Woody Guthrie Birthplace
1912Okemah, Oklahoma birthplace of Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, folk singer who wrote 'This Land Is Your Land' and over 3,000 other songs.
Everything Okemah is known for
Okemah, Oklahoma, the county seat of Okfuskee County, holds a notable place in music history as the birthplace of folk music legend Woody Guthrie. This small town has inspired artists and been mentioned in several songs, connecting it to a broader musical landscape.
Among the artists who call Okemah home are the influential Woody Guthrie and country artist Evan Felker. The town's name also appears in songs like "Boy From Oklahoma" by Willis Alan Ramsey and "Leaving Town (Woody Guthrie Festival)" by Turnpike Troubadours, highlighting its enduring musical ties.
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Okemah.
Okemah, Oklahoma birthplace of Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, folk singer who wrote 'This Land Is Your Land' and over 3,000 other songs.
1878 sandstone building. National Historic Landmark. Sold back to Creek Nation for $3.2M in 2010.
14500 Creek marched west in 1836. About 4000 died. Capital established at Okmulgee in 1868.
1866 treaty granted citizenship to freedmen. Central to the city founding and civic life.
Five refineries. Population jumped 4K to 35K. Most millionaires per capita in America.
1882 boarding school founded by Alice Mary Robertson who later became a congresswoman.
40-foot pie in 1989: 64280 eggs and 16+ tons of filling mixed in cement trucks.
Creek orphanage (1892) then German POW hospital (1943) then college bought for $1 in 1946.
1920 Spanish Baroque Revival with 1200 seats designed by Oklahoma first licensed architect.
34 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Okemah, Oklahoma birthplace of Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, folk singer who wrote 'This Land Is Your Land' and over 3,000 other songs.
You're driving through Okemah, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Woody Guthrie, the legendary folk singer and songwriter. Born in 1912, Guthrie became one of America's most influential artists, writing over a thousand songs,…
Right here in Okemah, you're passing through the birthplace of a legend: Woody Guthrie. Born in 1912, Guthrie became the voice of the Dust Bowl migrants, the "Okies" who left everything behind. His songs like "This Land…
You're driving past Okemah, the birthplace of William Reid Pogue, an Oklahoma native who flew on Skylab 4, America's last space station mission. From November 1973 to February 1974, Pogue and his crew spent 84 days in…
You're driving past Okemah, right where I-40 crosses the old Creek Nation lands. Back in 1902, this was just a chosen townsite, waiting for railroads that never quite arrived. But developers still held an auction, and…
You're driving through Okfuskee County, not far from Okemah, where a World War II veteran named Glen Dale Johnson pulled off a major political upset. Fresh out of the Army in 1946, Johnson decided to run for Congress…
You're driving through Okmulgee, and right here, in the post office, Leon Chase Phillips suffered a fatal heart attack in 1958. Phillips was the eleventh governor of Oklahoma, serving from 1938 to 1943. He was a complex…
You're driving through Okfuskee and Hughes counties, not far from Okemah, and you're passing through the ancestral lands of Thlopthlocco Tribal Town. The name itself is a challenge for English speakers, a unique sound…
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,…
You're driving through Okfuskee County, passing through the small community of Castle. It got its start back in 1903 when Manford B. Castle became the first postmaster, and the post office opened its doors. By 1911, it…
You're driving through Okfuskee County, passing by the small town of Bearden. It all started back in 1896 when Jessie Simpson Bearden moved here from Alabama. He built a log cabin just south of the North Canadian River,…
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 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 Cromwell, Oklahoma, a town that exploded into existence in 1923 thanks to the oil boom. But this wasn't just any boomtown; it quickly earned the nickname 'Cromwell the Wicked.' Imagine this:…
You're driving through Seminole County, and right here, in the town of Cromwell, Oklahoma's last great peace officer met his end. William M. Tilghman, a legendary lawman who hunted buffalo, served as a U.S. Marshal, and…
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 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 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,…
1882 boarding school founded by Alice Mary Robertson who later became a congresswoman.
You're driving through Okmulgee County, and right here in Henryetta is where a legend got his start. Troy Aikman, the future Hall of Fame quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, moved here with his family when he was just…
You're driving through Okmulgee County, not far from Henryetta, where a legend named Chitto Harjo, known as 'Crazy Snake,' made his stand. Born in 1846, Harjo became the symbol of Creek resistance against assimilation…
You're driving near Henryetta, Oklahoma, and you might just be passing the ranch of a true rodeo legend, Jim Shoulders. Born in Tulsa in 1928, Shoulders didn't just compete in rodeo; he dominated it. Over a twelve-year…
You're driving near Henryetta, and right here is the story of Tornado, arguably the most famous bull in rodeo history. Born in 1957, this 1,850-pound Braford bull was owned by Jim Shoulders of Henryetta. From 1962 to…
You're driving through Henryetta, Oklahoma, a town built on coal. Back in 1885, Hugh Henry arrived, discovered coal on Creek Nation land, and started ranching. Soon, railroads followed, and the settlement of Furrs grew…
You're driving through Okfuskee County, and right here, you're passing through the area once known as Kialegee Tribal Town. This Creek town has a history stretching back to Alabama and Georgia, but its members were…
You're driving through Dustin, but did you know this town has had three different names? It started as Watsonville back in 1898. Then, in 1902, it became Spokogee. But when the railroad arrived in 1904, the name…
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…