Work begins on new Panola District community center

This article appeared in the October 2018 edition of the Chickasaw Times

ACHILLE, Okla. - Governor Bill Anoatubby led Aug. 30 groundbreaking ceremonies for the construction of a Panola District Chickasaw Nation Community Center. The center will be at 100 W. Main Street in Achille.

The new center, Gov. Anoatubby said, would further the Chickasaw Nation’s mission to enhance the overall quality of life for the Chickasaw people.

 “It is really important to have a place to get together and celebrate milestones, and to fellowship with one another and to gather for family functions,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “These community centers are located throughout the Chickasaw Nation and they serve as a place of fellowship, festivity and activity.”

The Chickasaw Nation Community Center in Achille will feature a banquet room to accommodate more than 100 people, plus a family-style kitchen. Covering approximately 3,900 square feet, the center will also feature computer and exercise rooms.

Chickasaw Community Centers are located in Ada, Ardmore, Oklahoma City, Tishomingo and Marshall County.

Each facility offers amenities that meet a variety of needs for gatherings such as meetings, reunions and celebrations.

Historic Ties

The Achille area was home to Bloomfield Academy, an iconic educational intuition for Chickasaw girls, from 1852 until 1914.

“Bloomfield was a home away from home for girls across the Chickasaw Nation,” Gov. Anoatubby said. “Memories girls made there were passed on to family for generations. It was significant to the history of this area as well as the Chickasaw Nation.

“We look forward to the completion of this community center, and to the many milestones and memories that Chickasaws in this area will share here.”

More than 100 Chickasaw citizens, elected officials, employees, local leaders and residents joined Gov. Anoatubby for the groundbreaking ceremony.

For more information about Chickasaw Community Centers, please call (580) 559-0573.