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List of ghost towns in Oklahoma

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Autwine, in Kay County, Oklahoma.
Picher, in Ottawa County, Oklahoma.

This is an incomplete list of ghost towns in Oklahoma, United States of America, including abandoned sites.

Classification

Ghost towns can include sites in various states of disrepair and abandonment. Some sites no longer have any trace of civilization and have reverted to pasture land or empty fields. Other sites are unpopulated but still have standing buildings. Some sites may even have a sizable, though small population, but there are far fewer citizens than in its grander historic past.

Barren site

  • Sites no longer in existence
  • Sites that have been destroyed
  • Covered with water
  • Reverted to pasture
  • May have a few difficult to find foundations/footings at most

Neglected site

  • Only rubble left
  • Roofless building ruins
  • Buildings or houses still standing, but majority are roofless

Abandoned site

Only traces remain of Grand, the county seat of Old Day County.
  • Building or houses still standing
  • Buildings and houses all abandoned
  • No population, except caretaker
  • Site no longer in existence except for one or two buildings, for example old church, grocery store

Many of these communities played important roles in the history, settlement, and growth of the state. Platted town sites organized by railroads, speculators, or the government during the opening of Oklahoma, many times, failed to prosper after initial settlement. Other communities grew up around rural schools, post offices, or general stores, and faded away when the attracting facilities closed. Several important Indian settlements developed around frontier forts, trading posts, Indian agencies, or where natural resources attracted permanent dwellings and dissolved when the Indian lands were opened. Oil boom towns also sometimes attracted thousands of people but disappeared when the boom ended. Abandoned sites in Oklahoma are almost always located on private, state, tribal, or federal land, and trespassing laws apply.

Semi abandoned site

  • Building or houses still standing
  • Buildings and houses largely abandoned
  • few residents
  • many abandoned buildings
  • Small population

Historic community

  • Building or houses still standing
  • Still a busy community
  • Smaller than its boom years
  • Population has decreased dramatically, to one fifth or less.

