CONTENTS OF ARTICLES
in The Chronicles of Oklahoma
1992 to 2005

If you know which year you are looking for,
please clink on the link below to go directly to that year.

2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 • 1999
1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995 • 1994 • 1993 • 1992

Volume 85, No. 1(Spring, 2007)

"Sooner State Civil Liberties in Perilous Times, 1940–1941, Part 2: Oklahoma’s Little Dies Committee," by Wayne A. Wiegand and Shirley A. Wiegand, 4-33

As the Communist scare spread in the pre–World War II years, both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature set up “Un-American activities” committees. In Part 2 of the Civil Liberties story, the Oklahoma Senate Committee on Elections and Privileges turns its attention to a legislatively mandated investigation of alleged Communist activity in Oklahoma colleges and universities.

"Education for Successful Living: University School at the University of Oklahoma, 1917–1973," by Steven Wade Mackie, 34-51

The Progressive Era and its educational leaders, such as John Dewey and William H. Kilpatrick, inspired the creation of schools designed to focus on the child, on socialization, on practical subjects, and on problem solving. At the University of Oklahoma in 1917 Ellsworth Collings founded University School, a junior high and later high school. For fifty-six years it was to be a nexus of experimentation, observation, and practice exemplifying the ideals of Progressive Education.

"A Meeting of Conquerors: Art Goebel and Charles Lindbergh in Tulsa, 1927," by Thomas L. Hedglen, 52-71

Aviator and Phillips Petroleum pilot Art Goebel of Oklahoma, “The Conqueror of the Pacific,” met his counterpart, Charles A. Lindbergh, popular idol and “The Conqueror of the Atlantic,” in Tulsa in September 1927. Their meeting and their behavior toward Oklahomans revealed much about each man’s character and personality and about the American practice of hero making.

"Twixt Scylla and Charybdis: Environmental Pressure on the Choctaw to Ally with the Confederacy," by Kevin Sweeney, 72-93

A mid-nineteenth-century drought suffered by residents of the Choctaw Nation imperiled the ability of families to survive. Pressed by the need for cash to buy supplies, the Choctaw struggled to make the United States government live up to its treaty promises. Failing that, the nation’s leaders made the fateful decision to ally with the Confederate States of America, which promised aid.

Volume 84, No. 4 (Winter, 2006-07) Return to Top

“Forty Feet Under: Kaw City and the Kaw Project on the Arkansas River, 1957–1976,” by Richard Lowitt, 388-426

From the mid-1950s the inhabitants of Kaw City, founded in 1902 in Kay County, anticipated the construction of Kaw Dam and Reservoir on the Arkansas River. As the bureaucratic process dragged on for decades, the project divided the community. Ultimately, the residents rebuilt on a new site, and by 1977 “Old” Kaw City lay forty feet under Kaw Lake.

“A Few Unreasonable Proposals: Some Rejected Ideas from the Cherokee Allotment Negotiations,” by Andrew Denson, 426-443

Facing allotment of their tribal land in severalty, the Cherokee Nation strove to preserve several important elements of their political culture. Their proposals for land ownership, judicial administration, and representation in the United States Congress were summarily rejected by the members of the Dawes Commission during the 1898–99 talks.

“Sooner State Civil Liberties in Perilous Times, 1940–1941, Part 1: The Oklahoma Federation for Constitutional Rights,” by Wayne A. Wiegand and Shirley A. Wiegand, 444-463

The rise of Communism in Europe alarmed many Americans in the pre–World War II era, and the FBI investigated Oklahomans, including university professors and religious leaders, for suspected subversive activities. Determined to preserve and defend freedom of speech, a group of concerned citizens formed the Oklahoma Federation for Constitutional Rights and later faced investigation by the legislature.

“J. A. Webb, Early-Day Cotton Breeder from Union City, Oklahoma,” by M. Reneé Albers Nelson and Laval M. Verhalen, 464-492

In 1928 a cotton farmer discovered strange cotton plants growing in his field near Union City in Canadian County. The leaves were purple, and the bolls were set in clusters. A talented amateur agronomist, J. A. Webb diligently worked for the next three decades to perfect a better variety, and he marketed the seed as Webb’s Purple cot ton.

Volume 84, No. 3 (Fall, 2006)

“Money Matters: The Stamp Scrip Movement in Depression–Era Oklahoma,” by Loren Gatch, 260-287

Expanding his 2004 article on Oklahoma’s reaction to the Depression-era banking crisis of early 1933, Loren Gatch ties the origin of the scrip movement to the writings of Yale University’s Professor Irving Fisher, traces the implementation of scrip schemes in nearly three dozen Oklahoma towns, and explains the reasons for scrip’s early successes and rapid demise.

“Sobering News: Choctaw Temperance Reporting and Civic Journalism,” by Richard Mize, 288-307

Comparing modern “civic journalism” with its nineteenth-century counterpart, Richard Mize examines editorial positions on the temperance movement, as printed in the pages of the Choctaw Telegraph and the Choctaw Intelligencer. The two journals campaigned against alcohol in the Choctaw Nation.

“A Reading Room of Their Own: Library Services for African Americans in Oklahoma, 1907–1946,” by R. O. Joe Cassity, Jr., 308-321

Despite Jim Crow Laws and a Supreme Court–mandated doctrine of “separate but equal,” African American Oklahomans struggled for access to public library services. The first forty years of statehood brought few successes, and by mid-century only eleven communities provided a public library facility for the state’s black citizens.

“‘Revolution for the Hell of It’: Abbie Hoffman Visits Oklahoma State University in 1971,” by Erica John son, 322-335

In 1970 and 1971 a group of OSU student activists demanded to be allowed to engage Abbie Hoffman, Yippie leader and would-be revolutionary, to lecture on the Stillwater campus. Conservative students, faculty, university administrators, and even legislators attempted, unsuccessfully, to thwart the prospect of radical action, fearing that a Kent State–like incident might erupt.

Volume 84, No. 2 (Summer, 2006)

“‘Practically a Military School’: The University of Oklahoma and World War I,” by David W. Levy, 132-161

When the United States entered the First World War in April 1917, the University of Oklahoma’s administration, faculty, and students sprang into action to support the war effort. The revamped campus now included barracks and military training facilities. A Student Army Training Corps, precursor to ROTC, was born, and numerous students and faculty entered the armed services.

“On the Gallows’ Edge: Capital Punishment, Appeals, and Presidential Clemency in Indian Territory, 1896–1907,” by Von Russell Creel, 162-187

Continuing his study of the administration of justice in Indian Territory courts, and expanding upon the application of capital punishment, Von Creel details the cases of nine individuals who were convicted of capital crimes but who escaped hanging. Their stories involve the complicated legal processes of appeal, application for presidential clemency, commutation of sentence, and postverdict motions.

“Earning Their Spurs in the Oil Patch: The Cinematic FBI, the Osage Murders, and the Test of the American West,” by Andrew L. Warren, 188-209

In the early 1920s a lengthy series of murders occurred in Osage County. The victims, members of the Osage tribe, all held headrights that entitled them to oil royalties. After some bumbling, the Federal Bureau of Investigation eventually solved the murders, but for years afterward FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover used the story to promote his agency’s efficiency as crime fighters. In the 1950s the crimes were featured in a book and a movie, both titled The FBI Story.

“A New Frontier in Science: Robert S. Kerr, James E. Webb, and Oklahoma in the Space Age,” by Bill Moore, 210-232

Oklahoma’s U.S. Senator Robert S. Kerr and Frontiers of Science Foundation Di rector James E. Webb collaborated in bringing the space age to Oklahoma in the 1950s and 1960s. In concert with other state leaders they promoted a National Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Space, encouraged science education in public schools, and brought to the state nationally prominent space-race advocates such as Werner von Braun and Edward R. Murrow.

Volume 84, No. 1 (Spring, 2006)

“‘Any Woman That Could Ride a Horse Could Fly’”: Dorothy K. Pressler Morgan, 1930s Oklahoma Aviatrix,” by Tally D. Fugate, 4-21

In 1930 Dorothy Pressler Morgan became the second woman pilot licensed in Oklahoma by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The intrepid Pressler Morgan was a stunt pilot, a barn stormer, and an altitude-record setter as well as the nation’s first woman airport manager.

“Building the Grady County Courthouse: The Public Works Administration Amidst Local Politics,” by Cynthia Savage, 22-43

Designed by the prestigious architectural firm of Layton, Hicks and Forsyth and completed in 1935 using monies provided by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, or PWA, the Grady County Court house stands as a classic example of 1930s Art Deco architecture.

“Capital Versus Labor in Tulsa: The Mid-Continent Refinery Strike of 1938–1940,” by Diane M. Rubey,” 44-63

On December 22, 1938, members of the Oil Worker’s International Union, representing labor in the petroleum industry at Tulsa’s Mid-Continent Refinery, shut down the plant and walked off the job. The bitter, protracted, and occasionally violent fight involved two years of investigations and negotiations.

“Looking for Adventure: Ponca Warriors of the Forty-fifth Infantry Division in the Korean War,” by Mark van de Logt, 64-77

In the summer of 1950, at the Poncas’ annual pow wow, sixteen young Ponca men signed up to serve in the Oklahoma National Guard. Their thirst for adventure led them to Louisiana and Japan before their unit, the 279th Infantry Regiment of the Forty-fifth Infantry Division, fought in Korea.

“Heaven to Hell: Samuel Robert Cassius and Black Life in Oklahoma, 1891–1923,” by Edward J. Robinson, 78-99

In 1891 teacher and preacher Samuel Robert Cassius came to Oklahoma Territory, believing it to be a haven of freedom and opportunity for black people. Like his hero, Booker T. Washington, he established a school. Nature and human nature conspired against Cassius, and, beset by tragedy and betrayal, he left Oklahoma in disgust in 1923.

Volume 83, No. 4(Winter, 2005-06) Return to Top

“Fort Sill Enters the Missile Age,” by Rich ard Lowitt, 388-431

In the 1950s Fort Sill was designated the nation’s Artillery and Guided Missile Center as the army expanded its arsenal to include nuclear warheads and weapons of long-range accuracy. Richard Lowitt explores all sides of the controversy that developed when Fort Sill announced its plans to expand into the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and into thousands of acres under private ownership in Comanche County.

“Jess Willard and Carl Morris: Heavyweight Boxing in Oklahoma ,” by Arly Allen, 432-451

A segregated America was outraged in 1910 when black boxer Jack Johnson defeated Jim Jeffries to capture the heavy weight championship. Promoters across the country and internationally began looking for the “Great White Hope” who would return the crown to the white race. Arly Allen focuses on the efforts of Carl Morris and Jess Willard, Oklahomans who seemingly came out of nowhere to try to “make the world right again.”

“Missionary and Mother: Jerusha Swain’s Transformation in the Cherokee Nation, 1852–1861,” by Meg Devlin O’Sullivan, 452-465

In the early 1850s Jerusha Swain left her New Eng land home to serve as missionary teacher and surrogate mother at Dwight Mission in the Cherokee Nation, a tenure marked by isolation and challenge. Meg Devlin O’Sullivan examines Swain’s life at Dwight to show that she not only found new opportunities for independence but also trans formation in her conceptions of race.

“Businessman or Rogue?: C. C. Julian in the Oklahoma Oil Fields,” by William H. Mullins, 466-489

After a measure of success as an oil promoter in California, C. C. Julian moved his operation to Oklahoma in 1929 shortly after the booming Oklahoma City field opened. William Mullins follows the trail of a flamboyant man who soon be came embroiled in the pro-ration controversy and more serious charges of reloading, mail and investor fraud, bankruptcy, and flight from justice.

“‘Beef Instead of Bayonets’: Cultural Mores and the Failure of Assimilation on the Kiowa-Comanche Reservation,” by Todd Leahy, 490-499

The federal government attempted many programs to assimilate American Indians but met resistance on most fronts because Indian culture was not easily subsumed. Todd Leahy describes the efforts of agents and army officials to establish Indian-operated cattle ranching among the Kiowas and Comanches, who proved unwilling to give up certain aspects of their culture.

Volume 83, No. 3 (Fall, 2005)

“Remembering an Exceptional Team: Jerome Tiger and Nettie Wheeler,” by Peggy Tiger, 260-283

Creek artist Jerome Tiger electrified the art world in the 1960s with his colorful, emotional paintings. Discovered by art collector Nettie Wheeler of Muskogee, Tiger grew to rely on Wheeler to guide his career before his untimely death at twenty-six. Ti ger’s widow Peggy Tiger recounts the unique relationship that nurtured and preserved the work of this important artist.

