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McAlester, Oklahoma

Coordinates:34°55′32″N95°46′24″W/ 34.92556°N 95.77333°W/34.92556; -95.77333
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McAlester, Oklahoma
City
Downtown McAlester in January 2008
Downtown McAlester in January 2008
Nickname:
Mactown
Location of McAlester, Oklahoma
Location of McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma is located in the United States
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma
Location in the United States
Coordinates:34°55′32″N95°46′24″W/ 34.92556°N 95.77333°W/34.92556; -95.77333
CountryUnited States
StateOklahoma
CountyPittsburg
Government
•MayorJohn Browne[1]
Area
[2]
• Total17.93 sq mi (46.43 km2)
• Land17.80 sq mi (46.10 km2)
• Water0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2)
Elevation
[3]
742 ft (226 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total18,171
• Density1,020.84/sq mi (394.16/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6(Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)UTC-5(CDT)
ZIP Codes
74501–74502
Area code(s)539/918
FIPS code40-44800[4]
GNISfeature ID2411056[3]
Websitewww.cityofmcalester

McAlesteris thecounty seatofPittsburg County,Oklahoma.[5]The population was 18,363 at the time of the 2010 census, a 3.4 percent increase from 17,783 at the 2000 census.[6]The town gets its name fromJames Jackson McAlester,an early settler and businessman who later became lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. Known as "J. J.", McAlester married Rebecca Burney, the daughter of a full-bloodChickasawfamily, which made him a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.[6]

McAlester is the home of theOklahoma State Penitentiary,the former site of an "inside the walls" prison rodeo that ESPN'sSportsCenteronce broadcast.

McAlester is home to many of the employees of theMcAlester Army Ammunition Plant.This facility makes the majority of the bombs used by the United States military. In 1998 McAlester became the home of theDefense Ammunition Center(DAC), which moved fromSavanna, Illinois,to McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.[7]

History

[edit]
When this street in McAlester was paved in 1916, the city saved this pine tree and built a fence around it

The crossing of the east–westCalifornia Roadwith the north–southTexas Roadformed a natural point of settlement. At the time of its founding, the site was located inTobucksy County,a part of theMoshulatubbee Districtof theChoctaw Nation.[8]Alyssia Young, who emigrated from Mississippi to the Indian Territory, first established a settlement at the intersection of the two roads in 1838. The town was named Perryville after James Perry, member of a Choctaw family, who established a trading post.[9]At one time Perryville was the capital of the Choctaw Nation and County Seat ofTobucksy County.During theAmerican Civil War,the Choctaw allied with theConfederate States of America(CSA) as the war reachedIndian Territory.[10]

A depot providing supplies to Confederate Forces in Indian Territory was set up at Perryville. On August 26, 1863, a force of 4,500 Union soldiers crossed the Canadian River and destroyed the Confederate munitions depot at Perryville. This became known as theBattle of Perryville,Indian Territory. Union Major GeneralJames G. Blunt,finding the Confederate supplies and realizing that Perryville was a major supply depot for Confederate forces, ordered the town burned. The town was rebuilt but never reached its prewar glory or population.

After the end of the Civil War in 1865, Captain J. J. McAlester obtained a job with the trading company of Reynolds and Hannaford. McAlester convinced the firm to locate a general store at Tupelo in the Choctaw Nation. He had learned of coal deposits in Indian Territory during the war while serving as a captain with the22nd Arkansas Infantry Regiment(Confederate). AtFort Smith, Arkansas,before going to work with Reynolds and Hannaford, McAlester had received maps of the coal deposits from engineer Oliver Weldon, who served with McAlester during the war.[11]

Weldon had worked for the U.S. surveying Indian Territory before the war and knew of the coal deposits. Hearing of the railroad plans to extend through Indian Territory and knowing that rich deposits of coal were in an area north of the town of Perryville, McAlester convinced Reynolds and Hannaford that Bucklucksy would be a more suitable and profitable site for the trading post.[a]He constructed a trading post/general store there in late 1869. The Bucklucksy general store was an immediate success, but McAlester recognized an even greater opportunity in the abundance of coal deposits in the area, so he began obtaining rights to the deposits from the Choctaws, anticipating the impending construction of a rail line through Indian Territory.[11]

