Items from the Century Chest are on exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center. Visitors can view photographs, documents, and American Indian artifacts and hear Oklahoma pioneer Angelo C. Scott’s speech delivered at the burial of the chest in 1913. The exhibit features the 1889 poster promoting the first Fourth of July celebration in Oklahoma City, a letter to blind Oklahomans of 2013 written in braille, the first state flag of Oklahoma, and the pen used by President William McKinley to sign the Free Homes Bill. In addition the exhibit contains dozens of messages, prophecies, and letters from the pioneers of 1913 to their descendants 100 years later.
The Oklahoma History Center is open Monday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The History Center is located in the State Capitol Complex at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.
Explore the items found in the Oklahoma Century Chest online, including photographs, letters, documents, and more. View the Century Chest collection online.
On April 22, 1913, a Century Chest was buried in the basement of the First English Lutheran Church (now the First Lutheran Church of Oklahoma City) at 1300 North Robinson. The ceremony was witnessed by a capacity crowd including Governor Lee Cruce and other residents.
Through a century of dutiful vigilance, the congregation of the First Lutheran Church guarded the Century Chest. On April 22, 2013, the items from the chest were unveiled in a public ceremony. The church has partnered with the Oklahoma Historical Society to preserve the artifacts from the chest for future generations.
Chad Williams, director of the Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division, talks about
the history of the First Lutheran Church's Century Chest.