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43-765: The Mountain Fork rises in the Ouachita Mountains in Le Flore County , Oklahoma, and then flows southeastwardly into Polk County , Arkansas, then southwestwardly into McCurtain County , Oklahoma, where it turns southward for the remainder of its course. It joins the Little River in McCurtain County, 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Broken Bow . In its upper course, the river flows through

86-637: A few broad valleys. Logging is not nearly as intensive as in the commercial pine plantations of the less rugged Athens Plateau. Nutrient, mineral, and biochemical water quality parameter concentrations are low in the surface waters of the Fourche range, but turbidity can be higher than in other mountainous parts of the Ouachitas. Although most streams stop flowing during the driest part of the summer, enduring deep pools, high quality habitat, and good water quality allow sensitive aquatic species to survive through

129-544: A four feet (1.2 meters) drop. Bald cypress trees line and, in some places, grow in the river. The cool waters issuing below Broken Bow dam provide year-round habitat and fishing for rainbow and brown trout which are stocked regularly throughout the year. In 2008, a 17-pound-4-ounce (7.8-kilogram) brown trout was caught by an angler in the Mountain Fork. Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains ( / ˈ w ɒ ʃ ɪ t ɔː / ), simply referred to as

172-735: A general sense, the Ouachitas are considered an anticlinorium because the oldest known rocks are located towards the center of the outcrop area. The Ouachitas continue in the subsurface to the Black Warrior Basin of Alabama and Mississippi where they plunge towards the Appalachian Mountains . To the southwest, the Ouachitas join with the Marathon area of west Texas where rocks of the Ouachita Fold and Thrust Belt are briefly exposed. Unlike many ranges in

215-563: A portion of the Ouachita National Forest . In McCurtain County, the river is dammed to form Broken Bow Lake . Nancy Branch is a tributary of the river. At Eagletown , the river has a mean annual discharge of 1,430 cubic feet per second (40 cubic metres per second). The Upper Mountain Fork River offers 31.7 miles (51.0 km) of canoeing or kayaking from near Hatfield, Arkansas to Broken Bow Lake. This part of

258-628: A series of low relief ridges, none exceeding 1,000 feet (300 m). It is located south of the Ouachitas and extends to the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. The Athens Piedmont runs from Arkadelphia, Arkansas into Oklahoma through Clark , Howard , Pike , and Sevier counties in Arkansas and McCurtain County in Oklahoma. The ecoregion's low ridges and hills are widely underlain by Mississippian Stanley Shale in contrast to other parts of

301-403: Is Rich Mountain at 2,681 feet (817 m), which intersects the Arkansas-Oklahoma border near Mena, Arkansas . The Fourche Mountains are the archetypal Ouachita Mountains. Forested ridges are heavily forested with oak–hickory–pine forest; intervening valleys are cut into shale. Ridges are longer, habitat continuity is greater, the lithologic mosaic is different, and the topographic orientation

344-633: Is Raspberry Mountain at 2,358 feet (719 m). The headwaters of multiple rivers are found in this area, including the Caddo , Cossatot , and Little Missouri rivers. The Cross Mountains are located in Polk and Sevier counties, Arkansas and McCurtain County, Oklahoma . The highest natural point is Whiskey Peak at 1,670 feet (510 m). The Crystal Mountains are located primarily in Montgomery County, Arkansas . They are so named because of

387-593: Is also the highest natural point of the Ouachitas and U.S. Interior Highlands . The Frontal Ouachita Mountains are structurally quite different from the rest of the Ouachitas and are sometimes considered a separate range. The Trap Mountains are located primarily in Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas . The highest natural point is Trap Mountain at 1,310 feet (400 m). The Zig Zag Mountains are located in Garland County, Arkansas , and are home to

430-512: Is available on the society's website. The OHS Research Division houses more than 9 million photographs, more than 1 million pages of historical documents and manuscripts, 3,000 oral histories, historic film and video collections, and more than 4,400 titles of newspapers on available microfilm. Many of the Oklahoma Historical Society's documents and materials are available online at little or no charge, including indexes to

473-461: Is composed of the Choctaw words ouac for "bison" and chito for "large", together meaning "country of large bison". At one time, herds of bison inhabited the lowland areas of the Ouachitas. Historian Muriel H. Wright wrote that "Ouachita" is composed of the Choctaw words owa for "hunt" and chito for "big", together meaning "big hunt far from home". According to the article Ouachita in

