Events Calendar

Would you like to spend the morning with an archivist? You’ll have a chance on Saturday, January 11, from 10 to 11 a.m.! Come to the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center’s Research Center to hear CSRHC’s archivist Aaron Preston make his first presentation as part one of a three-part lecture series for the price of regular museum admission! Part one of the series “A.M. with the Archivist” is entitled “Imperialism in the 1890s.” In this talk, Aaron will discuss the…

On Saturday, January 25, from 10 to 11 a.m., Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center archivist Aaron Preston will present a presentation on the Progressive Era, an overview of the country’s history from 1900 to 1929. The program will examine President Teddy Roosevelt’s policies and national transformations during this time and how these shifts were borne out in the Cherokee Outlet. This is the second program of “A.M. with the Archivist,” a three-part lecture series for the price of regular museum…

On Saturday, February 8, from 10 to 11 a.m., Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center archivist Aaron Preston will present a lecture on the Great Depression in the Cherokee Outlet. The lecture will center on how the Outlet suffered and grew during this time. The research being presented is drawn from oral histories—firsthand accounts of the people who lived through this period. This is the third program of “A.M. with the Archivist,” a three-part lecture series for the price of regular…

The 2025 Oklahoma History Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. Presented by the Oklahoma Historical Society, the symposium is a one-day event encompassing a range of historical topics pertaining to Oklahoma. It provides a venue for scholars, students, educators, public history professionals, and the interested public from across the state and region to share their work and interests with others. The 2025 symposium will center on the theme “Oklahoma…

The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library has postponed the presentation “A Tale of Two Runs,” previously scheduled for Saturday, June 14. No future date for the event has been determined. On Saturday, June 14, at 1 p.m., the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will host a program on the Cherokee Outlet Opening. Guest speaker Madison Wilson, education director at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, will present a talk entitled “A Tale of Two Runs: The First and…

On Thursday, June 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, the historic home’s director and the staff of the Oklahoma Territorial Museum collaborate on a presentation entitled “The Myth of the Steal: Oklahoma’s Capitol.” The Overholser Mansion will host the presentation, and staff from both museums will discuss the move of the Oklahoma State Capitol and the myth surrounding the state seal’s theft. Shelley Bierschank, director of the Overholser Mansion museum, will present on…

On Saturday, July 19, Keith Loris will present a talk on “A Fort Smith Story: The Cherokee and the Trail of Tears.” Keith Loris is a National Park Service Fort Smith National Historic Site and Fort Smith Trolley Museum volunteer. Loris will begin his talk at 11 a.m. This talk on Native American history will last about 30 minutes. and seating is limited, so bring a folding chair if you’d like. A question and answer session will follow the talk.…

The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is proud to host guest speaker, historian, and educator Sam Mihara at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 8, as part of the center’s Museum After Dark series. Mihara will deliver his lecture “Memories of Injustice” about the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II and his personal experiences as a prisoner at a US relocation camp near Heart Mountain, Wyoming. When he was…

On Saturday, August 16, at 1 p.m., David Fowler (Cherokee) will discuss the role of the Cherokee Nation in the Civil War. Fowler is a regional director in the Museums and Historic Sites Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Native Americans made up a significant portion of those fighting in the battle on July 17, 1863. Men from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, and Muscogee (Creek) nations fought in this battle, which was the largest of more than 107 documented…

The Nuttall book study previously scheduled for Thursday, September 11, at 6 p.m., has been postponed. Who was Thomas Nuttall? Thomas Nuttall (1786–1859) was a pioneering naturalist interested in botany who took many journeys and expeditions in the 19th century. He took a 5,000-mile journey down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In his travels, he captured a time period in the Indian Territory when wolves and bison roamed the land. Nuttall also captured descriptions of the early days of barbed…

On Saturday, September 13, at the Honey Springs Battlefield visitor center, OHS Board member T. S. Akers will make a presentation about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Civil War. The presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m. T. S. Akers, a tribal citizen of the Muscogee Nation, received a Bachelor of Arts in History and a master of Arts in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma. He established an archive of historic Oklahoma Masonic photographs in partnership with the…

The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is excited to offer “Tattoos at the Museum: Part II” on Friday, September 19, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. inside the museum. The popular event returns, offering flash tattoos by six tattoo artists from Culture Tattoo of Enid and Apothika Tattoo of Enid.  Those seeking a tattoo must be at least 18 years old and have a valid ID. The cost to attend the event is included with the regular price of museum…

Take a journey through time as the Oklahoma History Center Museum dives into the fascinating history of Route 66 at the next History OffCenter event! “Get Your Kicks and Sips” will be held at the Woodworks Distilling Co. on Wednesday, September 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. for ages 21 and older. The event will be led by none other than Ken Busby—Executive Director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance, and Northeast Oklahoma’s very own Cultural Czar. Plus—don’t miss…

Join the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library on Thursday, September 25, at 6 p.m. for a free lecture on “The Marriage of Indian and Oklahoma Territory.” Oklahoma State Historian Dr. Matthew Pearce will discuss the fake marriage ceremony that took place in Oklahoma on November 16, 1907. The ceremony, which took place on the Carnegie Library steps, symbolized the joining of Oklahoma and Indian territories.  

This program has been canceled due to the weather. On Saturday, October 18, at 10:30 a.m., Cody Faber of the Fort Smith National Historic Site will teach visitors about the use of the Cavalry in the Civil War and at the Battle of Honey Springs. Faber’s horses will be a part of the program. Thousands of both Union and Confederate troops would be mounted during the war in Indian Territory. From well-outfitted Union cavalry with saber and carbine, to sparsely…

On Wednesday, November 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will host a lecture featuring Dr. Kalenda Eaton. Dr. Eaton will discuss the Black Homesteaders Project, focusing on understanding homesteading as a Movement. The lecture is free to attend. The Oklahoma Black Homesteader Project is a research and archival project focused on identifying, cataloging, and mapping claimed federal lands in the Oklahoma Territory from 1889 to 1920. A significant part of the research focuses…

Join the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library on Thursday, November 6, at 6 p.m. for a lecture on “The Magnificent Citizenship: Politics, Gender, and Race in Early Oklahoma.” This presentation examines politics, gender, race, and the contested nature of citizenship in Oklahoma as it transitioned from territory to state. Christine Carlson will present her project about how maternalism, alliances with conservative groups, and racial questions drove and stymied the Oklahoma women’s suffrage movement from 1895 to 1907. Thayme Watson…

On Friday, November 14, at 6 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is pleased to host a talk with Dr. Kalenda Eaton of the University of Oklahoma. Eaton will present “Tiny Boxes and Vast Legacies: Mapping the African American Homesteading Story in Oklahoma Territory.” The talk will be held at the Village Church in the Humphrey Heritage Village. The cost of attending the presentation will be the regular price of admission. Under the Homestead Act of 1862, the federal…