Okmulgee is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The name is from the Mvskoke word ''okimulgee,'' which means "boiling waters".Bamburg, Maxine
"Okmulgee,"
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed June 16, 2015. The site was chosen because of the nearby rivers and springs. Okmulgee is 38 miles south of

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

and 13 miles north of Henryetta via US-75.Oklahoma Almanac. "Okmulgee."
/ref> Okmulgee is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area.

History

Okmulgee has been the capital of the

Muscogee (Creek) Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

since 1868, when it was founded following the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. The

Creek Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

began restoring order after that conflict. They had allied with the Confederacy during the war and needed to make a new peace treaty with the United States afterward as a result. They passed a new constitution and elected

Samuel Checote Samuel Checote (1819–1884) (Muscogee) was a political leader, military veteran, and a Methodist preacher in the Creek Nation, Indian Territory. He served two terms as the first principal chief of the tribe to be elected under their new constitut ...

as their first principal chief after the war. In 1869, a post office (originally spelled Okmulkee) was established in the town, with Captain Frederick B. Severs appointed as the first postmaster. The name of the post office was officially changed to the present spelling on November 15, 1883. For seven years, beginning December 20, 1870, Okmulgee was the seat of government of all of what would become the

State of Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...

, except for the Panhandle. Okmulgee became a transportation center. The St. Louis, Oklahoma and Southern Railway (later absorbed by the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway or “Frisco”) reached Okmulgee in 1900; this route still remains and is now operated by the BNSF Railway. The Shawnee, Oklahoma and Missouri Coal and Railway (also later acquired by the Frisco) was built from Muskogee to Okmulgee in 1902-03, and lasted until abandoned in 1973. And, the shortline Coalton Railway, later called the Okmulgee Northern Railway, operated between Okmulgee and Deep Fork carrying coal from the producing areas around Schulter, Coalton and Dewar from 1916 to 1964. Railroad projects which tried unsuccessfully to reach Okmulgee include the Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway, which planned to build from

Bristow Bristow, or Bristowe, can refer to the following. People * Bristow (surname) * W.S. Bristowe (1901–1979), English naturalist Places ;In the United States * Bristow, Indiana * Bristow, Iowa * Bristow, Mississippi * Bristow, Missouri * Bristow ...

to Okmulgee but only made it to Nuyaka; and, the Kansas, Okmulgee and Gulf Railroad, which planned a line from Kansas City through Okmulgee to a point on the Red River, but never got off the ground. The arrival of the railways triggered a building boom. By the time of Oklahoma statehood in 1907, the town had 2,322 residents and was named as the seat of Okmulgee County. Coal mined in the Henryetta area and agriculture were the basis of the early economy. Discovery of oil at nearby Morris in 1907 stimulated expansion of Okmulgee, and attracted several new industries to town. These included three glass factories, a bottle factory, and foundry and machine shops. Five local refineries were operational by the early 1920s. These industries were a catalyst for growth: The population was 4,176 in the 1910 census, but the city boomed to approximately 35,000 people during the 1920s. A newspaper article from this era claimed Okmulgee had more millionaires per capita than anyplace else in Oklahoma. The Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce has said the town had more millionaires per capita than any other place in the entire country. But decreasing oil production and lower prices, the coming of the Great Depression, and other factors caused the population to shrink to 17,097 by the 1930 census. The population then remained relatively stable for a time, increasing slightly to 18,317 by the 1950 census. In the postwar period, there was an urbanization shift of population toward larger cities and their suburbs because of job opportunities, and the city's population declined again. The population at the 2020 census was 11,332, a loss of about 8% percent from the 2010 census figure of 12,321.

Geography

Okmulgee is located at (35.624558, -95.963254). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of 33.8 square miles (33.2 km), all of its land. It is located in the heart of Oklahoma's "

Green Country Green Country, sometimes referred to as Northeast Oklahoma, is the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which lies west of the northern half of Arkansas, the southwestern corner the way of Missouri, and south of Kansas. Alternate d ...

", in the North East Quadrant of Oklahoma. Okmulgee is 38 miles south of

and 13 miles north of Henryetta via US-75.

