Beland, Oklahoma Explained

Official Name:Beland, Oklahoma
Settlement Type:Ghost town
Pushpin Map:Oklahoma#USA
Pushpin Label:Beland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Oklahoma
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Muskogee
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1903
Unit Pref:Imperial
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation M:177
Elevation Ft:580
Coordinates:35.6918°N -95.5358°W
Area Code:918 & 539

Beland is a ghost town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. Not much remains there, besides a few buildings.

History

In 1903, Beland (formerly Chase) was founded 8 miles southwest of Muskogee, Oklahoma as a black settlement.[1] In 1906, a wealthy African-American attorney and business man by the name of Cornelius Jones bought the entirety of Chase for $4,000 (now worth about $135,000 in today's money). Jones sponsored selling town lots in black-owned newspapers in the south. The town's name was changed to Beland in 1908, and was successful for a bit. Beland lost its post office in 1926.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: African Towns and Settlements of Indian and Oklahoma Territories .
  2. Web site: Three Rivers History: Black towns were places of opportunity . June 23, 2012 .