“From Menagerie to Modern Zoo: Nature, Society, and the Beginning of the Oklahoma City Zoo,” by S. Matthew Despain, 284-307

The Oklahoma City Zoo had its beginning at Wheeler Park in the southwest section of the city in 1903. In its early years, it evolved with the growing city as part of the back-to-nature movement. Matthew Despain explores the zoo’s first decades, its place in Oklahoma City and the region, the events that forced its relocation, and how zoos in general reflect the societies that create them.

“‘We Bind Our selves Together’: A History of the Oklahoma Student Librarians Association,” by Jeffrey M. Wilhite, 308-325

Over a period of about forty years in mid-twentieth century, student library clubs flourished across the United States. Jeffrey Wilhite pro vides a thorough discussion of the Oklahoma Student Librarians Association, as it brought recognition to students and libraries, provided training in the workings of a library, and promoted interest in the field of librarianship.

“The Land Is Al ways With Us”: Removal, Allotment, and Industrial Development and Their Effects on Ponca Tribalism,” by Mark van de Logt, 326-341

Over centuries the Ponca Indians identified closely with the land; it sustained them physically and spiritually. However, three major developments threatened the very essence of Ponca life and tribalism. Mark van de Logt examines the effects of removal in 1877, allotment in the 1890s, and the development of the oil and gas industry on Ponca land in the twentieth century.

“Lela L. Barnett: An Oklahoma WAC in World War II Italy,” by Ralph Gregory Beil, 342-361

Lela Barnett grew up in north western Oklahoma and in Oklahoma City, but the most remarkable chapter of her life took place in Italy as one of the first members of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. Drawing from the more than 300 letters she wrote to her mother, Barnett’s nephew Ralph Gregory Beil reconstructs the adventures of an Oklahoma girl in service to her country and the free world.

Volume 83, No. 2 (Summer, 2005)

“Change the Stars: The Story of the Youngblood Hotel of Enid, Oklahoma,” by Jennifer Jones, 132–143

For several decades the Youngblood Hotel was a beacon for travelers to and through Enid, as its stylish decor and amenities provided luxurious comforts to guests. Jennifer Jones relates the story of the hotel’s builders, Lawrence S. Youngblood and his partners, the lavish interiors, and the causes of its decline and eventual rehabilitation as an office building.

“Origins and Development of State Politics: The Oklahoma Territorial Lesgislature, 1890–1905,” by R. Darcy, 144–177

Operating for a period of seventeen years, the Oklahoma territorial legislatures created the framework for much of the legal and administrative structure inherited by the state in 1907. Recognizing the lack of a comprehensive, accurate account of the legislators and their politics, R. Darcy provides a meticulous documentation of the complex makeup of the assembles.

“The ‘Come-As-You-Are’ War: Fort Sill and the Persian Gulf Crisis of 1990–1991,” by Boyd L. Dastrup, 178–193

Fort Sill played a key role in the large mobilization of American military forces in 1990–1991 during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Post historian Boyd Dastrup explains how army officials and soldiers at all levels had to adjust rapidly and effectively to constantly changing circumstances and demands, while meeting daily operational requirements at the same time.

“‘The Indian Home is Undone’: Anglo Intrusion, Colonization, and the Creek Nation, 1867–1907,” by Douglas A. Hurt, 194–217

In the nineteenth century Native Americans in the Indian Territory faced dispossession, forced re-settlement, and interference in tribal customs and politics. Douglas Hurt explores the case of the Creek Nation as its members dealt with Anglo intrusion and colonization through resistance, modification, and development of a sense of place centered on community and ceremonies.

“A Strong and Sturdy Vessel: A History of Bristow Junior College,” by Letha Caudle, 218–231

Between 1928 and 1951 Bristow Junior College operated within the Bristow Public Schools System through the efforts of a dedicated and well-educated faculty and a supportive community. Letha Caudle examines the founding of the institution, its leaders and teachers, and a curriculum that provided career development for hundreds of students.

Volume 83, No. 1 (Spring, 2005)

“National Liberal, Hometown Radical, and New Populist Politician: The Life of Fred Harris,” by Amy L. Scott, 4–33

Growing up on a dry-land farm in southwestern Oklahoma, young Fred Harris determined early on to escape and to make something of himself. That he has done in three successive careers—lawyer, politician, and professor. Amy Scott explores Harris’s life and the personal and professional journey that transformed him from a liberal to a New Populist politician.

"An Indian Shall Not Spill an Indian's Blood;': The Confederate-Indian Conference at Camp Napoleon, 1865," by Brad R. Clampitt, 34-53

As the Civil War drew to a close, the Five Civilized Tribes, most of them allies of the Confederacy, realized that as a matter of self-preservation they had to negotiate separate surrender agreements and make peace with the several Plains tribes. Brad Clampitt provides a thorough discussion of their efforts undertaken during one of the largest intertribal gatherings in Indian Territory.

"Alex Howat versus John Wilkinson: Power, Personality, and Ideological Battles in the United Mine Workers," by Steven L. Sewell, 54-67

As the United Mine Workers prepared to strike in 1922, Oklahoma became a stage for the factional in-fighting that tore apart the union's solidarity. Steven Sewell examines the ideological battle that pitted craft unionists against socialists, a struggle in Oklahoma that starred John Wilkinson and "renegade radical" Alex Howat and featured an appearance by Oscar Ameringer.

“Researching Tom Joad: John Steinbeck, Journalist, 1936,” by Paul Bailey, 68–83

Tom Joad, dispossessed Okies, and The Grapes of Wrath are forever etched in the canon of American literature and in the hearts and minds of Oklahomans. John Steinbeck compiled material for his fictional portrayal of migrant farm workers during an assignment for a California newspaper. Paul Bailey travels back in time to accompany the journalist as he created public awareness of a real crisis and found inspiration for his greatest literary work.

Volume 82, No. 4 (Winter, 2004-05) Return to Top

"Socialism from the Bottom Up: Local Activists and the Socialist Party of Oklahoma, 1900-1920," by Jim Bissett, 388-411

A century ago, the Socialist Party of Oklahoma ranked among the top three in the nation. Most studies of the party have focused on generalizations and state-level organization, but it was the local activists who gave the party its strength and changed the balance of power in Oklahoma politics through two difficult decades. Using information found in socialist newspapers and the manuscript census, Jim Bissett uncovers the lives and experiences of local party members with a focus on Marshall and Roger Mills Counties.

"In Defense of Sovereignty: Cherokee Soldiers, White Officers, and Discipline in the Third Indian Home Guard," by Trevor Jones, 412-427

During the Civil War, Cherokees loyal to Chief John Ross joined the Union army to reconquer the Cherokee Nation from the Confederate forces of Stand Watie and reestablish what they saw as the legitimate Cherokee government. Although white officers filled the highest ranks of command, Cherokee officers and soldiers modified the military system to fit their own needs. Trevor Jones explores the ways in which Cherokees managed discipline in the Third Indian Home Guard to achieve their ultimate goal of sovereignty.

"Dr. Anna Lewis: Historian at the Oklahoma College for Women," by Linda Reese, 428-449

Angie Debo and Muriel Wright stand as the two most recognizable women historians in the state of Oklahoma. However, neither of them held a long-term association with an institution of higher learning. That distinction belongs to Dr. Anna Lewis, who enjoyed a long and stellar career at the Oklahoma College for Women but whose accomplishments have been overlooked. Linda Reese corrects the record with an account of Lewis's life as she struggled to obtain the terminal degree in history, build a sound academic program at the college, and teach and write about Oklahoma history.

"The Sexual Color Line in Red and Black: Antimiscegenation and the Sooner State," by Charles F. Robinson II, 450-475

Throughout much of its history, the state of Oklahoma enacted legislation that mandated some form of sexual separateness between the races. However, interracial couples openly defied the law and officials spent little effort in enforcement. After providing an overview of antimiscegenation laws dating from the time of slavery into the statehood period, Charles Robinson examines the eleven cases that reached the highest state or the federal courts, most of them civil cases involving blacks and Indians.

"Jack C. Montgomery: A Little Big Man," by Christopher B. Bean, 476-495

American Indians served with distinction during World War II and in greater proportion to their numbers than the general population. Among them, two Oklahomans, Jack C. Montgomery and Ernest Childers, received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the war. Realizing that many Oklahomans have overlooked or are unaware of their important contributions, Christopher Bean documents Jack Montgomery's life before and after the war and recalls his service with the Forty-fifth Infantry Division and the campaigns in which he took part.

Volume 82, No. 3 (Fall, 2004)

"'A Model Fruit Ranch': The Housholder Fruit Farm of Guthrie, Oklahoma," by Joe G. Bax, 260-299

Thousands of land seekers arrived in Guthrie on April 22, 1889, among them Frank Housholder and his four-year-old son, Glen Dana. Their efforts to find a homestead and make a living in the new land eventually resulted in the Housholder Fruit Farm, one of the largest fruit-growing businesses in the state. Joe Bax, Glen Housholder's grandson, provides a loving portrait and a poignant tale of the family's tremendous successes amid struggles against railroads, commission merchants, and Oklahoma's sometime fickle weather.

"'Stand Fast': The Story of Surry Eaton 'White Sut' Beck," by Pamela White, 300-325

White Sut Beck's place in history has been defined by what came to be known as the Going Snake massacre, a shoot-out during the 1872 trail of Zeke Proctor for the murder of Beck's sister. In truth, White Sut lived a full life of adventure and service to his family, his community, and the Cherokee Nation. Beck's great-granddaughter, Pamela White, examines Beck's life as soldier, husband and father, deputy sheriff and solicitor of Delaware District, and defender of Cherokee sovereignty and traditions during particularly troublesome times in the Cherokee Nation.

"'Your Enemies May Attract Unwanted Friends': Gerald L. K. Smith, Patrick Hurley, and the 1948 New Mexico Senate Race," by Russell D. Buhite, 326-341

In the mid-twentieth century, several individuals rose to prominence on the fringes of American political life through demagogic behavior or force of personality. Gerald L. K. Smith became one of the best known, for the viciousness of his views, his bigotry, and his extremism. Russell Buhite explores Smith's intrusion into the 1948 United States Senate race in New Mexico, in which native Oklahoman Patrick J. Hurley was the Republican candidate. At the same time, he illuminated Hurley's post-World War II behavior and anti-Zionism.

"The National Register of Historic Places and St. Paul Baptist Church and Cemetery: The 1,000th Listing in Oklahoma," by Cynthia Savage, 342-351

In the fall of 2002, the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office achieved the goal of listing the 1,000th Oklahoma property on the National Register of Historic Places--St. Paul Baptist Church and Cemetery in Lincoln County. Cynthia Savage explains the process of listing properties on the Register, then describes the history of an African-American community in Oklahoma as it established and exercised control over the one area of its life unaffected by segregation, the practice of religion.

"Tulsa (1949) as an Oil Field Film: A Study in Ecological Ambivalence," by Peter C. Rollins, 352-368

Americans have always displayed a degree of ambivalence about technological development, believing in progress on the one hand and exhibiting deep anxiety about despoiling "nature's garden" on the other. American writers, artists, historians, and others have all warned about the dangers of industrial growth at the expense of nature. Using the 1949 oil field film, Tulsa, as an example, Peter C. Rollins reveals Hollywood's take on that dynamic--celebrating the oil industry's rewards while chastising those driven by market forces alone.

Volume 82, No. 2 (Summer, 2004)

"'No Home on the Range': The Miller Family's Great Swindle of Indian Lands," by Jo L. Wetherilt Behrens, 132-167

Following the Civil War, the grasslands of the Cherokee Outlet provided a lush pasture for longhorns driven north from Texas to Kansas railheads. When the government later moved smaller tribes to the Outlet and provided for the leasing of their land, greedy entrepreneurs found ways to acquire the land to the detriment of the Indians. In a convincing indictment of the owners of the 101 Ranch and a government that ignore the Indians' welfare, Jo Behrens follows a shadowy paper trail through evidence of fraud and manipulation.

"'This is Not United States Currency': Oklahoma's Emergency Scrip Issues during the Banking Crisis of 1933," by Loren Gatch, 168-199

During the Great Depression, enterprising communities and business leaders experimented with various kinds of local currency to meet the demands for solvency. In the state of Oklahoma during the banking holiday of 1933, issues of emergency scrip helped residents, retailers, and governmental entities meet the payroll, feed the family, and regain confidence. Loren Gatch details the arrangements established in seven Oklahoma communities and places them with the broader setting of the state's response to the crisis.

