Historical Marker Program Application Process
Application Process
Download Application Form (PDF)
Guide for Historical Marker Documentation
Cost of Historical Markers
Contact Us
Search the Historical Marker Database
A Brief History
The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) Historical Marker Program officially launched following World War II. State Representative John E. Wagner met with Dr. Charles Evans, secretary of the OHS, to make plans for the OHS and the Oklahoma Department of Highways to establish a historical marker program. With the help of General William S. Key, an OHS board member, the Oklahoma Legislature authorized $10,000 for as many markers as possible. The OHS was directed to select 100 people, places, or events important in state history.
The number of historical markers increased dramatically after the state’s semi-centennial celebration in 1957. By the mid-1970s, with anticipation of the celebration of the bicentennial of the United States, there were more than 250 roadside and on-site markers in the state. Today there are records for more than 700 markers, but keeping an exact count is difficult. Many markers no longer exist; they were either stolen, destroyed, or removed for roadwork and lost. We have only the written record of these markers.
Unfortunately, no funding has ever been authorized for continued maintenance of historical markers. In the mid-1980s, a $1.2 million federal highway matching-fund grant program replaced selected damaged or missing markers and improved the safety and attractiveness of many roadside markers. In 2024, the OHS began replacing damaged or missing markers using funds from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund.
Application Process
The Oklahoma Historical Society accepts applications for new historical markers twice yearly. The first deadline is May 15, and the second deadline is October 15. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. on either May 15 or October 15. If the date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline automatically is extended to the first working day following that date.
Applications received after a deadline will be held for consideration in the next round. Incomplete applications will be returned with a list of deficiencies. Draft applications can be reviewed upon request.
Applicants will be notified within sixty days of the approval or rejection of their application.
Complete applications will consist of:
- A completed application form
- A narrative history including documentation
- Written approval of the landowner, if applicable
- A photograph of the recommended placement location
- A map with the proposed location marked (web-generated maps utilizing applications such as Google Earth or ArcGIS are acceptable)
- Suggested wording for the marker
- An image for etching into a granite marker, if applicable
Download the Historical
Marker Application (PDF)
Cost of Historical Markers
The OHS has limited funding available to support the replacement of select historical markers. Applications for new historical markers may be eligible for funding through programs such as the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
The two most common types of markers are:
- Free-standing cast aluminum markers approximately 42” by 44” with 7’ post
- Red granite markers approximately 5’6” tall by 2’6” wide by 4” thick
The OHS has worked with two manufacturers, listed below. Applicants are free to work with a company of their choosing; however, we will consider requests for variations on a case-by-case basis, and the OHS reserves the right of final approval of the design. Please note that the prices below are approximations, and final charges may vary.
Sewah Studios fabricates and ships a two-sided aluminum marker with pole for approximately $3,200. This does not include installation.
Sewah Studios
190 Millcreek Road
Marietta, OH 45750
740-373-2087
[email protected]
Willis Granite charges approximately $10,500 for a granite marker. Additional delivery and installation charges will apply. These charges do not include the installation of a preexisting concrete pad.
Willis Granite
900 Quarry Drive
Granite, OK 73547
580-535-2184
Free-standing cast aluminum marker
Red granite marker
Submitting Applications
Completed applications can be sent to Matthew Pearce by email to [email protected] or by mail to Oklahoma Historical Society, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105.
Criteria for Historical Markers
- Markers commemorate a person, place, or event that has local, state, or national significance.
- The event, contributions of a person, or associations with a place to be commemorated must, as a general rule, have occurred at least 30 years ago. Additionally, markers dedicated to the contributions of an individual only will be considered after the individual has been deceased for a minimum of 20 years. If exceptional merit is clearly documented in the marker application, the OHS may consider exceptions to this criterion.
- Birthplaces must have special significance to be considered for a historical marker.
- Markers must be accessible to the public.
- Applicants must obtain written consent from the property owner (private or public) and any authorities with a regulatory interest in the marker location.
- Marker design must comply with specifications and standards set by the OHS.
- Text must be grammatically correct, historically accurate, and supported by documentation.
Exclusions
- Individual graves within a cemetery are not eligible for the historical marker program.
- Individual historic buildings are not eligible for the historical marker program. If listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a building plaque is appropriate. For information about sources for these plaques, contact the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office at 405-521-6249.
Placement of Historical Markers
Once the application is approved and the applicant notified, the OHS will notify the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) if the marker location is on a state road, and request approval of the proposed marker location. After receiving approval from ODOT, the OHS can forward the order to Sewah Studios or Willis Granite depending on the type of marker selected. The vendor will process the order, bill the applicant for the cost of marker production, and make arrangements for delivery. If an applicant chooses to work with a different vendor, the applicant is responsible for contacting them and handling the details of the manufacturing and delivery.
