I’ve always had a soft spot for small towns, and Davis, Oklahoma is a good example of why. With a population around 2,831, it’s the kind of place where things feel more personal, and the community has a real sense of itself.

That hits me personally because I’ve managed small cities too, including Sundown, Texas, population 1,811 and Farmersville, Texas, population about 3,500. In places like that, leadership is personal. The wins are visible. The hard days are visible too. When you’re serving a community that size, you don’t get to hide behind layers of bureaucracy. You’re close to the people, close to work, and close to the consequences of every decision.

Davis sits in a sweet spot, tucked into the Arbuckle Mountains and close to some of the most dramatic outdoor beauty in Oklahoma. In Turner Falls Park, a waterfall drops 77 feet, and it’s the kind of sight that makes you stop talking mid-sentence. You can hear it before you see it, and when it finally comes into view, it reminds you how good it is to get outside and reset for a minute. 

Then there’s Collings Castle.

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d almost think you imagined it. This sprawling stone structure, tucked inside the park, was built in the 1930s as a private residence, and today its ruins are a place to explore, featuring maze-like rooms and treacherous seeming staircases.  It’s part fairytale, part mystery, and it adds an unexpected layer to an already memorable place. Nature gives you wonder. The castle gives you curiosity.

Small towns do that when they are at their best. They take what they have and turn it into something people care about. They don’t need to be flashy. They just need to be themselves and do it on purpose. When a community leans into its natural assets, its history, and its local pride, it becomes more than a dot on the map. It becomes a place people remember. And it becomes a place people want to protect.

That’s what I felt in Davis. It’s not trying to be a big city. It’s a small town that knows who it is and is comfortable in its own skin. And that same identity shows up beyond the park too. The downtown has that walkable, small-town feel where you can slow down, look around, and support the places that make the community what it is.

If you want to add something sweet to the day, make time for Bedré Fine Chocolate. It’s right here in Davis — a Chickasaw Nation enterprise that produces genuinely excellent chocolate. Not small-town-participation-trophy excellent. Actually excellent. The kind that earns real recognition because somebody cared enough to get it right, not just get it done.

That’s the lesson small towns keep teaching me. Quality isn’t a function of size. It’s a function of care.

Davis is proof that you don’t need a big population to leave a big impression. Sometimes a town’s greatest strength is simple. It knows who it is, and it invites you to enjoy it. 

To learn more about Turner Falls Park and Collings Castle, visit turnerfallspark.com.

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