Ghost towns

Town name Other name(s) County Established Disestablished Current status Remarks
Aaron[1] Jackson 1899 1905
Abbott[2] Pushmataha 1897 1899
Acme[3][4] Grady 1911 1930 Neglected site Grew around the Acme Cement and Plaster Company mill and power plant.
Adamson[3] Pittsburg ca 1906 Semi-abandoned Former coal mining town in eastern Oklahoma
Addington[3] Jefferson 1890s present Historic community
Agawam[4][5] Grady 1909 1919
Alhambra[4] Johnston 1896 1904 Barren site
Alluwe[3] Lightning Creek Nowata 1872 1950s Barren site Founded by the Delaware Indians. Moved to New Alluwe after the creation of the Oologah Reservoir.
Alpha[3] Kingfisher 1893 1903 Abandoned
Alsuma Tulsa 1906 1926 Semi-abandoned Pre-statehood community, annexed by Tulsa in 1966[6]
America[3][4][7] McCurtain 1903 1944 Neglected site
Antioch[5] Garvin 1895 1932
Arthur[5] Stephens 1890 1934 Barren site
Autwine[3] Pierceton, Arta, Virginia City Kay 1894 1930 Barren site
Avard[3] Woods 1904 still present Semi-abandoned site
Avery[3][4] Mound City Lincoln 1902 1957 Neglected site
Avoca Asher Pottawatomie 1894 1906
Bailey[8] Grady 1892 1932
Bathsheba[4][9] Garfield
Beck[4] McIntosh
Beer City[3][4][9][10] White City Texas 1888 1890 Barren site
Bell[11][12] LeFlore 1891 1897 Abandoned
Benton[3][4] Beaver 1880s 1920 Barren site
Bernice[3][4] Needmore Delaware 1880s 1941 Barren site Original site flooded by Grand Lake o' the Cherokees.
Bethel[12] Grant 1895 1895 Still exists
Bickford[3][10] Blaine 1904 1927 Barren site Site occupied by Roman Nose State Park
Big Canyon[5] Arbuckle Murray 1961
Big Cedar[3] Bigcedar LeFlore 1903 1943
Bismark Wright,
Wright City, Oklahoma		 McCurtain 1909 1920 Historic community Name changed in 1920 because of anti-German sentiment in WWI.
Blackburn[3][4] Pawnee 1893 1960 Semi-abandoned site
Boggy Depot[3][4][5][10] Old Boggy Depot Atoka 1837 1883 Barren site Site occupied by Boggy Depot State Park
Bookertee[8] Okfuskee All black town.
Box Cleveland Barren site Cemetery still exists
Braithwaite[4] Washita 1910 1923
Bridgeport[3][4][5] Caddo 1890s present Semi-abandoned site
Brinkman[3][4] Greer 1910 1965 Abandoned site
Bromide[3][4] Juanita, Zenobia[13] Coal, Johnston 1905 present Historic community
Burke City[10] Okfuskee
Button Springs[4] Johnston
Byron[1][14] Alfalfa 1898 present Historic community Population as of 1910 census: 286. Population as of 2010 census: 35.
Canadian Colored[8] All black town.
Cardin[15] Ottawa 1913 2010 Abandoned site Part of Tar Creek Superfund site. 2010 Population (prior to federal buyout): 3.
Carpenter[4] Roger Mills
Carter Nine Osage 1920 1967 Abandoned site
Catesby Ellis
Cayuga[3][4] Delaware 1884 1913 Semi-abandoned site
Center[3] Pontotoc 1880s 1900 Semi-abandoned site Destroyed by fire. Old site 1/2 mile north of new community of Center, Oklahoma.
Centralia[3][4] Lucas[13] Craig 1898 ca. 1929 Semi-abandoned site
Cestos[3][4] Dewey 1898 1923 Semi-abandoned site
Chahta Tamaha[3][16] Armstrong Academy Bryan 1844 1883 Barren site Former capital of the Choctaw Nation
Chant Haskell 1922 Merged into McCurtain, Oklahoma[17]
Charleston[11] Harper Abandoned
Chase[8] Beland Muskogee All black town[18]
Cheek[4]
Cherokee Town[3][4] Garvin 1874 1877 Barren site
Chism[4] McClain
Chisholm Spring Pottawatomie 1847 1862 Abandoned site
Citra[4] Hughes
Clarkson[12] Payne Abandoned
Clebit[10] A logging camp of the Dierks Lumber Company
Clemscott[5] Carter An oil camp in the Healdton Oil Field.
Cline Beaver 1894 1948 Barren site
Cloud Chief[3][4][10] Tacola Washita 1892 1964 Semi-abandoned site Former county seat of Washita County.
Cohn Pushmataha
Cold Springs[3][4] Kiowa 1903 Barren site Cleared for Tom Steed Reservoir.
Conditville[5] Stephens
Cooperton[3][4] Kiowa 1903 still present Semi-abandoned site
Corbett[3][4] Cleveland 1893 1930s Neglected site
Corner[10] Pottawatomie 1903 1906
Cornish Jefferson
Cowboy Flats[4] Campbell, Pleasant Valley Logan
Cox City[5] Grady 1927 1964
Crawford[3] Roger Mills
Cromwell[3] Seminole
Cross[3][4][10] Kay
Crum Creek Pushmataha
Dawson[4] Tulsa 1949 Annexed by the City of Tulsa.
Denoya[10] Whizbang Osage 1921 1942 Abandoned site
Devol[3] Cotton
Dillard[4] Carter
Diamond[citation needed] Haskell Barren site
Doaksville[3][4][12] Choctaw 1847 1903 Barren site Choctaw capital from 1850-1863.
Doby Springs[3][12] Bellaire Harper 1907 1922 Abandoned
Douglas City[3] Oklahoma 1894 Black community
Douthat[4] Century Ottawa Neglected site
Downs[3] Kingfisher 1889 1900 Barren town moved south, now known as Cashion
Driftwood[1][19] Alfalfa 1898 present Historic community Unincorporated as of 1980 census. Abandoned businesses cleaned up. Church, cemetery, and a few homes remain.
Eagle[3] Eagle Town, Eagletown McCurtain
Eagle City[3][4] Dillon Blaine 1902 1971
Earlsboro[3] Pottawatomie
Eddy[4][9][10] Kay
Emet Johnston
Empire[4] Stephens
Eram Okmulgee
Erin Springs[5] Garvin
Eschiti[10][3] Eschite Tillman
Eubanks Pushmataha 1907 1924
Eva Texas Abandoned Site
Fallis[3][4] Mission Lincoln 1892 Abandoned site
Fame[4] McIntosh
Fennell[4] Choctaw
Ferguson[8] All black town.
Fisher[4] Fisher's Bottom, Fisherman's Bottom Tulsa
Fleetwood[3][4] Jefferson
Fonda[1] Dewey Abandoned Site Little Robe Township in 1920 census
Foraker[3][4][9] Osage 1903
Foss[3]

