812:
302:, a newspaper published in what was then Antlers, Indian Territory (now in Oklahoma) first used the spelling "Kiamichi" in November 1900. Prior to this, the newspaper, along with other authoritative sources, spelled the name of the river as "Kiamichia" or "Kiamitia" (the latter is closest to a French spelling).
350:
significant, rising generally between 900 feet (270 m) and 1,800 feet (550 m). At
Antlers the river meets the massive geological formation known as Standpipe Hill, forcing its turn to the southeast. From Antlers to the Red River the Kiamichi is generally characterized by flowing through a broad
349:
For much of its journey the river flows through the picturesque and highly defined
Kiamichi River valley, framed by mountains of the same name. Pine Mountain, at approximately 2,600 feet (790 m), is the highest, although the mountains lining its course, such as Flagpole Mountain at Clayton, are
661:
The coming of the Frisco stimulated settlement in the
Choctaw Nation by European Americans and European immigrants. Population centers formed around each of the railroad's station stops, stimulated by trade and new markets. The river was important as a source of fresh, plentiful water for the
29:
293:
The origin of the word
Kiamichi is a matter of debate and may never be fully known. Most accounts say the word is a French word, which has been transliterated phonetically, for "horned screamer" or "noisy bird," a reference to
313:
along the river. Other spellings of the name have included: Kiomitchie, Cayameechee, Kiamisha, Kimesha, Kimichy, and
Kimishi. Another possibility could be the Kichai tribe of the area and dates back to time of Caddo indians.
603:
was a concern, and the US established a chain of forts along the border. Fort Towson in the
Choctaw Nation was one. It was built on Gates Creek near the mouth of the Kiamichi. A military road was built from
757:
In August 1975 the
Kiamichi River made national news when its bottomlands were the scene of a days-long hunt for two elephants that had escaped from a circus in Hugo, Oklahoma. They were found at Hugo Lake.
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was in the region prior to
European settlement. Of those sites, three date from at least 8,000 years ago; 145 date from between 2,000-8,000 years ago; and 22 date from between 500–1000 years ago.
553:
between counties and districts. Forming an easily recognizable geographic frontier, it served in this capacity until
Oklahoma's statehood in 1907, when the Choctaw Nation ceased to exist and its
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is a popular sport among tourists. In Hugo Lake, boating and camping are popular. Sardis Lake has yet to be tapped for large-scale tourism, but its campgrounds are well used. Some boating and
665:
The frequent Frisco service encouraged developers to come for resource extraction. Timber companies and individual loggers soon moved in. Over the next several decades, they cleared the
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or other birds living along the river's banks. The spelling of the modern word was not standardized until the twentieth century, making its origin more difficult to determine. The
1148:
723:. She launched on August 17, 1945, three days after the surrender of Japan. Because of the end of the war, completion of the ship was canceled on August 29. A Klickitat-class
892:
1153:
433:
The
Kiamichi River defined its region during prehistoric days. Its valley provided the only convenient means of traversing the region from north to south—much as now—and
576:
Navigability of the Kiamichi River was an important goal but proved elusive due to a massive logjam in the Red River which prevented river traffic from going much beyond
1070:
472:, is a particularly revealing site. Ancient Indians diverted the flow of the river with walls of stone to create a chute into which fish would flow.
365:. Sardis Lake, named for the small settlement displaced during its construction, impounds Jack's Fork Creek. Hugo Lake, named for the nearby town of
800:. Defined as a territory at and below the headwaters of the Kiamichi River at Pine Mountain and Rich Mountain, the wilderness now encompasses 9,754
853:. This collection netted 36 different kinds of fish. Since construction of Sardis and Hugo dams in the 1970s and 1980s the river has suffered in
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588:, as the logjam was called, so that boats could ply the Red River as far west as the mouth of the Kiamichi and the newly established
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signaled the end to the conflict, it did not truly end until the surrender of the last fighting Southern troops at Fort Towson.
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The Kiamichi River has been studied since at least 1894, when the first scientific fish collection was made at Walnut Creek at
797:
677:. Numerous rail spurs were developed from the Frisco outward along the creek valleys stretching away from the river. Large
100:
658:, a small settlement three miles north of Antlers, Oklahoma. With the train came the telegraph and later the telephone.
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explored the Kiamichi River in 1821. Nuttall and Long were the precursors of empire; the region was actively settled by
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377:
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below the inflow from Hugo dam. Nonetheless 101 species of fish still survive, and in some cases thrive, in the river.
