In 1902 the Federal Government purchased 33 mineral springs near Sulphur, Oklahoma Territory, from the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations to create the Sulphur Springs Reservation, also under Interior’s jurisdiction. Established by Congress in 1902, the reservation officially opened to the public on April 29, 1904. On June 29, 1906, it was renamed Platt National Park in honor of the recently deceased Senator Orville H. Platt of Connecticut, who has helped establish the area four years earlier. The 1910s and 20s were the first golden age for Platt National Park, as the park slowly evolved as a facility and visitors continued to come for the cool and 'health-giving' waters. The community of Sulphur also grew, and the park and town were in many respects inseparable during this time as Platt National Park became known as "the playground of the southwest." Major improvements included many plumbed restroom buildings and improvements to the road system, though these restrooms have been replaced and the original roads have been rerouted in the time since. Improvements still in place include the community buildings at Cold Springs and Bromide (brown clapboard sided buildings currently used as park offices), the concrete retaining dam at Panther Falls, and the pavilion at Black Sulphur Springs. |
Last updated: December 7, 2021