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516-498: Is more consistent than in other parts of the Ouachitas. Differences in moisture and temperature between north- and south-facing slopes significantly influence native plant communities; they are products of the prevailing topographic trend. Forests on steep, north-facing slopes are more mesic than on southern aspects; the steepest, south-facing slopes contain shallow, moisture deficient soils supporting shrubs and rocky glades or grassy woodlands. Pastureland and hayland are restricted to

559-625: Is planned as the state museum of popular culture , including music, television, film and the performing arts. After lengthy delays, funding for the museum was obtained through a $ 25 million bond issue approved in 2015. In late 2016, the society announced that OKPOP will be located on North Main Street, across the street from Cain's Ballroom . In May of 2023 the Oklahoma Senate passed a bill to provide $ 18 million in State funds to help finish

602-483: Is serving as the secretary. The OHS is governed by a 25-member board of directors. Thirteen of those members are elected by the members of the society and twelve are appointed by the governor of Oklahoma , with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate . All members serve three-year terms. The governor also serves as an ex officio member of the board. The board is responsible for appointing an executive director of

645-671: The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture , "Ouachita" comes from the French spelling of the Caddo word washita , meaning "good hunting grounds". The Ouachitas are a major physiographic province of Arkansas and Oklahoma and are generally grouped with the Arkansas River Valley . Together with the Ozark Plateaus , the Ouachitas form the U.S. Interior Highlands , one of few mountainous regions between

688-614: The Appalachians and Rockies . The Ouachitas are dominated by pine, oak, and hickory. The shortleaf pine ( Pinus echinata ) and post oak ( Quercus stellata ) thrive in dry, nutrient-poor soil and are common in upland areas. The maple-leaf oak ( Quercus acerifolia ) is found at only four sites worldwide, all of which are in the Ouachitas. Some native tree species, such as the eastern red-cedar ( Juniperus virginiana ), are colonizers of human-disturbed sites. The Ouachita National Forest covers approximately 1.8 million acres of

731-653: The Dawes Rolls , Oklahoma military deaths, the 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census, Territorial Incorporation Records, Hastain's Township Plats of the Creek Nation, Oklahoma County marriage records 1889–1951, Daily Oklahoman obituaries, and Smith’s First Directory of Oklahoma Territory. The online archives catalog also contains some of the photographs in the OHS Research Division Collection. Historic newspapers are available free of charge on

774-759: The Ouachita National Recreation Trail , a 223-mile-long (359 km) hiking trail through the heart of the mountains. The trail runs from Talimena State Park in Oklahoma to Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock . It is a well maintained, premier trail for hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers (for only selected parts of the trail). The Talimena Scenic Drive begins at Mena , and traverses 54 miles (87 km) of Winding Stair and Rich Mountains, long narrow east-west ridges which extend into Oklahoma. Rich Mountain reaches an elevation of 2,681 feet (817 m) in Arkansas near

817-466: The Ouachitas , are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma . They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thrust Belt, one of the important orogenic belts of North America . The Ouachitas continue in the subsurface to the northeast, where they make a poorly understood connection with the Appalachians and to

860-491: The United States , the Ouachitas are mostly east-west trending. They are unique because metamorphism and volcanism , features that are common in orogenic belts, are notably absent (with the exception of some low-grade metamorphism ). Due to the high degree of folding and faulting, the Ouachitas are clustered into distinct subranges, with ridges separated by relatively broad valleys. The Ouachitas are known for some of

903-735: The OHS is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. The society has the rare distinction of being both a Smithsonian Institution and National Archives and Records Administration affiliate. The OHS was formed in May 1893, 14 years before Oklahoma became a state, by the Territorial Press Association. The initial function of the OHS was to collect and distribute newspapers published in Oklahoma Territory . The society

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946-832: The OHS, carries out federal preservation programs in Oklahoma under the National Historic Preservation Act , to preserve Oklahoma's significant buildings, parks, objects, and sites. Projects are carried out in partnership with the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service , as well as other state and local governments, groups, and interested people. The society posts markers at historical sites. Annual membership can be purchased for individuals, families, and institutions. The OHS has published The Chronicles of Oklahoma ,

