Muskogee, Oklahoma

You're driving through Muskogee, the historic heart of Indian Territory, where a pivotal moment in Oklahoma's history unfolded. Right here, the Dawes Commission set up shop in 1893. Their mission? To break up tribal…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a place that was once the heart of a political earthquake. J. Howard Edmondson, born in Muskogee, became Oklahoma's youngest governor ever at just…

Right here in Indian Territory, you're driving past the stomping grounds of Dick Glass, the most notorious outlaw of the 1880s. By 1880, Glass led a gang out of Marshalltown, near Muskogee, dealing in stolen horses and…

You're driving past Muskogee, and right here is the site of Hatbox Field. It started as a general aviation airport in 1921, but got its unique name from its striped hangars that from the air looked like a lady's hatbox.…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the hometown of Joan Hill, a Cherokee artist who became one of the most honored American Indian women artists in the United States. Born in 1930, Hill blended traditional…

Right here in Muskogee, leaders of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations gathered in 1949. They formed the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, a powerful voice for Native…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, the birthplace of a jazz legend: Jay McShann. Born James Columbus McShann in 1916, this pianist, known as "Hootie," taught himself to play and was performing with local…

You're driving through Muskogee County, an area that was once a wild frontier crossroads. Back in 1719, French explorer Jean Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe encountered a Wichita village right here. By the early 1800s, the…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Robert Latham Owen. Born in Virginia, Owen came to Indian Territory with his mother and quickly became a force. He was a teacher, a…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, near the town that bears his name: Pryor. But did you know this place is named for Nathaniel Pryor, a key figure in early American exploration and settlement? Pryor joined…

You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Alice Mary Robertson, known affectionately as 'Miss Alice,' made her mark. Born in Indian Territory in 1854, she became Oklahoma's FIRST woman elected to…

You're driving past Muskogee, and right here, you're passing through the heart of what was once the massive FS Ranch. Captain Frederick Severs, a prominent rancher and entrepreneur, built his empire here in Indian…

You're driving through Muskogee, and right here, you're passing the site of the Union Agency, established way back in 1874. This was the central hub for managing the affairs of fifty-five thousand American Indians and…

Right here in Muskogee, you're looking at the final resting place of the USS Batfish, a World War II submarine that sank fourteen Japanese ships. But its most incredible feat? In just three days back in February 1945,…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving through a town with some serious "firsts"! Established in 1872 as a railroad stop, Muskogee quickly became a hub. Imagine this: by 1900, it was home to the largest concentration of…

Right here in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1905, a pivotal moment in state history unfolded. You're passing through the site of the Sequoyah Convention. Driven by a desire for self-determination as tribal governments faced…

You're driving through the heart of Oklahoma, and right here is a place where history was literally carved into the land. It's called Allotment. Starting in the late 1800s, the U.S. government broke up Native American…

Right here, in what is now Muskogee, Indian University was established in 1885. This wasn't just any school; it was a bold move by the Creek Nation, in partnership with Almon C. Bacone, to create a place for higher…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past a splash of color that's become a national attraction! It's the Azalea Festival. It all started back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1968</say-as>, thanks to a local…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, and right here is a place tied to John Downing Benedict, a man who became the first U.S. superintendent of schools in the Indian Territory back in 1899. When he arrived, tribal…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the birthplace of a university that's still shaping minds today! It all started in 1894 as Henry Kendall College, founded by the Presbyterians to educate folks in Indian…

You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Carolyn Thomas Foreman made her mark as a historian. Born in Illinois and educated in Europe, she moved to Muskogee in 1897. While her husband Grant was a…

You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Grant Foreman, one of Oklahoma's most important historians, made his home and his mark. Arriving in 1899, Foreman initially worked for the Dawes Commission,…

You're driving near Muskogee, and right here, you're passing the site of Fort Davis. Named for Confederate President Jefferson Davis, this was the main Confederate base in northern Indian Territory during the Civil War.…

Right here in Indian Territory, after the Civil War, establishing schools for newly freed slaves was a huge challenge. It wasn't just about money or white opposition; each of the Five Tribes had its own approach. The…