Demographics

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 11,332 people and 4,477 households, with an average of 2.37 persons per household. The population density was 657.6 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 51.5% White, 16.6% African American, 18.5% Native American, 0.9% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 12.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. Females were 52.9% of the population. The median household income, for the period 2016-2020 and in 2020 dollars, was $31,572. The per capita income for the city in the last 12 months, also for the period 2016–2020 and in 2020 dollars, was $19,564. About 24.3% are considered persons in poverty.

Economy

Along with coal mining, agriculture supported the early economy. Cotton, corn, feed grains, and forage were the main crops.

Truck farming A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to som ...

, dairying, and poultry raising were also important. Discovery of the Morris and Lucky oil pools in 1907 brought prosperity to Okmulgee. It also attracted new manufacturing facilities to the city. In the 21st century, the most important business sectors in Okmulgee are: construction, retail trade, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food services. Okmulgee's major employers include the

, Anchor Glass (plant is in Henryetta),

PACCAR Paccar Inc is an American ''Fortune'' 500 company and counts among the largest manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the world, and has substantial manufacturing in light and medium vehicles through its various subsidiaries. It was ...

Winch-Okmulgee, C.P. Kelco US Inc., Callidus Technologies, Inc., East Central Electric Cooperative, Covington Aircraft, G&H

Decoy A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...

(in Henryetta), and

PolyVision Polyvision was the name given by the French film critic Émile Vuillermoz to a specialized widescreen film format devised exclusively for the filming and projection of Abel Gance's 1927 film '' Napoleon''. Polyvision involved the simultaneou ...

. Dlubak Glass Oklahoma runs a glass recycling facility, while wood pallet producer Mid-America Pallet is operated by The Hodges Companies.

Government

City government

The City of Okmulgee government has a City Council composed of five members: a council member "at-large" who serves as the Mayor, and one council member from each of the City's four wards. A City Manager is in charge of directing the day-to-day operations of the City in order to carry out the policies established by the City Council. City Hall is at 111 E 4th Street downtown.

County government

Okmulgee County government has three commissioners, one for each of the three Districts. County services, including the District Court, Assessor, County Clerk, Jail, and Sheriff's office, are all located between 6th and 8th St, and Alabama and Seminole Avenues.

Native American government

While the historical capitol of the

is the Creek Council House in downtown Okmulgee, the MCN's modern headquarters is at Okmulgee Creek Nation Tribal Complex at U.S. Route 75 and Loop 56. Other MCN facilities in town include the

College of the Muscogee Nation College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) is a public tribal community college in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. History It was established in 2004 by an act of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation National Council. On 7 Nove ...

, a tribal college primarily for students seeking careers in the tribal sector, located at 2170 Raven Circle; One Fire Casino at 1901 Wood Dr; and, the Claude A. Cox Omniplex, cattycornered across from the Tribal Complex off U.S. 75 and Loop 56, which includes the Muscogee Dome multipurpose recreation center and other festival grounds and facilities.

Education

Okmulgee Public Schools

Okmulgee Public Schools include the Primary School, Dunbar, and High School.

CareerTech

* Green Country Technology Center, part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system. 11 03 33 muscogee

Post secondary

* Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology ("OSUIT"), also known as Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee, or informally, as Okmulgee Tech. The school site in 1943 was Glennan Military Hospital, constructed on land formerly belonging to the Creek Orphan Home. The hospital originally treated

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

American servicemen, but later served wounded

POWs A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

. In 1946 the site was sold to Oklahoma State Technical College to provide technical training for returning GIs. This evolved into the current OSUIT.

Parks and recreation

Recreational opportunities include Okmulgee Park and Dripping Springs Park, which offer RV and camping facilities. The parks also offer swimming, fishing, and boating opportunities through the adjacent Dripping Springs Lake, which has of shoreline and of water, and the separate Okmulgee Lake. The end of Okmulgee Lake features the Lake Okmulgee Dam Spillway Cascade, listed in the

National Register of Historic Places in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Okmulgee County, O ...

