Belle Starr Gravesite - Lake Eufaula, OK
N 35° 18.127 W 095° 20.279
15S E 287421 N 3909053
The grave of "Bandit Queen" Belle Starr is in the woods at Younger's Bend, about seven miles southwest of Porum, OK, off of OK 71. She lived here in a cabin until she was murdered in 1889.
Waymark Code: WMQVZ2
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 04/03/2016
Views: 10
For many years, the gravesite was neglected, and the cabin that she occupied here was torn down in 1933. Back in the day, it required some work and lot of bug spray to find the gravesite, but in recent years, the property has new owners, and they have rebuilt the cabin. There is an Oklahoma Historical Marker for Younger's Bend that makes the site easy to find, and there is an unimproved trail that requires just a few minutes of walking to reach Belle's gravesite. Folks seem to have more respect for the grave now than they once did. Instead of the graffiti that can still be seen on the faux crypt, they leave coins or flowers.
The original headstone was destroyed by vandals over the years -- a photo of it is here (
visit link) -- and evidence of their activities is still visible on her faux crypt. A replacement stone was placed a few years ago when the gravesite was restored, and even up close, it can be difficult to read. It says:
Belle Starr
Born in Carthage, Mo.
Feb. 5, 1848,
Died
Feb. 3, 1889.
Shed not for her the bitter tear,
Nor give the heart to vain regret.
'Tis but the casket that lies here,
The gem that filled it sparkles yet.
Please, no visits outside of daylight hours, no visits during deer or turkey hunting season, and no visits on Halloween (?!). The site is open to the public, but remember, this is private land, visit at your own risk. Many suggest that bug spray is still a good thing to bring along, lest you run into ticks.
The 2013 Younger's Bend historical marker provides some additional background:
Formerly a strong southerly bend in the Canadian River was located here. The course of the river was permanently changed after the construction of the Lake Eufaula Dam in 1964. It is thought that the bend is named for Cole Younger who served in the Civil War as a member of Quantrill's Raiders and operated in this area 1862-64. After the war, Cole Younger and his brothers would join Frank and Jesse James to form the James-Younger Gang. Although visited by many other famous Outlaws of the time, Younger's Bend is best known as the home of Sam and Belle Starr 1880-1889. Both lived here until the separate events of their untimely deaths. It remains the quiet final resting place of Belle Starr.
"On the Canadian River...far from society, I hoped to pass the remainder of my life in peace." Belle Starr