[5][20]

Washita 1900 Semi-abandoned
Fowlerville[4] McCurtain
Francis[3][4] Newton[4][13] Pontotoc Historic community
Frazer[3][4] Jackson Relocated to higher ground and renamed Altus
Frisco[3] Veteran City Canadian
Garnetville[4] Oklahoma 1892
Gas City[5] Stephens
Gate Beaver Historic community
Gee Pushmataha 1909 1911 Abandoned site
Gene Autry[3][5] Lou, Dresden, Berywn Carter 1883 present
Gibson Station[8] Wagoner All black town.
Glenwood[4] Oklahoma
Gotebo[4] Kiowa Semi-abandoned site
Grand[3][4][7][12] Ellis 1892 1943 Abandoned site Second county seat of Day County, first seat of Ellis County.
Gray Horse[3] Osage
Gumbo Pit[4][9] Oklahoma
Hale[11] Tulsa Abandoned
Hanson[3][4] LeFlore Flooded by Arkansas River.
Harrison[12] Sequoyah 1908 1912 Abandoned
Helsel[4] Cleveland
Hext[4] Beckham 1901 1902 Along historic Route 66.
Hochatown[3] McCurtain
Hockerville[4] Ottawa 1916 Neglected site
Holder[4]
Hollister[4] Tillman
Hope[4] Stephens
Hoxbar[5] Carter
Humphreys[4] Jackson Semi-abandoned site
Huntville[5] Kingfisher Barren site
Indianapolis[4] Grady Abandoned site
Independence[3][4][9] Custer 1892 1922 barren site Town missed the railroad and moved to Custer City
Ingalls[3][4][7][9] Signet[21] Payne 1889 1907
Ingersoll[3][4][10] Alfalfa 1901 1942 Abandoned site Post office closed December 31, 1942.
Ioland Ellis 1894 1908 Abandoned site First seat of Day County, Oklahoma (now defunct), Only Cemetary Remains Visable.
Iron Post[4] Creek
Jefferson[3][4] Grant 1887
Jennings[4] Pawnee
Jester[4] Greer
Johns Pushmataha
Jumbo[10][3] Pushmataha 1906 Named for Jumbo Asphalt Company.
Kaw City[3] Kay
Kell City[10]
Kenton[3] Carrizo, Florence Cimarron 1893 Semi-Abandoned Site
Keokuk Falls[3][4][7][9][10] Pottawatomie 1892 1918
Keystone[3][4][9][10] Appalachia Pawnee ca 1958 Abandoned Site Flooded by Keystone Lake; construction begun in 1958.
Kiamichi Pushmataha
Kibby[4] Harper
Knowles[3] Sands City Beaver
Kosoma[10][3] Pushmataha 1888 1854
Kusa[4] Okmulgee 1916 1936
Lacey[4] Kingfisher 1890 1909
Lake Creek[4] Greer
La Kemp[4] Lakemp Beaver 1909 1919
Lawrie[3] Logan
Lehigh[3][4] Coal 1882 still present Semi-abandoned site Former county seat of Coal County.
Lenna[4]
Lenora[3] Lanora Dewey Semi-abandoned
Liberty[8][12] Noble 1893 Abandoned All black town.
Little Chief Osage
Lima Seminole Semi Abandoned Site
Lodi[3] Latimer
Logan[3] Beaver
Lone Pine[4] Osage
Lone Star[4] Lonestar Custer 1895 1904
Loveland[3] Harriston Tillman 1908 Semi-abandoned site
Lovell[3] Perth Logan 1889 1957
Lugert[3][9][10] Jackson 1902 1950 Cleared for Lake Altus-Lugart Reservoir
Lyceum Pushmataha
Lyman[4] Osage
Manning Pittsburg
Magee[4] Garvin
Marina[4] Payne
Marshall Town[8] All black town.
Mayes[3] Adair 1883 1896 Abandoned site Formed around Flint Courthouse, Flint District, Cherokee Nation.
Maxwell[4]
Meers[3][4][5][9][10] Comanche 1902 Abandoned site
Miller Court House[16] McCurtain 1824 1838 Abandoned Originally in Miller County, Arkansas before boundary was redrawn.
Milton[3] Needmore LeFlore 1870 1950s Neglected site Site of the Milton Colony.
Mineral[3] Mineral City Cimarron 1886 1911
Moral[10]
Mouser[3] Texas 1928
Navajoe[7][3] Jackson 1887
New Spring Place[4]
Newby[4] Creek
New Tulsa Oak Grove Wagoner 1968 2001 Historic community Absorbed by Broken Arrow
Nicksville[3][4] Sequoyah 1828 1829 Former county seat of Lovely County, Arkansas. Site of Dwight Mission.
Nicut Sequoyah
Nolia Pushmataha 1912 1920
Non[3] Cannon Hughes 1901 1954 Abandoned site
North Fork[8][10][3] North Fork Town, Micco 1836 ca 1886 Established by Mvskoke Creeks in 1836 part of the Eufaula District of the Creek Nation.
Numa Grant 1898 1943 Abandoned site
Oakdale[4]
Oak Wall[4]
Oil City[5] Wheeler Carter 1886 1930 A Healdton Oil Field camp.
