the former Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory, and afterward by the U.S. Government.
Another society member is currently working on a multi-year effort to index the county’s newspapers. Numerous newspaper titles have been published since 1900, when the county was still a part of the Indian Territory
, through the present. Many of these newspapers will not digitize well due to their deteriorated condition at time of microfilming, and may never be satisfactorily searched via the Internet. They will require “human agency” to read each and make note of significant data.
Artifacts
Many three-dimensional pieces, or artifacts
, held by the historical society provide insight into Pushmataha County’s origins as a territorial and farming community.
One particularly unique piece is a large-sized wall map of the county published in the early years of the Twentieth Century. It shows many locales—school sites; sawmill villages; and train stations—which have disappeared entirely. The map came from the office of the county superintendent of education, an office which no longer exists.
Other pieces illustrate education and schools, farming, and other accouterments of daily life in Pushmataha County and its communities.
Research Library
The research library includes all the county newspapers on microfilm, as well as copies of census data. The first extant newspaper title published in what is now Pushmataha County is dated January 1900. The record extends unbroken from that year through the present via several newspaper titles published in Antlers, Albion, Clayton and Tuskahoma.
In addition the library includes a print collection of books and other information, including unpublished manuscripts. One set of manuscripts are printouts of relevant interviews conducted of county pioneers in the 1930s and assembled as the Indian-Pioneer Papers. Over 60 interviews are represented.
The collection also includes many photographs, some dating from territorial times, charting the settlement and establishment of civilization and society in the county.
in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma
. The building now serves as the National Museum, and features historical exhibits and other information.
The Pushmataha County Historical Society Collection, held by the Western History Collections of the University of Oklahoma Libraries, contains many copies of the society’s photographs. These have been indexed and cataloged, and some have been made available online.
An unusual and interesting historical marker, or monument, is located on top of Big Mountain, north of Moyers, Oklahoma
and west of Kosoma, Oklahoma
. Formally called the AT6 Monument
, it marks the location of a fatal airplane crash during World War II which killed Royal Air Force
pilots sent to the U.S. for training by the British Government.
The crash occurred during stormy weather and involved two fighter planes—the other impact site is located on White Rock Mountain above Moyers; no marker has been erected there. The AT6 Memorial was dedicated on February 21, 2000 by the school children of Rattan, Oklahoma
, in the presence of over 1,000 people. Visitors included many from the United Kingdom, as well as the official air attaches from the embassies of the United Kingdom and New Zealand in Washington, D.C., and the British Vice Consul from the country’s consulate in Houston, Texas.
While not a formal project of the historical society, many society members assisted the school children by aiding with the logistics necessary in carrying out the dedication ceremony and reception afterward, generating worldwide publicity. Wire services around the world carried the story, as did the British Broadcasting Corporation, American television and radio outlets, and many state and local newspapers, all of which sent reporters to cover the event.
The AT6 Monument
stands in a grove of pine trees aside a large boulder
which the wrecked plane struck and turned upright—almost as a natural tombstone, as local residents sent to investigate the crash noted.
:
Historical society
A historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
devoted to collecting and preserving the history of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
-Administrative History:* Ca. 1000-1500: Caddoan Mississippian civilization at Spiro Mounds* 1492-1718: Spain* 1718-1763: France* 1763-1800: Spain* 1800-1803: France* 1803–present: United States...
. It is headquartered in the historic Frisco Depot
Antlers Frisco Depot and Antlers Spring
The Frisco Depot and adjacent Antlers Spring are historic sites in Antlers, Oklahoma. The sites are a part of the National Register of Historic Places, in which they appear as a single entry.-Establishing the Railroad:...
in Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers is a city in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. The population was 2,552 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pushmataha County.-Geography:Antlers is located at...
, which it operates as a public museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
.
