LASR.net Homepage




Menu


Sallisaw, Oklahoma

Sallisaw, Oklahoma

Sallisaw, county seat of Sequoyah County, is located at the edge of the famed Cookson Hills to the north and the navigation channel of the Arkansas River to the south. Its name is from the French "salaisiau" meaning "salt provision." Indians, early settlers, explorers and trappers were familiar with the natural salt deposits found by many nearby streams.

"The Grapes of Wrath" author, John Steinbeck, used Sallisaw as the starting point for "Okies" fleeing to California to escape the "dust bowl" drought days. Actually the eastern part of Oklahoma has always been wooded and picturesque; it was western Oklahoma where the dry, flat land and blowing winds created the "dust bowl."

Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd and other notorious outlaws who used the tugged and inaccessible Cookson Hills to hide in in the 1930s would surely marvel at the four-lane interstate highway, the diesel trains and the barge traffic on the Arkansas River that now connect Sallisaw with the world.

Present-day Sallisaw is an expanding center for commerce and tourism. Lakes for fishing and water sports, drives to historic landmarks, horse racing at Oklahoma's first pari-mutual track, state parks for camping and hiking, golf, tennis (or just relaxing) all begin and end at Sallisaw!

We cordially invite you to come see Sallisaw.

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Outdoor Mural

This nearly block-long mural illustrates historical events throughout Sequoyah County in a collage of 21 paintings.

Sallisaw, OK Arts

Sequoyah

Sequoyah was born in the lower Appalachian region of Tennessee about 1770. His mother was a member of the "Paint Clan" of the Cherokee Nation and his non-Indian father, Nathaniel Gist, left the family when Sequoyah was very young. Sequoyah grew to manhood among his kinsmen, the Cherokees.

Sallisaw, OK Famous People

Sequoyah County Historical Museum

Historical information throughout Sequoyah County.

Sallisaw, OK Museums

Sequoyah Statue

Sequoyah, the Cherokee soldier and teacher, gained world-wide fame when he devised the Cherokee syllabary. His statue is in the Nation's Capitol as one of Oklahoma's two greatest men. The giant redwood trees of California are named for him. The statue is located on the grounds of Sequoyah'

Sallisaw, OK Arts

Missouri-Pacific Depot/Library

The renovated Missouri-Pacific Railroad Station houses Sallisaw's public library, the Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library. The exterior of the building remains true to the original structure built over 75 years ago. Current fiction, non-fiction, children'

Sallisaw, OK Railroad History

Things to do near Sallisaw, OK