Coal County, County in southeastern Oklahoma, United States
Coal County is an administrative region in southeastern Oklahoma featuring diverse terrain that transitions from forested mountain slopes in the east to open prairie in the west. Several highways and state routes connect the scattered communities throughout the area.
The county was established in 1907 from territories of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, reflecting the land divisions of that era. Coal mining operations shut down in the early 1920s, triggering a major economic shift.
The county's name reflects its past as a coal mining hub, an industry that shaped daily life and community identity through the early 1900s. The shift from mining to farming left visible marks on the landscape and the character of its towns.
The area is accessed through U.S. Highway 75 and several state highways connecting small towns scattered across the region. Visitors should prepare for rural conditions where services and amenities may be limited or spread far apart.
Between 1921 and 1923, boll weevil infestations destroyed cotton crops and caused all five banks in the region to fail. This economic collapse triggered by a single pest invasion remains one of the most dramatic crises in the area's history.
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