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Location: on Czech Hall Road
Topics: Territorial Period 1861–1907, Ethnic Diversity, Settlement Patterns, Social/Cultural
Bohemian Hall was established in 1899 by early Czech settlers. The original structure was replaced in 1924 by the present building. Bohemian Hall is the focal point of Czech social and musical functions in Oklahoma, including traditional weddings, reunions, and family gatherings. Czech plays have been performed periodically for the last fifty years. The original hand-painted canvas drops for the stage are still in existence.
Location: in community of Boley
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Government, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, American Indians, Transportation
Boley is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Boley was established in 1903 on land owned by a Creek Indian freedwoman, Abigail Barnett. Because there was already a town named Barnett in Indian Territory, the townsite was named after a white roadmaster, J. G. Boley, who persuaded the Fort Smith and Western Railroad that blacks could govern themselves. Boley was incorporated on May 11, 1905.
Location: at the former Booker T. Washington School campus in Idabel
Coordinates: 33.893863, -94.838091
Sponsored by: Booker T. Washington-Slater-Riverside Alumni Association
Material: Aluminum
Topics: Social/Culture, Ethnic Diversity, Government, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Industrial Period 1941–1982
Booker T. Washington High School began independently in one room of the Masonic Hall. Around 1908, the school moved into an old store. In 1911, it was under the County Superintendent and moved into a two-room building on this site. T.F. Spigner became principal in 1925 and increased the grades steadily through 1931 when three girls graduated 12th grade. The wood building mysteriously burned in l936 and was replaced by the WPA with a stone building costing $21,735. Groundbreaking was held on August 24, 1936, and the building was dedicated on March 24, 1937.
Location: on south edge of OSU-Tulsa campus
Material: Granite
Topics: Education, Ethnic Diversity, Civil Rights, Early Statehood 1907–1941
The original school for African American students in Tulsa was a four-room wood building constructed in 1913. In 1919, a brick building was built on the same site and was one of the few structures to survive the 1921 Race Riot. The school moved to its present site in 1950.
Location: in community of Brooksville
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Settlement Patterns, Land Openings
Brooksville is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Brooksville had a post office from 1909 to 1955 and is named for the first postmaster, Alfred H. Brooks.
Location: original entrance into the camp, which is north of Tonkawa between Public and Main Streets
Topics: Military, Social/Cultural, Government, Ethnic Diversity, Agriculture, Industrial Period 1841–1892
Between October and December of 1942 more than nine hundred construction workers labored twenty-four hours a day to build Camp Tonkawa on the quarter section immediately north of this marker (SE1/2 Sec. 28-26N-1W). The 160-acre site contained more than 180 wooden structures for 3,000 German prisoners of war (POWs), as well as five hundred US Army guard troops, service personnel, and civilian employees. Activated in January 1943, the post received its first POWs in August: German troops of the Afrika Corps captured in North Africa. The facility operated at or near capacity throughout its existence. Prisoners worked on area farms and ranches as well as at an alfalfa dryer plant in Tonkawa. In November 1943, a disturbance among the prisoners resulted in the death of one German soldier. Eight POWs escaped from the camp but all were recaptured. Camp Tonkawa closed in September 1945, and the POWs were returned to Europe.
Location: on US-77, three miles south of the Kansas border
Material: Granite
Topics: Education, American Indians, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Industrial Period 1841–1892, Ethnic Diversity
Congress authorized this school for Indian children in 1882. Before its closing in the 1970s, Chilocco was one of the largest Indian schools in the United States. On part of the original 9,000 acres set aside for the school, a major archaeological find proved the existence of Ferdinandina, a French trading post established around 1746 and considered to be the first white settlement in what would become Oklahoma.
Location: on US-70 on west edge of Valliant
Topics: Arts, Water, Industry/Business, Ethnic Diversity
The water mill was established here in 1818. At the site, the Negro spiritual, "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," was first introduced in writing. The song had been oral tradition until then.
Location: in community of Clearview
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Government, Mass Communication, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Urban Development
Clearview was organized with a post office in September 1902. Two years later, the name was changed to Abelincoln, but that order was rescinded within a month.
