Nestled in the southeast corner of Oklahoma is a town frequently called the “Mountain Gateway” or the “Iron Road”. Our town was born in native culture, the “Wild West” and a yearning for something new. Talihina was initially formed in 1887 as a part of the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory and grew rapidly as a crucial stop on the “Frisco” Railway that connected the booming towns of Paris, Texas and Fort Smith, Arkansas. Wearing its age proudly since the late 1800s, Talihina bears many miles of cowboy and bandit memorabilia. Several of Talihina’s most influential pioneers were associated with the Western District Federal Courts and served under Isaac Parker himself. On the other hand, many of Talihina’s earliest citizens were members of the Five Civilized Tribes. Several historic Native American politicians were from the area such as Choctaw Chiefs’ Gilbert Dukes and Victor Locke Jr, as well as former Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Samuel Earl Welch and many other influential early Oklahomans.
In modern times Talihina has worked to associate itself with seasonal tourism. The Talimena Drive along with local hunting tourism bolster a yearning for people to discover what we have to offer. Many people visit the area thanks to seasonal events such as the leaves changing over Talimena Drive, The Talihina Fall Foliage Festival and the Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival hosted in the nearby Choctaw Nation Capitol of Tuskahoma.
Our site aims to draw attention to our unique and vital history as an early Indian Territory and Oklahoma town.
Talihina Historic Preservation Office, Inc.
Talihina.org is an official website owned and operated by the Talihina Historic Preservation Office, Inc or THPO. This website is dedicated to archiving the posts, digital assets and works of the THPO for digital long-term digest.
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Did you know that “Talihina” is a Choctaw word?
Once converted to its traditional spelling, Tʋlihina or Tʋli-hina, can be broken down into two words.
“Tʋli” meaning rock or iron and “Hina” meaning a path or road. This translates to “Iron Road” which is a phrase featured on many businesses even today.
The use of the word “tʋlihina or tʋli-hina” to describe railroads dates back to at least the 1860s, which is several decades before Talihina was ever founded.
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