380:. Additional, smaller dams have impounded the waters of the tributaries over time, mostly for the purpose of powering
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1123:
909:
469:
692:—went awry in poor weather and two planes crashed. One crashed into the south slope of White Rock Mountain above
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Transportation in the Kiamichi River valley was revolutionized between 1882 and 1887 with the construction of the
387:
Notable geological features of the Kiamichi River valley include McKinley Rocks, the Potato Hills, Rock Town, and
557:
were eliminated. A Choctaw county was named after the river, although generally using the Choctaws’ spelling,
1097:(Mark Pyron, et al., "Fish Assemblage Structure from 20 Years of Collections in the Kiamichi River, Oklahoma,"
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to Fort Towson through the valley of Little River, switching to the Kiamichi River near its southern terminus.
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government had disintegrated by this time, and its individual armies surrendered one by one. While the
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857:. Its mussels decreased significantly below the inflow from Sardis dam, and almost extinguished as a
1101:, September 1998, pp. 336-343; Jimmie Pigg and Loren Hill, "Fishes of the Kiamichi River, Oklahoma,"
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have been identified in Pushmataha County alone, indicating how widespread ancient and more recent
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trees, a tree which has not grown in that portion of the county in perhaps hundreds of years.
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343:
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781:, a private organization, defines seven miles of the river near Big Cedar as a "Class II-III
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hulls found at the site indicate a date of approximately 1,200 BC. Also found were stumps of
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808:. A portion of the river's watershed is also protected by the Ouachita National Forest.
281:, it flows approximately 177 miles (285 km) to its confluence with the Red River at
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visited Big Cedar, east of Talihina, Oklahoma to give a speech marking the opening of
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Security along the Red River, the United States' (US) international frontier with the
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explored the Kiamichi River valley. French explorers were quickly followed by French
437:
peoples used it as a corridor. The Native Americans who lived in the region prior to
1132:
628:
388:
370:
47:
905:
U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data.
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held sway over the Kiamichi River valley, which formed a part of its trade network.
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700:. Two fliers lost their lives in the latter crash. In 2000 school children from
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Major tributaries of the Kiamichi River include Anderson Creek, Big Cedar Creek,
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893:"USGS Surface Water data for Oklahoma: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics"
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1124:
Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
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U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kiamichi River
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57:
950:
Wright, Muriel H. "Some Geographic Names of French Origin in Oklahoma."
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642:, commonly known as the Frisco. Part of a national network connecting
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972:("Oklahoma's Past—Pushmataha County," Oklahoma Archeological Survey, )
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American explorers followed French ones, and were the first organized
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Muriel H. Wright suggested that Kaimichi may be from the French word
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operations became common in the valleys for processing the lumber.
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650:, the railway was constructed parallel to the Kiamichi River from
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troops to surrender did so at Fort Towson on June 23, 1865. The
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displaced from elsewhere in the United States starting in 1832.
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719:, hull number AOG-73, built by St. Johns River Shipbuilding in
684:
During World War II, a training flight conducted by Britain's
507:
Discovery by Europeans occurred in 1719, when French explorer
309:, which meant "horned screamer", and possibly referred to the
1046:
1086:
322:
From Pine Mountain the Kiamichi River flows southwest, past
1057:
American Presidency Project, John F. Kennedy, speech #441,
1020:(Grant Foreman, "River Navigation in the Early Southwest,"
460:
attest to early life in its valley. A prehistoric fish
727:, she was later completed for International Tankers of
549:
in 1832, the river defined the political boundary or
696:, and the other on Big Mountain between Moyers and
580:. In 1825 the Arkansas legislature petitioned the
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357:Two lakes impound the river or its tributaries:
261:, United States of America. A tributary of the
1103:Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences
1144:Bodies of water of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
715:honored the river with the launch of the USS
8:
1149:Bodies of water of Le Flore County, Oklahoma
846:, including several that are somewhat rare.
561:. The river formed the eastern boundary of
354:, particularly on its approach to the Red.
1154:Tributaries of the Red River of the South
785:". In these upper reaches of the river,
445:, who were nomads. The powerful Caddoan
1022:The Mississippi Valley Historical Review
945:
943:
515:; they named most of Oklahoma's rivers.
456:Archeological finds across the Kiamichi
870:
806:National Wilderness Preservation System
420:is 1,830 square miles (4,700 km).
369:, impounds the river itself. Both are
224:1,615 cu ft/s (45.7 m/s)
876:
874:
18:
673:. Forestry remains the area's chief
439:European colonization of the Americas
384:and other light, localized industry.
7:
1069:"The Great American Elephant Hunt,"
662:trains, several of which ran daily.
640:St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad
1119:Southwest Paddlers - Kiamichi River
842:. It is also home to a variety of
954:. Volume 7, Number 2, pp. 188-193.
773:are common along the river, as is
14:
735:in 1951 and in 1952 was sold to
708:in their honor on Big Mountain.
522:surveys of the Kiamichi River.
