The Muskogee Historic Preservation Commission works to protect the integrity and beauty of Muskogee’s properties of historic and architectural significance. This coloring book intends to develop and encourage an appreciation for Muskogee’s unique and varied history.

Design, drawings and photos by Jonita Mullins Okieheritage.com

Copyright 2016, Muskogee Historic Preservation Commission Printed in U.S.A.

The activity that is the subject of this coloring book has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior.

This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act or 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Chief, Office of Equal Opportunity United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW (2740) Washington, D.C. 20005

Frederick B. Severs House 702 North 9th Street This home was built in the late 1880s by Captain F. B. Severs, a prominent Muskogee businessman, and a member of the first City Council. He also fought for the Confederacy with a full-blood Creek troop and for this action was adopted by the (Creek) Tribe. This home was originally built downtown on the site of the Severs Hotel on State Street but was moved to its present location around 1911 before ground was broken for the new hotel. Severs’ wife, Annie, also a Creek citizen, is credited with assisting Ann Eliza Robertson with translating the New Testament into the Muscogee language. Memorial Chapel Old Bacone Road, Bacone College Historic District (NRHP listed, 2014) Considered one of the most beautiful buildings on campus, the spire of this chapel on the hill can be seen for miles. Constructed in 1990, it replaced an earlier chapel damaged in a fire. The building contains works of art by notable Native American artists such as Acee Blue Eagle, and Dick West in the art form known as “the Bacone Style.” Carolyn Thomas-Foreman (1872-1967) Grant Foreman (1869-1953) The Foremans met in Muskogee and married in 1905. Both were originally from Illinois before coming to Indian Territory. They devoted much of their married life to researching and writing on the history of the Territory and the Five Civilized Tribes. Carolyn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1938 and Grant was inducted in 1934. Griffin-Hays House 1517 West Okmulgee Avenue This Craftsman house was built in 1920 on land originally belonging to Judge John R. Thomas. In 1924 John T. and Ada Toole Griffin bought the home. Mr. Griffin and his brother formed the Griffin Grocery Company in 1908 and moved its headquarters to Muskogee in 1924. The business then became one of the leading wholesale grocery firms in this area and continues today as a major food manufacturer. Following John Griffin’s death in 1944, the house was purchased by Q. W. and Grace Hays who operated Modern Clothiers. Jacob J. Simmons House 402 North 17th Street This Eclectic home was built by Jacob Simmons, Jr., a successful Creek freedman businessman who worked in the oil business and real estate. He was active in the NAACP and the Civil Rights Movement. He was descended from Cow Tom, an important Creek freedman, and was the son of a prosperous rancher. Simmons graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1919. A forceful, outspoken person, he opposed segregation and in 1938 he brought a landmark lawsuit, Simmons v. Muskogee Board of Education, under his wife’s name, Willie Eva Simmons. Oscar Hayes House 555 North 12th Street This Classical Revival home was completed in 1907 by Oscar and Ethel Hayes who owned a mercantile business, cotton gin and lumber yard in Webbers Falls, Indian Territory. He associated with C. N. Haskell in 1905 in building an interurban trolley line between Muskogee and Ft. Gibson. Hayes also had interests in the Webbers Falls, Shawnee and Western Railroad. In 1916 he was elected Muskogee County Commissioner. Hayes co-owned the Queen City China Company in Muskogee, which dealt in fine Haviland China. Hayes planned for his home to serve as the Governor’s Mansion for Oklahoma. Mary E. Locke House 1610 East Broadway This home was built in 1905 by Mrs. Mary E. Locke, a widow who came to Muskogee from Dutch Mills, Arkansas, with her four children. Being closely associated with educational matters in Indian Territory she conducted a school in the living room of her home. This school was the forerunner of Harrell Institute. Later the school was renamed Spaulding Female College. Mrs. Locke and her two daughters, Anna and Fannie, taught at this school. Charles N. Haskell (1960-1933) Charles N. Haskell was born in Ohio and orphaned at an early age. He settled in Muskogee, Indian Territory, in 1901 and helped the city develop as a railroad hub and important commercial center. He represented the city as a delegate in both the Sequoyah State Convention and the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. He was elected Oklahoma’s first governor in 1907. Midland Valley Railroad Passenger & Freight Depot 220 Elgin Avenue Completed in 1916, the Midland Valley Depot in Muskogee was home to the Midland Valley's passenger and freight facilities. The Midland Valley had its headquarters and shops based in Muskogee. In 1925, the Midland Valley acquired the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway. Both railroads were owned by the Muskogee Company, a holding company, which purchased a third railroad, the Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway in 1929. The building now houses the Three Rivers Museum. Spencer United Methodist Church 543 North 7th Street Built in 1928, this African American church is a rectangular red brick building with a front-gabled roof and semi-exposed basement. The main entry faces North 7th Street and is flanked by original stained glass windows. A tall flight of steps leads to new metal double doors set into a large bank of decorative rectangular windows with a centered cross. Brick mason Perry Lawson McIntyre (McEntire) laid the brick on this building. A.W. Patterson House 1302 West Okmulgee Avenue (NRHP listed, 1984) This Romanesque home was built in 1906 by A. W. Patterson, a banker, merchant and town booster. With his son-in-law, A.C. Trumbo, he built Convention Hall in Muskogee to host the Trans-Mississippi Congress in 1907. The home was later occupied by prominent rancher, L. R. Kershaw, who pioneered registered cattle in the Muskogee area. Alexander Posey (1873-1908) Alexander Posey was a famous Creek poet and journalist who edited the first Indian- published newspaper, the Eufaula Indian Journal, after studying at Bacone College. He served as secretary for the State of Sequoyah Convention held in Muskogee in 1905. In this role, he penned much of the Sequoyah Constitution that would eventually be adopted in large part as the Oklahoma Constitution.