As the first railroad to extend its line to the northern border of Indian Territory, theUnion Pacific RailwaySouthern Branch earnedright of wayand a liberal bonus of land to extend the line toTexas.Several New York businessmen, includingLevi P. Morton,Levi Parsons,August Belmont,J. Pierpont Morgan,George Denison andJohn D. Rockefeller,were interested in extending rail through Indian Territory, and theMissouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad,familiarly called the Katy Railroad, began its corporate existence in 1865 toward that end. Morton and Parsons selected a site near the Kansas Indian Territory border where they incorporated the settlement ofParsons, Kansasin 1871.[11]

That same year, J. J. McAlester, after buying out Reynolds's share of the trading post, journeyed with a sample of coal to the railroad town in hopes of persuading officials to locate the line near his store at Bucklucksy. The trading post's location on the Texas Road weighed in its favor, given that the Katy line construction roughly followed theShawnee Trail– Texas Road route south to theRed River.The line reached Bucklucksy in 1872, and Katy Railroad officials named therailway stopMcAlester (Nesbitt 1933,pp. 760–61).

With the coming of the railroad, businesses in nearby Perryville began relocating to be near the McAlester Rail Depot, marking the end of Perryville and the beginning of McAlester. On August 22, 1872, J. J. McAlester married Rebecca Burney (1841–1919). She was a member of the Chickasaw Nation, which made it possible for McAlester to gain citizenship and the right to own property (including mineral rights to the coal deposits in both the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations). McAlester quickly obtained land near the intersection of the north–south and east–west rail lines, where he opened a second general store and continued selling coal to the railroads.[6]

In 1885, Fritz Sittle (Sittel), a Choctaw citizen by marriage and one of the first settlers in the area, urged visiting newspaperman Edwin D. Chadick to pursue the possibility of an east–west rail line to run through the coal mining district atKrebsthat would connect with the north–south line at McAlester. Chadick eventually found financing and established theChoctaw Coal and Railwayin 1888, but was unable to come to terms with J. J. McAlester over the issue ofright of way.

In the 1870s, miners from Pennsylvania arrived in McAlester to work in the coal mines.[12]Miners of Italian origin arrived in McAlester in 1874.[12]

Chadick and his investors purchased land to the south of McAlester's General Store, and a natural trading crossroads formed where the two rail lines crossed, quickly becoming a bustling community called South McAlester.[b]South McAlester grew much more rapidly than North McAlester. The 1900 census showed a population of 3,470 for the former and 642 for the latter.[6]

The two towns operated as somewhat separate communities until 1907, when the United States Congress passed an act joining them as a single municipality, the action being required since the towns were under federal jurisdiction in Indian Territory. McAlester and South McAlester were combined under the single name McAlester, with South McAlester officeholders as officials of the single town. Designation as a single community by the United States Post Office came on July 1, 1907, nearly five months before Oklahoma statehood, which caused a redrawing of county lines and designations such that the majority of Tobucksy County fell within the new lines ofPittsburg County.The city had 8,144 inhabitants upon statehood, more than a fourth of whom were foreign-born.[12]

McAlester was on the route of theJefferson Highwayestablished in 1915, with that road running more than 2,300 miles from Winnipeg, Manitoba to New Orleans, Louisiana.[13]

McAlester was the site of the 2004 trial ofTerry Nicholson Oklahoma state charges related to the 1995Oklahoma City bombing.On December 25, 2000, an ice storm hit the area, leaving residents without electrical service and water for more than two weeks; in January 2007, another devastatingice stormcrippled the city, leaving residents withoutpowerand water for more than a week.[11]

Geography

[edit]