Sponsored by: Student Council and Patrons of Paden, 1987-1988
Material: Granite
Topics: Petroleum, Natural Resources, Industry/Business, American Indians, UB, Social/Cultural, Government, Folklife, Ethnic Diversity, Education
The Cromwell oil field and town were named for Joe I. Cromwell of Muskogee, Oklahoma. A gas well, the #1 Jim Willis in the SE/4 SE/4NW/4 of Section 15-10N-8E, was completed at a depth of 3,466 feet by the Cosden Oil Co. on November 11, 1922. However, it was not until the discovery of oil by the Cromwell Oil & Gas Company at the #1 Bruner in the NW/4 NE/4 SW/4 of Section 15-10N-8E on October 2, 1923, that the drilling boom started. This well was completed to a depth of 3,475 feet. A total of 393 wells produced oil in the field with the largest oil well producing 5,600 barrels per day, and the largest gas well producing 125,000,000 M.C.F. The town of Cromwell and the surrounding oil field had a peak population of 10,000 during 1923 and 1924. Lawlessness became rampant and caused the town to be named "Cromwell the Wicked". In September 1924, prisoners from Cromwell were handcuffed to a log cabin and marched 14 miles to the county jail in Wewoka. To help curb the lawlessness in the town, William (Bill) Tilghman, a pioneer law officer and one of the famous "Three Guardsmen" of Oklahoma was named Chief of Police in September 1924. On November 1, 1924, at the age of seventy, Tilghman was slain at the entrance of Murphy's dance hall located where this marker stands.
Location: at the Fred and Addie Drummond Home, 305 North Price in Hominy
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, American Indians, Ranching, Petroleum, Retail, Natural Resources, Family/Household
Frederick Drummond immigrated to the United States from Scotland in the 1880s. After moving to the Osage Reservation, he established the Hominy Trading Company in 1904 and expanded his operations into the cattle business and buying and leasing Indian lands, eventually building one of the state's largest ranches. Drummond and his wife, Addie, constructed this substantial Victorian home in 1905. Most of the original fine furnishings, as well as personal family records, photographs, and other items, are still in the house.
Location: on US-70 west of Mountain Fork River at Eagletown
Material: Granite
Topics: American Indians, Westward Expansion 1803–1861, Government, Religion/Philosophy, Education, Ethnic Diversity, arly Statehood, 1907–1941
The first permanent settlement among Western Choctaws was west of Mountain Fork River, but the present town was platted east of the river in 1821. Oklahoma's first post office was established here on July 1, 1834.
Location: at corner of College and Downing Streets in Tahlequah. OHBC
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Religion/Philosophy, Education
American Indian, African American, and white Baptists convened here in June 1883 to form the Missionary and Educational Convention, Oklahoma's first Baptist Convention.
Location: in community of Grayson
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Land Openings, Settlement Patterns, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941
Grayson is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas.
Location: six miles northeast of Checotah
Topics: Military, Ethnic Diversity, Government, American Indians, Territorial Period 1861–1907
Six monuments and markers pay tribute to those who fought in the Civil War Battle of Honey Springs on July 17, 1863. Included are Honey Springs Depot, the Texas Confederates, the Indian and Texas troops, Union soldiers, and the First Regiment Kansas Colored Volunteers, one of the first African American units of the Civil War to play a key part in a Union victory.
Location: on county road, two miles west of OK-6 north of Granite
Material: Granite
Topics: Settlement Patterns, Agriculture, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Education, Religion/Philosophy, Environmental/Cultural Ecology, Government, Transportation
Pioneers settled the Lake Creek area beginning in 1898. The consolidated Lake Creek School served area children until 1957. The community included the oldest church in Greer County, the Lake Creek Baptist Church, founded in 1888.
Location: 210 N. Wood Dr., Okmulgee OK
Material: Granite
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Social/Cultural, Urban Development
The vision for this building became a reality when the city acquired four lots from William Morton in 1920. In 1922 Okmulgee's black citizens secured $25,000 in donations from federated clubs and their own leading citizens to complete the funding to construct the first "colored hospital" to be opened in the state of Oklahoma. Even though the building was completed, the black community had to raise additional funds to equip the hospital and make the building operational. In 1924 a group of black citizens formed the Colored Hospital Association. The hospital was opened in 1924 and housed 18-20 beds with living quarters for a staff of six to seven nurses. The building was estimated to cost $50,000. In 1936 the building was leased for three years to Dr. J. H. Burt.
