Bryan Co., OK; The History of Early Post Offices in Bryan County --------------------------------- Submitted by the Bryan County Heritage Library Located in Calera, OK Written by Joe Goza Typed for the archives by Trudy Marlow --------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ---------------------------------------------------- BITS AND PIECES OF BRYAN COUNTY HISTORY BEFORE STATEHOOD The first permanent settlers of what is now Bryan county, Oklahoma were the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians after their removal, by the U.S. Government, from their home lands in Mississippi, in the 1830's - 1840's. At first two tribes were under on tribal government, but later the Chickasaws became dissatisfied with that arrangement and wanted to from their own Nation. The Choctaw Nation or Tribe occupied all of what is now eastern Oklahoma south of the Canadian River to Red River. From the Arkansas State line west to the Washita River. When the two tribes divided the Chickasaws moved westward and the Inland Bayou became the boundary line between the two Nations. From the head waters of the Inland Bayous, some 2 1/2 miles northwest of present day Calera, due north to the Canadian River and west to past Ardmore became the Chickasaw Nation. Fort Washita was the first settlement of importance in the new Nation. This Fort unlike most frontier forts was not built to protect the white settlers from the Indians, but to protect the Indians from white settler's encroachment and to protect the Chickasaw Indians from the so called wild Commanche and Kiowa tribes. Fort Washita was established 23 April 1843. The first authorized Post Office in what is now Bryan county was established at this site 4 November 1844 with Samuel C. Humes, Postmaster. This fort was abandoned by the Union troops at the outbreak of the Civil War. The Confederate Forces occupied the fort during the war. The Union troops never returned so the fort became ruins until the Oklahoma Historical Society restored it over the last ten years. It is now one of the show places of Bryan County. The second post office located in Bryan county was established at the Armstrong Academy 19 November 1850 with Phillip P. Brown, P.M. This Academy was one of the most important educational projects in the Choctaw Nation. It was founded in 1844 with the help of a Baptist Mission in Louisville, Kentucky. This Academy was open without interruption until the Civil War. During the Civil War the Confederate forces used the building for a hospital. After the war a number of peace conferences between the Northern and Southern factions of various tribes was held at the Academy. Later the Choctaw National Council met there for a number of years. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1921. On or near this site three other post offices were established at various dates. Armstrong 26 April1882 - William W. Richards P.M., Academy 22 April 1898 - Thomas W Hunter P.M. and Armstrong 15 February 1896 - WWilliam B. Maupin P.M. This is the present Armstrong, Oklahoma. The third post office to be established was Colbert, Chickasaw Nation 17 November 1853 with Walter D. Collins, P.M. This town was named for the Colbert Family. The best known member being B.F. Colbert, who while still a young man built his home on the banks of Red River in 1848. By 1853 he was quite wealthy and owner of about 25 slaves. It was in 1853 he began to operate a ferry across Red River. In 1858 when Butterfield Stage Coach Line was opened Mr. Colbert agreedto carry the stages free on his ferry and to keep the approach roads in good repair. The Butterfield Trail entered Bryan county west of Kenefic at Nail's Crossing on the Blue River. The Stage line found need to open a relay station about half way between Nail's Crossing and Colbert's Ferry. Thus was Carriage Point born. This station was popularly known as Fisher's Station. Some historians think this station was so named for some members of the Fisher family. I talked to several old times and they seem to agree the station was so called for Fisher Durant who owned or managed the station at that time. After the Civil War a post office was established there as Carriage Point 23 March 1863 with Minerva McPearson as P.M. The fifth post office to open in Bryan County was established at Rock Springs 14 February 1870 with Holmes Colbert P.M. This office was short lived being discontinued effective March 6, 1872. When the era of the great cattle drives out of Texas, after the Civil War ended, is mentioned most people think of Doan's Crossing on Red River, the Chisholm Trail across the Indian Territory and the shipping points of Dodge, Abilene, Caldwell and others end of the trail towns. The truth is-the first herds crossed Red River between