The Lochapoka Clan of the Creek Indians kindled their first Council fire under the Creek Council Oak Tree in the Tulsa area in 1836. The tree marks the centennial square if the early Creek town of Lochapoka, sometimes called "Tulsey-Town." The Creek Nation continues the tradition "councils under the tree" with a ceremony held each fall.

The Civil War brought disaster to the Lochapoka Creeks. Unlike the majority of the tribes in Indian Territory who supported the Confederacy, the Lochapokas remained faithful to the Union. The ceremonial grounds surrounding the Council Oak were destroyed by the Cherokee Confederate cavalry in hostilities associated with the Battle of Round Mountain. In addition to the Lochapokas killed ouright in battle, the clan's numbers were severely diminished by disease and starvation in the refugee camps of Baxter Springs, Kansas, where they had fled seeking safety.