Nowata, Oklahoma

You're driving through Rogers County, Oklahoma, and right here is a place tied to a significant Cherokee leader, J. Bartley Milam. Born in Texas in 1884, Milam grew up in Chelsea, Oklahoma. He became a successful…

You're driving through Rogers County, not far from Chelsea. Back in 1887, Edward Byrd, a Cherokee citizen, organized the United States Oil and Gas Company. He'd discovered an oil spring here a few years earlier and…

Silent film cowboy star. Made 160+ westerns. Started his career in the Bartlesville area.

You're driving through Bartlesville, Oklahoma's first oil boomtown! Right here, in 1897, they drilled the Nellie Johnstone Number One—Oklahoma's very first commercial oil well. That discovery kicked off a massive oil…

You're driving through Bartlesville right now, passing through the birthplace of Oklahoma's oil industry! Back in April of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1897</say-as>, this spot near the Caney River saw the…

You're driving past Bartlesville, Oklahoma, home of Frank Phillips, the man who cofounded the Phillips Petroleum Company. But before he struck oil, Phillips was a barber, a businessman selling a baldness cure, and a…

Right here in Bartlesville, you're driving past the birthplace of petroleum technology! Back in 1918, this facility opened its doors as the nation's ONLY lab dedicated to squeezing every last drop of value out of oil.…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the heart of a company that shaped this state's oil and gas industry: Cities Service. Founded way back in 1910, it quickly became a giant,…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past the path of a remarkable early expedition! In 1821, Hugh Glenn and Jacob Fowler led a diverse group of twenty-one men, including Native Americans, African Americans, French,…

Right here in Bartlesville, you're driving past the heart of a man who led two powerful organizations: Phillips Petroleum and the Cherokee Nation. William Wayne Keeler, born in Texas but raised here, became chief of the…

You're driving through Bartlesville right now, and you're passing history! Back in 1897, this area struck oil with the Nellie Johnstone Number One, Oklahoma's first commercially successful well. But here’s the twist:…

Right here in Bartlesville, you're driving through the heart of a petroleum dynasty! This is where L. E. Phillips, along with his brother Frank, got their start in oil back in 1904. They organized the Anchor Oil and Gas…

You're driving through Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the birthplace of a titan: Phillips Petroleum. It all started back in 1903 with two brothers, Frank and L.E. Phillips, who jumped into the booming oil business. They struck…

You're driving through Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where a world-changing invention for the oil industry was perfected. In 1928, Russian immigrant Armais Arutunoff came to work for Phillips Petroleum right here. He'd…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the ancestral lands of the Delaware, or as they call themselves, the Lenape. These weren't just any tribe; other tribes called them…

Right here in Bartlesville, you're driving through the heart of a petroleum empire built by Henry L. Doherty. He wasn't just an oilman; he was a chief engineer who believed in science. In 1916, he founded the Doherty…

You're driving past Bartlesville, and right here, you're passing through the inspiration for a chilling true-crime novel. Darcy O'Brien, a writer born into Hollywood royalty, later found his way to Oklahoma, joining the…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in Osage County, you're passing through the birthplace of the state's oil pipeline industry! Back in 1900, the Phoenix Oil Company laid the very first line, a two-inch…

You're driving past Bartlesville, home to one of Oklahoma's longest-running businesses! The May Brothers Department Store started right here, opening in 1908. It was part of a family business that eventually grew to…

You're driving through Bartlesville, and right here, in what used to be known as "Polack Town," Gus Mnich built a life. He arrived in the US as a teenager, a Polish immigrant who lied about his age to get into the…

You're driving through Bartlesville, and right here, you're passing the home of an annual celebration of classical music: the OK Mozart International Festival. Launched in 1985, this event honors the genius of Wolfgang…

You're driving near Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and right here is the Prairie National Wild Horse Refuge. Established in 1989, it's the second wild horse sanctuary ever created in the United States. This massive,…

You're driving through Bartlesville, the birthplace of an NBA legend, Mark Price. Born right here in 1964, Price went on to become one of the greatest free-throw shooters in NBA history, sinking over 90 percent of his…

Right here in Bartlesville, you're passing through the stomping grounds of Samuel James Montgomery, a man who made his mark in Congress. He represented Oklahoma's First Congressional District from 1925 to 1927. What's…

You're driving through Bartlesville, and right here is Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Its story starts in 1959, when the Pilgrim Holiness Church bought the historic La Quinta Mansion and twenty acres to establish Central…

You're driving past Wann, Oklahoma, a town that really boomed back in the day. Originally called Coon, it was renamed Wann in 1899 to honor a local Cherokee man. The real excitement started in 1902 when the railroad…

You're driving through Dewey, Oklahoma, a town named for a Spanish-American War hero, Admiral George Dewey. But its real story starts with Jacob H. Bartles. When the railroad bypassed his original settlement near…

16-mile paved trail along the Caney River through wooded bottomlands.

You're driving through Rogers County, and right here in Bushyhead is where Clem Rogers McSpadden was born in 1925. Now, you might not know the name, but you've likely heard his voice. McSpadden became rodeo's unofficial…

Right here, near Oologah, was the birthplace of Will Rogers, Oklahoma's favorite son and one of America's most beloved humorists. Born November 4, 1879, in Indian Territory, Rogers grew up on his father's ranch,…

Right here, on U.S. Highway 169, you're passing through Oologah, the birthplace of one of America's most beloved humorists: Will Rogers. Born just outside this town in 1879, Rogers would go on to become a national…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and you might be passing by one of the most common, yet distinctive, house styles in the state: the I-House. Coined by a geographer back in 1936, the name comes from states like Indiana…

First commercial oil well in Oklahoma Territory. Struck April 15 1897 at 1320 feet.

Frank Lloyd Wright only realized skyscraper. 19 stories of cantilevered concrete and copper.

Bartlesville has always balanced its small-town feel with a legacy of industry and innovation. The shadow of Phillips Petroleum, now Phillips 66, still looms large, not just in the skyline but in the city’s identity.…

Phillips 66 was headquartered here from 1917 to 2002. A company town in the best sense.

The barber who became an oil baron built this neoclassical mansion in 1909.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice William Wesley Peters. Wright DNA in Oklahoma.

Folk art environment near Foyil featuring the world's largest concrete totem pole at 90 feet, hand-built by retired art teacher Ed Galloway.

You're driving through Ramona, but did you know this town has had three different names? It started as Hobson in 1899, named for a Spanish-American War hero. Then, the postmaster renamed it Bonton, which means 'good…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the hometown of a national sports legend! In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1928</say-as>, Andy Payne, a Cherokee runner from near Foyil,…

You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here is the incredible Totem Pole Park near Foyil. This place is the lifelong work of Ed Galloway, a self-taught artist who moved to Oklahoma in 1914. After…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past a testament to artistic vision that defied convention! We're talking about folk art, the creative spirit of everyday Oklahomans. Think unique paintings, handmade toys, even…

You're driving past Foyil, Oklahoma, right on historic Route 66. This town owes its start to Alfred Foyil, who became postmaster in 1890. His farmland became the townsite, and he owned the general store. By 1911, Foyil…

You're driving through Washington County, just south of Bartlesville, past the community of Ochelata. Originally called Otis, this town got a new name in 1899 to honor Charles Thompson, a former Cherokee Principal Chief…