"Where Angels Belong: The Oklahoma Antisuffrage Movement," by Tally Fugate, 200-221

The women's suffrage issue reached Oklahoma in 1907 when delegates met to write a constitution for the new state. Following arduous debate, antisuffragists and others successfully defeated an amendment to extend the vote to women, and "antis" continued the fight when the national women's suffrage movement gained momentum after World War I. Recognizing that most scholarly attention has focused on those who favored women's suffrage, Tally Fugate offers a thoughtful study of the Oklahoma antisuffrage movement and the key players who worked to keep women "in the place."

"Black, White, and Read: The Muskogee Daily Phoenix's Coverage of the Sequoyah Statehood Convention of 1905," by Richard Mize, 222-239

In 1905 leaders of the Five Civilized Tribes convened to write a constitution for the proposed State of Sequoyah, a single state separate from Oklahoma Territory. The Sequoyah Statehood Convention garnered national attention, but historians generally have provided no detailed study of its work. Richard Mize combs the pages of the Muskogee Daily Phoenix to reconstruct the historic convention and to shed light on the interpretation the newspaper's white editor gave to the proceedings.

Volume 82, No. 1 (Spring, 2004)

"Saving the Land: Soil and Water Conservation in Oklahoma," by D. Chongo Mundende, 4-31

Over many years, Oklahoma has experienced a wide variety of climate-related problems--bare soils and dust storms, uncontrolled runoff, soil erosion, and floods. From those harsh lessons of history, the federal and state governments, working in cooperation with the farmers and ranchers of Oklahoma, have instituted a number of practices designed to save the precious resources of soil and water. Chongo Mundende describes the history and establishment of those programs in the context of their times and explains why Oklahoma's story is the story of conservation in the nation.

"Oklahoma's 'First Black Governor': Dr. Isaac William Young," by Cecelia Brooks, 32-63

In 1911 a prominent and wealthy African-American physician from Louisiana, Dr. Isaac William Young, moved to Oklahoma to begin a new life. After making numerous progressive contributions to the small all-black town of Boley, Young moved to Oklahoma City and eventually entered politics working the mayoral and gubernatorial campaigns of Democrat John C. Walton. Cecelia Brooks explores Young's appointment to the presidency of the Colored Agricultural and Normal University at Langston and how he used his powerful position to become the state's "first black governor."

"Moses or Aaron?: William Jennings Bryan and Oklahoma Politics," by Danny M. Adkison, 64-81

As Oklahoma prepared for statehood in the early twentieth century, it seemed to adopt Nebraska politician William Jennings Bryan as one of its own, and historians have generally accepted that Bryan had a strong and direct influence on the state constitution. In exploring the relationship between the two, Danny Adkison asks if Bryan served as Moses to lead Oklahoma to accept his favorite policies, or if Oklahoma used the eloquent Bryan as an Aaron to give voice to its own agenda.

"The Tale of Sergeant Webber: Nativism in Northern Oklahoma in 1923," by Jim Showalter, 82-99

In the early 1920s the Ku Klux Klan enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in Oklahoma. Nowhere was that more evident than in Payne County, where the Klan appeared parades, held grand initiations, and boasted a membership of 1,800. Jim Showalter examines Klan activity and the career of one Sergeant Webber to conclude that the Klan was popular because its ideas were recognizable and already wide held, there was a general "joining frenzy" in the area, and the Klan produced great spectacles.

"A Final Historical Footnote to the Life of Territorial Secretary Robert Martin," by Robert L. Chada, 102-105

Volume 81, No. 4 (Winter, 2003-04) Return to Top

"Tea Kettle on a Raft: A History of Navigation on the Upper Red River," by Keith Tolman, 388-435

Few people appreciate the significant role of riverine navigation in the development of the state of Oklahoma. Keith Tolman provides a comprehensive account of steamboating on the Upper Red River, a sometimes temperamental stream that was closed for decades by the Great Raft, but that nonetheless bound together diverse peoples, cultures, and economies.

"'And The Skies Are Not Cloudy All Day': Drought and the Cherokee Outlet Land Run," by Kevin Z. Sweeney, 436-457

For many home seekers, the late-season date for the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in 1893 coincided with a major drought on the Southern Plains. Moreover, other environmental and economic factors contributed to their success or failure. Kevin Sweeney focuses on the difficulties settlers faced and how they coped with adverse conditions in the various sections of the Outlet.

"'United With Use to Rescue the Kiowas': The Five Civilized Tribes and Warfare on the Southern Plains," by Andrew Denson, 458-479

In the early 1870s a delegation from the Five Civilized Tribes met with representatives of Southern Plains tribes in an attempt to ease longstanding tensions between the tribes and the United States government. Andrew Denson reconstructs the efforts of the Indian Peace Commission to find an alternative Indian affairs in a semi-independent, multi-tribal confederation.

"Mehan Memories: A Croquet Diamond was the Social Center," by D. Earl Newsom, 480-491

Founded near the turn of the twentieth century, Mehan remained a small, quiet village until an oil boom brought an influx of people to Payne County in the 1920s. Prosperity lasted only until the 1950s, however, when population loss, a devastating flood, and the loss of the railroad initiated Mehan's decline. Earl Newsom describes the town's history, its founding families and businesses, and the town's unique social center--a croquet field.

"The Choctaw Chief's House: Oral Tradition and Historical Inaccuracies," by Louis Coleman, 492-501

For decades, the "Choctaw Chief's House" near Swink has been touted as the home built for Chief Thomas LeFlore under an 1830 treaty. Louis Coleman introduces credible witness reports and documentary evidence, including construction specifications, to support his conclusion that LeFlore's house near Wheelock Mission was the structure built according to the treaty.

Volume 81, No. 3 (Fall, 2003)

"George Catlin and Archaeology: Data Drawn from the Canvas," by Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, 260-273

Archaeologists traditionally use a variety of artifacts and documents to interpret historic occupations. However, non-textual and non-artifactual materials also may contribute to the analysis. Comparing the paintings of George Catlin to objects recovered from several sites, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko seeks answers to questions regarding gender and acculturation among American Indians during the removal period.

"The Trials of Will Johnson: Race-blind Justice in the First Year of Oklahoma Statehood," by Thomas Hedglen, 274-297

In 1907 race relations in Oklahoma were in a state of flux from the nearly equal status of African Americans during the territorial period to the more rigidly defined era of Jim Crow after statehood. In the benchmark case of Will Johnson, a black man executed in 1908 for the murder of a white woman, Thomas Hedglen explores how well justice and the highest ideals of society were served.

"The Poor Red Man and the Great Father: Choctaw Rhetoric, 1540-1860," by Stephen P. Van Hoak, 298-315

Some historians have asserted that, in the years after contact, Choctaws became increasingly dependent upon Euro-Americans. Stephen Van Hoak closely examines the speeches of Choctaw leaders in the post-contact era to show that the Choctaws used a diplomatic language that was rhetorical rather than reflective of their actual condition.

"From Tramp Reporting to Pulitzer Prize: Enid's Own Marquis James," by Paul S. Vickery, 316-333

Marquis James grew up in and around Enid, moved out into the world as a tramp reporter, and eventually found his calling writing historical biographies. Paul Vickery provides a fascinating account of a man who found his muse in the Cherokee Strip and produced a body of work that garnered him worldwide acclaim and two Pulitzer Prizes.

"'She Would Raise Hens to Aid War': The Contributions of Oklahoma Women during World War I," by Melanie Rich, 334-355

When historians write about great wars, they often record only the actions of men, leaving women completely out of the picture. However, women's contributions and achievements have often equaled those of men. Melanie Rich recounts the activities of Oklahoma women, often outside the domestic sphere, and the sacrifices they made to win a world war.

Volume 81, No. 2 (Summer, 2003)

"Did They Really Sing Opera in the Opera Houses?: Public Entertainment in Oklahoma and Indian Territories, 1895-1907," by Susan Booker, 132-153

In the territorial period in cities and towns across Oklahoma and Indian Territories, citizens constructed spaces large and small as venues for public entertainment. Some were specially designed grand "opera houses," while others were simply upper-floor spaces above retail establishments. Susan Booker examines a variety of historical records to discover the types of structures Oklahomans built, the kinds of entertainment they enjoyed, and how these activities help spread popular culture to the hinterland.

"'The Lost Shepherds': Methodist Missionaries among the Ponca Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, 1888-1940," by Mark van de Logt, 154-171

The agents to the Ponca Indians of Oklahoma believed their "heathenish" moral state prevented them from fully realizing the "advantages" of the white man's road. To induce the Indians to give up practices such as the Sun Dance and polygamy, the agents asked for help from the missionary field. Mark van deLogt focuses on the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church on the Ponca Agency, the methods the missionaries used, and the reasons for their ultimate failure in transforming the Poncas.

"Capital Punishment and the United States Court for the Indian Territory," by Von Russell Creel, 172-205

Throughout much of the nineteenth century, the Indian Territory was attached to Arkansas Territory for judicial purposes, including capital cases notably under the jurisdiction of Judge Isaac C. Parker. That changed in 1889 with the creation of a "resident court" in Indian Territory. Von Creel traces the evolution of the United States Court for the Indian Territory and its several districts, details the capital cases of the nine men and one woman who came before it, and provided biographical information about the presiding judges.

"Building a New Life: The Polish Settlers of Harrah, Oklahoma," by Agnieszka Kemerley, 206-227

The history of Polish settlers in Oklahoma reveals a struggle to build a new life and a determination to preserve their heritage. Harrah became the oldest and largest Polish settlement in the state when Poles began moving to the area following the land opening of 1891; most of them came to the United States in the 1870s and moved to Harrah from other states. Agnieszka Kemerley explores the political and economic hardships that forced many Poles to leave their native land, the hardships they faced in their new homes, and their efforts to preserve their heritage and culture for future generations.

"The Killing of George Birdwell: A Reconsideration," by William W. Savage, Jr., 231-237

Volume 81, No. 1 (Spring, 2003)

"L. L. Culver: A Naked Warrior in the Second World War," by Brad Agnew, 4-33

After reaching Algeria in 1943, Ens. L. L. Culver of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, joined the Scouts and Raiders, a joint army-navy unit whose members were trained to direct amphibious assaults. In the second section of a two-part article, Brad Agnew follows Culver's service in World War II to its conclusion, including his meritorious actions in the invasions of Sicily, Anzio, and southern France before being transferred to the Pacific Theater at war's end.

"Inside the Store, Inside the Past: A Cultural Analysis of McAlester's General Store," by Linda C. English, 34-53

James J. McAlester carved out a prominent niche for himself in the Choctaw Nation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a successful captain of commerce. To learn more about the society in which he lived and worked, Linda English delves into the records of his general store, an invaluable resource for historians of the Indian Territory frontier.

"A Faithful Public Servant: J. George Wright and the Five Civilized Tribes," by Kent Carter, 54-79

As Indian inspector, J. George Wright was a key figure in implementing controversial federal policies relating to the Five Civilized Tribes during the allotment era, but his career has received scant scholarly attention. Kent Carter remedies that oversight with a careful study of one of the few men to emerge from that turbulent period with his reputation intact.

"The Lingering Shadow: The Grapes of Wrath and Oklahoma Leaders in the Post-Depression Era," by Jennifer J. Collins, 80-103

The publication of the 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath, contributed to a long-standing, widely-held negative stereotype of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Jennifer Collins examines the several efforts of government officials and civic and business leaders to change the way Oklahomans were perceived nationally and the way Oklahomans viewed themselves.

"President Hayes and the Poncas," by Quentin Taylor, 104-111

When he took office in 1877, Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes knew little about the forced relocation of the Indian tribes in the United States, but with new knowledge gained from the plight of the Poncas, Hayes ended the policy of removal before leaving office. Prefacing the full text of Hayes's message to Congress, Quentin Taylor briefly describes the Poncas' removal to Indian Territory and their efforts to obtain compensation and a degree of self-determination.

Volume 80, No. 4 (Winter, 2002-03) Return to Top

"Ensign L. L. Culver: 'You can call me salty now,'" by Brad Agnew, 388-409

From Tahlequah undertaker to navy ensign in the early years of World War II, Oklahoman L. L. Culver made a transition that required all the physical and intellectual stamina he could muster. In part one of a two-part story, Brad Agnew recounts Culver's transformation, tracing the undercurrents and crests of his training experience, which led to an important decision when he reached the Algerian port of Arzew in April 1943.

"'Yakni Achukma, The School with a Soul': A History of the Goodland Indian Orphanage," by Ruby Wile, 410-435

The Presbyterian sponsors of Goodland Indian Orphanage challenged common practice of mid-nineteenth century Indian schools by promoting assimilation through respect for Native culture and affection for children. In Ruby Wile's study of "Yakni Achukma," proof abounds that their philosophy produced citizens of distinction who honor both their Indian and Goodland heritages.

