MANNFORD

NAME: Mannford COUNTY: Creek ROADS: 2WD GRID: 3 CLIMATE: Hot and humid in the summer and cold and wet in the winter. BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring and fall.

COMMENTS: Mannford is located appx. 18 miles west of Tulsa, Oklahoma. REMAINS: Brick streets and concrete sidewalks. Some concrete block retaining wall landscapes. Old RR bridge approach over tributary (creek) to Cimarron River.

Originally a ferry crossing of the Cimarron River run by the Mann family. The ferry operated in the late 1800's at times of high water due to Spring rains on the river. It was the only crossing for 20 miles in either direction. Adjacent to the ferry crossing was a low water ford used when the waters were not so treacherous in the summer and fall. The site grew and became known as Mann's Ford. A bridge was finally built, but the name stuck. By the early 1900's there was a school, several churches, and even a weekly newspaper. In 1964 the Army Corps of Engineers constructed Keystone Dam impounding the waters of the Cimarron River and the Arkansas Rivers. Old Mannford is now below the waters of Keystone Lake. Sometimes in the dry season the sidewalks and yards can be seen at "Old Mannford Ramp" located off State Highway 51 two miles west of the new City of Mannford. The townsfolk relocated to a hilltop overlooking the lake prior to construction of the dam. The city has a Historical Museum open daily with photographs, buggys, farm equipment, and other memmorabilia of the old town. Old newspaper headlines herald the lives of some of the town's more notorius residents. It was reported that several notable Oklahoma outlaws had relatives or hideouts in the caves and riverbottoms of the Mannford area. In fact, one raid by law officersin the 20's yielded over a dozen safes and strong boxes buried at a pig farm just outside the city limits. Submitted by: Douglas L. Fisher

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