Webbers Falls, Oklahoma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Webbers Falls, Oklahoma
Town
Location of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Muskogee
Area
• Total	4.20 sq mi (10.87 km2)
• Land	4.19 sq mi (10.85 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	482 ft (147 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	338
• Density	80.67/sq mi (31.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	74470
Area code(s)	539/918
FIPS code	40-79650
GNIS feature ID	2413461

Webbers Falls is a small town located in southeastern Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2020, about 338 people lived there. The town's population was 616 in 2010.

The town gets its name from a seven-foot waterfall in the Arkansas River. This waterfall was named after Walter Webber. He was a Cherokee chief who started a trading post in the area in 1818. Walter Webber was an important leader among the Western Cherokee, also known as "Old Settlers." These Cherokee had a treaty with the United States government by 1828. This treaty helped solve some disagreements with the Osage people. The Osage had been asked to give up land to the Cherokee.

In the late 1830s and 1840s, thousands of Cherokee people from the Southeast were forced to move. This move to Indian Territory was part of the US government's Indian Removal policy.

History of Webbers Falls

Walter Webber settled in this area with some of the first Cherokee people. They moved west of the Mississippi River to what was then called Arkansas Territory. Webber used his keelboats to bring goods from other parts of the United States. He opened a trading post and a service to help move goods over land. He also built a house. Walter Webber was of mixed Cherokee and European background. He was married to a full-blood Cherokee woman. They lived in a home that looked like European-American houses. When English-speaking visitors came, one of their African-American servants would help translate. Webber also built a salt works. He leased the land for this from the Cherokee government. The Cherokee tribe owned the land together. In the early years, there were many conflicts with the Osage people. The United States government made the Osage give up some of their land to the Cherokee in a treaty in 1828.

Webber was one of the first leaders of the Cherokee in this area. He represented them when meeting with US agents. He also traveled to Washington, D.C. for meetings. The Western Cherokee did not want to share their land with new people. These new people were being moved from the Southeast by the US government in 1834. But they finally agreed that year. In return, they received more land and yearly payments.

In the late 1830s and 1840s, many thousands of Cherokee from the Southeast were forced to move. This was part of the US policy of Indian Removal. The Webbers Falls Historical Museum says this is the second-oldest town in the former Indian Territory.

Joseph Vann, also known as "Rich Joe" Vann, was one of the thousands of Cherokee forced to leave Georgia. He settled nearby and started a large farm. He brought many enslaved people with him to work on his farm. He had them build a house that looked like his old mansion in Georgia. This mansion was called the Chief Vann House Historic Site. This area was part of the Cherokee Nation's land.

A post office opened in Webbers Falls in 1856.

The 1842 Escape for Freedom

On November 15, 1842, more than 25 enslaved people took action to gain their freedom. This was the largest escape in Cherokee territory. Most of them were from Joseph Vann's and his father's farms. They secured their masters and overseers in houses. They took guns, horses, food, and other supplies. Then they started traveling south. Their goal was to reach Mexico, where they knew slavery had been ended. Along the way, they were joined by about 10 enslaved people from Creek territory. They also helped a family of eight enslaved people escape from two slave catchers.

After the first people chasing them returned for help, the Cherokee National Council ordered about 87 men. These men were part of the Cherokee Militia, led by Captain John Drew. Their job was to catch the people seeking freedom. The militia caught up with them north of the Red River on November 28. The militia brought them back to Tahlequah on December 8. Five people were executed for having killed the two slave catchers. Vann then made his surviving enslaved people work on his steamboats.

Webbers Falls During the Civil War

Cherokee Confederate General Stand Watie set up his headquarters in Webbers Falls. This was during the Civil War. In 1863, Union troops tried to capture Watie, but they did not succeed. Before leaving, they burned the town. This included Vann's large home.

20th Century Changes

In 1907, Brewer's Academy opened. It was the first school in the town. It was named after Oliver Hazard Perry Brewer. He was a local politician. He had been the Cherokee Nation's Superintendent of Education in 1870 and 1876. He was also the Board of Education President in 1881.

The town had a big fire in 1911. It destroyed much of the business area. The town was rebuilt the next year. The new buildings were mostly made of brick. These buildings are still standing today.

The town got a rail line to Warner, Oklahoma in 1911. This was thanks to the Webbers Falls, Shawnee and Western Railroad. That railway connected to the Midland Valley Railroad at Warner. It stopped running in 1914. It was started again as the Webbers Falls Railroad in 1916. But it was taken apart by 1918.

In 1970, the Webbers Falls Lock and Dam was built. This created the Webbers Falls Reservoir. The Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam was also built. This created the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir. Both are part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers runs this system. These projects have helped the local economy. They bring people who enjoy outdoor activities. The town's population grew by 57 percent between 1980 and 2000. It went from 461 to 726 people. However, the population went down a lot by 2010.

21st Century Events

The I-40 Bridge Disaster happened on May 26, 2002. A barge hit a bridge support near Webbers Falls. This caused a 580-foot section of the I-40 bridge to fall into the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir. Cars and trucks fell into the water. Sadly, 14 people and two horses died. The bridge was fixed in two months. It reopened to traffic on July 29, 2002.

On May 22, 2019, two barges carrying fertilizer broke loose. They were in Muskogee County and headed toward Webbers Falls Lake. They were part of a group of boats docked because of very high water levels. On the morning of May 23, 2019, the barges got stuck on some rocks. They were later secured. But around 10:40 AM, the barges broke loose again. This happened after a helicopter tried to secure them. Around noon that same day, they hit the dam. This caused minor damage to the dam structure. But it destroyed flood gates 7, 8, and 9. The barges were badly damaged. They overturned and dumped their cargo into the flood. Then they sank to the bottom of the dam. The lake level had to be lowered a lot. This was needed before the damaged barges could be removed. Because of this, the flood gates could not be safely removed and repaired. This stopped boat traffic through the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System until late October 2019.

Geography of Webbers Falls

The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 3.9 square miles (10.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.26%, is water.

Population Information

In 2000, there were 726 people living in Webbers Falls. There were 288 households and 209 families. The population density was about 187 people per square mile. About 28.2% of the people were under 18 years old. About 16.4% were 65 years or older. The average age was 37 years.

Notable People from Webbers Falls

• Stand Watie – A Confederate General. He lived here after the Civil War until he died in 1870.
• Joseph "Rich Joe" Vann – An early Cherokee settler. He ran a steamboat business. He died in 1844 when his steamboat, Lucy Walker, exploded on the Mississippi River.

See also

In Spanish: Webbers Falls (Oklahoma) para niños