Cavanal Hill
2012.12.20
Near Poteau, Oklahoma stands Cavanal Hill, claimed to be the tallest hill in the world at 1,999 feet above the Poteau River Valley. This distinction is subjective, as there is no global consensus on what elevation separates hills from mountains. Both 1,000 and 2,000 feet have served as demarcations.
The hill was a landmark for natives and early French settlers in the region. Then in the late 1800’s, the Witteville Coal Mine began digging into the slopes. Although there was a rail system for transport, the mining was all done by hand, with men and boys as young as twelve working ten to twelve hour shifts. In 1906, an explosion killed an unknown number of workers, probably in the dozens. Around the same time, a mayor of Poteau built a resort on the hill. Over time, the mines either collapsed or became overgrown, and the resort disappeared as well. Today a road twists and turns several miles up to the summit.
Idabel