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Choctaw, Oklahoma 73020
Well-known residents have included:
Louis L'Amour
Jesse Chisholm
Dale Robertson
The City of Choctaw had its beginning when a patent was issued to a townsite Board of Trustees. The patent was issued August 28, 1893, for the purpose of a townsite and contained 80 acres from the John Scott Muzzy land. John Scott Muzzy, of Wichita, Kansas, filed a 160 acre homestead September 2, 1889. Muzzy's homestead was bounded by current day Harper Street on the west, 23rd Street or Highway 62 and 270 on the South, Choctaw Road on the east, and 4th Street on the North. A part of this grant was platted and called Railway Addition on January 1, 1895. In June 1904, both the old Choctaw City and the Railway Addition were replatted for the incorporated town of Choctaw City.
Many years before the run of 1889, the area that would become the townsite of Choctaw City was the grazing range of the 7C Ranch founded by Jesse Chisholm circa 1865.
The name, Choctaw City, was adopted for the Choctaw Coal & Railway Company which was in the process of constructing a railway from McAlester to Oklahoma City with a train stop planned near in Choctaw City.
On January 31, 1890, Sarah A. Muzzy filed application to establish a post office in Choctaw City. Approval of the application saw the first post office of Choctaw City, Oklahoma Territory, being established on February 20, 1890, with Sarah A. Muzzy as the first postmaster. The number of residents of Choctaw City, Oklahoma Territory in January 1890 was twenty-five. On February 15, 1890, a plat of the townsite was made. The main public thoroughfares of the town were named Muzzy Street, Grand Avenue, Main Street (now Maupin Street). John Muzzy was the Justice of the Peace and there was daily stage coach service every morning.
In August 1892, Choctaw City boasted 112 residents, 20 business buildings and 24 residence buildings, one church and one school house.
In 1894 the Choctaw, Oklahoma Gulf & Railroad Company took over operation of the Choctaw Coal & Railway Company and construction of the railway from McAlester to Oklahoma was accelerated. October 1895 the line was completed adding to the local mean of travel which consisted of freight wagons and the daily stage coach from Oklahoma City to Tecumseh. Wells-Fargo established an office in Choctaw City in preparation of handling the express shipments.
Town promoters painted a picture of prosperity and opportunity, and by 1897, the business district has grown to 31 frame buildings with a population of 200.
March 14, 1896, the Postmaster General changed the name Choctaw City to Choctaw and the site of the post office was changed from Gilbert Street in Old Town to the new Railway Addition and located on Outcalt Street north of the depot. Residents of Choctaw now numbered about 300, and the are population served by the post office was about 800. Frank Cook was now the postmaster.
Old Town Choctaw City was referred to as East Choctaw and the new town, Railway Addition, was called West Choctaw. Most of the Old Town businesses had relocated to Outcalt Street on the block between Gilbert Street and Railway Avenue (now 23rd Street) and along the north side of Railway Avenue between Muzzy and Hawkins Streets by 1897, in order to near the depot. Today, nothing remains to indicate that Old Town Choctaw once existed. In 1897 only the school and churches remained in the old section of town along with a number of residences.
In January 1904, a special town census was taken and showed a population of 284 people. Oklahoma became a state in November 1907 and a special census of 1907 shows Choctaw with a population of 230. April 1908, J. P. McClurg was postmaster and the office had five rural routes serving 350 patrons.
1904 Census of Choctaw City, Eastern Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
source: Choctaw Oklahoma and Eastern Oklahoma County - A History (1893-1993) complied by Doris E. Ellis, 1993 published by Eagle Printing, Harrah, Oklahoma
