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Madill, Oklahoma

Everything Madill is known for

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Music in Madill

Songs About Madill

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
Hank Thompson
52%
"Maud and Madill"

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Madill

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Madill.

History of Madill

Tishomingo, OK RoadyGoat

Tishomingo, nestled in the Cross Timbers region of Oklahoma, carries a history etched into its slightly rolling landscape. As the capital of the Chickasaw Nation, its significance predates Oklahoma statehood; some accounts place the very genesis of the Chickasaw government near the present-day town. This legacy fostered its growth as a political center. The Civil War briefly touched Tishomingo, marked by the short-lived presence of a Confederate mint. The 1895 jail, a Victorian-era structure, stands as a reminder of this era. Today, agriculture and ranching still shape the economy, though the town has also experienced a rise in tourism.

11.6 mi away

Tishomingo, OK RoadyGoat

Tishomingo, Oklahoma, nestled in the gently rolling terrain of Johnston County, owes its character to its history as the capital of the Chickasaw Nation. While agriculture and ranching have long been staples of the local economy, the town’s political significance shaped its identity. The Chickasaw Nation’s government originated near present-day Tishomingo, establishing it as a central hub for the tribe. Today, Tishomingo balances its historical roots with a growing tourism sector. The landscape, typical of the Cross Timbers ecoregion, provides a scenic backdrop for visitors seeking a relaxed, small-town experience.

12.3 mi away

Tishomingo, OK RoadyGoat

Tishomingo, Oklahoma, nestled in Johnston County within the Cross Timbers ecoregion, offers a glimpse into both Oklahoma's past and present. The slightly rolling terrain, at just under 750 feet elevation, provides a scenic backdrop for a town that served as the capital of the Chickasaw Nation, its government said to have originated nearby. A Confederate mint operated briefly here during the Civil War, and the 1895 Victorian-era jail stands as a reminder of earlier times. While agriculture and ranching remain vital to the local economy, Tishomingo has gained recent attention for its connection to country music.

12.3 mi away

Porter, Sophia

1839

(1813-1899) Settled 1839 at Glen Eden, a site now under Lake Texoma, north of here. Husband, Holland Coffee, early trader, built fine home, welcomed 1845-60, U. S. Army officers including Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. During Civil War, wined and dined passing Federal scouts, found out they were seeking Col. Jas. Bourland, Confederate defender of Texas frontier. While guests were busy, she slipped out, swam her horse across icy Red River, warned Col. Bourland, helped prevent Federal invasion of North Texas.

Historical Marker → · 16.3 mi away

Porter, Sophia Suttenfield

1836

Sophia Porter, North Texas pioneer, was born on December 3, 1815, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the second child of William and Laura (Taylor) Suttenfield (or Suttonfield). Little is known of her childhood, but many stories exist about her adult life and her four marriages. In 1833 she married Jesse Augustine Aughinbaugh (or Auginbaugh), a druggist and teacher. In 1835 the couple arrived in Nacogdoches, where she said Aughinbaugh deserted her. As a participant in the Runaway Scrape , Sophia claimed to have arrived at the battle of San Jacinto and to have nursed Sam Houston there. Holland Coffee , a member of the House of Representatives and an Indian trader, successfully lobbied the Texas Congress to pass a bill granting Sophia Aughinbaugh a divorce from her missing husband, and on January 19, 1839, she and Coffee were married at Independence in Washington County. From there the couple traveled over 600 miles to Coffee's Station on the Red River in Grayson County. There they developed Glen Eden Plantation and the town of Preston until Coffee was killed in 1846. In December 1847 Sophia married Maj. George N. Butt (or Butts), who helped her run Glen Eden until he was killed in 1863. Butt reportedly was ambushed by a member of William C. Quantrill 's gang. The sobriquet "Confederate Paul Revere" was given Sophia during the Civil War , when she is said to have ridden her mount across the Red River to warn Col. James G. Bourland and his men that Union troops were at her plantation. The story continues that Mrs. Butt supplied the enemy with enough wine that they remained unaware of her departure. One account claims she locked the inebriated men in her wine cellar while she rode off. Other variants say either that Bourland escaped the Unionists or that he came to Glen Eden and captured them. On August 2, 1865, Sophia Butt married Judge James Porter, and they lived together at Glen Eden until his death in 1886. Sophia joined the Methodist church in Sherman in 1869. She had no children, but she raised two of Holland Coffee's nieces. She died on August 27, 1897, and was buried near Glen Eden. When the area was to be inundated to form Lake Texoma, her home was dismantled with the intention that it be reassembled as a museum of Grayson County history, but the wood was mistakenly burned.