"Joseph Pierre Foucart: Man of Art and Mystery," by Louis Cozby, 436-445

During seventeen years as an architect in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Joseph Foucart had unprecedented influence on the city's streetscape with fanciful architecture combining elements of many styles. He then seemed to disappear, much to the frustration of state historians. Louis Cozby reports on the efforts of two Guthrie historians to trace Foucart's subsequent career and, more important, the date and place of his death.

"Bygone Spas: The Rise and Decay of Oklahoma's Radium Water," by Marjorie Malley, 446-466

For many years radium water baths and bottled radium water provided the major economic base for several towns in northeastern Oklahoma. In tracing the history of the industry through a variety of historical and scientific sources, Marjorie Malley focuses both on the myth and the physical reality of the water's properties to determine if it was "magic elixir" or "poisonous apple."

"'Klanspiracy' or Despotism?: The Rise and Fall of Governor Jack Walton, featuring W. D. McBee," by Brad L. Duren, 468-485

The meteoric rise and downfall of Oklahoma governor John C. "Jack" Walton in 1923 captivated political experts and ordinary citizens alike. Brad Duren provides a fascinating accounts of a man who was controversial from the start and whose despotic nature and clashes with the Ku Klux Klan led Duncan legislator W. D. McBee to fight for Walton's impeachment.

"Pepper Martin: The Wild Horse of the Osage," by Joe D. Haines, Jr., 486-485

In the 1930s and early 1940s John Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin thrilled baseball fans the world over with his aggressive style of play and his antics on and off the field. The Oklahoman's .500 batting average in the 1931 World Series remains one of baseball's most remarkable achievements. Joe D. Haines explores the career of the Wild Horse of the Osage during and beyond his years with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Volume 80, No. 3 (Fall, 2002)

"From Petroleum to Pigs: The Oklahoma Panhandle in the Last Half of the Twentieth Century," by Richard Lowitt, 260-283

The Oklahoma Panhandle and its people made a strong recovery from the dust, drought, and depression of the 1930s through diversification of its economic base. Richard Lowitt continues the panhandle's story over the last fifty years with a study of the rise of the oil and gas industry, improvements in agriculture and ranching, and the development of pork production facilities.

"Canvas and Caissons: Early Aviation at Fort Sill, 1914-1939," by Stacy Webb Reaves, 284-301

In the early twentieth century Fort Sill, Oklahoma became the site of experimentation and training for the new United States Aeronautics Corps as a division of the Army Signal Corps. As a result, Henry Post Field played a key role in the early development of army aviation. Stacy Reaves recounts the history of the men and the machines that were critical components of the aviation section working in conjunction with the field artillery.

"Protecting His Race: A. J. Smitherman and the Tulsa Star," by Larry O'Dell, 302-313

In addition to leaving numerous deaths and widespread physical destruction in its wake, the Tulsa race riot ended the Oklahoma career of one of the black community's strongest voices. Larry O'Dell focuses on the efforts of A. J. Smitherman, publisher of the Tulsa Star, to educate members of his race about their responsibility to protect themselves from lynchings and mob violence--advice that would have dire consequences in May, 1921.

"Cherokee Emigration: Reconstructing Reality," by Lathel F. Duffield, 314-347

The story of the forced removal of the Cherokees from the southeastern United States is widely known, but details of the ordeal are still unfolding. The removal itself and the intervening years have produced a plethora of documents and histories. Lathel Duffield looks at the interpretations of several historians and authors, questionable "eyewitness" accounts, early newspaper reports, and original documents to provide a clearer picture of that dark period.

"'The Best Our Country Has To Offer': Peace Corps Training at the University of Oklahoma," by Richard H. Hancock, 348-369

Between 1963 and the mid-1980s, the University of Oklahoma provided language, technical, and cultural training for 1,500 Peace Corps volunteers for overseas duty. Richard Hancock directed the international training program at OU and now recalls the memorable stories associated with the training of men and women he considered "the best our country has to offer."

Volume 80, No. 2 (Summer, 2002)

"Oklahoma's Rising Star: The Election of Mike Monroney to the United States Senate," by Philip A. Grant, Jr., 132-141

By 1950 Americans looked forward to economic prosperity after decades of hard times and world war. In that vein, voters began to elect an increasing number of younger, progressive men to national office. Philip Grant analyzes and describes the 1950 U. S. Senate race in Oklahoma, in which a young rising star, Mike Monroney, unseated veteran Senator Elmer Thomas.

"Judge John Martin: His Origins, His Paternity," by Patricia W. Lockwood, 142-157

The facts about the origin and paternity of John Martin, the first chief justice of the first supreme court of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory, have been distorted or lost over the years. Patricia Lockwood, a descendant of John Martin, clears the record through discovery and investigation of centuries- old records that shed light on his ancestry and early life in the Cherokee Nation East.

"Profile of a Prairie Radical: Judge Orville Enfield of Ellis County," by R. O. Joe Cassity, Jr., 158-175

Most assessments of Oklahoma radicalism are cast in a statistical framework of vote tallies and membership totals. However, after the party's decline, most Oklahoma Socialists remained in the state and lived their lives much as before. Joe Cassity traces the historical development and shifting sands of Oklahoma radicalism through the life and career of Orville Enfield of Ellis County.

"Oklahoma College for Women: Oklahoma's Only State-Supported Women's School," by Cynthia Savage, 176-203

The Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha opened in 1911 as one of only eight schools in the nation founded as a state-supported women's college. Although the educational focus changed over the years, Cynthia Savage shows, the physical growth of the campus over the next fifty years reflected the aspirations of the college and the growth of women's education in the state.

"Oklahoma's 'Greatest' Hero?: A Review of the Military Record of Joseph Oklahombi, by Louis Coleman, 204-215

Joseph Oklahombi has been cited as the state's "greatest hero of World War I" and recipient of numerous medals and awards, including the Medal of Honor, for his exploits in France. Louis Coleman acknowledges that Oklahombi may have been a hero, but military records on two continents show that the soldier received only the Silver Star Citation and the French croix de guerre.

Volume 80, No. 1 (Spring, 2002)

"The Northern Cheyenne Exodus and the 1878 Battle of Turkey Springs," by Stan Hoig, 4-19

The battle of Turkey Springs, a decisive Indian victory over U.S. troops as part of the Northern Cheyenne exodus from Indian Territory in 1878, has received little scholarly attention. Stan Hoig remedies that oversight with a description of the harsh conditions that precipitated the exodus and of the military's response, one that was ill-planned and led and one that ultimately failed.

"'If It Rains': Life in the Oklahoma Panhandle in the 1930s and 1940s," by Richard Lowitt, 20-43

The Oklahoma Panhandle enjoyed a degree of prosperity in the 1920s that disappeared as the Southern Great Plains suffered depression, drought, and dust storms throughout the 1930s. Richard Lowitt explores how panhandle residents coped with the crises, how they used available resources, and what they learned about land use in the effort to restore a profitable economy.

"Forgotten Founder: Charles G. 'Gristmill" Jones and the Growth of Oklahoma City, 1889-1911," by Aaron Bachhofer II, 44-61

Charles Gasham "Gristmill" Jones was one of the most important men in the first two decades of Oklahoma City's development, but he has remained an enigmatic figure and a forgotten founder. Aaron Bachhofer focuses on the myriad ways in which Jones left his mark on the struggling community through political and civic activity and industrial development.

"Main Street, Stillwater OK, Growing Up with Hollywood CA: An Oklahoma Town's Movie Theaters," by Deborah Carmichael, 62-83

The history of movie theaters in small communities often reflects many of the characteristics, problems, and growing pains of the film industry in Hollywood. Using Stillwater, Oklahoma, as a case study, Deborah Carmichael provides a careful analysis of the local theater businesses and how they grew from small beginnings and large dreams to corporate mergers and takeovers.

"Galela Leona Walkingstick: A Life of Service as an Indian School Social Worker," by James G. McCullagh, 84-101

Galela Walkingstick, one of the first Indian social workers employed by the Indian Service in the 1930s, has lived her entire life among the state's non-Indian majority society while upholding her Cherokee heritage. James McCullagh shows that through education and career choice Walkingstick dedicated herself to helping Indian families and children, her community, and her church.

Volume 79, No. 4 (Winter, 2001-02) Return to Top

"Reminiscences of a Redleg: An Oklahoma Artilleryman in the Korean War," by Denzil D. Garrison, 388-407

In 1950 a young Oklahoman found himself bound for Korea with the Forty-fifth Infantry Division. When Denzil Garrison returned home two years later, he had amassed a sobering collection of memories of a conflict with an implacable enemy on unforgiving terrain. Garrison recalls those poignant experiences, albeit some of them humorous, and the valiant men with whom he served.

"'America, Love It or Leave It': Some Native American Initiatives to Move to Mexico, 1890-1940," by Steven Crum, 408-429

Between 1890 and 1940 some members of several Oklahoma Indian tribes explored the possibility of moving to Mexico in response to the federal government's reduction of their traditional land bases and eventually their sovereignty. Steven Crum discusses their efforts within the context of a phrase from the 1960s, "America, Love It or Leave It."

"'She Has Surely Done Her Share': Miss Bessie Huff and the Muskogee Junior College," by Dana Eversole, 430-439

After graduating from Muskogee's Central High School in 1911, Bessie Huff left Oklahoma to study and teach in Kansas. Her hometown drew her back, however, and she began a long career as instructor of English and journalism and dean of Muskogee Junior College. Using tributes from former students, Dana Eversole salutes a dedicated teacher who always put them first.

The Life of Littleton Horace Davis: Pistol Packin' Preacher and Railroad Man," by Frank W. Davis, 440-453

In 1901 L. H. Davis moved his family to Francis, Oklahoma, to take a job with the railroad. Combining that sometimes dangerous assignment, especially during the strikes of 1922, with his work as a minister and farmer, Davis became a leader in the community and a man seemingly afraid of nothing. Frank Davis explores the life of his grandfather, the pistol packin' preacher.

"Celebrating the Library Spirit: A Look Back at the Carnegie Libraries in Oklahoma," by Tanya D. Finchum and G. Allen Finchum, 454-475

In the early twentieth century, Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of twenty-four libraries in Oklahoma, providing places for residents to learn, to read, and to be entertained. Tanya Finchum and Allen Finchum invite readers to celebrate 100 years of Carnegie's presence in Oklahoma and to honor the communities' commitment to the library spirit.

Volume 79, No. 3 (Fall, 2001)

"From Lee to Reba and Beyond: Oklahoma Women in American Popular Music," by George O. Carney, 260-277

Music is one of Oklahoma’s most important cultural resources, and the state has produced a number of talented performers, composers, institutions, and songs. However, the contributions of Oklahoma-born women in American popular music have often been overlooked. George Carney rectifies that in an interesting demographic profile of twenty-four Oklahoma women artists.

"Cultural Conservation and Revival: The Caddo and Hasinai Post-Removal Era, 1860-1902," by Howard Meredith, 278-287

The Caddos and Hasinais faced a watershed in their history during the removal crisis in 1859, but the period following removal has received little scholarly attention. In a time of great change, Howard Meredith shows, the people and their leaders conserved and revived the best elements of their culture through tribal tradition and solidarity.

"Bisque Dolls in the Archaeological Record: A Collection from the Town of Ingersoll," by Robert L. Brooks, 288-297

Archeologists frequently find and study artifacts that reveal hunting and farming practices, household work, and economic activities, but the record provides few studies relating to recreational and leisure activities. Robert Brooks analyzed a collection of bisque dolls from the abandoned town of Ingersoll and provides insight into their use in the early statehood period.

"Anatomy of an Oklahoma Lynching: Bryan County, August 12-13, 1911," by Lowell L. Blaisdell, 298-313

In August, 1911, a black man named John Lee attacked and killed a woman alone with her children on their farm north of Durant. A large crowd tracked down and shot Lee, then burned his body. Lowell Blaisdell describes the events of August 12-13 within the context of the area’s social and cultural milieu and how they compare with patterns of lynching behaviors nationwide.

"Cherokee Treaty Party Moves West: The Bell-Deas Overland Journey, 1838-1839," by Wayne Dell Gibson, 314-335

In 1838 the Cherokees were preparing for the trek to a new home in what is now Oklahoma. Most detachments were led by men of John Ross’s anti-treaty party. Amid much controversy, John Adair Bell and the Treaty Party also won the right to conduct their own emigration. Wayne Gibson reconstructs their journey using the records o the disbursing officer, Lt. Edward Deas.

