Adamson, Oklahoma facts for kids

Adamson is what people call a ghost town in Oklahoma. It's located in Pittsburg County. A ghost town is a place that used to be busy but now has very few or no people living there. Adamson was once a very active town because of its many coal mines.

The town was named after Peter Adamson, who owned some of the mines. A post office opened there on March 1, 1906. Adamson was a very busy and successful coal mining town, especially from 1913 to 1919, during World War I. It had 15 coal mines, with four of them producing a lot of coal.

Sadly, on September 4, 1914, Adamson was the site of a terrible coal mine disaster. After this event, the town never really got back on its feet. Today, much of the area where Adamson once stood has been covered by the waters of Eufaula Lake.

History of Adamson

When Adamson was first founded, it was part of the Choctaw Nation. It began as a camp for coal miners around the start of the 20th century. At its busiest, around World War I, about 3,500 people lived there. The town had 15 mines working at that time.

Two large train companies, the Rock Island and the Katy, built special tracks to carry the coal away. The Rock Island tracks were removed in 1902. The Katy tracks stayed until 1950.

The Big Mine Accident

One of the worst mining accidents in Oklahoma happened at Mine No. 1 in Adamson. This was on September 4, 1914. The mine began to collapse. A miner heard a cracking sound around 3:30 in the afternoon. All the workers were told to leave the mine right away.

Most of the miners quickly made it to the surface. But fourteen miners were trapped at the very bottom level. They were buried when the whole mine fell in. It was not possible to rescue them or even get their bodies out. The ground above the mine sank between 8 and 10 feet (about 2.4 to 3 meters).

Anthony Benedict was the last person to get out of the mine before it completely collapsed. He later built a monument on his farm to remember the miners who died. His farm was located off the Hartshorne-Adamson Road.

Adamson Today

In 1957, a report said that Adamson had about ten houses and two small grocery stores. These stores mostly served people visiting the nearby Eufaula Lake.

By 2014, things had changed again. Anna Benedict reported that many families were still living and doing well in Adamson. The post office and grocery stores were gone. However, a church was active and doing well. Some of the original families who worked in the mines still live in Adamson with their relatives. All the mines have now been closed and are filled with water.

Where is Adamson?

Adamson is located about 10 miles (16 km) east of McAlester. It is also about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Hartshorne. The land where Adamson sits is about 620 feet (189 meters) above sea level.

Learning in Adamson

Students who live in Adamson attend schools in the Hartshorne Public Schools district.