Attractions, History, and Oddities in Poteau, Wister, Heavener, and surrounding areas.
Poteau History! Learn all about the history of the Tri-City region, including Poteau, Wister, Heavener and other nearby areas.
Some of the best Christmas traditions in Poteau originated in the 1920s. Although simple, long strands of garland were ran across Dewey, forming a "Christmas tunnel" downtown. The downtown Christmas decorations remained fairly simple until the 1940s. During the 1920s and 1930s, the nation was recovering from the effects of the
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One of the most iconic images from World War II might not exist if it wasn’t for local war hero Hardy Powell and his fellows from the 2nd battalion, 5th marine corp. Private James Hardy Powell was born in 1926. Shortly after his 18th birthday, on June 28, 1944, he enlisted
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Clarence Coggins was born on July 3, 1920, in Poteau, Oklahoma. Growing up, he probably would have never dreamed that he would go on to become one of the nations most celebrated heroes. During world war II, he did exactly that. Before joining the war effort, Coggins dream was to own
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Strange fact: The Port of Catoosa is one of the largest, most inland river ports in the entire 25,000 miles of U.S. inland river system. This port originated because of a vision that Sen. Robert S. Kerr had for Oklahoma. He wanted to see a series of inland ports scattered
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While most people know the story of Bonnie and Clyde, not many know that Poteau was the site of the gangs last overly successful robbery. This video provides a good overview of the Bonnie and Clyde Robbery, then the article below on HubPages shows more about the robbery. https://youtu.be/CODQ9vVyJ_c
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The year 1898 was a monumental year for Poteau. The town was growing rapidly, business was booming, and residents had all they needed. Early in the year, a group of the town’s most influential citizens got together to discuss putting together a petition for Poteau to be incorporated. Throughout the
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Outlaws, Marshals and Lawmen Train robbers, bank robbers, and other gun-toting outlaw gangs are all a part of the heritage of LeFlore County. Throughout the years, the stories of these outlaws have made for great novels and movies. However, the grim reality is that law and order in the early days
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The photos in this section are raw, unsorted photos taken in the Poteau area. If you can identify any of the photos, please use the comment box to leave us information so we can update the photos.
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During Poteau's early years, the town was thriving in a way that was unparalleled in the region. Between 1900 and 1930, growth was almost non-stop. With this growth, a lot of money came in to town. By statehood, Poteau had three banks. Where Legal Aid is today was the Bank of
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Ground was broke for the new courthouse on July 15, 1926. Built on the site of the old municipal park, and paid for without the use of bonds, the courthouse was expected to cost around $130,000. By the time it was completed, the final cost ran at approximately $150,000. Newspapers reported
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