Vol. 45, No. 5 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 May 2014 May Day Celebration and Lawn Social Children’s fishing clinic The George M. Murrell Home May Day at Pawnee Bill Ranch Celebration and Lawn Social on Saturday, On Thursday, May 22, at 10 a.m., the May 3, from 12 to 4 p.m., will evoke the beauty Pawnee Bill Ranch will host a children’s and color of Park Hill during its golden age in fishing clinic free of charge. The clinic the 1850s. Living historians in period dress will be held at the children’s fishing pond will mix with the public in a social function and is being conducted by the Oklahoma reminiscent of the social galas held at the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Murrell Home. The public is encouraged to Representatives from the Wildlife bring picnic lunches and quilts and join the Department will present information on reenactors between 12 and 1 p.m. for a picnic such topics as fish identification, knot- on the lawn. From 1 to 4 p.m. activities will tying, fish cleaning and cooking, fishing abound, including dance lessons, lawn games, tackle selection and use, water safety, and croquet and horseshoe tournaments. A outdoor ethics, and more. maypole will close the event and commemorate the start of the growing season on the Children have to be able to cast a pole plantation. Admission to the May Day Celebration and Lawn Social is free. in order to attend. Poles will be provided. The Murrell Home is the only remaining antebellum plantation home in modern-day Participation is limited, so if you have a Oklahoma. It is located at 19479 East Murrell Home Road in Park Hill, and is open child who would like to attend, please call Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the Murrell the Pawnee Bill Ranch at 918-762-2513. Home at 918-456-2751 or [email protected]. The Pawnee Bill Ranch is located on Spring into research! “Lunch & Learns” scheduled Blue Hawk Peak on land Pawnee Bill purchased from Blue Hawk, his Pawnee The John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center announces the kickoff of their friend, one-half mile west of Pawnee on spring/summer series of “Lunch & Learns” to begin May 21. The dates and topics of US 64. these workshops are: May 21 “Researching Oklahoma Prison Records” Spiro Mounds to host Janice Thompson, Oklahoma Deptartment of Corrections Archaeology Day June 18 “Evangelism and the Church in Oklahoma and Indian Territory” Bill Welge, former Director of Research, Oklahoma Historical Society The Spiro Mounds Archaeological July 16 “Photo Dating and Territorial Photographers” Center will hold its ninth annual Chester Cowen, former Director of Photo Archives, Oklahoma Historical Archaeology Day on May 10, from 9 a.m. Society to 5 p.m. As a bonus Archaeology Day The cost for each workshop is $10 and includes lunch and materials. Seating is also will be a free day with no entrance limited and reservations are required. Call 405-522-5225 with credit card information fees collected, although donations are or send a check or money order to: gratefully accepted. Oklahoma Historical Society-Research Throughout the day items will be 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. given away by drawing and there will be Oklahoma City, OK 73105 birthday cake. If you have artifacts, like arrowheads or pottery, someone from the Pine needle gourd class Oklahoma Archeological Survey will be A basic class in the art of pine needle gourding will be offered available to identify up to ten artifacts per May 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pioneer Woman Museum. person. Students will create a beautiful bowl painted in a wash of Flint knappers (stone tool makers) will be archival ink and topped by tightly stitched coils of long pine on site showing off their skills. Blowgun, needles held together with artificial sinew. Students will finish stickball, and Chunkee demonstrations their projects during class. Attendance is limited to six, so call will be available upon request. Lectures quickly to reserve your seat. will be featured during the day, including Teaching the class will be Judy Kelley, a Muskogee native who a lecture on Fort Coffee and the Fort translates her passion for the cultures and colors of the West Coffee Choctaw Boys Academy. There into creating exquisite pine needle gourds that can be found in also will be a guided tour of the site at 2 homes from San Diego to Vermont. She is represented by JRB p.m. The regular exhibits will be available throughout the day as well. Judy Kelley Art at the Elms in Oklahoma City, Our Favorite Place in Eufaula, and Wilcox Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming. Judy lives in Oklahoma City. Her website is The Spiro Mounds Archaeological Cen- www.jkgourdworks.com. ter is