Postoffices in Oklahoma
Feedback & Miscellaneous Tidbits
| Camp Creek
Childers Stand Coffeyville, KS Core Fort Gibson Fort Smith, AR Joe Bowers Stand Nine Mile Sallisaw Vann Stand Webbers Falls |
On the old Military Road between Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Fort Gibson
about nine miles out of Fort Smith was an inn known as the Nine Mile Road House or the Joe Bowers Stand, but the real name of the place was
"Camp Creek". Joe BOWERS ran the store and inn, and was also the postmaster. Mail addressed to Camp Creek, Indian
Territory, arrived at the Nine Mile Road House, where we used to get our mail after we discontinued going to Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Stages, stage coaches, similar to those you see in Wild West plays in the movies, were operating when we moved to the Territory. Their first
stop was at Camp Creek and the next was the Cushingberry Stand, which later became the Childers Stand run by John and Nancy CHILDERS.
Next was Webbers Falls, at the Vann Stand, and the stage continued on to Muskogee and Fort Gibson but I can't tell much of it after reaching
Webber Falls. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad built through this part of the Territory from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Coffeyville, Kansas, in 1887-1888 and 1889, and towns sprang up along the railroad. The town of Muldrow replaced “Camp Creek,” Sallisaw replaced the Childers Stand and across the Arkansas River from Webber Falls the town of Core sprang up. The stage line continued to operate for years even though the railroad had built, but finally passed out of existence. Source: Indian Pioneer Papers, W. W. Payne interview, November 09, 1937, at Sallisaw, Sequoyah Co. Oklahoma. |
| Anadarko
Caddo Fred Pauls Valley |
Dave and Scott COOK had the post office at Fred, and they ran a general merchandise store. Mail was delivered at Fred about once a week, being carried in a stage coach or hack. From Fred the stage coach went to Anadarko, and then back on its way to Pauls Valley and Caddo. Source: Indian Pioneer Papers, Bunk Moncrief interview, October 13, 1937, at Chickasha, Grady Co., Oklahoma |