Everything Sallisaw is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Sallisaw.
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.
38 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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 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…
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 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…
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 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…
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 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…
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"…
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…
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…
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…
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 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 Gore, Oklahoma, and right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1986</say-as>, this town experienced a major industrial accident. A Kerr-McGee plant, just east of here, was processing…
Right here in Gore, Oklahoma, you're driving past the hometown of a legend: Loren "Steve" Owens. He's one of only three University of Oklahoma Sooners to ever win the coveted Heisman Trophy, which he did in 1969. Owens…
Right here in Oklahoma, salt was once worth its weight in gold. Back in 1815, the very first commercial salt works in Indian Territory started up on the Grand River, near what is now Gore. It was a risky business – the…
You're driving through the Ozarks, and right here, the Illinois River cuts through the Cookson Hills. This waterway has a wild past! In 1828, it became the central artery for the Cherokee Nation's new homeland. But this…
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…
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…
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.
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,…
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…