Checotah, Oklahoma
| Checotah, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Kniseley and Long Building
|
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| Nickname(s): Steer Wrestling Capital of the World, Gem of the prairie | |
 Location of Checotah, Oklahoma |
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| Coordinates: 35°28′19″N 95°31′26″W / 35.47194°N 95.52389°WCoordinates: 35°28′19″N 95°31′26″W / 35.47194°N 95.52389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
| County | McIntosh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.0 sq mi (23.3 km2) |
| • Land | 8.9 sq mi (23.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 650 ft (198 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,335 |
| • Density | 374.7/sq mi (143.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 74426 |
| Area code(s) | 539/918 |
| FIPS code | 40-13650 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1091227 |
Checotah is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named for Samuel Checote, the first chief of the Creek Nation elected after the Civil War. The population was 3,481 at the 2000 census. According to Census 2010, the population has decreased to 3,335; a 4.19% loss.
Checotah is home to numerous antique malls, a Civil War battle site and a downtown historic district. Checotah claims to be the steer wrestling capital of the world. Early boosters called Checotah, "The Gem of the Prairie.
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (also known as the MKT or Katy) established a railhead on the old Texas Road in 1872 that would become the site of present-day Checotah. Although it was named Checote Switch for Samuel Checote, a later mapmaker spelled the name as Checotah. The town was chartered by the Creek Nation in 1893. The Dawes Commission held its first meeting here.
Between 1907 and 1909, the people of Checotah were involved in a dispute with nearby Eufaula known as the McIntosh County Seat War. After Checotah was designated as the new county seat, the people of Eufaula refused to hand over the county records. Soon after, a group of heavily armed men from Chectotah attempted to seize the records from the courthouse in Eufaula, but were beaten back and forced to surrender during the gunfight that followed. Eufaula was designated as the permanent seat of McIntosh County one year later.
Checotah is located at an elevation of 652 feet (199 m) at the intersection of I-40 and U.S. Route 69. Nearby is Eufaula Lake, the largest-capacity lake in the state of Oklahoma.
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Wikipedia