Boggy Depot, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Boggy Depot Site
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Atoka, Oklahoma |
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| Built | 1838 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001050 |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1972 |
Boggy Depot is a fascinating ghost town in Oklahoma. It was once a very important city in what was called the Indian Territory. This area is now Atoka County, Oklahoma.
Boggy Depot became a major trading center. It was located on the Texas Road and the Butterfield Overland Mail route. This route connected Missouri all the way to San Francisco. After the Civil War, a new railroad was built. The MKT Railroad did not go through Boggy Depot. This caused the town to slowly decline. Soon, Atoka became the main city nearby. By the early 1900s, Boggy Depot was mostly a ghost town.
Contents
The Story of Boggy Depot
Early Days and Native American Settlement
The Choctaw and Chickasaw Native American tribes started the town in 1837. The United States government had moved these tribes. They came from Mississippi and Alabama in the 1830s. At first, the two tribes lived together. Later, the Chickasaws moved west. They formed their own nation on land given to them by the Choctaw.
Boggy Depot was located in the Choctaw Nation. This was a government area during the territorial era. It included parts of today's Atoka, Coal, Hughes, and Pittsburg counties.
A Growing Town and Important Routes
In 1834, General Henry Leavenworth built a military road. This road went from Camp Washita to Fort Gibson. For many years, this road was a dividing line. It separated the Choctaw and Chickasaw lands. Later, a treaty made a clear border. Boggy Depot was on the Choctaw side of this line.
The Reverend Cyrus Kingsbury started a church in Boggy Depot in 1840. This church building was even the temporary capital of the Choctaw Nation in 1859. Boggy Depot got its own post office in 1848. In 1858, it became a stop for the Butterfield Overland Stage line. This was a very important mail and passenger route.
Boggy Depot During the Civil War
During the Civil War, Boggy Depot became a major supply center. It helped the Confederates in Indian Territory. A battle happened a few miles away. A Union raiding party fought a Confederate group. This was called the Battle of Middle Boggy Depot.
After the Civil War, many original settlers left Boggy Depot. Most of them were Chickasaws. A small community formed two miles south of Boggy Depot. It was called New Boggy Depot. The old post office moved there in 1872. It was renamed New Boggy Depot. Then, on December 26, 1883, it was renamed Boggy Depot again.
The Word 'Oklahoma' and Decline
Choctaw Chief Allen Wright lived in Boggy Depot. In 1866, he created the word 'Oklahoma'. He used it to describe the Indian Territory. This name was officially used for the state in 1907. In 1869, Oklahoma's first Masonic Lodge was founded in Boggy Depot.
After the Civil War, a treaty was made. The Five Civilized Tribes had to allow a railroad. This railroad would run north to south across their lands. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, or Katy, was built in 1872. It ran about 12 miles (19 km) east of Boggy Depot. This was the end of Boggy Depot's importance. The city of Atoka grew because of the railroad. Boggy Depot slowly faded away and became a ghost town. The Boggy Depot post office officially closed on July 31, 1934.
Boggy Depot Today
Today, not much is left of the original town. You can still see a few stone foundations. The old cemetery is also there. Choctaw Chief Allen Wright and Reverend Cyrus Kingsbury are buried in this cemetery.
Boggy Depot Park 34°19′14″N 96°18′28″W / 34.32056°N 96.30778°W is a recreation area. It remembers the old town and its history. The park is named after Clear Boggy Creek. It also gets its name from being a Confederate supply depot during the Civil War.
The park has a fishing lake and a nature trail. There is also a baseball diamond and a playground. You can find picnic tables, group shelters, and charcoal grills. There are also comfort stations with showers. The Choctaw tribe now owns and manages the park. This happened after the state planned to close it. Boggy Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
