(This was later part of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, and the line is now operated by the Kiamichi Railroad).

When postal officials rejected that designation, the name was changed to Mitchell, honoring another railroad company officer.

They named the post office Bokhoma (a Choctaw word meaning Red River); it opened December 15, 1902.

[7] At the time of its founding, Idabel was located in Bok Tuklo County, a part of the Apukshunubbee District of the Choctaw Nation, within what was known as Indian Territory.

[8] For the first four years, Idabel local government was conducted by the Choctaw tribe for its people.

[11] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

[16] McCurtain County Regional Airport (FAA ID: 4O4) is 2 miles northwest of Idabel, and features a 5002 x 75 ft. paved runway.

[17] Commercial air transportation is available out of Texarkana Regional Airport, about 73 miles southeast.

[19] Initially, timber was the basis for the local economy, but this was supplanted by cotton production after the nearby forests were cleared.

However, the Great Depression, depleted soil and destructive pests essentially wiped out this industry around Idabel.

Chicken farms were also established in the area and marginal agricultural land was turned into pine plantations.

[20] Little River National Wildlife Refuge is to the northeast; further to the northeast are Broken Bow Lake, Beavers Bend State Park, Hochatown State Park (now part of Beavers Bend), McCurtain County Game Reserve, and the Carson Creek Recreation Area.

[21] The Museum of the Red River houses art as well as archaeology, including Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, the Oklahoma State Dinosaur.