Origin of the society
Although Pushmataha County was created on November 16, 1907 – the day of Oklahoma’s statehood – no historical society was established for almost 80 years. On January 20, 1984 a group interested in preserving the history of the county met at the Diamond Steak House in Antlers to found a historical society. At this meeting the following offices were established and the following officers elected: Carl Wood, president; Dorothy Arnote West, vice president; Jimi Moyer Cocke, treasurer; and Anne Halley Smallwood, secretary. John Cocke and Mary Olive Wood were elected as directors.The organization’s first meeting was held on April 10, 1984 at which a constitution and by-laws were adopted. Incorporation as a not-for-profit entity had already been established.
A general membership drive began at once, and proved successful.
Mission and Accomplishments
The first major goal of the historical society was to obtain, and preserve, the historic Antlers Frisco Depot and Antlers SpringAntlers Frisco Depot and Antlers Spring
The Frisco Depot and adjacent Antlers Spring are historic sites in Antlers, Oklahoma. The sites are a part of the National Register of Historic Places, in which they appear as a single entry.-Establishing the Railroad:...
. Built by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad, also called the Frisco, in 1913, it had fallen into disrepair and general disuse. The Frisco had ended passenger operations in 1958 and in 1981 it ended all remaining freight operations. At that time the railroad track and trestles
Trestles
Trestles is a collection of surfing spots at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County, California. Trestles consists of, from north to south, Upper Trestles , Lower Trestles , and Middle Trestles . North of Upper Trestles is the surf spot called Cottons...
north of Antlers were removed. Track south of Antlers continued in operation for purposes of hauling pulpwood
Pulpwood
Pulpwood refers to timber with the principal use of making wood pulp for paper production.-Applications:* Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance...
, which was loaded onto rail cars at the Antlers Depot until 1999, when a loading facility was built just south of town.
Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
—the successor to the Frisco Railroad—gave the depot to the new Pushmataha County Historical Society in June 1985. Efforts began immediately to stabilize the building and restore it. A new roof, some new window glass, electrical wiring and a furnace and air conditioning system were installed. Much of the labor was donated by area residents.
A second major initiative was identifying and inventorying all cemeteries in Pushmataha County. Many cemeteries both large and small were found, and each grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
was carefully listed. As a companion effort the burial records of the local funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
, Mills-Coffey Funeral Home, were used to accomplish as complete an inventory for each burial site as possible. This effort culminated in the publication of a book in 1988, Pushmataha County Cemeteries—Old and New.
As part of the cemetery identification project almost 12,000 burials and grave sites were inventoried at approximately 119 locations. Several volunteers completed this mammoth project, including co-chairmen Jerry Miller and Everett Helm, assisted by Allan Birdsell, Kay Black, Kenneth and Myrtle Edmond, Christine Ives, Marjorie Rember, and others.
Current status
Since acquiring the Antlers Frisco Depot and Antlers SpringAntlers Frisco Depot and Antlers Spring
The Frisco Depot and adjacent Antlers Spring are historic sites in Antlers, Oklahoma. The sites are a part of the National Register of Historic Places, in which they appear as a single entry.-Establishing the Railroad:...
the Pushmataha County Historical Society has placed historical exhibits on public display as well as established a research library
Research library
A research library is a library which contains an in-depth collection of material on one or several subjects . A research library will generally include primary sources as well as secondary sources...
. Volunteers staff the facility throughout the week. The Depot itself is an artifact from an earlier time—the interior is divided into separate waiting rooms for white people and black people, with separate sets of toilets—allowing the society to educate visitors about the effect that lack of equal rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
and racial equality
Racial equality
Racial equality means different things in different contexts. It mostly deals with an equal regard to all races.It can refer to a belief in biological equality of all human races....
had on both architecture and social customs.
Ownership of the Depot has been contested recently. Originally given by Burlington Northern to the historical society, the society appears to have deeded it inadvertently to the City of Antlers as part of a legal process intended to accomplish other objectives. The city now maintains the Depot, relieving the society of the responsibility. In exchange, however, the city has placed the Pushmataha County Chamber of Commerce in a portion of the facility originally used for historical exhibits.
