Everything Gans is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Gans.
Federal courthouse where Judge Isaac C. Parker, the 'Hanging Judge,' presided over Indian Territory justice from 1875 to 1896, sentencing 160 people to death.
One of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America, Spiro was a major political and religious center of the Mississippian culture from 800 to 1450 AD.
56 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
You're driving through Gans, Oklahoma, a town with roots in the Cherokee Nation. It started as 'Jack Town,' then became 'Gann' after local brothers. But in 1895, the railroad came through and asked for a name change to…
You're driving through Muldrow, a town named for a man who never lived here. Henry Muldrow, the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, lent his name to this community when the post office opened in…
Now a museum, this house built around 1845 has witnessed Oklahoma's transformation through 14 different flags. Judge Franklin Faulkner built an 18 by 18 foot log cabin around 1845. He was a prominent figure in the early…
Ever seen a round barn? This one represents a fascinating experiment in agricultural architecture. This is the Hines Round Barn, also known as the Williams Barn. W.R. Hines built it in 1913 near Sallisaw. While it looks…
You're driving through Cowlington, a town with a name that tells a story. Originally known as Short Mountain, it was renamed in honor of the Cowling families who settled here after the Choctaws relocated in the…
You're driving through Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, near Sallisaw, the hometown of one of America's most legendary outlaws: Charles Arthur Floyd, better known as "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Born in Georgia in 1904, his family…
You're driving through Sequoyah County, and right here is the land that inspired one of America's most famous novels: The Grapes of Wrath. While John Steinbeck didn't invent the term 'Okie,' his 1939 Pulitzer…
Right here in Sallisaw, you're driving through a town with a legendary outlaw connection. In 1934, an estimated twenty to forty thousand people packed this area for the funeral of Charles Arthur 'Pretty Boy' Floyd.…
Right here, near Sallisaw, you're driving past a place deeply connected to Sequoyah, the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary. Imagine the year 1829: Sequoyah, also known as George Guess, settles in this area after moving…
Right here, near Sallisaw, you're driving through a place tied to a landmark Supreme Court case! Samuel Austin Worcester, a missionary, defied Georgia law by living among the Cherokee. He was arrested, leading to the…
You're driving through Sallisaw, the birthplace of John Jarman, a congressman who represented Oklahoma City for twenty-six years. Jarman was known for his independent streak, often voting against his own party. He even…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of railroad history. The Missouri Pacific, or MoPac, might not be a household name today, but it was a major player. Incorporated way back…
You're driving through Eastern Oklahoma, maybe near Blackgum Mountain in Sequoyah County. Right here, in the early 1900s, a Cherokee leader named Redbird Smith was fighting a cultural war. He saw the Dawes Act, forcing…
Imagine a bustling city, not of brick and steel, but of earth and ritual, right here in Oklahoma. That's what Spiro Mounds once was. Between the 900s and 1450s, the Caddoan people built this complex as a major religious…
Imagine single-handedly inventing a way for your people to read and write. That's exactly what Sequoyah did right here near Akins, Oklahoma. Sequoyah, also known as George Gist, moved to this cabin around 1829. He…
You're driving through Le Flore County, past the community of Fort Coffee. This place has a history stretching back to the Choctaw removal in 1832. But its name comes from a fort built in 1834, right here, to stop…
You're driving through Roland, Oklahoma, right now. This town didn't start with a bang, but with a railroad. In 1888, the Kansas and Arkansas Valley Railway laid tracks through this area, then part of the Cherokee…
You're driving through southeastern Oklahoma, maybe near Spiro, and you're hearing a song that's become a worldwide anthem: "I'll Fly Away." What you might not know is that this gospel standard was penned right here, by…
One of the most important pre-Columbian archaeological sites in North America, Spiro was a major political and religious center of the Mississippian culture from 800 to 1450 AD.
Right here in Le Flore County, you're driving through a landscape shaped by ancient cultures and dramatic history. Long before Oklahoma was a state, this was a center for the Mississippian Culture. You're near the Spiro…
You're driving through Spiro, Oklahoma, a town whose very existence is thanks to a railroad. Back in the 1800s, the nearby town of Skullyville was the hub, serving as a Choctaw capital and a place where federal…
You're driving through Le Flore County, not far from Spiro. Right here, you're passing the site of Fort Coffee. Established in 1834, its mission was twofold: protect the Choctaw people and stop illegal liquor from…
Imagine stagecoaches thundering through as you stand at this former stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Walker's Station, named for Choctaw Chief Tandy Walker, was a vital stop on this route through Indian…
You're driving past Moffett, Oklahoma, a town with a reputation that once got it declared off-limits to military personnel. Back in the day, Moffett's drinking and gambling halls were so popular, they drew folks from…
Pull over here for a second. This spot was once a place of hope and heartbreak for the Cherokee Nation. In 1829, the Dwight Presbyterian Mission was re-established here after the Cherokee were forced to move west to…
You're driving past Arkoma, right on the Oklahoma-Arkansas border. This town owes its start to a Civil War veteran and Choctaw Nation intermarriage, Captain James Reynolds. He built a castle nearby and then, in 1911,…
Federal courthouse where Judge Isaac C. Parker, the 'Hanging Judge,' presided over Indian Territory justice from 1875 to 1896, sentencing 160 people to death.
