Davis, C. N., I.T.

This survey was made in 1889 and S. H. Davis purchased the first lot offered for sale in the new town.  Davis owned and operated a general merchandise store about 4 miles north in the community of Washita.  The new store was located across the street from the depot.  This depot was a boxcar on the siding which also housed the post office.  The town of Davis was later named for him.  In 1891, there was a big fire in Washita that wiped out most of the buildings.  The depot was in a low boggy place making it difficult to get to it in wet weather.  After the fire most people moved to Davis.

Others who elected to stake their fortunes on the new town were W. F. Parker a druggist, Dr. Thomas Walker, Frank Meyers, liveryman J. R. Blythe, & H. P. Lovell a hotel man.  Parker was the first teacher at a new subscription school where church services were also held.  Realizing that religious services were important to the development of a new community, Chigley donated four lots to build four new churches.  The first wedding was celebrated by Mark Gibson and Lulu Ferguson.  The Methodist minister James A. Gibson conducted services each Sunday in the new church.  A new bank was organized by James Paulk, Sam Davis, John McIntosh, and James Darby.  In 1899 the name was changed to The First National Bank.  A second but short lived bank was established by J.B. McCloskey and J.A. McIntosh. 

In 1898 the town of Davis was incorporated with H. H. Allen the mayor, L. M. Frame the clerk, Sam Davis the treasurer and T. W. Poole as city marshal.  Dr. Thomas Howell, a Choctaw born at Eagle Town and educated at the University of Maryland Medical College was a very early settler of the area.  After graduation, Dr. Howell first practiced at Atoka and then came to Pauls Valley.  He eventually (1893) settled two miles west of Davis and later gave up his practice to devote his time to farming and ranching.

Mose Chigley, the son of Nelson, was well educated in the new community and was very influential in political affairs being a member of his tribal legislature, serving as interpreter, policeman and sheriff.  Others who settled were Matt Wolf who came from Texas and settled in the early days of the development of the Washita Valley.  Wolf was said to be a jovial character with an inclination towards being a practical joker.  It is said that he enjoyed giving his cowboys a task and sending them on a wild goose chase.  Then when the cowboy returned empty handed, he would give the hired man a sum of money and a few days off to recover from the joke.

Contributed by Dennis Muncrief, November 2001

Train in Davis, OK

Hotel Grand Davis OK

Davis High School Davis, OK

Cedarvale Craft Shoppe  Davis, OK

Cotton Gin in Davis, OK

Main Street Davis OK

Buckhorn Cafe  Davis, OK