Sardis, Oklahoma facts for kids

Sardis was a small community located in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, in the United States. It was about six miles northwest of the town of Clayton.

Early Days of Sardis

A United States Post Office opened in Sardis on February 20, 1905. At that time, this area was known as Indian Territory. The community was named after the nearby Sardis Indian Mission Church. The church itself likely got its name from an ancient city called Sardis, which is mentioned in the Bible.

When Sardis was first established, it was part of the Choctaw Nation. Specifically, it was located in Jack's Fork County, which was a part of the Pushmataha District within the Choctaw Nation.

Building Sardis Lake

In the early 1980s, a big change happened near Sardis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Sardis Lake by creating a dam on Jack's Fork Creek. The main reason for building this lake was to control floods.

The lake also had the potential to attract tourists. To make it easier for people to visit, Oklahoma State Highway 43 was improved. It was straightened and paved from the interchange at Daisy on the Indian Nation Turnpike all the way to the lake. The highway crosses the lake's dam and connects to Oklahoma State Highway 2. This made it much simpler to get to the lake from other parts of the state.

The Community Moves for the Lake

To make room for the new lake, the community of Sardis had to be moved. Everyone living there had to leave their homes.

The old Sardis cemetery is now located on an island in the lake. A short causeway, which is like a small bridge, connects the island to the shore. The gravestones in the cemetery are now much higher than they used to be because they sit on landfill. The actual graves are located below the bottom of the lake. The oldest gravestones found there date back to 1875, showing that the community was established a long time ago.

The Beautiful Location of Sardis

Sardis was located in a very scenic area. It was in the Jack's Fork Creek valley, which is a low area between hills. This valley was just above where Jack's Fork Creek joined the Kiamichi River valley.

The area was surrounded by natural beauty. To the south, there was Flagpole Mountain, which is about 1,562 feet tall. To the north were the Potato Hills. These hills are unique because they have very irregular and interesting shapes.