We're up and running!

That's right, after several months of researching the old buildings of Poteau, designing the flyers and stand along pages, and putting together a website for the downtown Poteau historic walking tour, it's finally done!

Ok, well, almost.

The flyers and handouts still have to be printed, and the QR codes still have to be set up, but we're getting a lot closer to completion.

About the process

Poteau "Switch", late 1800s
The idea of a historic walking tour for Poteau began many years ago.  It was a great program, but, as it is with time, it was almost forgotten.  After Eric Standridge completed The Birth of Poteau, we decided that it was time to renew the tour.  Prior to designing the new brochure, a lot of work had to be done.  We began an intensive study of the buildings in downtown Poteau in order to learn as much as we can about the stories behind them.  We did this by many hours of online research, visiting libraries, genealogical societies, government records, and any other place that could offer information.  During that same time, we visited each building in Poteau in order to talk with the owners and search for hidden clues as to its origins.  We learned a great deal about the town, met with many wonderfully fascinating people, and discovered hidden facts that simply astonished us.

Once the survey was done, then we had to compile that raw data into useful information.  Then, we had to take that information and compose it in a way that brought out the buildings story.  Eventually, we came up with a great many stories about each building, so then it was time to begin building the flyer.  The flyer looked beautiful; it was informative and entertaining, still, it wasn't enough.  With all of the information that we had collected, we wanted to share more of that information than was possible on the flyer.  We came up with the individual flyers that told more about each building.  That still wasn't enough.  Finally, we decided that the tour should have an online presence as well, and that it should be linked to the flyer, which is where we are today.

About the Tour


Dewey Avenue, early 1900s
This tour was designed to help both local residents and visitors to Poteau to learn more about the town. The Birth of Poteau is a book about the history of the town, however, there are those who are unable to purchase the book.  Since our main goal is to bring the stories of Poteau to life for everyone, we wanted to come up with another free resource that will help us accomplish this goal.  While the Downtown Poteau Historic Walking Tour mainly focuses on Dewey Avenue, it still gives a good overview of how the town came into being and how the town grew.

As you take this walking tour, think back to the days when Oklahoma was still a wild and rugged place.  Imagine the business transactions and the hustle of workers as they made it through the day.  Imagine the bandits and outlaws that roamed the region.  Imagine the ordinary man as he labored to help construct these buildings, and imagine the wealthy as they continued to drive Poteau forward into the coming decades.

Poteau is a fascinating town full of energy and grounded in an intrepid history.