Fort Gibson, Eufaula seek to improve downtowns

By Cathy Spaulding
Phoenix Staff Writer

December 03, 2008 12:35 am

— FORT GIBSON — Town Clerk Debby Daniels walks through downtown, pointing out a sidewalk embankment that could have been made by German war prisoners and an empty corner building from 1906 that once housed a drug store.
“You never realize what you’ve got in your own back yard,” Daniels said.
Officials in Fort Gibson, as well as Eufaula, hope to capitalize on their historic downtowns as they apply to become Oklahoma Main Street communities for 2009. The Main Street program, administered through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, helps communities with historic preservation and economic development.
Other communities applying for the 2009 program were Alva, Atoka, Laverne and Stroud. The Midtown (Plaza Court) District in Oklahoma City also applied. The communities will make formal application in January and could know by March, Daniels said.
She said the Main Street program could help with the revitalization of Fort Gibson’s downtown.
“We want to entice people to come to town,” she said.
“We hold the distinction of being Oklahoma’s oldest town,” said Fort Gibson Chamber of Commerce President Gary Perkins. Fort Gibson was established in 1824.
“We also have a small town and community atmosphere that is second to none,” Perkins said, listing other amenities such as a quality school system, Fort Gibson Reservoir and proximity to river and highway transportation.
Eufaula also could play up its historic downtown buildings and lake recreation, Eufaula Mayor Dean Smith said.
“We have several buildings on the National Historic Register,” he said. “We see a need that these old buildings must be preserved.”
Smith said Eufaula had been part of the Main Street program several years ago but had not been involved. He said officials are working on updating information about the city.
Involvement in Main Street not helps a community preserve historic buildings, but also strengthen its downtown business core, Smith said.
“The health of downtown is to have individual private businesses, not a big box store,” he said.
Since 1986, more than 60 communities have participated in the Oklahoma Main Street Program, reinvesting more than $589 million in commercial districts across the state. Tahlequah and Checotah have had Main Street programs for several years. Muskogee joined the program in 2008.
Oklahoma Department of Commerce said the Main Street Program has resulted in the creation of more than 3,500 new businesses and more than 11,000 new jobs throughout Oklahoma.
Daniels said Fort Gibson has been working to revitalize its core for several years. She said the city recently received a grant from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to enhance downtown.
“But Main Street can help us in a big way,” she said. “We hope citizens and business owners can see that. We have several unoccupied buildings downtown.”
For example, the 1906 building, which bears the name of early business leader John C. Berd, housed a drug store and apparently an Odd Fellows Lodge.
Judy Geurin, who owns Enchanted Flowers in Fort Gibson, said the town needs more business, especially grocery stores and “more varied shopping.”
Richard Carr, owner of Buried Treasures Antiques a few doors down from the florist, said he would like to see more cooperation among the city, the Oklahoma Historical Society, which operates Fort Gibson Stockade, and other entities.
Daniels said she hopes involvement in Main Street could help bring different entities together.

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