This unassuming locomotive played a vital role in fueling America's WWII effort. Built in 1942, Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1 was built by Vulcan Iron Works for the U.S. War Department. Its job was to haul…
Hop aboard a piece of Fort Smith history – this is Birney Safety Streetcar No. 224! Built in 1926, this streetcar was a vital part of the city's transportation network. It's a type of streetcar called a Birney "Safety…
You're driving through Bokoshe, a town whose story is literally carved out of the earth. This place, meaning 'little creek' in Choctaw, was built on coal. Back in 1895, miners were already working strip pits here. Then,…
These walls have seen Fort Smith transform from a rough-and-tumble frontier outpost to the city it is today. Built in 1906, this building started its life as the Atkinson-Williams Warehouse, a vital hub for commerce in…
Ever wondered about the untold stories beneath your feet? Here, in Fort Smith National Cemetery, silent rows of headstones whisper tales of courage and sacrifice, a profound testament to the lives that shaped this land.…
Pull over here – this is where justice met the Wild West. The Judge Isaac C. Parker Federal Building stands where the legendary "hanging judge" Isaac Parker once held court. From 1875 to 1896, Judge Parker presided over…
Fort Smith, Arkansas, owes much of its early prosperity to its location at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers. This strategic point, known as Belle Point, wasn't just a scenic overlook where duels once…
You're driving through Panama, Oklahoma, a town that started as 'Red Town' because of its mining shacks. The real boom kicked off in 1896 when the railroad arrived. By 1903, the town had moved to the junction of two…
Imagine stepping back in time to the golden age of entertainment! Fort Smith's New Theatre, built in 1911, was once the hottest ticket in town. Modeled after the grand New Amsterdam Theatre in New York, this Beaux Arts…
You're driving through Sequoyah County, and right here is the site of Dwight Mission. This place started way back in 1820, not in Oklahoma, but in Arkansas, as a mission to the Cherokee people. When the Cherokees were…
Right here in Sequoyah County, you're passing through Marble City, a place with a name that hints at its rich past. Its story really kicks off in 1828 with the first post office, serving Nicksville. But things got…
You're driving through Sequoyah County, and right here is the site of the original Dwight Mission. In July of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1820</say-as>, missionary Cephas Washburn preached the very first…
Right here, you're passing through Keota, Oklahoma, the hometown of Rayson Billey, a Choctaw soldier who inspired one of the most famous cartoon characters of World War II. Bill Mauldin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning…
Right here, near Pocola, you're passing through a place with a Civil War past. On September 1, 1863, the Union Army won a key victory at Devil's Backbone Mountain, just a stone's throw away. After the war, this area…
You're driving through Keota, a town with a name that's a bit of a mystery. Some say it means 'fire gone out' in Choctaw. Others claim it’s a mashup of 'Keese,' from the rancher who owned this land, and 'Otter,' for the…
Ever wonder what happened to those who had nowhere else to go in Fort Smith's early days? Elmwood Cemetery, once the Poor Farm Cemetery, holds their stories. In 1890, Sebastian County purchased land for its first poor…
Step back in time as we approach Oak Cemetery, Fort Smith's oldest graveyard, where the city's history rests beneath your tires. Founded in 1853, Oak Cemetery became the final resting place for many of Fort Smith's…
You're driving through Sequoyah County, near Vian, and you're passing by the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1970, this massive refuge is a haven for birds and wildlife, sitting right where the…
You're driving through Vian, Oklahoma, right where Highway 64 meets Highway 82. This place started as a simple trading post way back in 1886, named after the nearby Big and Little Vian creeks. The railroad arrived in…
Right here in Sequoyah County, during the Civil War, a Cherokee Colonel named Stand Watie pulled off a daring raid. On June 15, 1864, Watie and his men attacked the steamboat J.R. Williams near Pleasant Bluff. The boat…
You're driving through Haskell County, near the Arkansas River, and right here is Tamaha. This town has a story as old as Oklahoma itself, tied to the riverboats. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date"…
You're driving past Shady Point, a town that boomed and busted with the coal industry. Originally named Harrison, the post office became Shady Point in 1894, right along the railroad. This place thrived as a shipping…
Hold on tight – you're about to discover Oklahoma's one and only railroad tunnel! Back in 1885 and 1886, the Fort Smith & Southern Railway carved this tunnel through Backbone Mountain. At the time, this was Choctaw…
You're driving past Rock Island, Oklahoma, right near the Arkansas border. This place started as Maney Junction, a key railroad crossing in the Choctaw Nation. In 1905, the post office opened, named Rock Island, likely…
Pull over here for a minute – you're looking at one of the oldest houses in Arkansas, a silent witness to nearly two centuries of change. Built around 1838, the Wilhauf House started as a simple log dogtrot, two cabins…
Step back in time as you enter the Van Buren Historic District, where echoes of bustling commerce still resonate! This eight-block area along Main Street was the heart of Van Buren, nestled perfectly between the…
You're driving through Le Flore County, past the town of Cameron. Ever wonder where this place got its name? Well, folks in the 1930s debated it! Some said it honored William Cameron, a mine inspector. Others, using…
Get ready to chuckle! This unassuming house was the childhood home of Bob Burns, a radio star who brought down-home humor to millions. The Burns family moved into this house at 821 Jefferson Street in Van Buren around…
Look to your right – can you believe there's a castle tucked away in Oklahoma? This is the James E. Reynolds House, a unique landmark built back in 1911. James E. Reynolds, who lived from 1837 to 1920, decided to build…