Building Muskogee's Future in 1890
Muskogee started laying the foundation for the future in 1890 in many ways. In that day, it was a typical Western American town. Wooden buildings with non-descript fronts lined Muskogee's dirt streets. Certain events in 1890, however, demonstrated the residents' desire for an improved Muskogee. Their efforts resulted in the town's incorporation eight years later.
Muskogee was celebrating the first year's publication of a permanent newspaper. Several presses issued newspapers over the previous fifteen years without putting down permanent roots in town. Months earlier, the Muskogee Phoenix finished its first year of publishing that would continue well beyond a century of service to the community. The Phoenix served throughout as the public voice in calls for civic reform.
For example, a man erected a fence in the middle of a street with the intent of building a home on the site. The newspaper reported the ensuing uproar that led to blockage of the house's construction. Public sentiment saw the need for clear rights-of-ways for public traffic. Until this date, construction of buildings followed few conventions for location. Hereafter, a sense of civic need grew stronger among the residents because of the house episode.
Another illustration of civic concern arose from the voiced complaints of neighbors over the removal of animal carcasses. Earlier, no one saw the threat to the public if an animal was left where it fell. In 1890, however, concern resulted in a call for steps to be taken to prevent the practice.
Publicly available water was another issue that marked 1890. There was a concern regarding water usage. It arose from a sense of community. Residents were beginning to understand that a fire in one structure threatened the other structures around it. Within the decade, Muskogee would suffer a terrible loss from fire that almost destroyed the town.
Fires were well known in Indian Territory. In 1890, however, residents formed a hose and ladder company to serve the fire-fighting needs of the community. A trial with a water hose and horse-pulled pumper demonstrated that water could be sprayed to a height of fifty feet, if needed. However, there were no five-story buildings in town yet. This forward-looking thinking has always marked Muskogee's future development.
Communities also need recreational space. Wagon and buggy traffic prevents streets from being used for general recreational purposes. Yet, streets were Muskogee's only public area in 1890 until the Phoenix editor called for the establishment of a park. Within weeks, Will Robison on the east side of town donated Muskogee's first park.
According to the newspaper editor, there were only three streets with names in 1890 when the call went out to name the rest. The editor named Main Street, Okmulgee Street and Cherokee Street. An insurance map listed two other short streets in the downtown district. Agency Street was two blocks long. Lake Street was only about three blocks long.
Residential areas outside of the downtown area are unrecorded. With a population of 1200, there were more streets. These were exactly the streets needing names according to the editor.
Muskogee's incorporation eight years later was the product of years of effort. Parks, a fire department and street names were just a few of the steps needed on the way to improving Muskogee. 1890 certainly marked the turning point when these efforts began to build the foundation for Muskogee's future.
Muskogee was celebrating the first year's publication of a permanent newspaper. Several presses issued newspapers over the previous fifteen years without putting down permanent roots in town. Months earlier, the Muskogee Phoenix finished its first year of publishing that would continue well beyond a century of service to the community. The Phoenix served throughout as the public voice in calls for civic reform.
For example, a man erected a fence in the middle of a street with the intent of building a home on the site. The newspaper reported the ensuing uproar that led to blockage of the house's construction. Public sentiment saw the need for clear rights-of-ways for public traffic. Until this date, construction of buildings followed few conventions for location. Hereafter, a sense of civic need grew stronger among the residents because of the house episode.
Another illustration of civic concern arose from the voiced complaints of neighbors over the removal of animal carcasses. Earlier, no one saw the threat to the public if an animal was left where it fell. In 1890, however, concern resulted in a call for steps to be taken to prevent the practice.
Publicly available water was another issue that marked 1890. There was a concern regarding water usage. It arose from a sense of community. Residents were beginning to understand that a fire in one structure threatened the other structures around it. Within the decade, Muskogee would suffer a terrible loss from fire that almost destroyed the town.
Fires were well known in Indian Territory. In 1890, however, residents formed a hose and ladder company to serve the fire-fighting needs of the community. A trial with a water hose and horse-pulled pumper demonstrated that water could be sprayed to a height of fifty feet, if needed. However, there were no five-story buildings in town yet. This forward-looking thinking has always marked Muskogee's future development.
Communities also need recreational space. Wagon and buggy traffic prevents streets from being used for general recreational purposes. Yet, streets were Muskogee's only public area in 1890 until the Phoenix editor called for the establishment of a park. Within weeks, Will Robison on the east side of town donated Muskogee's first park.
According to the newspaper editor, there were only three streets with names in 1890 when the call went out to name the rest. The editor named Main Street, Okmulgee Street and Cherokee Street. An insurance map listed two other short streets in the downtown district. Agency Street was two blocks long. Lake Street was only about three blocks long.
Residential areas outside of the downtown area are unrecorded. With a population of 1200, there were more streets. These were exactly the streets needing names according to the editor.
Muskogee's incorporation eight years later was the product of years of effort. Parks, a fire department and street names were just a few of the steps needed on the way to improving Muskogee. 1890 certainly marked the turning point when these efforts began to build the foundation for Muskogee's future.
Labels: Agency Street, Cherokee Street, Lake Street, Main Street, Okmulgee Street, Will Robison
posted by Wally Waits at
6:24 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home