Jumbo, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Jumbo is a community
in western Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
, 10 miles north of Miller, Oklahoma
.
Prior to Oklahoma's statehood, Jumbo was located in Jack's Fork County
of the Choctaw Nation
, in the Indian Territory
.
Jumbo was blessed by abundant natural resources
, including asphalt
. Hugh W. Adams (ca. 1836-1905), one of the original pioneers
of Antlers, Oklahoma
, and a prospector
, located the asphalt vein at Jumbo. The Jumbo Asphalt Company established mining
operations there and, by 1904, the community was known as Jumbo Mines. By 1905 the company was mining up to eight ton
s of asphalt per day, which it shipped to Moyers, Oklahoma
via a dedicated tram
line. The line stretched from Jumbo south through the Impson Valley, rounding the foot of Parker Mountain into Moyers, where it connected with the railhead at the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway.
By 1906, Jumbo Mines was home to at least 40 families. This remained the case through recent decades, when the countryside around Jumbo emptied due to lack of economic opportunities and its churches, school, and post office
closed.
In November 1910, Jumbo was site of a horrible accident. The mine—whose shaft was 280 feet deep, at which point it branched several hundred feet to the north—experienced a lethal explosion. At least 14 miners were killed, and more died later of wounds. Several miners were blown up the shaft and out the mouth of the mine. Ten of the miners were buried side by side in the Jumbo Cemetery. At the time of the explosion, the mine was owned by the Choctaw Asphalt Company of St. Louis, Missouri
. It continued to operate for years; today the mouth of its shaft is capped but may still be seen off the Jumbo Road.
During the Great Depression
the Works Progress Administration
built a handsome public school at Jumbo. The school was built using native "red rock" gathered from nearby fields. The school still partially stands, although the back half was bulldozed during the 1990s by a local landowner for safety reasons, who cleared the land for cattle
to graze.
Jumbo's Impson family cemetery grave markers have been lost. Immediately prior to World War II a local farmer gathered the tombstones, stacked them under a tree, and ploughed the property for use as a field. The property today is overgrown with bois d'arc trees and difficult to access.
During World War II Jumbo and Moyers were the site of mishaps with international repercussions, two of them fatal. British pilots operating from a Royal Air Force
base in Texas, hampered by poor weather, crashed into White Rock Mountain and Big Mountain above Moyers, killing four crew men. Two planes were destroyed.
A third plane crash-landed successfully at Jumbo, in a field known locally as the Bedford meadow owned by farmer and rancher Bill Perrin. Its pilot, John Wall, and navigator, "Wilbur" Wright, were unhurt and were kept overnight by a local family, Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Jordan. British military officers soon retrieved the airplane, which was salvageable.
On February 20, 2000 the AT6 Monument
was dedicated in the fliers' honor at the crash site on Big Mountain. Wall and Wright also attended, and had a happy reunion with the Perrin family. Over 1,000 people attended the ceremony, and the story was carried by the British Broadcasting Corporation and many newspapers around the world.
More information on Jumbo and the Impson Valley may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
.
, particularly the area of Wildcat and Bugaboo canyons.
was built through Impson Valley, passing just to the east of the community, and opened in 1970. It features no interchange
for Jumbo, however, causing local residents to venture to Daisy on the north to enter or exit the turnpike.
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
in western Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
-Administrative History:* Ca. 1000-1500: Caddoan Mississippian civilization at Spiro Mounds* 1492-1718: Spain* 1718-1763: France* 1763-1800: Spain* 1800-1803: France* 1803–present: United States...
, 10 miles north of Miller, Oklahoma
Miller, Oklahoma
Miller is a community in southwestern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, 10 miles northwest of Antlers, Oklahoma and a short distance west of Moyers, Oklahoma....
.
History
A United States Post Office was established for Jumbo, Indian Territory on November 8, 1906. The post office took its name from the Jumbo Asphalt Company, a prominent local employer.Prior to Oklahoma's statehood, Jumbo was located in Jack's Fork County
Jack's Fork County
Jack’s Fork County, also known as Jack Fork County, was a political subdivision of the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory. The county formed part of the nation’s Pushmataha District, or Third District, one of three administrative super-regions....
of the Choctaw Nation
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...
, in the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
.
Jumbo was blessed by abundant natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
, including asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
. Hugh W. Adams (ca. 1836-1905), one of the original pioneers
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
of Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers is a city in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. The population was 2,552 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pushmataha County.-Geography:Antlers is located at...
