Stratford was originally the town of McGee which was established in 1891. At the time, it was part of the Chickasaw Nation in an unorganized geographic region of the United States known as Indian Territory In 1906 the Oklahoma Central Railroad built the railroad two miles south of McGee. The town placed its buildings on wagons and wheeled them down to the train tracks. The new town was first named Walling, but by October 1906 the name was changed to Stratford is known as the Peach Capital of the World and holds its Peach Festival, annual rodeo, and car show the third Saturday each July. The festival has been held since 1976, while the rodeo dates back to 1936