Muskogee

Roger Bell

ISBN 10: 1531660916 / ISBN 13: 9781531660918

Published by Arcadia Publishing Library Editions, 2011

About this Item

Muskogee was formed in 1872, when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or the Katy) established a depot on an open plain just a few miles to the south of the confluence of the Arkansas, Grand, and Verdigris Rivers in Indian Territory. A small settlement there soon grew to become the center of political and commercial activity in the territory prior to Oklahoma becoming a state in 1907. Muskogee, once known as the Queen City of the Southwest, enjoyed major growth after statehood due to oil, cattle, cotton, and the railroads. This book features a diverse collection of Muskogee postcard images that take readers on a trip back in time on a virtual tour of the city.

Seller Inventory # CIN1531660916VG

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Muskogee
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Library Editions
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1531660916
• ISBN 13: 9781531660918
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

On New Year's Day in 1872, a Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Katy) track crew reached a point just a few miles south of the confluence of the Arkansas, Grand, and Verdigris Rivers in Indian Territory and established a depot it called Muscogee Station. A ragtag settlement quickly developed nearby, and the name was eventually changed to
Muskogee. By the turn of the century, Muskogee became the center of political and commercial activity in the territory. Nicknamed the "Queen City of the Southwest," Muskogee was a boomtown, and expectations were high that the city would develop into a large metropolitan area. However, by the 1920s, after the oil boom in nearby Tulsa, Muskogee's growth waned, and it became a working-class Oklahoma town. The city
was thrust into the national limelight in the 1960s by country music star Merle Haggard and his song "Okie from Muskogee," which described Muskogee "as a place where even squares can have a ball." An ethnically diverse community, Muskogee has a rich history of developing artists, musicians, politicians, and entrepreneurs.

About the Author

Authors Roger Bell and Jerry Hoffman have been interested in Muskogee history and its preservation for over 30 years. Bell is the chairman of the Three Rivers Museum in Muskogee. Hoffman is a longtime board member at Three Rivers Museum, and the postcard images are from his vast personal collection.