"The Green Corn Rebellion, Oklahoma, August, 1917: A Descriptive Bibliography of Secondary Sources," by Daniel Hanne, 343-357

Volume 79, No. 2 (Summer, 2001)

"Emperor Haile Selassie in Stillwater: The First Visit to Oklahoma by a Reigning Foreign Head of State," by Theodore M. Vestal, 132-157

Oklahoma A&M College in 1954 hosted the first visit to Oklahoma by a foreign head of state, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. The biggest social event in the college’s history marked the school’s top standing in technical assistance and education and an international connection that continues today. Theodore Vestal provides a fascinating study of the times, the visit, and the man.

"History Underfoot: The Search for Physical Evidence of the 1868 Attack on Black Kettle’s Village," by William B. Lees, Douglas D. Scott, and C. Vance Haynes, 158-181

For more than a century, scholars, Native Americans, and an interested public have both studied and commemorated events that took place on the Washita River on a fateful day in 1868. As William Lees, Douglas Scott, and Vance Haynes show, archaeological/ geological surveys in 1995 and 1997 exposed new evidence and added much to an understanding of place and event.

"The Creek Draft Rebellion of 1918: Wartime Hysteria and Indian-Baiting in WWI Oklahoma," by Thomas A. Britten, 200-215

A national outcry arose in the spring of 1918 after the public read reports of an Indian "uprising" in eastern Oklahoma. At the heart of the story was an unlikely revolutionary, a Creek woman called Ellen Perryman. Thomas Britten explores the prevailing stereotypes and the wartime hysteria that precipitated a nationwide investigation into a seemingly benign protest.

"There is No Place like The Home: A Brief History of the Tulsa Boy's Home," by Michael Lail, 216-227

Like other cities in the late teens, Tulsa had many homeless or neglected boys living in its streets. The Tulsa Rotary Club and the First Presbyterian Church intervened in behalf of many of them when they founded the Tulsa Boys’ Home in 1918. Michael Lail details The Home’s long tradition of providing opportunity and hope for wayward youth.

Volume 79, No. 1 (Spring, 2001)

"Will Rogers Field: The Life and Death of a World War II Airbase," by Keith Tolman, 4-17

Because of its climate and geographic location, the state of Oklahoma was well situated to be the site of primary and basic flight training during World War II. The Oklahoma City municipal airport that became Will Rogers Field in the 1940s also eventually provided a base to train aircrews in advance aerial bombardment and photographic reconnaissance. Keith Tolman examines the efforts of local and military officials to develop and operate the base.

"Major Andrew Drumm: Cowman, Businessman, and Visionary," by Bonnie Haas and Joyce J. Bender, 18-35

In the late nineteenth century, Andrew Drumm, the founder and owner of the U Ranch in the Cherokee Outlet, had become one of the nation’s most successful businessmen. Over his lifetime, his experiences and interests ranged from mining and ranching to slaughter houses and banking. However, as Bonnie Haas and Joyce Bender show, his most enduring legacy is the Drumm Institute in Missouri, a home for indigent and orphaned youth.

"‘Almost Hopeless in the Wake of the Storm’: The 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic in Oklahoma," by Nigel Anthony Sellars, 36-61

In the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918-1919, more than 550,000 Americans, including 7,350 Oklahomans, died from the disease. Communities and health professionals battled a contagion against which normal public health measures proved futile. Nigel Sellars provides a fascinating study, in human terms, of an outbreak that left everyone "almost hopeless in the wake of the storm."

"Humanitarian Rhetoric and Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Policy," by Henry E. Fritz, 62-91

The effort to remove the Five Tribes from the southeastern United States in the early nineteenth century provided a great deal of discussion on both sides of the issue. Henry Fritz reviews the rhetoric of President Andrew Jackson’s policy to argue that Jackson was neither an Indian hater nor a statesman whose foremost concerns were justice and fair treatment for the Indians.

"Oklahoma Republican: Dennis Thomas Flynn and His Letters to William Howard Taft," by Leonard C. Schlup, 92-107

During a political career in which he served as delegate to Congress from Oklahoma Territory, Dennis T. Flynn established a close friendship with William Howard Taft both before and after his presidency. Drawing the sources in Taft’s papers, Leonard Schlup reconstructs the career of the Oklahoma Republican to reveal his characteristics as an individual and as a politician.

"Into the West: Oklahoma Remembered," by Walter Nugent, 112-121

Volume 78, No. 4 (Winter, 2000-01) Return to Top

"For Society’s Sake: The Wichita Mountains, Wildlife, and Identity in Oklahoma’s Early Environmental History," by S. Matthew DeSpain, 388-411

The creation of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma reflected society’s expectation that it could revive its spirit through nature. Matthew S. DeSpain provides a fascinating account of the American mindset in the early twentieth century and how human interests, not wilderness preservation per se, dictated the state’s early environmental history.

"Tams Bixby: Doing Government Business in the Gilded Age," by Kent Carter, 412-443

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Dawes Commission had the almost impossible task of enrolling and allotting land to members of the Five Civilized Tribes, a process marked by controversy and charges of corruption. Kent Carter takes a close look at the troubled tenure of commissioner Tams Bixby, who apparently found nothing wrong with making money while doing the government’s business.

"A Place of Coming Together: The Historic Jacobson House," by Carol Whitney, 444-467

Oscar Jacobson arrived at the University of Oklahoma in 1915 as director of the School of Art. By the time of his death in 1966, he had sparked a revolution in art education and a renaissance in Indian painting on the Southern Plains. Carol Whitney reviews Jacobson’s life and work in the context of a group of passionate individuals determined to preserve and restore his house as a Native American Arts Center.

"H. L. Mencken and the ‘Oklahoma Style’ of Literature," by Lawrence R. Rodgers, 468-483

In the 1930s two popular novels, Cimarron and The Grapes of Wrath, came to be recognized as dominant literary portraits of the state. But nearly a decade earlier, national audiences had received an introduction to an "Oklahoma Style" of literature through the works of several writers of serious poetry. Lawrence Rodgers focuses on the young Oklahoma authors who received almost unprecedented promotion by the Sage of Baltimore, H. L. Mencken.

"Inside the School Yard Gate: ‘Alfalfa Bill’ Murray and Education in Oklahoma," by Karen McKellips, 484-499

Throughout his long career, William H. Murray wielded great influence in public and political spheres. Nowhere was that more evident than in the field of education. Through an examination of the state constitution, early statutes, and his own policies and practice, Karen McKellips explores Murray’s legacy in the characteristics of public education that bear his imprint.

Volume 78, No. 3 (Fall, 2000)

"Brothers of Influence: Auguste and Pierre Chouteau and the Osages before 1804," by Douglas A. Hurt, 260-277

In the late eighteenth century, the Osages used their geographical position to become one of the most influential tribes of the Southern Plains, but their success had its price as European influences radically altered Osage social structure. In this issue’s lead article, Douglas A. Hurt explores the pivotal role of Auguste and Pierre Chouteau in that transformation.

"Tinker’s Twin Twisters of 1948 and the Birth of Tornado Forecasting," by James L. Crowder, 278-295

On March 20 and March 25, 19948, tornadoes struck Tinker Air Force Base causing millions of dollars in damage. Two base weathermen successfully predicted the second twister. After describing the destructive path of the storms, James L. Crowder pays tribute to Robert C. Miller and Earnest J. Fawbush, who forever changed the field of weather forecasting.

"Consorting with Blood and Violence: The Decline of the Oklahoma Ku Klux Klan," by Michael M. Jessup, 296-315

The Oklahoma Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s was one of the state’s most powerful political and social organizations, numbering almost 100,000 members, but its downfall was as dramatic at its growth. In dramatic fashion, Michael M. Jessup shows how excessive violence, external opposition, and internal factionalism led to the Klan’s decline.

"‘An anxiety to do right’: The Life of Judge John Hazelton Cotteral, 1864-1933," by Kevin C. Leitch, 316-345

John H. Cotteral came to Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 1899 to make his mark in the new country. His hopes were fulfilled as he became the first federal judge for the Western District of Oklahoma and the first Oklahoman to occupy the bench of the circuit court of appeals. Kevin C. Leitch provides a fascinating portrait of both the man and the legal opinions he wrote during a forty-year career.

The Removal of the Southeastern Indians: Historians Respond to the 1960s and the Trail of Tears," by Michael Kelleher, 346-353

The politics and culture of the 1960s and 1970s played a role in shaping popular conceptions of Indian America as scholars increasingly began to re-investigate Indian history. Michael Kelleher looks at the work of several historian to analyze how that turbulent time affected their interpretations of a seminal event in Indian-white relations, the removal of the southeastern Indians.

"Development and Use of the Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory," by Melvena Thurman Heisch, 358-363

Volume 78, No. 2 (Summer, 2000)

“Love Gifts for the Bishop: James J. Stewart v. Bishop W. Angie Smith, Part II,” by A. W. Martin, Jr., 132-159

In the 1950s an Albuquerque minister in an unprecedented move filed charges against Methodist bishop W. Angie Smith for what he considered abuse of episcopal power. In the second installment of a well-annotated, two-part study, A. W. Martin, Jr., discusses the procedures followed by the church investigating committee and analyses each of the charges a maverick Methodist minister filed against a powerful bishop.

“Kate Barnard: The Story of a Woman Politician,” by Linda Edmondson and Margaret Larason, 160- 181

In 1907 Kate Barnard won election as the state's first commissioner of charities and corrections as a champion of working women, children, labor unions, prisoners, and the handicapped and mentally ill. Her downfall, however, came as a result of her investigation of Indian estate and guardianship fraud cases. Linda Edmondson and Margaret Larason provide a fascinating account of a skillful but little-known “woman politician” whose dedication to social causes has not been equaled.

“'You Have the Land. I Have the Cattle': Intermarried Whites and the Chickasaw Range Lands,” by Wendy St. Jean, 182-195

In the late nineteenth century the Chickasaw Nation, along with much of the region, experienced a tremendous boom in the cattle industry. Although the tribal government strengthened laws to protect is public domain, intermarried whites easily transgressed them. Wendy St. Jean explores the methods by which cattlemen amassed large grazing pastures and describes how the Chickasaw government responded.

“Western Oklahoma's Regiment: The 179th Infantry,” by Penn V. Rabb, Jr., 196-215

In the early years of the new century, communities and individuals across the nation will commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War. Many of the unites engaged in the conflict were federalized state national guards. Penn V. Rabb, Jr., looks back at the organization and history of western Oklahoma's regiment, the 179th Infantry, and at the men who proudly and honorably served the people of the state, the nation, and the world in times of peace and times of war.

“The Park Hill Mission: Letters from a Missionary Family,” by Kristina L. Southwell, 216-229

The Reverend Joseph Leiper, his wife, Fanny Leiper, and his aunt, Margaret McCarrell, moved to the Park Hill Mission near Tahlequah in 1889 to served as Presbyterian missionaries among the Cherokees. Using letters found nearly 100 years later by Joseph Leiper's granddaughter, which are supplemented by photographs the Leipers took in Indian Territory, Kristina L. Southwell reconstructs their experiences during the first year of missionary work.

Volume 78, No. 1 (Spring, 2000)

“Love Gifts for the Bishop: James J. Stewart v. Bishop W. Angie Smith, Part I,” by A. W. Martin, Jr., 4-27

In the 1950s an Albuquerque minister in an unprecedented move filed charges against Methodist bishop W. Angie Smith for what he considered abuse of episcopal power. In the first part of a well-annotated, two-part study, A. W. Martin, Jr., discusses the events leading up to one of three judicial climaxes–a meeting of the church investigating committee, then details the proceedings of the meeting itself.

“Fort Sill, the Chiricahua Apaches, and the Government’s Promise of Permanent Residence,” by Brenda L. Haes, 28-43

The Chiricahua Apaches spent nineteen years (1894-1913) as prisoners of war at Fort Sill in southwestern Oklahoma believing they had been promised permanent residency there. Before addressing the rationale behind the government’s decision to remove the Apaches from the post, Brenda Haes explores the record to show why the Apaches and others held that view.

“The Fear of ‘Negro Domination’: The Rise of Segregation and Disfranchisement in Oklahoma,” by Murray R. Wickett, 44-65

Although historians have analyzed the rise of disfranchisement and segregation in the South after the Civil War, they have paid little attention to those processes in the West. Murray Wickett looks closely at the sociopolitical climate in Oklahoma to answer important questions about the opportunity blacks found in the state and how white politicians became emboldened by the fear of “Negro domination.”

“The Milton Co-Operative Colony: From Utopia to Ghost town, 1913-1916,” by Norma Jane Bumgarner, 66-83

Civil War and intertribal factionalism in the Cherokee Nation left one0third of women as widows and one-fourth of the children as orphans by 1863. The conflict also strained conventional definitions of gender. In a careful examination of the lives of many Cherokee women, Carolyn Johnston concludes that while the crisis may have empowered women, it also led to a crisis of identity for elite women.

