McCurtain County Historical Society

Brothers, Leonard and Clarence Bean from the Glover area cut a log with a cross-cut saw during a contest in 1954. This contest was started that same year by the Dierks Lumber Company with prizes donated by local businesses. The contest included log sawing, log rolling and ax chopping. It also had a contest for women that consisted of nail driving. The contest evolved to become the Owa-Chito Festival of the Forest Bull of the Woods Contest. Photo courtesy of the Resourceful Oklahoma Magazine, published July 7, 1954.

Wilson Locke, who began his life near the watermill on Clear Creek, southwest of present-day Valliant, Oklahoma.

Bob Burke, a native of Broken Bow and world record setter!

Recently, the Barnes - Stevenson House suffered a break in. The intruders appeared to be kids and they obtained entry to the house through one of the basement windows on the house's western side. In order to open the area up on the west side of the house and leave less cover for people to trespass, we chose to have bushes and shrubs removed from the west side of the house. Shawn Tucker of of Tucker's Land Reclaiming in Idabel provided the brush removal service. He also rem...oved a few small trees and a downed limb from the front yard. He was quick and took extra effort as to not damage the house nor the grounds. The next step in securing the house will be adding lights to the west side of the house and securing the basement windows. We will also be adding additional security inside of the house.

Here is a great photograph, taken on April 27, 1973! It shows Don Coffey installing a Valliant Conservation District sign on Highway 70. Don was the manager of the conservation district. Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

Pictured are Smithville students being presented a plaque after winning the county land judging contest in 1972. Pictured are: Dick Piner, Kenny Mowdy, Mike Chatham, Johnny Hughes, Doug Pillow and Jack Savage. Photo is courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

Here is a great image of members of the Idabel CCC Camp crushing limestone in a a quarry north of Idabel. The photo was taken on March 19, 1937 and comes to us courtesy of the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

The Valliant School Football Team, taken in 1923. Those known to be in the photo are as follows: Front row left to right: Bob Breeden, Fred Weehunt, ___, John Baugh, Peanut Harbour, Mac McCartney. Second row: ___, Ray Merry, ___, ___. Back row: Rommy Baugh, Coach George Montgomery, Neal Wilson, Buck Wattwood, Rufus Mahon, Waldo Buchanon, and Virgil Roberts. Photo comes to us courtesy of the Kenneth Sivard Jr. Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

Luther Lawson falling a pine tree, approximately two miles west of the Shinewell community on November 28, 1956. The tree had been damaged by fire and was taken our for forestry management. Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

Did you know that at one time there were 93 schools operating in McCurtain County? The first schools to open in what is now McCurtain County were ran by missionaries within the Choctaw Nation. These included Wheelock, Apeka near Eagletown, Mountain Fork near Ealgetown Oka Achukma east of present-day Broken Bow, Norwalk on Little River, Stockbridge north of Eagletown and Philadelphia near Goodwater. Eventually, the Choctaw Nation created a national school system and built w...Continue reading

While everyone is preparing for church today, we thought we would share this photo of people gathered outside of the Shults Baptist Church, east of Idabel. Known to be in this photo are : Debron Sanders, Jerry Reed, Mrs. Buck Jones, Evelin Sanders, Lottie Harris, Maude Lewis, Bonna Canant, and Myrah Lewis. The picture is believed to have been taken in the 1950s. It comes to us courtesy of the Kenneth Sivard Jr. Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

Pictured are members of the Idabel Lions Club on the front steps of the Idabel First United Methodist Church on Jefferson Street in Idabel, Oklahoma. Identified in this photo are as follows: Front row left to right: Dr. Fisher, __, Earl Hayes, Bill Kuykendall, Joe Hendrix, Harry Byrd, Ike Wilson, Ocie Crain, Euland Collins, C.L. Bunyard, Vernon Frye. Second Row: Harry Curtis, Regan Mayer, Malcom Butler, C.O. Browning, J.W. Bybee, S.B. Helms, ____, Chester Fox, Al Herston, E...lmer Kinsley. Third row: Charlie Bollinger, Bruce Taylor, Bob Whiteman, ___, Horace Rachel, Wade Stevens, Jess Taylor, Ed Harvey. Fourth row: Charles Logan, Bill Packnet, Boyd Adkinson, Maurice Street, Coy Rice, Ed Shipp, Rev W.B. Tatum. Top row: Rev J.C. Harris, Charles Hotten Stein, Frank Wooten, R.E. Warren, Sam Criswell, Marshall Hambrick, John Derryberry, Glen Frazier, G.O. Black, Jack Shupert. Photo courtesy of the Kenneth Sivard Jr. Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.

Today we mourn the news of the passing of Doris Harris Bray. Doris was a long time active member of our organization. Doris served mamy years as our organization's secretary and is the wife of our past president, Fred Bray. She and Fred have cared for the Tiner Schoolhouse, west of Eagletown for many years, seeing that the property is mowed and decorated for Christmas each year.... Doris was deeply devoted to Fred, her country and to the First Presbyterian Church of Broken Bow. She will be greatly missed by our community. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Bray family.

McCurtain County cowboy, Leonard Bowen, saddled up in his chaps and ready for a day's work. This photo was taken outside of his home on Pine Creek, south of Bethel. Leonard was born in 1909 and lived until 1985. He and his wife, Maudie Epsy Smith Bowen are buried in the Bethel Cemetery.

Going on this Saturday at the Fort Towson Historic Site!

A huge, "thank you" to our friends at the Fort Towson Historic Site for maintaining the Garland Cemetery near Tom!

Carl Albert speaking at the dedication of the Mountain Fork Rural Water System in June of 1972.

Want to help? Here is your chance!

Come hear about Choctaw Principal Chief, Samuel Garland at the Ft. Towson Historic Site on Saturday, March 13th! Also, be sure to nab this weekend's edition of the McCurtain Gazette for part one of a biography on Garland, written by MCHS Pres., Kenny Sivard.

We need your help! Pictured are Valliant students outside of the Valliant School in 1923. Unfortunately, we do not have a single name to go with this photo. Can you help identify anyone?... We know some of you enjoy a good challenge. Photo courtesy of the Kenneth Sivard Jr. Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division.