No official projects are currently underway, nor does the society have a publications program, although the society remains active in opening the facility throughout the week, giving tours, and conducting research on behalf of the public. In addition, individual members are or have recently contributed to the historical legacy through a variety of methods.
Recent and ongoing projects
In 2002 society member Dorothy Arnote West, then almost 100 years old, published the landmark Pushmataha—The Early Years. This book chronicled the origin and development of Pushmataha County through the 1930s. Ms. West—an original ChoctawChoctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Indian allottee— was a gifted writer and trained journalist who collected historical information for decades before compiling and publishing it. Born in 1902 in Antlers, Indian Territory—when it was a part of Jack’s Fork County in the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
—she was an active witness to the county’s history until her death March 22, 2010.
Kay Black, another society member, has been active in compiling vital records from a variety of sources. The results of her research are not published formally, but have been released as painstakingly detailed unpublished books. Because the county court house burned during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Ms. Black has used primary historical sources, such as newspapers, to compile much of the data. She has also used census data generated by the former Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory, and afterward by the U.S. Government.
Another society member is currently working on a multi-year effort to index the county’s newspapers. Numerous newspaper titles have been published since 1900, when the county was still a part of the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, through the present. Many of these newspapers will not digitize well due to their deteriorated condition at time of microfilming, and may never be satisfactorily searched via the Internet. They will require “human agency” to read each and make note of significant data.
Historical collection
The Antlers Depot is one of the county’s most historic buildings. Its large, airy rooms lend themselves well to their present purpose as a history museum. The Depot contains both artifacts and information.Artifacts
Many three-dimensional pieces, or artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
, held by the historical society provide insight into Pushmataha County’s origins as a territorial and farming community.
One particularly unique piece is a large-sized wall map of the county published in the early years of the Twentieth Century. It shows many locales—school sites; sawmill villages; and train stations—which have disappeared entirely. The map came from the office of the county superintendent of education, an office which no longer exists.
Other pieces illustrate education and schools, farming, and other accouterments of daily life in Pushmataha County and its communities.
Research Library
The research library includes all the county newspapers on microfilm, as well as copies of census data. The first extant newspaper title published in what is now Pushmataha County is dated January 1900. The record extends unbroken from that year through the present via several newspaper titles published in Antlers, Albion, Clayton and Tuskahoma.
In addition the library includes a print collection of books and other information, including unpublished manuscripts. One set of manuscripts are printouts of relevant interviews conducted of county pioneers in the 1930s and assembled as the Indian-Pioneer Papers. Over 60 interviews are represented.
The collection also includes many photographs, some dating from territorial times, charting the settlement and establishment of civilization and society in the county.
Related historical collections and sites
Another museum in Pushmataha County not affiliated or allied with the county historical society is that of the Choctaw Nation, located in the Choctaw Capitol BuildingChoctaw Capitol Building
The Choctaw Capitol Building is a historic site in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma two miles north of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. The Choctaw National Council House is located here, as well as the Old Town Cemetery of Tuskahoma....
in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma
Tuskahoma, Oklahoma
Tuskahoma is a community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, four miles east of Clayton, Oklahoma.-History:A United States Post Office was established at Tushka Homma, Indian Territory on February 27, 1884. On October 28, 1891, the spelling changed to Tushkahomma. On December 6, 1910 the...
. The building now serves as the National Museum, and features historical exhibits and other information.
The Pushmataha County Historical Society Collection, held by the Western History Collections of the University of Oklahoma Libraries, contains many copies of the society’s photographs. These have been indexed and cataloged, and some have been made available online.
