Central Division Muskogee Subdivision

Discussion in 'General' started by rranruc, Mar 23, 2006.

  1. rranruc

    rranruc Member

    I am researching and modeling in HO the Muskogee, OK Subdivision of the Frisco's Central Division. Began in 1903, as the Ozark & Cherokee Central Railroad, it connected Fayetteville, AR to Muskogee, IT. It was acquired by the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad in 1907 and abadoned in 1942. I live in Tahlequah, OK (Cherokee County), which had a depot about halfway on this route. The depot was razed a few years ago due to its condition. All that remains of the route is the roadbed, cuts, and stone bridge supports. Besides Frisco.org, a good free website to view the remnants of this route (or any used or abandoned route discussed) is www.terrafirma.com. Any info about this subdivision would be helpful.
     
  2. rranruc

    rranruc Member

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    Attached Files:

  3. tomd6 (Tom Duggan RIP 2/11/2018)

    tomd6 (Tom Duggan RIP 2/11/2018) Passed Away February 11, 2018

    The Ozark & Cherokee Central Railway had passenger cars that were painted olive and yellow according to a Fayetteville newspaper clipping. The O CC was owned by the Frisco as seen from the following extract from the St Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company, Annual report for year ended June 30, 1904:
    "Ozark and Cherokee Central Railway . This road was built by the Kenefick Construction Comapny and extends from Fayetteville, Ark. to Okmulgee ,IT, a
    distance of 143.90 miles. The Construction Company received $2.880,000 of Ozark and Cherokee Central Railway Company's First Mortgage Five Percent Bonds and $2,880,000 of its capital stock , in payment for construction of the line . This Company [FRISCO] purchased all of the stock and bonds from Kenefick Construction Company and the road was taken over for operation by this Companyat July 1st 1903"

    A 1904 Frisco System Official Railway Equipment Register listing shows the O & CC as a separate entity. The cars were marked "O & CC RR " . The equipment included one coach -No 519,one combination passenger & Baggage Car and 26 box cars numbered in even numbers only in the 500 to 598 range and ten flat cars , odd numbered only between 501 and 519. In the later years passenger service was provided by a doodle bug until May 1940 when passenger service ended. The doodlebug also had an RPO section.

    The Three Rivers Museum at Muskogee at one time had a supply of comb bound books by a local author on the O & CC Ry. NEO has a thesis written by a student on the development of the O & CC Ry.Both of the works relied heavily on Tahleqauh newspaper clippings.

    Only the 91 miles from Mc Nair ( south of Fayetteville) westward were abandoned in July 1942. The track was seized by the War Production Authority as the Frisco had requested Interstate Commerce Commission approval in January 1942 abandon 91.16 miles of the line. The Grand Lake project was inundate 8.25 miles of the line. Replacement of the track would have cost the Frisco more than $500,00, a sum that made no sense for the money losing Muskogee Sub.

    I checked your link to terrafirma. What came up was an investment entity in the UK.

    Good luck with your project.
    Tomd6
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 28, 2006
  4. rranruc

    rranruc Member

    Thanks Tom. I had no idea of the type or numbering of the rolling stock. The type and color of the passenger cars were a great find too. The only pictures that I've seen were black and white. I didn't think about checking out the info at the Three River's Museum.

    The correct link should be www.terraserver.microsoft.com . Type in the city and state of what you want to view. Then click Aerial Photo. Zooming in and choosing the largest size helps the most. I have been able to trace about 90% of the abandoned roadbed between Fayettville, AR and Ft. Gibson, OK. This is all free and downloadable. I just haven't figured out how to patch these downloaded pictures together into one large continuous picture. Any suggestions.
     
  5. Here's some more information about the publications mentioned above, from WorldCat (a database of library holdings).

    [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]1.[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica][​IMG][/FONT][FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Railroads through Charokee County :
    Frisco Ozark Route and theSt. Louis & Oklahoma Southern. /

    [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Author: [/FONT]Campbell, David.[FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Publication: [/FONT]Tahlequah, Okla. : Indian Territory Genealogical & Historical Society, 1998
    [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Document: [/FONT]English : Book
    Libraries Worldwide: 3
    [/FONT] [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]2.[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica][​IMG][/FONT][FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]By train to Tahlequah : the building of the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railroad /
    [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Author: [/FONT]Ault, John Lloyd. [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Publication: [/FONT] 1979 [FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica]Document: [/FONT]English : Book : Thesis/dissertation/manuscript [​IMG] Archival Material
    [/FONT]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 24, 2008
  6. NellyLou2005

    NellyLou2005 Member

    Please let me know at herbbety@tx.rr.com if you are rranruc and received this msg. I have personally seen steam on the O&CC branch in the 1940s and I think I can tell you a few memories around Lincoln AR
    H E Huber
    Plano TX
     
  7. NellyLou2005

    NellyLou2005 Member

    Recently I was given the information that the original passenger depot of the O&CC in FAyetteville AR is still standing. Is this info correct?