, which on occasions of heavy rains and high lake levels creates an intense man-made waterfall. Near Okmulgee is the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1993, this approximately of habitat for waterfowl along the

Deep Fork River The Deep Fork River (Deep Fork of the North Canadian) is an Oklahoma tributary of the North Canadian River. The headwaters flow from northern Oklahoma City and the river empties into the North Canadian River, now impounded by Lake Eufaula. Course ...

features opportunities for wildlife viewing such as along the Cussetah Bottoms Boardwalk, as well as fishing and certain archery, muzzle-loading, and small-game hunting opportunities. Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma’s largest lake, is to the southeast. Okmulgee Municipal Park, at W 20th St. & S Seminole Ave., features a bike trail, walking track, playground, and soccer field. Other municipal park facilities include Hawthorne Park (having a skate park, baseball park, and tennis court, among other facilities) at N Okmulgee Ave & W Fairfax St, Kiddy Lake Park at Cliff Dr & Parkview Dr, Noble Park at 13th & Delaware, Red Francis Park at S Woodlawn Ave & E 7th St, and Southeast Rotary Park at W 15th St & S Okmulgee Ave. The Okmulgee County Fairgrounds hosts the annual Okmulgee County Fair and other events through the year.

Historic buildings

In November 1992, the

Okmulgee Downtown Historic District The Okmulgee Downtown Historic District is the original downtown area of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, roughly bounded by 4th Street, 8th Street, Okmulgee Avenue, and the Frisco tracks. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Decemb ...

(NRIS number 92001693) was added to the National Register of Historic Places ("NRHP") in Okmulgee County. The area is roughly bounded by Fourth Street, Eighth Street, Okmulgee Avenue and the Frisco tracks. In support of Okmulgee's downtown, an organization has been formed called Okmulgee Main Street, one of the various national Main Street programs that aim to reenergize their respective downtowns and commercial districts through preservation-based economic development and community revitalization. This group is helping to propel the “Okmulgee Rising” movement that started in the city in 2014. The process is aided in part by tax incentives for preserving historic properties. Among the downtown structures is the Orpheum Theater at 210 W 7th St, which opened as the Cook Opera House on August 23, 1920 with 1,200-seat capacity. This is the finest and last surviving of three grand theatres formerly located in Okmulgee. The Orpheum's architecture, which is an elegant derivation of Spanish

Baroque Revival The Baroque Revival, also known as Neo-Baroque (or Second Empire architecture in France and Wilhelminism in Germany), was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture and architectural sculptu ...

, includes a colorful lobby which is the finest example in Oklahoma of the interior use of polychrome

terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

. The historic Okmulgee County Courthouse, at 314 W. 7th, was built in 1916 and is also NRHP listed. The Creeks initially built a two-story log council house to serve as their capital. This building burned in 1878 and was replaced with the stone Creek Council House building that stands today. Ownership of the building changed over the years, but in November 2010 the City sold the building back to the tribe for $3.2 million. The building currently houses the Creek Council House Museum, with artifacts and exhibits about the history of the

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsNRHP listed. The

Okmulgee Public Library The Okmulgee Public Library located at 218 S. Okmulgee Avenue in Okmulgee, Oklahoma is a functioning public library built in 1921, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 1983. History The library was built on donated l ...

, 218 S. Okmulgee Avenue, completed in 1921, is a good example of

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...

architecture, and is NRHP listed. In 2012 the Muscogee (Creek) Nation purchased the Okmulgee Golf Club, also known as the Okmulgee Country Club, at 1400 S. Mission Street, an NRHP listed location complete with the original 1920 golf course and the 1925 clubhouse built using locally sourced limestone. The MCN intends to turn that facility into a cultural center where events can be held. Historic churches include First Baptist Central Church, an historically black church built in 1915 and NRHP listed; Eastside Baptist Church, built in 1921 and NRHP listed; and, St. Anthony's, a

Spanish Colonial Revival The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In the ...

