Riverton, Kansas

You're driving past Quapaw, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Louis W. Ballard, a composer of Cherokee-Quapaw descent. His Quapaw name means 'Stands with Eagles.' Ballard became a nationally recognized composer, known for…

Right here in northeastern Oklahoma, near Quapaw, is where Joe Beeler honed his craft. Born in Missouri in 1931, Beeler grew up dreaming of being a cowboy and an artist. After serving in the Korean War and studying art,…

You're driving through Quapaw, Oklahoma, right on the Kansas border. This town was once known as "the Hay Capital" of Oklahoma! Back in 1896, a railroad stop here made it easy for farmers to ship over a thousand…

This unassuming apartment building marks a pivotal moment in the story of Bonnie and Clyde. In 1933, the Barrow Gang, including Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, holed up here. They were trying to keep a low profile, but…

On May 22, 2011, an EF5 tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, with winds over 200 mph. It killed 158 people and injured more than 1,150. But here is what storm country never forgets: the day after, seventeen people…

Ever wonder what secrets are buried beneath a parking lot? Here in Joplin, it's the story of the Connor Hotel. Built between 1906 and 1908, the Connor Hotel was a grand, Beaux-Arts style building right on Main Street.…

One of the worst environmental disasters in US history. Orange acid water still flows from abandoned mines.

Look to your left, and imagine a grand gateway to Joplin, bustling with life and the rumble of mighty trains! This very spot was once the beating heart of transportation for decades. This magnificent Joplin Union Depot,…

From 1910 to 1972, this building housed Newman's Department Store, a Joplin institution that dressed generations of families. It was more than just a store; it was a downtown hub. Before you stands the Newman Brothers…

You're driving through Ottawa County, passing by the site of Peoria. This place owes its existence to the Tri-State Lead and Zinc District, which boomed from 1891 to 1896. At its peak, Peoria was a bustling mining camp…

You're driving through Ottawa County, and right here in Commerce, you're passing through a town with a dark, infamous chapter. On April 6, 1934, the notorious Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, along with their accomplice…

The greatest switch-hitter in baseball grew up in Commerce playing on the same fields as miners kids.

Look at that house! It's not just pretty; it's a survivor, a real testament to a bygone era in Webb City. This magnificent three-story residence, built around 1891, was the home of Elijah Thomas Webb. It's a stunning…

You're driving through Ottawa County, near the historic Route 66, passing through North Miami. This town owes its existence to the lead and zinc mining boom. In the early 1900s, the Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri…

86% of buildings undermined by abandoned mines. The ground could collapse without warning.

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here in Ottawa County, you're passing through a place that was once the lead and zinc capital of the world! Mining kicked off near Peoria in 1891, and soon towns…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here in Miami, you're passing through the home turf of a rodeo legend. Tom Ferguson wasn't just good; he was the best. From 1974 to 1979, he dominated professional…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, in Ottawa County, you're passing through the heart of the Tri-State Mining District. For decades, this area was a powerhouse, especially for lead and zinc.…

You're driving through Ottawa County, not far from Miami. Right here, in the heart of Oklahoma, is the story of the Modoc people, originally from the Pacific Northwest. After a fierce conflict known as the Modoc War in…

Right here in Miami, you're driving through a town that wasn't just settled, it was *planned*. Back in 1891, visionary leaders like W. C. Lykins and Miami Tribe Chief Thomas F. Richardville worked with Congress to…

Right here in Miami, Oklahoma, you're passing through the birthplace of Moscelyne Larkin, a world-renowned ballerina. Born in 1925, she trained right here before heading to New York and then touring the globe with the…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, maybe near the Kansas border, and you're passing through the heart of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation's ancestral lands. These Iroquoian people, originally from Ohio, arrived here…

You're driving through Miami, Oklahoma, the hometown of artist Charles Banks Wilson. Born in Arkansas in 1918, Wilson grew up here and made Miami his permanent studio. He became head of the art department at…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, right in the heart of Ottawa County. You're passing through Miami, a place that's home to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. These weren't always Oklahomans, though. Originally…

