First Families of Oklahoma Exhibit Premiers February 14 at Oklahoma

Home , Lee Cruce, Oklahoma History Center

Vol. 38, No. 2 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 February 2007 First Families of Oklahoma exhibit premiers February 14 at Oklahoma History Center To mark the Centennial of Oklahoma The Chesapeake Corporation donated Statehood, the Oklahoma Museum of His- $275,000 to construct the exhibits. First tory will mount a major exhibition featur- Families of Oklahoma will continue at the ing the lives of Oklahoma’s governors and Oklahoma History Center through 2007. their families. The new exhibit opens in mid-February and continues through the Centennial Year. Since 1907, 24 families Governors of the have served the state as “First Family.” Great State of Oklahoma OMH Exhibits Curators Elizabeth Baxter and Jill Holt and Research Center Projects Specialist Larry O’Dell, in collabo- Charles N. Haskell, 1907-11 ration with OHS Executive Director Bob Lee Cruce, 1911-15 Blackburn, have assembled an intriguing OMH staff. Dispersed throughout the gal- display of artifacts and text that features lery are artifact cases featuring items do- Robert L. Williams, 1915-19 “the man in office,” rather than his politics. nated by or loaned by each governor, in- James B. A. Robertson, 1919-23 “Our hope is to put a human face on the cluding campaign materials and more per- leaders who have been willing to serve the sonal mementos. John C. Walton, 1923 people,” noted Blackburn. “To get artifacts from the former gover- Martin E. Trapp, 1923-27 According to Baxter, “We are telling each nors, we simply had to explain the idea be- governor’s story from childhood up through hind the exhibit and ask them for their Henry Simpson Johnston, 1927-29 the decision to run for office, the campaign, help. They were all quite willing to help us William J. Holloway, 1929-31 and the inauguration.” obtain the artifacts to tell stories that peo- The First Families of Oklahoma exhibit ple might not know about their lives before William H. Murray, 1931-35 will be displayed in the Oklahoma History they took their place in the Governor’s Ernest W. Marland, 1935-39 Center’s first-floor Gaylord Special Ex- Mansion. The First Ladies and other family Leon C. Phillips, 1939-43 hibits Gallery. Inside the exhibit, graphic members were also very helpful,” said panels will offer short biographies, accom- Baxter. Robert S. Kerr, 1943-47 panied by “video scrapbooks.” Each video Over the past few months Blackburn Roy J. Turner, 1947-51 scrapbook will, at the push of a button, and the curators have conducted inter- display pictures of the governor from child- views with the living governors. Deceased Johnston Murray, 1951-55 hood through his inauguration. This ele- governors’ families were contacted as well, Raymond D. Gary, 1955-59 ment was developed by Rillis Howard of the and they provided artifacts and photos. “Meeting with these folks and hearing their J. Howard Edmondson, 1959-63 stories, especially the children who lived in Henry L. Bellmon, 1963-67, 1987-91 the Governor’s Mansion and helped on campaigns, has given us great insight into Dewey F. Bartlett, 1967-71 the role of the family in the life of a gover- David Hall, 1971-75 nor,” Baxter explained. In addition, in the upstairs Samuel Rob- David L. Boren, 1975-79 erts Noble Gallery, another exhibit will be de- George Patterson Nigh, 1979-87 voted to the First Ladies. It will feature photographs, artifacts relating to each woman’s David L. Walters, 1991-95 personal career and to her campaign contri- Francis A. Keating, 1995-2003 butions, several inaugural gowns, and other Charles Bradford Henry, 2003– apparel, such as Molly Boren’s wedding dress. OHS wins two awards from Public Relations Society

At its autumn meeting the Oklahoma Center in 2005. The award criteria speci- These included: invitations, news releases, City Chapter of the Public Relations Society fied that programs must include marketing the welcome brochure, and the current vis- of America (PRSA) presented two awards to communications and/or public relations itors guide. The Staplegun, a local advertis- the Oklahoma Historical Society and the communications and must be designed to ing, marketing, and public relations firm, in Jones Public Relations Group, Inc. introduce and promote new or established concert with the Jones Public Relations The first award was the Award of Merit in services or ideas. Group, Inc., designed these materials. OHS the Marketing/Public Relations Campaigns OHS also received an Honorable Mention developed the copy and initial design. category for the Oklahoma History Center in the Public Relations Materials 4 Color Staplegun and Jones PR refined those con- Grand Opening. This award recognized all category. This award recognized the vari- cepts into the final, award-winning product. the public relations and marketing that ous printed materials that were developed went into the grand opening of the History for the grand opening of the History Center. seums and Historic Sites into the Outreach New Members Division, and creating project units that can focus on specific goals and technologi- Individual cal innovation. We already see the results. Blanton, Eloise, Oklahoma City This growing efficiency has allowed us to Braden, Charles, Edmond Crews, Ray, Colleyville, TX raise the standards of what we do. Stan- Criner, Mark, Wichita, KS Director’s dard government issue is no longer accept- Dagenhart, Carol, Commerce City, CO able. Consistent mediocrity is the same as Dushane, Robin, Grove Column Fearing, Glenna A., Stillwater failure. We have the talent, and we cer- Floyd, Larry C., Yukon tainly have the story, so why should we not Galbraith, Dale W., Oklahoma City set our goals higher? Gray, Virginia, Oklahoma City Hector, E. Roy, Stratford The results can be seen throughout the Howard, Nancy, Bardstown, KY organization, and most clearly through the James, Clary, Bethany By Bob L. Blackburn new Oklahoma History Center. We expected Karr, Linda J., Milburn Kemp, Thomas Jay, East Hampton, CT Executive Director