McCurtain

History

In 1889, coal deposits discovered in the area that would become southern Haskell County attracted some European miners and American entrepreneurs. They established a community called Panther, which was renamed in 1902 to honor Choctaw Principal Chief Green McCurtain. Another mining town, Chant, was established nearby, and the two began to grow together. McCurtain and Chant prospered after the Fort Smith and Western Railroad connected McCurtain with Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1901. The railroad was built westward until it reached the Canadian River in 1902. The San Bois Coal Company built four hundred company houses for miners living in McCurtain and Chant. By 1907 statehood the combined population of the two communities was 1,760. A post office was established at Panther, Indian Territory on June 11, 1890. Its name was changed to McCurtain, Indian Territory on April 5, 1902. The site was located one half-mile west of its present site. At the time of its founding, the community was located in the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation. In 1901 the two towns thrived as the Fort Smith and Western Railroad built to McCurtain, connecting it with Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 1902 the railroad continued building westward, reaching the South (main) Canadian River. The San Bois Coal Company built four hundred company houses, and McCurtain, as well as Chant, saw the addition of banks, stores, schools, newspapers, and even a bottling company. By 1907 statehood the combined population of the communities stood at 1,760, although in 1908 business directories suggested a combined population of 3,800, which would have been the largest to be seen in Haskell County. Newspapers that have served the two communities included the Haskell County Chant News, the Hustler, McCurtain American,…

Geography

McCurtain is east of McAlester and south southwest of Sallisaw. }}

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  34
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  33
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  27
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  27
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  23
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  22
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  21
• Great Blue/Cocoi Heron

  Ardea herodias Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  21

Largest nearby schools

• KEOTA ES
  Elementary · Keota · 301 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• MCCURTAIN ES
  Elementary · McCurtain · 176 students · 16:1 ratio
• KEOTA HS
  High · Keota · 108 students · 12:1 ratio
• MCCURTAIN HS
  High · McCurtain · 61 students · 10.2:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-08-31
  12 km E of Crowder, Oklahoma
• M 2.65 — 2024-10-28
  14 km WSW of Quinton, Oklahoma
• M 2.86 — 2024-08-14
  13 km WSW of Quinton, Oklahoma
• M 2.6 — 2023-03-16
  11 km E of Crowder, Oklahoma
• M 2.8 — 2022-06-05
  13 km WSW of Quinton, Oklahoma
• M 3.16 — 2022-06-03
  10 km W of Quinton, Oklahoma