Muskogee's Submarine
The U.S.S. Batfish, a noted
World War II submarine, can
be toured in Muskogee,
Oklahoma.
Muskogee, Oklahoma - Historic Sites & Points of Interest
Spring in Muskogee, Oklahoma
The annual Muskogee Azalea Festival is one of the
finest such events in the South and draws tens of
thousands of people to the Oklahoma city.
Fort Gibson Historic Site
The old fort was the last stop
on the Trail of Tears and is
located just 15 minutes from
downtown Muskogee.
The Creek Pocahontas
A monument on the grounds
of Bacone College in
Muskogee honors the Creek
Pocahontas, Milly Francis.
She is buried in the vicinity.
Battle of Honey Springs
A major battle of the Civil War
was fought just 30 minutes
south of Muskogee,
Oklahoma.
Muskogee, Oklahoma - Historic Sites & Things to Do
Historic Sites and Scenic Beauty
The historic Oklahoma city of Muskogee
traces its roots back to French fur traders
who operated from the vicinity as early as
1806. Muskogee today is a unique and
growing community noted for its natural
beauty and historic sites.

Although the official incorporation of the city
did not come until 1876, the community that
became Muskogee played an important role
in the great tragedy of the Trail of Tears. The
U.S. Congress had passed the Indian
Removal Act in 1830, requiring members of
what the whites called the Five Civilized
Tribes (Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw and Seminole) to either relocate to
new lands west of the Mississippi or give up
their rights as independent people and live
under the laws of the states where they
resided.

The Seminoles and Creeks resisted,
sparking major wars, and the United States
decided that all of the Native American
people must go, regardless of previous
treaties or even the exact terms of the Indian
Removal Act. Soldiers began to drive Indian
families from their homes and organized
them into "companies" for the long journey
west. Untold thousands died on the trail.

Muskogee lies along the boundary that
separates the Creek (Muscogee) and
Cherokee Nations and as the unfortunate
people of these nations began to arrive west
in 1836, a number settled in the vicinity.
Among these was a woman considered a
heroine by the whites, Milly Francis.

Born in Alabama in around 1803, Milly was
the daughter of the Creek Prophet Josiah
Francis. In 1818, near St. Marks, Florida, she
saved the live of an American soldier named
Duncan McKrimmon who had been captured
by the men of her village. Her act of mercy
gave her widespread fame in her day and
she was often called the "Creek Pocahontas."

Milly lived in deplorable conditions in a small
cabin with a dirt floor in the vicinity of today's
Bacone College. When Colonel Ethan Allen
HItchcock, a U.S. Army officer, visited her and
saw first hand the miserable situation in
which she lived, he pleaded with Washington
to do something to help her. Congress
responded by approving a pension for Milly
and ordering that a medal be struck in her
honor. She was the first woman ever to
receive a special medal of honor from the
U.S. Congress. Sadly, she died before the
medal could be presented to her.

Milly Francis is memorialized today by a
stone monument on the grounds of Bacone
College. You can read about her in the new
book, Milly Francis: The Life & Times of the
Creek Pocahontas.

Also available in Kindle format: Milly Francis
(Kindle Edition).
A major Civil War battle took place about 20
miles south of Muskogee. Leaving nearby
Fort Gibson, the Union army of Gen. James
H. Blunt defeated the Confederate army of
Gen. D.H. Cooper on July 17, 1863 at the
Battle of Honey Springs.

Over the years, Muskogee developed into the
thriving city that visitors see today. One of the
most stunning and popular events in the
South takes place in Muskogee each April as
the city hosts the annual Muskogee Azalea
Festival.

Held at Honor Heights Park and featuring
events throughout the city, the festival offers
one of the finest settings of blooming plants
and trees to be found anywhere. Please click
here to learn more.

Muskogee is also home to War Memorial
Park and the submarine U.S.S. Batfish.
Commissioned in 1943, the Batfish sank
three Japanese submarines in 76 hours, a
war record that stands to this day. Please
click here to learn more.

Also of interest nearby are Fort Gibson
Historic Site, 15 minutes to the east, and
Honey Springs Battlefield, 30 minutes to the
South. Both are major historic sites that pay
tribute to the military history of the Western
frontier.

For more information, please visit the site of
the Muskogee Chamber of Commerce.
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Copyright 2011 & 2014 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.

Last updated: April 18, 2014
Click Play to learn about the Muskogee Azalea Festival