2011 Oklahoma's Most Endangered Historic Places

Oklahoma boasts thousands of prehistoric and historic archaeological resources, possessing great cultural, scientific, and educational significance.  In 1970, the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey (OAS) was established and charged with three responsibilities: conduct basic research on historic and prehistoric sites, work with citizens to preserve cultural heritage sites, and promote awareness of prehistory and history in the state.  The OAS also works with state and federal agencies and private citizens to protect sites from looting and vandalism, an effort highlighted by this year’s Endangered Places List.

A painful example of looting and vandalism is the Rose Hill Plantation (Hugo vicinity, Choctaw County), added to the National Register in 2010. Rose Hill was one of six plantations owned and operated by the mixed-blood Choctaw leader, planter, and entrepreneur Robert M. Jones. Jones was perhaps the wealthiest man in the Choctaw Nation and, in addition to his plantations, was purported to own two steamboats and roughly twenty-eight trading posts. Jones was once elected President of the United Nations of Indian Territory by the Choctaws and Creeks and served as a joint delegate of the Choctaws and Chickasaws to the Confederate Congress in Richmond.

At one time, a fifteen-room mansion graced the grounds of Rose Hill Plantation, but was destroyed by fire in 1911.  Rose Hill Plantation also served as the site where Stand Watie became the last Confederate general to officially surrender on June 25, 1865. After the Civil War ended, Jones lost much of his wealth and died of malaria in 1873.

In October, 2010, three groups – the Oklahoma Anthropological Society, Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, and Oklahoma Historical Society – sponsored the first authorized dig on Rose Hill, a site susceptible to looters and pot hunters in the past. Among the remaining aspects of the original plantation are a family cemetery and foundations and walls of various buildings.  The Oklahoma Historical Society owns the land and seeks to develop the grounds with trails and signs and open them for public enjoyment.

For information on reporting vandalism, contact the OAS or access the “Guidebook to Reporting Vandalism at Archaeological Sites” at www.ou.edu/cas/archsur/crm.htm.