Bryan Co., OK; Town of Utica - History 

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Submitted by the Bryan County Heritage Library 
Located in Calera, OK
Written by Pattie L. Davis and Jessie McLain
Typed for the archives by Trudy Marlow 
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UTICA
	
Utica, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, was surveyed and 
staked by John F. Fisher, a U.S. Government surveyor, on August 16,
1902.  The plat was approved by the Department of Interior in 
Washington D.C. on November 7,1902. Utica was an unincorporated 
town located in Section 35, Township 7 South, Range 10 East of the 
Indian Base and Meridian, and consisted of forty acres.

The town was named after Utica, New York in 1894, when the 
first Utica Post Office opened on February 14.

Streets running north and south were named Texas Street, Main 
Street, Bonham Avenue and School Street. Those running east and 
west were Lake Avenue, Pruitt Avenue and Harrison Street.

Back in 1902, Mr. Willis Pruitt donated about two acres of 
land to be used as a cemetery. This was never used, probably cause 
there was a cemetery nearby at Wolf Creek and people continued to 
use it. Ernest Sanders gave land for a church.

There were several early day businesses in Utica. Two of the 
early postmasters were Mr. Pride and Mr. O'Donnelly. Groceries 
could be bought at the Post Office. There was a huge two story 
general store run by Willis Pruitt. sold groceries, tools, wagons, 
caskets, and just about everything else. He had a storage building 
across the street (Main Street) where he stored the caskets. The 
store and the Post Office burned on Christmas Eve, 1921. The Post 
Office was built back, but the store was not.

Another store was owned and operated by Mr. Butler Childers, 
then Leonard Sanders. This store had a lean-to built on the side. 
The barber shop was here and the barber was Jess Haddock.

There was a drug store where Doc McCalib did his doctoring. 
Dr. McCalib also worked out of his home. He didn't believe in 
surgery, but was considered an excellent country doctor. Another 
doctor, Dr. Wells, was here for a while, then moved to Calera. Dr. 
Judry Clay was an optometrist and had a small office.

Uncle Bob's Cafe was owned and operated by Bob Terry, a 
bachelor who also lived at his store. There was a blacksmith shop 
and grist mill owned by Mr. Lynch, then Mr. Hickman. People brought 
their corn to the mill to be ground into meal. The charge for this 
service was a portion of the meal.

There was a cotton gin owned by Mr. Hobbs. A large pool was 
nearby to supply water to operate the steam engines. A bale of 
cotton might bring around fifty dollars.

Utica had an ice peddlar who hauled ice in wagon from Durant. 
Mr. Askins had a small telephone office at his home. He owned the 
lines, installed the equipment, made repairs, and was the operator. 
When he was out, his wife acted as operator. He collected money 
monthly, but would take eggs, fruit, chickens, etc.  After he left, 
Utica was without phone service for a while.

Electricity was made available to the town of Utica on April 
11, 1946. Most people had light bulb and one plug-in. Later they 
started getting refrigerators.

Utica was a farming community. Most families had a milk cow, 
chickens, hogs and a garden. They butchered their animals, usually 
in November, and cured their own meat. They enjoyed swing parties, 
dances held in people's homes, and end of school entertainment.

In the Spring of 1965, the Post Office burned. It was built 
at another location, facing Highway 70E. It is still in operation.
There is an elementary school here with kindergarten through eighth 
grade offered. Utica has two churches, Utica Baptist Church and 
Utica Church of Christ. The Utica Extension Homemakers Club meets 
on the third Thursday of each month. There is also a great reunion 
held at the school the second Saturday in October. This was started 
about five years ago and is attended by about 300 people who love 
to reminisce about the good old days at Utica.

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Written by Pattie L. Davis and Jessie McLain