Cimarron City, Oklahoma

Zero to 10000 people in one afternoon -- April 22 1889. The biggest land rush in history.

Hold on tight, because you're about to drive through a perfectly preserved slice of Oklahoma's wild early days. This is the Guthrie Historic District, once the capital of Oklahoma Territory. Guthrie exploded onto the…

2000+ Victorian buildings survived because the town was too broke to demolish them.

A Belgian architect who built castles for kings became Oklahoma Territory premier architect.

Oldest surviving Carnegie library in OK. Site of last territorial and first state inaugurations.

One of the largest Masonic temples in the world: 260x470 feet with 16 limestone columns.

The Honeydripper spent 18 weeks at #1 R&B -- a precursor to rock and roll born in Guthrie.

Prepare to be amazed by the sheer scale and detail of the Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie! It's a testament to the enduring influence of Freemasonry in Oklahoma. The Scottish Rite Temple is actually a complex of two…

You're driving through Guthrie right now, the heart of Oklahoma's frontier history! This city hosts the biggest 89er Day Celebration in the state, an annual April party that goes all the way back to the very first land…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through territory once terrorized by Carry Nation! Born in Kentucky, she found her national fame in Kansas, smashing saloons with a hatchet in the early…

You're driving through the heart of Oklahoma, and right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1890</say-as>, Congress passed the Organic Act. This wasn't just some dusty bill; it was the blueprint for the…

You're driving past Guthrie, a town that literally exploded into existence! On April 22, 1889, thousands raced across the prairie in the Land Run of 1889, and right here, Guthrie was staked out and founded. It quickly…

You're driving through Guthrie, and right here, you're passing the site of Camp Guthrie. This was the military's command center before and during the famous Land Run of 1889. While civilian marshals struggled to keep…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through territory once patrolled by Rufus Cannon, one of the most feared African American lawmen of Oklahoma Territory. Born with Cherokee ancestry, Cannon…

Right here in Guthrie, Oklahoma's first territorial legislature met back in 1890 and decided where to put the state's very first higher education institutions. After some serious city competition, they chose Norman for…

Right here in Guthrie, Oklahoma's future was being hammered out in 1906. You're driving past the birthplace of the Oklahoma Constitution! Imagine, 112 delegates – mostly farmers, lawyers, and laborers – gathered to…

Right here in Oklahoma, we've got some serious golf history! Back in May of 1900, the game was first played in territorial Oklahoma at the Guthrie Country Club. That same year, another course popped up in Oklahoma City.…

You're driving through Guthrie, and right here, Judith Ann Carter Horton was a force for education and equality. Born into poverty, she worked her way through Oberlin College and came to Oklahoma in 1892. In 1906, she…

You're driving past Guthrie, Oklahoma, and right here is where a legend of the silver screen got his start. Before he was Tom Mix, the most popular movie cowboy in the world, he was just Tom, a young man who'd left the…

Right here, you're driving through a piece of Oklahoma history that went all the way to Cuba! These are the Rough Riders, the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, and three of their twelve companies were recruited right here…

You're driving through Logan County, and right here is Guthrie, a town that was once the capital of Oklahoma Territory AND the state capital! It all started with the Land Run of 1889. The Kansas Southern Railway laid…

You're driving through Guthrie, Oklahoma, and right here is where the first Asian Oklahomans put down roots. Chinese men arrived as early as 1889, working on the railroads or as cooks and laundrymen. You can see…

You're driving through Guthrie, Oklahoma, the first territorial capital. Right here, in the late 1800s, Henry E. Asp, a lawyer for the Santa Fe Railway, was shaping the future of Oklahoma. He wasn't just any lawyer; Asp…

You're driving through Guthrie, Oklahoma, home of a legendary fiddler: Byron Berline. Born in Kansas in 1944, Berline's family had land in both states, but called Grant County home. He learned fiddle from his dad,…

You're driving through Guthrie, a town that once served as a refuge for women seeking a fresh start. In 1895, author Helen Candee, escaping a troubled marriage, came here to Oklahoma Territory. Why Guthrie? Because it…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here is where a big decision was made that shaped the state you're in. Back in 1906, Congress was wrestling with how to admit Oklahoma to the Union. Should it be one state, or…

You're driving through what used to be Oklahoma Territory, and right here, you're passing through the stomping grounds of Dennis Thomas Flynn. For eight years, Flynn served as Oklahoma's delegate to the U.S. Congress,…

You're driving through Guthrie, and right here, the visual character of this historic downtown was shaped by Joseph Foucart. He was the first professional architect in Oklahoma Territory, arriving just months after the…

