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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: March 25, 1938
Name: Charles Leflore
Date of Birth: 1841
Place of Birth: near Doakesville, Towson County, Indian Territory
Field Worker: Pete W. Cole
 
Toll Bridge located in Section 8, Township 3 South, Range 10 East in current Atoka County
Founded: 1863 by Captain Charles Leflore
Abandoned: 1890
Present owners of premises: Gum brothers
Address of present owners: Oklahoma City
Names of other persons who at one time owned the premises: Wm. Perkins allotment
Legal location: Section 8 Township 3 S Range 10 E E-SW: NE NW SW
 

HISTORICAL LOCATION OF THE FIRST TOLL BRIDGE AND THE FIRST GRIST MILL
AS OPERATED BY CHARLES LEFLORE IN ATOKA COUNTY

Charles LeFlore established the first toll bridge and was the first man to operate a water power grist mill in what is now Atoka County.

He was born near Doakesville in what was then Towson County in the Indian Territorial days in the Choctaw Nation, in what is now Choctaw County, in the year 1841. History reveals that he attended and finished school at Armstrong Academy, attended Fort Smith School until the trouble between the North and South, when he quit and served in the war, where he was a captain. After his marriage, he contracted with the United States Government to supply meat to the Cherokees and other refugees who had sought shelter during the war in the Choctaw Nation.

He was the first man to build a toll bridge on Clear Boggy Creek which was sorely needed and on the stage line between Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Texas. This was the first toll bridge that was built in this county which was in Section 8, Township 3 South, Range 10 East in Atoka County. He also had a grist mill a short distance from the toll bridge, in the same vicinity, which he established in the year 1863. It was located immediately on the bank of a small stream which empties into Clear Boggy, where a rock pile can be seen today where the mill stood. There has been high water on this stream which covered all over the bottom but the high water has never reached the top of the place where the grist mill once stood. It was established in the year 1863 and furnished all of the people in the surrounding vicinity but years later was abandoned.

The toll bridge was in service for several years as this was the only bridge on the river, and was the best traveled road in those days. Later, Mr. LeFlore sold out and moved to Lehigh, in what is now Coal County and from there to Limestone Gap in 1867. The bridge was abandoned in 1890.

Note: This article includes a small map indicating the location of the toll bridge as just southeast of the point where Sandy Creek joins the Clear Boggy. The "Old Home Site" and the "Grist Mill Site" are also on this map; both appear to have been a short distance northeast of the toll bridge.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Claudia Denton <Ymaraner@aol.com> 01-2000.