You're driving through Muskogee, and right here, you're passing the birthplace of Oklahoma's first Native American newspaper, the 'Indian Journal.' Launched in May 1876 with the motto 'We Seek to Enlighten,' this weekly…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the echoes of the Indian International Fair, held annually from 1875 to about 1900. Imagine a week-long spectacle, a true oasis of culture and community. Indians and…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, the birthplace of jazz guitar legend Barney Kessel. Born in 1923, Kessel grew up right here, soaking in the sounds of jazz in local movie theaters. He went on to become one of…

Right here, in Muskogee, you're driving past the birthplace of what is now the University of Tulsa! In 1894, Reverend William Robert King, a Presbyterian minister, founded Henry Kendall College. He was inspired to…

You're driving through Muskogee right now, and you're passing by a company with a truly unique origin story. Back in 1896, Laurence H. Rooney needed to register his construction company, but Oklahoma was still a…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through land that was once envisioned as a promised land for Native American tribes. Isaac McCoy, a missionary and surveyor, was a major force behind the idea of an 'Indian…

You're driving through Wagoner County, not far from where the last elected principal chief of the Creek Nation, Pleasant Porter, was born in 1840. His Creek name was Talof Harjo, and he was a bridge between two worlds,…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past a place that was home to Ora Eddleman Reed, a pioneer journalist who championed Native American culture. In 1898, she launched 'Twin Territories: The Indian Magazine,'…

You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Joseph Sondheimer built an empire! Born in Bavaria, he came to America and by 1867, he was establishing depots for his hide, fur, and pecan business. He followed…

You're driving through Muskogee, a city that owes a lot to one man: Clarence William Turner. Born in Ohio in 1857, Turner came to Indian Territory with his father in 1870, eventually settling here in Muskogee. He was a…

You're driving through Muskogee, the birthplace of Claude "Fiddler" Williams, born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1908</say-as>. He started on the mandolin and guitar, playing in local barbershops…

Right here in Oklahoma, women were organizing for change way back in 1919. As the nation geared up for World War I, leaders realized businesswomen hadn't formed formal clubs like others. So, in 1919, the National…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, a town that sent a doctor to Congress! Thomas Coburn, a family physician, made history right here in the 1990s. In 1994, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, aiming to…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma's "Railroad Capital of the Southwest." Right here, in this city, Charles Edward Creager made history as one of the very first Republicans to represent the brand-new state of…

You're driving south of Muskogee, and right here is Davis Field. It wasn't always a civilian airport. Back in 1941, the War Department built it as the Muskogee Army Airfield, commandeering a stretch of U.S. Highway 64…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, the hometown of Edmond A. "Ed" Edmondson, a man whose career touched the halls of Congress and the wild rivers of Oklahoma. Born here in 1919, Edmondson wasn't just another…

You're driving through Muskogee, home of the Griffin Food Company. It started in 1908, founded by brothers John and Charles Griffin, who first tried their hand at the grocery business in Durant back in 1902. That first…

You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, and right here, James Robert Jones got his start. Born in 1939, he was fascinated by politics at just eight years old after visiting the county attorney's office. By twelve, he…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the early days of a movement that changed how women participated in democracy. Back in 1917, Carrie Chapman Catt had a vision to unite women across…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of its railroad history. The Midland Valley Railroad was chartered way back in 1903, part of a massive boom to connect growing towns and…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, the Great Depression hit folks hard, especially the elderly. Before <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1935</say-as>, they relied on family or local charity. But…

Right here in what was then Indian Territory, a magazine called Twin Territories hit the stands in December 1898. It was a monthly publication from Muskogee, aiming to show the nation that this land wasn't just…

You're driving past Muskogee, the birthplace of William Blake Crump, who would become the legendary director Blake Edwards. He's the creative genius behind iconic films like "The Pink Panther" and "Breakfast at…

Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the site of Oklahoma's very first municipal junior college. Muskogee Junior College, or MJC, opened its doors back in 1920, thanks to the city's school board and…

Pull over for a second, because you're about to see a house inspired by Mark Twain, right here in Oklahoma! Arthur C. Trumbo, a prominent Muskogee businessman, had this house built in 1906. He wanted it to resemble one…

Right here near Muskogee, you're passing through the birthplace of Willard Stone, a sculptor of Cherokee heritage. Born in 1916, Stone's unique wood sculptures gained national acclaim, often depicting stylized human and…

