Here’s a little history lesson of Eufaula verses Checotah

The McIntosh County rivalry goes back before statehood. At this time the courthouse was located in two buildings, on the corner of 1st and Foley Avenues in Eufaula. One of the Southeast corners was used for offices; the other building on the Northeast corner was used for holding court. After statehood, a two-story building on the Northeast corner of Main Street and Riley Avenue was rented and the courthouse was moved there. In July 1925, the building burnt and many county records were lost. After the fire, spaces in buildings all over town were rented for offices and courtroom.

In 1926 a new courthouse was built at 110 North 1st Street, Eufaula. The architect for this new building was Layton, Hicks and Roesyth. The contractor was Tankersly Construction Company.

Dissension occurred after statehood between Eufaula and Checotah because both towns wanted the county seat. In 1908, a large group of armed men boarded the train at Checotah and came to Eufaula with the intention of forcibly moving the county seat.

When the men left the train in Eufaula, city Mayor R.B. Buford sent C.L. Follansbee to get Grant Johnson to assist City Marshall Woods in maintaining law and order. Before Johnson could get to town, Woods and Joe Parmenter, Checotah City Marshall, got into an argument at a well on the Northeast corner of Main and Foley Streets. Shooting began and Woods was killed. Story goes that Parementer killed him, however citizens from both cities were involved in the shooting and it was impossible at the time to fix blame.

The Checotah people returned home empty-handed, but the next day, a man named “General” Dunlap (the General was a nickname), who lived North of Eufaula, came into town and said he was going to kill Ed Julian because of some controversy over the fight the day before. Julian was a county official who lived in Checotah, but stayed at the Foley Hotel in Eufaula. The Foley Hotel was located above the First National Bank building on the Northwest corner of Foley and Main Streets.

Dunlap went up the stairs to Julian’s room. He knocked on the door and ordered Julian to come out. After threats were exchanged through the locked door Julian became frightened and fired bullets through the door, killing Dunlap on the spot. Julian was arrested and a hearing was held, but he was released due to the fact that he had killed Dunlap in self-defense.

Paraphrased from a 1939 Indian Journal. Hope to see you at the game.

1-2-3 break.

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