BANK ROBBERY - Historic Downtown Poteau

Transcription

O ld Tow n Poteau
Experience it all in Old Town Poteau
History
Facts you
Didn’t Know
Old photos and facts
from days gone by
Shopping
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Downtown Poteau
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Revitalization
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Old Town Poteau
Bonnie and Clyde
BANK ROBBERY
their last major success before the end of their career
Old Town Poteau is produced by Historic Downtown Poteau, inc., Eric Standridge, The Birth of Poteau, and
downtown merchants.
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Historic Downtown Poteau
RED BORDERS
Old Town Poteau Magazine
History
Bonnie and Clyde. Discover how two
of the past’s most notorious outlaws
made Poteau history.
5
Revitalization
Old Town Poteau is getting a major
overhaul. Learn what HDP’s goals are
for the future.
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Trivia
Poteau Oddities. Discover some of
the most unusual locations in Historic
Downtown Poteau.
10
History
Ever wondered where Poteau got it’s
street names from? This article explains
the history behind some of them.
11
Entertainment
Oklahoma Welcome’s event list is sure
to have something for everyone.
12
Red Borders
Published by
Historic Downtown Poteau
Eric Standridge
and participating businesses
Historic Downtown Poteau, inc., is dedicated to the revitalization, preservation, and economic development of the old town district. Formerly
named “Poteau Main Street Matters”, HDP is a 501c3 organization. Its current board of directors includes Eric Standridge as Executive Director,
John Sullivan as president, Justin Porter as vice-president, Rhonda Waldrep as Secretary, and David Deaton, Jim Huckert, and Suanna Rust. Julie
Jenkins is the office manager with Kathleen Bishop as the visitor center manager.
The visitor center is located at 310 Dewey Avenue. HDP can be reached at (918) 647-8648 or through email at [email protected].
Eric Standridge is co-author of The Birth of Poteau and The LeFlore County Adventure guide, and is a local historian. In addition to his work
through HDP, he also runs the Oklahoma Traveler business, consults for the LeFlore County Museum at Hotel Lowrey, and is working on producing
more historical books on Oklahoma. In the past, he has worked in revitalization, tourism, historical research, and economic design in towns such
as Naples, Fl., Bridgview, Il., and Okmulgee, Ok, among others.
Information contained herein is copyright.
Poteau, 1890’s
Centered around where the Courthouse Lawn is today, the old Downtown area was a wild and rugged place.
Taken around 1895, this photo shows a portion of the old town of Poteau Switch. During this time Poteau was rapidly becoming a thriving city, however, it was still known
as Poteau Switch because of the railroad. The old town of Poteau was centered around
where the Courthouse Lawn is today and consisted of a general store, a barbershop, a
blacksmith shop, and a drug store. No known photos of the old core downtown area exist
today. This photo shows the area two blocks north of the courthouse lawn and gives the
best indication of what old Poteau Switch looked like. Shortly after this photo was taken,
a massive fire destroyed the old town district. Development began along Dewey Avenue,
which at the time was a mere side street.
Downtown Poteau as it appeared in the late 1800’s. B. H.
Harper owned a large cotton plantation that existed from
railroad track to railroad track. Today, Dewey Avenue runs
through the middle of this plantation.
History | News | Shopping | Events
HDP
A Tale of Bonnie and
Clyde in Poteau
In 1934, Bonnie and the Clyde Barrow gang robbed Poteau’s Central National Bank of $1,500. In today’s currancy,
this would equal $26,683.18.
After a long string of petty thefts
that began in 1926, Clyde Chestnut Barrow was sent to the Eastham Prison Farm in April 1930.
The Eastham Prison Farm was
the first maximum-security prison
in Texas. Because of its grueling
work assignments, the treacherous conditions, and the difficulty
of escaping the unit, even hardcore criminals dreaded being
sent to this facility.
For Clyde Barrow, incarceration at the Eastham Prison Farm
marked the beginning of life of
rampage and destruction across
the Midwest. While in prison, he
was sexually assaulted repeatedly for over a year by a dominant inmate. Having had enough,
Clyde fractured the man’s skull
with a length of pipe, which lead
to his death. This was Clyde Barrow’s first killing.