Important medical services and care were provided at the hospital, but it also served as a symbol of segregation prior to the Civil Rights Movement. When Okmulgee integrated a number of health facilities in 1957 the Okmulgee Colored Hospital was closed.
In 1984 the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Location: in city of Langston
Note: Presumed missing
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Land Openings, Settlement Patterns, Urban Development, Education
Langston is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Langston was organized in 1890 by E. P. McCabe, who also boosted Oklahoma as an All-Black state. It takes its name from John M. Langston, a well-known educator and member of Congress. Langston became home to the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (Langston University) in 1897.
Location: in community of Lima
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Settlement Patterns, Urban Development, Education
Lima is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Lima had a post office from 1907 to 1957. It is the site of a Rosenwald School, which was constructed in 1921 with funding from Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company and trustee of the Tuskegee Institute.
Location: on the west side of Hwy 44 near the Lugert grain elevator
Sponsored by: Terri Stern
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Land Openings, Government, Retail, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Industrial Period 1892–1941
Austrian immigrant Frank Lugert (1868–1958) founded the town of Lugert when the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation opened for settlement in 1901. Mr. Lugert ran the post office, train depot, and a general store. The town thrived until 1912 when a tornado destroyed it. In 1947 the dam was completed, covering the townsite.
Location: in downtown pocket parks in Newkirk
Topics: Land Openings, Settlement Patterns, Petroleum, Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity, Recreational/Service
Enameled historical markers with photographs commemorate the Cherokee Outlet, Cherokee allotments, the Oil Boom, the Fire of 1901, Newkirk Country Club, Kay County Fair, Newkirk African-Americans, and the history of Newkirk.
Location: on Highway 92, Norge, where the 98th meridian intersects the highway
Topics: American Indians, Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity
Norge, formerly Allie, is located on the 98th meridian, separating the old Chickasaw Nation to the east and the Kiowa, Comanch,e and Apache Reserve to the west. The town received its name from a Norwegian settlement in the area. Situated on a high plain not far from the Keechi Hills, Norge is four miles southwest of Chickasha.
Location: at South 2nd Street and West Harrison Avenue in Guthrie
Coordinates: 35.877367, -97.427667
Sponsored by: Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
Material: Aluminum
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Government, and Territorial Period 1861–1907
Oklahoma–an all black state with a black governor–was the dream of E. P. McCabe, lawyer, farmer, and Republican activist. McCabe vigorously promoted black settlement and assumed role as spokesman for black people in Washington with President Benjamin Harrison. As a candidate for Territorial Governor, he was quoted in the St. Louis Globe - Democrat: Should I become governor, I promise to rule fairly and fearlessly." McCabe became Logan County treasurer by appointment of Gov. Steele in 1890. He served as secretary of the Territorial Legislature in 1890. and was deputy auditor of the Territory from 1897 to 1907. He was chiefly responsible for the founding of Langston and helped in the location and establishment of Langston University.
Location: at the Fort Sill Museum (DAR)
Sponsored by: Daughters of the American Revolution
Topics: Tn, Military, American Indians, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Ethnic Diversity
Known originally as the Quartermaster Corral, this structure, which replaced an earlier wooden corral, is located southeast of the original post quadrangle near Key Gate. The 10th Cavalry constructed the corral in 1870 to hold the horses, oxen, and mules used by the quartermaster for transport of men and supplies and for jobs such as road building. After 1875 the army used the corral for temporary incarceration of Plains Indians. In the 1880s, as boomers tried to enter and settle in the Indian Territory, the military rounded up and held the illegal settlers in the corral until the party was large enough to warrant military escort out of the area.
Location: in community of Red Bird
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Goveernment, Mass COmmunication
Red Bird is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Red Bird was established with a post office in June 1902.
Location: on OK-66 at east edge of Clinton
Material: Granite
Topics: Land Openings, Ethnic Diversity, Agriculture
Prior to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation land run of April 19, 1892, this quarter-section of land was allotted to a Cheyenne woman named Red Wheat. Mennonite emigrants from Russia introduced 'Turkey red' winter wheat to northwest Oklahoma.
Location: in community of Rentiesville
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Urban Development, Settlement Patterns, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood Early Statehood 1907–1941
Rentiesville is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas.
