City of Ada, OK History Page

Community History

In the late 1880's, the Daggs family (by way of Texas) became the first family to settle what is now know as Ada. The community was originally known as Daggs Prairie. A little later, a relative by the name of Jeff Reed (also a native Texan) was appointed to carry the mail from Stonewall to Center, two small communities in the Indian Territory. In 1891, a post office was established and the town was renamed after Reed's oldest daughter, Ada.

Ada is also well-known for the infamous 1909 vigilante hanging of four men accused of murdering a local rancher. That event was documented on its 100th anniversary in the Emmy Award winning film "Death of the Old West". You can learn more at the official documentary website at www.deathoftheoldwest.com.

Four excellent books have been written on Ada's rich history, including: The Early History of Ada, by J. Hugh Biles; Cabin in the Blackjacks, by Roy S. McKeown; Four Men Hanging, by Welborn Hope; and Ada, Oklahoma: Queen City of the Chickasaw Nation, by Marvin E. Kroeker and Guy W. Logsdon.

A self-guided walking tour of Ada's historic district is possible with this Walking Tour Map, as well as this Map of the Early Townsite, and this accompanying text. To obtain these documents, call (580) 436-6300.

All content copyright City of Ada, 231 S. Townsend St., Ada, OK 74820.