Where Hochatown Was

Where Hochatown Was (1978) by Harold Stevenson

The painting was completed nearly ten years after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impounded the free-flowing Mountain Fork River as part of the federal flood control act.

Hochatown was a close-knit community. Legend says it was first settled by the “Hocha” family of Choctaw Indians from the Trail of Tears trek as they marched from their Mississippi homelands to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). A few white families also settled in the valley between the mountains, along the Mountain Fork River.

Moonshine and cotton farming

There were two primary economies: Moonshine and farming. Moonshine never quit, but a complete season of crops could be lost with one flood of the Mountain Fork River. After the dam was built, the valley began to fill as the impounded waters created Broken Bow Lake. Descendants of these families still live in our new Hochatown and surrounding areas. The recipe for moonshine continues to be passed down.

Churches, graves, schoolhouses and post office

With each rain, the reservoir began to fill. The Union Church was moved to higher ground. Some of the graves were also moved. Both the church and graves can be seen at their new location, on Highway 259. The Hochatown schoolhouse, store and post office were closed for business. The schoolhouse, as well as most of the homes, are under water. A few homes were disassembled and reconstructed in nearby towns. The Kincaid store and post office was relocated to a cow pasture in nearby Hollycreek. The penny candy jars, flour sacks, and customer credit files are all gone. The sounds of neighbors talking on the porch, reading their mail, and drinking a Coca-Cola are silent. The post office boxes were donated to the Forest Heritage Center Museum. It can be viewed in the log building located in the center of the building.

Tourism economy

As Old Hochatown slipped into a watery grave, a new kind of recreational economy began to emerge. Cane poles and worms for fishing the river were replaced with rods-n-reels and bass boats. Soon, recreational boating, skiing, and camping prevailed. The “Now Generation” of teenagers initiated all the best places: Hippie Point, The Dip, Crystal Point, Reasoner’s Point. Local names that have been codified into the history of Broken Bow Lake.

Reminding us of the past

Harold Stevenson was on the boat with friends when one raised his hands over the waters and sighed with longing for yesteryear “Harold, this is where Hochatown was.”

It only takes a moment for the artist to be inspired.

View the painting

Where Hochatown Was can be viewed during regular business hours at the Broken Bow OK branch of FirstBank.

A small study for the painting can be seen in the lobby of the Hochatown Branch of FirstBank (located across from Bruton’s Outdoor North.

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