You're driving through Guthrie, and right here is where Frank Greer made his mark as a 'Sooner.' He snuck into the Unassigned Lands before the official land opening on April 22, 1889, hiding in a freight car. Just…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the story of Major General Roy V. Hoffman, a true father of the Oklahoma National Guard. He wasn't just a soldier; he was a leader who commanded…

Right here in Guthrie, you're driving past the home of the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival! It all kicked off in 1997, thanks to three-time national fiddle champ Byron Berline. He brought bands from all over…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you might be passing near the final resting place of Chris Madsen, a man who built a career on a carefully crafted legend. Born in Denmark in 1851, Madsen arrived in the…

You're driving through Guthrie, Oklahoma's first territorial capital. Back in the 1890s, this was the headquarters for U.S. Marshal Evett Dumas Nix. At just thirty-two, he was the youngest marshal ever appointed in the…

Right here in Guthrie, in 1906, delegates gathered to write Oklahoma's constitution. They were aiming for the best ever written, even getting advice from William Jennings Bryan. He told them to borrow from other states'…

You're driving through Guthrie, a town born from the Land Run of 1889. Just six months later, in October of that same year, eleven teachers gathered right here. They didn't know it, but they were founding an…

Right here, in what was then Oklahoma Territory, women fought for the right to vote. It started back in 1890, with women wanting the vote to support temperance. By 1893, they could only vote in school elections. But…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in the history of this state, you've got a fascinating figure: Stanley Vestal. Born Walter Campbell, he grew up in Guthrie and Weatherford, and later became a professor…

You're driving through Guthrie right now, and you're looking at a town that sprang up overnight! On April 22, 1889, there were only four buildings here. By nightfall, thousands of people had arrived in a chaotic land…

Right here in Guthrie, you're driving past the stomping grounds of Frederick S. Barde, a journalist and naturalist who became known as the dean of Oklahoma journalism in the early 1900s. Inspired by Henry David Thoreau,…

You're driving through Guthrie, the historic capital of Oklahoma Territory. Right here, Cassius McDonald Barnes served as governor from 1897 to 1901. His tenure was a political whirlwind, marked by fierce debates over…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in Guthrie, you're passing by the birthplace of a major Catholic community in the state. Back on September 26, 1889, just five months after the historic Land Run, three…

Right here in Guthrie, you're driving through a place that was once the heart of a political earthquake in Oklahoma Territory! In 1894, Leo Vincent arrived, a fiery editor and the chairman of the Populist Party. He took…

Right here, in Oklahoma, you're driving past a place connected to William M. Jenkins, who served as territorial governor for a brief but eventful period in 1901. He was appointed governor by President McKinley, stepping…

Right here in Guthrie, you're driving past the final resting place of Robert Martin, a man who went from a Civil War officer to a territorial governor. After serving in the Union Army, Martin came to Oklahoma in 1889,…

Right here, in Guthrie, Oklahoma's story as a state begins with its library. Back in 1890, before statehood, the first legislative assembly created a territorial library to serve lawmakers and the public. Governor…

For sixty-five years, the corpse of outlaw Elmer McCurdy toured America as a sideshow prop before anyone realized it was real. McCurdy botched nearly every robbery he attempted; his final 1911 heist netted forty-six…

Opened on Land Run day 1889. Tom Mix bartended here. Oklahoma oldest saloon.

You're driving through Piedmont, a town that sprung to life in 1903 thanks to Dr. E. H. Long. It quickly became a bustling hub, especially when the St. Louis, El Reno and Western Railway arrived in 1904. Imagine the…

Edmond, Oklahoma, began as a whistle stop. Literally. In 1887, a Santa Fe Railroad work crew laid tracks across the open prairie, and the spot known as Milepost 103 was designated a watering station. That was it. But…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here is a place that was home to Angie Debo, a historian who dared to tell the truth about American Indian history. Born in Kansas in 1890, she came to Oklahoma as a…

You're driving through Logan County, and right here is Marshall. This town owes its existence to Sylvan T. Rice, a homesteader who opened a store in July 1894. He named it for his hometown in Iowa, Marshalltown. The…

You're driving through Marshall, Oklahoma, where Lola Clark Pearson made her home for over thirty years. Born in Iowa, she moved here in 1905 and immediately organized the Marshall Woman's Club. Pearson was a powerhouse…

You're driving through Edmond right now, and you might see the post office. But back on August 20th, 1986, it was the scene of a horrific tragedy. On that day, a disgruntled postal worker named Patrick Sherrill walked…

You're driving past Edmond, Oklahoma, and right here is where a legend made her dash for land! Meet Nanitta Daisey, better known as 'Kentucky Daisey.' She was a petite woman with a pistol, a reporter, and a whole lot of…

You're driving through Edmond, a city with a rich history starting with the railroad. But right here, in 1986, a tragedy struck the community. An Edmond postal employee entered the post office and shot and killed…

