Okemah Oklahoma

A Brief History of Okemah, Oklahoma

110 YEARS AGO - APRIL 22, 1902 TOWN OPENS! 

Main Street Okemah

A Brief History of Okemah, Oklahoma

Okemah was named for Kickapoo Chief Okemah who lived 1& 1/2 miles east and 1 mile North of Harrah upon his original allotment where he died in 1936. Chief Okemah lived on the townsite of Okemah from March1902 until a week after opening which occurred on April 22, 1902. He lived in a bark house constructed in the fashion of the Kickapoos during that period; this house was located just north of Ash Street, half-way between south 6th & 7th streets. The agreeable and fine temperament of this old chief was really the cause of naming the town for him. His presence on the townsite was very effective in giving Okemah the appearance of substantiality and also affected the cattlemen occupying this prairie who were showing resentment to what they termed "intruders" preparing to plat and establish a town thus usurping the lands they were occupying.

Prior to the opening, the cowboy gangs would ride through the camp of the town organizers shooting and whooping, but at no one in particular. Mr. Perry Rodkey, one of the surveyors had an old double-barrel shotgun that wasn't in working condition, but he gave this to Chief Okemah and instructed him to stand by the wire swinging gate on the east side of the townsite or stand the gun near the gate where it would be seen by the cowboys. The effect was efficient, the cowboys didn't know that there were no shells in the gun nor that the gun wasn't in working order.

(taken from "History of Okemah" on file with Okemah Historical Society)


for more info visit www.okemahok.org