nothing less than the quality you would see Kirkpatrick, A. J., Moore in the Smithsonian or the National Archives, Leblanc, Mary Gene, Oklahoma City and we got it. We knew we could do better. Leforce, Frank, Guthrie As one of my favorite philosophers once The attainment of higher standards, Martin, Dan, Ramona said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You Parrish, John W., Shawnee coupled with greater efficiencies, helps us Pauli, Virgil Lee, Tulsa never know what you are going to get.” Of look over the next horizon and leads us to Shaver, Melba L., Moore course, that philosopher was Forest Gump, the third part of this historic trinity—part- Smith, Delores Willoughby, Chickasha and he was referring to the unpredictable Wilson, Janet, Norman nerships. The Oklahoma Historical Soci- Zimmerman, Louise, Arlington, TX twists and turns in our future. ety, alone, cannot climb the mountain be- This past week, we started a new round fore us. We need partners to reach that Family of legislative hearings with both our Senate height. Aldridge, Virginia, Edmond and House committees. Sometimes, you We need sister organizations such as the Arrowood, Jason & Lindsay, Claremore never know what you are going to get. Bickley, Alan & Susan, Madison, WI Oklahoma Genealogical Society, the Friends Blumenthal, Morris, Oklahoma City Although many questions will be asked of Higher Education, and the cultural divi- Boer, James & Jane, Yukon and many options will be explored, we will sions of the many Indian tribes to collect and Boyce, Jim, Oklahoma City stay on message with what we think are the Buchanan, Mike & Linda, Dallas, TX preserve the story. We need friends in the Buchanan, Rick, Edmond most important long-range strategies for ac- business community, the media, and the Call, James L., Oklahoma City complishing the mission of the Oklahoma general public to help us share the story. Christian, Steve, Norman Dowell, Carl & Christel, Enid Historical Society. Without the funding, energy, and leader- Those three keys are efficiency, higher Fears, Joe & Rhonda, Tulsa ship of our friends, we will lose the momen- Ferguson, Jeanne, Edmond standards, and partnerships. tum gained by the Oklahoma History Cen- Galbraith, Alan & Bonny, Oklahoma City Galbraith, Jack & Martha, Mustang Since the 1980s we have been realigning ter and the Centennial Celebration. and tightening the way we accomplish our James, Greg & Penny, Bethany This year, as we talk to senators, repre- Luckens, Clifford & Cynthia, Oklahoma City mission of collecting, preserving, and shar- sentatives, and officials in the Governor’s Moorman, Stanley J., Edmond ing history. It started with basic governance Office, we will stay on theme and empha- Odell, Albert & Ann, Beaumont, TX and the structure of the Board of Directors in Pittser, Ronald F., Oklahoma City size that our service to the people of our Potts, John & Gus Shaver, Norman the new OHS Constitution adopted in 1981. great state depends on keeping a balance Saunders, James, Oklahoma City The efficiencies accelerated in the 1990s Shaklee, Mary M., Kremlin between efficiency, high standards, and Sisemore, Karen, Oklahoma City with strategic planning, one-year goals and partnerships. objectives, and planning documents such Yes, life is like a box of chocolates. As the Friend as the “Historic Context Review,” which al- legislative session opens, we will see what Kitchell, Toni, Oklahoma City lows us to evaluate success or failure we get. based on themes, time periods, and places Institution served. Deer Creek High School Library, Edmond More recent have been the structural changes in the different departments, such Oklahoma Historical Society as consolidating Archives and Library into Publications Division the Research Division, consolidating Mu- Editorial Office: 405/522-4860 Dianna Everett, Ph.D., Editor Linda D. Wilson, Assistant Editor William E. Siemens, Graphic Artist Development News Membership Office Alma Moore By Tim Zwink 405/522-5242 Mistletoe Leaves (USPS 018–315) is published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914. The 2007 Oklahoma Historical Society An- Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK. (ISSN 1932-0108) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mistletoe Leaves, 2401 N. Laird Ave- nual Meeting will be held on April 12, 13, and nue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914. 14 in the Oklahoma History Center at 2401 N. By authorization of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Board of Directors, 5,100 copies are prepared at a cost of $1,025.00 each month. The publication Laird Avenue in Oklahoma City. Arrange- is financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. ments are now being finalized under the direction of the Annual Meeting Committee, which Contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the is chaired by board member James Waldo. Oklahoma Historical Society or the United States Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recommendation The conference hotel for the 2007 Annual Meeting is the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites at by either organization. Mistletoe Leaves is published for the members and friends of the Okla- 6200 N. Robinson, about four miles north of the History Center. homa Historical Society in partial fulfillment of the Society’s purpose to “preserve and perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people, to stimulate A block of rooms has been reserved for OHS members, who are responsible for making popular interest in historical study and research, and to promote and disseminate historical knowledge.” their own room reservations. The room rate for persons attending the meeting is $73 plus The public and OHS members are encouraged to submit heritage-related tax, and reservations may be made by calling 800/682-0049 or 405/843-5558. To receive items for publication. Students and teachers are invited to share studies and programs and to duplicate contents as desired. Editors are welcome to reprint the special rate, tell the desk clerk that you