Volume 77, No. 4 (Winter, 1999-2000) Return to Top

“‘Dear Miss Deco’: The Correspondence of E. E. Dale and Angie Debo,” by Richard Lowitt, 372-405

Beginning in 1925 and continuing over the course of nearly fifty years, historians Edward Everett Dale and Angie Debo produced a voluminous correspondence that details the relationship between an established professor of history and one of his students. Through letters that illuminate the character and talents of both individuals, Richard Lowitt reconstructs both the academic world and the professional development of an independent and confident scholar who in the end became the better historian.

“Moral Reform for the ‘Magic City’: Temperance in Guthrie, Oklahoma, 1889-1907,” by Jay R. Dew, 406-427

Throughout the territorial period Guthrie, Oklahoma, remained a divided city, especially as it concerned the city’s alcohol policies. While some factions viewed the saloons and breweries as a great economic benefit, reform factions framed the debate in the simple terms of good and evil. Jay R. Dew sorts through the rhetoric of the various anti-liquor groups to show that, despite their lack of unity in the great case of providing moral direction for a growing community, the will of the minority eventually prevailed.

“Baffles, Bridges, and Bermuda: Oklahoma Indians and the Civilian Conservation Corps-Indian Division,” by Carolyn G. Hanneman, 428-449

In the midst of the Great Depression, the federal government instituted a number of programs aimed at recovery and relief. The Civilian Conservation Corps proved to be one of the most enduring as it provided thousands of jobs in conservation work on the American landscape. Carolyn G. Hanneman explores the work of the CCC-Indian Division in Oklahoma in its effort to relieve the poverty of Indian tribes, advance educational reforms, and improve conservation of natural resources on Indian land.

“A Special Kind of Man: The Autobiography of Dr. Lindsey L. Long,” by Ben Blackstock, 450-461

In 1898 Dr. Lindsey L. Long, a new graduate of the University Medical College in Kansas City, Missouri, moved to northwestern Oklahoma to establish his practice. The young physician tended patients for several years in Alva before moving his office and family to Beaver in the Oklahoma panhandle. Drawing from the reminiscences Long penned many years later, Ben Blackstock describes some of the experiences Long faced in providing medical care to a rural community.

Volume 77, No. 3 (Fall, 1999)

“Strange Bedfellows: Progressivism, Radicalism, and the Oklahoma Constitutional in Historical Perspective,” by Aaron Bachhofer II, 244-271

Over the years, a number of historians have described the Oklahoma constitution as a “radical” and “progressive” document. In an insightful examination, Aaron Bachhofer takes a fresh look at contemporary accounts and reactions, and the constitution itself, to conclude that it was neither; preservation of the existing order motivated the “politicians” who wrote it.

“‘The Most Ferocious of Monsters’: The Story of Outlaw Crawford Goldsby, alias ‘Cherokee Bill,’” by Jon D. May, 272-289

Crawford Goldsby grew up a “good kid” in the small community of Fort Gibson, but before he reached the age of twenty, he was known as “Cherokee Bill,” one of the most wanted men in Indian Territory. Jon May provides a fascinating and vivid portrait of an outlaw who terrorized the citizens of the territory for several years before his death on the gallows at Fort Smith in 1896.

“The Daughter of Dawn: An Original Silent Film with an Oklahoma Indian Cast,” by Leo Kelley, 290-299

One of the earliest silent motion pictures filmed within the state, The Daughter of Dawn also featured an entire cast of Native American actors and actresses, including a son and daughter of Quanah Parker. Although the 1920 film itself has apparently been lost to time, Leo Kelley reconstructs the motion picture using a collection of still photographs and the director’s script.

“Laying Groundwork for the Future: The Oklahoma Territorial Superintendency and Superintendents of Public Instruction,” by A. Kenneth Stern, 300-321

The system of education in Oklahoma Territory changed dramatically as the government organized school districts, established standards and qualifications for teachers, and created a means of funding schools. As Kenneth Stern shows in this biographical study, the seven men who served as superintendents of public instruction laid the groundwork for the future.

“William P. ‘Bill’ Atkinson: The Father of Midwest City, Oklahoma,” by Susan M. Lee, 322-341

Although he failed to win the state’s highest office, W. P. Atkinson achieved a legacy of another sort as the father of Midwest City, a planned community he constructed near the installation that became Tinker Air Force Base. Susan Lee examines the colorful life of a man who taught journalism, started a newspaper, and built the nation’s first city founded on the aviation industry.

Volume 77, No. 2 (Summer, 1999)

“Recounting the Removal: Recent Native American Literary Reconstructions of the Trail of Tears,” by Frederick Hale, 132-149

Until 1972 very few Native American authors had described the period of Five Tribes’ history that encompassed the Trail of Tears, and even that merited little scholarly attention. Frederick Hale remedies that oversight with an analysis of four novels about the Cherokee removal written between 1972 and 1996 by native writers.

“With Folded Arms? or With Squirrel Guns?: The IWW and the Green Corn Rebellion,” by Nigel Sellars, 150-169

In 1917 resistance to a new federal conscription law and the formation of a radical tenant farmers’ organization, the Working Class Union, resulted in Oklahoma in what became known as the Green Corn Rebellion. Nigel Sellars explores conditions that led to the uprising and how little it had to do with the Industrial Workers of the World.

“‘For our sake do all you can’: The Indian Captivity and Death of Clara and Willie Blinn,” by Joe D. Haines, Jr., 170-183

Among the many tragedies that occurred on the Washita River in 1868 when the Seventh Cavalry attacked Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle’s village was the death of captives Clara Blinn and her two-year-old son Willie. Joe Haines, Jr., describes the events leading to their capture, the efforts to secure their release, and the inquiry into their deaths.

“Gleanings from the Coulter School Memoirs: Recollections of Pioneering in Logan County,” by Leslie Hewes, 184-195

The pioneering experience has remained a popular field of study for professional historians and genealogists who often find treasures in unexpected places. In tracing his own roots, the late Dr. Leslie Hewes found the Coulter School Memoirs from which he reconstructed life in a small rural community in Logan County using its residents’ fondest memories.

“Mrs. Oliver O. ‘Mamie’ Hammonds: The ‘She-svengali’ of Oklahoma,” by Janel A. Mattingly, 196-207

In the late 1920s news and rumors coming out of the governor’s office rocked state government after Governor Henry S. Johnston hired Mamie Hammonds as confidential secretary. Janel Mattingly examines the two eccentric personalities and a relationship that eventually led to the “ewe lamb rebellion” and to Johnston’s removal from office.

Volume 77, No. 1 (Spring, 1999)

“The Julius Rosenwald Fund: Northern Philanthropy in Oklahoma’s Separate Schools,” by Cynthia J. Savage, 4-21

After statehood, educational opportunities for African American schoolchildren were stifled by racism, a shortage of money, and inadequate facilities. That changed to some degree with assistance from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. Cynthia J. Savage recounts the condition of Oklahoma’s separate schools in the first half of the twentieth century and how northern philanthropy aided the construction of nearly 200 buildings.

“William Penn Adair: Cherokee Slaveholder and Indian Freedom Advocate,” by Paul Kelton 22-53

In his time, the mixed-blood Cherokee William Penn Adair was the most passionate defender of American Indian freedom by lobbying against efforts to create an Indian territory. Paul Kelton provides a fascinating portrait of a man whose life as a slaveholder before the Civil War suited him especially well to lead native peoples in their fight to retain control over their own destiny.

“In the Midst of Adversity: The City, the Governor, and the FERA, Part II,” by William H. Mullins, 54-73

As a predominantly rural state, Oklahoma, and especially Oklahoma City, exhibited a strong individualistic approach in its response to the Great Depression. That ethic was manifested in the personage of Governor William H. Murray, a “fierce apostle of agrarianism.” In the second of a two-part essay, William H. Mullins details the ways in which the city and the governor attempted to meet the challenges of providing relief.

“John G. Chapin and the Struggle for Dover,” by John L. Lillibridge, 74-101

Today, the town of Dover struggles to survive with only a few businesses, boarded-up storefronts, and declining population. A century ago, its residents also faced an uncertain future, when earliest resident John G. Chapin, a townsite company, and others struggled to develop the site. Using case records from the U. S. Land Office, John L. Lillibridge describes the complex birth of a small Oklahoma community.

Volume 76, No. 4 (Winter, 1998-1999) Return to Top

“William Box Hancock: Trail Driver and Cattleman,” by Richard H. Hancock, 356-373

Between 1879 and 1884, a young Texas cowboy, William Box Hancock, helped move several herds of cattle to the “feeding grounds of the Northwest.” His journeys took him along the Great Western Trail through western Indian Territory. Using his grandfather’s reminiscences dictated fifty years later, Richard H. Hancock provides a fascinating annotated account of that era and the man who was a small actor in a great drama.

“In the Midst of Adversity: The City, the Governor, and the FERA, Part I,” by William H. Mullins, 374-391

As a predominantly rural state, Oklahoma, and especially Oklahoma City, exhibited a strong individualistic approach in its response to the Great Depression. That ethic was manifested in the personage of Governor William H. Murray, a “fierce apostle of agrarianism.” In the first of a two-part essay, William H. Mullins details the ways in which the city and the governor attempted to meet the challenges of providing relief.

“An Experiment in Education: The Osage Manual Training School, Views from Letters,” by Barbara Speas Havira, 392-415

In the mid-1840s the Osages formally petitioned for a school of their own near their villages in Kansas. Over the next twenty-five years, the Osage Manual Training School struggled to provide instruction for their children. Drawing from the letters of Jesuits and Sisters of Loretto who staffed the school, Barbara Speas Havira reconstructs life at the school and the problems inherent in “an experiment in education.”

“The Repeal of Prohibition: The End of Oklahoma’s Noble Experiment,” by Vincent T. Lyon, 416-435

Oklahoma is the only state to have entered the union with prohibition of alcohol written into its constitution, but those who dared found ways to circumvent the laws. Vincent T. Lyon recounts the efforts by politicians, interest groups, and voters to deal with the repeal issue over a fifty-year period before a new young governor finally brought an end to the “Noble Experiment” in 1959 through stringent enforcement.

“Remembering Stonewall, Pontotoc County, Chickasaw Nation,” by Bill Tinsley, 436-449

Following the Civil War, the Chickasaw Nation gradually rebuilt its devastated landscape, including towns and schools. Out of that regeneration, the town of Stonewall came into existence on Clear Boggy Creek near the Cochran Trading Post. Mining old records, maps, gazetteers, and the memories of former and longtime residents, Bill Tinsley recaptures the glory days of a thriving community and its prosperous residents.

Volume 76, No. 3 (Fall, 1998)

“The Washita Trail: The Seventh U.S. Cavalry’s Route of March to and from the Battle of the Washita,” by Bob Rea, 244-261

The Seventh U.S. Cavalry’s 1868 campaign against tribes of the Southern Plains included an attack on Black Kettle’s sleeping Cheyenne village on the Washita River. Today, that military action continues to draw attention from scholars and history buffs alike. Using primary source materials, physical reconnaissance, and modern USGS maps, Bob Rea retraces the Seventh’s approximate route for the interested modern traveler.

“‘Wholly Occupied with my Special Work’: Reverend William Graham’s Stay at Fort Coffee and New Hope, 1845-1847,” by Donald L. Parman, 262-281

Reverend William Graham, a Methodist minister sent to take God’s word to the frontier, spent two years as a missionary-teacher at Fort Coffee and New Hope schools in the Choctaw Nation in the mid-nineteenth century. He considered those years one of the highlights of his career. Donald L. Parman brings that episode, and Graham, to life in a carefully annotated excerpt from Graham’s autobiography.

“The Undesirable Oklahomans: Black Immigration to Western Canada,” by D. Chongo Mundende, 282-297

Lured by the promise of economic opportunities they believed they could not receive in the states, many black Oklahomans immigrated to Canada before and after the turn of the twentieth century. From a thorough study of her immigration policies, D. Chongo Mundende illustrates how Canada vigorously sought new settlers, but came to consider blacks as undesirable and instituted restrictive measures to keep them out.

“‘Standing Out for Their Rights’: Industrial Strikes in Oklahoma in the 1930s,” by James Paul Bailey, 298-317

The United States suffered an unprecedented number of industrial strikes in the already hard times of the 1930s. Organized labor enjoyed a revitalized position of influence and made significant inroads in labor relations in Oklahoma. Focusing on major strikes in the mining, textile, meatpacking, and oil industries, James Paul Bailey details the intense and sometimes violent attempts to empower workers.