located three miles east of Spiro on The Pioneer Woman Museum is located at 701 Monument Road in Ponca City. For highway 9/271 and four miles north on more information or to register, call 580-765-6108 or email [email protected]. Lock and Dam Road. If you would like more information about Archaeology Day events or volunteer opportunities, please contact Dennis Peterson at 918-962-2062 or spiro@ okhistory.org. That support comes from the speeches and New members March 2014 educational programs we have shared with *Indicates renewed memberships at a communities across the state. It comes from higher level the museum exhibits launched without leg- islative funding and completed with donated Benefactor funds and creative collaboration. It comes The Chickasaw Nation, Ada Director’s from buildings saved, lessons learned, and *Nazih and Annette Zuhdi, Nichols Hills stories shared. column At the most fundamental level, support for Director’s Circle the OHS is grounded on the power of our col- Calvin and Linda Anthony, Stillwater lections. For thirty-five years, I have watched those collections help people connect the dots Associate *Ronald and Lida Elkins, Oklahoma City of history to create a sense of community in *Judy Grove, Tulsa our state. I see it in the excitement of stu- dents who compete at History Day. I see it Fellow in the enthusiasm of researchers who want Allen Brown, Oklahoma City to share with me the latest discovery in their Phyllis and Stanton Stough, Oklahoma City By Dr. Bob L. Blackburn family history. Executive Director Since 1893, our OHS has been collecting Friend I have good news to share. the stories of our families and communities. *Mark and Pamela Fly, Broken Arrow Ken and Leigh Hancock, Tulsa The proposal to abolish the OHS Fortunately for us, there was a Walter *Mark Houser and Joan Allmaras, Edmond membership, convert the OHS board of Campbell, who collected the first newspapers, Sue Loftis, Oklahoma City directors to an advisory committee, and a Joseph Thoburn, who wrote the first state *Phil and Frances Macy, Edmond transfer all collections and assets to a history, an E. E. Dale, who started a scholarly *Rick Stong, Piedmont *Andy and Sue Sullivan, Oklahoma City tourism super-agency did not survive the first journal called The Chronicles of Oklahoma, few weeks of the legislative session. Unless it and a Grant Foreman, who saved the Family reappears as an amendment to a surviving irreplaceable Indian Archives. Jim and Linda Burke, Edmond bill, and it could, consolidation is dead for the Today, we owe it those pioneers to continue Rick Ewing, Lexington session. this mission. We must collect. We must *Suzanne Fagan, Oklahoma City There are two reasons the bill died. preserve. And we must share. The only way John and Kathleen Farrar, New Harmony, IN *Lu Fountain, Edmond One was the response from people around we can do that is to keep our standards high, *Doug Frantz, Enid the state who understood that consolidation demand results through efficiencies, and *John and Lorraine Frost, Edmond would mean the end of the Oklahoma attract partners who share our enthusiasm Janet Gallimore, Boise, ID Historical Society as a nonpartisan, for Oklahoma history. *Eva Gerard, Denison, TX Mr. and Mrs. R. Lynn Green, The Village independent organization with the ability to The only way that can be accomplished Joe Kemp, Oklahoma City raise funds and find partners for the cause is to keep the OHS an independent, *Robert and Adell Kindt, Lawton of collecting, preserving, and sharing our nimble organization free from politics and Roosevelt and Patricia Milton, Oklahoma City heritage. empowered by a dedicated board of directors Larry Pack, Battlefield, MO Harold Reel, Oklahoma City Caring people like you wrote letters, made and a motivated staff that is unapologetically *Richard and Judy Ryan, Tulsa telephone calls, and sent emails to legislators passionate about what we do. Consolidating Lee and Cynthia Savage, Pocasset in both the House and Senate. Legislators our organization into a super-sized John and Marilyn Smalley, Oklahoma City and their assistants described the volume as bureaucracy would be a step backward. Kerwin and Kathryn Spring, Enid Sandra Waldo, Santa Fe, NM “a flood.” And that was done without a call to Yes, I have good news to share. The OHS is Trista Wilmont, Crescent action. The Mistletoe Leaves with the stories moving full speed ahead, confident that our Ted Witten, Norman about consolidation appeared only one day entrepreneurial business plan, productivity, before the bill died, and even then, we did not and partnerships will be recognized and re- Individual ask for action. We simply described the facts spected. Stay tuned for more details. Ana Alvarado, Newcastle of the bill and the likely outcomes of passage.