Prague, Oklahoma

Right here in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, you're passing through the birthplace of a baseball legend! Willie "Pops" Stargell, a proud member of the Seminole Nation, was born here on March 6, 1940. He went on to play his entire…

You're driving through Earlsboro, Oklahoma, a town that experienced two wild booms, fueled by very different liquids. First, it was whisky! Back when the town was near the border of Indian Territory, illegal liquor…

You're driving past Earlsboro, Oklahoma, and right here is where Ernest William McFarland was born in 1894. He'd go on to become a U.S. Senator from Arizona and even Senate Majority Leader. He also introduced the bill…

You're driving through Davenport, right on historic Route 66! This town owes its start to the Sac and Fox Opening back in 1891, when Noah and Annie Davenport staked a claim. Their daughter Nettie even became the first…

You're driving through Lincoln County, and right here is where one of the most notorious outlaws in Indian Territory history struck! Crawford Goldsby, better known as 'Cherokee Bill,' was part of the infamous Cook gang.…

You're driving through Oklahoma, a state legendary for its unpredictable weather, especially its tornadoes. Right here, in the heart of 'Tornado Alley,' the dread of these storms has been a constant since the Land Run.…

You're driving through Lincoln County, not far from Chandler, the birthplace of Roy Harris. Born in 1898, Harris grew up to become one of America's most significant classical composers. His Symphony Number Three,…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the heart of a major battle for the soul of the state. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1903</say-as>, Abbie B. Hillerman, known as the…

You're driving through Chandler, right on historic Route 66. This town's origin story is wild! It was supposed to open on September 22nd, 1891, the same day as a big land run. But guess what? Soldiers blocked the way…

Step back in time at what's considered the first home built in Shawnee, dating back to 1892. The Beard Cabin is a tangible link to the very beginning of this city. Built in 1892, the cabin was constructed by Etta Ray…

You're driving through Chandler, Oklahoma, a town that was once a hub for a powerful socialist movement in the early 1900s. Right here, in 1904, Kate Richards O'Hare arrived with her husband. She wasn't just any…

You're driving through Lincoln County right now, passing near Chandler. This area is where Joseph Colburn Pringey homesteaded back in 1891 when the Sac and Fox lands opened. He wasn't just a farmer, though. Pringey…

Right here in Shawnee, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr., one of America's original seven Mercury astronauts! His love for flight started young, taking his first airplane ride at…

You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, and right here is where a young artist named Louise Funk got her start. She'd later be called the 'Betsy Ross of Oklahoma' because in 1925, she designed our state flag! Funk…

Right here in Shawnee, Oklahoma, is where it all began for one of Hollywood's biggest stars: Brad Pitt. Born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963, he can trace his family's Oklahoma roots all the way back to the…

Right here, you're driving past the site of Oklahoma's oldest educational center in continuous operation: Sacred Heart Abbey. Founded way back in 1877 by Father Isidore Robot, this Benedictine monastery was built on…

Right here in Shawnee, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of an American icon: Sonic Drive-In. It all started in 1953 with Troy Smith and a little root beer stand called the Top Hat. Smith was inspired by a…

Right here in Shawnee, you're driving past the site of what was once Oklahoma's oldest institution of higher learning: St. Gregory's University. Its story starts way back in 1875 when monks arrived in Indian Territory…

Imagine if this building had become the governor's mansion! Back in 1903, Shawnee was in the running to become the capital of the brand-new state of Oklahoma. Some folks were so sure of it, they built this grand house…

Right here in Oklahoma, back in the early 1920s, farmers and factory workers decided they'd had enough. They were tired of falling prices, unemployment, and low wages. So, they banded together to form the Farmer-Labor…

You're driving through Pottawatomie County, maybe near Shawnee, and you're passing the legacy of an artist who painted for the Pope himself! Father Gregory Gerrer, a monk here in Oklahoma, was born in France but came to…

Right here, in what would become Oklahoma, farmers were fighting back against big business! In the years before statehood, the Indiahoma Farmers' Union, born from the Populist movement, was a force to be reckoned with.…

