Robin Cole-JettAug 2, 2021Crossing at Doan'sIf you counted yourself among the fashionable pioneer set, a MUST-DO was to cross into Indian Territory by way of the Doan's Store....
Robin Cole-JettAug 2, 2021Milling around EliasvilleOne of the easiest ways to spot a ghost town is to follow abandoned railroad lines. When the companies were building their right-of-ways...
Robin Cole-JettAug 2, 2021Ghostly WatersLike Sulphur 40 miles to the west, Bromide (Johnston County, Oklahoma) was a spa town at the turn of the 20th century. Nestled inside...
Robin Cole-JettJun 28, 2021Muriel and BoggyIn 1927, Muriel H. Wright, a teacher and one of Oklahoma's most detailed historians, mapped Boggy Depot (Atoka County, Oklahoma) from...
Robin Cole-JettFeb 25, 2020Town, erasedBeautiful tombstone of Ella Colbert, Wife of Holmes Colbert (1869 to 1896), Willis Cemetery, Marshall County, Oklahoma. Due to the...
Robin Cole-JettDec 2, 2019Warren once wasWarren (Fannin County, Texas) sat along the Red River during the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and early statehood years (1845-1860)....
Robin Cole-JettOct 13, 2019Mad Man RoadEagletown’s downtown, McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Eagletown may be the oldest town in the southeastern part of the state. It may not look...
Robin Cole-JettJun 17, 2019Roosevelt schoolin’The well-built little school in Roosevelt, built by the Works Progress Administration, had two entrances – one for girls, and one for...
Robin Cole-JettSep 30, 2018Humphreys’ HistoryThe former elementary school in Humprheys, Jackson County, OK is a bit on the sunny side. Even though Jackson County (Oklahoma) is home...
Robin Cole-JettSep 21, 2018An Embarrassment of Architectural Treasures in De Soto ParishAccording to the National Register, De Soto Parish, which lies between the Red and Sabine rivers in northwestern Louisiana, contains the...
Robin Cole-JettApr 16, 2018Beautiful Buffalo SpringsI visited Buffalo Springs in Clay County (TX), a little ghost town named after a nearby buffalo watering site. Founded around 1864,...
Robin Cole-JettMar 1, 2018Cobble CobbleThe cobble stones, also called “cannonballs,” used in the structures (pictured below) constitute good examples of Indigenous architecture...
Robin Cole-JettFeb 2, 2018Muriel Wright, Oklahoma HistorianBoggy Depot Plan numbers Depot Muriel Wright 1927 1. Gov. Allen Wright’s residence. 2. John. Kingsbury residence. 3. House built by Mr....
Robin Cole-JettJan 13, 2016Hobby for nosy peopleI took up a new hobby last year – estate sale shopping. Like my “hobby” of ghost town collecting, this new pastime does not require...
Robin Cole-JettAug 8, 2015An historic DeathIn the US, death of history is frequent. I’m not talking about historical events today, even though they have their own share of death...
Robin Cole-JettMay 16, 2015Antebellum Ghost Towns and the Railroads that did them inI’ve been making several trips around the Red River Valley to discover forgotten towns for my book project this summer. However, I don’t...
Robin Cole-JettJun 19, 2014Ruins Tell StoriesLots of the pictures I post on my website, www.redriverhistorian.com, tend to be of ruins – disused buildings and such – and sometimes,...
Robin Cole-JettFeb 15, 2013Simply, a Vexing QuestionEvery time I give a presentation on ghost towns, invariably I’m asked this question: “What exactly is a Ghost Town? And why are you...
Robin Cole-JettDec 3, 2011History in Ghost TownsI think I mentioned this before, but if I haven’t, well… I hunt ghost towns. I’d like to do that for a living, but there’s not much money...
Robin Cole-JettMay 31, 2011In Defense of AutomobilesI love a good road trip, and I believe that I’m not alone in sharing that sentiment. I’d wager to guess that the majority of people from...