Hochatown • Broken Bow • Idabel
Where Can I Learn More About Hochatown History?
Short answer: start at the Oklahoma Historical Society marker by the Hochatown Cemetery on US-259 at Camp Ranch Road, then spend an hour at the free Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park. For more, the Museum of the Red River and the McCurtain County Historical Society are in Idabel.
Local history
The short answer
The best place to start learning Hochatown history is the Oklahoma Historical Society marker in front of the Hochatown Cemetery and old church, on US-259 at Camp Ranch Road. It tells the story of the first town, which sat about 5 miles east of the marker and is now under Broken Bow Lake.
From there, the free Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park shows the timber and forest history that built this area. For a longer day, drive to Idabel for the Museum of the Red River and the McCurtain County Historical Society, or to Wheelock Academy near Garvin, a Choctaw school that opened in 1832.
In short: the old Hochatown was settled by Choctaw families in the 1880s and got a post office in 1894. When the Corps of Engineers built Broken Bow Dam, the church and cemetery were moved in 1965, the post office had closed in 1963, and the last family left in 1966. The new Hochatown you visit today voted to become a town in November 2022.
- Historical marker: Hochatown Cemetery, US-259 at Camp Ranch Road
- Free museum: Forest Heritage Center, Beavers Bend State Park, daily 8 AM–5 PM
- Old town site: About 5 miles east of the marker, under Broken Bow Lake
- Name: The state marker says it was named for Hocha, a Choctaw who came on the Trail of Tears in 1833
🪧 Start here
The Hochatown historical marker
The Oklahoma Historical Society put up a marker in 1997 in front of the Hochatown Cemetery and the old union church, at US-259 and Camp Ranch Road. It says the town was named for Hocha, a Choctaw man who came on the Trail of Tears in 1833, and that the original town was about 5 miles east.
The marker also goes back much further: spear points from about 6000 B.C. were found here, and Caddo people lived in the area from about 1000 to 1791 A.D. The church and cemetery were moved to this spot in 1965, when Broken Bow Lake was being built.
Please be respectful. It's a working cemetery, so park off the highway and keep it quiet.
🌲 Free, open daily
Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend
Timber is a big part of the Hochatown story. The town grew up around the Choctaw Lumber and Coal Company, later Dierks Forests. The Forest Heritage Center inside Beavers Bend State Park tells that forest history with big painted dioramas by Harry Rossoll, the artist known for Smokey Bear.
It's free and open daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, and it has a research library. Call (580) 494-6497 with questions. It's an easy stop on the same trip as the park and the river.
🌲 Free forest history museum🏛️ In Idabel
Museum of the Red River and the county historical society
The Museum of the Red River at 812 E. Lincoln Road in Idabel is free. It's open Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 3 PM, and it's closed Mondays. Call (580) 286-3616.
The McCurtain County Historical Society keeps the county's local history. It owns the 1912 Barnes-Stevenson House at 302 SE Adams in Idabel, which you can tour free by appointment. Call (580) 212-3639. If you're digging into a family or a place in old Hochatown, they're the people to ask.
🏛️ Free museumThe Museum of the Red River is Idabel’s cultural anchor, a museum devoted to art and archaeology from around the world and home to Oklahoma’s state dinosaur, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis.
See hours, photos & directions →
🏛️ Local history, by appointmentMcCurtain County Historical Society preserves and shares the stories of McCurtain County through a collection of local history materials and public-facing posts about people, places, and milestones in the…
See hours, photos & directions →🏫 Choctaw history
Wheelock Academy and the Gardner Mansion
Wheelock Academy, at 1377 Wheelock Road near Garvin, began as a missionary school in 1832 and became a Choctaw girls' school until it closed in 1955. It's a National Historic Landmark. It's free (donations welcome) and open Monday to Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM. Call (580) 746-2139.
Near Broken Bow, the Gardner Mansion and Museum was built in 1884 and was the home of Choctaw Chief Jefferson Gardner. We couldn't confirm its current hours, so call the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce at (580) 584-3393 before you go.
🏫 Choctaw school, 1832📚 Read more
Books and reading
Old Hochatown is in John W. Morris's book Ghost Towns of Oklahoma (University of Oklahoma Press, 1978). Oklahoma Magazine also ran a story in March 2025 called "A Glimpse into the History of Old Hochatown."
The Broken Bow and Idabel public libraries are good places to ask for local history books and old copies of county papers.
🗺️ Everything on one map
Find it on the map
📅 This week & coming up
History and heritage events coming up
Cypress Lawn at Choctaw Landing · 8:30 PM
Choctaw Landing · 5:30 PM
Choctaw Landing · 8:30 PM
Mary H. Herron Community Conference Center (Museum of the Red River) · 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuklo Grill at Choctaw Landing · 5:00 PM
Cypress Lawn at Choctaw Landing · 2:00 PM
Center Bar at Choctaw Landing · 2:00 PM
Cypress Lawn at Choctaw Landing · 11:00 AM
🛏️ Places to stay
Find a place to stay near Hochatown
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💡 Before you go
Tips for a history day
Start at the marker
It's quick and free, and it shows where the old town was.
Mind the Monday
The Museum of the Red River is closed Mondays. Wheelock is closed weekends.
Call ahead
The historical society house and the Gardner Mansion need a call first.
Pair it with the park
The Forest Heritage Center is inside Beavers Bend, so add a river walk.
Be respectful
The marker sits at a working cemetery.
❓ Good to know
Common questions
Where can I learn about Hochatown history?
Start at the Oklahoma Historical Society marker at the Hochatown Cemetery on US-259 at Camp Ranch Road, then visit the free Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park. The Museum of the Red River and the McCurtain County Historical Society in Idabel have more.
Is the old Hochatown under Broken Bow Lake?
Yes. The original town was about 5 miles east of today's marker. Its post office closed in 1963, the church and cemetery were moved in 1965, and the last family left in 1966 before the lake filled.
How did Hochatown get its name?
The Oklahoma Historical Society marker says it was named for Hocha, a Choctaw man who came on the Trail of Tears in 1833.
Is there a museum in Hochatown?
The closest is the free Forest Heritage Center inside Beavers Bend State Park, open daily 8 AM to 5 PM. The Museum of the Red River is in Idabel.
When did Hochatown become a town?
Voters approved making Hochatown a town in November 2022.
Who was Hochatown settled by?
Choctaw families settled the original Hochatown in the 1880s, and it got a post office in 1894.
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