Red Fork

Red Fork. . The Arkansas River was a major obstacle for cattle drivers leading herds from grazing fields in Texas to slaughter houses in Kansas. Before construction of the Frisco Railroad bridge in 1883, crossing the river was a complicated task, compounded by unexpected rains that occasionally caused flooding. Multiple herds, each with hundreds of cattle, waited their turn to ford the river in the area that would become Red Fork, some four miles southwest of the actual crossing. When the Frisco established a railhead on the west side of the river, it gave the newly designated Red Fork area a sense of purpose. No longer a stopping point on the way to somewhere else, Red Fork developed as the end point of the line for both cattlemen and railroad workers. It soon boasted general stores and a railroad depot. Although Red Fork listed its status as a railhead, two years later the Frisco line was extended to Sapulpa. The community however was too established to disappear completely.

When the discovery of oil at Sue Bland No. 1 brought scores of prospectors and entrepreneurs to Red Fork, the government sought to establish order by laying out 160 acres for a town site. Red Fork incorporated in 1902. New buildings soon housed city hall and a library. The interurban line passed through the corner of the town, providing public transportation to the Glenn Pool oil fields and to offices and shopping in Tulsa. Red Fork was officially annexed by the City of Tulsa in 1927, shortly after Sapulpa Road (Southwest Boulevard) was designated as part of Route 66. Red Fork Corner developed a dense concentration of businesses that catered to the needs of local residents as well as travelers passing through on the Mother Road.