— There have been few individuals who had a greater impact on Muskogee and the Three Forks area than Charles N. Haskell.

He was born in a log cabin in Ohio in 1861, orphaned at an early age and left to his own care from that time. By age 16, he was teaching school and studying law.

Haskell passed the Ohio bar exam at age 20 and went into law practice. He developed two passionate interests in his life — railroads and politics. In 1900, Haskell ran unsuccessfully for governor of Ohio. Looking to make a fresh start, Haskell was considering a move.

He happened to be seated next to Judge John Thomas on a train one day and struck up a conversation. Thomas was then serving as a judge for the federal court in Muskogee. He urged Haskell to check out Muskogee, which he said was a progressive town with plenty of opportunity for a young businessman. Haskell visited Muskogee, liked what he saw and moved to the city in 1901.

He arrived just as big changes were coming to Indian Territory and he jumped into the efforts to turn the territory into a state. In just six years of living in his new home, he was able to accomplish many things. His first project was to develop a rail line from Fayetteville, Ark. to Muskogee — the Ozark and Cherokee Central Railroad.

He then brought together investors for two more railroads, the Muskogee Union and the Midland Valley, which he convinced to headquarter in Muskogee. The Midland Valley was responsible for creating new towns in the county including Haskell and Porum.

Charles Haskell built the Turner Hotel and Annex at Third and Court streets and the Railway Exchange Building at Second and Court and his home on the street now named for him, Haskell Boulevard. He helped to build an interurban trolley line connecting Muskogee and Fort Gibson.

When the Sequoyah State Convention met in Muskogee in 1905, Haskell was a delegate and served on the Constitution and County committees. It is said that his ability to build consensus among different parties helped the convention succeed. Later he would occupy similar roles in the Oklahoma State Convention in 1906.

Ironically, when Haskell ran for governor of Oklahoma in 1907, he did not carry Muskogee County. This was because as a Democrat he ran on a segregationist platform and Muskogee County’s large black Republican bloc voted against him. Nevertheless, he won the state and was inaugurated as its first governor in Guthrie on statehood day, Nov. 16, 1907.

Haskell’s most controversial act as governor was moving the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. He was most proud of the Bank Guaranty Law that he pushed through the state legislature. This law protected depositors in case of a bank failure. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) was modeled after this Oklahoma law.

After leaving office, Haskell turned to oil investment and then practiced law in Oklahoma City. He died in 1933 and a large marble shaft marks his grave in Greenhill Cemetery in Muskogee.

Reach Jonita Mullins at jonita.mullins@gmail.com.