Bowers School

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

From the record

One of 20 National Register listings published here for Latimer County · listed in 1988 · category: Building.

Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
Address. Off US 270 on county road, Wilburton, 74578
When was it listed? September 1988
Category. building
Also known as. WPA Public Bldgs., Recreational Facilities and Cemetery Improvements in Southeastern Oklahoma, 1935-1943 TR
Census division. Wilburton
National Register reference number. 88001393 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

331 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 331 fires within 5 miles of Bowers School between 1992 and 2020, burning about 13,989 acres in total. 9 started naturally. 131 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Arson/incendiarism	131
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	96
Debris and open burning	60
Equipment and vehicle use	14
Natural	9
Smoking	8
Recreation and ceremony	8
Railroad operations and maintenance	5

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
7 September 2002	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	not named
5 September 2002	Smoking	3.5 acres	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	not named
28 September 2016	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	not named
28 September 2002	Recreation and ceremony	2.0 acres	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	not named
26 September 2002	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	not named
21 September 2004	Debris and open burning	2.0 acres	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	20367
20 September 2010	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	20234
18 September 2006	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	under an acre	Oklahoma Division of Forestry	20476

Every fire recorded in Latimer County

Mines and quarries near this property

5 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Bowers School: 5 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Flagstone, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Unknown Sand Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Unknown Sandstone Pit	Flagstone	Past Producer
Unknown Sandstone Pit	Flagstone	Past Producer
Unknown Sandstone Pit	Flagstone	Past Producer
Unknown Sandstone Pit	Flagstone	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Latimer County

Storms near this property

60 of 136 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Wilburton, the town this property stands in, in 136 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 60 hail, 54 thunderstorm wind, 18 flash flood, 3 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
January 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$80,000	Thunderstorm winds damaged several buildings and blew down trees across a large part of eastern Latimer County between Wilburton and Red Oak including the community of Cravens.One business in Wilburton known as The Auction House had its roof blown off and a few neighboring businesses had their plate glass windows broken. Throughout the county one mobile home and three barns were destroyed and five mobile homes and twelve barns were damaged. Numerous trees were blown down onto roads throughout the east part of the county including in the cities of Wilburton and Red Oak.
April 2000	Hail	Wilburton	$50,000	Baseball size hail fell and damaged several cars and roofs.
June 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$50,000	A small-scale microburst in Wilburton caused minor damage to 20 homes and nine businesses. Two commercial buildings sustained major damage. This includes roofs that were blown off of a laundromat on OK Hwy 2 North and the Wilburton Veterans of Foreign Wars Building. Many trees were uprooted, and many power lines were blown down by the high winds.
April 2009	Hail	Wilburton	$50,000	no account filed
November 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$30,000	A barn was nearly destroyed and two mobile homes were damaged just south of Wilburton. Power poles were blown down in the vicinity of US Hwy 270 and Arkla Road. Downed limbs and trees had to be removed from streets in Wilburton. The Wilburton Pizza Hut caught fire 30 minutes following the storm, though it is unknown if the fire is related to the storm.
April 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$25,000	A shallow vortex, known as a gustnado, developed along the leading edge of thunderstorm outflow and damaged the roof of a church, snapped large tree limbs, and blew down a power pole. This vortex was recorded by a security camera.
June 2007	Hail	Wilburton	$25,000	no account filed
July 2002	Lightning	Wilburton	$20,000	Lightning struck a home and started a fire in the attic. Heavy smoke and water damage were common throughout the home. Six firefighters suffered heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation and two were admitted to the hospital.
September 2001	Flash Flood	Wilburton	$20,000	Heavy thunderstorm rains caused major street flooding which stalled and stranded several vehicles. Later in the evening water from an overflowing stream surrounded a house at the depth of two feet.
May 1997	Tornado (F1)	Wilburton	$15,000	no account filed
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew the canopy off a gas station and blew down numerous trees.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$10,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$5,000	Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several light poles, and snapped large tree limbs.
April 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$5,000	Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees and power lines.
April 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour did some minor damage to roofs of a few houses and damaged some tin attached to barns.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees and power lines.
June 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$5,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew sheet metal off the roof of a barn near a rural residence west of Wilburton.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$3,000	A trained spotter reported a 70 mile an hour wind gust with what appeared to be a rear flank downdraft associated with a supercell thunderstorm. Damage to power poles and street signs was observed.
June 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$3,000	no account filed
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$2,000	Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted a tree and blew the roof from a carport.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$2,000	Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines west of town.
May 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$2,000	Numerous trees and some power lines were blown down by strong thunderstorm wind.
October 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$2,000	no account filed
August 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines. The city of Wilburton was without power.
April 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew over a large fuel tank at Robbers Cave State Park.
May 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$1,000	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree and power pole down.
April 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$500	Thunderstorm winds blew several trees down.
April 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$500	Several trees were blown down in Wilburton.
March 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$500	Tree limbs down on power lines
May 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$200	Numerous tree limbs were blown down in Robbers Cave State Park.
February 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	Thunderstorm winds blew down a large sign.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs at Robbers Cave State Park.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	Thunderstorm winds blew down trees.
May 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree.
December 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	no account filed
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	no account filed
October 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	no account filed
June 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	$100	no account filed
May 2025	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Highway 270 was closed between Highway 2 and Highway 271 due to flooding.
July 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Strong thunderstorm wind snapped large tree limbs.
June 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured to 65 mph.
June 2017	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Portions of several roads were flooded in Wilburton and Panola.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Strong thunderstorm wind blew down numerous large tree limbs.
March 2012	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Very heavy rainfall resulted in numerous roads becoming flooded across the western portion of the county.
June 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and large tree limbs on the west side of town.
May 2011	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Law enforcement reported several roads across the county were closed due to high water.
March 2008	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Heavy rain caused water to flow over Highway 270 east of Wilburton. In addition, secondary roads were flooded across a large part of the county.
March 2008	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Heavy rain caused several roads across the northern part of Latimer County to be closed due to high water.
May 2008	Tornado (EF0)	Wilburton	-	A storm chaser filmed a tornado northwest of town. It occurred in a remote area of the county, and thus a ground survey could not be conducted.
June 2007	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Heavy thunderstorms rains caused a few roads in and around Wilburton to be flooded.
July 2007	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Heavy rain caused several secondary roads in the vicinity of Wilburton to be flooded and impassable.
May 2007	Flash Flood	Wilburton	-	Heavy thunderstorm rains caused a county road to be flooded.
April 2005	Hail	Wilburton	-	Nickel size hail fell at Robber's Cave State Park.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees at Robbers Cave State Park.
March 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down a tree.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	The Oklahoma mesonet site near Wilburton recorded a 63 mile an hour wind gust.
June 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew large tree limbs down.
May 2003	Hail	Wilburton	-	Baseball size hail fell in Wilburton. Damage was done to roofs, windows and cars. An estimate of the dollar amount of the damage was unavailable.
May 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Wilburton	-	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down several large tree limbs.

Every storm recorded in Latimer County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Degnan School	4.5 miles	1988
Cambria School	5.2 miles	1988
Mitchell Hall	5.6 miles	1980
Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Rectory	6.2 miles	1980
Robbers Cave State Park	6.6 miles	2002
Rosenstein Building	6.9 miles	1980

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 88001393 in Record Group 79.
Latimer County	All 20 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.