Kingston

History

Kingston was originally known as Helen. The community was named for Helen Willis, daughter of J.H. Willis, a prominent early-day resident. On April 4, 1894, a post office was established at Helen and was called Kingston, Indian Territory. The post office took its name from Jeff King, a longtime local resident. At the time of its founding, Helen, later Kingston, was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation, in Indian Territory. This was one of the Five Civilized Tribes required to remove to this area from the Southeast United States in the 1830s. The early settlement included a general store, cotton gin, and a schoolhouse that doubled as a church. Several of the older buildings in Kingston were torn down in the late 1980s for redevelopment of the area for a new hardware store and lumberyard. The town constructed a new multipurpose activity building, which is located on the high school campus. The oldest remaining building in Kingston, which originally was the town bank, has been adapted for retail use as Dee's Creative Corner. Kingston's High School Alumni Association, founded in 1911 soon after statehood, is the oldest active alumni association in the state of Oklahoma. Each year graduates of Kingston High School are given the opportunity to join the association. Through their donations and fund raisers, the Alumni Association helps to send local students to college. Notable figures include country music singer, Dale Lay, and rock and roll drummer Greg Upchurch. Lay released several country albums, several radio singles, and performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. He developed and supported the Kingston High School band. For several years, Lay raised money to buy new instruments and band uniforms at his annual benefit concert. Dale’s…

Geography

Kingston is served by US Route 70, as well as State highways 70A, 70B, and 32. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity