Tuskahoma, Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
Tuskahoma is a community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
, four miles east of Clayton, Oklahoma
.
locations at nearby Council House, Oklahoma
(1872–1880) and Lyceum, Oklahoma
(1896–1900). Council House was located at the Choctaw Capitol Building and Lyceum was located at the former Choctaw Female Academy.
Tuskahoma is a compound word meaning “red warrior” in the Choctaw language
.
Tuskahoma was designated as (political) capital of the Choctaw Nation
in 1882 when an Act of the Choctaw Nation dated October 20, 1882 established the community as the permanent seat of government. The Nation’s first capital after the Trail of Tears
was at Nanih [Nunih] Waiyah, two miles east of Tuskahoma. [Nunih Waiyah was a sacred mound in Mississippi where Choctaws originally brought the bones of their ancestors to rest and established the tribe.] Afterward, during a time of constitutional experimentation, it had changed back and forth from Nanih Waiyah to Doaksville, Skullyville, Fort Towson
and Boggy Depot
. Its wartime capital during the American Civil War
was Armstrong Academy, also known as Chahta Tamaha.
Following from the Choctaw Nation’s decision to seat its government permanently at Tuskahoma was its decision to build a building appropriate to the task. A spacious Choctaw Capitol Building
was completed in the fall of 1884. It was two stories, brick, with a garret
under its French mansard roof
. Many called it the finest building in the Indian Territory
. It included large rooms for the Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court. Also included was an Executive Office for the Principal Chief, or Governor, of the Choctaw Nation, five smaller rooms for the national officers, and five committee rooms. It was heated by numerous fireplaces.
Almost immediately a bustling town sprang up by the Capitol building. Several hotels, boarding houses, barber
shops, stores
, blacksmith
shop, photographer’s tent, and homes were built. But when the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway built its tracks through the Kiamichi River
valley in the mid-1880s they were placed two miles to the south of the Capitol. Business flocked to the vicinity of the new Tuskahoma railroad station and the Capitol precinct was abandoned, except during sessions of the government.
One twist of history altered Tuskahoma’s prominence. The Choctaw Nation constitution directed the constitutional officers, such as Principal Chief, National Secretary, National Treasurer, National Auditor and National Attorney to reside “at or near the seat of government”, but this provision was never enforced. During the National Council’s first session in its new Capitol the principal chief of the day, J.F. McCurtain, proposed building five homes on the site to accommodate the national officers but this was never done.
In addition to serving as a government center, Tuskahoma was also intended to be a cultural center of some significance by providing a home for the Choctaw Nation’s national girls school. Tuskahoma Female Academy [or Institute] opened in 1892 at nearby Lyceum, Oklahoma
with Peter J. Hudson serving as superintendent. The academy
, also known as the Choctaw Female Academy, occupied a classical-style two-story colonnaded building. It burned in 1925 and was not rebuilt. [However, noted Choctaw educator Anna Lewis, who had attended the school, bought the site and used materials from the ruins to build her family home she also called Nunih Waiyah.] From that time forward Tuskahoma’s role as a center of education ceased.
Tuskahoma’s new site along the railroad prospered, and became a vibrant community and trading center. Banks, hotels, stores
, churches, a school, and numerous homes lined its commercial district and residential streets. Its importance began to wane during the middle and later years of the Twentieth Century, as commerce
transferred to nearby Clayton, Oklahoma
or elsewhere.
Prior to Oklahoma's statehood Tuskahoma and the Choctaw Capitol Building
were in located in Wade County, Choctaw Nation
.
More information on Tuskahoma may be found in the Pushmataha County Historical Society
.
to the east and south, and Talihina, Wilburton
and Poteau
to the northeast.
The Kiamichi River
, important as a source of water, is not navigable at Tuskahoma and has never played a role in local transportation. It did, however, cause the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway to place its station at Tuskahoma’s present location, due to the trains’ need for a reliable water supply, rather than its original location at the Capitol.
The Kiamichi Mountains
define life in the Tuskahoma region, which is one of Oklahoma’s most scenic. The Kiamichi River valley stretches to the east and west of the community. To the north lie the unusually serrated Potato Hills, with peaks topping out at approximately 1,000 feet in elevation. To the south is a scenic but imposing mountain wilderness, with summits topping off at approximately 1,600 feet in elevation. Here roads do not penetrate and all transportation is via unimproved—but marked and fairly well maintained—timber company roads, including Clayton Trail, Hurd Creek Trail, K Trail, Cripple Mountain Trail and Black Fork Trail.
