Ardmore

Although part of the Chickasaw Nation, virgin soil lured pioneers into Indian Territory, and by 1900, intruders outnumbered Native Americans 10 to 1, building communities throughout Native American lands. In 1887, on a grassy prairie where buffalo had roamed, men gathered where the Santa Fe Railroad planned to build a station. By 1898, Ardmore was a thriving city with businesses, churches, electricity, and telephones. Under a new federal law in late 1898, Ardmore became an incorporated city. Several disasters including a massive explosion and two major fires almost destroyed the town, but the people who built Ardmore came from sturdy stock. After each disaster, they rebuilt, and Ardmore continued to prosper.

Another facet of Ardmore's legacy is the historical pride that is enriched by the Greater Southwest Historical Museum, the Main Street Authority office, and a myriad of local historians including Sally Gray and Butch Bridges. Of special value to the history of Ardmore is the vast Mac McGalliard collection of pictures and artifacts housed at Ardmore Public Library. Charlsie Foust Allen has been an educator in Ardmore for over 20 years, has served on the editorial board for the Daily Ardmoreite, and has published two other accounts of Ardmore history.