27:
16:River in Oklahoma, United States
1071:vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com
798:Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness
746:On October 29, 1961, President
830:occupy the river valley – the
711:Also during World War II, the
569:, and the western boundary of
147: • coordinates
94: • coordinates
1:
796:In 1988 Congress created the
592:. Within several years, the
470:Oklahoma Archeological Survey
269:rise on Pine Mountain in the
64:Physical characteristics
1035:Historical Atlas of Oklahoma
1009:Historical Atlas of Oklahoma
996:Historical Atlas of Oklahoma
983:Historical Atlas of Oklahoma
933:, entry for Kiamichi River;
541:After the relocation of the
378:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
277:border. From its source in
186: • elevation
33:The Kiamichi River watershed
1099:The Southwestern Naturalist
826:Three federally designated
526:traversed the Kiamichi and
464:, or trap, in the river in
208: • location
82: • location
1170:
376:built and operated by the
220: • average
793:takes place on the lake.
228:
194:
131:
116:34.6795487°N 94.4524425°W
68:
26:
416:The area of the river's
190:114 m (374 ft)
963:Accessed March 5, 2016.
931:Encyclopædia Britannica
916:, accessed June 3, 2011
836:red-cockaded woodpecker
816:Red-cockaded woodpecker
731:. The ship was renamed
688:—flying from a base in
594:Army Corps of Engineers
121:34.6795487; -94.4524425
952:Chronicles of Oklahoma
818:
582:United States Congress
555:political subdivisions
263:Red River of the South
1105:, 1974, pp. 121-123.)
937:, November 22, 1900.)
855:environmental quality
814:
804:. It is part of the
721:Jacksonville, Florida
573:and Towson counties.
447:Mississippian culture
279:Polk County, Arkansas
259:southeastern Oklahoma
169:33.96111°N 95.22944°W
87:Polk County, Arkansas
1024:, June 1928, p. 47.)
927:Oklahoma Place Names
644:Fort Smith, Arkansas
633:Appomattox, Virginia
530:valleys in 1819 and
1075:Sports Illustrated,
1059:presidency.ucsb.edu
779:American Whitewater
509:Bernard de la Harpe
493:archeological sites
468:, excavated by the
233:Basin features
174:33.96111; -95.22944
165: /
112: /
1139:Rivers of Oklahoma
959:2017-02-02 at the
912:2012-03-29 at the
828:endangered species
819:
671:Kiamichi Mountains
621:Confederate States
613:American Civil War
563:Jack's Fork County
474:Radiocarbon dating
271:Ouachita Mountains
739:; it was renamed
667:old-growth forest
466:Pushmataha County
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704:erected the
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648:Paris, Texas
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571:Cedar County
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528:Little River
517:
513:fur trappers
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451:Spiro Mounds
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300:Antlers News
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240:River system
985:, plate 13)
832:Indiana bat
791:waterskiing
615:, the last
611:During the
590:Fort Towson
578:Nachitoches
476:of charred
458:River basin
395:Tributaries
359:Sardis Lake
296:woodpeckers
289:Name source
172: /
119: /
1133:Categories
929:, p. 117;
865:References
762:Recreation
606:Fort Smith
586:Great Raft
520:scientific
503:Modern era
497:settlement
401:Buck Creek
374:reservoirs
328:Whitesboro
267:headwaters
160:95°13′46″W
157:33°57′40″N
107:94°27′09″W
104:34°40′46″N
1037:, p. 64.)
1011:, p. 38.)
998:, p. 16.)
733:Transmere
713:U.S. Navy
625:surrender
491:Over 220
449:based at
418:watershed
407:Watershed
363:Hugo Lake
336:Tuskahoma
318:Geography
273:near the
246:Red River
199:Discharge
957:Archived
910:Archived
822:Wildlife
787:kayaking
737:Colombia
717:Kiamichi
679:saw mill
675:industry
652:Talihina
559:Kiamitia
382:sawmills
275:Arkansas
58:Oklahoma
39:Location
859:species
844:mussels
775:boating
771:hunting
767:Fishing
669:in the
656:Kellond
543:Choctaw
486:cypress
478:hickory
424:History
344:Antlers
340:Clayton
307:kamichi
213:Antlers
44:Country
729:Panama
698:Kosoma
551:border
332:Albion
265:, its
202:
141:
76:
73:Source
802:acres
783:rapid
690:Texas
646:with
482:pecan
443:Caddo
137:Mouth
54:State
838:and
769:and
565:and
480:and
462:weir
367:Hugo
361:and
338:and
324:Muse
253:The
777:.
654:to
631:at
627:of
342:to
1135::
1073:,
942:^
873:^
834:,
754:.
743:.
391:.
334:,
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