, and a prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
, located the asphalt vein at Jumbo. The Jumbo Asphalt Company established mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
operations there and, by 1904, the community was known as Jumbo Mines. By 1905 the company was mining up to eight ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of asphalt per day, which it shipped to Moyers, Oklahoma
Moyers, Oklahoma
- History :A permanent settlement has existed at the site of modern Moyers since at least the 1880s.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,...
via a dedicated tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line. The line stretched from Jumbo south through the Impson Valley, rounding the foot of Parker Mountain into Moyers, where it connected with the railhead at the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway.
By 1906, Jumbo Mines was home to at least 40 families. This remained the case through recent decades, when the countryside around Jumbo emptied due to lack of economic opportunities and its churches, school, and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
closed.
In November 1910, Jumbo was site of a horrible accident. The mine—whose shaft was 280 feet deep, at which point it branched several hundred feet to the north—experienced a lethal explosion. At least 14 miners were killed, and more died later of wounds. Several miners were blown up the shaft and out the mouth of the mine. Ten of the miners were buried side by side in the Jumbo Cemetery. At the time of the explosion, the mine was owned by the Choctaw Asphalt Company of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. It continued to operate for years; today the mouth of its shaft is capped but may still be seen off the Jumbo Road.
During 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...
the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
built a handsome public school at Jumbo. The school was built using native "red rock" gathered from nearby fields. The school still partially stands, although the back half was bulldozed during the 1990s by a local landowner for safety reasons, who cleared the land for cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
to graze.
Jumbo's Impson family cemetery grave markers have been lost. Immediately prior to World War II a local farmer gathered the tombstones, stacked them under a tree, and ploughed the property for use as a field. The property today is overgrown with bois d'arc trees and difficult to access.
During World War II Jumbo and Moyers were the site of mishaps with international repercussions, two of them fatal. British pilots operating from a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base in Texas, hampered by poor weather, crashed into White Rock Mountain and Big Mountain above Moyers, killing four crew men. Two planes were destroyed.
A third plane crash-landed successfully at Jumbo, in a field known locally as the Bedford meadow owned by farmer and rancher Bill Perrin. Its pilot, John Wall, and navigator, "Wilbur" Wright, were unhurt and were kept overnight by a local family, Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Jordan. British military officers soon retrieved the airplane, which was salvageable.
On February 20, 2000 the AT6 Monument
AT6 Monument
The AT6 Monument is a granite memorial to Royal Air Force cadets who were killed while on a training flight during World War II. It stands on Big Mountain, north of Moyers, Oklahoma, and was dedicated on February 20, 2000—the 58th anniversary of the deadly crashes.- Background :The United Kingdom...
was dedicated in the fliers' honor at the crash site on Big Mountain. Wall and Wright also attended, and had a happy reunion with the Perrin family. Over 1,000 people attended the ceremony, and the story was carried by the British Broadcasting Corporation and many newspapers around the world.
More information on Jumbo and the Impson Valley may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
Pushmataha County Historical Society
The Pushmataha County Historical Society is a historical society devoted to collecting and preserving the history of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma...
.
Geography
Jumbo is located in the picturesque Impson Valley. Buck Creek and Box Springs mountains frame the eastern side of its valley, and Long Mountain frames the western side. In recent years the territory to the west of Jumbo has been incorporated into McGee Creek State ParkMcGee Creek State Park
McGee Creek State Park is a state park in southern Oklahoma. The park is on the south side of McGee Creek Reservoir. Created in 1985 the reservoir provides flood control. The park is approximately and the reservoir is approximately . Its main staple is recreational and sport fishing. The main...
, particularly the area of Wildcat and Bugaboo canyons.
Transportation
Despite improvements in the local roadways, Jumbo remains physically isolated from other communities in Pushmataha and Atoka counties. This is ironic, as the four-lane Indian Nation TurnpikeIndian Nation Turnpike
The Indian Nation Turnpike is a toll road in southeastern Oklahoma. It is the longest tollway in the state.-Route description:The Indian Nation turnpike is built to parkway-like design standards, omitting a center barrier and left-hand shoulders for a slightly mounded grassy median that is flush...
was built through Impson Valley, passing just to the east of the community, and opened in 1970. It features no interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
for Jumbo, however, causing local residents to venture to Daisy on the north to enter or exit the turnpike.