You're driving past Oktaha, a town with roots stretching back to the turn of the last century. It started as a stop on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, with a simple boxcar serving as the very first depot. The…

Stand on the site of the Battle of Honey Springs, a pivotal Civil War battle that helped secure Union control of Indian Territory. On 1863, this area saw the largest battle in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, between…

You're driving past Rentiesville, Oklahoma, the birthplace of one of America's most important historians, John Hope Franklin. Born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1915</say-as>, Franklin went on to…

Right here in McIntosh County, you're driving near the site of the largest Civil War battle fought in Oklahoma. On July 17, 1863, the Battle of Honey Springs raged near Rentiesville. A Union victory here secured control…

You're driving past Rentiesville, a town with a unique story. Founded in 1903, it was established by and for Black Oklahomans, becoming one of the state's many all-Black towns. Imagine Main Street bustling with…

You're driving through Wainwright, a town that sprang up thanks to the railroad. Named for a local merchant, William Henry Wainwright, its post office opened in 1905. The arrival of the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf…

You're driving south of Fort Gibson, passing through Braggs, Oklahoma. This quiet town exploded during World War II. In 1942, right here, construction began on Camp Gruber, a massive $30 million military cantonment. It…

Right here in Taft, you're driving through a place with a unique place in history. Originally called Twine, this community became Taft in 1904, named for future president William Howard Taft. But what makes Taft truly…

You're driving through eastern Oklahoma, near Braggs, and right here is the site of Camp Gruber. Activated in 1942, this massive World War II training ground covered over 100 square miles. It was built to prepare troops…

Right here in Braggs, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of a true country music innovator: Robert Lee Dunn. Born in 1908, Dunn didn't just play music; he invented his own electric steel guitar, complete with…

You're driving through the heart of Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through territory shaped by the military career of Matthew Arbuckle. From 1822 until his death in 1851, Arbuckle was a key figure on the…

You're driving through southwestern Oklahoma right now, a place George Catlin saw for the first time in 1834. Catlin was an artist, and he tagged along with a military expedition from Fort Gibson. His mission? To…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here is the site of Fort Gibson, the very first U.S. military post established in what would become our state! <break time="400ms"/> Built in 1824, its mission was huge:…

You're driving past Fort Gibson, a town that's been around since 1824! It started as Cantonment Gibson, established by Colonel Matthew Arbuckle to bring peace between the Osage and Cherokee. This place was a refuge, one…

Right here in Indian Territory, near Fort Gibson, died Micanopy, the hereditary chief of the Seminole people. Born near St. Augustine, Florida, around 1780, Micanopy became chief in 1819. He famously employed about a…

Right here, in Indian Territory, the infamous Confederate guerrilla William Quantrill and his raiders found themselves out of their element. While they carved a bloody path through Kansas and Missouri, their operations…

Right here in Muskogee County, you're driving past the birthplace of Henry Starr, an outlaw who claimed to have robbed more banks than any man in America! Born in 1873, Starr was the nephew of the infamous Belle Starr.…

You're driving through the Cherokee Nation, and right here is a place connected to a legend. Daniel Walker, a Cherokee freedman, was one of the most skilled cowboys you'd ever see on the ranch back in the day. He worked…

You're driving through Oklahoma right now, perhaps near the Canadian River, and you're retracing the path of Lt. James W. Abert's 1845 expedition. This wasn't just a casual trip; Abert was charting the land for the U.S.…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're retracing the steps of Nathan Boone, son of the legendary Daniel Boone. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1832</say-as>, Captain Boone arrived at Fort…

You're driving past Fort Gibson, the starting point for a dramatic 1834 military mission. The Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition set out to negotiate with Plains Indian tribes, but disease quickly crippled the soldiers.…

You're driving through Cherokee County, near Fort Gibson, where a Civil War hero once commanded. Benjamin Grierson, famous for a daring cavalry raid through Mississippi, was tasked with organizing the Tenth Cavalry, a…

You're driving through what was once the Cherokee Nation, but back in June of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>, this was the scene of a Union military expedition. Colonel William Weer led his troops…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in 1819, English botanist Thomas Nuttall was barely surviving the wilderness. Nuttall, already a seasoned explorer, journeyed into what's now Oklahoma, collecting plant…