You're driving through Edmond, Oklahoma, home of Olympic gymnastics legend Shannon Miller! Born in Missouri in 1977, Shannon moved here as a baby. Doctors discovered her legs were turning inward, and she had to wear…

Right here in Edmond, you're driving past the birthplace of higher education in Oklahoma. In 1891, the Territorial Normal School of Oklahoma opened its doors, making it the very first public institution of higher…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of a unique cultural tradition: Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park. Back in 1985, Jack and Kathryn O'Meara, inspired by a national trend, decided Oklahoma City…

You're driving past Edmond, and right here, a legal battle unfolded over who got to claim this land! It all started with the 1889 Land Run. Alexander Smith, a railroad worker, was already living in a tent here before…

You're driving past the area that was once Oklahoma's most important oil discovery of the 1940s: the West Edmond Field. It all started with Ace Gutowsky, a man who claimed to find oil using 'doodlebug' techniques, like…

Right here, near Dover, Oklahoma, you're driving past the site of one of the nation's worst train wrecks. On September 18, 1906, the Cimarron River bridge collapsed right under Rock Island Passenger Train Number 12. The…

Right here in Langston, you're driving past a testament to resilience and education: Langston University. Established in 1897 as the Colored Agricultural and Normal University, it was born from federal legislation in…

You're driving through Kingfisher County, near present-day Dover. Right here, back in 1872, stood the Red Fork Ranch. It wasn't just a place to rest; it was a vital trading post and cattle hub right on the Chisholm…

You're driving through Kingfisher County, and right here is where the Waightman Gang hit their first train robbery in Oklahoma Territory, near Dover, back in 1895. George Waightman, a burly outlaw with auburn hair, had…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through a story of hope and resilience. Back in the late 1800s, after the Civil War, newly freed African Americans and Black settlers looked west for opportunity. Some dreamed of…

You're driving past Langston, Oklahoma, a town with a unique beginning. Founded on April 22, 1890, Langston was one of the first all-Black towns established in Oklahoma Territory. E. P. McCabe, a prominent African…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past a place that was once the center of a huge dream for African Americans. E.P. McCabe, a charismatic land developer and politician, arrived in 1890, aiming to make Oklahoma a…

Right here in Langston, you're driving past the site of a major educational battleground. Inman Page, the first president of the Colored Agricultural and Normal University – now Langston University – arrived in 1898. He…

You're driving through Langston, Oklahoma, home to a remarkable poet, Melvin B. Tolson. He lived here longer than anywhere else, from 1947 until his death in 1966. Tolson taught English and drama at Langston University,…

You're driving through Logan County, heading towards Langston, the site of one of Oklahoma's historic all-Black towns. Right here, you're passing through the area where David J. Wallace, born into slavery in South…

You're driving through Kingfisher, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Sam Walton, the man who built a retail empire from the ground up. Born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1918</say-as>, Walton's journey…

You're driving through Kingfisher, a town born from the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889! Right here, settlers raced to stake their claims, but the rules said towns couldn't be too big. So, Kingfisher split into two rival…

You're driving through Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and right here is where James Yancy Callahan made his mark. He was the *only* non-Republican to ever represent Oklahoma Territory as a delegate to Congress! Born in Missouri…

Right here in Kingfisher, you're passing through a place with a rich history tied to preserving Oklahoma's story. William Parker Campbell, a journalist by trade, moved here in 1892. The very next year, he had a…

Right here in Beckham County, you're driving past the land of Joseph Danne, an eccentric wheat breeder who changed farming on the southern plains. Born in Nebraska to German immigrants, Danne moved to Oklahoma Territory…

You're driving through Kingfisher, and right here is where William C. Grimes made his mark. He arrived for the Land Run of 1889, claimed land, and then dove headfirst into building this town. But his biggest impact? He…

You're driving through Kingfisher, and right here is where a legal battle over the very definition of 'sooner' took place! Back before the 1889 Land Run, a military worker named John Wood was already in the Unassigned…

Right here in Kingfisher, you're driving past the birthplace of Oklahoma's memory keepers. It was 1893, and a group of newspaper editors, worried about losing their history, decided to create the Oklahoma Historical…

You're driving through Oklahoma Territory's history, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Abraham Jefferson Seay. He wasn't just a governor; he was a showman! In 1892, Seay convinced the territorial…

You're driving through Kingfisher County, and right here, a local farming innovation changed the world. The town of Kingfisher itself has a few origin stories, maybe named for a rancher, maybe for a creek. But its real…

You're driving through Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the stomping grounds of Patrick Sarsfield Nagle, a political organizer who helped the Oklahoma Socialist Party reach its peak in the…