March 2015 Celebrate Spring at the Spiro Mounds Fort Washita to Host Archaeological Center Fur Trade Rendezvous
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Vol. 46, No. 3 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 March 2015 Celebrate spring at the Spiro Mounds Fort Washita to host Archaeological Center Fur Trade Rendezvous On March 19, 20, and 21, the Spiro Mounds Archaeological On April 1–5, Fort Washita in Durant will host a Fur Trade Center will host a series of guided Vernal Equinox Walks and Rendezvous. Experience life on the western frontier at this the twenty-eighth annual Family Kite Flite Day. living history event, which includes instructive programs in Visitors can learn from an archaeologist about the signifi- customs, survival skills, and lifestyles of the period. Visitors will cance of the equinox to the American Indian community encounter trappers representing the far northwest mountain that called Spiro home. On March 19 and 20, there will be areas to the desert southwest, as well as traders with French three walks beginning at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m., led by and Spanish influence. Visit Fort Washita and experience the archaeologist and manager Dennis Peterson. Each walk will sights, sounds, and smells of history. take approximately two hours and require one mile of easy Attendees will travel through the camps where reenactors walking. Peterson will provide information about this unique explain life on the frontier in the early nineteenth century. On prehistoric American Indian mound site, the types of mounds, April 2 and 3, school groups are invited to bring students for why they were created, and why some of the mounds are two special “School Days,” with no charge for school buses. For lined up for the sunsets of the solstices and equinoxes. He others visiting the Fur Trade Rendezvous, there is an entrance will discuss the history of the excavations, American Indian fee of $5 per car. ceremonies, and stories of the unusual happenings associated Fort Washita was estab- with the mounds. lished in 1842 in the Choctaw On Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors to Nation, Indian Territory, Spiro Mounds can enjoy the twenty-eighth annual Family Kite as the southwestern-most Flite Day. Kite flying demonstrations, bubble making, a chil- military post of the United dren’s area, arts and crafts vendors, and kite giveaways are States. The site is on the just a few of the activities that will take place. This event is free National Register of Historic and open to the public. All are invited to enjoy the festivities. Places and designated as a The Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center is located three National Historic Landmark. miles east of Spiro, on Highway 9/271 and four miles north Fort Washita is located at on Lock and Dam Road. For more information or to schedule a 3348 State Road 199 in group or school tour, please call 918-962-2062 or email spiro@ Durant. Please call 580-924- okhistory.org. 6502 for more information. Fifth annual Cowboy Roundup at the Oklahoma History Center The Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City will host the fifth annual Cowboy Roundup on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are invited to attend this free event, so load T. B. Ferguson Home to host quilt up the family for a rendezvous with adventure. Attendees will enjoy hands-on activities indoors and outdoors, including free presentation and fundraising dinner admission to the museum exhibit galleries. Cowboys and chuck wagons will bring the cattle drive era to On Saturday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to noon, the T. B. life. There will be rope making, branding, Dutch oven cooking, Ferguson Home presents “Underground Railroad Quilts” at horse rides, blacksmithing, square dancing, crafts, a medicine the Watonga Public Library. Martha Ray will share historic man show, and stage coach rides. information about quilts used by slaves escaping the South. For more information please call 405-522-3602 or email During the presentation, attendees also can view authentic [email protected]. The Oklahoma History Center is quilts made during the Civil War. located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. On Friday, March 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. the T. B. Ferguson Home will host its annual chicken noodle dinner. This fund- raising event will be held in the Foley Building at the Blaine County Fairgrounds in Watonga. For more information about these events please call 580-623- 5069. Built in 1901, the T. B. Ferguson Home and was home to Oklahoma’s sixth territorial governor. It is located at 519 North Weigle Avenue in Watonga, with regular operating hours on Monday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This property is managed by the Friends of T. B. Ferguson Home and offers free admission. law allowing the OHS to transfer historical New Members, January 2015 properties to nonprofit groups for “fair market value.” My