In 1890, a barbed-wire fence was built through the middle of Maud. It ran from the North Canadian River to the Canadian River, along what is now Broadway. This precise line through the town connects a year with two river names and a present-day street name. If you want to get to know a place through its history, it offers a concrete starting point.

Railroad and early chronicle

In 1903, a railroad depot was built that handled four passenger trains and eight freight trains of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway each day. Maud became a freight station on this line. The daily figures given can be compared: freight trains were twice as numerous as passenger trains.

The following year, in February 1904, the first issue of the newspaper Maud Monitor was published. The depot and newspaper thus represent different themes in the town’s history in successive years: rail traffic and the local press. The newspaper’s beginnings add another way of exploring Maud’s early history alongside the railroad.

The town’s name also has a personal history: Maud was named after Maud Stern, the sister-in-law of the owners of the local general store. The naming connects the town’s name with people from the local business community. Another family connection leads to Phillip Cooper. He was one of Maud’s founders and the grandfather of astronaut Gordon Cooper. The naming, newspaper, and family connection offer different perspectives on local history without needing to be combined into a single narrative.

Biographies connected to Maud

Rockabilly star Wanda Jackson was born in Maud in 1937. Edmond Andrew Harjo was born there on November 24, 1917, and lived most of his life in Maud and the surrounding area. As a Code Talker, he transmitted military messages in his native language. The two lives are connected to the town in different ways: for Jackson, Maud is her birthplace; for Harjo, the connection also includes his long life in the area and his work as a Code Talker.

Around the turn of the 21st century, the Maud Historical Museum was located on East Main Street in the Maud Drugstore. The museum is therefore another clearly dated trace of the town’s history, alongside Broadway, the railroad, and the biographies.

Maud’s present-day municipal framework includes the work of its Public Works Department. The department is responsible for maintaining the city’s streets, city park, and recreational areas. Maud’s history thus encompasses both historical developments and a current municipal responsibility.

If you choose where to stay based on local themes, Maud offers several distinct points of interest: historical connections to the town, railroad and newspaper history, and biographies. If you are considering Maud as a destination for your stay, see whether this particular mix suits your travel interests.

For the broader travel overview: Pottawatomie County.