Tsha Handbook → · 16.6 mi away

Washington House (Sycamore Creek Ranch)

1867

Built 1867 by J. R. Washington, with lumber hauled by oxen from Jefferson, Texas. Architecture is Queen Anne period; gingerbread trim. Excellent water facilities made ranch a collection center for cattle prior to trail drives. As home of a cattle industry leader, attracted distinguished visitors, including ranchers Chas. Goodnight and J. C. Loving, and statesman Sam Rayburn. Property in one family five generations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1967

Historical Marker → · 18.9 mi away

Coffee, Holland

1837

Established about 1837 for trade with the Indians of the Red River region and the western plains. Here many white captives of the Red Men were redeemed. From its vicinity the Snively Expedition set out for New Mexico on April 25, 1843. Abandoned after Coffee's death in 1846.

Historical Marker → · 16.2 mi away

Glen Eden Plantation

1837

Glen Eden Plantation, a Red River plantation of Preston Bend, Grayson County, was begun by Holland Coffee after he moved to the bend in 1837 to establish a trading post. In 1839 he married Sophia Suttenfield Aughinbaugh ( see PORTER, SOPHIA). The plantation land was almost all acquired by Coffee. The mansion was built in stages. The original undergirding log house was of a two-story dogtrot design that was large and imposing for its time. It was probably built by the Mormon congregation of Lyman Wight in the winter of 1845–46. The building had two large native stone chimneys, one on each end. It seems to have had a cellar or basement from an early date. The house was a mile from the river near Little Mineral Creek on the Preston Road leading to Dallas. Coffee was killed in the fall of 1846. His above-ground, brick crypt was a noted feature of the plantation. It is uncertain when the name Glen Eden was first used. It does not appear in early records or in news articles at the time of Sophia's death (1897). Operations of the plantation included a Red River ferry, stock, development of the town of Preston, production of corn and cotton, orchards, and freighting. The plantation was quite a social center, and Sophia was noted for her imagination and her fondness for parties. Over the years modifications to the log structure were made. Outside planking, upper and lower porches, and a kitchen ell were added in the mid-1860s. Sophia hired a nephew, J. W. Williams, as manager. Williams married Isabel (Belle) Skelly, Sophia's seamstress and confidante. Sophia continued as the mistress of the plantation until her death. The estate was bequeathed to Williams and Mary Elizabeth Jewell Mosely. The mansion was last owned by Judge Randolph Bryant. In 1942 it was dismantled for restoration as a historical site above the future shoreline of Lake Texoma. However, the project never succeeded. Some logs and timber from the mansion have been acquired by the Frontier Village of Grayson County. Items from the plantation can be seen in the Red River Valley Historical Museum in Sherman.