His time in the Eastham Prison
Farm also marked the beginning
of the end for him, as well as for
Bonnie Elizabeth Parker. The
two met just four months before
Clyde was arrested and sent to
prison. According to old stories,
Bonnie and Clyde met in January
1930 at a friend’s house. Bonnie,
who was only 19 at the time, was
staying in West Dallas to assist a
friend with her broken arm. Clyde
dropped by the girl’s house while
Bonnie was supposedly in the
kitchen making hot chocolate.
BONNIE AND CLYDE
As they say, it was love at first
sight. They were immediately attracted to one another, and over
the course of the next few weeks,
Bonnie became smitten with
Clyde’s roguish behavior and
charming demeanor. Throughout their crime spree and violent
death, the two remained nearly
inseparable.
Paroled in February 1932 from
the Eastham Prison Farm, Clyde
emerged a hardened and bitter criminal. Ralph Fults, an inmate that knew Clyde well, said
he watched him “change from a
schoolboy to a rattlesnake.” In
the “public enemy era” that ran
between 1931 and 1934, Bonnie and Clyde quickly joined the
ranks of John Dillinger and Pretty
Boy Floyd.
After Clyde was released from the
Eastham Prison Farm, he immediately began recruiting a gang.
His initial thought was to form a
gang in order to storm the Eastham Prison, free all of the prisoners, and kill the guards that had
assaulted him. He first recruited a
close friend of his, an 18-year-old
fugitive named Raymond Hamilton. While Raymond initially
agreed to help Clyde, he was in
it more for the money that could
be made. Raymond worked with
Clyde on most of their jobs, but
once he had “earned” enough, he
would leave the gang and go off
on his own.
For the next two years, Bonnie
and Clyde, along with other members of the “Barrow Gang” terrorized the Midwest. In all, twelve
people would be murdered in cold
blood during their crime spree,
along with countless others who
were injured or shot along the
way. It seemed that the Barrow
Gang was unstoppable. Every
time the police thought they had
the group cornered, Clyde would
always find a seemingly easy escape.
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THE
EASTHAM
PRISON
FARM
BREAK OUT
In 1934, Clyde would get the revenge against the Eastham Prison
Farm that he had always wanted.
During the previous year, Raymond
Hamilton briefly rejoined Bonnie and
Clyde as part of the Barrow Gang.
Shortly afterwards, in December
1933, Raymond was arrested began serving a lengthy prison term
at Eastham. Raymond was serving
266 years in prison for auto theft,
armed robbery, and murder.
After Raymond was imprisoned,
Bonnie and Clyde raided the farm
to free him and four other prisoners on January 16, 1934. The group
succeeded in pulling off the escape.
Among those involved in the jailbreak were Raymond Hamilton, Joe
Palmer, Henry Methvin, and Hilton
Bybee.
One of the escapees, Joe Palmer,
killed a guard and caused a series
of events which led to Texas Prison
System chief Lee Simmons to issue
a shoot to kill order against Clyde
Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Simmons hired Texas Ranger Frank
Hamer, who formed a six-man posse in order to execute this order.
BONNIE AND CLYDE HEADS TOWARD POTEAU
A week after the Eastham Prison
Farm breakout, the group began
moving throughout the Midwest,
robbing small town banks. The
breakout had depleted all of the
funds that the Barrow Gang had, so
they began to “earn” money the best
way they knew how.
The first bank they robbed after the
breakout was in Rembrandt, Iowa.
They stormed the bank on January 23rd and easily escaped with
$3,800. Hilton Bybee took his cut
and left the gang, leaving Bonnie
and Clyde with Raymond Hamilton,
Joe Palmer, Henry Methvin in the
gang. Bybee was captured about a
week later in Amarillo.
After the Rembrandt robbery, the
Barrow Gang drove back to Oklahoma towards Poteau. The drive
was nearly 46 hours, and over 500
miles away from the Rembrandt job.
This was Clyde’s primary defense
against capture. By putting as much
distance between jobs as he could,
it was less likely that the gang would
be easily caught. It is said that they
would live in their car for days and
weeks on end. Clyde could easily
average 50 miles an hour and could
keep it up for hours at a time. In the
1930’s, this was quite a feat. Many
times, instead of stopping in a populated place, they would sleep in the
car and wash in the creek. After a
bank robbery or shootout, Clyde
might not stop until he was 1,000
miles away.
Once they arrived in the Poteau area,
the group stole a blue Plymouth sedan. This was another trick that Clyde
would use. He would steal a commonlooking car and then drive it to town.