McAlester is at the intersection ofU.S. Route 69andU.S. Route 270,inPittsburg County.[14]According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 41 square miles (110 km2), of which 40.6 square miles (105 km2) is land. It has ahumid subtropical climate(Cfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 40.0 °F (4.4 °C) in January to 81.7 °F (27.6 °C) in July.[15]Thehardiness zoneis 7b.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900646—
191011,7741,722.6%
192010,632−9.7%
193011,80411.0%
194012,4015.1%
195017,87844.2%
196017,419−2.6%
197018,8027.9%
198017,255−8.2%
199016,370−5.1%
200017,7838.6%
201018,3833.4%
202018,171−1.2%
Sources:[4][16][17][18][19][20]

As of the2000 census,[4]there were 17,783 people, 6,584households,and 4,187 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,133.1 inhabitants per square mile (437.5/km2). There were 7,374 housing units at an average density of 469.9 per square mile (181.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.72%White,8.68%African American,10.48%Native American,0.39%Asian,0.05%Pacific Islander,1.29% fromother races,and 4.38% from two or moreraces.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 3.04% of the population.

There were 6,584 households, out of which 29.1% had children under theage of 18living with them, 46.6% weremarried couplesliving together, 13.7% had a femalehouseholderwith no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was65 years of age or older.The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,631, and the median income for a family was $36,480. Males had a median income of $29,502 versus $19,455 for females. Theper capita incomefor the city was $16,694. About 16.1% of families and 19.4% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

[edit]

Agriculture and coal mining supported the city's economy around the turn of the 20th century. Cotton was the main cash crop, and McAlester had three cotton gins and one cotton compress. Then aboll weevilinfestation destroyed local cotton production. Meanwhile, railroads converted from coal to oil as their primary fuel, which marked the decline of the coal industry in the area.[21]

Oklahoma State Penitentiary,established in 1911, is a source of employment and local revenue in McAlester

TheOklahoma State Penitentiaryis a major source of employment and revenue in McAlester.[21][22]

During World War II, the U.S. Government built the Naval Ammunition Plant a few miles south of McAlester. In 1977, the facility became the U.S. Army Ammunition Plant. It is still the main site of ammunition production and storage for the armed forces in the United States.[21]

Government

[edit]

TwoOklahoma Department of Correctionsfacilities, theOklahoma State Penitentiaryand the Jackie Brannon Correctional Center, are in McAlester.[23][24]McAlester was also previously home to theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahomain theCarl Albert Federal Building.

Organizations

[edit]

Pride in McAlesteris a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in April 2008. The organization provides educational services and operates a flea market where community members can recycle and reuse most materials. It also participates in scholarship opportunities, community functions, and citywide cleanup events.[25]

Another non-profit calledMcAlester Main Street,one of the various nationalMain Street Programs,is a public-private partnership with the City of McAlester, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which works to preserve and revitalize Old Town and Downtown McAlester.[26]

Education

[edit]
McAlester Public Library

McAlester Public Schoolsoperates public schools. The McAlester Public Library was built in 1970. As of 2010 the city has plans to build a new library.[27]The Friends of the McAlester Public Library is financing the new branch.[28]

McAlester includesKiamichi Technology Center,which has over 300 students per school year. There is also an extension ofEastern Oklahoma State Collegethat partners with Southeastern Oklahoma State University and East Central University. The Wanda Bass Higher Education Center, a branch ofEastern Oklahoma State College,is also in McAlester.[6]

Transportation

[edit]

McAlester is served by:[29]

McAlester Regional Airport (KMLC; FAA ID: MLC), approximately three miles southwest of town, features a paved 5602’ x 100’ runway.[31]The airport had commercial air service throughCentral Airlinesin the 1960s.[32]

Points of interest

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

NRHP sites

[edit]

The following sites in McAlester are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places listings in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma:

  • McAlester Armory
  • McAlester Downtown Historic District (bounded by Business 69, E. Carl Albert Pkwy., N. 5th St. & RR tracks)
  • McAlester DX
  • McAlester House
  • McAlester Scottish Rite Temple
  • Mine Rescue Station Building
  • OKLA Theater
  • Perryville
  • Pittsburg County Courthouse
  • Warden's House (Penitentiary Boulevard and West St.)

