This facility is responsible for producing the bombs used by the US military. It is also home to the workers of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. The town is home to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. The coming of coal mining and rail lines assisted in growing the town at a fast pace.

He was subsequently appointed the lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. The town’s name was from James Jackson McAlester, a pioneer settler and businessman. McAlester was initially a settlement known as Bucklucksy, but when the general store was opened and discovered coal in some close areas, it was made into a town. In the 2021 population census, the total number of people in the town was 18,244. It lies 90 miles south of Tulsa and 129 miles southeast of the state capital. McAlester is a town in the state of Oklahoma and Pittsburgh county’s county seat. In search of the best and fun things to do in Mcalester, OK?