Location: on US-70, two miles east of Hugo
Topics: Family/Household, American Indians, Social/Cultural, Agriculture, Ethnic Diversity
Rose Hill, constructed before the Civil War, was the plantation home of Colonel Robert M. Jones, the wealthiest citizen of the Choctaw Nation. At one time, he owned 500 slaves to farm the land along the Red River. His mansion was decorated with crystal chandeliers imported from Europe. Rose Hill burned to the ground on Christmas night 1912. Only a row of massive cedar trees mark the site of the home today. Nearby, Jones is buried with his wife and children in a family cemetery.
Location: on grounds of Fort Sill
Material: Granite
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Military, Territorial Period 1861–1907, American Indians
Constructed of native stone by members of the 10th Cavalry, this structure was home to General William Tecumseh Sherman when he conducted a tour of frontier army posts in the early 1870s. He narrowly escaped assassination by Kiowa warriors on the porch in May 1871.
Location: on US-70 in Sawyer
Material: Granite
Topics: Education, American Indians, Ethnic Diversity, Arts, Westward Expansion 1803–1861
A noted school for boys, Spencer Academy was established by the Choctaw Nation in 1841 and named for Secretary of War John C. Spencer. Students who became Choctaw leaders included Allen Wright, Jackson McCurtain, and Jefferson Gardner.
Location: in town of Taft; see Red Bird
Topics: Government, Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity, Social/Cultural, Education, Recreational/Service, Territorial Period 1861–1907
Taft was initially named Twine after an early-day resident, editor, and activist W. H. Twine. The name was changed to Taft in 1904 to honor William Howard Taft, secretary of war and later president of the United States. Taft was home to several state-operated facilities for the state's African American population, including the Industrial Institute for the Deaf, Blind, and Orphans of the Colored Race, State Training School for Negro Girls, and State Hospital for the Negro Insane.
Location: in community of Tatums
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941
Tatums is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Tatums was established in 1896 and is named for Lee Tatum, the first postmaster and a United States marshal.
Location: 50 Broadway Circle, Oklahoma City
Sponsored by: Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life; Jewish American Society for Historical Preservation.
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Religion/Philosophy
Jews have lived in Oklahoma since the mid-nineteenth century. In 1903, Jews in Oklahoma City organized Temple B'Nai Israel. During its first few years, the congregation met at several local churches. The synagogue, located at 50 Broadway Circle, was dedicated on January 17, 1908. Temple B'Nai Israel remained in this building until 1955, when they moved to a new synagogue on North Pennsylvania Street. Temple B'Nai Israel affirmed the American principals of freedom of religion and assembly in Oklahoma.
Location: in community of Tullahassee; see Red Bird
Material: Granite
Topics: American Indians, Education, Religion/Philosophy, Westward Expansion 1803–1861, Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907
Tullahassee, a Creek word meaning "old town," now occupies the site of Tullahassee Mission, established in the Creek Nation in 1850 by Reverend Robert M. Loughridge under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. After the mission burned and was abandoned, Creek freedmen moved to the area, receiving a post office in 1899.
Location: in community of Vernon
Topics: Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity, Religion/Philosophy, Early Statehood 1907–1941
Vernon, established in March 1912, is named for William T. Vernon, a minister and bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who also served as registrar of the United States Treasury from 1906 to 1912 under President Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft.
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Historical Marker Program
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Your search returned 35 results.
Bohemian Hall
Canadian CountyLocation: on Czech Hall Road
Topics: Territorial Period 1861–1907, Ethnic Diversity, Settlement Patterns, Social/Cultural
Bohemian Hall was established in 1899 by early Czech settlers. The original structure was replaced in 1924 by the present building. Bohemian Hall is the focal point of Czech social and musical functions in Oklahoma, including traditional weddings, reunions, and family gatherings. Czech plays have been performed periodically for the last fifty years. The original hand-painted canvas drops for the stage are still in existence.
Boley
Okfuskee CountyLocation: in community of Boley
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Government, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, American Indians, Transportation
Boley is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Boley was established in 1903 on land owned by a Creek Indian freedwoman, Abigail Barnett. Because there was already a town named Barnett in Indian Territory, the townsite was named after a white roadmaster, J. G. Boley, who persuaded the Fort Smith and Western Railroad that blacks could govern themselves. Boley was incorporated on May 11, 1905.
