Little Dixie (Oklahoma)

Map of Southeastern Oklahoma. Definitions of "Little Dixie" vary widely, but most stay within the southeastern quadrant of the state.

Little Dixie is a name given to southeast Oklahoma, which in the past was heavily influenced by southern "Dixie" culture as it was settled chiefly by Southerners seeking a start in new lands following the American Civil War.

The same general area is also known by its Oklahoma tourism department name Choctaw Country, formerly Kiamichi Country, but the Little Dixie region is not clearly defined: its exact boundaries vary by source, falling mostly within the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's tribal area as well as some Chickasaw and Muscogee Creek lands. During the tenure of Carl Albert, it was considered to be the old 3rd Congressional district of Oklahoma. Several towns and cities in southeast Oklahoma use the Little Dixie name and that helps to define the boundaries. A radio station in McAlester is owned by "Little Dixie Radio, Inc." and the band in Tishomingo is called The Pride of Little Dixie. Also, Harry Truman visited Marietta in Love County in 1948 and gave a speech saying it was a pleasure to be in the Little Dixie region of Oklahoma.

Leaves of Grass (film), a 2010 film starring Edward Norton, is mostly set in Little Dixie.

See also

• Kiamichi Country
• Franks, Kenny Arthru and Lambert, Paul F. Oklahoma: The Land and Its People Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 1997. 104.