The History of

The History of

McLoud, Oklahoma

The town of McLoud, founded in 1895, was originally settled on the bottom land of the North Canadian River by a few homesteaders who made the second run in the county, the Kickapoo run of May 23, 1895. At the time the town was known as "Shacktown" where there was one store and some whiskey peddlers and was serviced by the Rock Island railroad. A deed to the McLoud town site was officially filed on June 21, 1895. Around 1900 a disastrous flood forced the settlers to relocate the town to its present location.

The town of McLoud was named for John W. McLoud, railroad attorney for the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf Railway. The first post office was established here on June 21, 1895 and was erroneously spelled "McCloud" and remained that way for four months and three days, when on October 24, 1895, it was changed correctly to "McLoud".

During the early days, grocery stores, meat markets, hotels, saloons and millinery shops prospered. Cotton gins and brick factories flourished and so much produce was raised, including the orchards, that trains made regular stops to load the products for markets elsewhere.

Notoriety for the town came during the 1940's when the town was known for being the "Blackberry Capitol of the World" due to the large amount of lucious fruit grown in the area. National media coverage was given to McLoud when the Blackberry Growers Association sent a crate of berries to President Harry Truman. Farmers in the area have since moved on to more lucrative crops, however, the heritage of McLoud as the Blackberry Capitol continues as the Blackberry Festival is celebrated each year in conjunction with the fourth of July holiday. Each year the festival draws thousands to McLoud to enjoy 3-4 days of baseball, carnival rides, a tractor show, car show, parade, Blackberry Queen contest, nightly entertainment and much more.

Centered geographically in both the State of Oklahoma and in our nation, McLoud will continue to entice people because of its accessibility and potential for development. Only 29 miles east of Oklahoma City, McLoud offers its residents and visitors a small town warmth and country charm combined with the convenience and opportunity associated with city life.