You’ll find Uncas, Oklahoma beneath the waters of Kaw Lake today, but it wasn’t always this way. The town emerged during the 1889 Land Run, growing into a vibrant farming community with deep ties to both settlers and indigenous Wichita people. When the Flood Control Act of 1962 authorized Kaw Lake’s construction, residents faced displacement, and their town disappeared beneath rising waters. Archaeological discoveries, including a 700-year-old star chart, hint at rich stories still waiting to surface.
Key Takeaways
- Uncas, Oklahoma was a farming community submerged beneath Kaw Lake following the Flood Control Act of 1962.
- The town began during the 1889 Land Run and developed into a thriving agricultural settlement with homes and businesses.
- Sixteen Kaw Indian families and numerous other residents were forced to relocate when the lake project began.
- Archaeological discoveries at Uncas revealed a 700-year-old indigenous star chart and evidence of planned structural destruction.
- During low water levels, remnants of the submerged town occasionally become visible, while former residents maintain its memory through reunions.
The Early Days of Uncas Settlement
When the Land Run of 1889 opened Oklahoma’s Unassigned Lands for settlement, Uncas emerged as one of many nascent communities in the territory. You’d have found yourself among an estimated 50,000 settlers who rushed to stake their claims on April 22, racing against time and each other to secure a piece of the two million acres available.
In a single spring day, 50,000 hopeful settlers raced across Oklahoma’s Unassigned Lands, transforming untamed territory into budding communities.
The homesteading challenges were immediate and intense. You’d have witnessed tent colonies sprouting overnight as settlers, including veterans and Kansas Boomers, transformed the landscape. The settlement efforts were aided by David L. Payne’s Boomers, who had long advocated for opening these lands to settlers. Without established laws and formal governance, territorial disputes erupted frequently among claimants.
Rapid urbanization took hold as temporary camps evolved into structured towns within days. Legal disputes were common, especially when “Sooners” – those who entered the territory illegally before the official start – complicated land claims.
The railroad’s presence helped shape Uncas’s early development, connecting settlers to essential trade routes.
Life Before the Waters Came
Before the waters of Kaw Lake submerged Uncas, this tiny farming settlement near Kaw City revealed layers of rich history stretching back thousands of years. You’d have found evidence of ancestral Wichita people who created intricate star charts on clay, preserved when their dwellings burned.
In its final chapter, Uncas thrived as a close-knit farming community where you’d experience the rhythm of rural life through agricultural traditions and community gatherings. When Kaw Lake was impounded in 1976, the town’s story came to an end. The town’s building foundations still rest beneath the waters today.
The grid-pattern streets hosted homes and small businesses, while fertile river valley soil supported family farms. You’d have witnessed community gatherings centered around church and school activities, creating bonds that endure today through reunions of former residents.
Local families cultivated crops and grazed livestock, maintaining practices that defined life in northeastern Oklahoma’s river valleys.
Kaw Lake and the Great Displacement
Following the Flood Control Act of 1962, the construction of Kaw Lake launched a massive displacement that forever changed northeastern Oklahoma’s landscape and communities.
You’d have witnessed entire towns – Kaw City, Uncas, and Washaunga – vanish beneath the rising waters, with sixteen Kaw Indian families forced to relocate from their ancestral lands. The project was part of Senator Kerr’s vision for comprehensive flood control in Oklahoma.
The displacement impacts reached deep into the community’s fabric. While some residents could move their homes to the new Kaw City site two miles west, others faced tougher choices. Big Wheel Inc. was hired to handle the sensitive cemetery relocations.
Over 10 cemeteries required relocation to Ponca City, though periodic erosion still uncovers human remains, suggesting incomplete transfers.
Despite these challenges, community resilience shines through in the annual Uncas reunions, where displaced residents maintain their cultural bonds and shared history.
Archaeological Treasures Beneath the Surface
Archaeological discoveries from the late 1970s and early 1980s revealed remarkable treasures at the Uncas site before its submersion under Kaw Lake.
Under Professor Jerry Galm’s leadership, University of Oklahoma archaeologists unearthed a 700-year-old star chart of extraordinary archaeological significance. Made from sandstone and Arkansas River clay, this artifact showcased indigenous astronomy through detailed carvings, fingernail imprints, and finger whorls.
You’ll find evidence of deliberately burned houses at the site, where tools and household items remained intact, suggesting a planned destruction.
The artifacts tell a story of sophisticated Native American science, with the star chart demonstrating the ancestral Wichita people‘s advanced understanding of celestial movements. Historical records suggest these structures were burned during territorial bison conflicts between the Wichitas and nomadic hunters.
Like many ghost town remnants in Oklahoma, these treasures remain mostly submerged, occasionally visible during low water levels, though flooding and erosion continue to threaten their preservation.
Legacy of a Submerged Community
Though Uncas began as a modest farming settlement in 1886, this small Oklahoma community‘s legacy endures far beyond its physical submersion beneath Kaw Lake.
You’ll find the town’s historical memory preserved through vibrant reunions and storytelling events, where former residents gather to celebrate their shared heritage. The final reunion brought together one hundred attendees who shared cherished memories over a country feast.
When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers condemned the area in the late 1960s, community resilience emerged as families faced difficult choices – selling their properties or relocating homes to the new Kaw City site.
While Kaw Lake’s waters now cover the original townsite, remnants of Uncas’s past occasionally surface during low water levels.
The town’s story lives on through oral histories, local documentation efforts, and scholarly research, serving as a powerful reminder of how progress sometimes demands sacrifice from small communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Deep Is the Water Covering the Original Uncas Town Site?
You’ll find the water depth over Uncas’ town location varies between 20-40 feet, depending on Kaw Lake’s levels, though you can sometimes glimpse its history when drought exposes old foundations.
Are There Any Surviving Photographs of Uncas Before It Was Flooded?
Ever wonder what’s lost to time? Though Uncas history fascinates ghost town photography enthusiasts, you won’t find many surviving photos. They’re extremely rare, with just occasional undocumented images in private collections or archives.
What Happened to the Official Town Records After the Evacuation?
You won’t find conclusive evidence about the town records’ fate during the 1969 evacuation. While historical preservation efforts saved some artifacts from nearby towns, there’s no documentation of what happened to Uncas’s official papers.
Can Visitors Scuba Dive to Explore the Underwater Remnants Today?
You can dive the remnants, but you’ll need technical certification due to extreme depths and hazardous conditions. Safety requirements include mixed gases, support teams, and specialized equipment for underwater exploration.
Were Any Buildings From Uncas Successfully Relocated Before the Flooding?
Like seeds scattered to fertile ground, you’ll find that several buildings were successfully preserved. The government financed relocations to new Kaw City, protecting structures of historical significance before the 1976 flooding.
References
- https://z94.com/lost-oklahoma-towns-underwater/
- http://soonermag.oufoundation.org/stories/guided-by-stars
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghost_towns_in_Oklahoma
- https://okmag.com/blog/atlantis_in_oklahoma/
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=GH002
- https://wiki.rootsweb.com/wiki/index.php/Oklahoma_Family_History_Research
- https://www.edmondhistory.org/i-was-lonesome-awful-lonesome/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Oklahoma
- https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter/forms/timeline.pdf
- https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=SE024