    H E Huber
    herbbety@tx.rr.com
    Plano TX
    June 7, 2009
     
  8. tomd6 (Tom Duggan RIP 2/11/2018)

    tomd6 (Tom Duggan RIP 2/11/2018) Passed Away February 11, 2018

    I have been told that a wooden OC & C depot,not the Fayetteville one, still exists near West 6th Street in Fayetteville. I have spent some time looking for it without any success. The story is that it was moved from somewhere else.
    The OC & C , the Muskogee Sub, entered Fayetteville on a different route that ended at the Frisco depot in Fayetteville.The Fayetteville depot exists and is currently in use as a Japanese restaurant. I do not believe that the OC& C ever had a separate depot in Fayetteville because the OC& C was built for the Frisco and merged into the Frisco in 1907.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. jpmain

    jpmain Member

    If you are still looking for a map, The DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for Oklahoma shows abandonded railroads. This is available at Wal Mart for about $20. It shows some of the road. The line also followed highway 62 for a while. May be able to find some of the road bed using National Geographic website satalite images. I've charted most of the MV and KO&G this way.
     
  10. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    There's a similiar but an even better atlas of Oklahoma than the Delorme's, which are excellent. It's called "Roads Of Oklahoma" and usually available at Barnes & Noble, Borders etc.

    Tom
     
  11. mcondren

    mcondren Member

    Hi,

    It looks very likely that I will be moving to Tahlequah in the next couple of months. I found it interesting to find another Frisco modeler.

    Mike Condren
     
  12. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Mike,

    Congratulations on your pending move to Oklahoma's Green Country.

    Hopefully this will give you new opportunities to come to Kansas City and other operating hotbeds (Tulsa, Springfield, Bella Vista).

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  13. Hi Mike,

    Tahlequah isn't to far from Van Buren,AR. Then you could add me to the list of Frisco fans/modelers in the area. There is still plenty of ex-Frisco stuff over here on the A&M. Congrats on your move. I hope you enjoy your new house.
    Ship it on the Frisco!!!



    Murphy Jenkins
     
  14. mcondren

    mcondren Member

    I grew up in Van Buren but left there in '65.

    Mike
     
  15. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Hi Mike!

    Andre here. Good to "see" you here.

    Are the plans still looking good for a Tahlequah relocation?

    You, Dave, Jimmy, and I, will have to get together!

    Andre
     
  16. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    Andre, Dave, Jimmy and Mike,

    We could still use a local visit to photograph, measure and document the Boynton, OK depot.

    With the limited number of depots and other historic Frisco structures left of Frisco heritage it is important to document while we still can. Any one or all of you could help add to the Frisco resource library with a field trip.

    Boynton was a station on the Muskogee Branch, Creek Subdivision, mile post 487.5. Boynton is the railroad mid point between Okmulgee (to the west - railroad north) and Muskogee (to the east - railroad south), and was 18.9 miles from each station.

    The depot is on its original site on the south side of Buckner Road south of the intersection with 6th Street. It sits diagonally northeast to southeast along the former railroad right of way. This location is 4 blocks east of US Highway 62 (a/k/a Oklahoma State Highway 72) on Buckner Road.

    Please see http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...593,-95.651994&spn=0.002398,0.006078&t=h&z=18

    Looking forward to someone taking the initiative and sharing the results. And it could be other than those specifically addressed. After all Tulsa is not very far away. Now is a great time for a spring road trip. It might be a good opportunity to collect date on the Sapulpa freight house at the same time!

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 27, 2010
  17. mcondren

    mcondren Member

    Andre,

    Jan preaches Sunday before a Congregational Meeting to vote a "Call" for her. We should sign a contract on the house and finalize a loan on Monday if all goes well. She will move first while I get this house in order for sale. We certainly will need to get together and chase some trains.

    Mike
     
  18. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    This is great news, Mike.

    It seems like its been forever since we've been able to have some fun together.

    If this goes through for you and Jan, once you two are settled-in, maybe we can talk Jimmy into meeting us at Ft. Smith and eat supper somewhere with Dave and Shirley?

    God's will be done for you and Jan!

    Andre
     
  19. mcondren

    mcondren Member

    Sounds good.

    We regularly have supper with David and Shirley when we are in Van Buren checking on my Mother in a nursing home.


    Mike
     
  20. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Mike, good to know you're in the area. I now live in Muskogee, having moved here in December 2008. The missus and I recently bought a home, which we are in the process of renovating. Once finished, I'll begin work on a new layout.

    Should you see David , please tell him Bob Thompson sez howdy!
     

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