Booker T. Washington High School
McCurtain CountyLocation: at the former Booker T. Washington School campus in Idabel
Coordinates: 33.893863, -94.838091
Sponsored by: Booker T. Washington-Slater-Riverside Alumni Association
Material: Aluminum
Topics: Social/Culture, Ethnic Diversity, Government, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Industrial Period 1941–1982
Booker T. Washington High School began independently in one room of the Masonic Hall. Around 1908, the school moved into an old store. In 1911, it was under the County Superintendent and moved into a two-room building on this site. T.F. Spigner became principal in 1925 and increased the grades steadily through 1931 when three girls graduated 12th grade. The wood building mysteriously burned in l936 and was replaced by the WPA with a stone building costing $21,735. Groundbreaking was held on August 24, 1936, and the building was dedicated on March 24, 1937.
Booker T. Washington High School
Tulsa CountyLocation: on south edge of OSU-Tulsa campus
Material: Granite
Topics: Education, Ethnic Diversity, Civil Rights, Early Statehood 1907–1941
The original school for African American students in Tulsa was a four-room wood building constructed in 1913. In 1919, a brick building was built on the same site and was one of the few structures to survive the 1921 Race Riot. The school moved to its present site in 1950.
Brooksville
Pottawatomie CountyLocation: in community of Brooksville
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Settlement Patterns, Land Openings
Brooksville is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Brooksville had a post office from 1909 to 1955 and is named for the first postmaster, Alfred H. Brooks.
Camp Tonkawa Prisoner of War Camp
Kay CountyLocation: original entrance into the camp, which is north of Tonkawa between Public and Main Streets
Topics: Military, Social/Cultural, Government, Ethnic Diversity, Agriculture, Industrial Period 1841–1892
Between October and December of 1942 more than nine hundred construction workers labored twenty-four hours a day to build Camp Tonkawa on the quarter section immediately north of this marker (SE1/2 Sec. 28-26N-1W). The 160-acre site contained more than 180 wooden structures for 3,000 German prisoners of war (POWs), as well as five hundred US Army guard troops, service personnel, and civilian employees. Activated in January 1943, the post received its first POWs in August: German troops of the Afrika Corps captured in North Africa. The facility operated at or near capacity throughout its existence. Prisoners worked on area farms and ranches as well as at an alfalfa dryer plant in Tonkawa. In November 1943, a disturbance among the prisoners resulted in the death of one German soldier. Eight POWs escaped from the camp but all were recaptured. Camp Tonkawa closed in September 1945, and the POWs were returned to Europe.
Chilocco Indian School
Kay CountyLocation: on US-77, three miles south of the Kansas border
Material: Granite
Topics: Education, American Indians, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Industrial Period 1841–1892, Ethnic Diversity
Congress authorized this school for Indian children in 1882. Before its closing in the 1970s, Chilocco was one of the largest Indian schools in the United States. On part of the original 9,000 acres set aside for the school, a major archaeological find proved the existence of Ferdinandina, a French trading post established around 1746 and considered to be the first white settlement in what would become Oklahoma.
Clear Creek Water Mill
McCurtain CountyLocation: on US-70 on west edge of Valliant
Topics: Arts, Water, Industry/Business, Ethnic Diversity
The water mill was established here in 1818. At the site, the Negro spiritual, "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," was first introduced in writing. The song had been oral tradition until then.
Clearview
Okfuskee CountyLocation: in community of Clearview
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Government, Mass Communication, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Urban Development
Clearview was organized with a post office in September 1902. Two years later, the name was changed to Abelincoln, but that order was rescinded within a month.
