Bearden, Oklahoma

You're driving through Okfuskee County, and right here is Bookertee, the site of a tragic end for J.C. Leftwich, a man dedicated to African American education in early Oklahoma. Leftwich founded several schools,…

Right here in Okfuskee County, after the Civil War, something remarkable happened. As part of the Reconstruction Treaties, freed slaves chose to stay, creating their own All-Black towns. Communities like Boley,…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through a place where history took a unique turn. After the Civil War, African Americans, seeking safety and opportunity, founded over fifty all-Black towns across the territory.…

You're driving through Okfuskee County, and right here is Boley, once the largest and most famous of Oklahoma's all-Black towns. Founded in 1903, it was a beacon of hope, attracting African Americans from across the…

Right here in Oklahoma, in 1913, a man named Chief Alfred Sam convinced hundreds of African Americans to sell everything they owned and follow him back to Africa. He promised them a land of riches, with diamonds in the…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past a piece of film history! Back in the 1920s, the Norman Film Manufacturing Company, a white-owned studio, was doing something revolutionary: making movies that positively…

Right here in Oklahoma, African American fraternal orders were more than just social clubs. After the Civil War, Black Oklahomans brought groups like the Masons, Knights of Pythias, and Elks with them as they settled…

You're driving through Okfuskee County, and right here is Clearview, one of Oklahoma's historic All-Black towns. Founded in 1903 by J. A. Roper, Lemuel Jackson, and John Grayson, it was established along the Fort Smith…

Right here in Wetumka, you're driving through a town with roots stretching back to the Creek Nation. It started as a settlement named after a Creek word meaning 'tumbling water.' The first postmaster arrived in 1881,…

You're driving through the Wetumka area, and right here is the historic homeland of the Alabama and Quassarte tribes. These weren't just any tribes; they were closely related, speaking similar languages and often…

Ever wonder what this land was like before Oklahoma became a state? This is the story of Levering Mission, a vital part of the Creek Nation's history. In 1880, the Creek Nation, also known as the Muscogee, partnered…

You're driving through Hughes County, past the tiny community of Yeager. It might seem quiet now, but back in 1917, this spot became an oil boomtown! The Yeager oil and gas field opened up, producing anywhere from…

You're driving through Paden, Oklahoma, a town that sprung up thanks to the railroad. Back in 1903, the Fort Smith and Western Railroad pushed through this area, and Paden was born. It quickly became a bustling hub,…

You're driving through Okfuskee County, and right here is Weleetka. This town owes its existence to two newspaper men, George Clarke and Lake Moore, who were struggling to make a living. They heard about two railroads…

Right here in Wewoka, you're passing through the heart of Seminole history. Alice Brown Davis, born in 1852, wasn't just a rancher or a postmistress—she became the first woman chief of the Seminole Nation in 1922. She…

Right here, you're driving through the heart of what was once the Greater Seminole Field, Oklahoma's last hurrah for wildcat oil production. Before 1923, Seminole County wasn't much of an oil player. Then, boom! The R.…

Right here, near present-day Wewoka, you're driving past the legacy of Seminole education in Indian Territory. Back in 1848, Oak Ridge mission school was founded, one of the first. Later, in 1894, the Seminole Nation…

You're driving through Wewoka, a town with a name that means 'barking water.' But this place has a darker history than its pretty name suggests. Right here, the Seminole Nation once had its capitol. And next to it? A…

You're driving through Hughes County, and right here is the area where John Frippo Brown lived and worked. He was the last principal chief of the Seminole Nation before Oklahoma became a state. Born in 1842, Brown was a…

You're driving through Seminole County, and right here, you're passing through the heart of Seminole Nation history. This was home to John Chupco, a towering figure, literally standing six-foot-seven! Nicknamed 'Long…

You're driving through Seminole County, not far from Wewoka. Right here is where John Horse, a Black Seminole leader, helped found a settlement in 1849. Born around 1812, Horse was a key figure in the Second Seminole…

You're driving through Seminole County, near Wewoka, where William S. Key built his early businesses. But this Oklahoma entrepreneur’s story goes way beyond local commerce. Key served in the military from the Mexican…

Right here in Wewoka, Oklahoma, Gil Morgan was born on September 25, 1946. He wasn't offered a college golf scholarship, but he eventually played for East Central University, earning All-American honors. After getting…

Right here in Wewoka, you're passing by the historic site of the Wewoka Trading Company. Established in 1891 by Courtland L. Long, this general store was more than just a place to buy clothes or wagons. It was a vital…

Right here in Wewoka, Oklahoma, you're driving past the hometown of Labron Harris, Sr., a golf legend you might not know but should! Born in Arkansas, he moved here at age eight and became a high school sports star in…

You're driving through Seminole County right now, the historic homeland of the Seminole Nation. These resilient people, originally part of the Creek Confederacy, moved south into Florida centuries ago, earning their…

You're driving through Seminole, Oklahoma, and right here is the hometown of David Lyle Boren, a guy who became the nation's youngest governor at just 33 years old! In 1974, his campaign used a unique symbol: the 'Boren…

You're driving through Seminole right now, and you might be surprised to learn this town was once a mud-pit boomtown! Back in 1926, the Fixico Number One well blew in, kicking off the Greater Seminole Oil Field.…

You're driving through Seminole County, and right here, in the early 1920s, this area exploded with oil! After years of searching, the Betsy Foster Number One well blew in near Wewoka in 1923, kicking off a massive oil…

You're driving through Seminole, Oklahoma, and right here is the birthplace of Frenchy "Stoney" Edwards, a country music star who broke barriers in the 1970s. As an African American in a predominantly white industry,…

Right here in Seminole, Oklahoma, a statewide voice for cattle ranchers was born. Back in 1950, local ranchers pooled five dollars each to form the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association. They were facing tough times, with…

Seminole, Oklahoma, a town nestled among the state's rolling hills at an elevation of 961 feet, carries a history deeper than the oil wells that once defined it. Founded in the early 20th century and named for the…

You're driving through Holdenville, Oklahoma, the birthplace of actor William Martin "Clu" Gulager. Born in 1928, Gulager was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, with ancestors arriving in Indian Territory during…

You're driving through Hughes County, near Holdenville, and right here is where John Bemo, a Seminole missionary, helped build Oak Ridge Mission in 1848. Bemo's life was incredible. Born in Florida, he was captured…

You're driving through Hughes County, and right here, Holdenville experienced a massive boom in the 1920s and 30s. Why? Oil! Hughes County sat on the edge of the Greater Seminole Oil Field. Suddenly, refineries and…

You're driving through Holdenville, a town born from the railroad boom. It started as a small Creek settlement called Echo, meaning 'deer.' But when the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad pushed through in 1895, a new…

Right here near Prague, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of arguably the greatest athlete of the 20th century: Jim Thorpe. Born Wa-tho-huck, or "Bright Path," on May 28, 1888, Thorpe was a Sac and Fox…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of history tied to the Land Run. Anton Caha was one of the very first Czech immigrants to settle here. In 1889, he snuck into the…

You're driving through Prague, Oklahoma, a town with roots stretching back to the land run of September 22, 1891. But what makes this place unique? It was settled primarily by Czech immigrants, who named it after their…