Kiamichi Country
The name of our DAR chapter comes from the name of our town (Antlers) and our river (Kiamichi). Therefore, it seems appropriate to start with some history of those two names!
Antlers was named by Major Farr, who surveyed for the St. Louis and San Francisco Railways new line from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Paris, Texas, with the help of Victor Locke, who was familiar with the entire region. He chose the Antlers site in 1885 because of a spring which was a good source of water, along with the Kiamichi River. The name Antlers was prompted by deer antlers nailed to the nearby trees. Another source credits Major Farr and the engineer and surveyor Captain Hinkly coming from the north, when a Mr. Otis shot a deer with extraordinary antlers, thus this was chosen as the town name.
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Kiamichi River is from a French word meaning "horned screamer," a species of bird. Another source says it comes from French and Indian languages meaning "red river."
The county, Pushmataha, was one of three districts of the Choctaw Nation. It was named for Chief Pushmataha, a renowned Choctaw leader and friend of President Andrew Jackson, who fought with the United States in the War of 1812. He died while in Washington, D.C., on tribal business and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery there. Pushmataha County was created at statehood. Antlers is the county seat. The post office was established August 26, 1887.
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Chapter Organization
The Kiamichi Country Chapter was organized October 10, 1974, in Antlers, Oklahoma. There were 13 charter members present. Mrs. Robert J. Edwards was the organizing regent. Present at the organizing meeting were Mrs. Joel A. Kelly, Honorary State Regent from Norman, Oklahoma; Mrs. G. C. Phillips, southeast district director from McAlester, Oklahoma; and Mrs. Gerald Rich, organizing member of Shreveport, Louisiana.
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