America, Oklahoma facts for kids
America is a ghost town located in southeastern McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, and it's mostly empty now. America was about 7 miles southeast of a town called Haworth. It got its name from America Stewart, who was the wife of a local resident named Tom Stewart.
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A Town Called America
America started to grow around a sawmill in 1907. This sawmill was built by William Spencer and his three brothers. A sawmill is a place where logs are cut into lumber. The Spencer family built 40 houses for the sawmill workers to live in. By 1910, about 200 people lived in America.
From Timber to Cotton
After all the trees in the area were cut down, the sawmill closed. In 1911, William Spencer opened a cotton gin and a general store. A cotton gin is a machine that quickly separates cotton fibers from their seeds. He also became a cotton buyer. Cotton grown on the cleared land was sent out by train on the Arkansas and Choctaw Railway. This railway ran right through the town.
Why America Became a Ghost Town
In the 1920s, people started growing less cotton. This meant there was less work in America. Most residents began to move away. The cotton gin closed in 1933. This was around the time when the Great Depression was at its worst. The post office, which had been open since July 24, 1903, closed on February 15, 1944. The general store closed the next year. These closings marked the end of the town.
What Remains Today
Today, part of the area where America used to be is inside the Ouachita National Forest. Only two old houses and a railroad marker are left to show where the town once stood.
