The stand of timber behind the green field is where Edwards Trading Post once stood. The post was established in 1835 and served travelers on the route from Fort Gibson to Texas route for many years. It also served as a stopping point for caravans coming from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Fort Smith, Arkansas during the years 1840 to 1861. In 1858 Lt. Edward Beale passed through the area building a wagon road from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Los Angeles, California. The following year Henry B. Edwards, brother-in-law of Lt. Beale superintend the construction of an Iron bridge across Little River at Edward’s Trading Post. Jim Edwards the owner of the post had married a Creek Indian, which allowed him to establish this post in Indian Territory. The post was abandoned in the spring of 1861 when Indian Territory (Oklahoma) became part of the Confederate States of America. Edwards wanted no part of the war so he took his family to Kansas to live.
Beale Wagon Road 