“Edward W. Sweeney, ’89er: ‘A Legend in his Time,’” by Pamela G. Jordan, 318-335

Edward W. Sweeney came to Oklahoma Territory at the time of the land run of 1889 and stayed to carve out a distinguished career as a public servant and friend of the Kickapoos. In the process he helped establish Oklahoma City and the town of Harrah. Pamela G. Jordan recognizes a little-known figure in Oklahoma history, a man who never sought notoriety, but who nonetheless became a “legend in his time.”

Volume 76, No. 2 (Summer, 1998)

“‘The Best City in the Best County’: Enid’s Golden Era, 1916-1941,” by Alvin O. Turner and Vicky L. Gailey, 116-139

Following the 1893 land run, the city of Enid emerged as the largest town in the former Cherokee Outlet, and the people who stayed helped shape the modern character of the region. Alvin Turner and Vicky Gailey explore the many cultural and economic opportunities between 1916 and World War II that allowed Enid to enjoy almost unprecedented prosperity and economic diversity.

“‘Peculiarly situated between rebellion and loyalty’: Civilized Tribes, Savagery, and the American Civil War,” by Tom L. Franzmann, 140-159

Scholars increasingly have focused on how different cultures perceive and interpret “savagism.” In this insightful essay focusing on the Five Civilized Tribes in the Civil War, Tom Franzmann discusses the major interpretations dominating historiography, what the term meant to Americans in the 1860s, why certain perspectives are worthy of reassessment, and the limitations of such studies.

“‘I Should Have Been a Mule’: Cotton Pickin’ Blues in Southwestern Oklahoma,” by Leo Kelley, 160-172

Within a few years of its settlement, cotton became the most important agricultural product in southwestern Oklahoma. The industry especially dominated the economy of Jackson County. Leo Kelley describes the vagaries of cotton farming from “plantin’ to pickin’,” the growth and decline of the industry in Jackson County, and how the cotton farmer kept an eye on the bottom line, but not without a sense of humor.

“Architecture and Hospitality: Ceremonial Ground Camps and Foodways of the Yuchi Indians,” by Jason Baird Jackson, 172-189

Although the Yuchi tribe was politically incorporated into the larger Muscogee Nation after removal, the people maintain an autonomous existence as a socially encompassed community in three ceremonial grounds south and west of Tulsa. Jason Jackson explores the community organizations and ritual practices of the Yuchis as they continue to preserve their culture, history, and values in ground camps and foodways.

“Fred Tecumseh Waite: The Outlaw Statesman,” by Michael Tower, 190-217

Fred Tecumseh Waite grew up as a mixed-blood Chickasaw in southern Indian Territory near present Pauls Valley. But as a young man, he left the territory for points west and became involved in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico Territory. Michael Tower recounts Waite’s actions in the most lawless range war ever recorded, and how he turned his life around when he returned home to become active in Chickasaw politics.

Volume 76, No. 1 (Spring, 1998)

“‘Softened as into a Dream’: The Letters of Robert B. Huston, Oklahoma Rough Rider,” by Joe L. Todd, 4-19

Robert Bell Huston left his wife and young son behind when he answered the call to arms after the United States declared war on Spain in 1898. The Guthrie attorney fought in Cuba and the Philippines as captain of Troop D of the First United States Volunteers. Using excerpts from the poignant letters Huston and his family exchanged, Joe Todd describes the wartime experience of the Oklahoma Rough Rider.

“The Closing of Cordell Christian College: A Microcosm of American Intolerance during World War I,” by Michael W. Casey, 20-37

During World War I Oklahoma was the scene for numerous attacks on those who opposed the war. Nowhere was that more evident than in Cordell, where the Washita County Council of Defense targeted the Cordell Christian College for closure because of perceived dissension and pacifist teachings. Michael Casey explores the events that in effect produced a “microcosm of American intolerance.”

“‘We are making history’: The Execution of William Going,” by Louis Coleman, 38-47

Previous scholarship holds that the last Choctaw execution took place in 1894. That distinction, however, goes instead to that of William Going on July 13, 1899, a case adjudicated in the waning days of Choctaw sovereignty. Louis Coleman explains the issues involved in the dispute between confident Choctaw officials and the United States government which attempted to intervene.

“Occupying the Middle Ground: African Creeks in the First Indian Home Guard, 1862-1865,” by Gary Zellar, 48-71

Free blacks and former slaves from the Creek and Seminole nations in the Indian Territory were the first African Americans mustered into the United States Army during the Civil War. They served as soldiers, interpreters, negotiators, clerks, orderlies, and scouts. Gary Zellar focuses on the brave men who were essential elements and cultural bridges in the tri-racial First Indian Home Guard Regiment.

“Learning from Oklahoma: Who We Are and Where We Are,” by Fred Wiemer, 72-86

In the early 1990s Fred Wiemer returned to his native state to “discover the nineteenth century” in Oklahoma. Drawing on lessons learned from two important books on architecture, Wiemer studied and photographed the state’s built environment. In this thoughtful essay Wiemer explains why Oklahoma’s architectural future must celebrate its earthly setting and be linked to the best of the past.

Volume 75, No. 4 (Winter, 1997-1998) Return to Top

“Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys: The Country’s First Commercial Western Band,” by Carla Chlouber, 356-383

Today the cowboy image is firmly established as a part of country and western music. The roots of its popularity can be found in the success and recognition enjoyed by Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys in the 1920s and 1930s. Carla Chlouber traces the evolution of the first band to wear western clothing, perform on the radio, and tour the country, one that set the stage for all that followed.

“Snakes and Scribes: The Dawes Commission and the Enrollment of the Creeks,” by Kent Carter, 384-413

In 1893 the United States government appointed three commissioners to negotiate with the Five Civilized Tribes to bring about the allotment of their land. The so-called Dawes Commission spent more than a decade in the Creek Nation trying to develop a correct role of members eligible for allotment. Kent Carter describes the almost impossible task facing a large bureaucracy and a resistant Indian people.

“Helen Churchill Candee: Author of An Oklahoma Romance,” by Linda D. Wilson, 414-425

Helen Churchill Candee came to Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory, in 1895 to obtain a divorce from her husband. While resident in Guthrie, Candee cast a discerning eye on the new territory and its people and later reported her observations in four magazine articles and a novel. Linda Wilson paints a lively portrait of the privileged woman who became the young territory’s most important woman writer.

“The Politics of History: Tinker Air Force Base and the Enola Gay,” by James L. Crowder, 426-439

For decades former civilian and military personnel at Tinker Air Force Base have proudly and steadfastly claimed they helped modify the famous plane known as the Enola Gay for its historic bombing mission over Hiroshima in 1945. Believing that the politics of history often create intriguing myths, James Crowder takes a new and closer look at the official records to separate fact from fiction.

“William Fremont Harn: Maverick or Mystery?” by Trina Medley, 440-456

The manner in which the Unassigned Lands were opened to settlement in 1889 resulted in years of litigation over land claims. William Harn joined the mix of settlers, speculators, and sooners as a special agent to sort out the legal tangles. Trina Medley explores those and subsequent endeavors of an enigmatic man who made Oklahoma City his home, but never became quite the mover and shaker he wanted to be.

Volume 75, No. 3 (Fall, 1997)

“River Rock Resort: Medicine Park’s Landscape and Wichita Mountain Vernacular Architecture,” by Peter J. McCormick, 244-261

A thriving summer resort in the early twentieth century, Medicine Park today resembles little of its former self. Peter McCormick describes the area’s landscape, its unique cobblestone architecture, and the resort’s history in the context of a nationwide health spa/resort movement. He concludes by relating past and current efforts to restore Medicine Park and revitalize the community.

“A Taxing Matter: The Dispute over the Estate of Tom Slick, 1930-1932,” by Ray Miles, 262-279

When oil man Thomas B. Slick died in the summer of 1930, he left an estate estimated at $35-100 million. Oklahoma hoped to cash in on its share of inheritance taxes by proving Slick was an Oklahoma resident. As Ray Miles points out, the ensuing two-year battle pitted the state’s governor against other state officials and the estate’s trustees for what in the end was a mere pittance.

“‘Stars in a Dark Night’: The Education of Indian Youth at Choctaw Academy,” by Marjorie Hall Young, 280-305

Between 1825 and the mid-1840s, many of the brightest and most promising leaders of the Choctaw Nation and other Indian tribes received their education at the Choctaw Academy established by Richard Mentor Johnson on his Kentucky farm. Marjorie Hall Young recounts the history of the enterprise that was a potent force in advancing the welfare and prosperity of many young American Indians.

“Altus Air Force Base: Sentinel of Southwest Oklahoma,” by Leo Kelley, 306-319

When the United States entered World War II, the Army Air Corps clearly faced a critical shortage of aircraft and trained pilots. Altus officials successfully lobbied for a training facility which opened as Altus Army Air Field in 1943. Leo Kelley provides a brief history of the installation, its continuing importance to the city of Altus, and its role today in the nation’s overall defense mission.

“William Shorey Coodey: The Cherokee Statesman,” by Tiffany Coodey, 320-331

W.S. Coodey came of age during the immediate pre-removal period, and under the tutelage of his uncle, Cherokee chief John Ross, he served as delegate to Washington on several occasions in an attempt to forestall removal. Tiffany Coodey provides a telling portrait of an ancestor who devoted his life to his people, including writing the 1839 Cherokee Constitution and serving as first president of the National Committee.

Volume 75, No. 2 (Summer, 1997)

“New Deal Building Programs: The FERA, the WPA, and the Mangum Community Building,” by Cynthia J. Savage, 116-127

As the nationwide depression deepened in the 1930s, the Roosevelt administration initiated a number of agencies to stimulate the economy and assist citizens. Cynthia Savage provides an account of the depression’s effect on southwestern Oklahoma and how two federal programs combined with local and state workers to provide relief and jobs in the construction of the Mangum Community Building.

“Forgotten Challengers to Severalty: The National Indian Defense Association and Council Fire,” by Jo Lea Wetherilt Behrens, 128-159

In the 1880s the issue of immediate allotment in severalty for Native Americans found fervent support among many reform groups. The National Indian Defense Association alone took a more conservative approach by calling for gradual assimilation and retention of tribal government. Jo Behrens explores the NIDA’s philosophy and strategy as expressed by Thomas Bland and others in the pages of Council Fire.

“Painted Red: The Coal Strike of 1919,” by Steven L. Sewell, 160-181

In the fall of 1919 coal miners in Oklahoma joined a nationwide strike that coincided with collective paranoia about perceived radicals and foreigners taking over government and industry. Steven Sewell recounts events as they played out in Oklahoma, a scenario that included a sometimes confrontational governor, deployment of the National Guard, martial law, and volunteer “green men” working in the mines.

“From Rackets to Ranches: Al Capone and the 101 Ranch,” by Glen A. Phillips, Jr., 182-195

In late summer, 1932, Oklahomans learned the imprisoned Chicago gangster Al Capone and his brothers had expressed interest in buying the world-famous Miller Brothers 101 Ranch near Ponca City. Glen Phillips describes efforts by showman Zack Miller to court the Capones’ favor and the actions of an opportunistic go-between who undoubtedly ruined Miller’s opportunity to revitalize his family’s operation.

“Mary Rice Greenfield: Pioneer Educator of Oklahoma Territory,” by Joyce Waggoner, 196-217

Mary Rice Greenfield began her teaching career in 1893 in a small community near Watonga, Oklahoma, then served on the faculty at Southwestern State Normal School in Weatherford during its infancy before moving on to a long career at Friends University in Kansas. Joyce Waggoner summarizes the life and times of a pioneer Oklahoman whose legacy lives well beyond her lifetime.

Volume 75, No. 1 (Spring, 1997)

“Past and Future: The Life of the Oklahoma Jewish Community,” by Amy Hill Shevitz, 4-19

Very little has been written about the Jews who settled in and contributed to Oklahoma communities. Amy Shevitz candidly explores the development of the Oklahoma Jewish community in the context of national trends and the state’s history of boom-and-bust economy, and concludes with important questions about the future of Oklahoma Jewry.

“‘I Want You All to Come’: John C. Walton and America’s Greatest Barbecue,” by William Warren Rogers, 20-31

One of the most unique gubernatorial inaugurations in the nation occurred in Oklahoma in 1923. Governor-elect John C. Walton invited all Oklahomans to a large barbecue and an old-fashioned square dance at the state fairgrounds. William Rogers, an admitted barbecue devotee, describes a culinary event of historic proportions when thousands of Oklahomans enjoyed “the barbecue of all barbecues.”

