Pocola

History

The Battle of Devil's Backbone took place nearby on September 1, 1863, and resulted in a victory for the Union Army. At the time of its founding the settlement was located in Skullyville County, a part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation. Will Hartshorne began operating a small coal mine in this area during the 1880s. By 1895, he employed six men, and sold the mine to the Fort Smith and Western Coal and Railway in the following year. The population of Pocola was estimated at 200 in 1900, but the number declined to about 75 in 1918. The post office closed in 1916. The community did not incorporate until 1963, allowing it to gain water rights along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and to ensure that the area was not annexed by other Le Flore County communities. The town began annexing land, enlarging itself to about 30 square miles. By 1970, the population had grown to 1,840. In 1980, the census recorded 3,268 residents. A post office was reestablished in 1986.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.69%) is water. The Poteau River constitutes the western boundary of the town.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,525
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,466
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,139
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,909
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,789
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  1,745
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,518
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  1,495

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