Hochatown Library

11/22/2024

11/13/2024

The 2024 Chahtaprenuer Christmas Catalog is now available, showcasing an exclusive collection of native artwork, home goods, bath and body items, fragrances, foods, accessories, and apparel from small businesses within the Choctaw Nation. Don't miss out – pick up your catalog today!!

11/09/2024

The Hochatown Library volunteers and Folk Fest Booth Visitors are having fun! We’re drawing faces on acorns, talking about Hochatown history, giving away free books and sunflower grow kits, eating bison burgers and listening to folk music! The most unusual craft we’ve seen today is a 🐸frog purse.

11/08/2024

Come join us! It’s the 2024 FALL FEST at beautiful Beavers Bend! We have FREE books and sunflower seeds for you 🌻

11/07/2024

Banjos. Bagpipes. Basket weaving. Blacksmithing. Find it all at the Beavers Bend Folk Festival & Craft Show! 🎉🍂 https://okstateparks.camp/3BYjMYo
-Oklahoma State Parks

LOOK for us at the HOCHATOWN LIBRARY BOOTH! (🍂A sneak peek🍄‍🟫) We can’t wait to see you!!

10/30/2024

Looking for an interesting read? "Riding Like the Wind" is the story of Sanora Babb, a woman who became intimately familiar with the real story of the Dust Bowl, but whose work and novel, "Whose Names are Unknown" was hijacked, eclipsed, and ulitimately silenced by John Steinbeck's best seller, "Grapes of Wrath."

10/23/2024

UPDATE: Friday & Saturday are set! We are looking for 3 volunteers for Sunday please. If you have been thinking about helping now is your chance to share the story of Hochatown, Oklahoma with visitors from all over. Memories will be made :)

Great News! We have a booth at the Folk Festival! We need your help. Post the day and time you will work below! Dates are November 8-10.

10/23/2024

Are you getting into the Halloween mood? Come by the Hochatown library and check out our scary collection!

10/21/2024

Burn ban. No campfires.

10/20/2024

“Though the October days still had length to them, Ruth Ann hardly found an evening stroll through a cemetery appealing.”

In Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer’s second book of the Choctaw Tribune Series, Traitor, she leads the reader through the real places and events of the Choctaw Nation. The Tushkahomma cemetery is a real place where the above scene in the Traitors novel takes place.

The Tuskahoma Cemetery is a perfect fall foliage day trip destination from Hochatown. The graves of prominent Choctaw families, includes seven of the McCurtain family, the county of which Hochatown is included in.

Traitors is a work of historical fiction, published by Rock Haven Publishing (2016). Get your copy today at the Hochatown Library, located in Hocha Town Hall, 101 Rock Oak Ln, Hochatown OK 74728.

10/18/2024

The Hochatown Old Timers Reunion will be Saturday, October 19, 2024 beginning at 11:00 AM. Bring your lawn chair and a potluck dish. Everyone is welcome - old timers and new comers.

Today, we feature the tombstone of Hoteya Jefferson. Maybe someone can share more thoughts on her life.

We know Hoteya Jefferson was the wife of Samson T. Jefferson and had at least three children.

Mr. Jefferson was the Hochatown postmaster and a well-respected full blood Choctaw Indian.

Snippets from the transcript of Bessie Bassett Wilton (1967 oral history interview)

Not only the Indians, but the whites also went to Samson for advice and counseling.

Samson had served in the little Choctaw church in Hochatown as pastor for a number of years and was buried around his home. The first home that he had in Hochatown. He later built a much nicer home but there was none of his family ever buried near it.

Bessie Bassett Wilton served four years as the Hochatown postmistress.

I knew the Choctaw interpretation and many of the [Hochatown Choctaws] had a great deal of pleasure out of speaking Choctaw to hear me try to answer them in their language.

In asking for their mail, it was one word, e-lis-o. And they would call me by my name and they would ask, "e-lis-o-we-to?" or in other words, "Have I any mail?" And as a rule they did have.

One day when I had the post office, I had lost a horse [illigible] says, "Egspaenu."

And I said, "Why don't you speak English?"

He looked at me, he says, "Oh, hush."

But when I lost the horse and got lost in the woods and I went to look for it - I saw him. He was driving his wagon and I called to him and said, "Whichaway back to Hochatown?"

And he won't tell me. So after that, I learned that I'd better treat him a little nicer."

End of transcript.

Hochatown Union Church & Cemetery - Saturday. Bring your memorabilia, letters, photos and stories. If you don't have any, come listen to others.

10/03/2024

Are you interested in crafting? We have an opportunity to have Shannon Grice from SEOLS come teach us this one. Imagine collecting your corks from all the local wineries and making this fall memento! (You actually don't need to bring any supplies). Let me know the time/date that would work for you. Options are Monday, October 21 or Wednesday, October 23. Times: 4 pm, 5pm, 6pm ***We won't do this unless there is enough interest. ***

10/03/2024

Get ready to explore Hochatown! Planning just got easier, thanks to the McCurtain County Tourism Authority - visit the Hochatown Library to customize your itinerary and share it instantly with friends and family! Hochatown Library

10/02/2024

I'm looking for a volunteer to man (or woman) the library from 12:30-3:00 on Wednesdays. Responsibilities include making sure visitors put their names on the sign-in sheet and writing down names and materials that people want to check out. It is a low demand job that pays absolutely nothing. Free Wi-Fi, and all the books you can read included. A great excuse to get out of the house and mingle with our wonderful city employees. Message us or come by if you are interested!

08/22/2024

Schools are back in session, and so are the assignments. To support our students, we offer a range of community resources such as computers, WiFi, free printing, and a peaceful environment. If you need additional assistance, we can set up complimentary tutoring sessions and extend library hours for you!

08/09/2024

"In the Choctaw language “okla” means “people” and “humma” means “red.” Thus, the area would be named Oklahoma Territory, or literally “Territory of the Red People.” Today “The State of Oklahoma” literally means “The state belonging to Red People.” Choctaw County."

08/09/2024

We hope all the kids are having an exciting first week of school and are eager for a new year! Show us your back to school pics!

07/31/2024

Our incredible Hochatown Library volunteers took a delightful field trip to Gallery 259 today and picked up free sunflowers! After exploring art, sharing ideas and creating beautiful memories together, we thought, wouldn’t this be a great spot for our September Bookclub???