Historic Districts Related to
African American History in Oklahoma
Boley Historic District
Listed in the National Register in 1975, Boley is an all-black town founded by African American railroad workers in 1903. Boley was advertised nationally as a safe haven, free from the oppression and prejudice found in other regions. As a result, African Americans from across the south began to migrate to the area. On September 22, 1904, a formal "Opening" of the town was held. By 1911, downtown Boley was home to a bank, several grocery stores, five hotels, seven restaurants, and many other businesses, and its population had grown to around four thousand. It was a prosperous community that even had its own power plant. But in the 1920s, crop failures hurt the economy and its residents. This only worsened during the Great Depression. As a result, many of the all-black town's residents left the area for nearby cities, and they never returned. Today only a few buildings remain, as the community struggles to survive.
Edwards Historic District
The Edwards Historic District is located in northeastern Oklahoma City, just west of Interstate 35 and north from NE 10th Street to NE 16th Street. African American entrepreneurs, Walter J. and Frances W. Edwards, developed this area between 1930 and 1950. Containing mostly small single-story wood frame houses, the district is significant for its connection to the African American community in Oklahoma City and for its association with the developers, Frances and Walter Edwards.
Edwards Heights Historic District
The Edwards Heights Historic District is also located in northeastern Oklahoma City, near the Edwards Historic District. Like Edwards Historic District, Walter J. and Frances W. Edwards developed this area. Edwards Heights includes 318 buildings, most constructed between 1946 and 1955 in response to changes in housing segregation policies. In addition to houses, the district also includes a church and several businesses. Most of the houses are small, built in a style known as minimal ranch and have a brick or stone exterior.
Langston University Cottage Row Historic District
Langston University is Oklahoma’s first and only historically black college. The Cottage Row Historic District contains five teacher cottages and three garages on the grounds of Langston University. Students at the school constructed these buildings between 1930 and 1948. The cottages at Langston are significant for their association with black education in Oklahoma and are also notable for their architecture.
Okmulgee Historic District
For such a small town, Okmulgee has had a rich and colorful history. The downtown contains a collection of buildings outstanding for their architecture and for their connection to the African American and Native American peoples in the area. Okmulgee was the center of Creek Indian government from 1878 to 1907 and today, it is again the headquarters for the Creek Nation. The Creek National Capitol building is located in the center of downtown and is a National Historic Landmark. Besides having a large Native American population, Okmulgee is also home to a large number of African Americans. Many of Okmulgee’s African American residents are descendants of slaves once owned by Creek Indians. These slaves traveled with their Creek masters to Oklahoma territory when the Creeks were forced to leave their native lands in the southeastern United States. Known as the “Creek Freedmen,” these early African settlers and their descendants impacted commerce and social life in Okmulgee.
Information provided by Kelli Gaston, Survey Coordinator/SHPO
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