Taft, Oklahoma

Right here, near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, you're passing through the territory once terrorized by the notorious Buck Gang. In the summer of 1895, this group, led by Rufus Buck, launched a thirteen-day crime spree through the…

You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the heart of a true oil wildcatter's story. Edward Hall Moore wasn't just a lawyer; he was a man who saw opportunity in the ground. In 1919, he…

You're driving through Okmulgee, the hometown of William Sampson. He was a full-blood Muscogee (Creek) Indian, standing six-foot-four, and a talented artist and rodeo star. But it was his imposing presence that landed…

You're driving through Okmulgee, a town with a name that means 'boiling waters' in the Creek language. It was founded in 1868 by the Creek Nation, who were rebuilding after the Civil War. Right here, they established…

You're driving through Okmulgee County, and right here, in the heart of it all, is Okmulgee. This city got its name from the Hitchita word 'oki mulgi,' meaning 'boiling waters.' Why? Because the Okmulgee Creek running…

You're driving through Okmulgee, and right here is where a remarkable leader lived and died. Samuel Checote, a full-blood Creek minister, was born in 1819. He came to Indian Territory with his family and dedicated his…

Right here in Okmulgee, back in 1870, Native American leaders from across Indian Territory gathered to draft their own constitution. This wasn't just any meeting; it was a bold attempt to create a unified government for…

You're driving through Okmulgee, and right here is where it all began for the Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company, or OTASCO. In 1918, three Lithuanian immigrant brothers, the Sanditens, opened this first store, selling…

Right here in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of jazz innovator Oscar Pettiford. Born in 1922, Pettiford wasn't just a double bass player; he pioneered bebop in New York City, leading combos with…

You're driving through Okmulgee, and right here is where a man named William Bliss Pine made his mark. Pine wasn't born in Oklahoma, but he caught oil fever in Kansas and headed straight for the boomtowns of Cleveland…

14500 Creek marched west in 1836. About 4000 died. Capital established at Okmulgee in 1868.

Five refineries. Population jumped 4K to 35K. Most millionaires per capita in America.

1866 treaty granted citizenship to freedmen. Central to the city founding and civic life.

1920 Spanish Baroque Revival with 1200 seats designed by Oklahoma first licensed architect.

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.

1878 sandstone building. National Historic Landmark. Sold back to Creek Nation for $3.2M in 2010.

Right here in Taft, you're driving through a place with a unique place in history. Originally called Twine, this community became Taft in 1904, named for future president William Howard Taft. But what makes Taft truly…

You're driving through Bixby, right on the edge of Tulsa. Did you know this town owes its very existence to the Dawes Commission? Back in the 1890s, this area was Creek Nation land. But in 1899, a post office popped up,…

Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through a state that's been shaping the iconic cowboy boot and saddle for generations! These aren't just accessories; they're symbols of the West. The cowboy boot, with its high…

You're driving through Beggs, Oklahoma, a town that owes its existence to a railroad and a boom! Back in 1899, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, the Frisco, was pushing south. Its vice president, C. H. Beggs,…

You're driving south of Muskogee on Highway 72, passing through Council Hill. This town owes its name to a historic Creek Nation landmark just west of here, known as Weklwa Hulwe, or 'High Spring.' Around 1840, the…

You're driving through Wainwright, a town that sprang up thanks to the railroad. Named for a local merchant, William Henry Wainwright, its post office opened in 1905. The arrival of the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf…

You're driving through McIntosh County, near Hitchita. This town's name honors a band of Muskogean Indians, absorbed into the Creek tribe. Originally located a mile and a half east, the town really took shape in <say-as…

Right here in Coweta, you're driving through a place with a history stretching back to a Creek Nation mission school. In 1843, Presbyterian minister Robert M. Loughridge opened Koweta, named after a town in Georgia.…

You're driving through Wagoner County, not far from Coweta. Right here, in 1843, Robert McGill Loughridge established the Kowetah Mission and school for the Creek Nation. Loughridge wasn't just a missionary; he became…

Right here, in Coweta, was born George Milburn, a writer who captured the essence of Oklahoma, even if some folks back home didn't always like what he had to say. Milburn’s stories, like those in his famous book…

You're driving through Wagoner County, and right here, in the mid-1800s, this area was a hub for Native American education. In 1843, the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions established Koweta Mission, just east of…

You're driving through Mounds, Creek County, and right here is a town that boomed thanks to oil! Originally a shipping point for cattle, Mounds transformed after 1905 when the nearby Glenn Pool Field exploded onto the…

Right here in Oklahoma, folks have been raising chickens and turkeys since the early 1800s! Initially, it was just for families to eat, but by the early 1900s, the state saw big potential. In <say-as interpret-as="date"…

You're driving through Okmulgee County, heading southeast. Right here is the community of Grayson, once known as Wildcat. It was one of Oklahoma's many All-Black towns, founded back in 1902 with a post office. By 1907,…

You're driving through Porter, Oklahoma, a town that owes its very existence to the railroad. Back in 1903, the Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad needed to build three towns spaced out along a new line. Porter was…

You're driving through what used to be Oklahoma's first major oil play: the Glenn Pool Field. Right here, in 1905, a secret well called Ida E. Glenn Number One spudded in, hoping to avoid the chaos of previous…

You're driving past Glenpool, a town born from a gusher! Right here, in 1905, wildcatter Robert Galbreath struck oil at a depth of nearly 1,500 feet. This was the Glenn Pool Field, one of the largest oil discoveries in…

The 1905 Glenn Pool oil strike, one of the largest discoveries of its era, made Tulsa the Oil Capital of the World and launched Oklahoma's petroleum industry.

You're driving through Okmulgee County, and right here is Hoffman. It sprang to life in 1905 with a post office, named for a railroad executive, or maybe an attorney – historians aren't quite sure! This town was a busy…

You're driving through Kiefer, Oklahoma, a town that exploded onto the map thanks to oil! This place, originally called Praper, became a major hub after the massive Glenn Pool oil field was discovered in 1905. Imagine…

You're driving through Oklahoma, but did you know this land might be hiding secrets of America's most infamous outlaws? While historians doubt it, local legends say the James brothers, Frank and Jesse, actually hid out…

Right here in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is where Ralph Blane, born Ralph Hunsecker, got his start. You might know his work, even if you don't know his name. Blane was the lyricist behind some of Hollywood's most beloved…

You're driving past Broken Arrow, a town that owes its existence to a railroad and a creek. The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railway, the Katy, reached this spot on April 13, 1903. The townsite was laid out by William S.…

You're driving through Jenks, Oklahoma, a town with a surprisingly specific origin story. It was officially platted in 1905, but its name comes from a director of the railroad company that built the Midland Valley line.…