You're driving through Miami, Oklahoma, right where the ground beneath you once fueled an entire industry. Back in 1919, this area was booming with lead and zinc mining, so important that the state created the Miami…

You're driving through Ottawa County, and right here is the land of the Ottawa people, whose name means 'to trade.' They originally came from Michigan, moving to Kansas in 1833. By 1867, many sought a new home in Indian…

You're driving through Ottawa County, not far from the Kansas border. Right here, in the late 1860s, the Peoria tribe, along with the Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, and Wea peoples, consolidated their lands after moving from…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here is the home of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. They're descendants of the Illinois tribes, who originally lived much further north. In 1867, these…

You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, and right here, the land holds a story that stretches back to the 1600s. Meet the Moingwena, a small tribe of the Illinois, who were found by Father Jacques Marquette in…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, near Miami. You're passing through the land of the Shawnee Tribe, formerly known as the Loyal Shawnee or Cherokee Shawnee. These ancestors were the last Shawnee group to…

Prepare to be transported back to the roaring twenties! This opulent theater on Route 66 hosted Vaudeville acts and movies during the golden age of entertainment. George Coleman, a local mining magnate, commissioned the…

You're driving past the site of Picher, once Oklahoma's most northeastern city, and a boomtown born overnight in 1913. Right here, the lead and zinc mines produced over $20 billion in ore, supplying more than half the…

Right here, in northeastern Oklahoma, you're driving through the heart of what was once the world's biggest zinc-producing region. In towns like Picher, Commerce, and Quapaw, the Tri-State Lead and Zinc District boomed…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the historic Tri-State Lead and Zinc District. While lead and zinc mining was happening in Missouri and Kansas for decades, Oklahoma's…

Right here in northeastern Oklahoma, you're passing through the territory of Wilbur Underhill, the "Tri-State Terror." Born in Missouri, Underhill found his criminal calling in the lead and zinc mines around Picher in…

You're driving through Ottawa County, near West Seneca, the headquarters of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Back in 1832, this land was granted to the United Nation of Senecas and Shawnees. Imagine, a…

You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, but the story of the Cahokia people starts way back in the 1600s near the Mississippi River in Illinois. They were an Algonquian-speaking tribe, living near a French…

You're driving through Ottawa and Delaware counties in Oklahoma, but this land has a history stretching back centuries and across the continent. Right here, you're on land once allotted to descendants of the Conestoga…

You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, passing through land once home to the Kaskaskia tribe. Though no longer a distinct tribe, their story is woven into the fabric of Oklahoma history. In 1673, Father Jacques…

You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, and you might not realize it, but you're passing through a place with a connection to the historic Mohawk Nation. While most Mohawk people live in Canada or New York, some…

You're driving through Oklahoma, but did you know this land was once home to the Piankashaw? They were a subtribe of the Miami, and their name possibly meant 'those who separated and formed a tribe.' Europeans first…

You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, a place that holds a quiet connection to a once-thriving American Indian tribe: the Tamaroa. These Algonquian speakers, related to the Illinois tribes, once numbered…

You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, near the town of Wyandotte. This land is the end of a long, hard journey for the Wyandotte people. Originally from the Montreal area, they were decimated by war with the…

You're driving through Wyandotte, Oklahoma, a town named for the Wyandotte tribe, who were moved to this area back in 1867. Right here, the Society of Friends, or Quakers, established a mission and boarding school for…

Get ready to be dwarfed! Big Brutus isn't just big; it's a monument to a bygone era of massive coal mining. This colossal Bucyrus-Erie shovel was the second-largest of its kind when it began operating in the 1960s. Its…

Pull over for a blast from the past at the 66 Drive-In, a relic from the golden age of roadside Americana. This drive-in opened its gates on September 22, 1949, offering a then-novel entertainment experience. Before…