You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, and right here is where a pivotal moment in state history took place. Back in 1906, labor leaders from across the territories gathered for the Twin-Territorial Federation of…

Right here, in Shawnee, in August of 1906, a pivotal moment in Oklahoma history unfolded. As Oklahoma and Indian Territories were gearing up for statehood, two powerful groups—the Twin Territorial Federation of Labor…

Right here, you're driving through Shawnee, a town born from a land run in 1891! Thousands raced to stake their claim, and four pioneers—Etta Ray, John and Henry Beard, and James Farrall—crossed a line that would become…

You're driving through Pottawatomie County, and right here, the story of Shawnee and Tecumseh is unfolding. It all kicked off with a land run on September 22nd, 1891. White settlement began in earnest, with tribes like…

You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Brad Henry, the state's twenty-sixth governor. Born in 1963, Henry's career path took him from running his family's oil company to serving as Shawnee's city…

Right here in Shawnee, you're driving past Oklahoma Baptist University, a school that got its start way back in 1906. It took a bit of time to get going – they actually had to suspend classes in 1912 due to a lack of…

You're driving through Oklahoma, heading towards statehood. Right here, in Shawnee, back in 1906, a crucial meeting took place. Representatives from farmers, laborers, and railroad workers gathered to hammer out a list…

You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, and right here is the site of the Shawnee Milling Company, a testament to Oklahoma's agricultural roots. It started way back in 1891, north of town, but it was pulled by mules…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the heart of the Absentee Shawnee people. These Shawnee, unlike others, were scattered, migrating from places like Ohio and Missouri, eventually…

Four courthouses have stood on this hilltop since 1891.

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…

Shawnee sits comfortably on the rolling prairie of central Oklahoma, just high enough to catch a good view of the horizon. The land here is a mix of gentle slopes and fertile plains, a landscape molded by eons of…

One of the Three Guardsmen lawmen. Served as Lincoln County sheriff. Buried in Chandler.

A four-block-wide tornado killed 19 and leveled the town. They rebuilt in sandstone.

Twin 1897 sandstone Mascho buildings on the National Register.

One of only two OK towns with its own dedicated land run on Sep 28 1891.

You're driving through what used to be the Kickapoo lands, the site of Oklahoma's fifth and final land run! It all happened at noon on May 23rd, 1895. Ten thousand people showed up to claim their piece of the nearly…

You're driving through Lincoln County, named for President Abraham Lincoln. This area was opened up by a massive land run on September 22, 1891, when twenty thousand people lined up for over six thousand homesteads. The…

Six gins and a cottonseed oil mill. Cotton was king through the 1920s.

68 years of frontier journalism (1891-1959). Digitized at Library of Congress.

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…

1935-37 WPA armory in red sandstone reopened 2007 with immersive Route 66 exhibits.

Pull over! You're approaching a slice of Route 66 history: The Rock Café, a survivor and a star! Built in 1936, and opening its doors in 1939, this restaurant is named for the sandstone that makes up its walls. The Rock…

1920s filling station near Warwick with 65+ vintage motorcycles. Free admission.

You're passing a piece of Oklahoma history, right here at the Chandler Armory! It's more than just a building; it's a tangible link to the New Deal and the legendary Route 66.Built between 1935 and 1937 by the Works…

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…

Right here in Stroud, Oklahoma, you're driving past a town with a wild past! Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1915</say-as>, Stroud was known as a notorious "whiskey town" – one of the last places liquor…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're passing through history made by Dora Steel Schexnider Young. Born into the Sac and Fox Nation, she made history on August 25, 1973, when she became the first woman ever elected chief of…

Right now, you're driving near Sac and Fox Nation headquarters, south of Stroud. You might know the Sac and Fox for their famous member, Jim Thorpe. But did you know in 1983, they created their own system for vehicle…

You're driving through Lincoln County, right near Stroud, where Moses Keokuk, a chief of the Sac and Fox tribe, lived and died. He wasn't just a tribal leader; he was also a Baptist minister who encouraged his people to…

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,…