Historical Marker Program

Stillwater

Payne County
Location: at Sixth Avenue and Perkins Road in Stillwater
Coordinates: 36.116520, -97.052070
Material: Granite
Sponsor(s): Unknown
Topics: Land Openings; Settlement Patterns; Territorial Period, 1861–1907

Boomers, led by William L. Couch, settled nearby on Stillwater Creek in December 1884. When ordered to leave, they defied the US cavalry. In his wire for reinforcements, Lieutenant Mathias Day said, “They call this place the town of Stillwater.” This was the first recorded reference to a town in Oklahoma Territory.

Stillwater Fire Station No. 1

Payne County
Location: at Ninth Avenue and Lewis Street in Stillwater
Coordinates: 36.112510, -97.057430
Material: Aluminum
Sponsor(s): International Fire Service Training Association, OSU Fire Service Programs, and Stillwater Fire Department
Topics: Early Statehood, 1907–1941; Education; Recreational/Service

In July 1934, a group of educators and fire service leaders led by Stillwater Fire Chief J. Ray Pence met at this location to draft a series of firefighting training manuals. The manuals were subsequently published and distributed by Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University). This initial meeting led to the launching of what would become the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), which is headquartered at Oklahoma State University.