-style Catholic church built in 1927 and NRHP listed. Historic mansions remaining from the boom days include the Okmulgee Elks Lodge at 701 S. Mission, being a 7-acre site that was originally the Wilson Mansion from 1922; the Southern Mansion just off

US-75 U.S. Route 75 is a major north–south United States Numbered Highways, U.S. Highway that extends in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is in Noyes, Minnesota, at the Canada–United States border, Canadian border, wh ...

on Banyan Road, being the 1928 home for Creek orphan Katie Fixico; the Kennedy Mansion from 1904 at 502 S. Okmulgee Avenue, which is NRHP listed; and, the "Historic Okmulgee Mansion" at 1700 E. 6th Street, originally the stately 1921

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

home built for oil producer Eugene R. Black, now law offices. The

Nuyaka Mission The Nuyaka Mission site is located in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, on McKeown Rd. (aka E0945 Rd) just off N 120 Rd (aka N3850 Rd), approximately 15.7 miles west of the intersection of U.S. Route 75 and Oklahoma State Highway 56, State Highway 56 (aka ...

site is located on McKeown Rd. (aka E0945 Rd) just off N 120 Rd (aka N3850 Rd) approximately 15.7 miles west of the intersection of U.S. Route 75 and State Highway 56 (aka 6th Street) in Okmulgee, and is NRHP listed.

Events

Okmulgee is known for its annual Okmulgee Invitational Rodeo and Festival, which is the nation's oldest African-American

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

and one of the state's longest running rodeos. The Okmulgee Farmer's Market has been running every year since 2013, and is open once a week (sometimes twice weekly) from May to October. Okmulgee has an annual Pecan Festival. At the festival in 1989, a record was set for what was then the largest pecan pie in the world, being 40’ in diameter and using over sixteen-and-a-half tons of ingredients. A mural in town commemorates the event. The Okmulgee County Fair is held annually (typically in September) at the Okmulgee County Fairgrounds, and includes commercial booths, exhibits, livestock shows, livestock judging, a horse show and cattle displays. Other family-oriented festivals and special events occur on a monthly schedule throughout the year, including the OrangeFest, Harvest Spoon Chili Fest, Muscogee Creek Nation Festival, Eats and Beats, and the bi-annual Airfest.

Transportation

Okmulgee is served by U.S. Route 75, a major national north/south artery for much of its length, currently running from the Canada-US border at Noyes, Minn. to Dallas, Texas, as well as by

U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Can ...

, which runs from the Mexico-US border at

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...

near the Canada-US border. Okmulgee is in the 10-county region served by the KI BOIS Area Transit System ("KATS"), a low-cost public bus/van service established in 1983 to help communities, primarily in southeast Oklahoma, by providing access to Senior Citizen centers, groceries, medical services, and jobs. This includes transportation to certain out-of-town destinations such as Henryetta, Beggs, Preston, Morris, and Schulter. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation partners with KATS on certain on-demand transportation services; and, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Transit provides regularly-scheduled trolley-style bus services to various locations around the city. These services are not limited to tribal citizens. The city has the Okmulgee Regional Airport (originally called the Okmulgee Municipal Airport), designated OKM by

IATA Code IATA codes are abbreviations that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes to facilitate air travel. They are typically 1, 2, 3, or 4 character combinations (referred to as unigrams, digrams, trigrams, or tetragrams, respect ...

and KOKM by ICAO Code. Construction of this airport was authorized in 1942 as a national defense project, and was completed on September 7, 1943. The main runway (18-36) is concrete-surfaced, 100' wide and 5,150' long. Effective July 1, 2015, the airport is managed by the Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust. Commercial air transportation is available at

Tulsa International Airport Tulsa International Airport is a civil-military airport five miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Tulsa, in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named Tulsa Municipal Airport when the city acquired it in 1929;Donald W. Burgess Donald W. Burgess (born 1947) is an American meteorologist who has made important contributions to understanding of severe convective storms, particularly tornadoes, radar observations and techniques, as well as to training other meteorologists. ...

, meteorologist, tornado and weather radar expert *

Joyce Cobb Joyce Renee Cobb (born June 2, 1945) is an American singer specializing in jazz and R&B. She is closely associated with traditional blues and jazz in the style of Memphis Minnie, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. She has had a ...

, jazz and R&B singer *

, (1819–1884), Creek chief * Patrick Collins, NFL player *

Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...

, manager of MLB's

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

* Jim House, Arkansas state legislator *

Wright King Wright Thornburgh King (January 11, 1923 – November 25, 2018) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career lasted for over forty years.1930 US Federal Census for Wright T. King, retrieved froAncestry.com/ref>1940 US Federal Cen ...

