Muskogee is the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, in the eastern part of the state known as Green Country, about forty-eight miles southeast of Tulsa. It stands at the Three Forks, the historic confluence of the Arkansas, Verdigris, and Grand rivers, a location that has drawn settlement for centuries and gave the city its strategic importance. The area's history reaches back to Native American peoples, and the city takes its name from the Muscogee, or Creek, people. After the forced removal of the Five Civilized Tribes to Indian Territory in the nineteenth century, Muskogee grew as a trading and administrative center, with Fort Gibson established nearby in 1824. The arrival of railroads in the 1870s spurred rapid growth, and by statehood Muskogee was one of the territory's leading cities. Today Muskogee blends that heritage with a practical regional economy. Manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and agriculture anchor local employment, and the Port of Muskogee, opened to year-round navigation by the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, links the city to the Mississippi River and Gulf ports. Bacone College, one of Oklahoma's oldest Native American-founded institutions, remains a local landmark, as does the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Culturally, Muskogee is best known for Merle Haggard's 1969 hit "Okie from Muskogee," a reference the city embraces through the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. Honor Heights Park's 30,000 azaleas anchor the long-running Azalea Festival, and the Garden of Lights brightens the winters. With affordable housing, Muskogee Public Schools, and a location near Tulsa and the Illinois River country, Muskogee offers a distinct, history-rich Oklahoma lifestyle.