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Bucklucksy was an unincorporated community north of McAlester until part of it was submerged by the creation ofLake Eufaula.
  2. ^South McAlester was about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the original town, which became known familiarly as North McAlester or North Town, although early U.S. Census records simply identified it as McAlester.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"McAlester, OK - Official Website - City Council".cityofmcalester.RetrievedJanuary 3,2020.
  2. ^"ArcGIS REST Services Directory".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedSeptember 20,2022.
  3. ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McAlester, Oklahoma
  4. ^abc"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  5. ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
  6. ^abcdefShuller, Thurman."McAlester" profile,Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture;accessed February 12, 2017.
  7. ^"McAlister Army Ammunition Plant".RetrievedAugust 6,2023.
  8. ^Morris, John W.Historical Atlas of Oklahoma(Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1986), plate 38.
  9. ^Oklahoma: A Guide to the Sooner State.Federal Writers Project, pg. 340 (1941); retrieved September 21, 2014.
  10. ^"Home Page".wbtsinindianterritory.istemp.
  11. ^abcd"History of McAlester." City of McAlester.Accessed February 13, 2017.
  12. ^abcStanley Clark,clark, Stanley (1955).Immigrants in the Choctaw Coal Industry.The Chronicles of Oklahoma. Vol. 33.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2018.RetrievedMarch 20,2018.
  13. ^"The Jefferson Highway Route in Oklahoma".Oklahoma Members of the Jefferson Highway Association.RetrievedOctober 27,2019.
  14. ^Oklahoma Municipal Government,Oklahoma Almanac,2005, p. 535. (accessed October 1, 2013)
  15. ^PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University
  16. ^"Population-Oklahoma"(PDF).U.S. Census 1910.U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 22,2013.
  17. ^"Population-Oklahoma"(PDF).15th Census of the United States.U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 27,2013.
  18. ^"Number of Inhabitants: Oklahoma"(PDF).18th Census of the United States.U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 22,2013.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^"Oklahoma: Population and Housing Unit Counts"(PDF).U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedNovember 22,2013.
  20. ^"Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012".U.S. Census Bureau. Archived fromthe originalon June 11, 2013.RetrievedNovember 25,2013.
  21. ^abcWriter, Jeanne LeFloreStaff."McAlester History".McAlester News-Capital.
  22. ^Shapiro, Dean M. "Kirksey."Crime Library.Retrieved on July 24, 2010.
  23. ^"Oklahoma State Penitentiary"Archived2009-05-12 at theWayback Machine,Oklahoma Department of Corrections;retrieved November 22, 2010.
  24. ^""Jackie Brannon Correctional Center"Archived2010-11-26 at theWayback Machine,Oklahoma Department of Corrections;retrieved November 22, 2010.
  25. ^Pride in McAlester,prideinmcalester; accessed February 14, 2017.
  26. ^"What is Main Street?".McAlester Main Street\accessdate=October 20, 2020.
  27. ^"Friends of the Library."McAlester Public Library. Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
  28. ^"fol_brochure_thumb.jpg."McAlester Public Library. Retrieved on November 22, 2010.
  29. ^(McAlester Chamber of Commerce 2007)
  30. ^"Exxon in McAlester, Oklahoma".Greyhound.RetrievedJanuary 10,2021.
  31. ^"McAlester Regional Airport".AirNav.RetrievedOctober 2,2020.
  32. ^"Central Airlines, Effective July 1, 1967".Timetableimages.RetrievedOctober 1,2020.
  33. ^"Melva Blancett obituary".McAlester News-Capital.March 11, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon March 13, 2010.RetrievedMarch 30,2010.
  34. ^"Quentin Brooks profile".Sports Reference.Archived fromthe originalon April 18, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 7,2015.

Bibliography

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