People would see the car and report it
to police. Once out of sight, they would
drive a few miles to where Bonnie and
any other female gang members were
waiting with the real getaway cars usually new Ford V-8’s. After they arrived, they would dump the old car and
then be on the way in the new one.
Outlaws and Bandits in Poteau
Get Involved | Make a Difference
More traveled through Poteau than you thought!
During the old days when Poteau was still known as Poteau
Switch, these notorious outlaws roamed throughout the area.
Belle Starr was one of the most fequent
visitors of the area. Residents of Poteau
Switch remember well the day she came
into town to buy a hat. Different accounts
speak of her imposing spirit as she rode in
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to town alongside the old Frisco railway.
Other outlaws who have visited Poteau
during the late 1800’s include Frank
James, Cole Younger and the Younger
Gang, among many others.
THE ROBBERY AT POTEAU
This was precisely what happened in
Poteau, Oklahoma on Thursday, January 25, 1934.
Shortly before noon, Clyde and his
gang drove the stolen blue Plymouth
sedan down Dewey Avenue, turned
right on to McKenna, and parked just
outside and towards the rear of Central National Bank. Dressed in expensive-looking suits, Clyde Barrow and
Raymond Hamilton got out and calmly
walked through the front door of the
bank. Joe Palmer remained in the car
with the engine running, waiting for
their return.
After entering the bank, Clyde and Raymond raised the shotguns they had
concealed on the way in and pointed
them at C. P. Little, a customer, and cashiers May Vasser and W. A. Campbell.
Little and Campbell were immediately
ordered to lie on the floor while Vasser
was allowed to sit in a chair.
After quickly subduing the people inside, Clyde moved behind the counter,
opened the bank drawers, and stashed
all of the currency and silver into a bag.
He then forced the employees to open
the safe. He then took all of the cash
that was inside.
While Clyde was busy emptying the
drawers, another customer entered the
bank. Pat Fulson was oblivious as to
what was going on at first, but once they
saw Raymond’s shotgun he quickly understood. He soon joined C. P. Little on
the floor.
Outside, J. M. Butler became suspicious after seeing the mud-covered
Blue Plymouth sedan parked along the
side of the bank. The rear window of
the car was knocked out. Butler thought
that it was possible that a machine gun
was probably concealed in the rear.
This suspicion prompted Butler to grab
a gun and enter the bank.
During this time, Clyde was busy emptying the vault, which left Raymond alone
to guard the hostages. J. M. Butler entered the bank, but wasn’t prepared for
what greeted him as he walked through
the door. Raymond was waiting, and after promptly relieving Butler of his gun
forced him to join the others on the floor.
In all, the robbery probably took less
than fifteen minutes. Clyde and Raymond exited the front of the bank with
$1,500 and ran down McKenna Street
to the waiting car. Anticipating a lengthy
chase and possible gunfight, they
stopped briefly to put the front windshield down so they could shoot their
guns if they needed to. Joe Palmer was
already on the move when Clyde and
Raymond jumped in the car.
Having been notified of the robbery, E.
G. Goodnight, president of the bank at
the time, accompanied officers as they
chased the bandits. The chase lasted
around ten minutes before the officers
gave up chase. It soon became obvious
that Clyde had lost them somewhere in
the hills near Wister.
Several days after the robbery, Zadoc
Harrison discovered the blue Plymouth
one mile north of Page, about 300-400
yards from the road. In typical Bonnie
and Clyde fashion, Bonnie was probably stationed outside of the town with
the getaway car.
HDP
and gunned down in Gibsland, Louisiana.
Ted Hinton and Bob Alcorn were two officers that were involved in the ambush.
According to their statements, “Each
of us six officers had a shotgun and an
automatic rifle and pistols. We opened
fire with the automatic rifles. They were
emptied before the car got even with
us. Then we used shotguns... There
was smoke coming from the car, and it
looked like it was on fire. After shooting
the shotguns, we emptied the pistols at
the car, which had passed us and ran
into a ditch about 50 yards on down
the road. It almost turned over. We kept
shooting at the car even after it stopped.
We weren’t taking any chances.”
Amidst the lingering gun smoke, the officers inspected the vehicle and discovered an arsenal of weapons including
stolen automatic rifles, sawed-off semiautomatic shotguns, assorted handguns, and several thousand rounds of
ammunition, along with fifteen sets of
license plates from various states.
