Press Release
December 2, 2016
Contact: Ronny Brown
Pawnee Bill Ranch, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 918-762-2513
rbrown@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/pawneebill
Holiday Activities to be Held at the Pawnee Bill Ranch
PAWNEE, Okla. — The Pawnee Bill Ranch invites the community to help celebrate the holiday season on December 17. The Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association’s annual meeting is planned for 11:30 a.m. in the ranch’s big barn, followed by a light lunch. The meal and meeting are open to Ranch Association members or those who desire to become members. As a special treat that day, the ranch is hosting a Santas of the World Tour from 1–3 p.m. in the mansion. The tour is free and open to the public. Come to the ranch for a visit and photographs with these historic Santas.
The Santa Claus with whom most of us are familiar is the result of the intertwining of Christian tradition, ancient and modern social customs, centuries-old legends, historical facts and the imaginations of a long line of writers and artists around the world. The Oklahoma Historical Society has developed a program depicting historic gift-bringers who tell their own stories. They are dressed authentically from their particular time period and country of origin. Some of the gift-bringers that may be featured are:
Black Peter (Holland, 1550); Grandfather Frost (Russia, 1900) and his granddaughter Babushka (Russia, 1800); Le Befana (Italy, 1800); Ophelia Noel (France, 1800); Civil War Santa (United States, 1861); Sinter Claus (The Netherlands, 1808) and his wife; Weihnachtsmann (Germany, 1800); Tundra Santa (United States, 1840); Tartan Santa (Nova Scotia, 1850s); and St. Nicholas (Turkey, 1100).
In conjunction with the Santas of the World Tour, Pawnee Bill’s 1910 mansion will be once again be beautifully transformed for the holiday season. Holiday decorations will be put in place by staff members and volunteers from the community and can be seen during normal hours of operation December 1–31. Pawnee Bill’s home is a Tudor-style arts and crafts bungalow and the decorations used for the holiday season are typical decorations that were used in a historic home.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road, one-half mile west of Pawnee on U.S. Highway 64. The home is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday, 1–4 p.m. Regular admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for students ages 6–18, and free for children age 5 and under. Please call 918-762-2513 for further information about the free Santas of the World Tour or other events at the ranch.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