Tsha Handbook → · 16.6 mi away

Huff, John

1824

John Huff, early settler, soldier, and judge, was born in Pennsylvania around 1801 and traveled to Texas in the early 1820s, in time to be one of Stephen F. Austin 's Old Three Hundred colonists. On July 10, 1824, he received title to a sitio on the west side of the San Bernard River, at the head of Bay Prairie, now in Wharton County. George Huff , who was probably his brother, acquired title to the adjoining sitio six weeks later. In the 1826 census John Huff was classified as a blacksmith, a single man aged between twenty-five and forty. In May 1830 he married Sarah Emiline Savage by bond in Austin County. He was elected a sublieutenant for the fourth militia district in 1829. In 1830 he presided over the alcalde election held at Lawrence Ramey 's In February 1836 he was a teller for the election to choose delegates from Bay Prairie to the Convention of 1836 . He was on the 1838 committee at Preston that nominated Mirabeau B. Lamar for president of the republic. Huff served in the Goliad campaigns of 1835 and 1836 . On October 15, 1835, he joined George Collinsworth and Philip Dimmitt at Goliad, which they had captured five days earlier. After Collinsworth left, Huff stayed on at Goliad to serve under Dimmitt. On November 21, 1835, he signed the Goliad Resolutions protesting Stephen F. Austin's dismissal of Dimmitt. He remained at Goliad until January 15, 1836, when he and the other Bay Prairie men were sent home. On February 1 he joined Col. Albert C. Horton 's company and went back to Goliad. During the 1836 campaign he served as a scout with the advance troops and escaped capture. He caught up with the Texas army at the Brazos River and joined Capt. William Walker's company of volunteers, assigned to help Capt. Wyly Martin defend the crossing at Thompson's Ferry . Greatly outnumbered, they could not hold back Santa Anna and his troops and so withdrew. Martin then dismissed the men and sent them to help the women and children in the Runaway Scrape . Huff received a total of 1,280 acres in bounty and donation grants for this service. At the first Matagorda County election in July 1837 he was elected justice of the peace for the Third District. On December 5, 1837, he and his wife were married again in Matagorda County by Seth Ingram ; this was to ensure that their marriage would be legal under the laws of the Republic of Texas . In the spring of 1838, D. D. D. Baker, Charles DeMorse , and Huff were promoting the new town of Preston, located at the head of Bay Prairie. They predicted that it would become the county seat of a new county to be formed north of Matagorda County. Preston grew, and a post office was established; Huff was postmaster in 1839 and 1840. But when Wharton County was formed in 1846 the town of Wharton became the county seat, and Preston soon disappeared. In 1851 Huff was operating Huff's Hotel, one of the earliest resort hotels on the Texas coast, at Decros Point , overlooking Cavallo Pass on Matagorda Peninsula . John and Sarah Huff both died in Lavaca City, Calhoun County, in 1855.

Tsha Handbook → · 16.6 mi away

Things to Do in Madill

Everything Near Madill

60 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Madill · Eohc

    You're driving through Madill, Oklahoma, a town born from a railroad and a founder's vision. Back in 1900, William N. Taliaferro, who had farmed and ranched here since 1886, decided to lay out his lands as a townsite.…

  • Oakland · 1.6 mi · Eohc

    You're driving past Oakland, a Marshall County community that owes its name to a cluster of oak trees. Back in 1874, Capt. Richard Wiggs, a Confederate officer, settled here, building his home among the trees. He named…

  • Marshall County · 4.2 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Marshall County, and right here, a massive transformation happened. In 1944, the Denison Dam was completed, creating the enormous Lake Texoma. This lake didn't just change the landscape; it…

  • Kingston · 7.1 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Kingston, Oklahoma, right where highways 70 and 32 meet. This town has a bit of a split personality, born from a railroad switcheroo! It started in 1894, named for a local resident, Jeff King. But…

  • Mannsville · 9.3 mi · Eohc

    Right here in Mannsville, Oklahoma, the story of this town really took off in August of 1888 when it received its U.S. postal designation. Wallace A. Mann was the first postmaster, and the town honored his family with…

  • Pennington Creek · 10.4 mi · Things to Do

    Spring-fed limestone creek running through town. Swimming holes and blue-green water.