are attending the OHS meeting. materials with credit. All Oklahoma Historical Society facilities are for the education and enjoy- More details about the Holiday Inn, including pictures of hotel accommodations and ment of all. State and federal regulations prohibit unlawful discrimination in state and federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national amenities, may be found at . origin, and/or handicap. Anyone denied benefits should contact the Executive Director of the Okla- Additional plans for the meeting will be announced over the next few months, with regis- homa Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105– 7914, telephone 405/521-2491, and/or the Director, Office of Equal Oppor- tration materials being mailed to the OHS membership in March. tunity, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. formation call 405/270-4848 or log on to open year round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For Events . additional information call 918/341-0719. (Special to ML) (Special to ML) Yale’s Jim Thorpe Park, located on S.H. Lawton’s Great Plains Coliseum, 920 S. 51, will host the 13th Annual Winter En- Sheridan Road, will be the venue for a campment Battle of Round Mountain on Writings, Etc. judged quilt show entitled “For the Love of February 17–18, 2007. A living history les- Quilts” on February 16–17 from 10 a.m. to 5 Love County Historical Society’s 2007 Cal- son will be presented for students on Fri- p.m. In addition to more than 200 entries, endar, which is an Oklahoma Centennial day, February 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On two traveling quilt exhibits, the Hoffman edition, features images of the Glazener Saturday and Sunday, February 17–18, Fabric Challenge and the Top 100 Quilts from Confectionary (1899), O. F. Comer (1910), the public can view Confederate and Union the Oklahoma Centennial Contest, will be fea- Rosse Hotel (1914), Bomar Depot (1918), Si- encampments from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Battle tured. Call 580/252-0387 or e-mail Judy mon School Students (1941), Greenville’s demonstrations will occur at 2 p.m. on Sat- Irey at . 7th and 8th Grades (1941), Meadowbrook urday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. OHS (Special to ML) 5th and 6th Grades (1942), Burneyville speakers Arthur Street, Howard McKinnis, High School Girls’ Basketball Team (1943), and Omar Reed will present programs on Jimtown School Students (1945), Marietta “Cannons,” “Variety of Guns Used in the Senior Class (1947), Thackerville High War,” and “Blacks in the Civil War.” Daily Exhibits School Boys’ Glee Club (1947), and Mont- admission to the event is $5 for adults. Bartlesville gomery Store (early 1950s). Calendars can Children, ages 12 and under, are free. A The Area History Museum, lo- be ordered from Love County Historical So- grand ball is free to the public on February cated at 401 S. Johnstone, is the venue for The Flight That Changed ciety, P.O. Box 134, Marietta, OK 73448. 17, from 7–10 p.m., at the elementary an exhibit entitled the World: Wiley Post’s Contribution to Avia- Cost of the calendar is $5 plus $1.50 for school gym. While in Yale, visit the Jim tion postage. The postage will vary if more than Thorpe House, located at 706 E. Boston. . The exhibit, an official Oklahoma Cen- one calendar is ordered. Contact Laquitta The former home of 1912 Olympian Jim tennial project, features Post’s life and his Ladner at 580/276-3477 for information. Thorpe offers artifacts from Thorpe and his fascination with aviation. As part of the ex- (Special to ML) family. For more details contact Lou Hensley hibit two videos are presented. One is an Wiley Post of at 918/387-2525. (Special to ML) hour-long documentary titled Oklahoma, hosted by Bill Moore of the Oklahoma History Center, and previously Weatherford’s Southwest Oklahoma State Meetings featured on OETA. The second video is a University Fine Arts Auditorium will be the two-minute footage of one of Post’s flights at venue for the 37th Annual Jazz Festival on In Oklahoma City the Oklahoma Genea- the Bartlesville airport, shot by Bartlesville’s February 8–9 at 7 p.m. The SWOSU Jazz logical Society’s monthly meeting will be photographer Frank Griggs. The exhibit will Festival will feature artists from across the held on Monday, February 5, 2007, at 6 be on display through February 28, 2007. country as well as jazz groups from area p.m. in the Chesapeake Events Center at Admission is free. The museum days and schools. Terry Segress offers more informa- the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. hours are Tuesday through Saturday from tion at 580/774-3175 or by e-mailing him Laird Avenue. Marianne Long, featured 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call at . speaker, will present a program on Ger- 918/338-4290. (Special to ML) (Special to ML) mans who lived in Russia. The OHS Re- search Center will be staffed and remain Tulsa’s Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Tulsa’s 21st Annual Indian Art Festival open until 7:45 p.m. that evening. Art, located at 2021 E. 71st Street, will will take place on February 9–11 at Tulsa (Special to ML) have the From Shtetl to the Sooner State: Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st Street. The Celebrating Oklahoma’s Jewish History ex- event will offer an art market, Indian exhi- In Purcell the McClain County Historical hibit on display until March 2007. Call bition dancing, storytelling, food, and cul- and Genealogical Society meets on the 918/492-1818 for more information. tural exhibits. For the schedule of events third Tuesday of every month at the (OMA MuseNEWS, Winter 2007). go to . For Masonic Hall, 900 N. Canadian. Member- reservations call 918/838-3875. The festi- ship in the society is open to all interested val is a project of the National Indian Mon- persons. Contact the McClain County His- ument and Institute and is given with the Happenings torical and Genealogical Society by phone assistance of the Oklahoma Arts Council at 405/527-5894 or mail inquiries to 203 and