The placement of historical markers must be considered carefully to ensure accessibility, safety, and protection of historic resources. All OHS historical markers must be accessible to the public. Sponsors are responsible for the physical placement of a historical marker unless the site is on a state-maintained highway right-of-way, in which case ODOT will be responsible for erecting the marker in consultation with the OHS. There may be an installation fee charged by ODOT for erecting the marker and creating a pullout along a state highway. The applicant will be advised of the final cost in advance.
Further Information and Instructions
- Text for markers must be grammatically correct and historically accurate as demonstrated by the documented historical narrative. The OHS reserves the right to edit all historical marker text. Edited text will be returned to the applicant for approval prior to the order submission.
- The narrative history should be provided in a separate document (Microsoft Word preferred). The typical narrative is 2–4 pages in length (approximately 750-1,000 words).
- Do not send payment with application.
- All materials submitted for OHS historical markers become part of the permanent files of the OHS and may be used or cited in OHS publications and programs.
- Digital files are preferred.
The OHS reserves the right to reject applications that do not meet the criteria. It is the responsibility of the applicant to establish the historical significance through a documented historical narrative.
Guide for Historical Marker Documentation
Good documentation, the use and citation of reliable sources, is an essential part of the narrative history required for a historical marker application, or for any type of research paper you might be writing. A good narrative history should reflect an author’s original interpretation of available sources. Use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as large language models as a substitute for the research and writing responsibilities required for a narrative history is prohibited. Each application will be reviewed for accuracy.
Use this guide for assistance in preparing a well-documented narrative history.
Types of Sources
The Oklahoma Historical Society will consider the objectivity and reliability of sources used in compiling a narrative history. Whenever possible, consult primary source material. Primary sources, those contemporary with the topic, include such records as newspaper accounts, diaries, meeting minutes, deed records, census records, and legal documents. Oral histories collected from authoritative sources are valuable research tools if properly documented.
A good narrative history also engages with available secondary sources. Secondary sources, such as history books and journal articles, are not contemporary with a topic’s history. The notes or bibliography in a secondary source identify the primary sources that an author used. Reference works, including The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, can also provide a good starting point for research.
Any claims of uniqueness (earliest, oldest, first, largest, etc.) must be accompanied by factual documentation from authoritative, unbiased sources.
Writing the Narrative History
The narrative history should be typed (12-point font size minimum) and double-spaced with at least 1-inch margins. Although the length of a narrative history depends on the topic, a typical narrative is approximately 2–4 pages in length (approximately 750-1,000 words). The significance of the topic should be clearly stated, with factual documentation clearly identified. Copies or collections of miscellaneous documents and notes are not acceptable in lieu of proper reference notes. If the reference notes and bibliography are complete, there is no need to submit copies of documents.
Difference Between Reference Notes and a Bibliography
Reference notes (footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical notes) and bibliographic citations often include much of the same information, but they serve different purposes. Reference notes tell the reader exactly where in a source information can be found. Bibliographies provide a list of all the sources used in researching the topic and tell the reader where the source may be located.
Preparing the Reference Notes
Generally speaking, facts that are not common knowledge should be documented with a reference note. Reference notes can be footnotes (placed at the foot of the page on which the fact is mentioned), endnotes (listed sequentially at the end of the history), or parenthetical notes (placed in parentheses immediately following the fact within the narrative history). Notes must be complete so the reader finds the referenced source quickly and easily.
- United States Congress, ed. by George P. Sanger. The Statutes at Large, Treaties and Proclamations of the United States of America From December 5, 1859, to March 3, 1863, vol. 12 (Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1863), 504.
- Mary Nielson Taylor to Berlin B. Chapman, July 31, 1966, Old Central Centennial History Collection, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
- George Elexander Lambe, interview by Mrs. Nora L. Lorrin, March 15, 1938, vol. 52, no. 10265, Indian-Pioneer Papers, Oklahoma Historical Society Research Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
- John Alley, City Beginnings in Oklahoma Territory (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1939), 10.
Preparing the Bibliography
The bibliography is included at the end of the narrative history. It should be organized alphabetically.
A bibliography for the sample notes listed above would appear as follows:
Alley, John. City Beginnings in Oklahoma Territory (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1939).
Lambe, George Elexander. Interview by Mrs. Nora L. Lorrin. March 15, 1938. Vol. 52, no. 10265, Indian-Pioneer Papers, Oklahoma Historical Society Research Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
Taylor, Mary Nielson, to Berlin B. Chapman. July 31, 1966. Old Central Centennial History Collection, Special Collections, Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
United States Congress, ed. by George P. Sanger. The Statutes at Large, Treaties and Proclamations of the United States of America From December 5, 1859, to March 3, 1863 Vol. 12 (Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1863).
For Further Assistance
There are many different styles of reference notes and bibliographic citations. The OHS prefers The Chicago Manual of Style. You might wish to visit the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide for further assistance in formatting your source information.
Contact Us
If you have questions, please contact:
Matthew Pearce
Oklahoma Historical Society
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-522-8659
[email protected]
