A state law establishing the True Grit Trail in southeastern Oklahoma takes effect Nov. 1, according to a news release from the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
House Bill 1411 is authored by Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, and Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain. It requires the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to post signs along state highways directing visitors to sites along the new trail. ODOT and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department are then required to work together to maintain information about the trail on an online platform.
“‘True Grit’ is such a classic American story,” Grego said. “It’s a tale of determination, a fight for justice and to see wrongs righted, and it contains a fascinating cast of characters from the young and fiery Mattie Ross to the ornery and cantankerous but effective Marshal Rooster Cogburn. And much of the story was set right here in Oklahoma. This new trail will give us a way to show off the places made popular in the story and hopefully will draw new visitors to this area of the state. This could positively impact our local hotels, restaurants and other businesses.”
“True Grit,” a novel by Charles Portis, has been adapted into several movies. It follows 14-year-old Mattie Ross, who hires U.S. Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn and a Texas Ranger to avenge her father’s murder. The three trail the gang into what was then known as Indian Territory in 1878.
John Wayne first played Rooster Cogburn on screen in 1969, and Jeff Bridges played the role in the 2010 remake. Kim Darby played the original Mattie Ross, and Hailee Steinfeld played the character in the 2010 film.
Towns and places of interest along the trail include Sallisaw, Spiro, Bokoshe, McCurtain, Kinta, Quinton, Krebs, McAlester, Hartshorne, Wilburton, Red Oak, Bengal, Talihina, Robbers Cave State Park and the Talimena National Scenic Byway.
“I’m thankful to all those behind the scenes who have worked on establishing the trail so that when the law takes effect, we can get on our way to welcoming visitors,” Grego said.
One of those people is Mike Cathey, a constituent of Grego’s who provided much of the inspiration for the bill. Cathey has worked aggressively on the trail for the past three years as the state designation made its way through the legislative process, according to the release.
Cathey writes a weekly newspaper column and an annual tourism column. This year, with the bill’s passage, he encouraged readers to start in Dardanelle, Arkansas, the fictional home of Mattie Ross, and travel the nearly 260 miles along Arkansas Highway 22 to Fort Smith, according to the release, where Mattie goes to hire Deputy Cogburn to help find the man who killed her father.
“This journey finds the traveler in the beautiful San Bois Mountains valley, in the now Lake Eufaula region, and following a visit to J.J. McAlester’s Olde Town stomping grounds, into the outlaws’ Robbers Cave and finally in the Winding Stair Mountains of the Ouachita National Forest of southeastern Oklahoma,” Cathey writes. “And there is so much more as Charles Portis, I believe, purposely set his novel to parallel the Trail of Tears and the Butterfield Trail.”
The governor approved HB 1411 on April 17, according to the Legislature’s bill page, and ceremonially signed it into law in August. Cathey and others from southeastern Oklahoma came to the bill signing at the Capitol in costume, each representing a different character from “True Grit.”
Since then, Cathey said, the True Grit Trail in Oklahoma group has had some discussions with ODOT and the Tourism Department about signage.
“This is a work in progress,” Cathey said.
Cathey and others have also been working on local events highlighting the trail, such as taking part in the Haunted Homestead Treasure Hunt. It runs again from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Edwards Store and Edwards-Hardaway Homestead, 8 miles northeast of Red Oak along the Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail.
The group has also worked with the Latimer County Tourism Authority to promote the trail in both Arkansas and Oklahoma, and it hosts a monthly podcast, “Tales of the True Grit Trail.”
The trail group’s work has also been integrated into the Metropolitan Library System’s Big Read program in Oklahoma City, which this year is honoring 250 years of the American story by bringing readers together to read “True Grit.” The program kicked off Sept. 26 and has events through the rest of this year and into 2027.
A current primary focus for the trail is gathering data and information from local communities, towns and cities along the route across western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma, Cathey said.
More information about the trail is available at truegrittrail.com.
Grego represents District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which includes Latimer County and part of Pittsburg County.