989-550: The Oklahoma border. The two lane winding road is similar in routing, construction, and scenery to the Blue Ridge Parkway of the Appalachian Mountains . Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma . The mission of

1032-508: The Ouachita Mountains, but have since been extirpated. Today, there are large populations of white-tailed deer , coyote , and other common temperate forest animals. Though elusive, hundreds of black bear roam the Ouachitas. Several cryptic species of salamander are endemic to the Ouachitas and have traits that vary from one locale to another. The Athens Plateau or Athens Piedmont (EPA Level IV ecoregion 36a) consists of

1075-560: The Ouachitas are as follows (in order of ascending age). The mountains were home to the Ouachita tribe , for which they were named. Later French explorers translated the name to its present spelling. The first recorded exploration was in 1541 by Hernando de Soto . Later, in 1804, President Jefferson sent William Dunbar and Dr. George Hunter to the area after the Louisiana Purchase . Hot Springs National Park became one of

1118-704: The Ouachitas were deposited in a narrow, two-sided basin called the Ouachita Trough, which formed as part of a Cambrian failed rift system. Succeeding Pennsylvanian strata of the Ouachitas were deposited in a foreland basin during the early stages of the Ouachita Orogeny . Subduction of the South American Plate beneath the North American Plate resulted in this mountain-building event. Compressional forces caused

1161-609: The Ouachitas. Today, pine plantations are widespread; they are far more extensive than in the more rugged parts of the Arkansas Ouachitas. Pastureland and hayland also occur. Cattle and broiler chickens are important farm products. The Caddo , Cossatot , and Missouri mountains are a high, compact group of mountains composed of the weather-resistant Arkansas Novaculite. They are located primarily in Montgomery and Polk counties, Arkansas. The highest natural point

1204-990: The Ouachitas. It is one of the largest and oldest national forests in the Southern U.S. , created through an executive order by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 18, 1907. There are six wilderness areas within the Ouachita National Forest , which are protected areas designed to minimize the impacts of human activities. Several plants are endemic to the Ouachitas, including: Agalinis nuttallii , Cardamine angustata var. ouachitana , Carex latebracteata , Galium arkansanum var. pubifolium , Houstonia ouachitana , Hydrophyllum brownei , Liatris compacta , Quercus acerifolia , Polymnia cossatotensis , Solidago ouachitensis , Spiranthes niklasii (near endemic, also found on Crowley's Ridge ), Streptanthus maculatus subsp. obtusifolius , Streptanthus squamiformis , Valerianella palmerii , and Vernonia lettermanii . Bison and elk once found habitat in

1247-508: The crust to buckle, producing complex folds at all scale levels and several overturned sequences. The area of greatest deformation occurred in the Benton-Broken Bow Uplift, which extends from Benton, Arkansas to Broken Bow, Oklahoma . The total height of the Ouachitas is not known, though they may have exceeded 10,000 feet (3,000 m) (based loosely on geologic cross-sections). The terrain has been deeply eroded since

1290-545: The interior and install exhibits, provided the museum could raise a matching $ 18 million by November 15, 2024. The Oklahoma Historical Society also administers a number of state-owned properties either in their entirety or with interpretive centers .: The Oklahoma Historical Society is under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism and Branding . Under Governor of Oklahoma Kevin Stitt , Matt Pinnell

1333-474: The largest remaining virgin shortleaf pine /hardwood forest in the nation. Hunting is permitted in the wilderness area. Below Broken Bow dam and lake, the 18.8 miles (30.3 km) of the Lower Mountain Fork is described as the "consistently flowing and best whitewater stream" in Oklahoma. Class I and II rapids are found in the upper part of this section and paddlers must navigate waterfalls with

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1376-596: The late Paleozoic . The Ouachitas are composed of Cambrian through Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks . The Collier Shale, located at the core of the Benton-Broken Bow Uplift, is the oldest exposed formation of the Ouachitas. The Atoka Formation , which was deposited much later during the Pennsylvanian , has the largest areal extent of any of the Paleozoic formations in Arkansas . The geologic formations of