Old Agency Village[3] The Red Store Comanche
Old Kaw City[10]
Olney Parmicho[13] Coal
Omega[5] Kingfisher
Orr[3][4] Love 1892 1957 Neglected site
Owen Washington
Park Hill[3] Cherokee
Parkland[4] Lincoln 1894 Historic community
Parkersburg[3][10] Custer 1901 1906 Barren site 100 buildings moved into Clinton
Parr[5] Grady 1883
Pavilion[5] Murray
Pawpaw[3] Paw Paw Sequoyah 1882 1915 Abandoned
Perryville[10] Pittsburg ca 1849 1943 Abandoned Burned after a Civil War engagement in 1863; never regained its former population or importance.
Phroso[3] Major 1900 1937 Neglected site
Picher[3][4] Ottawa 1915 2009 Abandoned Large zinc mining town.
Pine Valley[3][10] LeFlore 1926 1953 Neglected site
Piney[3] Piney CDP Adair 1824 1940 Historic community Cherokee Nation (1794–1907) "Head Town" (re: 'informal capital') from 1824-1828.
Pleasant Valley[3] Campbell Logan
Prot[3][4] Washita 1901
Provine[4][9]
Pumpkin Center Oklmulgee
Pyramid Corners
Quay[3] Lawson Pawnee and Payne 1894 2000 Semi-abandoned site
Quinlan[3] Woodward
Radium Town[4][9] Rogers Historic community Absorbed by Claremore
Redden Atoka 1903 1954 Barren site
Reed[3] Greer 1892 Semi-abandoned site
Reeding
Reno City[3] Canadian 1889 1899 Barren site Started in hopes railroad would arrive. When railroad went to El Reno instead, town was abandoned.
Richards Spur Comanche Semi-abandoned site
Rodney Pushmataha 1890 1899
Ron[3] Harmon
Roxana[4][9] Logan 1927
Roy Rogers[4]
Sacred Heart[3][4] Pottawatomie 1879 1954
San Bernardo[4][7] Petersburg Jefferson
Sante Fe[3][4]
Sardis[10] Pushmataha 1905 ca 1980 Abandoned site Flooded by construction of Lake Sardis
Scipio[4] Pittsburg
Scratchout Sequoyah
Shamrock[4][20] Creek 1910 2010 There is still a historical museum
Short Sequoyah
Silver City[3] Creek
Skedee[4] Pawnee 1902 Population of 51 in 2010; formerly called Lemert
Smackover[5] Kay Barren site
Stecker[4] Caddo
Sumpter[4] Kay
Stuart[4] Hughes
Tahlonteeskee Sequoyah 1828 Barren site
Texanna[4] McIntosh 1839
Texola[4][20] Texokla, Texoma, Beerola. Beckham On old Route 66.
Three Sands[3][4][10] Kay, Noble
Trousdale[4] Pottawatomie
Tuskegee[4] Creek
Tussy Carter and Garvin
Uncas[4] Kay
Violet Springs[10] Pottawatomie
Washunga[4] Kay
Warwick[20] Lincoln
Webb[4] Dewey Semi-abandoned site
Wellston Colony[8] Lincoln All black town.
White Bead[3][5] Garvin
Whizbang Denoya Osage 1921 1942 Abandoned site
Wildman[3][4] Kiowa
Wirt[3][4] Ragtown Carter 1913 present Incorporated into Healdton.
Witcher[4] Oklahoma
Wolf[4] Seminole Semi-abandoned site
Womack[4] McClain 1899 1909 Barren site
Woodford[3][4][5] Bywater Carter
Woodville[22] Old Woodville Marshall 1944 Barren site Covered by Lake Texoma|
Wybark[8] Muskogee All black town.[18]
Yewed[3][4][9] Alfalfa 1902 1952 Neglected site Post office closed in 1952. Town had a population of 2 in 1977.
Yonkers[4] Wagoner 1913 1935 Abandoned site Submerged by Fort Gibson Dam and Reservoir.[23]
Zena[4] Delaware 1956 Semi-abandoned site Zena had a population of 123 in 2010.
Zincville[4] St. Louis Ottawa 1917 1954 Abandoned site Former mining town between Picher and Hockerville.[24]
Zoraya   Pushmataha 1905 1930 Barren site Former Choctaw town; post office closed October 31, 1919. Only remnant is Zoraya cemetery.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Shirk, George (1987). Oklahoma Place Names. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-2028-7.
  2. ^ Shirk, George B., Oklahoma Place Names, p. 3; Post Office Site Location Reports, Record Group 28, National Archives
