s ▁economic ▁lif elines ▁lie ▁to ▁its ▁south . ▁ ▁Natural ▁resources ▁have ▁always ▁been ▁the ▁lif eb lo od ▁of ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County . ▁ ▁The ▁county ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁few ▁in ▁Oklahoma ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁pet role um ▁industry ▁does ▁not , ▁and ▁has ▁never ▁had , ▁a ▁major ▁presence ▁dr illing ▁for ▁oil . ▁ ▁During ▁recent ▁years ▁extra ction ▁companies ▁have ▁d ril led ▁successfully ▁for ▁natural ▁gas , ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁increasing ly ▁common . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁later ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Territ ory ▁and ▁early ▁state hood ▁as ph alt ▁was ▁m ined ▁at ▁two ▁locations : ▁ ▁J um bo ▁and ▁S ard is . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁time ▁these ▁were ▁econom ically ▁successful , ▁even ▁at ▁J um bo , ▁which ▁experienced ▁a ▁cat ast roph ic ▁mine ▁explos ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁which ▁killed ▁numerous ▁min ers . ▁▁▁▁ ▁Tim ber ▁is ▁an ▁economic ▁main st ay . ▁ ▁L umber ▁companies ▁own ▁large ▁sw ath s ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁and ▁operate ▁vast ▁tree ▁plant ations . ▁ ▁Fast - g row ing ▁p ine ▁trees ▁are ▁the ▁tim ber ▁of ▁choice , ▁and ▁in ▁many ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁a ▁virtual ▁mon oc ulture ▁of ▁p ine ▁trees — at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁any ▁other — has ▁been ▁established . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Tw enti eth ▁Century ▁a ▁rapidly ▁impro ving ▁transport ation ▁network ▁enabled ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County ▁to ▁advance ▁econom ically