Lehigh, OK - Ghost Towns on Waymarking.com

Lehigh is located about 5 miles south of the county seat of Coalgate, Coal County, on Highway 75. The town was first settled in 1877 when coal was discovered. A post office was established in 1882. Lehigh was even named County Seat, until a later election (thought to be fraudulent) gave the honor to nearby Coalgate. The town was booming with a population of 4,000. Coal mines kept the town prospering until the mines closed in the 1920's. Then the Depression hit, and it was all over.

At its height, the prosperous town is described by the Oklahoma Historical Society: "The local economy was also based on agriculture, with farms producing fruit, corn, wheat, and cotton. By 1900 Lehigh supported two banks, two cotton gins, an elevator and flour mill, lumberyards, several saloons, three large hotels, a chili parlor, an ice plant, five schools, four churches, and the Bijou Opera House."

The town was even infamous for having been robbed by Pretty Boy Floyd.

All that is left of the original town is one two-story brick bank building, which was placed on the National Register in 2006. The post office, fire department an town hall are located out on the highway near 2nd street, and the remainder of the town are local residents who never left, and are either retired or doing small-time farming.

Reason for Abandonment: Economic Date Abandoned: 01/01/1920 Related Web Page: [Web Link]

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