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Powderly is located on a low ridge, draining west to Pat Mayse Lake and east to Pine Creek, a tributary of the Red River. Pat Mayse Lake, a 6,000-acre reservoir built and maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers, offers campgrounds with 200 sites providing water and electricity. The lake is a popular recreational facility with activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, and camping.
Powderly, Texas, has a rich history that dates back to the Civil War era when it was first settled and known as 'Lenoir'. The town's name was changed to honor Terence V. Powderly, a labor leader and commissioner of immigration, when the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was built through the area in the 1880s. Over the years, Powderly has seen its share of ups and downs. In 1890, it was a small town with a general store, cotton gins, and a gristmill, but by the 1920s, the community had declined. However, the population began to increase again in the mid-20th century, and in 1964, the Powderly Volunteer Fire Department was established, which continues to serve the community today. In 2022, Powderly was hit by a violent EF4 tornado, a tragic event in its recent history.
Powderly, Texas, was originally known as 'Lenoir'. However, when the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was built through the area in the 1880s, the community was renamed 'Powderly' in honor of Terence V. Powderly, a labor leader and later a commissioner of immigration in the McKinley administration.
Recognizing in 1940 that hosting peacetime draftees might revive the county's economy, the city of Paris sent a request for the army to build a training camp here. The local American Legion acquired land options. Delegations from the Chamber of Commerce of Lamar County received initial support, but Congressman Lyndon Johnson moved the planned camp to his district at Bastrop. In response U. S. Senator Tom Connally and army officials ensured a camp for Paris, confirmed in July 1941. The 70,000 acre site was being surveyed when the U. S. entered World War II in December. Camp Maxey, named for C. S. A. General and U. S. Senator Sam Bell Maxey from paris, was activated on July 15, 1942. Its main entrance was "Gate 5" marked by stone portals at this site. Two infantry divisions, the 102nd "Ozark" and 99th "Checkerboard," trained here with the 250th Field Artillery and other army units. A regional hospital and a prisoner of war camp hosting 7,000 Germans were part of the reservation. Local women formed the "Maxey Command" to host dances for the total of 194,800 soldiers stationed here. Area residents housed thousands of dependents and filled 10,300 civilian jobs on base. The camp was closed when the P. O. W. stockade was vacated in early 1946.
19 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
You're driving through Soper, Oklahoma, a town born from a railroad line in 1902. It was named for Pliny L. Soper, an attorney for the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway. Right here, the Snippee Store building became the…
You're driving through what was once the heart of the Choctaw Nation, and right here is where Cyrus Kingsbury spent the last decades of his life. Known as the 'Father of the Missions,' Kingsbury dedicated over six…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, the ground beneath your feet has been a source of wealth for centuries! Long before settlers arrived, Native Americans quarried flint and dug for minerals like hematite.…
You're driving through Boswell, Oklahoma, a town with roots stretching back to the mid-1800s. Originally, this area was home to the Choctaw settlement of Mayhew, established around 1839 with a mission school and church.…
You're rolling through Hugo, Oklahoma, and you might just hear the echoes of the oldest bluegrass festival west of the Mississippi! Right here, the Bill Grant Bluegrass Festival kicked off in August 1969. It started…
Right here in Hugo, you're driving through the winter home of the circus! Since 1942, this town has been the chosen spot for circuses to escape the cold and prep for the spring season. Fifteen different circuses have…
You're driving through Choctaw County, and right here, in what's now Hugo, was once the heart of the Choctaw Nation's most important trading center: Doaksville. Established in 1824, Fort Towson was the second oldest…
You're driving through southeastern Oklahoma, maybe not far from Hugo. Right here, in the mid-1800s, lived Robert M. Jones, a powerful Choctaw leader, planter, and entrepreneur. He owned thousands of acres and was the…
You're driving past Grant, Oklahoma, right in Choctaw County. This town has roots going back to around 1885 when Basil Gooding opened a store here. But what's really interesting is what happened in 1904. Right here, on…
Pull over here for a sec. This is where Antlers came alive, thanks to the railroad and a reliable water source. In 1902, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, nicknamed the Frisco, built a depot right here. The adjacent…
Pull over here for a moment and let's reflect on the complex history beneath our feet. This is Rose Hill Plantation, a place that speaks to both the prosperity and the profound injustices of the pre-Civil War South.…
You're driving through Antlers, Oklahoma, right now. This town has a story that's both tragic and easily overlooked. On April 12th, 1945, the same day President Roosevelt died, a massive tornado ripped through Antlers.…
You're driving through Pushmataha County, and right here, in the early 1900s, dreams of oil wealth turned to tragedy. Near Jumbo, a mine produced asphalt, but in 1910, an explosion there killed fourteen men. The mine…
Powderly is located on a low ridge, draining west to Pat Mayse Lake and east to Pine Creek, a tributary of the Red River. Pat Mayse Lake, a 6,000-acre reservoir built and maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers,…
You're driving past Sawyer, Oklahoma, a town with a name that changed more than once! It started as Gilbert in 1902, named by its first postmaster after his son. But by 1903, it was renamed Sawyer, honoring an attorney…
U.S. Highway Two Seventy One, from Loop Two Eighty Six north to the Oklahoma line, is the Sergeant Jay M. Hoskins Memorial Highway. Jay Hoskins graduated from North Lamar High School in two thousand three and joined the…
Recognizing in 1940 that hosting peacetime draftees might revive the county's economy, the city of Paris sent a request for the army to build a training camp here. The local American Legion acquired land options.…
You're driving through Bryan County, just east of Durant, and you're passing through Bennington. This town's story started way back in 1853 as a Presbyterian mission called Mount Pleasant. A few years later, it moved…
You're rolling through Bryan County, Oklahoma, the hometown of Wesley Wade Watkins. Born in Arkansas in 1938, Watkins grew up near Bennington. He went on to serve in the Oklahoma National Guard, run a real estate…
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