Shawnee, Oklahoma

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…

You're driving through Tecumseh right now, a town born from a massive land run back in 1891. Imagine this: Fifteen thousand people, all trying to claim homesteads in a single day. It was chaos, promoters and adventurers…

Right here near Tecumseh, Oklahoma, is where Ernest Spybuck was born in 1883. He was a Shawnee painter whose work captured the details of early 20th-century tribal life. Unlike many artists of his time, Spybuck’s…

Right here in Pottawatomie County, you're driving through Bethel Acres, a community that fought to stay rural! Back in 1891, this land opened up to settlers. Soon after, pioneers established the Bethel school district,…

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 Pottawatomie County, and right here, you're passing through the heart of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation's historic lands. Imagine this: in 1838, over 750 Potawatomi people were forced from their…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past a piece of history! Ella Ridley Mooney was the very first woman pharmacist in both Indian and Oklahoma territories. She passed her pharmacy board exam and got her license on…

You're driving through Pottawatomie County, and right here, you're passing the site of Oklahoma's first permanent Catholic missionaries. Father Isidore Robot arrived in 1875, fleeing religious persecution in France. He…

You're driving through Pottawatomie County, and right here is the former site of the UF Ranch. In 1883, German immigrant William Greiffenstein, known as 'Dutch Bill,' and his Potawatomi wife, Catherine Burnett, leased a…

You're driving through Pottawatomie County, near Tecumseh. Right here is Brooksville, one of Oklahoma's historic all-Black towns. It started in 1903 as Sewell, named after a white doctor. But in 1912, it was renamed…

Right here near Meeker, Oklahoma, is where Carl Hubbell learned his signature pitch – the screwball. He grew up on a farm, one of five baseball-playing brothers, and honed that wicked pitch winning seventeen games for…

You're driving past Meeker, a town born from a railroad's detour. Right here, Clifton existed first, but when the Santa Fe Railway built its line, it zipped right past Clifton, two miles away. So, what did the folks in…

You're driving through McLoud, Oklahoma, a town with a sweet claim to fame! Back in 1949, this place was officially recognized as the 'Blackberry Capital of the World.' The Chamber of Commerce even sent a crate of their…

You're driving through Oklahoma, but the story of the Kickapoo people stretches far beyond these borders. Imagine this: after being forcibly evicted from Texas in 1839, many Kickapoo journeyed south to Mexico, where…

You're driving through western Pottawatomie County, and right here is the town of Pink. It popped up after the surrounding lands opened in 1891. The post office here was a bit of a yo-yo, opening in 1894, closing in…

You're driving through Macomb, Oklahoma, a town with a name change that tells a story. It started as McComb in 1903, named after a railroad engineer. But there was a spelling error, and the town officially became Macomb…

You're driving past Maud, Oklahoma, the birthplace of a true rockabilly queen, Wanda Jackson! Born in 1937, she was country music's first female rock and roll star. After getting her start on Oklahoma radio, she met…

Right here, straddling the line between Oklahoma and Indian Territories, you're passing through Maud. Back in 1890, a barbed-wire fence was strung right down what's now Broadway, meant to keep American Indians out of…

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…

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…

Right here near Prague, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of arguably the greatest athlete of the 20th century: Jim Thorpe. Born Wa-tho-huck, or "Bright Path," on May 28, 1888, Thorpe was a Sac and Fox…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of history tied to the Land Run. Anton Caha was one of the very first Czech immigrants to settle here. In 1889, he snuck into the…

You're driving through Prague, Oklahoma, a town with roots stretching back to the land run of September 22, 1891. But what makes this place unique? It was settled primarily by Czech immigrants, who named it after their…

You're driving through Pottawatomie County, heading past the town of St. Louis. It wasn't always called St. Louis, though. It started out as Simpsonville, named for J. R. Simpson's cotton gin and gristmill, built around…

You're driving through Harrah, Oklahoma, home of baseball legends Paul and Lloyd Waner, the only brothers to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as players. Known as 'Big Poison' and 'Little Poison,' they…

Right here in Harrah, Oklahoma, you're passing through the birthplace of Dale Robertson, a true Oklahoma Western star! Born in 1923, Robertson got his big break in Hollywood because he looked and sounded like Clark…

You're driving through Harrah, right where the North Canadian River used to be a natural crossing point. This spot, originally called Sweeney, became Harrah in 1898 thanks to entrepreneur Frank Harrah. He saw potential…

You're driving through southern Pottawatomie County, and right here is Tribbey. It all started in 1891 when Alpheus M. Tribbey staked a claim on land that would become this town. He even gave land to the railroad in…

You're driving through Seminole County, near the junction of highways 59 and 377. This area, once a sleepy village, exploded into a boomtown in 1926 when the first oil well came in. Suddenly, Bowlegs was home to an…

You're driving through Cleveland County, on Etowah Road, heading east of Noble. This place, Etowah, has a name borrowed from a Cherokee settlement in Georgia. It popped up after the 1889 Land Run, connecting Purcell and…