The Beginning of The Okemah Community and its Growth Through the Years

Okemah is no longer what it used to be. The community is nestled between 32nd street and 48th street, from Broadway to the South and Salt River to the North. The community was changed from residential to industrial but the hearts, souls, and spirits of Okemah did not.  

The spirit was kept alive through grassroots efforts of faithful and spirited young men and women of Okemah descendants. It is our pleasure to share our story on how the start-up of Okemah came into existence and where we are today.

Change is a constant part of our lives. However, preserving part of this history of our lives is a key ingredient for the education of future generations. The Okemah Community Reunion has changed over the years, but the goal remained the same. It has grown in size and importance for those yet to come.
Okemah “Gone But Not Forgotten”

 “Where industrial people work all day,
Okemah children would run and play,
In the canals, fields, and river beds,
Riding downhills on homemade sleds.”

Shirley Stewart Matthew-Jordan was a grassroots effort in the start-up of the Okemah Community coming together. Her grass-roots effort support team was her dear friends, Katie Hopkins, Sharon, and Carol Boone. She was the first to host an Okemah Get-Together in her home in 1987. These gatherings moved from homes to small venues, each time growing in interest and numbers. By then, the Okemah start-up had the support of the entire community.  After the ladies recognized the need for a larger venue, Shirley’s grass-roots effort was able to form a group of supporters from Okemah to organize an Okemah Reunion Committee. The grass-roots effort team included Doris Lamkin – Chairperson, Sammietta Hytche – Co-Chairperson, Jean Daniels – Registration, James Boozer – Representative, Bobby Burt – Member, Bill Mosley – Narrator, and Shirley served as Treasurer. The first Okemah Community Reunion was hosted in 1998, at the Airport Hilton Hotel in the Okemah Community.  We honor Shirley as the “Founder of Okemah Community Reunion”.

Bobby Burt announced at the 1998 reunion, he had launched his research on the Okemah Community in 1991 and had learned how the community acquired its name. He went on to say, in 1910, the Colored American Reality was involved in transplanting black people from Texas and Oklahoma to work on the Bartlett Heard Ranch in Arizona, and the transplanted black people from Oklahoma named their community Okemah. Because they had great respect and admiration for a Tribal Indian named Chief Okemah, who lived on the reservation in Okemah Oklahoma. Bobby went on to explain the name Okemah meant “High Intelligence “, and the response from the reception was ecstatic. It was then we all realized, Okemah came about with a purpose and by design! 

The Okemah Community Committee membership grew from seven members to eleven members with the addition of Shirley Woodberry, Sylvia Owens, Agusta Nelson (members), and Nancy Woodberry serving as secretary. The committee immediately went to work planning for the next reunion. The next reunion was held in 2001 at the Crown Hotel on East Washington Street.  Bobby had completed his research on the Okemah Community and the first print of the history was distributed at the reunion, and the rest is history!

Other reunions continued to follow years after, with high attendance and enthusiasm. By now, the Okemah Committee had begun to look at ways to preserve our past history. In 2018, an Okemah descendent, Steven Johnson was asked to join our committee because of his great interest in the history of Okemah, with his technical knowledge and experience, he suggested the committee set up a website page to convey specific and helpful information to our audience and the world at large to learn and understand our purpose and goal. The website was developed in 2018, at www.okemahcommunity.com. 

Faithful members and strong supporters of Okemah, Lannie Womack, and Ethel Daniels asked the committee to write up a proclamation on Okemah and have the mayor, Doug Ducey sign it.  Dr. Josephine Pete was asked to chair a committee to write the proclamation under her leadership.  The proclamation was secured from the Governor, Doug Ducey and the Mayor, Thelda Williams’s office.  The committee was composed of Lannie Womack, Traci Pete, and Ethel Daniels. The proclamation was submitted and signed by the Governor on October 20, 2018.  October 20th will be an annual Recognition Day for Okemah.

The Okemah Committee continued to look at ways to preserve Okemah History. In 2018, Bill Mosely suggested that the committee become a non-profit 501 (c) (3) Charitable Foundation, and the committee pursued the task. On September 17, 2019, The Okemah Community Committee became incorporated and was transformed to the name “The Okemah Community Historic Foundation “. We have a board of 8 members, seven voting members. Our officers are Doris Lamkin Burt-Johnson – President, Gloria J. Daniels Williams – Vice President – Secretary/Treasurer, Leon Johnson – Statutory Agent, James Boozer – Spokesperson, Shirley Woodberry Cheatham – Registration Clerk, Bill Mosely – Scholarship Chair, Dr. Josephine Hill Pete – Scholarship Chair/Foundation Advisor, and Steven Johnson – Communications Coordinator/ Webmaster. Because of the educational influence on our board, we decided to give a grant every year to deserving graduating high school seniors of The Okemah Community descendants. This is our goal to preserve The Okemah History!

The Okemah Community Historic Foundation