Cromwell
Seminole CountySponsored by: Student Council and Patrons of Paden, 1987-1988
Material: Granite
Topics: Petroleum, Natural Resources, Industry/Business, American Indians, UB, Social/Cultural, Government, Folklife, Ethnic Diversity, Education
The Cromwell oil field and town were named for Joe I. Cromwell of Muskogee, Oklahoma. A gas well, the #1 Jim Willis in the SE/4 SE/4NW/4 of Section 15-10N-8E, was completed at a depth of 3,466 feet by the Cosden Oil Co. on November 11, 1922. However, it was not until the discovery of oil by the Cromwell Oil & Gas Company at the #1 Bruner in the NW/4 NE/4 SW/4 of Section 15-10N-8E on October 2, 1923, that the drilling boom started. This well was completed to a depth of 3,475 feet. A total of 393 wells produced oil in the field with the largest oil well producing 5,600 barrels per day, and the largest gas well producing 125,000,000 M.C.F. The town of Cromwell and the surrounding oil field had a peak population of 10,000 during 1923 and 1924. Lawlessness became rampant and caused the town to be named "Cromwell the Wicked". In September 1924, prisoners from Cromwell were handcuffed to a log cabin and marched 14 miles to the county jail in Wewoka. To help curb the lawlessness in the town, William (Bill) Tilghman, a pioneer law officer and one of the famous "Three Guardsmen" of Oklahoma was named Chief of Police in September 1924. On November 1, 1924, at the age of seventy, Tilghman was slain at the entrance of Murphy's dance hall located where this marker stands.
Drummond Home
Osage CountyLocation: at the Fred and Addie Drummond Home, 305 North Price in Hominy
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, American Indians, Ranching, Petroleum, Retail, Natural Resources, Family/Household
Frederick Drummond immigrated to the United States from Scotland in the 1880s. After moving to the Osage Reservation, he established the Hominy Trading Company in 1904 and expanded his operations into the cattle business and buying and leasing Indian lands, eventually building one of the state's largest ranches. Drummond and his wife, Addie, constructed this substantial Victorian home in 1905. Most of the original fine furnishings, as well as personal family records, photographs, and other items, are still in the house.
Eagletown
McCurtain CountyLocation: on US-70 west of Mountain Fork River at Eagletown
Material: Granite
Topics: American Indians, Westward Expansion 1803–1861, Government, Religion/Philosophy, Education, Ethnic Diversity, arly Statehood, 1907–1941
The first permanent settlement among Western Choctaws was west of Mountain Fork River, but the present town was platted east of the river in 1821. Oklahoma's first post office was established here on July 1, 1834.
First Baptist Convention in Indian Territory
Cherokee CountyLocation: at corner of College and Downing Streets in Tahlequah. OHBC
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Religion/Philosophy, Education
American Indian, African American, and white Baptists convened here in June 1883 to form the Missionary and Educational Convention, Oklahoma's first Baptist Convention.
Grayson
Okmulgee CountyLocation: in community of Grayson
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Land Openings, Settlement Patterns, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941
Grayson is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas.
Honey Springs Battlefield
McIntosh CountyLocation: six miles northeast of Checotah
Topics: Military, Ethnic Diversity, Government, American Indians, Territorial Period 1861–1907
Six monuments and markers pay tribute to those who fought in the Civil War Battle of Honey Springs on July 17, 1863. Included are Honey Springs Depot, the Texas Confederates, the Indian and Texas troops, Union soldiers, and the First Regiment Kansas Colored Volunteers, one of the first African American units of the Civil War to play a key part in a Union victory.
Lake Creek
Greer CountyLocation: on county road, two miles west of OK-6 north of Granite
Material: Granite
Topics: Settlement Patterns, Agriculture, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Education, Religion/Philosophy, Environmental/Cultural Ecology, Government, Transportation
Pioneers settled the Lake Creek area beginning in 1898. The consolidated Lake Creek School served area children until 1957. The community included the oldest church in Greer County, the Lake Creek Baptist Church, founded in 1888.
Landmark for All Generations Okmulgee Colored Hospital
Okmulgee CountyLocation: 210 N. Wood Dr., Okmulgee OK
Material: Granite
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Social/Cultural, Urban Development
The vision for this building became a reality when the city acquired four lots from William Morton in 1920. In 1922 Okmulgee's black citizens secured $25,000 in donations from federated clubs and their own leading citizens to complete the funding to construct the first "colored hospital" to be opened in the state of Oklahoma. Even though the building was completed, the black community had to raise additional funds to equip the hospital and make the building operational. In 1924 a group of black citizens formed the Colored Hospital Association. The hospital was opened in 1924 and housed 18-20 beds with living quarters for a staff of six to seven nurses. The building was estimated to cost $50,000. In 1936 the building was leased for three years to Dr. J. H. Burt.
Important medical services and care were provided at the hospital, but it also served as a symbol of segregation prior to the Civil Rights Movement. When Okmulgee integrated a number of health facilities in 1957 the Okmulgee Colored Hospital was closed.