“Lowell Mason, Samuel A. Worcester, and The Cherokee Singing Book,” by William R. Lee, 32-51

As early as 1829 Reverend Samuel Worcester and others developed a text-only hymn book for the Cherokees printed in the Sequoyan syllabary, but they lacked the means of providing fundamental musical instruction. William Lee provides a fascinating account of efforts by Worcester and New England evangelical Lowell Mason to compile The Cherokee Singing Book (1846) which included musical notation.

“‘Fortunate Enough and Plucky Enough’: The Unattached Women of the Cherokee Outlet,” by Debbie Kindt Michalke, 52-69

Among the thousands of would-be settlers who rushed for land during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in 1893 were a number of unattached women determined to match their mettle with others making the run. Debbie Michalke relates the experiences of single women such as Laura Crews who successfully staked claims and stayed to make significant contributions to the development of present-day Oklahoma.

“‘Oklahomy Folks Says ‘em Different’: Axes of Linguistic Variation in Oklahoma,” by Thomas Wikle and Guy Bailey, 70-81

A character in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath remarked that “Ever’body says words different.” Non-Oklahomans, especially, recognize that the speech of Oklahomans is distinctive. Tom Wikle and Guy Bailey explain why in an interesting and thought-provoking study of various linguistic differences based on factors such as age, education, ethnicity, and residence location and size.

Volume 74, No. 4 (Winter, 1996-1997) Return to Top

“Organizing Wide-awake Farmers: John A. Simpson and the Oklahoma Farmers’ Union,” by James C. Milligan and L. David Norris, 356-383

In 1907 the Oklahoma Farmers’ Union was one of only a few public voices for the state’s farmers, but it became almost defunct after statehood because of poor leadership. James Milligan and David Norris chronicle the efforts of state president John A. Simpson to revitalize the union between 1916 and 1934 into a viable cooperative and educational organization.

“Toll Roads and Railroads: A Case of Economic Conflict in the Choctaw Nation, 1870-1876,” by David Bowden, 384-397

The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad received authorization to construct a line through eastern Indian Territory in the early 1870s. The Five Tribes, however, received little benefit from the intrusion of an impersonal, often greedy corporation. David Bowden recounts the problems one Choctaw citizen-by-marriage encountered when he sought compensation for damage the railroad caused to his toll road and bridge.

“Oklahoma’s Exiles: William H. Murray and Friends in the Bolivian Chaco, 1924-1929,” by Aaron Bachhofer II, 398-425

After World War I many Americans became disillusioned with the processes that were turning the nation into an increasingly urbanized giant. As a result, many of them, including Oklahoma’s own William H. Murray, sought better fortune in Europe and elsewhere. Aaron Bachhofer describes the experiences of Murray and his followers at Murray’s Bolivian colony in the 1920s and the causes of its ultimate failure.

“‘Not An Upright Stick Remained’: Oklahoma, Home of the Real Twisters,” by Leo Kelley, 426-435

Movie audiences across the nation experienced Hollywood’s version of a “twister” in 1996 in a film loaded with special effects. For Oklahomans who live in tornado alley, however, the reality of the deadly storms has been death and destruction. Leo Kelley focuses on the 1897 Chandler tornado and the 1905 Snyder storm to demonstrate the potential fury residents face almost daily during tornado season.

“‘Until the Mothers are Reached’: Field Matrons on the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation,” by Joel J. Schmidt, 436-445

The Office of Indian Affairs in the late nineteenth century created several programs designed to dismantle traditional Indian culture. Among them was the field matron who would “Americanize” the tribe by educating the Indian women. Joel Schmidt explores the experiences of a dozen matrons on the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation in western Oklahoma and how their attitudes and Indian resistance doomed the program.

Volume 74, No. 3 (Fall, 1996)

“Gaudy, Swift, and Reckless: The Victory Flying Circus Comes to Oklahoma,” by Lawrence Carroll Allin, 244-263

In 1919 the Army Air Service’s Victory Flying Circus appeared in Oklahoma to raise revenues to pay off war debts from the first world war. Onlookers also witnessed exciting aerial maneuvers by some of the nation’s best pilots. Lawrence Carroll Allin provides a fascinating account of the circus’s performances and discusses Oklahomans’ contributions to the Victory Loan Drive.

“A Reexamination of WPA Excavations at Novotny Site: Adaptations by Early Removal Chickasaws,” by Robert L. Brooks, 264-283

The removal of southeastern Indian tribes to the Indian Territory represents an excellent research opportunity for archaeologists, but unfortunately little study of the immediate postremoval period has been conducted. Robert L. Brooks reopens the investigation of one of four Chickasaw sites begun by WPA workers in the 1930s to analyze the tribe’s adaptive responses to removal.

“Chinese Exclusion in Oklahoma: A Case of Overt Discrimination,” by Jay R. Dew, 284-291

Oklahoma never had a large Chinese population or suffered anti-Chinese riots, but the state used the same legal measures as the rest of the nation to exclude and deport Chinese residents. Jay R. Dew briefly explains how those laws worked against all Chinese, then describes the several cases of Chinese exclusion in Oklahoma in the late territorial period.

“Woodward’s William E. ‘Billy’ Bolton: Good Citizen, Hard Worker, Deep Thinker,” by William D. Welge, 292-301

William E. “Billy” Bolton moved to Woodward, Oklahoma, in 1894, a year after the opening of the Cherokee Outlet, to establish a newspaper. He became one of the town’s leading citizens and expanded his involvement to prominent state organizations. William D. Welge explores the life and times of a man who helped build one of the premier towns of northwest Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma and the Medal of Honor,” by John C. Powell, 302-331

Oklahomans have always had a strong presence in the nation’s armed services and among them are nineteen Medal of Honor recipients, more than any other state with comparable population. Following a brief history of the nation’s highest military award, John C. Powell chronicles Oklahoma’s Roll of Honor along with the military situation and text of each citation.

Volume 74, No. 2 (Summer, 1996)

“‘Let’s Make It Happen’: W.W. Keeler and Cherokee Renewal,” by Marjorie J. Lowe, 116-129

Between 1949 and 1975 William Wayne Keeler served both as appointed and elected chief of the Cherokee Nation and as chief executive officer of Phillips Petroleum Company. During that time the tribe instituted a number of social and cultural projects. Marjorie Lowe, herself a Cherokee, details Keeler’s personal and professional leadership, which enabled the Cherokees to achieve unprecedented reconstruction and renewal.

“The Search for Fountain Camp: Locating Washington Irving’s October 20, 1832, Encampment in Oklahoma,” by Carla Chlouber, 130-145

In 1832 writer Washington Irving joined the first official United States expedition through the central part of Indian Territory. Historians have identified several of the places where the party camped, but not the location of the encampment for October 20 in what is now Payne County. Carla Chlouber reviews the primary documents and the landscape to determine the probable site of the famous author’s encampment.

“A Saloon on Every Corner: Whiskey Towns of Oklahoma Territory, 1889-1907,” by Blake Gumprecht, 146-173

Prior to statehood, dozens of towns sprang up in Oklahoma Territory along the border with Indian Territory to provide services to residents of both areas. Many owed their existence and livelihood to one commodity, liquor, which was legal in Oklahoma Territory but not in Indian Territory. Blake Gumprecht provides a graphic account of the whiskey towns, their colorful, ingenious, sometimes dangerous inhabitants, and their eventual demise.

“Heyday in the Texas League: Oklahoma City-Tulsa Baseball, 1933-1957,” by Max J. Nichols, 174-197

The Tulsa Oilers and the Oklahoma City Indians baseball teams dominated the Texas League from 1933 to 1957. Both established reputations as highly competitive organizations which provided thrilling games for fans and training for major league stars. Max Nichols describes the history of the two teams, the differences in baseball then and now, and the players and managers who comprised the golden age of the Texas League.

“Milton W. Reynolds (Kicking Bird): The Man Who Named Oklahoma ‘Land of the Fair God,’” by D. Earl Newsom, 198-217

Shortly before his death in 1890, newspaper editor Milton W. Reynolds, who used the pen name Kicking Bird, described Oklahoma as “a goodly land . . . the Land of the Fair God.” Earl Newsom explores Reynolds’ career, his early and strong interest in the Indian Territory, his efforts to see the area opened to non-Indian settlement decades before the boomer movement, and his contributions to a nascent Oklahoma Territory.

Volume 74, No. 1 (Spring, 1996)

“Hoxie and Acord: ‘Reel’ Oklahoma Cowboys,” by Leo Kelley, 4-15

Jack Hoxie and Art Acord, two Oklahoma boys born about the time of the land run of 1889, gained early experience in the West working as cowhands and competing on the rodeo circuit. Their skills soon led to starring roles in silent western films and Wild West shows. Leo Kelley briefly describes the early motion picture industry, then follows Hoxie’s and Acord’s successes and failures, both on and off the set.

“‘Now Let Him Enforce It’: Exploring the Myth of Andrew Jackson’s Response to Worcester v. Georgia (1832),” by Mark R. Scherer, 16-29

Most historians traditionally have accepted Andrew Jackson’s famous remark, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it,” as proof the president defied and ignored the U.S. Supreme Court in the famous case involving the Cherokee Nation and the state of Georgia. Mark Scherer takes a new look at Jackson’s response by analyzing the motivations and legal issues that affected his attitude and the outcome of the controversy.

“From Ponies to Planes: Marc Andrew ‘Oklahoma Pete’ Mitscher,” by Paolo E. Coletta, 50-75

In 1904 Marc Mitscher left Oklahoma Territory to accept an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he had trouble with academics and discipline. Nevertheless, his obsession with aviation led eventually to his becoming one of the twentieth century’s greatest naval strategists and tacticians. Paolo Coletta provides a fascinating life portrait of “Oklahoma Pete” Mitscher, WWII’s “preeminent fast carrier task force commander.”

“A Lettered Portrait of William McIntosh: Leader of the Creek Nation,” by Warrick Lane Jones, 76-95

Related by blood or marriage to several prominent Creek, Cherokee, and white families in the southeastern United States, William McIntosh tried throughout his life to attain high positions in the Creek Nation. In a review of the several facets of McIntosh’s life, Warrick Jones argues that his fierce determination to attain wealth and power led McIntosh to manipulate events and people, and eventually to his own death.

Volume 73, No. 4 (Winter, 1995-1996) Return to Top

“The Rare Woman, Indeed: Jerrie Cobb, An Aviation Pioneer,” by Debbie Michalke, 372-385

In the early 1960s Oklahoma pilot Jerrie Cobb became the first woman accepted by NASA to undergo astronaut testing and training. Debbie Michalke traces the Oklahoma roots and early career of a determined and record-setting aviator who now flies humanitarian missions to the jungles of Amazonia.

The Last Choctaw Execution: A Case of Law and Disorder,” by James C. Milligan and L. David Norris, 386-403

The Choctaw election of 1892 turned violent when Silon Lewis and a band of men belonging to the National Party killed a county sheriff, resulting in the last Choctaw execution. James Milligan and David Norris examine Lewis’s case as well as the broader aspects of law enforcement in the Choctaw Nation.

“The Case of the Wandering Wobblie: The State of Oklahoma v. Arthur Berg,” by Von Russell Creel, 404-423

Arthur Berg’s involvement with the Industrial Workers of the World in the early 1920s led to his arrest and trial under Oklahoma’s criminal syndicalism statutes. Von Creel provides a fascinating account of Berg’s trial which exemplified the public’s “growing fear of domestic radicalism.”

“Butternut and Blue: Confederate Uniforms in the Trans-Mississippi,” by Whit Edwards, 424-437

Although the Confederate government issued regulations for proper uniforms for its army, it had great difficulty supplying rank-and-file soldiers in the field. Using a variety of personal accounts, Whit Edwards describes efforts to clothe Southern fighting men in the Trans-Mississippi West.

“The Selling of America in Oklahoma: The First and Second Liberty Bond Drives,” by Charles W. Smith, 438-453

In 1917 the government asked Oklahomans, like Americans everywhere, to contribute their share to finance U.S. participation in World War I. Charles Smith analyzes the Liberty Bond program and the Councils of Defense whose methods sometimes promoted intolerance and violated personal liberties.

Volume 73, No. 3 (Fall, 1995)

“‘Proud of What It Means’: Route 66, Oklahoma’s Mother Road,” by Jim Ross, 260-277

Like no other highway before or since, Route 66 has captured the imagination of the American public, those who traveled it in good times and bad and those who work today for its revival. Jim Ross takes a sentimental journey down a “remarkable ribbon of road,” providing an evocative overview of the highway’s history and the connections that make Oklahoma a premier Route 66 state.

“‘Let the People Rule’: William Jennings Bryan and the Oklahoma Constitution,” by Robert D. Lewallen, 278-307

Many sections of the Oklahoma Constitution, widely recognized as one of the lengthiest of all state constitutions, were drawn from the ideals of