Stillwater, Oklahoma

You're driving past Stillwater, the birthplace of one of Oklahoma's earliest movie stars, Art Acord. Born in 1890, Acord was wrangling cattle at just nine years old. His incredible rodeo skills, honed right here, caught…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in Stillwater, a pivotal moment happened for young farmers. Back in May of 1927, vocational agriculture students gathered at Oklahoma A&M College – today’s Oklahoma State…

Right here in Payne County, you're driving through land that was once part of the Creek Nation. It was established back in 1890, but the real drama? That happened over a county seat dispute! Settlers from Stillwater and…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, the spirit of agricultural innovation is alive and well, thanks to the Cooperative Extension Services. Back before it was officially established in 1914, agents were…

You're driving through Stillwater, Oklahoma, passing by Oklahoma State University. Right here, in 1924, Doel Reed arrived to teach. He was an internationally recognized artist, a master of aquatint, and he brought a…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of history from the Spanish-American War. Back in 1898, Oklahoma and Indian Territories sent nearly 850 volunteers to fight. Troop D, part…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of B.B. Chapman. He wasn't just a historian; he was a passionate scholar who called Oklahoma a 'historian's paradise.' Chapman spent…

Right here in Stillwater, you're driving past the town where Elmer Lincoln Fulton first landed in Oklahoma in 1900. He'd come from Nebraska, but he'd already lived a colorful life, performing in grand opera in New York…

Right here in Stillwater, you're driving past a place that was once home to Lola May Smeltzer Scott. While her husband was president of Oklahoma A&M, Lola was a powerhouse in the Oklahoma and Indian Territory Federation…

Ever wonder where families lived after soldiers returned from World War II? This unassuming house is a clue. It's a Lustron home, a prefabricated steel house designed to solve the post-war housing shortage. The Lustron…

Right here, you're driving through land that was once part of the Sac and Fox reservation. On September 22, 1891, Oklahoma held its second-ever land run, the Sac and Fox opening. This was the first time land previously…

You're driving through western Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the lands settled by Germans from Russia. These weren't Germans who lived in Russia their whole lives, but ethnic Germans who had moved to…

You're driving through Perkins, Oklahoma, a town with a rather unusual beginning. When it was established in 1889, right after the land run, the founder, William Knipe, needed 150 settlers to get a post office. But he…

You're driving through Payne County, near Perkins, and right here is the ancestral home of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma. Back in 1878, bands of Iowa people left their reservation in Kansas and Nebraska, seeking to…

You're driving past Ingalls, Oklahoma, and right here is the story of Mattie Beal, a pioneer woman who became a landowner during the great land runs. Born in Missouri in 1879, her family staked a claim near Ingalls in…

You're driving through Glencoe, Oklahoma, a town with a name that echoes a bloody Scottish history. The town itself sprang up in 1899 with the arrival of the Eastern Oklahoma Railway. But the name Glencoe? It wasn't…

Right here, just off Highway 51, you're passing through Ripley, a town that boomed thanks to the railroad in 1900. But Ripley's claim to fame isn't just its bustling depot or the legendary Ghost Hollow north of the…

You're driving through Morrison, Oklahoma, a town that owes its existence to a woman named Roselda Morrison. Her husband, James, bought a general store here, and in February 1894, the post office was renamed after them.…

You're near the former home of Jim Thorpe, considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes *ever*. In 1917, Thorpe, his wife Iva Miller, and their children moved into this house in Yale, Oklahoma. They lived here…

You're driving through Coyle, Oklahoma, a town that owes its existence to a railroad and a bit of entrepreneurial spirit. Back in 1899, the Eastern Oklahoma Railway was building a new line, and two agents, William H.…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past the legacy of Lucille Mulhall, the woman who made 'cowgirl' a household name! Born in 1885, she wasn't just *a* cowgirl; President Teddy Roosevelt himself called her the…

You're driving through Mulhall, a town that faced a devastating tornado on May 3rd, 1999. This massive twister leveled eighty percent of the buildings, wiping out churches, schools, homes, and even the water tower and…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the territory of a man known as the 'King of the Wildcatters,' Tom Slick. He started his oil career in Tryon back in 1904, a place that would…

