Horse Thief Springs in Southeastern Oklahoma

 

During the 1800s, Eastern Oklahoma was a wild and rugged place.  Stories like "True Grit" and Clint Eastwood's "Hang 'Em High" were based on real events that took place along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.  Believing that the Indian Nations of what is now Oklahoma would provide them with safety, outlaws flooded to the region.

They came because of the laxity of law enforcement in this area. Law enforcement at that time was under the direction of the Choctaw Nation and the laxity of law enforcement was not due to disinterest on the part of Choctaw Officials, but because the "lighthorsemen" who patrolled the Choctaw Nation were so few in number compared to the area that they had to cover.

Their presence terrified the peaceful inhabitants of the Nations and surrounding areas and the U.S. Government launched an aggressive campaign to round up these outlaws and bring them to justice. Isaac Parker was appointed as the Federal Judge for the Western District of Arkansas, which held jurisdiction over the region, and before his career was over would hang more murders, rapists and robbers than any Federal Judge in American history. He would also suffer the loss of dozens of deputy marshals in the line of duty.

As Parker's deputies penetrated deeper and deeper into the outlaw hideouts, the outlaws found new locations deeper and deeper in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. Traces of their presence can still be found there today at places like Robbers Cave and Horse Thief Spring.

Located along the beautiful Talimena Scenic Drive that winds its way along the tops of the Ouachita Mountains, Horse Thief Spring is a site rich in history and tradition. A small spring, now surrounded by a stone enclosure erected during the Great Depression, bubbles from the side of the mountain.

According to legend, this spring was used as a watering place by Old West outlaws who hid out in the vicinity. The site is relatively close to the Old Military or Fort Towson Road, which led from Fort Smith south to Fort Towson near the Texas border. This road was a major route for travelers in the 19th century and was frequented by outlaws.

From the end of the Civil War until the early 1900s, outlaws used places like Horse Thief Springs before the diligent deputies and Indian police finally brought their presence to an end.

Horse Thief Springs is located on the North side of the Winding Stair Mountain just below the crest of the ridge. The springs have been rock-enclosed. This picnic area adjoins the Choctaw Game Management Area where wild deer and other game animals are protected from hunters. Five outdoor ovens are available for use by visitors. The area affords an excellent view of Cedar Lake.