the National Endowment for the Arts. Claremore’s Will Rogers Memorial Museum, W. Washington, Purcell, OK 73080. (Special to ML) located at 1720 W. Will Rogers Boulevard, is (Special to ML) offering Sunday movie matinees during the In Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Arts month of February. Double features of Will Council and the National Endowment for the Rogers’s movies will be shown in the mu- Awards Arts are sponsoring the Winter Tales Story- seum’s large theater at 2 p.m. and 3:30 telling Festival on February 15–17 at Stage p.m. on February 4, 11, 18, and 25. They The Oklahoma City National Memorial Center, 400 W. Sheridan, Oklahoma City. Had to See Paris and A Connecticut Yankee and Museum has recently been awarded Considered one of the nation’s top story- will be presented on February 4; Dr. Bull and accreditation from the American Associa- telling festivals, the event will feature eve- Handy Andy on February 11; So This is Lon- tion of Museums Accreditation Commis- ning performances, workshops, and a don and Down to Earth on February 18; and sion. Oklahoma now has eleven accredited children’s matinee. Singer-songwriter Tom Business and Pleasure and State Fair on museums. (Special to ML) Paxton and nationally acclaimed tellers February 25. During intermission visitors Gay Ducey, Andy Offutt Irwin, and Baba can watch shorts from Rogers’s personal Jamal Koram will participate. For more in- productions and home movies or the Dis- ney short on polo, offered in the Disney Theater. Admission is free. The museum is The column, titled “Jimmy Says,” not Hidden Collections . . . only commented on timely issues, but ac- The Jimmy Stewart Papers tivities occurring in the black community. In 1937 the Oklahoma Natural Gas Com- By Larry O’Dell pany hired Stewart, who eventually worked his way to a position as a vice president. In Thanks to the donation by James E. 1942 members elected him vice president Stewart, Jr., the Oklahoma Historical Soci- of the local NAACP branch, and he quickly ety houses an important collection that became its president. highlights the history of the state and na- World War II interrupted his civilian life, tional Civil Rights movement. The Jimmy and he signed on as one of the earliest Afri- Stewart Collection (2006.75) tells the story can Americans allowed to enlist in the of an African American leader who stood in United States Marine Corps. After return- the forefront of this struggle throughout ing to Oklahoma, Stewart persisted in ad- the twentieth century. vancing Civil Rights and joined the NAACP Born September 6, 1912, in Texas, James National Board of Directors. In 1952 he E. Stewart, Jr., moved in 1916 with his fam- sponsored Oklahoma City as the host community for the national convention. A key ily to Oklahoma City. There, he met and be- A young James Stewart as he became acquainted with future author Ralph figure in Oklahoma’s peaceful integration gan his career in journalism and Ellison, who became a life-long friend. In of public and private facilities, Stewart at- Civil Rights (OHS photo). 1928, after Jimmy Stewart had attended a tained many honors over his career. He few years at Douglass High School, he and died on April 13, 1997. his family relocated to Wichita, Kansas. The collection contains chapters from an The John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Re- There, he earned honors playing football at unpublished autobiography, an invaluable search Center, located at the Oklahoma the already integrated Wichita High School study for students of mid-twentieth cen- History Center, is exhibiting many of these North. Stewart attended Langston, then tury Oklahoma. The collection also holds items in the James Stewart Exhibit in the called the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural correspondence (personal and business), main reading room. A finding aid may be ac- and Normal University, for one year before speeches, official reports, newspaper clip- cessed and many of the photographs viewed moving to Oklahoma City. As a young man pings, tape recordings, photographs, and online at the Oklahoma Historical Society’s he ingratiated himself with Roscoe Dunjee books from his library. He also collected web site, , through the and began writing a column that Dunjee postcards, pictures, and memorabilia con- Research Division’s database, CuadraStar. printed in his newspaper, the Black cerning his interests. Many of the photos Dispatch. were autographed by the celebrities. Oklahoma History Center The purpose of the “I Remember Second Street” program is to videotape the partici- Buffalo Soldiers to to host two black history pants as they reminisce, thereby chroni- celebrate Black History cling everyday life around Second Street. programs in February Johnson will be the facilitator, and all in- Month at Fort Gibson On February 10 and 17, 2007, OHS will terested individuals will be able to take commemorate Black History Month at the part in the “open mike” session. On Saturday, February 10, Fort Gibson Oklahoma History Center, according to In addition, artist Mary Ann Moore will be Historic Site will present its annual Com- Bruce Fisher, Curator of Diversity. The signing her poster, “The Aldridge Theater,” a munity Program in celebration of Black programs are open to the public. print of a pastel painting created for the History Month. On Saturday, February 10, at 10 a.m., a Oklahoma Historical Society. Other Second The event will take place in the site’s his- symposium will deal with “History of Afri- Street–related items will also be available. toric stone barracks. This year’s topic will can Americans in Radio Broadcasting in Both programs will occur in the Chesa- be “The Invisible Men of Honor: The Legend Oklahoma.” The featured lecturer will be peake Room. For more information, con- of the Buffalo Soldiers.” The Buffalo Sol- Lester LeSure, the state’s only historian of tact Bruce Fisher at 405/522-5049. diers were members of all-black units that the topic. Following his lecture and a ques- served in the U.S. Army from the 1860s tion-and-answer