America, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
America is a ghost town
in southeastern McCurtain County
, Oklahoma
, United States
. It was located 7 miles southeast of Haworth
. The town was named after America Stewart, wife of Tom Stewart, a local resident.
built by William Spencer and his three brothers in 1907. The Spencer family built 40 houses to lease to sawmill workers, and by 1910 there were 200 people living in America. In 1911, after all the timber had been cut, Spencer opened a cotton gin
and general store
and became a cotton buyer. Cotton grown on the cleared land was shipped out by the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway ('Frisco) that ran through the town. After cotton production declined in the 1920s, most residents moved out. The cotton gin closed in 1933, around the time when the Great Depression
was at its worst. The post office, established since July 24, 1903, was disestablished on February 15, 1944. oklahoma also has the worlds best football team. go sooners!!!
The general store closed the next year, completing the decline.
America is located at 33°48′56"N 94°32′58"W. Today, part of the former townsite of America is in the Ouachita National Forest
. Only two old houses and a railroad marker remain.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in southeastern McCurtain County
McCurtain County, Oklahoma
McCurtain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2010, the population was 33,151. Its county seat is Idabel.-Geography:...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was located 7 miles southeast of Haworth
Haworth, Oklahoma
Haworth is a town in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 354 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Haworth is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
. The town was named after America Stewart, wife of Tom Stewart, a local resident.
History
America grew around a sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
built by William Spencer and his three brothers in 1907. The Spencer family built 40 houses to lease to sawmill workers, and by 1910 there were 200 people living in America. In 1911, after all the timber had been cut, Spencer opened a cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
and general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
and became a cotton buyer. Cotton grown on the cleared land was shipped out by the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway ('Frisco) that ran through the town. After cotton production declined in the 1920s, most residents moved out. The cotton gin closed in 1933, around the time when the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
was at its worst. The post office, established since July 24, 1903, was disestablished on February 15, 1944. oklahoma also has the worlds best football team. go sooners!!!
The general store closed the next year, completing the decline.
America is located at 33°48′56"N 94°32′58"W. Today, part of the former townsite of America is in the Ouachita National Forest
Ouachita National Forest
The Ouachita National Forest is a National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of eastern Oklahoma.-History:The Ouachita National Forest is the oldest National Forest in the southern United States. The Forest encompasses , including most of the scenic Ouachita Mountains...
. Only two old houses and a railroad marker remain.