▁of ▁the ▁Five ▁Civil ized ▁Trib es , ▁African ▁Americans ▁who ▁stayed ▁with ▁the ▁Cho ct aw ▁were ▁called ▁Cho ct aw ▁Fre ed men . ▁They ▁were ▁granted ▁membership ▁in ▁the ▁nation ▁with ▁voting ▁rights . ▁O thers ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁as ▁labor ers ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁The ▁county ▁had ▁a ▁significant ▁African - American ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁although ▁this ▁has ▁since ▁dw ind led ▁to ▁almost ▁nothing , ▁as ▁people ▁left ▁to ▁seek ▁work . ▁Many ▁African ▁Americans ▁worked ▁in ▁cot ton ▁cultiv ation ▁and , ▁after ▁cot ton ’ s ▁decl ine , ▁they ▁moved ▁elsewhere ▁for ▁other ▁work . ▁ ▁The ▁territory ▁compr ising ▁P ush m ata ha ▁County ▁had ▁been ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Cho ct aw ▁Nation , ▁Indian ▁Territ ory . ▁It ▁was ▁almost ▁completely ▁un im pro ved ▁in ▁the ▁European - American ▁sense . ▁The ▁Cho ct aw ▁government ▁owned ▁land ▁in ▁“ se ver alty ”, ▁or ▁common , ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁commun al ▁land . ▁The ▁Cho ct aw ▁had ▁their ▁own ▁culture ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁need ▁brid ges , ▁roads , ▁or ▁public ▁works . ▁ ▁Early ▁business ▁leaders ▁at ▁state hood ▁immediately ▁sought ▁to ▁fund ▁public ▁improvements ▁by ▁asking ▁local ▁vot ers ▁to ▁pass ▁b onds . ▁The ▁state ▁government ▁did ▁not ▁invest ▁in ▁such ▁infrastr ucture . ▁Business men ▁tried ▁to ▁pass ▁bridge ▁b onds , ▁as ▁example , ▁to ▁build ▁brid ges ▁across ▁the