The Broken Bow Area

History

The land that would become Broken Bow was owned by the Choctaw tribe prior to being settled by non-Indians. Growing around a lumber company started by two brothers, Broken Bow had a population of 1,983, just a decade after its incorporation in 1911. The city lies within the Little Dixie region of Broken Bow is a city in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,120 at the 2010 census. It is named after Broken Bow, Nebraska, the former hometown of the city’s founders, the Dierks brothers. Venture into Broken Bow, Oklahoma – the heart of southeast Oklahoma. Scuba dive at Broken Bow Lake or float and trout fish on the Mountain Fork River. Beavers Bend State Park resides on the shores of both the lake and river, where visitors can watch sunsets from private balconies at Lakeview Lodge or enjoy the park’s Forest Heritage Center, cabins and campgrounds. See Indian artifacts at the Gardner Mansion and Museum, built in 1884 and former home to Choctaw Chief Jefferson Gardner. Take in southeast Oklahoma’s scenic views, including the Ouachita National Forest.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km2).5.0 square miles (13.0 km•) of it is land, and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.40%) is water. The city of Broken Bow stands in a unique transition zone between the Red River basin and the Ouachita Mountains. While the Ouachita Mountains are sandstone ridges that are considered the roughest land in Oklahoma, the Red River basin is considered fertile. North of Broken Bow is Broken Bow Lake, created by the United States Army Corps of Engineers by damming the Mountain Fork River. The lake’s creation forced out the Hochatown to relocate to its present-day location.

The Broken Bow Lake covers 14,220 acres (57.5 km2) and has 180 miles (290 km) of shoreline. The lake contains small islands, bass and is surrounded by pine trees. The city sits at the foothills of the Kiamichi Mountains, a subrange of the Ouachita Mountains. the Kiamichi Mountains sit within Le Flore, Pushmataha, and McCurtain counties near the towns of Poteau and Albion. The Kiamichi peaks line up south of the Kiamichi River and reach 2,500 feet (760 m) in elevation. The range is the namesake of Kiamichi Country, the official tourism designation for southeastern Oklahoma. Black bear, coyote, bobcat, deer, minks, bats, bald eagles, and varieties of woodpeckers, doves, owls, and road runners are native to the Kiamichi Mountains region.