DEMISE
A week after the Poteau robbery, the
group returned to Iowa where they
robbed another bank in Knierim and
got away with $307. For the next four
months, Bonnie and Clyde would continue petrifying the Midwest.
Their final demise would come four
months after the robbery in Poteau.
Bonnie and Clyde’s reign of terror ended with a bloody shoot-out on May 24,
1934, when the couple were ambushed
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REVITALIZING OLD TOWN
In 2013, we said that it’s time for change in Downtown Poteau, so we formed the
Downtown Poteau Revitalization Project. Two years later and we’re seeing real
change.
The Historic Downtown Poteau
Revitalization project is moving
forward at a staggering pace. The
city has begun the streetscape
project, enough money was
raised to finish out Phase I of the
Town Square project, and the
Paint Downtown Poteau Beautiful campaign is in full swing.
Looking back, it is amazing to see
how far we have come. To put
things in perspective, here are a
few critical numbers regarding
the revitalization project:
•
Since 2013, over 3 million
dollars has been spent downtown for revitalization. This includes projects started by HDP,
property owner reinvestments,
and events.
•
In 2013, we counted approximately 175 jobs downtown.
Today, there are over 500 people
employed in the downtown district.
•
In 2013, we had an occupancy rate of less than 50%. Of
these, many of the smaller stores
were of the thrift store variety.
OTP • Issue 2
Today, we can boast of over 90%
occupancy on Dewey, with most
of these being long-term specialty shops.
The success of the Downtown
Poteau Revitalization Project is
mostly due to community and
business support. Some of the
biggest contributors include
Bridgman’s Furniture and Gifts,
Central National Bank, The Purple
Plume, and J&J Pawn/Alleycat
Thrift. The community support
has been overwhelming, which
shows that downtown has needed a major overhaul for many
years now.
Although we have seen a lot of
great success, there’s still much
more to be accomplished.
When the Downtown Poteau Revitalization Project was formed in
2013, we listed out a number of
goals we wanted to see accomplished.
First among those were new
streets and sidewalks. Through
working with Mayor Shockley
and The City of Poteau, we are
now seeing that being completed.
The second major goal was in
filling up the vacant properties
downtown. There’s still a number
of units to be filled along the side
roads, however, we are moving
forward with accomplishing that
goal.
The third goal was to see buildings painted, trees planted, and
the general downtown area
cleaned up. That is only a quarter of the way complete, but with
more successful fundraisers and
help from the community, we believe it can be done.
The final major goal was to see
the Town Square (pocket park)
redone. This year, we have raised
enough money to complete
Phase II and should begin working on phase III next year. Phase
I consisted of repairs to the facility, painting the stage, and painting the walls. We are still working
on getting the murals repainted.
Once these goals are met, we
should see a huge transforma-
formation in the downtown district. This will have a
growing effect all throughout Poteau.
As with many towns, a strong, vibrant downtown district has a strong economic and social impact. This is
typically where most government services are located.
This is true of downtown Poteau. At one end we have
the County Courthouse, City Hall, the Police Station, the
Fire Station, and the Library. At the other, we have the
hospital. Between the two, besides the unique shopping and dining, we have a variety of both legal and
medical services. Also located in the heart of Downtown Poteau is the Downtown Visitors Center and the
LeFlore County Museum. With such important structures, it is important that this area be preserved and
revitalized.
It is our goal to do just that. Prior to the 1981 Victory
Theater fire, downtown Poteau was thriving. Streets
were filled every day with people shopping, dining, or
finding entertainment downtown.
Today, we have brought this feeling of excitement back.
On any given day, visitors to the downtown area can
find a great wealth of activities going on, from painting
parties to video games. As we continue with the revitalization process, we hope to see this feeling of excitement continue to grow.
If you would like to contribute to the revitalization project, contact Eric Standridge at the Historic Downtown
Poteau visitors center.
HDP
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Purple
Plume
The Purple Plume, located at 225 Dewey Avenue in
Historic Downtown Poteau, opened its doors in July
2009 when Poteau’s community was in need of a unique,
one-of-a-kind shopping experience. The building was an
anniversary present and is owned and operated by Jodi
Hoffman and Kim Hoffman-Wilson. The building sits on
the corner of Dewey Avenue and Witte and used to house
the old immigration office as well as doctors, dentists,
and a drug store. The owners restored the building but
left the historical features in tact.
