Post by Eric Standridge on Oct 26, 2011 8:41:49 GMT -6
In 1881, Buck and Hester Davis were the second white family to arrive in the Poteau area. They settled on the hill immediately west of Tarby Lake, presently named Poteau City Lake, near where the Frisco and K.C.S. tracks cross.
When Buck Davis moved his family from Sugar Loaf Creek to the future Poteau area, he moved with horses and wagons. Besides bringing his immediate family, several of his relatives also followed him to the area. Among those relatives were Davis's younger sister and husband, Ophelia Davis and John Calloway Monroe Maxey, as well as Hester's sister and husband, Dezina Noe and Robert Wilson Turman.
Travel to the Town Creek area was rough for the Davis family. Before modern water control was established, the Poteau River was wildly unpredictable. By the time they arrived at the river, the waters were up and the river churned violently. Knowing that it was unsafe to cross, they dumped their belongings on the bank and waited for the water to go down. When the water finally went down, they carefully crossed the river at what was then called Anderson Ford. Anderson Ford was most likely directly east of the end of modern day Roanoke Avenue, just before the river curve.
Once they arrived at Tarby Lake, the Davis family set about building a one-room peeled log house. Within this ten by twenty foot log house, there were three beds and a fireplace to keep the family warm. Shortly after the log home was built, they built a log smoke house in back.
Throughout the early years of Poteau’s history, Buck Davis would be instrumental in the development of the future town.
![](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6232/6283363420_468da84fbc.jpg)
William "Buck" Davis
![](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6114/6282846209_1355bbd4e6.jpg)
Hester Jane Noe Davis
When Buck Davis moved his family from Sugar Loaf Creek to the future Poteau area, he moved with horses and wagons. Besides bringing his immediate family, several of his relatives also followed him to the area. Among those relatives were Davis's younger sister and husband, Ophelia Davis and John Calloway Monroe Maxey, as well as Hester's sister and husband, Dezina Noe and Robert Wilson Turman.
Travel to the Town Creek area was rough for the Davis family. Before modern water control was established, the Poteau River was wildly unpredictable. By the time they arrived at the river, the waters were up and the river churned violently. Knowing that it was unsafe to cross, they dumped their belongings on the bank and waited for the water to go down. When the water finally went down, they carefully crossed the river at what was then called Anderson Ford. Anderson Ford was most likely directly east of the end of modern day Roanoke Avenue, just before the river curve.
Once they arrived at Tarby Lake, the Davis family set about building a one-room peeled log house. Within this ten by twenty foot log house, there were three beds and a fireplace to keep the family warm. Shortly after the log home was built, they built a log smoke house in back.
Throughout the early years of Poteau’s history, Buck Davis would be instrumental in the development of the future town.
![](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6232/6283363420_468da84fbc.jpg)
William "Buck" Davis
![](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6114/6282846209_1355bbd4e6.jpg)
Hester Jane Noe Davis