In 1984 the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Langston
Logan CountyLocation: in city of Langston
Note: Presumed missing
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Land Openings, Settlement Patterns, Urban Development, Education
Langston is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Langston was organized in 1890 by E. P. McCabe, who also boosted Oklahoma as an All-Black state. It takes its name from John M. Langston, a well-known educator and member of Congress. Langston became home to the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (Langston University) in 1897.
Lima
Seminole CountyLocation: in community of Lima
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Settlement Patterns, Urban Development, Education
Lima is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Lima had a post office from 1907 to 1957. It is the site of a Rosenwald School, which was constructed in 1921 with funding from Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company and trustee of the Tuskegee Institute.
Lugert
Kiowa CountyLocation: on the west side of Hwy 44 near the Lugert grain elevator
Sponsored by: Terri Stern
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Land Openings, Government, Retail, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Industrial Period 1892–1941
Austrian immigrant Frank Lugert (1868–1958) founded the town of Lugert when the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Reservation opened for settlement in 1901. Mr. Lugert ran the post office, train depot, and a general store. The town thrived until 1912 when a tornado destroyed it. In 1947 the dam was completed, covering the townsite.
Newkirk
Kay CountyLocation: in downtown pocket parks in Newkirk
Topics: Land Openings, Settlement Patterns, Petroleum, Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity, Recreational/Service
Enameled historical markers with photographs commemorate the Cherokee Outlet, Cherokee allotments, the Oil Boom, the Fire of 1901, Newkirk Country Club, Kay County Fair, Newkirk African-Americans, and the history of Newkirk.
Norge, Oklahoma
Grady CountyLocation: on Highway 92, Norge, where the 98th meridian intersects the highway
Topics: American Indians, Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity
Norge, formerly Allie, is located on the 98th meridian, separating the old Chickasaw Nation to the east and the Kiowa, Comanch,e and Apache Reserve to the west. The town received its name from a Norwegian settlement in the area. Situated on a high plain not far from the Keechi Hills, Norge is four miles southwest of Chickasha.
Office of E. P. McCabe
Logan CountyLocation: at South 2nd Street and West Harrison Avenue in Guthrie
Coordinates: 35.877367, -97.427667
Sponsored by: Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
Material: Aluminum
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Government, and Territorial Period 1861–1907
Oklahoma–an all black state with a black governor–was the dream of E. P. McCabe, lawyer, farmer, and Republican activist. McCabe vigorously promoted black settlement and assumed role as spokesman for black people in Washington with President Benjamin Harrison. As a candidate for Territorial Governor, he was quoted in the St. Louis Globe - Democrat: Should I become governor, I promise to rule fairly and fearlessly." McCabe became Logan County treasurer by appointment of Gov. Steele in 1890. He served as secretary of the Territorial Legislature in 1890. and was deputy auditor of the Territory from 1897 to 1907. He was chiefly responsible for the founding of Langston and helped in the location and establishment of Langston University.
Old Stone Corral
Comanche CountyLocation: at the Fort Sill Museum (DAR)
Sponsored by: Daughters of the American Revolution
Topics: Tn, Military, American Indians, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Ethnic Diversity
Known originally as the Quartermaster Corral, this structure, which replaced an earlier wooden corral, is located southeast of the original post quadrangle near Key Gate. The 10th Cavalry constructed the corral in 1870 to hold the horses, oxen, and mules used by the quartermaster for transport of men and supplies and for jobs such as road building. After 1875 the army used the corral for temporary incarceration of Plains Indians. In the 1880s, as boomers tried to enter and settle in the Indian Territory, the military rounded up and held the illegal settlers in the corral until the party was large enough to warrant military escort out of the area.
Red Bird
Muskogee CountyLocation: in community of Red Bird
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Urban Development, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941, Goveernment, Mass COmmunication
Red Bird is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Red Bird was established with a post office in June 1902.
Red Wheat Allotment
Custer CountyLocation: on OK-66 at east edge of Clinton
Material: Granite
Topics: Land Openings, Ethnic Diversity, Agriculture
Prior to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reservation land run of April 19, 1892, this quarter-section of land was allotted to a Cheyenne woman named Red Wheat. Mennonite emigrants from Russia introduced 'Turkey red' winter wheat to northwest Oklahoma.
