Sans Bois Mountains facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sans Bois Mountains |
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 Sans Bois Mountains
Location in Oklahoma
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Blue Mountain (Oklahoma) |
| Elevation | 1,831 ft (558 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 45 mi (72 km) E/W |
| Width | 19 mi (31 km) N/S |
| Area | 505 sq mi (1,310 km2) |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
The Sans Bois Mountains are a small mountain range located in southeastern Oklahoma. They are part of the bigger Ouachita Mountains system. These mountains are mainly found in Haskell and Latimer counties. The name Sans Bois comes from French and means 'without forest' or 'without wood'.
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What Are the Sans Bois Mountains Like?
The Sans Bois Mountains are a part of the front section of the Ouachita Mountains. The highest points in these mountains reach about 1,800 feet (549 meters) above sea level.
Where Can You Find Them?
A fun place to visit in the middle of these mountains is Robbers Cave State Park. The Poteau River helps drain water from the area. One of its smaller streams, Sans Bois Creek, is actually where the mountains got their name!
A Look Back: History of the Sans Bois Mountains
People have lived in the Sans Bois Mountains area for a very long time. It's a place with a rich history, going back thousands of years.
Who Lived Here First?
The very first people to live here were hunter-gatherers. They moved around to find food and lived in the area from about 10,000 to 8,000 BCE. Later, around 1 BCE, other groups of people started farming. They grew crops along the streams where the land was good for planting.
Native American Tribes in the Area
During a time called the Historic Era, the Wichita people built large villages here. Later, around 1830, the Choctaws arrived. They were forced to leave their homes in the southeastern United States and began to settle in this area.
How Did People Use the Mountains?
In the 1800s, the Sans Bois Mountains were important for their timber. Timber means wood from trees, which was used for building and other things. Later, people discovered a lot of coal and natural gas here. These resources became very important for the economy in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
