Big Sticks Virtual Cache
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(virtual)
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This is a nice quick virtual cache with one fantastic view. A must
stop if you are taking a scenic drive in the Ouachita Mountains.
Great stop for a motorcycle tour as well.
At the bottom of the twisting roads that lead to this cache from
the north you will find another monument. It was dedicated to
President John F. Kennedy for his dedication of Ouachita National
Forest Road on 29 October, 1961 in Big Cedar, Oklahoma. The actual
placement of this odd virtual cache item seems to be forgotten. As
one web search I performed on the cache points out. Nobody
remembers the event more than vaguely. Why was this particular site
chosen? Why was it forgotten so quickly? Even the Oklahoma
Historical Society has little or nothing on this event.
Regardless you will find it an interesting location with one grand
view. E-mail what the 3 items the monument stands for or post a
photo of your visit. They are listed on a badly vandalized sign. Do
not list the information in your public log.
Updated Information from
unixnerd
I would truly like for you to know why Three Sticks Monument
stands alone on Kiamichi Mountain. Why no one remembers its purpose
is beyond me.
To understand Three Sticks Monument is to understand southeastern
Oklahoma. During the early 1900’s, “cut and get out” lumber
companies basically clear cut the Ouachita Mountains in two sweeps.
One sweep cut out all the pine trees, and the second sweep, after
Prohibition was repealed, cut out all the oak trees. What was left
was barren mountains, soil exposed to erosion, and any trees or
shrubs left were damaged. It wasn’t until the Dierks Brothers and
the Federal National Forest program came to Oklahoma that the
forests were replanted. People were poor working for the “cut and
get out” lumber companies, but they were even poorer when the
companies left.
Robert S. Kerr was Oklahoma’s first native born Governor and later
a powerful Senator. Kerr was also an environmentalist and oilman.
Kerr loved southeastern Oklahoma and saw the potential of the area
for tourism. However, Kerr also knew the lack of north-south roads
in the area would prohibit any true development. By 1955, the only
north-south road in the Oklahoma Ouachitas was the “Indian Service
Road” (or Indian Highway) from Talihina to Bethel. This road was
not part of the Oklahoma State Highway system. All other roads and
highways entered the Ouachitas at some break along the front range
and soon came to parallel the bending mountain ranges as they
wrapped from east to southwest. One had to get to the core area of
the Ouachitas in Arkansas before any north-south roads could be
found. Thus US 59 ran south of Heavener to Stapp and then turned
east (as a gravel road) to Mena, Arkansas. From Mena, US 59 and 71
both ran south within the core area of the Ouachitas. Within the
Broken Bow Uplift area of the Oklahoma Ouachitas, an earth
graded/gravel state highway (OK 21) connected Broken Bow, Bethel,
Smithville, and Cove, Arkansas along the valley of the Mountain
Fork River.
By 1953-55, work started on a gravel road south of Stapp towards
Big Cedar. This road took advantage of a stream valley (tributary
of Shawnee Creek) that broke the Shawnee Ridges and provided access
to the south. Though there were other break points along the
ridges, these points were occupied by old logging tramways (such as
the Pine Valley Tramway). By 1956, this gravel highway, State
Highway 103, had been completed across the pass of Spring Mountain
located between Winding Stair Mountain and Rich Mountain. The
latter two are formidable unbroken ridges. In fact, OK 103 had been
completed over the Spring Mountain pass, across the Pine Valley
Tram at Pipe Spring, through Big Cedar, and out into the synclinal
valley south of Big Cedar. Work continued off and on for three more
years before the twisting road crossed Kiamichi Mountain via a
harrowing switchback through rough Jackfork Formation turbidites.
By 1959, Octavia gained its first true access to the north via OK
103. In addition to constructing a road south to Octavia, most all
of OK 103 was blacktopped from US 59 to the south slope of Kiamichi
Mountain. In fact, once Kiamichi Mountain was crossed, it was
easier to follow Big Eagle Creek down slope to Smithville.
Thus the first north-south road had been constructed connecting
LeFlore and McCurtain Counties. All along the process, Senator
Robert S. Kerr had monitored and encouraged the construction. R. G.
Miller, a journalist for The Daily Oklahoman, wrote many articles
about the beauty of the Ouachitas and the recreational
opportunities they provided. So once this vital north-south link
was complete, a group of local citizens decided to commemorate
Senator Kerr’s and R. G. Miller’s efforts. Thus on top of the most
difficult ridge to conquer, Kiamichi Mountain, a monument was
constructed and dedicated by these local citizens. The monument
immortalized the words and life theme of Senator Kerr – “********,
*******, *** *****” – and used three batons or sticks to symbolize
these themes. A plaque dedicates this monument to Senator Kerr and
R. G. Miller, and also mentions other politicians who were
“accessories” to Senator Kerr’s efforts – Senator Mike Monroney,
Rep. Carl Albert, and Governor Raymond Gary. What is conspicuously
left off the plaque was the commemoration date!
Was the monument and plaque dedicated in 1958-59 when OK 103 topped
Kiamichi Mountain? Was it dedicated in 1960 when Smithville was
connected to points north? Since this was an effort of private
citizens, there was little fanfare in the building and dedication
of this monument. In fact, the monument has been known by several
names besides “Three Sticks Monument”. It has been called “Mount
Kiamichi Monument” and “Recognition Monument and Park”. So, its
history is lost to time and clouded by the presence of a
Presidential commemoration.
Senator Kerr’s influence did not stop there. His new home southwest
of Poteau had been completed in 1960. By 1961, the Texas highway
system had been linked to OK 87 south of Idabel and the rest of OK
21 and 103 had been paved. Senator Kerr was never shy about using
his influence to get what he wanted for the good of Oklahoma. By
this influence, he was able to arrange for President John F.
Kennedy to visit Big Cedar, OK to dedicate US Highway 259 that
combined TX 27, OK 87, OK 21, and OK 103 into a north-south cutoff
of the eastern bow of US 59. Days before President Kennedy was
scheduled to arrive in Big Cedar, Governor Edmondson frantically
called President Kennedy to find the real reason for his eastern
Oklahoma visit. Kennedy told Edmondson, “Why Howard, I’m going to
Oklahoma to kiss Bob Kerr’s ass!” So, on October 29, 1961, the
skies above Big Cedar were stirred by dual-rotor helicopters and
visitors swelled the village of a few people to a population of
over 20,000. And there at Big Cedar, Kennedy dedicated “a mountain
road that starts nowhere in particular and goes to a suburb of the
same place”. In all the commotion, Kennedy was so entrenched in his
speech that he almost forgot to cut the ribbon to open the new US
highway. Rep. Carl Albert noticed a Secret Service man holding a
pair of scissors and pointed this out to Senator Kerr. Senator Kerr
took the scissors, and in his “simple country boy” fashion
announced to President Kennedy, “Mr. President, we have come here
to dedicate a highway.” At that point he handed the scissors to
Kennedy who clipped the ribbon and officially opened US 259. After
the ceremony, Kennedy spent the night at Kerr’s home southwest of
Poteau. Notice, Kennedy never set foot south of Big Cedar; he never
visited Kiamichi Mountain or Three Sticks Monument which, by the
way, looked down into the northern valley at all the commotion that
October day.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgvpx Rz Hc!