1419-602: The nation's first parks in 1832. The Battle of Devil's Backbone was fought here at the ridge of the same name in 1863. In August 1990, the U.S. Forest Service discontinued clearcutting as the primary tool for harvesting and regenerating short leaf, pine and hardwood forests in the Ouachita National Forest. The Ouachita Mountains contain the Ouachita National Forest , Hot Springs National Park and Lake Ouachita , as well as numerous state parks and scenic byways mostly throughout Arkansas. They also contain

1462-566: The occurrence of some of the world's finest quartz . The Crystal Mountains are generally taller than the nearby Zig Zag Mountains, achieving elevations over 1,800 feet (550 m). The Fourche Mountains (EPA Level IV ecoregion 36d) are a long, continuous chain of east-west mountains composed of the weather-resistant Jackfork Sandstone . They extend from Pulaski County, Arkansas to Atoka County, Oklahoma and are home to several popular sites of interest, including Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock, Arkansas . The highest natural point

1505-513: The river has class I and II rapids. clear water, fishing for smallmouth bass and other species, and excellent scenery with pine forests covering the hills and bluffs along the river's course. Water levels in the river are generally adequate for boating year-round. On the upper portion of Broken Bow Lake is the McCurtain County Wilderness Area, an Oklahoma State-owned 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) tract which contains

1548-631: The society's Gateway to Oklahoma History. The society operates the Oklahoma History Center , the state's museum located in Oklahoma City . The Oklahoma History Center occupies 215,000 ft (19,974m ) and contains more than 2,000 artifacts and exhibits featuring hands-on audio, video, and activities. A museum store is available online or at the Oklahoma History Center. From 1919 to 1942, Czarina Conlan

1591-610: The society's scholarly journal, since 1921 and continues to issue four editions per year. The society's monthly newsletter, Mistletoe Leaves , includes information about OHS activities and historical happenings throughout Oklahoma. Both publications and other historical works are available by subscription or per issue. The OHS has also published numerous other titles including The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture . More than 380 issues of The Chronicles of Oklahoma are available online for free through The Gateway to Oklahoma History. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

1634-602: The southwest, where they join with the Marathon uplift area of West Texas . Together with the Ozark Plateaus , the Ouachitas form the U.S. Interior Highlands . The highest natural point is Mount Magazine at 2,753 feet (839 m). The Ouachita Mountains is a Level III ecoregion designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The region has been subdivided into six Level IV ecoregions . Louis R. Harlan claimed that "Ouachita"

1677-629: The summer. They are the only home and namesake of the Fourche Mountain salamander . The Fourche Mountains form a major watershed divide between the Arkansas River Basin to the north and the Red River Basin to the south. The Frontal Ouachita Mountains are located in the Arkansas River Valley and feature a number of isolated landforms. The highest natural point is Mount Magazine at 2,753 feet (839 m), which

1720-533: The thermal springs of Hot Springs National Park . They are so named because of their unique chevron shape when viewed from above, the result of plunging anticlines and synclines . The Zig Zag Mountains are not exceptionally tall, but do reach heights over 1,400 feet (430 m). The Ouachitas are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thrust Belt, which crops out for approximately 220 miles (350 km) in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma . In

1763-528: The world's finest quartz , especially around Mount Ida, Arkansas , the quartz capital of the world. The quartz formed after the Ouachita Orogeny when fractures in rocks filled with silica-saturated fluids and, over millions of years, precipitated crystals up to several feet in length. The Ouachitas are also known for novaculite , a variety of chert that has undergone low-grade metamorphism ; particular grades found only in Arkansas are used for making whetstones . Cambrian through Mississippian strata of

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1806-543: Was declared an agency of the territorial government in 1895, and it became an official state government agency when Oklahoma reached statehood in 1907. The OHS is both a private, membership organization and an Oklahoma government agency. The OHS Board of Directors is made up of 25 members, 12 of whom are appointed by the governor and 13 elected by OHS members to three-year terms. The OHS today works statewide and nationally to preserve and nurture Oklahoma's history. The Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, also operated by

1849-613: Was in charge of collecting artifacts and documents for the museum from the various Native American tribes throughout the state. The History Center also houses the OHS Research Division, which includes a large Research Center that is free and open to the public. In May 2009 the OHS announced plans to build a museum to be called the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture, or OKPOP, located in Tulsa's Brady District . It

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