  • Ravia · 10.7 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Johnston County, near Tishomingo, and you're passing through Ravia. This town sprung up in 1894, named for Joseph D. Ravia, a Texan married into the Chickasaw Nation. By 1899, it was officially…

  • Murray State College · 10.9 mi · Things to Do

    Founded 1908 and named for Alfalfa Bill Murray. One of the oldest colleges in Oklahoma.

  • Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge · 11.2 mi · Things to Do

    Established 1946 on the Central Flyway. Bald eagles and thousands of geese each winter.

  • The Chickasaw White House · 11.4 mi · Things to Do

    Governor residence built after the Trail of Tears. Center of Chickasaw governance.

  • Blake Shelton Tishomingo · 11.6 mi · Things to Do

    The Voice star bought a ranch here and made this town of 3000 his home base.

  • Tishomingo, OK · 11.6 mi

    Tishomingo, nestled in the Cross Timbers region of Oklahoma, carries a history etched into its slightly rolling landscape. As the capital of the Chickasaw Nation, its significance predates Oklahoma statehood; some…

Show all 60 nearby places
  • Brown Spring · 11.6 mi · Things to Do

    The spring that determined where the Chickasaw capital would be sited in 1856.

  • Chickasaw Nation Capitol Building · 11.7 mi · Things to Do

    1898 granite capitol. Became the county courthouse after 1907 statehood. Reclaimed by the Nation in 1992.

  • Te Ata Birthplace · 11.7 mi · Things to Do

    Chickasaw storyteller born Dec 3 1895. Performed for FDR at his 1933 inaugural dinner and for King George VI in 1939.

  • Bloomfield Academy · 11.7 mi · Things to Do

    Chickasaw girls boarding school founded 1852. Te Ata attended here before conquering the world stage.

  • Johnston County Courthouse · 11.7 mi · Things to Do

    Built after statehood when the Chickasaw capitol became the county seat.

  • Murray, William Henry David · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the territory that became this state, thanks in large part to the fiery orator known as 'Alfalfa Bill' Murray. Born in Texas, Murray made his way…

  • Tishomingo · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    Right here, you're driving past Tishomingo, the former capital of the Chickasaw Nation! This city was the heart of the Chickasaw government from 1856 until Oklahoma statehood in 1907. Named for Chief Tishomingo, who…

  • Chickasaw Nation Capitols · 11.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    You're driving through the heart of what was once the Chickasaw Nation, and this spot in Tishomingo was the center of their government. After being forcibly removed from their homelands in the Southeastern United States…

  • Te Ata · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    Right here, near Tishomingo, you're passing through the birthplace of Te Ata, a Native American storyteller whose name means 'Bearer of the Morning.' Born Mary Frances Thompson in 1895, she became a national and…

  • Chickasaw · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through the heart of Oklahoma, and right here, in what is now the Chickasaw Nation, is a story of a people finding their footing. After being forced from their ancestral lands, the Chickasaw arrived in…

  • Four-H · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    Right here in Johnston County, you're driving through the birthplace of Oklahoma's 4-H program! Back in 1909, W. D. Bentley started a Boy's Corn Club with just fifty young farmers. The goal? To grow the best corn in the…

  • Johnston, Douglas Henry · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through what used to be the heart of the Chickasaw Nation, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Douglas H. Johnston. He served as governor for an incredible stretch, from 1898 to 1939,…

  • Johnston County · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Johnston County, and right here, in 1820, the U.S. government granted this land to the Choctaw. Many moved here in the 1830s, followed by the Chickasaw. In 1834, the Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition…

  • Murray, Johnston · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Johnston County, heading towards Tishomingo, the final resting place of Johnston Murray. Born in 1902, he was the son of the famous 'Alfalfa Bill' Murray. Johnston himself served as Oklahoma's…

  • Murray State College · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Tishomingo, the historic capital of the Chickasaw Nation. Right here is where Oklahoma's first legislature founded Murray State College back in 1908, originally as the Murray State School of…

  • Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge · 11.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving past Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and right here is the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. Established by presidential order in 1946, this place is a haven for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each…

  • Tishomingo, OK · 12.3 mi

    Tishomingo, Oklahoma, nestled in the gently rolling terrain of Johnston County, owes its character to its history as the capital of the Chickasaw Nation. While agriculture and ranching have long been staples of the…

  • Fort Washita · 13.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Pull over and step back in time! This is Fort Washita, established to keep the peace on the edge of a growing nation. In 1842, General Zachary Taylor, later President, founded the fort to protect the Choctaw and…

  • Dickson · 14.7 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through eastern Carter County, and right here is the community of Dickson. It all started with a need for a school. In 1923, the Dickson Consolidated School District was formed, consolidating several…

  • White House of the Chickasaws · 15.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Pull over here – this isn't just another house; it's the White House of the Chickasaws, a window into a nation's history. Built in 1895, this beautiful Queen Anne-style home was the residence of Chickasaw Nation…

  • Emory, William Hemsley · 15.8 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Johnston County, Oklahoma, near Emet, and right here is where a tough decision was made during the Civil War. In 1858, Major William Hemsley Emory was in command of forts in Indian Territory,…

  • Mead · 15.9 mi · Eohc

    You're driving past Mead, Oklahoma, a town with roots stretching back to 1866. It started as a camp meeting ground for a band of Creeks, near two large springs. Presbyterian missionaries held services here, preaching in…

  • Coffee, Holland · 16.2 mi · Historical Marker

    Established about 1837 for trade with the Indians of the Red River region and the western plains. Here many white captives of the Red Men were redeemed. From its vicinity the Snively Expedition set out for New Mexico on…

  • Preston, TX · 16.3 mi

    Preston is nestled on the Red River in the Red River Valley, on a river bend just downstream from the river's confluence with the Washita River. The area, also known as Washita Bend or Coffee Bend, is characterized by a…

  • Porter, Sophia · 16.3 mi · Historical Marker

    (1813-1899) Settled 1839 at Glen Eden, a site now under Lake Texoma, north of here. Husband, Holland Coffee, early trader, built fine home, welcomed 1845-60, U. S. Army officers including Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S.…

  • Milburn · 16.5 mi · Eohc

    Right here in Milburn, you're driving through a town that almost had a dozen names! When the railroad came through in the early 1900s, everyone wanted a say in naming the new townsite. The railroad company liked McLish,…

  • Porter, Sophia Suttenfield · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Sophia Porter, North Texas pioneer, was born on December 3, 1815, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the second child of William and Laura (Taylor) Suttenfield (or Suttonfield). Little is known of her childhood, but many stories…

  • Glen Eden Plantation · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Glen Eden Plantation, a Red River plantation of Preston Bend, Grayson County, was begun by Holland Coffee after he moved to the bend in 1837 to establish a trading post. In 1839 he married Sophia Suttenfield Aughinbaugh…

  • Huff, John · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    John Huff, early settler, soldier, and judge, was born in Pennsylvania around 1801 and traveled to Texas in the early 1820s, in time to be one of Stephen F. Austin 's Old Three Hundred colonists. On July 10, 1824, he…

  • Preston, TX (Grayson County) · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Lake Texoma, but imagine this: right here, over 180 years ago, was the rough-and-tumble frontier town of Preston. Established around 1837 near the Red River, it quickly became a vital crossing point…

  • Coffee, Holland · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Holland Coffee, Red River trader, the son of Ambrose and Mildred (Moore) Coffee, was born on August 15, 1807, probably in Kentucky. He was orphaned at age eleven and grew up in McMinnville, Tennessee, with an uncle,…

  • Bush, William M. · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, Texas, near the town of Preston. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>, William M. Bush enlisted to fight for the Confederacy. He was elected…