W.E. Rowsey House 117 South 14th Street Built in 1925 by William Eugene Rowsey, this home features Italian Renaissance architectural styling. Rowsey was a pioneer teacher in the Indian Territory and afterward became prominent in the educational affairs of Oklahoma. He was also a successful oilman, financier and banker in Muskogee. The five-bedroom home is one of only a very few in Muskogee with an elevator. Andrew W. Robb House 1321 Boston Street (NRHP listed, 1982) This Queen Anne home was built by early-day merchant A.W. Robb. He and his first wife Martha Requa Robb and their daughters were charter members of the First Presbyterian Church in 1875. He was an active community leader (business, banking, education, local politics) until his death in 1909, at age 69. Martha Robb Hospital was the first in Indian Territory (and Oklahoma), financed in part by the Robb family. Bass Reeves (1838-1910) One of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, Reeves arrested over 3,000 felons. He was born as a slave in Arkansas. He worked for 32 years in Indian Territory having been recruited by Judge Isaac Parker with the Fort Smith court. Reeves arrested or killed some of the most dangerous criminals in the Territory, but was never seriously wounded, despite being in several gun battles. He later served as a police officer for the Muskogee Police Department. First Methodist Episcopal Church 518 East Houston Street (NRHP listed, 2014) Built in 1911, it is a Classical Revival-style building located in a residential neighborhood that has remained so since the church’s construction. An important visual feature is the building’s 53 stained- glass windows. The windows depict a variety of subjects: The Lost Sheep, Let the Children Come, The Sower and the Reaper, Moses, Jesus, Mary, Martha, the Epworth League, the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society, John Wesley and Frances E. Willard. The church is also known for its large pipe organ and is known today as Trinity United Methodist Church.

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Smith Drug Store 821 West Broadway This Tudor-style brick building was built in 1915 by Charles Smith and his wife Adelaide to be used as a drug store on the first floor and residence above. At the age of 18 Mr. Smith and a partner owned and operated a drug store in Dakota Territory. In 1887 he graduated from the Chicago College of Pharmacy, coming to Muskogee in 1907. Early day pharmacists hand mixed prescriptions for both physicians and veterinarians. Mr. Smith was on call both day and night for 35 years. USS Batfish Batfish Road, Port of Muskogee The USS Batfish was a U.S. war boat commissioned in 1942 and involved in Pacific Theater action during World War II. It is known for the remarkable feat of sinking fifteen Japanese submarines, three in a 76-hour period in February 1945. The USS Batfish was named for a ferocious West Indian fish resembling the stingray. The Batfish and her crew received one Navy Cross, four Silver Stars, nine Battle Stars, ten Bronze Stars, and a Presidential Unit Citation. Alice Robertson (1854-1931) Alice Robertson founded Minerva Home, a boarding school for Indian girls which later became Henry Kendall College and eventually the University of Tulsa. She was the first postmistress of a First Class Post Office, serving in Muskogee eight years. In 1920, Robertson became the second woman ever elected to the United States Congress. She was the first woman to preside over the House of Representatives.