McAlester, Oklahoma

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, coal built this place. Back in 1873, commercial coal mining kicked off, fueling the state's growth for over a century. The real story? James J. McAlester. He wasn't just…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in the shadow of history, is a story of a governor who faced a crisis. David Hall, elected in 1970 in the closest gubernatorial race ever, was known for his reform…

You're driving through McAlester, a town born from coal! Back in 1872, James J. McAlester struck gold, or rather, coal, when the Katy railroad came through. He married into a Chickasaw family, which let him claim the…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, and right here is McAlester, a town founded by the man who essentially built Oklahoma's coal industry: J. J. McAlester. After serving in the Civil War, McAlester got his hands on…

You're driving through McAlester, Oklahoma, a town that once called baseball's "Iron Man" home. Joseph Jerome McGinnity wasn't born here, but he came to Indian Territory in 1890 to work the dangerous coal mines. He even…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past the hometown of a man who made history not once, but four times! George Nigh, born in McAlester, became the youngest state legislator ever at just 23. But that's not all! In…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, and right here, you're passing through the territory of Wilburn Cartwright, a man who served Oklahoma in government for SEVEN decades! He called himself 'the most elected man in…

Right here, in what's now Oklahoma, a complicated story of coal, land, and money unfolded starting in the 1870s. J.J. McAlester found coal, and Choctaw law let him claim it. But the railroad wanted in, and soon, a…

You're driving through southeastern Oklahoma, a land where coal mining was once king, and where Peter Hanraty discovered a secret that saved countless lives. Born in Scotland and hardened by the mines there since he was…

You're driving through McAlester, and right here, you're passing the heart of Oklahoma's Italian heritage. Back in the early 1900s, Italians came to southeastern Oklahoma seeking work in the coal mines, with over…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, and right here is McAlester, the former headquarters for the Central District of Indian Territory. From 1894 to 1907, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zeke Miller patrolled this area. Now,…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, a place that boomed thanks to coal! Back in 1872, the railroad arrived, and James J. McAlester, already familiar with the rich coal deposits, saw his chance. He married into…

You're driving through what used to be the heart of Oklahoma's coal country, and right here, Polish immigrants found work and built communities. Many weren't miners back home, but the Choctaw Nation's coal mines…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, maybe near McAlester, and right here is where Hector Marvin Sinclair tried to build a socialist powerhouse. He arrived from New York and quickly became the leader of Oklahoma's…

You're driving past McAlester, and right here is the site of a massive World War II installation: the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot. Established in 1942, this facility was crucial for supplying ammunition during the war.…

You're driving through McAlester, and right here, John Battista Tua was building a life and a community. Born in France in 1871, Tua came to Indian Territory in 1896, eventually landing in McAlester. He became a trusted…

You're cruising through McAlester, a town that was once a hub for Oklahoma's Italian community and a surprising center for socialist politics. Right here, in the early 1900s, lawyer Emilio Marianelli set up shop, drawn…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the site of a legendary showdown: the Red River Bridge War of 1931. Imagine this: Oklahoma and Texas built new, free bridges across the Red River.…

Opened 1911. Site of the 1973 riot that destroyed most of the facility.

You're driving past the site of Perryville, a once-thriving settlement in the Choctaw Nation. Founded by James Perry around 1840, this town sat at the crossroads of vital trails, booming during the California and…

Hey road-trippers, look to your right! You're cruising past the Shawnee Hills in Pittsburg County. These aren't just any hills; they're a landmark on the historic Shawnee Trail, a major cattle route back in the day.…

Ever wonder what life was like for the person in charge of a prison? Here, at the Warden's House in McAlester, you can get a glimpse. Designed by architect P.H. Weathers, this house served as the residence for the…

A white man married into the Choctaw Nation and built a store where two trails crossed in 1869.

Italian immigrant speakeasy since 1925. Lamb fries and Choc beer in coal mining country.

Mine explosion on Jan 7 1892 killed 100 miners. Memorial erected 2002.

Right here in Oklahoma, coal mining was a deadly business. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, Oklahoma mines were among the most dangerous in the nation. "Windy shots" – explosions caused by too much gunpowder…

Krebs claims the title. If you have to ask what they are you are not ready.

You're driving past Krebs, a town built on coal and struggle. It started as a mining camp, drawing English and Irish workers, then Italians, Europeans, and Mexicans. In 1892, tragedy struck this rough frontier town when…

You're driving near Krebs, Oklahoma, and right here is where the Osage Coal and Mining Company dug deep into the earth, becoming the very first commercial mining operation in Indian Territory. Founded in 1872, this…

Right here in Krebs, Oklahoma, you're driving past the site of one of the first organized baseball games in the state, played way back on July 4th, 1882. Imagine this: three hundred folks gathered, using hay sacks for…

Choctaw Nation coal mines fueled the MK&T Railroad across Indian Territory.