friendships with *Indicates renewed memberships at a Bill Anoatubby, Wilma Mankiller, John higher level Ketcher, and Judy Allen can be traced to Benefactor Director’s those mutually beneficial transactions. Larry and Polly Nichols, Oklahoma City column Since then the partnerships have grown. Business Benefactor Bill Welge has worked with a number Ann Alspaugh, Oklahoma City of tribes to preserve archival records. Museum managers such as John Davis Director’s Circle and David Fowler have included tribal *Joanna Champlin and Shawnee Brittan, Oklahoma City By Dr. Bob L. Blackburn officials in their short-term and long- Executive Director range plans for historic sites. The results Fellow are spectacular. Tricia Everest, Oklahoma City As I look to the future of the Oklahoma A good example on the collecting side Historical Society, I keep coming back to of our mission is a partnership with Associate *Bob and Mary Brown, Burneyville the value of partnerships. the Chickasaw Nation to digitize tribal *Jerry and Nancy Cotton, Edmond Foremost is the public-private partner- records and newspapers that could be *Clark and Kay Musser, Oklahoma City ship that has worked so effectively since shared through the new cultural center in *Lee Allan and Dee Ann Smith, Oklahoma City 1895. On one side are our members, do- Sulphur. As a result, the History Center Friend nors, support groups, and volunteers. On added expensive equipment that opened Sheila Brooks, Edmond the other side is the State of Oklahoma, the door to a digital revolution and the *William and Charlene Clark, Bryan, TX composed of the entire community of information is more accessible to our *Philip and Carol Comp, Oklahoma City *Peter and Christi Eischen, Fairview citizens and taxpayers working through rural constituency. Marian Escobar, Chickasha the governor and legislature. On the operational side is our *Gilbert Gibson, Oklahoma City Whereas the public-private partnership partnership with the Cherokee Nation, *Betty and Charles Kemp, Norman *Cheryl Key, Ardmore is a long-standing tradition, our which provides an annual grant to *J. P. London, Arlington, VA reliance on formal partnerships with support Fort Gibson, the Murrell Home, *Dennis and Karen Luman, Oklahoma City *John and Vicki Phillips, Beggs other groups is more recent. Examples and Sequoyah’s Cabin. We use the grant Mollie Reidland, Oklahoma City include the Oklahoma Military Hall to keep standards of service at a high Ronald Schaulat, Oklahoma City of Fame, the Oklahoma Genealogical level and the Cherokee Nation receives *Jack Shakely, Rancho Mirage, CA Charles Sherman, Purcell Society, the Oklahoma Higher Education assistance in developing heritage tourism *Harold Simons, Oklahoma City Heritage Society, Colonial Williamsburg, for economic development and classroom *Robert and Mary Touchstone, Moore Preservation Oklahoma, the National education for Cherokees young and old. Park Service, and Mount Vernon. The next big opportunity for building Family Orin and Fredrica Allen, Pittsburg, CA The most rapidly expanding scope of on those partnerships is the upcoming Noah Bailey, Enid partnerships is with sovereign tribal exhibit, Crossroads of Commerce: A Neil Bergstrom, Oklahoma City governments. History of Free Enterprise in Oklahoma. In *Robert Bookout, Tulsa *Robert and Glenna Cheek, Oklahoma City Prior to the 1970s and the resurrection that exhibit, we will illustrate how tribal John Clackler, Plattsburgh, NY of elected tribal governments, the OHS business income serves as a tax base for Rochelle Converse, Edmond Dr. and Mrs. A. Sam Coury, Edmond worked with individual American Indian tribal programs and how modern tribal Richard Dike, Oklahoma City leaders such as Dode McIntosh, Earl enterprises are connected to ancient Dennis and Charlene Fowler, Houston, TX Boyd Pierce, and Bat Shunatona. Those traditions. Tyrone and Trent Giles, Edmond Bill and Barbara Grant, Hugo types of personal friendships are still Yes, as I look to the future, I keep H. T. and Edna Mae Holden, Kremlin highly valued, but working with tribal coming back to the value of partnerships. governments expands the partnerships With mutual respect and a willingness to cont’d. on p. 7 to include entire communities. innovate, we are stronger together than Reaching out to tribal governments we are divided. Oklahoma Historical Society accelerated in the 1990s after we worked Membership Office: Alma Moore with the Oklahoma Legislature to pass a 405-522-5242 [email protected] Mistletoe Leaves (USPS 018-315) is published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105- Development News 7917. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK. (ISSN 1932-0108) By Larry O’Dell POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mistletoe Leaves, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-7917. The Oklahoma Historical Society By authorization of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Board of continues to produce quality events, Directors, 6,000 copies are prepared at a cost of $1,276 each month.