EDMOND — British author Elspeth Huxley chose to title her memoir of growing up in what was then the British Colony of Kenya “The Flame Trees of Thika” in recognition of the bright red leaves that covered the trees that filled the Rift Valley where her family’s farm was located. And a fall journey to the rural Oklahoma community of Talihina that is situated between the Kiamichi and Winding Stair Mountains reveals a vista of leaves of a similar color that reach to the horizon where they intersect with a sky the color of robin’s eggs. And people coming to see this natural beauty are making their way to this community that describes itself as the gateway to the Talimena Scenic Highway.
Talihina takes its name from a combination of the Choctaw words for “iron” and “road” that were used by Native Americans to describe the railroad that came from Fort Smith, Ark., through what was then Oklahoma Territory in the late 19th century. It also was the name of Sam Houston’s Indian wife, who is buried in Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Muskogee County.
The community’s two biggest employers are the Choctaw Indian Hospital and the veterans center that is operated by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs.
Talihina is a community of about 1,274 souls, and its main thoroughfare, Dallas Street, is now undergoing renovation under the auspices of the Main Street Program that is operated by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Rhonda Sears, the proprietor of a combination lunch counter and gift shop on Dallas Street known as “Treats and Treasures,” explains how several structures are currently being revitalized so new businesses can be opened. Sears, who is chairwoman of the Talihina Main Street Association, has purchased a building that adjoins her business that eventually will be occupied by a women’s clothing store. When the aluminum façade that had graced that building for decades was stripped away, a row of transom windows were uncovered that no one had known existed. And the removal of a layer of stucco revealed the original brick storefront.
But Sears reports that those bricks had what appeared to be bullet holes in them, and they had to be covered as a result. How those holes got there was originally a mystery, but it is now believed that they drilled there to support the stucco. The ceiling of that building has an elaborate pressed iron design. A picture of that iron work was examined by Ron Frantz, architect for the Main Street Program in Oklahoma City, and he was able to trace its origins to a foundry that existed in Missouri in the early decades of the past century.
Frantz, who will be able to assist Sears in the event that she needs to find replacement parts for damaged areas of that ceiling, reports that those who renovate buildings in downtown areas in Oklahoma often make discoveries that include long-forgotten windows and holes of unknown origin.
Sears speaks with enthusiasm about the events that are currently planned for Talihina through the Main Street program and other civic organizations. They include a Fall Foliage Festival and a car show sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, and what is described as a “Pony Express Ride” in which people on horses will compete to see who can reach destinations in the community in the shortest time.
She envisions Talihina as becoming a tourist destination for people from neighboring Arkansas and Texas who wish to partake of the area’s natural beauty and the recreational activities that it offers. The hang gliders that can be seen descending from the surrounding mountains are indicative of the increasing popularity of the area for tourists. There are now several cabins and a bed and breakfast in operation to provide lodgings for those visitors.
WILLIAM F. O’BRIEN is an Oklahoma City.
Opinion
Talihina prepares for Main Street revival
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OUR VIEW: Feb. 14 vote about ideas
If you read any of the letters to the editor in the past two weeks regarding Tuesday’s District 2 Edmond school board race, then you already know that this election is not about the individual candidates so much as it’s about what type of school board do Edmond residents really want governing their school district?
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What are your presidential 10 Commandments?
As we brace for the upcoming presidential campaign, we should be honest about our responsibility in the process. Before we get pushed, pulled, bribed, frightened, bullied, flattered, fooled or charmed into voting for a candidate, let’s take a mature thoughtful look at what the profile of the president should look like. In order to do that, let’s do an exercise. Sit down with a pencil and paper and draft your proposal for the Ten Commandments to be obeyed by the president. Let me share some of my suggestions.
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What would Reagan do today in Oklahoma?
As we celebrated the 101st anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth on Feb. 6, several of us at Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs started discussing what Reagan might do today. Here are some of the ideas we came up with.
- LETTER: School counselor says Roy ready to help all students
- LETTER: Supporter calls Duncan 'a firecracker'
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Consequences of an overregulated nation
Overreaching government regulations are costing jobs and killing our economy. They are a heavy burden on our nation and its citizens — in some cases worse than our nation’s increasingly out-of-control debt.
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LETTER: Supporter: Duncan shows passion for children’s needs
To the Editor:
The families in the Edmond Public School District are fortunate to have Kathleen Duncan as their advocate on the Edmond Board of Education. Duncan has worked tirelessly for the welfare and benefit of the Edmond schools’ students. -
LETTER: Teacher supports Duncan’s re-election
To the Editor:
On Feb. 14 patrons of District 2 have an opportunity to re-elect the current president of the Edmond School Board, Kathleen Duncan. Duncan has served as a board member for 10 years. When people move to the Oklahoma City area, they buy a home here because of the exceptional quality of Edmond Public Schools. This speaks to Duncan’s goal of “Excellence in Education for All Edmond Public School Students.” -
LETTER: Supporter: Duncan understands diverse issues
To the Editor:
Kathleen Duncan understands the diverse issues that effect our schools. She carefully studies the district’s issues and works tirelessly as an advocate for all students. Her votes as a board member have an impact for years to come and she takes that responsibility very seriously. - LETTER: Reader says incumbent's personal agenda in the way
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OUR VIEW: Feb. 14 vote about ideas
