JW AEROBATIC AeES WORLD'S BIGGEST POW WOW MAY-JUNE '87 OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA L MAY-JUNE '87 Governor VO~.37, v No. 3 COVERS world, Fort Sill has preserved its completely original and ever- history while squarely facing the modem changing? Were you there when Charlie OKLAHGMA "' world. Christian, Jimmy Rushing and now- TO! GRIT, GUTS forgotten others hung Oklahoma's star B THE RIGHT STUFF 16 on the musical map, when jazz swung on "Deep Second" Street in These guys ride broncs, rope calves Oklahoma City and Tulsa's and work cattle for a paycheck. And Greenwood Street? Ruby's Grill, the once a year during the Oklahoma Ritz Ballroom and the Blue Devils Cattlemen's Association Range are gone now, but the history stayed Roundup, teams of honest-to- with us and jazz still swings. goodness cowboys from 12 Oklahoma ranches compete in wild cow milking, cattle doctoring and other FESTIVAL OF TnE SUN 36 genuine cowboy chores. During one three-day weekend in PORTFOLIO 23 Bartlesville, more than 100,000 people Saxophonist McCraven pause to celebrate spring and Morris of the Bottom Line Here's a glimpse of what you'll see at summer, the seasons of the sun. Transaction. Bianca's lazz the biggest pow wow the world has seen. Club, ~klahomacity.- Photo by Steve Sisney. Inside A ROCK & ROLL hnt. Grand Lake in early HIQHWAY TO A PLACE June. Photo by Jim Argo. CALLED HEAVEN 40 Back. Cooling off in Woods You might call them crazy-a lot of County. Photo by people do. But for the Okie Twisters, a Jim Argo. small band of accomplished aerobatic pilots, there's no better place in the world than spinning and rolling 3,000 feet above it. FEATURES I DEPARTMENTS Today in Oklahoma .................................4 DID you DANCE? 28 ~ooka~etters........................................... 5 DESTINATION: id you chmse a pamr and take a Uncommon Common Folk......................6 FORT SILL 8 turn on the dance floor to celebrate the Oklahoma Omnibus: From an isolated frontier outpost to birth of jazz, an American-made Jim Thorpe .............................................14 'the largest field artillery school in the sound that can only be defined as Entertainment Calendar.........................45 *.--. -" " -- --- PUBLISHED BY THE OKLAHOMA TOURISM AND RECREATIONDEPARTMENT OkMoma TODAY (ISSN 0030-1892) is published bi- monthly in January, March, May, July. September and Sue Cancr, Editw-in-Chief Carolyn Hollingsworth, Marketing November. Subscription prices: $lUyr. in U.S.; $16/yr. Susan Bunney Tomlinson, Managing Editor Sheila Brock, Accounting outside U.S. Copyright 1987 by OkMono TODAYmaga- Pat Shaner Laquer, Art Director Melanie Mayberry, Subscription Services zine, 401 Will Rogcn Bldg., P.O. Box 53384, Oklahoma Teresa Freeman, Events Calendar City, OK 73152. (405) 521-24%. Printed at PennWell Printing, Tulsa. Glenn Sullivan, Exemme Dzrector Tourism and Recreation Cornmiasion Sccond-class postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK and I Tom Creider, Parks additional entry ofices. Postmasuc Send address Eugene Dilbeck, MurReting Serer~m Rilla Wdcox, c2m- Bob Hinton changes to OkMomu TODAY Circulation, P.O. Box Michael L. Moccia, Adminitranon Cados Langsroa, Vkauirtnaa Gncc Renbargcr 53384, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. Tom Rich, Lodges Lany Lindlcy, Scm&ty R. L. Rollins Chino Ferrer, Plannmng b Dmlopmenr James Durham vnarmobnd I- %-,, I - - MAY-JUNE '87 3 hosted by Oklahoma's 67 tribes. Not only paintings but the finest in bas- kets, pottery, rugs and jewelry will be displayed. Judges for the art-all Native Amer- icans-include Allan Houser, a world- renowned sculptor originally from Apache who now lives in Santa Fe; Dick West, a sculptor and painter who formerly headed the Bacone College art program and now of Tijeras, New ast fall, a random sample of 1,500 *75% want more stories on outdoor Mexico; and U.S. Rep. Ben Night- Lsubscribers was selected to partici- recreation, places to visit and rural life. horse Campbell of Colorado, who de- pate in a reader survey. We wanted to Your favorite features are the Pho- signs jewelry. find out what story topics you like tography Portfolio and Uncommon The marketing and exhibiting of best, the regular features you enjoy Common Folk. American Indian art has grown dramat- most, what you like to do outdoors, A few asked where our printer is ically in recent years. and get better acquainted with our located. To clear this up-Oklahoma This movement began about 60 readers. TODAY has always been printed in years ago with the Kiowa Five-James The response was great. An extra Oklahoma, currently at PennWell Auchiah, Spencer Asah, Jack Hokeah, bonus was the fascinating and enthusi- Printing Co., Tulsa. Monroe Tsatoke and Stephen Mo- astic comments many added to