Historical Marker Program

Bond of Friendship

Pawnee County
Location: intersection of Market Street and Second Street in Skedee
Coordinates: 36.379819, -96.705051
Material: Other
Sponsor(s): Colonel E. Walters
Topics: American Indians; Arts; Early Statehood, 1907–1941; Folklore/Folklife; Petroleum

Erected in 1926, this monument features the likenesses of Osage Chief Bacon Rind (Wah-she-hah) and Colonel Ellsworth Walters to commemorate their role in opening oil fields within the Osage Reservation. For many years, Walters served as the public auctioneer for mineral leases within the reservation, the revenue from which was distributed to Osage headrights. Bacon Rind was elected principal chief of the Osage Nation and advocated for the development of petroleum resources within the reservation.

Pawnee Agency

Pawnee County
Location: on US-64 west of Pawnee
Coordinates: 36.330469, -96.819987
Material: Granite
Sponsor(s): Oklahoma Historical Society
Topics: American Indians; Government; Land Openings; Settlement Patterns; Territorial Period, 1861–1907

Established in 1874, the agency supervised the Pawnee who sold their lands in Nebraska and bought a reservation in present-day Pawnee County. The unallotted surplus lands of the Pawnee Reservation were opened to settlement in September 1893. Pawnee Agency was consolidated in 1928 to serve the Pawnee, Oto, Ponca, Tonkawa, and Kaw tribal nations.