Rentiesville
McIntosh CountyLocation: in community of Rentiesville
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Urban Development, Settlement Patterns, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood Early Statehood 1907–1941
Rentiesville is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their own destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas.
Rose Hill
Choctaw CountyLocation: on US-70, two miles east of Hugo
Topics: Family/Household, American Indians, Social/Cultural, Agriculture, Ethnic Diversity
Rose Hill, constructed before the Civil War, was the plantation home of Colonel Robert M. Jones, the wealthiest citizen of the Choctaw Nation. At one time, he owned 500 slaves to farm the land along the Red River. His mansion was decorated with crystal chandeliers imported from Europe. Rose Hill burned to the ground on Christmas night 1912. Only a row of massive cedar trees mark the site of the home today. Nearby, Jones is buried with his wife and children in a family cemetery.
Sherman House
Comanche CountyLocation: on grounds of Fort Sill
Material: Granite
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Military, Territorial Period 1861–1907, American Indians
Constructed of native stone by members of the 10th Cavalry, this structure was home to General William Tecumseh Sherman when he conducted a tour of frontier army posts in the early 1870s. He narrowly escaped assassination by Kiowa warriors on the porch in May 1871.
Spencer Academy
Choctaw CountyLocation: on US-70 in Sawyer
Material: Granite
Topics: Education, American Indians, Ethnic Diversity, Arts, Westward Expansion 1803–1861
A noted school for boys, Spencer Academy was established by the Choctaw Nation in 1841 and named for Secretary of War John C. Spencer. Students who became Choctaw leaders included Allen Wright, Jackson McCurtain, and Jefferson Gardner.
Taft
Muskogee CountyLocation: in town of Taft; see Red Bird
Topics: Government, Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity, Social/Cultural, Education, Recreational/Service, Territorial Period 1861–1907
Taft was initially named Twine after an early-day resident, editor, and activist W. H. Twine. The name was changed to Taft in 1904 to honor William Howard Taft, secretary of war and later president of the United States. Taft was home to several state-operated facilities for the state's African American population, including the Industrial Institute for the Deaf, Blind, and Orphans of the Colored Race, State Training School for Negro Girls, and State Hospital for the Negro Insane.
Tatums
Carter CountyLocation: in community of Tatums
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Early Statehood 1907–1941
Tatums is one of thirteen All-Black towns, out of more than fifty that once existed, remaining in Oklahoma. While Tullahassee is reportedly the oldest, most were established between 1889 and 1907 as African Americans sought security and control of their destiny in a segregated world. Most of the towns began to decline in the 1920s and 1930s as rural African Americans faced economic hardships and began to move to urban areas. Tatums was established in 1896 and is named for Lee Tatum, the first postmaster and a United States marshal.
Temple B'Nai Israel
Oklahoma CountyLocation: 50 Broadway Circle, Oklahoma City
Sponsored by: Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life; Jewish American Society for Historical Preservation.
Topics: Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907, Religion/Philosophy
Jews have lived in Oklahoma since the mid-nineteenth century. In 1903, Jews in Oklahoma City organized Temple B'Nai Israel. During its first few years, the congregation met at several local churches. The synagogue, located at 50 Broadway Circle, was dedicated on January 17, 1908. Temple B'Nai Israel remained in this building until 1955, when they moved to a new synagogue on North Pennsylvania Street. Temple B'Nai Israel affirmed the American principals of freedom of religion and assembly in Oklahoma.
Tullahassee
Muskogee CountyLocation: in community of Tullahassee; see Red Bird
Material: Granite
Topics: American Indians, Education, Religion/Philosophy, Westward Expansion 1803–1861, Ethnic Diversity, Territorial Period 1861–1907
Tullahassee, a Creek word meaning "old town," now occupies the site of Tullahassee Mission, established in the Creek Nation in 1850 by Reverend Robert M. Loughridge under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. After the mission burned and was abandoned, Creek freedmen moved to the area, receiving a post office in 1899.
Vernon
McIntosh CountyLocation: in community of Vernon
Topics: Urban Development, Ethnic Diversity, Religion/Philosophy, Early Statehood 1907–1941
Vernon, established in March 1912, is named for William T. Vernon, a minister and bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who also served as registrar of the United States Treasury from 1906 to 1912 under President Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft.
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