McKenna Building

McKenna Building. 103 Dewey, Built: 1899. , Captain Edmund McKenna, a Civil War veteran, began construction on this two-story rock building on May 27, 1897. The rock used for the construction of this building was quarried locally and hauled to the site by ox-driven carts. , After completion in 1899, the building featured galvanized iron fronts, plenty of windows, and an ornate architectural style that was prevalent during the period. A large 8-foot wide porch ran the length along the front of the building and provided a cool, shady place for visitors to rest. Facing the St Louis and San Francisco tracks, the first floor housed three stores. The “Racket Store” was located in the middle unit. Racket Stores were often called “Five and Dime” stores. These stores offered products at a low price, and generally offered a good variety of dry goods. To the right of the Racket Store was a millinery store. On the north end of the building, Noble and Birds drug store was one of the most frequented stores in the area. , On February 2, 1900 the decision was made to move the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Indian Territory from Cameron to Poteau. This was done by Tom T. Varner, a prominent lawyer from Cameron. He packed the entire court on to a horse-drawn wagon and moved it into the second floor of the McKenna Building. Until Statehood in 1907, this courthouse saw many notorious bandits, outlaws, and law-breakers all over what would become Eastern Oklahoma.