RICH.

>> RICH: THANK YOU.

>> RICH; CLEARVIEW, OKLAHOMA, ONE OF 13 REMAINING HISTORIC BLACK TOWNS IN OUR STATE, WAS FOUNDED IN 1903 AND WAS ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS LINCOLN IN HONOR OF OUR 16TH PRESIDENT.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ON THE HISTORY OF THIS SMALL TOWN IN OKFUSKEE COUNTY IS TAELYR JACKSON.

TAELYER?

>> CLEARVIEW HAS HAD ITS SHARES OF UPS AND DOWNS OVER THE YEARS.

IT STARTED WITH A NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT LOOKING FOR FREEDMEN THAT WERE SEARCHING FOR A NEW LIFE WITHIN INDIAN TERRITORY.

WE WANT TO WARN YOU THAT SOME OF THE IMAGES YOU WILL SEE ARE GRAPHIC.

♪♪ >> ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OKEMAH IN OKFUSKEE COUNTY IS THE QUIET LITTLE TOWN CLEAR VIEW, FOUNDED BY JA ROPER, LA MEL JACKSON AND JOHN GRACE.

LIKE SEVERAL OTHER HISTORIC BLACK TOWNS, CLEAR VIEW WAS HOME TO FREEMAN.

>> THERE WERE A LOT OF RAILROADS THAT WERE IN OKLAHOMA AT THAT TIME, SO THE TOWN BEGAN TO BE ESTABLISHED IN INDIAN LAND, FREED MEN LAND IS WHAT IT WAS.

THOSE PROMOTERS WHO KNEW THERE WITH YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD PLAQUE LAND IN OKLAHOMA, YOU BARS FACING THERE WAS AN IDEA OF BECOMING AN ALL BLACK STATE, AND THEN WITH THAT IDEA THEN BECAME THE PROMOTION OF BLACK TOWNS ALONG THESE RAILROAD TRACKS.

>> CLEARVIEW HISTORIAN THEY ADVERTISED IN OUT OF STATE NEWSPAPERS.

>> SO WHAT THEY DID WAS THEN AFTER THEY HAD PLATTED THE LAND AND STARTED THE LAND COMPANY IS THEY STARTED ADVERTISING, AND THEY ADVERTISED IN THE STATES OF TEXAS, LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, ALL OF THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES, AND THEY WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE FORMER SLAVES IN THE SOUTH.

>> THANKS TO ADVERTISING, FREED MEN FLOCKED TO CAREER VIEW ESTABLISHING CHURCHS, BUSINESSES, AND A NEWSPAPER.

>> BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE AGRICULTURALISTS, THEY WERE ALL PREPARED, THEY WERE ALL ESTABLISHED IN A TRADE.

THEY KNEW HOW TO MAKE HORSESHOES, KNEW HOW TO BE BLACKSMITHS, KNEW HOW TO MAKE CLOTHES, HATS, KNEW HOW TO MAKE BRICK.

THEY KNEW HOW TO BUILD HOUSES.

>> BY 1907, THE TOWN WAS HOME TO MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE.

>> WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TOWN IN THE PEAK OF THE TOWN IS THAT YOU HAVE THIS JEALOUSY OF THE WHITES THAT LIVED IN THE AREA THAT DID NOT WANT THE SUCCESS OF THE BLACK TOWNS, DID NOT WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO THERE WAS AN EFFORT, ESPECIALLY HERE, OKFUSKEE COUNTY THAT SOME OF THE WHITES GOT TOGETHER AND SIGNED THESE CONTRACTS WITH EACH OTHER THAT THEY WOULD NOT SELL TO BLACKS.

THEY USED SCARE TACTICS OF SAYING THAT WE WOULD HANG YOU.

IN FACT, YOU PROBABLY HEARD OF THE STORE OF LAURA NELSON, THE HANGING OF HER ON THE BRIDGE BETWEEN OKEMAH AND BOWLY.

THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED THAT WOULD SCARE THE BLACKS.

>> LESS THAN A DECADE LATER, CLEARVIEW'S POPULATION BEGAN TO DECREASE PARTLY DUE TO THE BACK TO AFRICA MOVEMENT.

