Black achievement in the shadow of slavery: Boley, Oklahoma
on January 26th, 2011 at 8:02 am
“In the early twentieth century Boley, Oklahoma was the largest predominately black town in the United States. Boley was officially opened for settlement in 1903 in Creek Nation, Indian Territory along the Fort Smith and Western Railroad. The interracial group that founded Boley included Lake Moore, a white attorney, John Boley, a white manager for the Fort Smith and Western Railroad, and Thomas M. Haynes, a black farmer and entrepreneur from Texas. The trio worked together with James Barnett, a Creek Freedman, to purchase the land of Barnett’s daughter Abigail, to form Boley’s nucleus. Southern migrants in search of better opportunities flocked to Boley and the town experienced rapid growth over the years.
In its prime Boley was home to many businesses and institutions. There were numerous cotton gins and banks, schools both public and private, several fraternal clubs, and churches of every denomination. Boley had a railroad depot, a post office, a telephone company, and a power plant. The municipality also successfully bid to host Oklahoma’s main black fraternal lodge, a black tuberculosis hospital and the State Training School for Negro Boys. All who visited Boley, including Booker T. Washington, marveled at the ambition and vigor of the townspeople.”
AARegistry.com was a little more specific~
“In 1911 the town had a population of 4,000. In their heyday Boley had5 grocery stores, 5 hotels, 7 restaurants, 4 cotton gins, 3 drug stores, 1 jewelry store, 4 department stores, 2 livery stables, 2 insurance agencies, 1 undertaking establishment, 1 lumber yard, 2 photographers and an ice plant. Additionally, Boley was known as having the first Black owned electric company and the one of first Black owned banks.”
