Chelsea, OK

Chelsea started as an Atlantic and Pacific Railroad stop in 1881, and its name came from railroad official Charles Peach's London home. By 1889, the town had a post office and a Cherokee Nation incorporation; the first oil well in what became the Chelsea-Alluwe field was drilled nearby that same year. Historic Route 66 and State Highway 28 still cross at Chelsea, but the place is more than an old highway sign. Will Rogers attended a subscription school here, and today's town still leans on its FFA, ranching, farming, and school traditions. Chelsea is northeastern Oklahoma in layers: Cherokee Nation history, railroad town, oil patch, and Route 66 all stacked in one stop.