Muskogee Station's Christmas, 1872

That Christmas morning the road to Muskogee Station reached the Arkansas River. Continuing on the western side of the river meant leaving behind the established settlements of Fort Gibson and Tahlequah. In a sense, it also meant leaving civilization.

Ahead the muddy road was not yet dry from a winter storm. The prairie grass along side the road was now brown and blown over. Quail and rabbits populated the underbrush.

A deeply rutted and wider path marked the intersection of the main north to south road west of the Mississippi river leading to Texas and the American Southwest. There were no travelers this day on the Cherokee Road.

On the north side of the intersection stood a two-room house with an attached lean-to on the back. Not really much to look at now, but in a year or two it would soon be famous as the "Red Front" store operated by Joshua Ross.

It barely kept the wind out because it was built partially with freight-box wood. Nothing stopped the cold temperature. Getting dressed was the first action of the morning after throwing back the old handmade quilt.

The Ross house marked the eastern boundary of the settlement. With no other building nearby, the slightly curving road led to the heart of the settlement ahead.

Most of the settlement's buildings were on the western side of the iron ribbons of the railroad tracks. Wooden boxcars blocked the view of some of the buildings. There were three sitting on the side-track end-to-end. They functioned as hotel and restaurant for traveling railroad passengers. Men hawking merchandise sometimes stayed there to in order to break the monotony of camping along side the Cherokee Road.

The railroad tracks were laid on logs across the countryside. Crossing the tracks meant cracking the whip sometimes or else the team would not pull the wagon across. There was no grading for a crossing yet.

A new restaurant already provided competition to meals found at the boxcars. The diner's dirt floor and dim lighting misled the hungry traveler because the food was good. The cook welcomed customers every day of the year. There was no closing for Christmas.

The Atkinson and Robb store was the most important building in town. It was not much to look at despite being built of sawed lumber. It was only a couple of rooms big. Yet, the increasing business was forcing the partnership to consider adding another room to the store.

Muskogee Station barely had a street. It ran along side of the Katy tracks for about a hundred yards. Nevertheless, there was a sense of permanence growing in Muskogee Station.

The tent structures were disappearing, and so were the gamblers and roughs. They followed the railhead as the laying of track pushed southward.

The decadence of the rough life had driven Muskogee Station's merchants to build their homes away from the tent saloons and gambling dives of the previous Christmas season. The houses sat out on the prairie in isolated outcroppings. One day, they would be in the middle of Muskogee.

In a few homes, there was awareness of the Christmas holiday. Jessie Robb, the first white child born in the settlement, was too young to understand. Most of those who did lived away from the settlement.

Muskogee Station's population totaled less than fifty souls that Christmas. The town has come a long way in both population and celebration during the past one hundred and thirty-six years.

Andrew W. Robb and Family

The Robb family helped establish the town of Muskogee. Andrew W. Robb was the patriarch. A Pennsylvanian by birth, Andrew was living in Kansas when the Civil War began. By the war's end, he worked as a first lieutenant in Company F, Third Indian Home Guard.

Before his discharge, A. W. went to Bates County, Missouri, and married Martha Requa. He brought his wife after the war's end to Fort Gibson, where he served as a quartermaster. His war credentials enabled him to begin working as a government freighter. In this capacity, he hauled the first supplies to Fort Sill.

After three years, he moved to Baxter Springs, Kansas, where he opened a grocery business. Within two years, he was ready to move again.

The establishment of a post office in Muskogee by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad prompted the growing Robb family to relocate. By 1871, two daughters and a son (Mary, John and Katherine) brought greater responsibilities to A. W. He looked to the creation of a town as providing a better future.

Arriving in Muskogee, the Robb's constructed the community's first house. At that time, there were railroad boxcars being used as a hotel.

A. W. built his home on a lot that later became the northeast corner of North Third and Broadway. This lot would ultimately sell for $70,000 for the construction of the Flynn-Ames building in 1909.

Andrew and his wife, Martha, welcomed the birth of their fourth child in this home. Jessie's birth on December 13, 1872, marked the first birth of a white child in Muskogee. Alice Robertson was Jessie's godmother. Later, fruit trees and roses decorated the property.

Robb opened a mercantile business in another frame building closer to the railroad tracks. Operating under the name of Atkinson and Co., Robb sold a little bit of everything needed by the community. For several years, it was the only hardware business in town.

Robb helped to establish the First Presbyterian Church. Organized April 18, 1875, it was the first church built in Muskogee. Mr. and Mrs. Robb joined by profession of faith immediately. A. W. later taught Sunday School classes and served as a Ruling Elder. He remained active in church affairs throughout his life.

Mr. Robb sold his share of his partnership in 1875 and went to work with James Patterson. The following year, he purchased a partnership in the firm that became Patterson and Robb. For over a decade their business provided first class merchandise to the buying public.

Then the partners suffered a total loss valued at $40,000 in a fire in 1887. A two-story brick building replaced their former burnt wooden structure. The new building became noteworthy for two reasons. First, the partners divided their merchandise into categories, thereby becoming Muskogee's first department store.

About the same time, the partners also hired a woman to work in their store. She was a novelty for a while because no other business in town had a woman working in such a public occupation.

There will be more about the Robb family in a future column.