Summit Mayor Greg Smith says if he had a wish list for the town it would be for housing.
“We’re a quiet, peaceful bedroom community, something that’s lacking in contemporary America. But we lose our young people to the economy elsewhere. We don’t have an economy here. We’re mostly a young-elderly, able-bodied population. Once our young people get a taste of Dallas, Oklahoma City or Tulsa, they don’t want to come back this way.
“But I know many who grew up here and want to move back, but there’s no housing. And they can’t set aside enough to build here, even if it’s cheaper, because where they are is so expensive.”
The town is working with Muskogee County to use a $1 million grant, ARPA funds from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, to fix some deficiencies, including to update drainage and septic systems.
Smith said Summit has come a long way. A few decades ago, it could have been described as a junky, crime-ridden place. Now it’s clean, quiet and enjoyable. Younger people may not like all the quietness, but it’s a great place for older people to spend their later years.
As for the town’s survival? Smith said there’s a demographic shift as white families seek a quieter place than nearby Muskogee, but there’s always been a new generation of people with ties to the town’s founding willing to step up and lead.
Summit history
Platted on Muscogee (Creek) Freedman land in 1910, Summit once was a regular railroad stop for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway system. Apparently it got its name because the depot was on the highest point between the Arkansas and N Canadian rivers.
Population, which is about 126, has steadily declined, but before World War II, the town supported a cotton gin, filling station grocery and a garage. At its peak, Summit was home to about 226 residents. That was in 2000.
Summit, founded by the Rev. L.W. Thomas, was not incorporated until 1980 but had a post office as early as 1896 and was always a self-governed community, the mayor said. Thomas was a Texas businessman with oil-rich holdings. It’s said that he invested $100,000 in land in Muskogee County and divided Summit into lots and small farms. His church, St. Thomas Primitive Baptist Church, was near the center of town. It’s the oldest structure still standing after 100 years.
Today’s congregation has been seeking donations to renovate the structure.
― Clytie Bunyan, managing editor for opinion & community engagement