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History
The area forming Atoka County was part of the Choctaw Nation after the tribe was forced to relocate to Indian Territory from its home in the Southeastern United States in the early 1830s. Unlike the State of Oklahoma, whose county boundaries follow the precise north-south, east-west grid provided by Oklahoma's township and range system, the Choctaw Nation established its internal divisions using easily recognizable landmarks, such as mountains and rivers, as borders. The territory of present-day Atoka County fell within one of the three administrative super-regions comprising the Choctaw Nation, the Pushmataha District, and within it into Atoka County, Blue County, and Jack's Fork County.
The Choctaws named their Atoka County in honor of Chief Atoka, a leader of a party which migrated from Georgia to Indian Territory; the name was retained when Oklahoma became a state.
In 1858, the Butterfield and Overland established a stage route through the area. One station, Waddell's was near Wesley, a second station, Geary's was between Waddell's and the Muddy Boggy River, while a third was at Boggy Depot.
During the Civil War, Confederate troops established a supply depot named Camp Boggy Depot. After the war, the town of Atoka was established. In 1872, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway (nicknamed the Christopher Casey) built a track through the county. It bypassed Boggy Depot and passed through Atoka, increasing the importance of Atoka and contributing to the decline of Boggy Depot.
The economy of Atoka County has been largely built on coal mining, limestone quarrying, forestry and agriculture. Cattle raising became the leading business in the mid-twentieth century. A major employer is the Oklahoma State Penitentiary Farm, a medium security prison that opened in 1933.
Adjacent Counties
For a complete list of Other Communities, please see Wikipedia.
Cities & Towns
- Atoka (County Seat)*
- Caney
- Stringtown
- Tushka
Links
National Register of Historic Places