The Purple Plume provides a friendly and courteous
atmosphere for their customers. As you enter the store be
sure to check out their window displays – you won’t be
disappointed! Inside is a relaxing shopping atmosphere
that includes jewelry, clothing, prom dresses, home décor, and everything in between at a price point for everyone’s budget. Just a few of the brands available include
Brighton, Wilton Armetale, Jalapeño Grillers, Crabtree &
Evelyn, Tyler, Joseph Ribkoff, Urban Mango, Casual Studio,
Rustic Cuff, Noelle, and Park Hill.
Also housed in the building is Spa at the Plume that
includes cosmetologists and an anesthetitician.
We encourage you to come visit the Purple Plume in Historic Downtown Poteau for a shopping experience you
will not forget!
“Small businesses are the heart of the economy.
For every $100 spent at a local small business,
$68 returnes to the community.”
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Poteau Oddities
Poteau is full of interesting history. As with any city, as the years progress, small bits and
pieces of this are left behind. Here are some of the most fascinating and most bizarre
pieces of history to be found downtown.
THE OUTHOUSE: Tucked away on a side street, this oddity has remained a mystery for years. Often
overlooked, the outhouse was built back in the 1920’s, however, no documentation for it exists and
nobody knows the story behind this unique brick structure.
THE LEANING TOWER OF POTEAU : This building, while structurally sound, “twists” as it rises. At
ground level, the building is perfect square, however, as the building rises higher, it twists and leans
towards the “left”. The building was originally built on soft soil which caused it to sink over the
years. By the 1920’s, the building had finally settled, but, because of this, the building is permanently twisted.
POTEAU’S ONLY REMAINING PARKING METER: During the 1940’s and 1950’s, each parking space
along Dewey, Witte, and McKenna had a parking meter. In 1953, newspapers reported that the city
collected $300 a day. $300.00 in 1953 had the same buying power as $2,638.34 in 2015. As surburbia became in vogue and downtown started to decline, most of the parking meters were removed.
However, this one was left upon request from the owner of the store adjacent to it.
1940’S NEW DEAL MURAL: “Cotton”, Joan Cunningham, 1940; The post office contains a 1940 Treasury Section mural “Cotton” painted by Joan Cunningham. The image is a multi-scene view of cotton production that shows a large number of people involved in various aspects of production and
shipping, the emphasis is on cotton, reputedly also about the domination of man on the land.
“Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the
Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as “the Section,” it was established in 1934 and administered
by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer,
businessman, and artist, the Section’s main function was to select art of high quality to decorate
public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art
was made accessible to all people.”
OTP • Issue 2
HDP
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Poteau Street Names
Have
you ever wondered where
some of Poteau’s street names came
from? Here’s a short list of some of
the more interesting street names.
EARLY POTEAU (1885-1900)
Beard Avenue: Named after Wal-
ter Beard. Mr. Beard had a blacksmith shop located on the southern
corner of Beard and Broadway. His
large home was located at the end of
that road. He was a local real estate
mogul and amassed great wealth by
purchasing land from the Choctaw
Indian. Beard Avenue was one of the
largest streets in Poteau at the time
and was considered part of the main
business district.
Fleener Avenue: Named after
Melvin Flener. Mr. Flener was a railroad man who established a supply
camp on the north corner of Fleener
Avenue and Broadway. When the
railroad moved through, he decided
to stay and opened up Poteau’s first
hotel. Called The Flener House, this
was the largest and most opulent in
the region. Around 1898, all of the
businesses burned that were located
between Beard and College, the Flener House among them. As an aside,
you’ll notice the name of the road
has been misspelled. The street has
been partially cut off with the courthouse addition.
Church Street: Named after the
First Baptist Church that sat on
the Northeast corner of Church
and Green. This large wood-frame
church was built in a joint effort between the Methodist Church and
the Baptist Church. At the time, it
was the largest church building in
Poteau.
Broadway: Until the KCS railroad en-
tered the picture and the great fire of
1899, the downtown area centered
between Beard and Green Avenues.
During that time, Broadway was
known as Railroad Street. This was a
dirt road that ran along either side of
the railroad tracks, from the edge of
the courthouse lawn to the edge of
the McKenna Building (Crossfit). At
a width of 300 feet, there was little
control over how people used the
road, except when the trains rolled
in.