You're driving through Muskogee County, near Fort Gibson, where a pivotal moment in Oklahoma's frontier history unfolded. Back in 1832, Congress created the Stokes Commission, tasked with a monumental job: pacifying the…

Right here in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, Lee Wiley was born on October 9, 1908. She'd become one of the first white female jazz vocalists to gain national fame, right alongside Mildred Bailey and Connee Boswell! After…

Right here, near Fort Gibson, is where a significant figure in Cherokee history, William Potter Ross, spent his final days. Born in Tennessee and educated at Princeton, Ross became the first editor of the Cherokee…

You're driving through Wagoner County, and right here is Tullahassee, considered the oldest surviving All-Black town in Oklahoma. Its story begins way back in 1850, when the Creek Nation opened a school on the old Texas…

Right here in what is now Wagoner County, you're passing through the area where William Schenck Robertson dedicated his life to educating and ministering to the Creek people. Arriving in the Indian Territory in 1849,…

From 1824 to 1888, this fort guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory. Fort Gibson was the westernmost military post in the United States when it was built. Its job was to keep the peace and protect the…

You're driving through Warner, Oklahoma, a town with roots in two earlier communities: Bennett and Hereford. Hereford, right here where Warner stands today, was established in 1903. But the name? It came from a herd of…

Right here, near Checotah, is where the family of country music legend Merle Haggard got their start. They left their farm in 1935 after a barn fire, heading west like so many others during the Dust Bowl. Though born in…

You're driving past Checotah, right where history and highways collide. Back in 1872, this spot was just a railhead for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, originally called 'Checote Switch' after Creek Chief Samuel…

You're driving through Boynton, a town founded in 1903 when the railroad arrived. But right here, in 1904, a dark event marred its early days: a race riot that tragically claimed the life of one African American. While…

You're driving past Okay, in Wagoner County, near where a crucial piece of Oklahoma's frontier history unfolded. Back in 1819, the Barbour and Brand Company set up shop right here, a trading post at the Three Forks of…

You're driving through Okay, Oklahoma, a town with a name that's as straightforward as its industrial past. Right here, the Verdigris River has seen it all, from French traders like Joseph Bogy in 1806, to the Creek…

You're driving through Porter, Oklahoma, a town that owes its very existence to the railroad. Back in 1903, the Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad needed to build three towns spaced out along a new line. Porter was…

You're driving through the heart of the Cherokee Nation, near Webbers Falls, where a desperate bid for freedom unfolded in 1842. Over twenty-five enslaved people, mostly from the Joseph Vann plantation, staged a daring…

You're driving through Webbers Falls, a place with deep roots in Cherokee history. Back in 1828, Cherokee Chief Walter Webber established a trading post right here, bringing goods up the Arkansas River. It wasn't just…

You're driving south of Muskogee on Highway 72, passing through Council Hill. This town owes its name to a historic Creek Nation landmark just west of here, known as Weklwa Hulwe, or 'High Spring.' Around 1840, the…

You're driving through Gore, Oklahoma, and right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1986</say-as>, this town experienced a major industrial accident. A Kerr-McGee plant, just east of here, was processing…

Right here in Gore, Oklahoma, you're driving past the hometown of a legend: Loren "Steve" Owens. He's one of only three University of Oklahoma Sooners to ever win the coveted Heisman Trophy, which he did in 1969. Owens…

Right here in Oklahoma, salt was once worth its weight in gold. Back in 1815, the very first commercial salt works in Indian Territory started up on the Grand River, near what is now Gore. It was a risky business – the…

You're driving through the Ozarks, and right here, the Illinois River cuts through the Cookson Hills. This waterway has a wild past! In 1828, it became the central artery for the Cherokee Nation's new homeland. But this…

You're driving through Muskogee County, past Haskell, where a young J. Paul Getty made his first big score. Geologists said the Stone Bluff oil field couldn't extend further south, but in late 1915, Getty decided to…

You're driving through Muskogee County, right near Haskell. Back in 1719, French explorer Jean Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe found a Tawakoni village right here. He met with the Tawakoni and eight other tribes, forging…

You're driving through Haskell, a town that owes its existence to Oklahoma's first governor, Charles N. Haskell. He wasn't just a politician; he was a promoter, helping establish the Haskell Townsite Company. The post…