session, a panel discus- into the mid-twentieth century. In 1867 sion will be conducted by students of Fort Gibson became the first assignment of broadcaster Ben Tipton, joined by Clara the Buffalo Soldiers in Indian Territory. Luper. Tipton, known as “the Tall Man,” is Planned activities include presentation the state’s best-known black broadcaster. of three Buffalo Soldier stories and the He worked at KBYE, where he introduced showing of a 20-minute history film. The Rhythm and Blues to the Oklahoma City program will begin at 1 p.m. and will last audience. He also created an organization approximately one hour. called “Soul Motivators” to train young Refreshments will be served afterwards. black people, primarily of high-school age, Admission to the fort will be free during the to be broadcasters. The program will take event. place in the Chesapeake Events Center at Fort Gibson Historic Site is located on the History Center. State Highway 80 in Fort Gibson and is op- A week later, on Saturday, February 17, erated by the Oklahoma Historical Society. at 10 a.m. a round table discussion will be Regular admission is $3 for adults, $2.50 held on the topic “I Remember Second for seniors (65 and over), and $1 for stu- Street.” Residents and former residents of dents 6 to 18. Children 5 and under are ad- Oklahoma City’s formerly segregated Afri- mitted free. can American district are invited to join Pictured at the 2004 Buffalo Soldiers pro- For additional details, contact either James Johnson, president of the Douglass gram were the late Tom Harris Omar Reed or Chris Morgan by telephone High School Alumni Association, to per- (Muskogee), Dr. Wilbur Wilson, a World at 918/478-4088 or e-mail the historic site sonally describe their experiences of grow- War Two Tenth Cavalry veteran, and at . Sylvester Sallis, a Tulsa educator (Staff ing up or living there. photo). Six Oklahoma resources listed in National Register of Historic Places

The Oklahoma State Historic Preserva- of the bandstand, were popular attractions tion Office is pleased to announce that on in the 1920s. The bandstand also served December 6, 2006, the National Register of as a gathering point for other events, both Historic Places accepted six new submis- festive and political. The bandstand, dis- sions from our state. The National Register tinctive with its sweeping colonnade, of Historic Places is our nation’s official list serves also as a memorial to the fallen sol- of properties significant in our past. The diers of Carter County who served during newest listings from Oklahoma include the the Great War. The City of Ardmore has Waverly Historic District in Enid, the extensively rehabilitated Central Park and Muskogee Depot & Freight District, Nichols added new playground equipment and Park in Henryetta, the Merchants National restrooms, but the Bandstand has justly Bank Building in Lehigh, Ardmore’s Central remained the park’s focal point. The nomi- Nichols Park picnic shelter, Park Bandstand, and the Park Hill Mission nation was prepared by Cindy Savage, of (J. Gabbert/SHPO photo). Cemetery near Tahlequah. ARCH Consulting, for the City of Ardmore. The Waverly Historic District is a resi- attracted large crowds. Sally Schwenk As- Park Hill Mission Cemetery, also known dential district that represents Enid’s sociates prepared this nomination for the as Worcester Cemetery, is located just south early-twentieth-century growth and suc- City of Muskogee. of the Murrell House in Park Hill, near cess as an economic center. From folk Vic- Nichols Park in Henryetta is centered on Tahlequah. It is the final resting place for a torian styles through stately Colonial Re- Lake Nichols and is located about a mile number of persons significant in Cherokee vivals of the early 1920s, Waverly neighbor- south of the town center. It is significant as history, in particular Elias Boudinot and hood’s housing stock reflects the tastes of a designed landscape constructed by the Rev. Samuel Worcester. Both men were as- some of the area’s most influential citizens. Civilian Conservation Corps between 1938 sociated with the influential newspaper, The district includes the McCristy-Knox and 1941. The rustic structures that mark the Cherokee Phoenix. Boudinot gained Mansion and the T. E. Eason Mansion, two the beach and picnic areas reflect the Na- notoriety for signing the Treaty of New of Enid’s finest historic homes. More typi- tional Park Service Rustic style of architec- Echota, which called for the Cherokees’ re- cally, though, the district’s streets are lined ture, which emphasized a naturalistic de- moval from their eastern homelands to the with good examples of the more modest sign using local materials. An impressive Indian Territory. Assassinated soon after homes that reflect the styles of the 1910s bathhouse on the lake’s north shore is a fo- arriving in Indian Territory, his was the and 1920s. Craftsman-style bungalows and cal point of the park. Picnic and camping stately, Colonial Revival–style houses popu- areas on the lake’s west and south sides late the tree-lined streets. The City of Enid are connected by hiking trails and a perim- recognizes the neighborhood as a local his- eter road. These picnic areas feature stone toric preservation district. Cathy Ambler pavilions that highlight the high quality of prepared the nomination for the City of masonry work done by the CCC workers. Enid. This was one of the last such parks to be constructed in Oklahoma, and the city is working to rehabilitate the old park. Cindy Savage, of ARCH Consulting, prepared this nomination for the City of Henryetta. In Lehigh the Merchants Park Hill Cemetery, Worcester plot (Lois Al- National Bank Building bert photo). was constructed in 1907 at cemetery’s first interment. Worcester not the busiest corner of a only operated the territory’s first printing once-thriving Coal County press, but he also served as a teacher and town. An ornate, two-story as a religious missionary. The cemetery is brick-and-stone building, owned and maintained by the Oklahoma the bank reflected the re- Historical