Kellond, Oklahoma

Synopsis

Kellond, Oklahoma is a settlement and former railroad station in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. Kellond is located approximately three miles northwest of Antlers, Oklahoma on Oklahoma State Highway 2.

History

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, Texas. The railroad paralleled the Kiamichi River throughout much of its route in present-day Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. Train stations were established every few miles to aid in opening up the land and, more particularly, to serve as the locations of section houses. Supervisors for their respective miles of track lived in the section houses to administer the track and its right-of-way. These stations also served as points at which the trains could draw water.

The site of Kellond was selected because of its proximity to the Kiamichi River, with its abundant water supply. Adjacent station stops were established at Moyers, Oklahoma to the north, and Antlers, Oklahoma to the south. By the early 1890s the stop was known as Davenport. Named for Luda P. Davenport (1861-1924), a local resident and county judge, it was identified on maps as Davenport through the early 1900s. The exact cause and date of its change of name to Kellond is unknown, and was not noted by the local press.

The sparsely-populated area, at that time known as Jack’s Fork County of the Choctaw Nation, in the Indian Territory, was home to Choctaw Indians who farmed or subsisted on the land.

Few roads or trails existed. Transportation was provided by the Frisco Railroad, which offered six trains per day—three in each direction—until it closed to passenger traffic during the late 1950s. It continued freight operations until 1981, when it closed altogether and its rails were removed. The loss of passenger rail fortunately coincided with the construction of Oklahoma State Highway 2.

Near Kellond was a locally important low-water ford on the Kiamichi River known as Rodney Crossing. The crossing obtained its name from Rodney Mountain, located to the north of the settlement. It was also home to the short-lived post office and small community of Rodney, Oklahoma.

Davenport, and later Kellond, never developed as a commercial center. Its most significant structure was, and continues to be, a handsome public school constructed of native stone as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The school, closed for many years, has served a variety of purposes, most recently as a night club and residence.