Alva was born when the
Panhandle line of the
Santa Fe Railroad was
built through Indian
Territory in
1885-1886.
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It was the first town located
south of the Kansas line. When the railroad sought a name for the new town, Alva
was chosen in recognition of Alva Adams, an attorney for the railroad. Later Mr.
Adams moved to Colorado and became governor of that state.
The Cherokee Strip was opened to
settlers on September 16, 1893. On opening day many people came to
Alva by train, on horseback, in wagons and buggies to stake their
claim. They had a choice of either a city lot or a quarter section
of land. With many of the new arrivals choosing lots, Alva grew to
several hundred people the first day.
In March 1986, Alva became one of the first five Oklahoma Main Street
towns. Funded locally by the business community, the Alva Main Street Project
utilizes an incremental strategy developed by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation to successfully revitalize the commercial
district.
This project seeks to improve the image of the town,
especially the downtown core, building on existing resources and
fostering strong local leadership and long-term community support. The
project's ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life for all Alvans. Recognizing
the unique character of the buildings in the business district, it
encourages architectural and graphic design that complements the
existing structures. |
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