Vinita in Craig County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Historic Attucks High School
19161958
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 7, 2025
1. Historic Attucks High School Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1916.
Location. 36° 37.856′ N, 95° 9.08′ W. Marker is in Vinita, Oklahoma, in Craig County. It is at the intersection of South 4th Street and Attucks Avenue, on the left when traveling south on South 4th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 346 S 4th St, Vinita OK 74301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Cherokee Nation and in Northeast Oklahoma Green Country. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Ozarks, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: President Franklin D. Roosevelt Stops at Vinita Katy Railroad Depot (approx. 0.4 miles away); War Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); Worcester Academy (approx. 0.7 miles away); U.S. 66 - Will Rogers Highway (approx. Ύ mile away); Hi-Way Cafe, Vinita, Oklahoma (approx. 2.7 miles away); Western Motel, Vinita, Oklahoma (approx. 2.7 miles away); Grand River Dam (approx. 3½ miles away); Old Military Road (approx. 9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vinita.
Regarding Historic Attucks High School. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
The brick school was constructed in 1916-17 as a separate school. An addition was constructed 1925 which doubled the school size. In 1939 a WPA gymnasium was constructed. Stylistically the school is a combination of a simplified Art Deco and WPA construction. Two historic brick chimney[s] are located on the northeast and southwest elevations
The Attucks School served the black community of Vinita as a combined elementary, juniorand high school. It was not the only black school in Craig County, as there were seven, but it was the only secondary school that was available to blacks until after desegregation in the mid-1950s. While the Vinita public school system readily desegregated as required by law following the landmark decisions of Brown vs. Board of Education, it took upwards of three years for desegregation to occur in Vinita. Attucks School is also significant for its association with New Deal era programs. The WPA constructed the gymnasium/auditorium wing in 1939.Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 8, 20252. Historic Attucks High School Marker
Also see . . .
1. Attucks School (PDF). National Register nomination for the former school campus, which was listed in 2009. (Prepared by Glenda Downing and Emma Rose Moore; via State Historic Preservation Office of Oklahoma) (Submitted on May 9, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Attucks School Alumni. Eight former Attucks students Mary Crawford, Okla Hicks, Diane Willis Hubbard, Arlene Kirkendoll, Charles Kirkendoll, Jr., Frances Ramsey, Robert Ramsey, Jr. and Lois Hunt West recall their school days. They were interviewed in 1994 as part of the Spotlighting Oklahoma Oral History Project at the Oklahoma State University Library. (uploaded by the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program) (Submitted on May 9, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 148 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