Society. This nomination was gional importance of coal prepared by Lois Albert of the Oklahoma Muskogee Depot (S. Schwenk Associates photo). mining and cotton farm- Archeological Survey, using a matching ing. As these two industries grant from the SHPO. failed, so too did the bank, The State Historic Preservation Office The Muskogee Depot & Freight District is and the town slowly declined. Now owned by continues to strive to gain recognition for located on the south edge of downtown the Lehigh Historical Society, the Merchants places significant in Oklahoma’s history. Muskogee. Centered on the Midland Valley Bank Building stands as the sole reminder of These six properties add to the compen- Railroad Depot and the Rock Island Freight a once-thriving commercial center. The rest dium of the state’s documented history. A Depot, this area reflects Muskogee’s impor- of the downtown area has disappeared, torn goal of the SHPO is to have five properties tance as a rail center in eastern Oklahoma. down as the population moved out. The LHS from each county represented in the Na- Numerous business and manufacturing maintains a museum in the building and is tional Register by Centennial Day, Novem- concerns located in the area, attracted by ef- raising funds to restore some of the historic ber 16, 2007. The listing of the Merchants ficient rail service. The area still serves as a interior finishes. The building remains a National Bank in Lehigh brings the number warehouse district but is slowly evolving source of pride in a community that once of Coal County’s listings to three. Other into a city cultural center. The Three Rivers was the county seat of Coal County. counties with fewer than five listed re- Museum occupies the former Midland Val- The Central Park Bandstand in Ardmore sources are: Cotton, Dewey, Greer, Harmon, ley Depot, the district’s most prominent is a Classical Revival–style structure con- Love, Major, Marshall, Nowata, and Wood- building. The Prairie School–style depot, at- structed of white limestone. It was built to ward. For more information on National tributed to St. Louis architect Louis Curtis, house the town’s Orthophonic Victrola, a Register properties, contact Jim Gabbert anchors a burgeoning cultural district. In large, concert-grade record player. Outdoor by telephone at 405/522-4478 or e-mail recent years street improvements have en- concerts, with popular and classical music . hanced the area, while music events have emanating from the machine at the center OHS Places . . . Mark your calendar!! History Sequoyah’s Cabin Center volunteer training is Route 1, Box 141 February 10 Sallisaw, OK 74955-9735 Phone: 918/775-2413 The growing army of Oklahoma History E-mail: Center volunteers will muster for the year’s Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. first training session, to be conducted from Saturday-Sunday, 2–5 p.m. Closed: Mondays and state holidays. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, February 10, Admission: Free. 2007. Previously interviewed individuals Directions: Three miles north and seven miles east are scheduled to attend the session. of Sallisaw on State Highway 101. In the past year, these dedicated individuals have researched and catalogued arti- Travelers to eastern Oklahoma should visit facts for the Oklahoma Museum of History Sequoyah’s Cabin, near Sallisaw and the Oklahoma-Arkansas and have served patrons in the Research state line. The cabin serves as a state museum and an interpre- Center. tive center. Furnishings in the cabin replicate how it might have The session on February 10 will feature been furnished by Sequoyah. Situated near the museum is a presentations by Museum Director Dan bronze sculpture of Sequoyah accomplished by sculptor Fred Provo, Education Director Mike Adkins, Olds. and others. Contact volunteer coordinator Sequoyah (ca. 1778–1843), also known as George Guess or Robbin Davis at or Gist, created the Cherokee syllabary, which was adopted by the call her at 405/522-0754. Cherokee Nation in 1821. Sequoyah was born in Tuskegee, in present Tennessee, and lived in Alabama and Arkansas before OHS MUSEUMS AND SITES coming to Indian Territory in 1829. That year, he built a one-room Black Kettle Museum Museum of the Western log cabin near present Sallisaw. There he farmed and worked as a junction of US 283 & SH 47 Prairie, 1100 N Memorial Dr. Cheyenne, 580/497-3929 Altus, 580/482-1044 blacksmith. Cherokee Strip Museum/ National Hall of Fame for Sequoyah’s Cabin became the property of the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1936. Be- Rose Hill School, 2617 W Famous American Indians tween 1936 and 1937 a Works Progress Administration (WPA) work project enclosed the Fir, Perry, 580/336-2405 US 62 east, Anadarko 405/247-5555 cabin in a stone building. The secretary of the interior designated the site as a National His- Chisholm Trail Museum/ toric Landmark in 1966. In 2006 Sequoyah’s Cabin became the nation’s sixth landmark to Seay Mansion, 605 Zellers No Man’s Land Museum be listed in the National Literary Landmark Register. Ave., Kingfisher PSU Campus, Goodwell 405/375-5176 580/349-2670 Chisholm Trail Historical Oklahoma Museum of His- Museum, E of US 81/US 70 tory, 2401N Laird Ave., OKC junction, Waurika 405/522-5248 Donors to the Research Division’s library and archive 580/228-2166 Oklahoma Route 66 Mu- Confederate Memorial Mu- seum, 2229 W Gary Blvd. seum, US 69, ½ mi. N of Clinton, 580/323-7866 Atoka, 580/889-7192 The following individuals donated mate- Ellen Collins Johnson, Tahlequah Oklahoma Territorial Mu- rials to the Research Division in the last M. L. Deering, Edmond Fort Gibson Historic Site seum/Carnegie Library three months of 2006: 907 N. Garrison, SH 80 in 402 E Oklahoma, Guthrie Don Paulson, Ouray, CO Fort Gibson, 918/478-4088 405/282-1889 J. L. Barrington, Naperville, IL Fort Supply Historic Site Henry Overholser House Patrick Alexander, Bethany Campus of W.S. Key 405 NW 15th St., OKC Barbara Cody, Tuttle Robert Gaylord, Edmond Corr. Center, Fort Supply 405/528-8485 580/766-3767 Alvin Turner, Norman