Unusual and striking geological features abound in the Tuskahoma region. Its valley—one of the prettiest in Oklahoma—is of special note. The Potato Hills, a group of tall outcroppings eroded from prehistoric mountains, are a regional landmark. To the north of Tuskahoma lies McKinley Rocks, a series of massive white boulders seemingly strewn across the top of a mountain
. Access is difficult, causing a Works Progress Administration
survey crew to recommend during the 1930s that the site, while abounding in scenic beauty, should not become a state park
due to lack of roads. The rocks, which afford views for miles in any direction, were first noted by a Choctaw survey party during the late 1890s. They are named in honor of the 26th President of the United States, William McKinley
.
holds its annual Labor Day
Festival
in Tuskahoma on the grounds of the Capitol building. Attendance ranges from 50,000 - 100,000 over the course of the festival, people coming from all corners of the United States. The festival features various events from country
and gospel music
concerts to softball games, and pow-wow
s, arts and crafts, basketball games, strength contests, a carnival, animal shows, horseshoe games, bison
tours, volleyball games, a swimming pool, tent and RV grounds, a 5K run, playgrounds, a museum, and numerous other events.
During recent years the Choctaw Capitol Building
has been recognized as an architecturally and historically significant structure, and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places
. It hosts the Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival and provides the centerpiece for the festivities.
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...
, four miles east of Clayton, Oklahoma
Clayton, Oklahoma
Clayton is a town in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 719 at the 2000 census.- History :Clayton was formerly known as Dexter. A United States Post Office was established at Dexter, Indian Territory on March 31, 1894...
.
History
A United States Post Office was established at Tushka Homma, Indian Territory on February 27, 1884. On October 28, 1891, the spelling changed to Tushkahomma. On December 6, 1910 the official spelling changed to its present rendering, Tuskahoma. The community has also been served by post officePost 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...
locations at nearby Council House, Oklahoma
Council House, Oklahoma
Council House, also known as the Choctaw Capitol Building, is an historic site in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma two miles north of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. The Choctaw National Council House is located here, as well as the Old Town Cemetery of Tuskahoma....
(1872–1880) and Lyceum, Oklahoma
Lyceum, Oklahoma
Lyceum is a former academic community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, two miles west of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma.A United States Post Office was established at Lyceum, Indian Territory on March 23, 1896 and operated until July 30, 1900...
(1896–1900). Council House was located at the Choctaw Capitol Building and Lyceum was located at the former Choctaw Female Academy.
Tuskahoma is a compound word meaning “red warrior” in the Choctaw language
Choctaw language
The Choctaw language, traditionally spoken by the Native American Choctaw people of the southeastern United States, is a member of the Muskogean family...
.
Tuskahoma was designated as (political) capital 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 1882 when an Act of the Choctaw Nation dated October 20, 1882 established the community as the permanent seat of government. The Nation’s first capital after the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
was at Nanih [Nunih] Waiyah, two miles east of Tuskahoma. [Nunih Waiyah was a sacred mound in Mississippi where Choctaws originally brought the bones of their ancestors to rest and established the tribe.] Afterward, during a time of constitutional experimentation, it had changed back and forth from Nanih Waiyah to Doaksville, Skullyville, Fort Towson
Fort Towson
Fort Towson was a frontier outpost for Frontier Army Quartermasters along the Permanent Indian Frontier located about two miles northeast of the present community of Fort Towson, Oklahoma....
and Boggy Depot
Boggy Depot
Boggy Depot is the debut solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. It was released on April 7, 1998 through Columbia Records.-Background:...
. Its wartime capital during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
was Armstrong Academy, also known as Chahta Tamaha.
Following from the Choctaw Nation’s decision to seat its government permanently at Tuskahoma was its decision to build a building appropriate to the task. A spacious Choctaw Capitol Building
Choctaw Capitol Building
The Choctaw Capitol Building is a historic site in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma two miles north of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. The Choctaw National Council House is located here, as well as the Old Town Cemetery of Tuskahoma....
was completed in the fall of 1884. It was two stories, brick, with a garret
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
under its French mansard roof
Mansard roof
A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
. Many called it the finest building 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...
. It included large rooms for the Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court. Also included was an Executive Office for the Principal Chief, or Governor, of the Choctaw Nation, five smaller rooms for the national officers, and five committee rooms. It was heated by numerous fireplaces.
Almost immediately a bustling town sprang up by the Capitol building. Several hotels, boarding houses, barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shops, stores
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, photographer’s tent, and homes were built. But when the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway built its tracks through the Kiamichi River
Kiamichi River
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...
valley in the mid-1880s they were placed two miles to the south of the Capitol. Business flocked to the vicinity of the new Tuskahoma railroad station and the Capitol precinct was abandoned, except during sessions of the government.
One twist of history altered Tuskahoma’s prominence. The Choctaw Nation constitution directed the constitutional officers, such as Principal Chief, National Secretary, National Treasurer, National Auditor and National Attorney to reside “at or near the seat of government”, but this provision was never enforced. During the National Council’s first session in its new Capitol the principal chief of the day, J.F. McCurtain, proposed building five homes on the site to accommodate the national officers but this was never done.
