Washita County offers two distinct themes to consider when planning a trip: historic architecture and bodies of water with specific local points of reference. In Cordell, the courthouse, Historic District, and Carnegie Library provide architectural landmarks; the Canute Service Station adds a connection to Route 66 history. If you’re looking for a vacation rental, you can first consider whether history or lakes should be the focus of your stay.
Route 66 and Pueblo Deco
The Canute Service Station is a one-story, rectangular, stuccoed building and an excellent example of the Southwestern expression of the Art Deco style known as Pueblo Deco. It also played an important role in trade along historic Route 66. The station has been listed on the National Register since February 9, 1995. The Great Western Cattle Trail passed through Washita County in 1874, providing another historic route connection.
Courthouse and Historic Business District
The Washita County Courthouse is a historic three-story brick building in the Neoclassical style. It defines Cordell’s town square and has served as the center of county administration since before statehood. Here, the building’s architectural design meets its longstanding administrative function.
The New Cordell Courthouse Square Historic District encompasses the original business district of the New Cordell settlement, founded in 1897. The district includes buildings in the Commercial, Classical Revival, and Moderne styles. These three styles give the district an architectural range that goes beyond a single building style. Visitors interested in local history can explore the settlement’s origins alongside a variety of architectural themes.
Library, Museum, and More Local History
The Cordell Carnegie Public Library was built in 1911 and is the only surviving example of Mission Revival or Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Cordell. The Washita County Museum is housed in the old Carnegie Library, built in 1911. The museum displays an 1890 chuckwagon.
The Seger Indian Training School is historically significant for its connection to the Cheyenne and Arapaho; its site is vacant and unused. Its historic name is Seger Mission School; the site is vacant and unused.
The dates refer to different events: 1874 to the Great Western Cattle Trail passing through Washita County, 1897 to the founding of the New Cordell settlement, 1911 to the construction of the Cordell Carnegie Public Library, and 1995 to the listing of the Canute Service Station.
Lakes and Local Orientation
Rocky (Hobart) Lake is in Washita County, five miles northwest of Rocky; its shoreline is 8.40 miles long. Clinton Lake is also in the county, five miles east of Canute. Vanderwork Lake is seven miles north of Gotebo on State Highway 54 and two miles east on County Road 1280. Each lake has different reference points. Check road conditions before driving to Vanderwork Lake, as they can change.
Discover more destinations: Canute, Ottawa, Pushmataha County, Latimer County, Rogers County, Okmulgee County, Mayes County, Major County.
For the broader travel overview: Oklahoma.