Mrs. A. C. Wilbur, Port Clinton, OH Pawnee Bill Ranch Paul T. Bryant, Arden, NC Fort Towson Historic Site ½ mi. W on US 64, Pawnee Glendeen Unsell, Ada NE of Fort Towson off US 70 918/762-2513 Betty Jane Harris, Vegas, NV 580/873-2634 Joe Todd, Oklahoma City Peter Conser House Mary Duffe, Edmond Fort Washita Historic Site 4 mi. S of Heavener on US Howard Piepenbrink, Alexandria, VA SH 199, 13 mi. E of Madill 59, 3½ mi. W of Hodgen Judy Dutterer, Winnetka, IL Donald M. Mueller, Yukon 580/924-6502 918/653-2493 Kenneth Corder, Edmond Elizabeth Hay, Houston, TX Frank Phillips House Pioneer Woman Museum Genevieve Slade, OGS, Oklahoma City 1107 Cherokee Ave. 701 Monument Rd., Ponca Billy Erkin, McAlester Bartlesville, 918/336-2491 City, 580/765-6108 Larry Rankin, Edmond Michael Dean, Oklahoma City Fred Drummond House Robert S. Kerr Museum Myrtle Beavers, Destin, FL 305 N Price, Hominy 6 mi. SW of Poteau, US 270 Sharon Burns, OGS, Oklahoma City 918/885-2374 at Kerr Conference Center Mary Jane Warde, Stillwater 918/647-9579 Joan Overturf, Corvallis, OR Frederick Pioneer Village, Mary Dickerson, Whitefish, MT Richard J. Gewin, Oklahoma City 201 N 9th St., Frederick, Sequoyah’s Cabin Gayle Carson, Oklahoma City 580/335-5844 SH 101, 11 mi. NE of Betty C. Park, Oklahoma City Sallisaw, 918/775-2413 Dan Provo, Edmond George M. Murrell House Gregory A. George, Guthrie 19479 East Murrell Home Rd Sod House Museum Doris Yocham, Sapulpa Daryle G. Murray, Oklahoma City 3 mi. S of SH 82, Park Hill SH 8, 5½ mi. N of Cleo Robert Main, Oklahoma City 918/456-2751 Springs, 580/463-2441 Anne C. Jones, Kansas City, MO Healdton Oil Museum Spiro Mounds Archaeo- Judy Burns, Oklahoma City Will Paine, Stillwater 315 E Main, Healdton logical Center,3mi.E Vernon Kyker, Moore 580/229-0900 and 4 mi. N of Spiro Laquetha Young, Oklahoma City 918/962-2062 Elaine Dake, Norman Honey Springs Battlefield Anne Browne Dunker, Rogersville, MD 1863 Honey Springs Battle- State Capital Publishing Margaret Gagliardi, Annandale, VA Al M. Snipes, Oklahoma City field Rd., E of US 69, near Museum, 301 W Harrison Robert Thomas, Edmond Rentiesville, 918/473-5572 Guthrie, 405/282-4123 Donna M. Stephens, Edmond Jim Thorpe House T. B. Ferguson House Vereal Barton, Gordonville, TX Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, Germany 706 E Boston, Yale 519 N Weigle, Watonga 918/387-2815 580/623-5069 John Sipes, Jr., Norman Phyllis A. Young, Lawton Fred Dittmar, Norman Museum of the Cherokee Tom Mix Museum Bill Marion, Edmond Strip, 507 S 4th, Enid 721 N Delaware, Dewey Bob Blackburn, Oklahoma City 580/237-1907 918/534-1555 Museum of Higher Educa- White Hair Memorial Bob Green, Oklahoma City tion, Old Central, OSU Cam- ½ mi. S of SH 20 on Black- pus Stillwater, 405/744-2828 burn Rd., Ralston 918/538-2417 Drummond House doll exhibit continues through February The Friends of the Drummond Home will host an antique doll and antique Val- entine exhibit beginning February 1 and continuing through the month. The exhibit is on display inside the Drummond House, 305 N. Price Avenue in Hominy. Dolls on exhibit come from the collections of Wanda Shepard (Skiatook), the TallGrass Doll Club (Bartlesville), Michelle Webb (Hominy), and Beverly Whitcomb (Wynona). Barbara Herd of Wynona also loaned a portion of her large collection of Victorian Style Show and Ladies’ Tea antique Valentines. set for March 3 at History Center The Drummond House’s hours of operation remain Wednesday through Saturday Crinoline and lace, bonnets and bows—step back in time and enjoy a Victorian style from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from show and tea hosted by the Oklahoma Historical Society on Saturday, March 3, 2007, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more information 2 to 5 p.m. in the Chesapeake Events Center, in the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. call 918/885-2374. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City. All proceeds will benefit the Oklahoma State History Day Program, an annual event hosted by OHS for Oklahoma’s fifth year through high school students’ participation. Kelsey Arnold, OHS Administrative Programs Officer, told Mistletoe Leaves that approxi- Murrell House postcards are mately 27 ladies will be modeling. Each will wear five dresses to illustrate fashions from the now available decades from 1820 to 1920. As the models promenade across the stage and stroll around the room, OHS Director of Historic Homes Martha Ray will emcee the event, giving descrip- The Friends of the Murrell Home have tions of each gown and accessories, such as hats, handbags, parasols, and shoes. Models recently produced note cards featuring a will be wearing dresses and gowns that would have been worn for day wear, for visiting, for scenic view of the historic house and its evening, and for balls during each of the decades. Women’s period undergarments will also grounds. The price of a single card is $1, be modeled and described. Arnold stated that most models have sewn their own dresses, and sets of 5 are offered for $5 and 10 for while others have had their apparel made by seamstresses who sew for reenactors. $10. All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Tickets for the Victorian style show are $15 per person, and the deadline for sending pay- Murrell Home, the organization that sup- ment is February 9. Mail your check or money order made out to OHS to: Kelsey Arnold, ports part of the operation and mainte- Oklahoma Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. For regis- nance of the historic Murrell House at Park tration purposes, please include your name, complete address, and phone number. For Hill, near Tahlequah. more information contact Kelsey Arnold at 405/522-0692 or send an e-mail to her at More information is available, and or- . ders may be placed by calling the staff at 918/456-2751 or sending an e-mail message to . Above, presented in the order in which a lady dons them: The Murrell House is located at 19479 E. Murrell Home Road in Park Hill. pantaloons, underpetticoat, chemise, corset, corset cover.

