Who would have thought an evening of trailing a deer would lead to a new destination being built in Muskogee? Well, that’s what happened.

Garry and Bill never did find that deer, but after a long walk and a few homemade beers, they dreamed up an idea. Muskogee needed a microbrewery and the city planners agreed.

Muskogee city council had the old, rundown firehouse on a list to be demolished, but no one overly wanted this to happen. After a long time of negotiating, the deal was done and the work began.

With the help of many Muskogee locals, the dream slowly became a reality. As word got out about the project, people generously donated photos, postcards and historical artifacts from Muskogee’s past and present firehouse related history.

Many hours of blood, sweat and, yes, even a few tears lead to the design of Station 1 Restaurant and the Muskogee Brewing Company.

———-

When looking back at Muskogee’s history, one cannot ignore the importance of fires. The young town was destroyed when a major fire broke out in 1887. It had no organized fire department at the time and was unable to cope with this blaze. Muskogee’s downtown was destroyed. We rebuilt. After the fire, a new newspaper was created, the Phoenix. Like the mythical bird, Muskogee would rise from its own ashes.

Muskogee’s first fire department was created in 1893. On February 23, 1898, this young department faced a challenge. The downtown area was devastated by another major blaze. As in the past, the town rebuilt. This fire destroyed the town’s wooden firehouse. It was time to build a more permanent structure. Firehouse No. 1 was built in 1904. This structure remained as Muskogee’s Firehouse No. 1 until 2000, when a newer, better equipped facility was needed.

The great history of Muskogee still resides in the bricks, beams, and soul of the building. Another chapter of Muskogee’s history is being written, Muskogee Brewing Company and Station1 Restaurant. We invite you to come and enjoy our food and beverages and become a part of our town’s amazing history.