As Poteau grew, the town became
more organized. The name of this
road was then changed to Main
Street in 1899, and then again to
West Main and East Main by 1904.
By 1916, with the automobile heavily in use in Poteau, West Main became Front Street, since it “fronted”
the railroad depot. By the 1940’s,
this road was becoming known as
Broadway.
Dewey Avenue: Dewey Avenue,
the heart of Poteau, was named after
a man who had never even been to
Poteau. This road was named in honor of Admiral George Dewey of the
U.S. Navy. George Dewey (December 26, 1837 – January 16, 1917) was
Admiral of the Navy, the only person
in U.S. history to have attained the
rank. Admiral Dewey is best known
for his victory at the Battle of Manila
Bay during the Spanish–American
War.
Witte Street; Witteville Road:
Both streets were named after Gerhard H. Witte. Mr. Witte was a German immigrant who made his way
to Poteau in 1887. Shortly after arriving, he founded the Witteville Coal
Mines on Cavanal Mountain (Hill).
His home remained in Poteau. While
building up the town of Witteville,
he ran a railroad spur from the KCS
tracks up to the center of the town.
Witteville Road follows the old train
route that led to the town of Witteville. Mr. Witte was also the first person to install a telephone line. The
line ran from the back of his house
up to the operating station at Witteville. G.H. Witte was also mayor of
Poteau from 1890 to 1900, and again
in 1907, but resigned due to health
issues. Witte Street is named in honor of G. H. Witte.
McKenna Street: Named after
Captain Edward McKenna. Mr. McKenna was an early day land broker
and banker. His most notable accomplishment in Poteau was the
building of the McKenna Building,
which was the first permanent structure in Poteau and later became
home to the U.S. Federal Courthouse
in Indian Territory. Mr. McKenna later became president of The National
Bank of Poteau.
Captain McKenna was a very wealthy
man and was respected by many. As
quoted from Shawnee Times, February 20, 1910, “Captain Edward McKenna of Poteau, one of the wealthiest
citizens of eastern Oklahoma, died at
his home here today. McKenna has
been in this vicinity thirty years. He
was a captain in the Confederate
Army and at his death was brigadier
general of the Oklahoma Division of
Confederate Veterans.”
Shaw Ave/Shaw Blvd: Both of
these streets were named after former Poteau mayors Judge D.A. Shaw
and Nora Shaw. Nora Shaw was
Oklahoma’s first woman mayor.
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Poteau Events
Keep up to date with what’s going on in Poteau and the area! Visit OKWNews.com for
the latest! Here are some of the major upcoming events:
(Colored events designate events held or sponsored by the core downtown area.)
September
T.B.A - Library Fiesta (918) 647-3833
T.B.A - Grace Cottage Triple H, Hills, Healing
& Hope 5k Walk/Run. (918) 649-3737
T.B.A - Thor’s Hammer 5/10k, Heavener
Runestone. (918) 653-2241
T.B.A - Relay for Life. (918)647-4191
October
Oct 1 - Duck’s Unlimited Banquet
Oct 3 - Heavener’s Lions Club Street Carnival
Oct 9, 6pm – 7pm: PLP Library - Guitarist
Concert
October 10 - Old Town Monster Mash 5k.
HDP. (918)647-8648
October 10 - Old Town Fall Festival HDP.
(918)647-8648
Oct 10 and 11 - Viking Festival: Heavener
Runestone
October 16 & 17 - Poteau Balloonfest. Poteau Chamber. (918)647-9178
Oct 24 - Trail of Treats: Lake Wister State Park
October 30 - Old Town Trick-or-Treat Walk.
Bring the kids downtown for a Spooktacular
good time. This is also open anyone who
OTP • Issue 2
wants to come hand out candy or set up a
table downtown. FREE event. 3:30-5:00 p.m.
HDP. (918) 647-8648
All month: HDP Harvest/Halloween Window
Display Contest; vote for your favorite window display downtown.
November
Nov 7 - Veteran’s Day Parade; Veterans Day
Pancake Breakfast. Located in Historic
Downtown Poteau
November 14-15 - Gun & Knife Show.
DWRCC. (918)647-9178
November 20-December 24 - Lights on the
Island, Wister Lake State Park. Opens at 6:00
p.m. (918) 647-9178
November 20-December 24 - Old Town
Holiday Light Extravaganza. Started in 2014,
this light show brings back the memories of
old town Poteau with a modern twist. Look
for new and exciting displays this year. HDP.