You're driving through Lincoln County, and right here is Tryon, a town with a wild streak! Back in 1903, the Farmers and Merchants Bank opened its doors. It quickly became a legend for a different reason: robberies. In…

Right here in Langston, you're driving past a testament to resilience and education: Langston University. Established in 1897 as the Colored Agricultural and Normal University, it was born from federal legislation in…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through a story of hope and resilience. Back in the late 1800s, after the Civil War, newly freed African Americans and Black settlers looked west for opportunity. Some dreamed of…

You're driving past Langston, Oklahoma, a town with a unique beginning. Founded on April 22, 1890, Langston was one of the first all-Black towns established in Oklahoma Territory. E. P. McCabe, a prominent African…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past a place that was once the center of a huge dream for African Americans. E.P. McCabe, a charismatic land developer and politician, arrived in 1890, aiming to make Oklahoma a…

Right here in Langston, you're driving past the site of a major educational battleground. Inman Page, the first president of the Colored Agricultural and Normal University – now Langston University – arrived in 1898. He…

You're driving through Langston, Oklahoma, home to a remarkable poet, Melvin B. Tolson. He lived here longer than anywhere else, from 1947 until his death in 1966. Tolson taught English and drama at Langston University,…

You're driving through Logan County, heading towards Langston, the site of one of Oklahoma's historic all-Black towns. Right here, you're passing through the area where David J. Wallace, born into slavery in South…

Right here in Orlando, Oklahoma, in 1902, a routine household chore turned deadly. A local housewife unknowingly purchased adulterated kerosene for her lamps. When she lit them, a fire erupted, tragically claiming her…

You're driving through Perry, Oklahoma, home of a world-changing invention born right here. Back in 1949, Ed Malzahn watched workmen digging trenches by hand and thought, 'There has to be a better way!' He conceived the…

You're driving through Noble County, and right here is a story about a man who became a U.S. Congressman, even though he believed he was Jesus Christ. Manuel Herrick was raised in Ohio and Kansas, but his family settled…

Right here in Perry, Oklahoma, you're passing through the hometown of a true American sports legend: Dan Hodge. In the 1950s, Hodge was an undefeated wrestling machine at the University of Oklahoma, winning three NCAA…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past the legacy of Dorothy Barrack Pressler Morgan, the state's second female pilot and its only woman stunt flyer in the 1930s! Imagine this: she'd drive from Perry to Oklahoma…

Right here, you're driving through Perry, a town born in a frenzy! On September 16, 1893, thousands of people surged across the prairie for the Cherokee Outlet Opening. Within hours, Perry sprang to life, with…

You're driving through Noble County, maybe near Perry. Right here, in the late 1800s, lived one of Oklahoma's most notorious—and misunderstood—girl outlaws: Cattle Annie. Born Emma McDoulet, legend says she rode with…

You're driving through Perry, Oklahoma, and right here is where a fight for fairness began. In 1895, settlers who thought they were getting free land under the Homestead Act found themselves owing money – sometimes…

You're driving through Perry, Oklahoma, a town that was home to one of the most unique science fiction writers of the 20th century: R. A. Lafferty. Born in Iowa, he moved here as a boy and later became a prolific…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the story of Kate May. This widow with nine kids was a true Oklahoma pioneer. After her husband died just days after staking a claim in the 1889…

You're driving north of Chandler on Highway 18, and right here is Agra. This town owes its existence to the railroad, specifically the Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma line that connected Oklahoma City to Kansas back in…

You're driving through Creek County, right near Cushing, and you're passing through the heart of what was once the most important oil field in Oklahoma: the Cushing-Drumright Field. Discovered in January 1912 by Thomas…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of its nuclear history. Back in the 1950s, Kerr-McGee, a company known for oil, dove headfirst into the atomic age. They bought a refinery…

You're driving through Cushing, Oklahoma, a town that became the 'Pipeline Crossroads of the World.' While it started as a railroad stop and agricultural center, Cushing hit the big time in 1912 when wildcatter Thomas…

You're driving through Oklahoma's oil country, and right here, the McMan Oil Company made history. Founded in 1912 by Robert McFarlin and James Chapman, McMan hit it big almost immediately in the newly discovered…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and you might be passing a place that helped build the modern retail landscape! Right here, in 1918, Charles Ross Anthony partnered in his first business in Cleveland. Just four years…