the Several expressed concern about pope. Professor Oscar B. Jacobsen in- questionnaire. One wrote, "My hus- changing Oklahoma TODAY. One vited these young Kiowa artists from band is a school teacher and teaches wrote, "This is a fine magazine. Do Anadarko to work in the School of Art Oklahoma history. He uses this maga- not try to fix it." at the University of Oklahoma in 1927. zine as a teaching tool and the kids And after this lengthy study, that's Later that year he organized an exhibit love it!" Another commented, "I just just what we plan to do-not fix it. of their paintings which was widely started taking the magazine, but I plan You'll continue to see beautiful scenic acclaimed throughout the United to keep each issue, and I would like to photography and stories on history, States. use them as a guide for visiting places travel, nature, outdoor recreation and Feathers will be flying as dancers in Oklahoma." the arts. Thanks for helping us stay on also compete at Red Earth '87. Not What else did we learn about our track. only feathers but beautiful beadwork, subscribers? + Some of the country's finest Na- buckskin, patchwork and other exotic *22.1% share their copies with four tive American artists grew up in Okla- clothing will be worn. And there will or more persons. Several display Okla- homa, and this summer many will be be stickball and lacrosse games to homa TODAY in reception areas. returning home to show and sell at watch, frybread and grape dumplings *51.5% attended an event or visited Red Earth '87, a national pow wow to eat. Our Portfolio, beginning on a place after reading about it in OkIaho- page 23, shows some of the sights to ma TODAY see. *72% went to college and 36.4% + Actually, this issue suggests all have more than four years of college. Next Issue: Bob Tway. Lindy Miller. kinds of activities for you. You can Most enjoy the outdoors. David and Danny Edwards. Doug explore one of the Army's largest mu- Tewell. Scott Verplank. The roster of seums at Fort Sill; celebrate the 100th *62.4% garden; 49.9% picnic, and stars from Oklahoma State University's birthday of Jim Thorpe, the world's 40% birdwatch, hike or fish. golf program reads like an Associated Many of you visited historical sites, Press Top 10 poll. Meet the players and greatest athlete, and watch real work- museums, art festivals and concerts coaches who've made OSU the most ing cowboys compete at the Range last year. formidable force in college golf. Then Roundup. And at night you can dance What would you like to read about put a rod and reel in your hands and to the wild and crazy cadence of jazz in future issues of OkIahoma TODAY? head for Lake Texoma, one of the best music. *88.2% prefer stories on history. places around for matching wits with And if this isn't enough, turn to our 932.9% like nature and wildlife the elusive striped bass. All this and statewide Entertainment Calendar for stories. more in the July-August issue of OkMo- other ideas. How could you possibly '81.9% want suggestions for week- ma TDDAY. stay home? end trips. -Sue Carter Oklahoma TODAY ness magazine, coming across a beauti- for relaxed reflection while driving the ful full-color ad promoting "Lifestyle speed limit the entire way through Tulsa," featuring a billowing spinna- thick stands of forest. kered sailboat gliding across rich blue Chicago, I'll always love you, but water under a full sun. Tearing out the your lights and attractions don't bind Landmarks of the West, by Kent sheet, he flew it across the room with me as raptly as they once did. Driving Ruth; Univenig of Nehaska Pms, 901 the famous last words, "I'll go any- to Tulsa for a Richard Harris perfor- North I 7th St., Lincoln, Ncbraska where there's water." mance of Camelot, we realized the dif- 685884520;$1 7.50 pb. Either in a car Five days later, Chamber of Com- ference when we self-parked for $2 with a road map in hand or at home merce material in hand, trip prepara- directly across the street from a glitter- with a little imagination, readers can tions were made for a scouting trip to ing performing arts center. take a 21-state tour of some of the Oklahoma. The results of that trip pro- We've broken from the cookie cut- most important historic landmarks duced ownership of another home and ter mold of suburbia. The sophistica- west of the Mississippi River. the realization upon our return to Chi- tion of city living has created an In Oklahoma, the author covers cago that neither of us had jobs. Weeks appreciation of our new, quiet beauty. such sites as five forts built to either of suspense followed, but gradually all We've urged our former friends to pull protect or control Indian inhabitants the pieces of the puzzle slipped into back from the frenzy of getting ahead and Park Hill, a Cherokee settlement place.