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db Morris, John (1977). Ghost Towns of Oklahoma. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-8061-1420-0.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du "Ghost Towns of Oklahoma". Ghost Towns. Atjeu Publishing. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "Ghost and Almost Ghost Towns of Oklahoma". Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  6. ^ "Alsuma: The Town That Disappeared From Southeast Tulsa." Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine Arnett, David. GTR Newspapers. March 30, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Etter, Jim (May 1, 1996). Ghost-Town Tales of Oklahoma: Unforgettable Stories of Nearly Forgotten Places. Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America: New Forums Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-913507-74-2.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Historic All-Black Towns in Oklahoma". African-American Resource Center. Tulsa City-County Library. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Ghost Towns, Oklahoma (History)". Ghost Towns. Online Highways. 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Wilson, Linda. "Ghost Towns". Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved July 27, 2009.
  11. ^ a b c United States Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System. (accessed February 11, 2007)
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Shirk, George H. Oklahoma Place Names. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1987: ISBN 0-8061-2028-2
  13. ^ a b c d Grant, Foreman (September 1928). "Early Post Offices of Oklahoma". Chronicles of Oklahoma. 6 (3). Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  14. ^ Everett, Dianna. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Byron". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Byron. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  15. ^ Everett, Dianna. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Cardin". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Cardin. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Oklahoma Historical Society. Chronicles of Oklahoma. (accessed February 11, 2007)
  17. ^ Hyder, Glenn O. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "McCurtain." Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  18. ^ a b [ Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Muskogee County."]
  19. ^ Everett, Dianna. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Alfalfa County. Oklahoma History Center. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d "Route 66 Ghost Towns". Legends of America. www.legends of america.com. 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  21. ^ McRill, Leslie. "Old Ingalls: The Story of a Town that Will Not Die." Archived 2006-09-05 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  22. ^ KTEN. Hair, Kris. "Secrets of the Lake: Old Woodville." November 2, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  23. ^ "Yonkers Was Also An Area Ghost Town." Harris, Phil. Muskogee Sunday Phoenix & Times Democrat. May 23, 1976. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  24. ^ "Zincville"

Further reading

  • Berry, Shelley, Small Towns, Ghost Memories of Oklahoma: A Photographic Narrative of Hamlets and Villages Throughout Oklahoma's Seventy-seven Counties (Virginia Beach, Va.: Donning Company Publishers, 2004).
  • Blake Gumprecht, "A Saloon On Every Corner: Whiskey Towns of Oklahoma Territory, 1889-1907," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 74 (Summer 1996).
  • Carson, Mary. Guide to Treasure in Oklahoma Volume 1. 144.
  • Shirk, George (1987). Oklahoma Place Names. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2028-2.
  • "Ghost Towns," Vertical File, Research Division, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City.
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