Choctaw County
Choctaw County was created at the time of statehood and named for the Choctaw Nation of Indians whose Tribal name is “Chahta.” Choctaw County abounds with beautiful wilderness rivers and streams and numerous lakes. The area is often billed as a “Sportsman’s Paradise” because of plentiful game and fishing opportunities in, and surrounding Hugo, the county seat, and Choctaw County.
Things to see and do:
The Carson and Barnes Circus, the largest truck–drawn circus under the big top in the United States, has its winter quarter in Hugo, the county seat of Choctaw County.
The Kiamichi Area Vocational–Technical School is located in Hugo and provides training for the area
The PRCA Professional Rodeo is held annually in June in Hugo
Grant’s Bluegrass Festival, in Hugo, is held annually in August and features toe–tapping bluegrass music played for thousands of fans from around the world.
Hugo Lake and Lake Raymond Gary State Park provide additional recreational outlets for the county.
The Frisco Depot Museum and Harvey House Restaurant houses the upstairs rooms of the early–day Harvey House girls, well–sheltered waitresses of the Harvey House, a restaurant chain found in American depots of the period. The downstairs restaurant is still in operation.
The Hugo Heritage Railroad was formed, in 1992 and today it is Oklahoma’s only excursion passenger rail tourist attraction.
Hugo is the winter headquarters of both the five–ring Carson&Barnes Circus and its sister circus, the Kelly–Miller Bros. Circus. With over 50 years of circus tradition, Hugo is known as Circus City U. S. A. Both circuses annually entertain hundreds of thousands of fans across America and even into Canada.
The Mount Oliver Cemetery contains the unusual monuments of many circus performers and is the final resting place of rodeo World champions Todd Whatley, Freckles Brown and Lane Frost.
Fort Towson was established in 1824 to protect the Choctaw Nation as they resettled in Oklahoma. All that remains today are the ruins of the original fort and a replica of the post store.
The Choctaw Chief’s House is the oldest surviving home in Oklahoma. It was built in 1830 for the chief of the district of the Choctaw Nation.
Communities
- Boswell
- Fort Towson
- Gay
- Grant
- Hugo
- Sawyer
- Soper
- Spencerville
- Swink