In addition to serving as a government center, Tuskahoma was also intended to be a cultural center of some significance by providing a home for the Choctaw Nation’s national girls school. Tuskahoma Female Academy [or Institute] opened in 1892 at nearby Lyceum, Oklahoma
Lyceum, Oklahoma
Lyceum is a former academic community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, two miles west of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma.A United States Post Office was established at Lyceum, Indian Territory on March 23, 1896 and operated until July 30, 1900...
with Peter J. Hudson serving as superintendent. The academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
, also known as the Choctaw Female Academy, occupied a classical-style two-story colonnaded building. It burned in 1925 and was not rebuilt. [However, noted Choctaw educator Anna Lewis, who had attended the school, bought the site and used materials from the ruins to build her family home she also called Nunih Waiyah.] From that time forward Tuskahoma’s role as a center of education ceased.
Tuskahoma’s new site along the railroad prospered, and became a vibrant community and trading center. Banks, hotels, stores
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, churches, a school, and numerous homes lined its commercial district and residential streets. Its importance began to wane during the middle and later years of the Twentieth Century, as commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
transferred to nearby Clayton, Oklahoma
Clayton, Oklahoma
Clayton is a town in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 719 at the 2000 census.- History :Clayton was formerly known as Dexter. A United States Post Office was established at Dexter, Indian Territory on March 31, 1894...
or elsewhere.
Prior to Oklahoma's statehood Tuskahoma and the Choctaw Capitol Building
Choctaw Capitol Building
The Choctaw Capitol Building is a historic site in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma two miles north of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. The Choctaw National Council House is located here, as well as the Old Town Cemetery of Tuskahoma....
were in located in Wade County, Choctaw Nation
Wade County, Choctaw Nation
Wade County was a political subdivision of the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory. The county formed part of the nation’s Apukshunnubbee District, or First District, one of three administrative super-regions....
.
More information on Tuskahoma 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
Local transportation was revolutionized during the 1950s by the construction of U.S. Highway 271, which provided paved all-weather highway connections to Clayton and the county seat at Antlers, OklahomaAntlers, 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...
to the east and south, and Talihina, Wilburton
Wilburton
Wilburton is a small village of just over 1,000 inhabitants, situated in Cambridgeshire, England. It is 6 miles south west of Ely.While nominally an agricultural village, many of the inhabitants work in Cambridge, Ely or London.-History:...
and Poteau
Poteau, Oklahoma
Poteau is a city in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,520 at the 2010 census, ranking fifth in the Greater Fort Smith Area. It is the county seat of Le Flore County...
to the northeast.
The Kiamichi River
Kiamichi River
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...
, important as a source of water, is not navigable at Tuskahoma and has never played a role in local transportation. It did, however, cause the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway to place its station at Tuskahoma’s present location, due to the trains’ need for a reliable water supply, rather than its original location at the Capitol.
The Kiamichi Mountains
Kiamichi Mountains
The Kiamichi Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Oklahoma. A subrange within the larger Ouachita Mountains that extend from Oklahoma to western Arkansas, the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore, Pushmataha, and McCurtain counties near the towns of Poteau and Albion...
define life in the Tuskahoma region, which is one of Oklahoma’s most scenic. The Kiamichi River valley stretches to the east and west of the community. To the north lie the unusually serrated Potato Hills, with peaks topping out at approximately 1,000 feet in elevation. To the south is a scenic but imposing mountain wilderness, with summits topping off at approximately 1,600 feet in elevation. Here roads do not penetrate and all transportation is via unimproved—but marked and fairly well maintained—timber company roads, including Clayton Trail, Hurd Creek Trail, K Trail, Cripple Mountain Trail and Black Fork Trail.
Unusual and striking geological features abound in the Tuskahoma region. Its valley—one of the prettiest in Oklahoma—is of special note. The Potato Hills, a group of tall outcroppings eroded from prehistoric mountains, are a regional landmark. To the north of Tuskahoma lies McKinley Rocks, a series of massive white boulders seemingly strewn across the top of a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
. Access is difficult, causing a 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...
survey crew to recommend during the 1930s that the site, while abounding in scenic beauty, should not become a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
due to lack of roads. The rocks, which afford views for miles in any direction, were first noted by a Choctaw survey party during the late 1890s. They are named in honor of the 26th President of the United States, William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
.
Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival
The Choctaw Nation of OklahomaChoctaw 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...
holds its annual Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
Festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
in Tuskahoma on the grounds of the Capitol building. Attendance ranges from 50,000 - 100,000 over the course of the festival, people coming from all corners of the United States. The festival features various events from country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
concerts to softball games, and pow-wow
Pow-wow
A pow-wow is a gathering of North America's Native people. The word derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning "spiritual leader". A modern pow-wow is a specific type of event where both Native American and non-Native American people meet to dance, sing, socialize, and honor American...
s, arts and crafts, basketball games, strength contests, a carnival, animal shows, horseshoe games, bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
tours, volleyball games, a swimming pool, tent and RV grounds, a 5K run, playgrounds, a museum, and numerous other events.
During recent years the Choctaw Capitol Building
Choctaw Capitol Building
The Choctaw Capitol Building is a historic site in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma two miles north of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. The Choctaw National Council House is located here, as well as the Old Town Cemetery of Tuskahoma....
has been recognized as an architecturally and historically significant structure, and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It hosts the Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival and provides the centerpiece for the festivities.