>> SHE CAME TO OKLAHOMA AND HAD THE IDEA OF GOING BACK TO AFRICA.

AND HE CAME THROUGH WITH THIS IDEA OF TAKING BLACKS BACK TO AFRICA.

>> SHE SAYS CHIEF LED SOME RESIDENTS OUT OF CLEARVIEW AROUND 1913.

>> THE STORY IS IT WAS NOT FAR FROM CLEARVIEW THAT HE SET UP HIS CAMPS TO TAKE PEOPLE BACK.

>> DUE TO LOGISTICAL ISSUES, MANY OF SAM'S FOLLOWERS NEVER MADE IT TO AFRICA.

>> HE DIDN'T GET HIS SHIP LIKE HE WANTED IT, SO A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE DIED IN THAT CAMP, AND HE DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK TO AFRICA.

>> BACK IN CLEARVIEW, THE TOWNS RELIANCE ON AGRICULTURE CREATED PROBLEMS OF ITS OWN IN THE 1920'S AND 30'S WHEN COTTON PRICES SIGNIFICANTLY DROPPED AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION HIT.

IN 1937, THE RAILROAD CLOSED.

JOBS IN TOWN WERE HARD TO FIND LEADING TO AN EXODUS FOR MANY RESIDENTS SEEKING A BETTER LIFE OUT OF STATE.

FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS, CLEARVIEW MAYOR MARILYN JACKSON, HAS WORKED TO IMPROVE THE TOWN'S INFRASTRUCTURE.

CLEARVIEW RECEIVED A 100,000-DOLLAR GRANT FOR BRIDGE AND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM.

JACKSON USED THAT GRANT MONEY TO REPLACE THE TOWN'S MAIN ROAD.

>> CALL IT THE TRACK, THE OLD RAILROAD TRACK.

IT JUST GOT PAVED ALL THE WAY FROM THE CEMETERY TO THE BOTTOM OF JAMES HILL, WHICH IS HALFWAY BETWEEN.

>> JACKSON AND OTHER TOWN LEADERS ARE COMMITTED TO FIXING UP THE TOWN WITH THE HOPES OF LURING TOURISTS AND FORMER RESIDENTS BACK TO PAY A VISIT.

>> ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I'M TRYING TO DO IS GET THE LOTS CLEANED UP, YOU KNOW.

PEOPLE HAVE INHERITED LOTS, AND THEY'RE SMALL LOTS.

SO THERE IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO BUILD SOMETHING ON.

>> THE OLD TOWN HAS SOME LIFE LEFT AND STORIES TO TELL.

THE MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTION IN TOWN IS THE OKLAHOMA AFRICAN AMERICAN EDUCATOR HALL OF FAME MUSEUM.

THE MUSEUM WAS CREATED BY OKLAHOMA EDUCATION HALL-OF-FAMER, WHO IS ALSO THE HUSBAND OF TOWN HISTORIAN SHIRLEY.

>> HE LOOKED AROUND AND HE THOUGHT ABOUT THERE'S NOT VERY MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS BEING INDUCTED INTO THESE HALLS OF FAME.

AND HE SAID, I HAD GREAT TEACHERS AND HE THOUGHT ABOUT I HAD GREAT TEACHERS ALSO, BUT NONE OF THEM ARE BEING RECOGNIZED, AND WE THOUGHT -- WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THESE EDUCATORS RECOGNIZED.

>> VISITORS CAN ALSO CHECK OUT THE TOWN GIFT SHOP AND PURCHASE CLEARVIEW PILLOWS AND COOKBOOKS.

THE OLD GYM HAS BEEN RENOVATED TO HOST EVENTS LIKE BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND FAMILY REUNIONS.

JACKSON SAYS THE REUNIONS ALWAYS DRAW A LARGE CROWD BACK TO TOWN IN THE SUMMERTIME.

>> WE JUST FINISHED UP ON LABOR DAY AND DID THE GOLDEN FAMILY REUNION, AND ABOUT 3 OR 400 PEOPLE HERE, AND THEN THE FRENCH FAMILY CAME IN, AND THEY HAVE A BIG FAMILY.

