

In the early years when Webber was in the territory, there was considerable conflict with the Osage people, who were forced by the United States government to give up some of their territory to the Cherokee, in a Treaty of 1828. Webber also built a salt works, leasing the land for the latter from the Cherokee government, which held it communally as a tribe. When English-speaking visitors came, one of their African-American slaves and domestic servants would translate. They had adopted many American ways and outfitted their house in European-American style. Of mixed-race Cherokee-European descent, Webber was married to a full-blood Cherokee. Having acquired a small fleet of keelboats, he was able to stock the post with goods from other parts of the United States, so he opened a trading post and a portage service, as well as building a house. Webber had settled here with some of the first Cherokee to go to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River it was then considered part of Arkansas Territory. In the late 1830s and 1840, the mass of thousands of Cherokee from the Southeast were forcibly moved into Indian Territory as a result of the US policy of Indian Removal. They had a treaty with the United States government by 1828, which helped settle some conflicts with the Osage people, who had been forced to give up land to the Cherokee. He was a leader among the Western Cherokee, also called "Old Settlers". The name comes from a seven-foot waterfall in the Arkansas River named in honor of Walter Webber, a Cherokee chief who established a trading post here in 1818. The population was 616 at the 2010 census, a decline of 14.9 percent from the figure of 724 recorded in 2000. She spoke at the ceremony Monday.Webbers Falls is a town in southeastern Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. Terri Angier, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation when the bridge collapsed. 'Very surreal, tragic time': ODOT spokeswoman remembers 2002 Webbers Falls bridge collapse I think if I had not went out there there would have been a lot more off in there," Pollard said.įormer Oklahoma Highway Patrol public information officer Chris West, who is the Canadian County, Oklahoma Sheriff today, remembered responding to the bridge disaster 20 years ago. I went out to one side of the bridge to try to keep more people from going off in it. "I was on duty that morning and I got a call right after it happened. He saved lives by stopping traffic on the west side of the bridge on I-40. Pollard was on duty as a police officer in Webbers Falls when the bridge collapse. "We haven't decided for sure yet," Pollard said. "I don't know if we will do this any more after this 20th anniversary," Pollard said. ‘A helpless feeling’: Webbers Falls bridge collapse witness still thinks of those lost I-40 bridge disaster: How this Oklahoma reporter navigated tragedy and uncertainty to cover I-40 bridge disaster Pollard spoke at the ceremony Monday, to remember the 14 victims who died. Webbers Falls, Oklahoma Mayor John Pollard was a police officer when the Interstate 40 bridge collapsed May 26, 2002. Janette Barlow of Wimberley, Texas traveled to Webbers Falls Sunday to remember victim Gail Shanahan. Watching my kids grow up and knowing that Shae was just a year and a half difference from my youngest daughter," Billie Eppler said.

It's holidays with my children, things like that. She said holidays are difficult, even two decades later. We didn't find out for sure until Tuesday evening," Eppler recalls. We were trying to catch them on their cellphones, (James and Misty Johnson) and just the unknown. "It was a phone call from my mom asking me if I was okay. 'I was shocked': First trooper to arrive at Webbers Falls bridge disaster recalls scene Gone but not forgotten: Former mayor to host memorial in honor of Webbers Falls bridge tragedy Everybody loved Jim," Eppler said.īillie Eppler said she remembers, "disbelief," when she answered a telephone call from her mother 20 years ago about the tragedy at Webbers Falls. He was just a great person in our area in our community.

She talked about her late brother at Webbers Falls Monday. She said she lives with the memories of losing three family members among the 14 people who died. Billie Eppler of Alma is the sister of James Johnson who was at Webbers Falls Monday.