(918) 647-8648
T.B.A. - An Old Town Christmas. It’s back, but
with more fun and surprises in store., plus
FREE gift giveaways. HDP (918)647-8648
December
Dec 5 - Poteau Christmas Parade. Poteau
Chamber, downtown decorations by HDP.
(918) 647-9178
December 31 - New Years Eve Extravaganza
T.B.A. - Taste of LeFlore County. LeFlore
County Museum at Hotel Lowrey. (918)6479330
T.B.A. - Choctaw 5k/10k, Heavener Runestone
T.B.A. - KCS Holiday Express - The KCS
Charitable Fund makes a contribution of gift
cards to the local Salvation Army to provide
warm clothing and other necessities for
children in need. Salvation Army. (918) 6478780
T.B.A. - Grace Cottage Annual “Night Before
Christmas” Banquet
T. B. A. - Christmas Holiday Market
Thu, December 31, 8:00pm – Fri, January 1, 2016, 12:30am: NYE Extravaganza
at The Kerr Mansion
Ongoing
Old Town Farmer’s Market, through September every Saturday from 8 am until noon.
Located in Poteau’s Town Square.
Yellow Cottage Studios. Various events,
from painting parties to jam sessions.
Check store for details.
Poteau Games
Poteau Games is one of the most unique shops in Downtown Poteau. They carry everything
from card games to video games, as well as host a wide variety of tournaments. Read on to
learn what all the buzz is about!
Attention nerds, geeks, and gamers. Poteau Games is here to create a
gamer community where we can all have discussions on our favorite
games, trade cards, make new friends, and Play!!. Whether you play
computer games or console games, Collectable card games like Magic: The Gathering or Pokemon, Role playing games like Dungeons and
Dragons, or just table top board games from Checkers to Epic Fantasy
Battles, we’re all here to make new friends and do what we do best...
Play games @ Poteau Games.
We sell and play table top board games and Collectable card games.
Nerd/Geek hangout place. Meet new friends in an awesome atmosphere!
So share this with all of your gamer friends and lets have some fun!
Poteau Games now has thousands of games, including card games,
board games, video games, and more. Video game consoles run from
early systems such as NES through todays more popular systems.
222 Dewey Ave, Poteau OK
www.yellowcottagestudios.com
 Artisan Gallery and Studio

Handcrafted Gifts from local Artisans

Pottery, wood bowls, stained glass, lanterns, fiber
goods, paintings, walking sticks, jewelry and more

Painting Parties—Your place or ours

Gourd Art Classes
Yellow Cottage Studios Art Classes
Fun for all ages!
Yellow Cottage Studios offers a variety of art
classes and other events through the year.
These classes range from easy-to-do painting
parties to intensive goard art projects.
Special parties are also available on request.
To find out more, visit Yellow Cottage Studios
on Facebook or visit their website at:
www.yellowcottagestudios.com/
14
Nulputetum amcorero conseqau amcommy niatet, quat gait
la faci esenibh eugait, susto
By: Oklahoma
dign.Welcome
in sent gave feel will
Nulputetum amcorero conseqau amcommy niatet, quat gait
la faci esenibh eugait, susto
dign. in sent gave feel will
EOMC and Family Medical Clinic
Learn more | Get involved
EOMC has come a long way since August 26, 2014 when the voters of LeFlore County
turned out in record numbers to overwhelmingly pass a ½ cent sales tax to support
Eastern Oklahoma Medical Center.
A year later, the Governing Board and Administration want to thank each voter for the
confidence that they placed in EOMC. Mike Carter, CEO commented “We are working
every day to improve the quality of care for our patients and to prove to the voters that
they made a wise investment.”
EOMC is now rated as a 4 STAR facility by the Center for Medicare Services (CMS).
Surgery was reopened on May 28 after a $1.7 million renovation. To date, over 150 surgical
cases have been performed.
The OB department was reopened on August 3. To date, 16 babies have been delivered
since reopening. The addition of a new Nuclear Medicine Scanner with the capability
to do more advanced testing. new Emergency Department physician group has been
brought in withseveral board certified Emergency Medicine physicians. EOMC continues
to recruit physicians in a number of specialties.