>> CLEARVIEW'S ONCE BUSTLING POP BUSTLEPOPULATION OF 700 IS DOWN.

>> THAT INSPIRED ONE RESIDENT TO BUILD A RESTAURANT HERE IN TOWN CALLED WANDA JEAN.

>> WHAT'S ON THE MENU TODAY?

>> TODAY WE HAVE FRIED PORK CHOPS, SMOTHERED POTATOES AND FRIED OKRA.

>> IT SITS MAIN TREAT OVERLOOKING THE TOWN'S ROAD.

SHE NAMED IT AFTER HER MOTHER WHO STILL LIVES IN CLEARVIEW TODAY.

>> THERE WERE 7 OF US, 5 BOYS, 2 GIRLS, NO FATHER, SO IT WAS PRETTY ROUGH.

PLAYED BASKETBALL AND TRACK, DID ALL OF THAT.

THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING HERE WHEN I WAS HERE, PROBABLY LIKE LITTLE STORES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> WANDA JEAN'S UPTOWN OPENED IN 2021 AND IS A LOCAL FAVORITE.

>> I LIKE EATING OVER THERE.

I LOVE THE HOT WINGS, BECAUSE THEY CHANGED, AND I'M TRYING TO GET THEM TO CHANGE BACK.

>> SHE SAYS WHAT'S GOOD FOR HER BUSINESS AND GOOD FOR CLEARVIEW TOO.

>> MY MAIN REASON OPENING UP WANDA JEAN'S UPTOWN TO, BRING IN POSITIVE STUFF TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, HELP, YOU KNOW, WITH THE JOBS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

>> RESIDENTS SAY GROWING UP IN CLEARVIEW WAS LIKE HAVING A HUGE EXTENDED FAMILY.

>> EVERYBODY HERE, IF THEY'RE NOT BLOOD RELATED, THEY'RE MARRIED INTO OR WE CLAIM THEM AS COUSINS AND AS SISTERS AND BROTHERS.

>> WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS AROUND.

WE HAD A HIGH SCHOOL.

I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN '61.

THEY CLOSED IT IN '64.

>> WE HAD TO WALK ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE TO CATCH THE SCHOOL BUS, AND BUS ROUTE WAS VERY LONG, AND WE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT THE FIRST ONES ON THE BUS, AND THEN WE TRAVELED ALL THROUGH THE COUNTRY PICKING UP KIDS, BECAUSE THE AREA WAS MOSTLY AGRICULTURE.

>> WELL, BACK IN THE '50s, THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, WE HAD A HARD TIME IN THE COTTON FIELD.

WE CHOPPED COTTON, WE PICKED COTTON.

WE DID ALL THOSE THINGS, AND WE USED TO HAVE TO CARRY WATER.

WE DIDN'T HAVE RUNNING WATER.

WE HAD OUTDOOR TOILETS.

WE DIDN'T HAVE NONE OF THE CONVENIENCES THAT WE ARE TODAY.

>> HE'S ONE OF 17 KIDS.

HE AND HIS BROTHER EARL LIVE IN THE SAME HOME THEY GREW UP IN.

>> OH, YEAH, A LOT OF TIMES, WHEN THE BUS COME, YOU BETTER GO IN THE HOUSE AND EAT, BECAUSE YOU IF DIDN'T, THERE WASN'T NOTHING TO EAT,.

>> RESIDENTS HOPE THE NEWFOUND AWARENESS LIKE BLACK HISTORICAL TOWNS LIKE THEIRS WILL ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES.

>> BRING SOME KIND OF FACTORY IN HERE.

IF YOU BRING A FACTORY IN HERE, YOU CAN GET WORKERS, AND WORKERS BRING PEOPLE.

>> SO IF YOU WANT TO MOVE TO CLEARVIEW, COME ON.

WE'LL FIND A PLACE FOR YOU, AND IT'S AN EASY PLACE TO LIVE IN.

>> COMING UP, IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE NEW YEAR.