, actor, birthplace * Roy LeBlanc, instrumental in organizing the Okmulgee Colored Rodeo in 1956, now known as the Roy LeBlanc Okmulgee Invitational Rodeo. *

Dewey McClain Dewey Loren McClain (born April 25, 1954) is an American former professional football player, labor leader, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, McClain serves in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing the 100th distri ...

, NFL player, labor leader, politician *

Mel McDaniel Melvin Huston McDaniel (September 6, 1942 – March 31, 2011) was an American country music artist. Many of his top hits were released in the 1980s, including " Louisiana Saturday Night", " Big Ole Brew", " Stand Up", " Baby's Got Her Blue Jea ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

ian *

Edward H. Moore Edward Hall Moore (November 19, 1871September 2, 1950) was a United States senator from Oklahoma from 1943 to 1949. Early years Born on a farm near Maryville, Missouri, Moore attended the public schools and Chillicothe, Missouri, Chillicothe No ...

(1871–1950), United States Senator from Oklahoma (1943 - 1949), wealthy businessman *

Melvin Morris Melvin Morris (born January 7, 1942) is a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a Special Forces (United States Army), Special Forces soldier, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. Early life, Military Career, Later Life Morris was bor ...

, United States Army Medal of Honor Recipient *

Gary P. Nunn Gary P. Nunn (born December 4, 1945) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing "London Homesick Blues", which was the theme song for ''Austin City Limits'' from 1977 to 2004 (seasons 2–29). Nunn is also consi ...

, country music singer and songwriter *

David Obey David Ross Obey ( ; born October 3, 1938) is an American lobbyist and former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for from 1969 to 2011. The district includes much of the northwestern portion of the st ...

, US Congressman, birthplace *

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...

, jazz bass player *

Will Sampson William Sampson Jr. (September 27, 1933 – June 3, 1987) was a Muscogee painter, actor, and rodeo performer. He is best known for his performance as the apparent deaf and mute Chief Bromden, the title role in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' ...

, artist and actor * Bill Self,

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

college basketball coach at

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

Leon B. Senter Leon Bishop Senter (March 5, 1889 – September 16, 1965) was an American architect who worked primarily in Oklahoma. Although not formally educated in architecture, he became Oklahoma's first licensed architect in 1925 and designed several buil ...

, architect, established his first office in Okmulgee in 1920 and designed the Okmulgee Golf Course and Country Club, then moved to Tulsa where he headquartered for the rest of his life * Ted Taylor, singer * David Thompson, Former NFL running back

Media

The Okmulgee Times is the local daily paper, also available online in an E-Edition. OHS Broadcast Media is an Official Okmulgee Public Schools site for all things Bulldog. KOKL, a/k/a The Brew, is a broadcast radio station in Okmulgee on FM 106.3 and AM 1240, playing classic hits of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

In popular culture

The pilot for the FX comedy series ''

Reservation Dogs ''Reservation Dogs'' is an Indigenous American teen comedy drama television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It is the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost ent ...

'' from filmmaker

Sterlin Harjo Sterlin Harjo (born November 14, 1979)Sam Lewin ''Native Times News'', reprinted in ''Canku Ota'', May 24, 2004 (article gives his age as 24 in 2004). is an American filmmaker. He has directed three feature films, a feature documentary, and the F ...

, which concerns four Native American teens in rural Oklahoma, was shot in Okmulgee. Additional principal photography for the rest of Season One also occurred in Okmulgee, as well as Tulsa, Sand Springs, Beggs, Inola, and Terlton. Season 2 was filmed on location in Okmulgee as well. In the Elmore Leonard novella “Comfort to the Enemy,” the parties stay in Okmulgee while visiting the POW camp.

Notes

References

External links

City of Okmulgee

Memoirs of Jeremiah Curtin in the Indian Territory
ethnographer's notes of 1883 visits to Muskogee and Okmulgee; electronic record maintained by

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, accessed January 15, 2007. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Okmulgee, Oklahoma Cities in Oklahoma County seats in Oklahoma Cities in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States Populated places established in 1868