An unusual and interesting historical marker, or monument, is located on top of Big Mountain, north of Moyers, Oklahoma
Moyers, Oklahoma
- History :A permanent settlement has existed at the site of modern Moyers since at least the 1880s.During the 1880s the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, more popularly known as the “Frisco”, built a line from north to south through the Choctaw Nation, connecting Fort Smith, Arkansas with Paris,...
and west of Kosoma, Oklahoma
Kosoma, Oklahoma
Kosoma is a settlement and former railroad station in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located just off Oklahoma State Highway 2, about north of Antlers.-Geography:...
. Formally called the AT6 Monument
AT6 Monument
The AT6 Monument is a granite memorial to Royal Air Force cadets who were killed while on a training flight during World War II. It stands on Big Mountain, north of Moyers, Oklahoma, and was dedicated on February 20, 2000—the 58th anniversary of the deadly crashes.- Background :The United Kingdom...
, it marks the location of a fatal airplane crash during World War II which killed Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilots sent to the U.S. for training by the British Government.
The crash occurred during stormy weather and involved two fighter planes—the other impact site is located on White Rock Mountain above Moyers; no marker has been erected there. The AT6 Memorial was dedicated on February 21, 2000 by the school children of Rattan, Oklahoma
Rattan, Oklahoma
Rattan is a town in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 241 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rattan is located at...
, in the presence of over 1,000 people. Visitors included many from the United Kingdom, as well as the official air attaches from the embassies of the United Kingdom and New Zealand in Washington, D.C., and the British Vice Consul from the country’s consulate in Houston, Texas.
While not a formal project of the historical society, many society members assisted the school children by aiding with the logistics necessary in carrying out the dedication ceremony and reception afterward, generating worldwide publicity. Wire services around the world carried the story, as did the British Broadcasting Corporation, American television and radio outlets, and many state and local newspapers, all of which sent reporters to cover the event.
The AT6 Monument
AT6 Monument
The AT6 Monument is a granite memorial to Royal Air Force cadets who were killed while on a training flight during World War II. It stands on Big Mountain, north of Moyers, Oklahoma, and was dedicated on February 20, 2000—the 58th anniversary of the deadly crashes.- Background :The United Kingdom...
stands in a grove of pine trees aside a large boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
which the wrecked plane struck and turned upright—almost as a natural tombstone, as local residents sent to investigate the crash noted.
NRHP sites
The following sites in Pushmataha County are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- Albion State BankAlbion State BankAlbion State Bank was an historic structure in Albion, Oklahoma. Albion, located amidst the rugged and rural but verdant Kiamichi Mountains, in northeastern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma....
, Albion - Antlers Frisco Depot and Antlers SpringAntlers Frisco Depot and Antlers SpringThe Frisco Depot and adjacent Antlers Spring are historic sites in Antlers, Oklahoma. The sites are a part of the National Register of Historic Places, in which they appear as a single entry.-Establishing the Railroad:...
, Antlers - Choctaw Capitol BuildingChoctaw Capitol BuildingThe Choctaw Capitol Building is a historic site in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma two miles north of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. The Choctaw National Council House is located here, as well as the Old Town Cemetery of Tuskahoma....
, Tuskahoma - Clayton High School AuditoriumClayton High School Auditorium (Oklahoma)Clayton High School Auditorium is an historic structure serving the public school of Clayton, Oklahoma. Clayton is located in the Kiamichi Mountains of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma....
, Clayton - Fewell SchoolFewell SchoolFewell School is a historic site located in Fewell, Oklahoma. Fewell, 10 miles east of Nashoba, Oklahoma, is a rural community in the Kiamichi Mountains of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma....
, Nashoba - Mato Kosyk HouseMato Kosyk HouseThe Mato Kosyk House is a private residence in Albion, Oklahoma. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.- Mato Kosyk :...
, Albion - Snow SchoolSnow SchoolSnow School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It is located in the unincorporated rural community of Snow, Oklahoma, approximately 18 miles north of Antlers, Oklahoma.-History:...
, Snow