Historical Marker Program

Edwards Store

Latimer County
Location: on Norris Road approximately seven miles northeast of Red Oak
Coordinates: 34.997432, -94.974083
Material: Other (Concrete with bronze plaque)
Sponsor(s): Oklahoma Historical Society
Topics: Indian and Frontier Trade; Mass Communication; Transportation; Westward Expansion, 1803–1861

In 1857, Congress created the Butterfield Overland Mail Route to carry mail and passengers between St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, and points west. It was the first real transcontinental link between the Atlantic states and the Pacific Coast of the United States. There were twelve stations along a 197-mile route in Oklahoma. This marker commemorates the Edwards Store, which was known for serving meals to travelers on the stage route. The store went on to serve as the first post office for the town of Red Oak.

Edwards Store

Latimer County
Location: at the intersection of US-270 and Turkey Creek Road, three miles east of Red Oak
Coordinates: 34.949188, -94.989346
Material: Aluminum
Sponsor(s): Eastern Oklahoma Historical Society
Topics: Indian and Frontier Trade; Mass Communication; Transportation; Westward Expansion, 1803–1861

The Edwards Store served as a meal stop for stage drivers and passengers on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route between 1859 and 1861. From 1868 to 1888, it served as the first post office for the town of Red Oak. The post office closed after the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company platted the present Red Oak townsite.

Note: This marker no longer exists.