Forts Washita and Towson plan February activities

The Fort Washita Frontier Brigade Muster will take place on Saturday, February 10, at the Fort Washita Historic Site. The public is invited to view Civil War–era soldiers as they practice drilling in time, inspecting muskets, skirmishing, and other military activities. The event begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m. There is no admission charge. For more information call 580/924-6502. The site is located on State Highway 199 between Madill and Durant.

The Fort Towson Timeline event will take place on Friday, February 23. While this is not a “public” event, per se, the public may attend. During the day, 600 school children will trek to the fort to watch reenactors present vi- gnettes of military scenes from 1824 through the 1890s. Thirteen OHS staffers and volunteers will offer first-person portrayals of such individuals as Civil War refugees, a candlemaker, and a surgeon. An- other will discuss the problems of controlling nineteenth-century youth gangs. Fort Towson Historic Site is located northeast of the town of Fort Towson on U.S. 70. Call 580/873-2634 for additional information, or e-mail the staff at their station, . Centennial Bookshelf

Vol. 38, No. 2 February 2007

Oklahoma’s Governors is a four-book series, Wilma Mankiller to present beginning with the Territorial Era, 1889–1906. The series also includes Oklahoma’s Gover- Oklahoma Lecture in the Humanities nors, 1929–1955: Depression to Prosperity. All at Oklahoma History Center on February 22 are edited by Dr. LeRoy Fischer of Oklahoma State University and are published by the Former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller will be the distin- Oklahoma Historical Society. guished speaker at the 22nd Annual Oklahoma Lecture in the Humanities, which is also recognized as the official Centennial Lecture in the Humanities by the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission. The lecture will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 22, in the Devon Great Hall of the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. The lecture will be free and open to the public. $13.95 in paper. OHS publications are always available in the Oklahoma His- Wilma Mankiller made history in 1985 as the first woman to be elected Principal tory Center Gift Shop. Chief of the Cherokee Nation. During her tenure she focused on improving health care Telephone the OHC Gift Shop and developing self-managed social programs. Mankiller has been inducted into the at 405/522-5214 or e-mail it at National Women’s Hall of Fame, the International Women’s Hall of Fame, and the to get Oklahoma Hall of Fame. President Bill Clinton presented her with the Presidential additional information on these Medal of Freedom in 1998. She is also the author of Every Day is a Good Day: Reflec- and other titles relating to the tions of Contemporary Indigenous Women. First Families of Oklahoma ex- Call the Oklahoma Humanities Council at 405/235-0240 for further information. hibit and the 2007 Centennial Celebration. Purchases may also be made Prairie Landsmen: The Jews of Oklahoma on display at online at . History Center through February and March Membership discounts al- Photographs by David Halpern of Tulsa are featured in Prairie Landsmen: The Jews ways apply. of Oklahoma, an exhibit on loan to the Oklahoma Museum of History by the Sherwin Miller Museum of Tulsa. The exhibit comprises 38 photographs of Jewish people and places in Oklahoma that tell a story of the state’s Jewish community. Diverse in ori- $8.95 in paper. gins and occupations, the Jews of Oklahoma still share a common bond. Each is a Landsman (pronounced Lonts-mon), which means “one who comes from the same home town.” Oklahoma towns represented in the exhibit include Ardmore, Velma, Muskogee, Oklahoma Historical Society Fort Gibson, Chandler, Ponca City, Tonkawa, Claremore, Caddo, Enid, Nelagoney, 2401 N. Laird Avenue Pawhuska, Chickasha, Hobart, Seminole, Collinsville, Hartshorne, Lawton, Erick, Oklahoma City, OK 73105-7914 PERIODICALS Bartlesville, Tahlequah, and Purcell. According to Halpern, “In these photographs I have chosen to examine some of the ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED families and individuals in the smaller cities and towns. They may be the last bastions of a shrinking non-urban population.” The exhibit was developed in 1996 under a program sponsored by the Oklahoma Museums Association and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mark Your Calendar! The Oklahoma Historical Society Annual Meeting is April 12-14, 2007. Further details will appear in the March and April issues of Mistletoe Leaves.