Colbert's Ferry and Preston Ferries. They passed through the middle of Bryan county on their way to Sedalia, Missouri. The next historical event and a big boon to Bryan County was the building of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas (KATY) railroad. The coming of the Katy found Caddo a thriving and booming town. The largest town in Bryan County where a post office had opened 19 December 1872 with W.S. Burks, P.M. The railway officials planned to make Caddo an important junction, but either Caddo natives or land speculators learned of the plans and rushed to buy the needed lands and tried to hold the company up by asking unreasonably high prices. The railway company then by-passed Durant as unsuitable to their needs and tried to buy land north of Calera just west of where the Air Port is now located. Again the Calera merchants fearing they would need move to the new location blocked the deal. Denison, Texas got the round house and repair shops and Durant got the switch yards. When two other railroads built through Durant the town boomed and became the County Seat. A post office was established as Durant Station 20 Feb. 1879 with A. E. Folson as P.M. This office was soon discontinued and on 8 March 1882 reestablished under the name Durant with Orville C. Butler P.M. Bennington (No. 7) 7 August 1873 with William J.B. Lloyd P.M. and Blue (No. 9) 1 July 1874 with James B. Atkinson P.M. account for the first 10 post offices in Bryan County. Other post offices of territoral days still in existence were Albany 10 July 1874 Joseph N. Thompon P.M., Bokchito 11 August 1894 William R. Senter, P.M., Cale (Calera) 30 November 1889 John C. Womack P.M., Kemp 20 October 1890 William F. Ford, P.M., Mead 10 April 1901 George O. Reves P.M., Roberta 23 March 1894 James Roberts, P.M., Silo 4 November 1893 Albert B. Gates, P.M., Utica 14 Feb. 1894 Wilber F. Whaley, P.M., Wade 24 October 1890 Felin Leflore, P.M., Yarnaby 22 January 1883 Ambrose Powell, P.M., Yuba 14 September 1898 William H. Hall, P.M. Achille, Cartwright and Kenefic are the only towns in Bryan County with post offices established after statehood that I know about, tho Cobb may have had an office at one time. Who can remember or is lucky enough to own a postmark of these territoral post offices? Alleppo 6 Feb. 1902 William T. Coyle P.M., Allison 6 March 1901 John V. Meadows P.M., Banty 31 July 1901 John A.Stacy, P.M., Barwick 23 May 1904 William R. Jeffries, P.M., Cade 1April 1903 Henry S. Garner, P.M., Finch -- it so happens I have a hand written deed for the land where the Finch P.O. was later located. - As written- Penola written- Penola County CN Know all men By this present That I, R J Garner and Martha A. Garner has this day bequesthed and sold a certain improvement known as the Montie Sheco place situated on Rock Creek north and west of said creek for the realized consideration of two hundred and fifty dollars to me in hand paid by D.W. Finch for which we relingish all our rights title and claim to the said Doff Finch his own and assigned for ever this the 11 day of January A D 1877. His mark R J X (mark) Garner Martha Ann Garner a teste Abel Sheco Zack Sheco Littleton Sheco Doff Finch built a store on this land and later a post office was located in this store 16 June 1898 David F. Blasingame P.M. This post office was moved to Platter in 1901. The store was moved 2-1/2 miles north and with a blacksmith shop and school house was still doing business until the rising waters of Lake Texoma caused it to close in the early 1940's. Finchville established 16 June 1889 Lumley Lewis P.M. was an entirely different office, Joel 22 June 1892 Julian A. Moss, P.M., Keirsey 16 June 1904 H.V. Buckley, P.M., Matoy 23 January 1901 Willie G. Parson, P.M., Mina 9 March 1903, Alfred P. Hall, P.M., Paucaunla 23 September 1897 William W. Perkins, P.M. As Armstrong Academy was a very important educational center for the Choctaw Nation, Bloomfield Academy, for the Chickasaw Indian girls,was to the Chickasaw Nation. (My mother attended Bloomfield between 1900-1907.) Bloomfield had no regular post office so Paucaunla post office and store was opened to get the Bloomfield trade, - Pirtle30 January 1904 Calvin E. Hardy, P.M., Redlake 25 January 1895 John E. Hardin P.M., Sterrett 20 June 1899 John W. Blevins, P.M. (formerly Cale - later Calera) Other locations, schools, churches and country stores of interest were Blue Ribbon, Coffee Bend, Tummey Ferry, Redtop, Lemon Hill, Mead's Chapel, 12 Mile Prairie, Sunnyside, Hendrix, Liberty, Karma, EagleLake, Romia, Old Allison, Smith-Lee, Oberlin, Perdell, Bushnell, Red Oak, Bethel, Brown, Riser, Carpenter's Bluff. There may be others I have never visited or heard about. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Joe Goza