BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow is a booming town of over 115,000 that's been steadily growing since its conception in 1903.
Muscogee Creek Nativees settled in the area in 1836. Following this, cattle business grew in the area and led to Broken Arrow being constructed as a stop along the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway from Muskogee to Tulsa.
Broken Arrow was officially incorporated in 1903. Soon after, the city supported three banks, two cotton gins, four grain elevators, hardware stores, several dry goods, grocery stores, two blacksmith shops, restaurants, hotels, two movie theaters, several drug stores, livery stables, laundry facilities, barber shops, two lumberyards, a newspaper and four doctors.
Broken Arrow gets its name from the Indigenous people who settled in the area after being forcibly removed from their homes in Alabama during the Trail of Tears. In the Creek language, Broken Arrow is Rekackv.
Broken Arrow's first school opened in 1904. The Haskell State School of Agriculture opened in 1909. It closed in 1917 due to a lack of funding. The empty building became Broken Arrow High School until it was demolished. Only a marker remains at 808 East College Street.
- MORE >>> Historical photos of Broken Arrow
Northeastern State University has a campus in Broken Arrow that provides local access to higher education without leaving the city.
Popular events like the Rooster Days Festival and Rhema Bible Church's Christmas light display bring visitors from across Oklahoma.
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