Douthat, Oklahoma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Douthat, Oklahoma
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 Douthat, Oklahoma
Location in Oklahoma
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | Ottawa |
| Elevation | 814 ft (248 m) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1100283 |
Douthat is a ghost town located in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. A ghost town is a place that used to be a lively community but is now mostly or completely empty. Douthat is about 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of another town called Picher.
Douthat once had its own post office, which first opened on March 17, 1917. The town was named after Zahn A. Douthat, who owned the land where the town was built. Today, Douthat is abandoned and is part of the Tar Creek Superfund site. This means the area needs special cleanup because of past mining activities.
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What Was Douthat?
Douthat was an important part of a bigger mining area. This area was known as Century, Oklahoma. The town of Douthat was located on the western side of this large mining camp.
A Town Built on Mining
In 1917, a local newspaper called The Independent (also known as the Douthat Independent) published its first issue. It referred to the town as "Douthat (Century)." The newspaper proudly announced that this place was the "center of the Quapaw Miami mining district." It even claimed it was the greatest lead and zinc mining country in the world!
The newspaper often used both names, Douthat and Century. For example, an advertisement in the second newspaper edition mentioned a business being opposite the O.K.& M. train station in Douthat. However, in the third edition, the newspaper complained about missing railroad crossings. It said, "Century is full of promises from the O. K. & M. You see they have not put in road crossings." This shows how closely the two names were linked.
Trains and Transportation
Trains played a big role in Douthat's history. The Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri Inter-Urban Railway Company (O.K.& M.) built a railway line into Douthat/Century in 1916. This line connected Douthat to Commerce.
Later, in 1919, this railway line became part of the Northeast Oklahoma Railroad. Much later, in 1967, the line was taken over by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (often called Frisco). However, after some time, this railway line was no longer used and was abandoned.
Why is Douthat a Ghost Town?
Douthat became a ghost town mainly because of the decline of mining in the area. When the mines closed, people moved away to find work elsewhere. The land also became polluted from the mining, leading to the area being designated a Superfund site. This means the government is working to clean up the pollution.