73% of Krebs Italians came from Piemonte -- unlike any other Italian-American community in the US.

You're driving through what used to be the heart of coal country in Indian Territory. Right here, in places like Krebs, miners faced incredible danger. In 1892, an explosion in Mine Number Eleven killed around a hundred…

You're driving through southeastern Oklahoma, and you might hear the term 'choc beer.' Now, it's not chocolate beer. It's actually short for Choctaw beer, a favorite for decades, especially with coal miners. Back in…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, and right here in Krebs, you're passing by the site of a groundbreaking Italian-American business. Joseph and John Fassino, immigrants from Italy, saw a need in this frontier…

You're driving through southeastern Oklahoma, a region that became a magnet for Italian immigrants starting in the late 1870s. Drawn by the promise of work in the coal mines of Pittsburg County, these weren't your…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, past the town of Krebs. Right here is where Pete Prichard, born Pietro Piegari in Italy, started his American life. Arriving in 1903, he worked the coal mines like many…

Small museum preserving the Italian-Choctaw coal mining culture.

Italian miners brewed beer from barley and hops during Prohibition. Legalized in 1995.

Only Italian market in Oklahoma since 1946 in a 1910 sandstone building.

Opened Mother Day 1950 using lumber from a decommissioned POW camp.

20000+ people descend on tiny Krebs every Memorial Day weekend for Italian food and music.

You're driving past Alderson, a town that owes its start to coal. Right here, in the late 1800s, this was a bustling mining camp. By 1910, it was home to nearly 800 people, many of them Italian and Polish immigrants…

You're driving south of McAlester on Highway 69, passing through Savanna. This town owes its boom to coal, but its bust came from a deadly disaster. In the 1870s, coal mining became Savanna's main industry, attracting…

Largest ammo depot in the world. 45000 acres storing bombs since 1943.

You're driving past Haileyville, a town that owes its very existence to coal. Right here, in 1899, D. M. Hailey opened the first coal mine, Number One Slope, kicking off production on St. Patrick's Day. For decades,…

Right here near Hartshorne, you're driving past the ranch that was once home to Warren Spahn, the most successful left-handed pitcher in baseball history. He pitched for twenty-one years, racking up 363 wins and even…

Right here in Hartshorne, you're driving through a town built on coal and dreams. Back in the mid-1800s, coal mines opened up, and operators brought in immigrants from all over the world – Italy, Ireland, Poland,…

You're driving through Hartshorne, and right here, you're passing a piece of Oklahoma's unique ethnic history. This is the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1897 on a hill known as 'Russian…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, and right here, you're passing through a bit of religious history! Back in 1914, three Carmelite priests fled persecution in Mexico and landed in Oklahoma. Bishop Meerschaert…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, near McAlester, and you're passing through Crowder. This town owes its existence to a bit of railroad maneuvering and a name-change drama. Back in 1901, Dr. William Crowder and…

You're driving through Pittsburg, a town that owes its existence to coal. Back in 1899, Daniel Edwards and his son started digging for coal right here. By 1909, the town was named Pittsburg, and coal was king. Two…

You're driving through Pittsburg County on Highway 69, and right here is Kiowa. This town owes its existence to a railroad camp. Back in 1872, the Katy Railway was pushing south through Indian Territory, and its workers…

Imagine stagecoaches thundering through as you stand on the site of this former stop on the historic Butterfield Overland Mail route. This unassuming spot was once a vital link connecting east and west. Blackburn's…

You're driving through Pittsburg County, on your way past Eufaula, and you're passing through Canadian. This town began as an Indian trading post in the Choctaw Nation, but it really took off in 1872 when the railroad…

This unassuming hotel tells the story of a town built on the promise of the railroad. The Stuart Hotel was constructed between 1901 and 1903, shortly after the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad arrived in Stuart. It…

You're driving through Hughes County, and right here is the town of Stuart. It wasn't always called Stuart, though. It started out as Hoyuby, named for a Choctaw allottee, and the post office opened back in 1892. But…

You're driving through Hanna, a town that was once Oklahoma's unofficial onion capital! Back in 1931, onion farming was so important here that folks started calling it that. But Hanna's story goes back further, to 1895,…

You're driving past Hanna, Oklahoma, where John Conover Nichols first settled in 1916. Before becoming a U.S. Representative, Nichols had a colorful past as a cabaret entertainer. He even operated one of the first…