OTP • Issue 2
HDP
15
Old Town News
Olde Towne East
Discover more shopping in Old Towne East!
Come on in for Cat-tastic bargains six days a week at Alley Cat! Anything
from nic-knacks, small household appliances, and glassware to home refurbishing materials, tools, and furniture. Stop in for even more puuuuuurfect savings on Wildcat Wednesdays, when everything is 10% off! Open
M-F, 9:30 - 5, and Saturdays 10 -3.
J&J Pawn is more than just a pawn shop, we have gaming systems, jewelry,
music equipment, stereos, coins and collectables, tools, hunting and fishing supplies, as well as guns and ammo. Open M-F, 9-6, and Saturdays 9-4.
Tired of the typical fast food for lunch? Don’t compromise your hunger,
let “Lunch Hr” become your new lunch hour hot spot. Everything is handmade fresh, fast friendly service, great prices, and burgers so good, they
are a blast from the past. So Shake, Rattle, and Roll in for the Rockin’ Great
Food! Open M-F, 11-2. Call in orders contact (918) 649-2001.
Old Town Farmer’s Market
Notes on the Farmer’s Market and Craft Fair
dening tips and recipes from
our customers. For example,
Charlene Dunn made an amazing orzo and tomatillo dish and
graciously shared it with us.
Through the market we have
been able to try new things from
other vendors, like the best tasting sauerkraut made by Brotherin-law Holler Farm, local honey
from Paul and Lisa Tackett and
raw milk from Cardoza Ranch.
We and other small farmers
have also benefited from the
profit-sharing program. We look
forward to seeing it grow and the
many things it provides to the local area in the coming years.
Explore the NEW Old Town Poteau!
At Knothole Farm we are grateful
that the farmers market is available
for the people in this area. With the
help of Eric Standridge and Historic
Downtown Poteau it has become
a great place for local producers to
sell their products. We want to say
thanks to Sevilla Vance for helping
us watch our kids at the market.
We have heard time and time again
from shoppers, visitors and vendors
that they had a great time at the
market. The market is more than
just a place to sell our produce. It
has become a place where we connect with people.
Because of the market we have
been able to learn new gar-
16
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the
square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have
no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the
human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because
the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
-Steve Jobs
Bridgman’s Furniture
Furniture | Gifts | Carpet | Window Coverings
Since 1886
Free Delivery (918) 647-3243
Sealy Mattresses
40,000 Sq. Ft. Showroom
New and Used Furniture
OTP • Issue 2
HDP
17
HDP Directors Notes
Message from the Director
Three years. That’s how long I’ve been working downtown.
Three amazing years, and there’s still so
much work left to be done! I am still amazed at how everyone has come together to help support this project. Three years ago, the downtown area was in a slump. From what I’ve been told, it’s been slowly dying
ever since the Victory Theater burned in 1981.
Together, with your help, with the parterships of area businesses, the city, and the chamber, we’ve made a
huge transformation. Today, when you visit downtown, there’s a great variety of shops and eating establishments to visit, there’s events happening, and it just feels better.
There’s so many small town downtown areas across the country that have fallen into decline. Poteau has
one of the few that is still vibrart and growing. This is something to take great pride in, and it’s something
that couldn’t have been done without your help.
However, there’s still a long ways to go. As I’ve said before, it is my belief that together, we can accomplish
anything. As always, thank you for all of your help and support! I’m looking forward to see what the next
three years brings!
Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
18
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
The Spirits are alive
at Bonnies Liquor in
Poteau Oklahoma!
Located in Historic
Downtown Poteau
211 S. McKenna
Yellow
Cottage
Studios
Art Gallery and
Working Gourd
Art Studio
222 Dewey Ave
Poteau OK 74953
918-413-2820
For information on advertising with us, contact HDP at (918) 647-8648 or email us at
[email protected] and include the subject line “Magazine Advertising”.
OTP • Issue 2
HDP
19
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
310 Dewey
(918) 647-3144
Lawn & Garden
Appliances, Automotive
Tires, Sm. Engine Repair
307 Dewey
647-7138
New and Used Furniture
Office | Bedroom | Living
Dining | Appliances | More
CENTURY 21 Homestead Realty
210 South Broadway Street
Poteau, OK 74953
mobile: 918.649.7121
STONE’S
FURNITURE

BANK ROBBERY - Historic Downtown Poteau

Transcription

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