  • Preston Supply depot · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, near the Oklahoma border, and right here is where the Preston Supply Depot once stood. Back in 1851, the U.S. Army was trying to figure out the best way to get supplies to forts…

  • Preston, TX (Wharton County) · 16.6 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Wharton County, not far from the site of Preston. Back in 1838, developers advertised lots for this brand-new town, promising brick factories and twenty houses. They even planned for a public sale…

  • Oil Springs · 17.1 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Johnston County, and right here, you're passing through an area that was known for its natural oil springs, long before Oklahoma was even a state. Native Plains Indians knew about these seeps for…

  • Lake Murray (Oklahoma) · 17.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    This lake isn't just a pretty spot for boating; it's tied to a governor who wasn't afraid to stir things up. Lake Murray was created in the 1930s by damming up Anadarche and Fourche Maline Creeks. It was named after…

  • Silo · 17.5 mi · Eohc

    You're driving through Bryan County, and right here is Silo. It started as a stop on a stagecoach route back in the 1800s, with a post office opening in 1893. It even had a hotel, but when that caught fire, the…

  • From Cotton Gin to Boat Slips · 18.3 mi

    A century ago Pottsboro's economy ran on cotton and railroad freight. Today it runs largely on water. After Denison Dam filled Lake Texoma in the 1940s, the shoreline north of town became one of the busiest recreation…

  • Platter, OK · 18.8 mi · Local history

    Platter, Oklahoma sits within the rolling East Central Texas Plains, where the land begins its slow descent toward the Gulf Coast. This part of Bryan County is defined by its fertile soils, a legacy of ancient seas and…

  • Washington House (Sycamore Creek Ranch) · 18.9 mi · Historical Marker

    Built 1867 by J. R. Washington, with lumber hauled by oxen from Jefferson, Texas. Architecture is Queen Anne period; gingerbread trim. Excellent water facilities made ranch a collection center for cattle prior to trail…

  • Fisher's Station · 19.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Imagine weary travelers in stagecoaches, kicking up dust right here! This was Fisher's Station, a vital stop on both the Butterfield Overland Mail route and the older Texas Road. Think of it as a 19th-century rest stop,…

  • Cartwright, OK · 19.7 mi · Local history

    Cartwright, Oklahoma sits nestled in the rolling landscape of Bryan County, where the East Central Texas Plains begin their slow transition into the Lowland South. The town's heritage is rooted in the dreams of families…

  • Taming the Red River: The Engineering of Lake Texoma · 19.8 mi

    The reason Pottsboro is a lake town today is because of one of the most ambitious civil engineering projects of its time: Denison Dam. For decades, the Red River was a destructive force, prone to catastrophic floods…

  • The Sunken Town of Georgetown · 19.8 mi

    Just north of here, beneath the waters of Lake Texoma, lies a ghost town. Before Pottsboro, the most important settlement in this area was Preston — Preston Bend. Settled in the 1830s around Holland Coffee's trading…

  • Moving for the Katy Railroad · 19.8 mi

    Most Texas towns of the 1870s waited to see where the railroad would go, then scrambled to get there. Pottsboro didn't wait. James A. Potts, a pioneer settler, had a piece of Grayson County and an idea. In 1876 he…

  • Pottsboro, TX · 19.8 mi

    Pottsboro was established in 1876 by James A. Potts, a pioneer settler who donated land for a town and a right-of-way so the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad would extend its tracks westward from Denison to his…

  • Site of Fort Johnson · 19.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Fort Johnson, established by William G. Cooke in 1840. This fort was part of the Military Road defense system connecting Red River to Austin. It was named for Colonel Francis W. Johnson,…

  • Gene Autry Oklahoma Museum · 20.0 mi · Historical Marker

    In 1941, the small town of Berwyn, Oklahoma voted to rename itself after its most famous native son. Gene Autry, the singing cowboy, was born near here in 1907 and grew up working on his uncle's ranch. He learned to…

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