You’ll find Avery’s ghost town ruins southeast of Cushing, Oklahoma, where a bustling railroad settlement once thrived in the early 1900s. Originally called Mound City, it was renamed in 1902 after railroad official Avery Turner. The town flourished with four commercial districts, agricultural shipping, and daily passenger trains until the Great Depression hit. Today, scattered remnants, including the historic German Bible church, tell the story of this lost prairie community.
Key Takeaways
- Avery, Oklahoma was established in 1902 near Cushing and thrived as an agricultural hub due to railroad connections.
- The town featured four commercial districts, grocery stores, schools, and a dance hall during its peak years.
- Economic decline began with soil depletion and worsened during the Great Depression as residents left for oil boom towns.
- The post office’s closure in 1957 marked Avery’s official transformation into a ghost town.
- Today, Avery contains abandoned buildings, a historic German Bible church, and only a few occupied homes.
The Birth and Naming of a Prairie Settlement
While many Oklahoma prairie settlements emerged organically in the late 1800s, Avery’s transformation from scattered homesteads to an established town followed a deliberate path. Prairie settlers first arrived in the 1890s, establishing a community they called Mound City south of present-day Cushing.
The settlement’s future took shape in 1901 when George Castiller deeded land for town plotting, laying the groundwork for formal development. The town’s economy grew as four passenger trains brought a steady flow of goods and travelers daily. Like other disambiguation pages, the town’s name shared various meanings across different contexts.
You’ll find the town’s identity crystallized in 1902 when it was renamed after railroad official Avery Turner, coinciding with the Eastern Oklahoma Railway‘s arrival.
The establishment of a post office that September marked Avery’s official recognition, creating a crucial communication hub for settlers despite the challenging prairie conditions and poor transportation routes.
Railroad Influence and Early Development
Three key factors transformed Avery into a thriving agricultural hub during Oklahoma’s railroad boom: the arrival of the Eastern Oklahoma Railway, the region’s fertile soil conditions, and strategic connections to major rail lines.
The railroad expansion brought unprecedented economic transformation to this prairie settlement. Similar to The Main Street of America, these rail lines were vital corridors that shaped development across the state.
You’ll appreciate how Avery capitalized on its position during Oklahoma’s explosive rail development from 1897-1907:
- Direct access to Santa Fe’s main lines at Newkirk and Pauls Valley
- Strategic connection to Rock Island’s network through Shawnee
- Prime location for shipping cotton, fruits, and cattle to distant markets
While poor roads isolated many Oklahoma towns, Avery’s rail connections guaranteed year-round shipping capabilities regardless of weather conditions.
By 1910, six thousand miles of rail lines crisscrossed Oklahoma, creating an extensive transportation network that benefited towns like Avery.
The town’s prosperity grew as local farmers and ranchers leveraged these crucial transportation links to reach broader markets.
Daily Life in Early 20th Century Avery
Life in early 20th century Avery revolved around four distinct commercial districts that formed the heart of this bustling railroad town.
You’d find everyday essentials at two grocery stores and cafés, while general merchandise stores supplied everything from hardware to funeral services.
The town’s education milestones included the 1907 construction of Avery’s first schoolhouse, later replaced by a WPA building in 1938.
Community gatherings centered around the dance hall above the drugstore, where you’d catch magic lantern shows on Saturday nights.
The Hoyt brothers’ saloon drew regular crowds, while churches provided spiritual refuge. Like many towns of that era, most residents lacked basic amenities including running water and electricity.
You could purchase fresh milk, eggs, and butter directly from local farms, and the cotton gin and grain elevator kept agricultural commerce flowing through town.
The town’s thriving railroad commerce was evidenced by their record of loading 125 cattle cars in a single day during 1907.
From Agricultural Hub to Abandoned Town
Despite its promising beginnings as Mound City in 1902, Avery’s evolution into a ghost town unfolded through a series of agricultural and economic challenges.
From hopeful frontier settlement to abandoned plains outpost, Avery’s story mirrors the harsh realities of early Oklahoma farming communities.
You’ll find the town’s economic changes were marked by:
- Overuse of fertile soil without proper fertilization, leading to declining crop yields and forced farm consolidations
- The Great Depression’s devastating impact on local employment, pushing residents toward oil boom towns
- A dramatic shift from bustling agricultural hub to abandonment, culminating in the 1957 post office closure
Where cotton wagons once lined up 125-deep and four daily passenger trains kept commerce flowing, you’ll now find only scattered remnants of agricultural sustainability gone wrong.
The cemetery and old WPA school stand as silent witnesses to Avery’s journey from rail-powered farming center to Oklahoma ghost town.
The historic German Bible church remains one of the few enduring structures from Avery’s early settlement period, having served the community since 1897.
Legacy and Remnants of a Lost Community
While Avery’s bustling days of cotton wagons and passenger trains have faded, you’ll find compelling remnants of this once-thriving community scattered across its original site at 35°53′2″N 96°45′8″W.
Today, nature reclaims what humans left behind – trees grow through Main Street’s abandoned buildings, and the WPA-era school stands silent against the Oklahoma sky.
Community anecdotes, like tales from G. A. Robertson’s General Mercantile, keep Avery’s spirit alive despite its physical decay. The town’s decline mirrors the fate of two thousand ghost towns across Oklahoma.
You’ll spot preservation challenges everywhere: deteriorating business structures, a removed railroad depot, and vacant storefronts tell the story of changing times.
A handful of occupied homes remind you that life persists here, even as Avery serves as a symbol to the boom-and-bust cycles that shaped Oklahoma’s rural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Known Photographs of Avery During Its Peak Years?
Like dusty memories slipping through time’s fingers, you won’t find historical documentation or vintage postcards from Avery’s glory days – no known photographs survive from its peak years between 1900-1930.
What Natural Disasters or Events Affected Avery’s Population Throughout Its History?
You won’t find records of any major natural disasters affecting Avery’s population. Unlike other Oklahoma towns that faced tornado impact or flood aftermath, Avery’s decline came from economic and infrastructural changes.
Did Any Notable Crimes or Outlaws Have Connections to Avery?
You won’t find any documented outlaw stories or notable crime history connected to this town – historical records show it was primarily focused on agriculture and commerce rather than criminal activity.
What Happened to the Original Residents When the Town Declined?
You’d find most residents scattered during the economic decline, migrating to nearby oil-boom towns for work. Some joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, while others consolidated failing farms or sought WPA jobs.
Are There Any Annual Events or Gatherings Held at the Ghost Town Site?
Like footprints in shifting sand, there aren’t any annual gatherings or ghost tours held at the site today. You’ll find the town sits quietly, its dance halls and social venues long silenced.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery
- https://pocketsights.com/tours/place/Avery-22573:2749
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_Oklahoma
- https://kids.kiddle.co/Avery
- https://www.rideok.com/avery-ghost-town-of-oklahoma/
- https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/ok/avery.html
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=TR006
- https://www.okc.gov/Community-Recreation/Route-66/U.S.-Highway-66-Designation
- https://oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/A-Brief-History-Of-Oklahoma-Railroads.pdf
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=RA004
