History of Claremore

In the early 1800's, Oklahoma was considered to be the center of the Great American Desert. What is now Claremore was once a vast wilderness practically uninhabited except for wild animals.

Major Jean Pierre Chouteau, founder of Saint Louis and Kansas City, established the first permanent white settlement in Salina. In 1802, Chouteau encouraged a band of Osage Indians to locate to a 25 acre mound along the Verdigris River to hunt and trap animals for trade. Chief Glahmo settled his village with 400-500 Osage Indians from Missouri in the mound, now know as Claremore Mound. The top of the mound was flat and over 100 feet above the river and plains and presented a natural fortification. The area allowed the tribe to continue their old livelihood of hunting and trapping. It has caves, excellent for curing and storing hides. The mound became known as Clermont, French for 'clear mountain' and Glahmo became known as Chief Clermont.

The above photograph depicts how the Mound looks today.

Chief Clermont was an impressive figure, very strong and highly intelligent. He was referred to as "builder of towns," an eloquent speaker, and a master politician. He also had four wives and thirty-seven children.

After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the area was designated as Indian Territory. The Panhandle, however, remained under the control of Spain until 1821.

The Cherokee tribe, through a series of federal treaties, were forced from their eastern homes to new lands in northeast Oklahoma by way of the infamous "Trail of Tears". They were given title to land which included Clermont Mound, and for several years sought to remove the Osage village. When the Cherokee hunters attempted to assert their hunting rights along the Verdigris, they were met by Osage war parties. In October 1817, a well-armed band of Cherokee and Delaware Indians attacked the Clermont village. The Osage warriors were away on a hunting trip. The village was filled with women, children and old men. During the attack, many of the Osage Indians got as far as the river, but drowned in an attempt to escape. The others were killed and some taken as prisoners. Chief Clermont was killed and buried on the mound.

Again, through a number of treaties, the U. S. Government obtained all of the Osage lands. In 1870, Congress purchased a small reservation for them in Oklahoma. Later the great Burbank oil field on this reservation made the Osage the wealthiest nation per capita in the U. S. This reservation is now Osage County.

Sometime during the years following the Clermont Mound Massacre, the Delaware Chief, John Bullette, obtained permission to re-establish Clermont as a Delaware Indian city on Cherokee land. The site was about three miles east of the mound and made it the second location of the town.

To reach an extension of the Frisco Railroad, the site of Clermont was moved a third time, at its present location, about seven miles southeast of the mound. A post office was established there on June 25, 1874. Through a clerical error, the name was listed as Claremore and that spelling stuck.

Most of the first settlers were Cherokees. The adjustment of the Indian tribes to live in Indian Territory was remarkable. They prospered, organized constitutional governments, established towns and plantations, published newspapers, magazines and books, and established an extensive educational system.

In 1883, the Indian Commission granted a square mile for the present site of Claremore to be platted and sold, with the money to go the Cherokee Treasurer. Auction of the lots were held on August 1, 1883, and they sold between $5 and $31 each.

At the turn of the century, Claremore was larger that Tulsa and shortly afterwards, the white population grew in size and took control of the town.