Vol. 38, No. 7 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 July 2007 Fort Gibson Historic Site to salute Old Glory on Independence Day 2007 Join a red, white, and blue sa lute to our can non sa lute. Troops will dem on strate Ad mis sion is $3 for adults, $2.50 for se - nation’s birthday! Fort Gib son His toric Site games and pas times of the pe riod, and vis i - niors (65 and over), and $1 for stu dents will pres ent “An 1840s Inde pend ence Day” tors are wel come to par tic i pate. (ages 6–18); chil dren 5 and un der are ad - on Wednes day, July 4, 2007. This liv ing Liv ing his tory ac tiv i ties will take place in mitted free. Fort Gib son His toric Site is lo- his tory event will show vis i tors how the the log fort area of the site from 10 a.m. to 5 cated on State High way 80 in Fort Gibson, Fourth of July was ob served at an 1840s p.m., when the site closes. Living history Oklahoma. For more infor ma tion, contact army post. will re sume at the Fort Gib son school com - Chris Mor gan or Da vid Fowler at Members of the Sixth Infan try Living plex later that eve ning, and the troops will 918/478-4088. The Fort's e-mail ad dress His tory As so ci a tion will do in fan try and ar - pres ent the col ors at the Fort Gib son town is <[email protected]>. til lery drill, in clud ing fir ing dem on stra - fire works dis play. tions. At noon there will be a read ing of the Dec la ra tion of In de pend ence, fol lowed by a Endowment Fund established by OHS Board of Directors This June the mem bers of the Board of Di rec tors of the Oklahoma His tor i cal So ci - ety an nounced that they have es tab lished a Board of Di rec tors En dow ment Fund. “This lead er ship by board mem bers in the His - tor i cal So ci ety’s fund-rais ing ef forts to build an en dowment is greatly appre ci ated by the staff and mem ber ship,” said Dr. Tim Zwink, OHS De vel op ment Di rec tor. To date, 100 per cent of the OHS board mem bers have made do na tions or pledges to tal ing $7,500. This is a great ac complish - ment, and the board are to be commended for their gen er os ity, Zwink added. These lead er ship do na tions and pledges greatly as sist the OHS as it works to ward a primary fund-raising goal—building an en- Correy Twilly, fifer, and Travis Franklin, drummer, repre sent the Sixth Infan try dowment. This en dowment is tre men - Living History As so cia tion at the Fort Gibson event (Larry Toll photo). dously im por tant be cause it will ben e fit many fu ture gen er a tions of Okla ho mans Gov. George Nigh holds Q&A session for OHS staff by pro vid ing a source for re sources for OHS col lec tions ac qui si tions, ex hibit de vel op- On the af ter noon of June 7 for mer Oklahoma Gov er nor George Nigh held a ques - ment, and ed u ca tion pro gram ming. tion-and-an swer ses sion at the Oklahoma His tory Cen ter for His tor i cal So ci ety staff and In ad di tion, the con tri bu tions by the guests from other state agen cies. The for mer state leader was in the His tory Cen ter to at - board mem bers pro vide im por tant sup port tend a party later that day in honor of his 80th birthday. Known for his easy wit and gregar - for OHS grant-seeking efforts. Grant mak- i ous na ture, afer in tro duc tory re marks by OHS Ex ec u tive Di rec tor Bob Blackburn and a ers of ten want to see a sub stan tial level of few open ing re marks of his own, sup port from the ap pli cant’s board mem - Nigh was quickly beseiged by ques- bers be fore they will make a com mit ment of tions from staff and guests. Nigh grant funds. Through the Board of Di rec - served as gov er nor four times. tors En dow ment Fund pro gram, the board The birth day party that eve ning has pro vided es sen tial le ver age for OHS’s was at tended by more than 350 of grant ap pli ca tions. of his friends and former col- “Once again, I thank our board mem bers leagues, both in the gov er nor’s of - for their won der ful lead er ship and as sis - fice and at the Uni ver sity of Cen tral tance in our fund-rais ing ef forts in gen eral Oklahoma. and in our en dowment cam paign in par tic - Guests also en joyed re vis it ing the ular. Their help is in valu able,” said Zwink. gov er nors ex hibit, on dis play in the OHS mem bers who would like in for ma - Gaylord Spe cial Ex hib its Gal lery. In- tion on how to do nate to the ongoing en - spired to Lead: First Fam i lies of dow ment cam paign or to other fund-rais - Oklahoma, 1907–2007 re mains in ing pro grams may con tact the De vel op- place at the His tory Cen ter through the end of the year. ment Of fice at 405/522-5217 or e-mail James Howard, Gov. Nigh, and Os car Jackson Zwink at <[email protected]>. (J. Briley photo). * renewed mem bership in higher cate gory NEW MEMBERS ASSOCIATE *Dan and Donita Mitch ell, Enid Larry Bartmess, Fort Walton Beach, FL *Sharon King Da vis, Tulsa Mr. and Mrs. Don Moody, Duncan Mrs. Celeste Bendel, Tulsa *Deena and Tom Fisher, Woodward Richard D. Nix, Bethany Leora Bishop, Oklahoma City *Wally Trepp, Tulsa Ray mond Pappe, Oklahoma City El len Blackburn, Oklahoma City C. Craig Wil liams, Lawton Mr. and Mrs. Mike Parr, Oklahoma City Melanie Blackburn, Oklahoma City FRIEND Brenda F. Perryman and Erica S. Burns, Mrs. Mar ga ret Bladen, Sallisaw Director’s *Lou & Deanna Bradley, Oklahoma City Achille Janice Brower, Heavener *Ste ven Brooks, Oklahoma City *Linda and Theophilus Pete, Oklahoma City Pat Cathey, Oklahoma City Column *Randolph Brown & Su san Ross, Jim Puckett, Norman George Cawthon, Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Paul and Suella Rea gan, Tulsa Rhonda Coleman, Tishomingo Ste ven M. and Ranell Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Phil Redwine, Norman Mr. Gene Conner, Roanoke, VA Oklahoma City Cecelia Reynolds, Norman Mr. and Mrs. Wil liam G. Creel, Pat rick and Karen Cox, Edmond Wil lard E. and Mar tha E. Rhynes, Ada Bartlesville Sen a tor Charles R. Ford, Tulsa Gordon and Mary Jane Richards, Shawnee L. W. Crews, Tucker, GA *Rich ard Harper, M. D., Edmond R.J. and Jenne Rich ard son, Da vis Annette Da vis, Bethany Gary and Nancy Hoeffken, Oklahoma City Mr. and Mrs. Chris Rick, Shawnee Dow Dozier, Oklahoma City By Bob L. Blackburn H. R. Holman, Oklahoma City Rex and Joy Riggleman, Mid west City Dan Duggan, Las Cruces, NM Executive Director Mary Huff, Sand Springs Dean Rinehart, El Reno Ms. Barbara Easter, Cincinnati, OH *Neal Leader, Norman Dr. Jack and Sharon Rob in son, Durant Marcia Elliott, Fort Gib son *Dr. Charlene Lingo, Mi ami Mr. and Mrs. Mark Rowland, Tulsa Dr. Joe Price Fallin, Oklahoma City My column this month is shorter than *Gary Lower, Oklahoma City *Mr. Ric and Dr. Francie Rus sell, Meeker Jean Fincher, Bartlesville *Lur line Mabrey, Okmulgee usual. And I love it. A. D. and Beth Sadler, Oklahoma City Mr. Tim R. Frame, Checotah Lynda Mobley, Oklahoma City Wil liam C. and Catherine H. Scheihing, Brian Frehner, Stillwater The rea son for the brev ity is the long list Lydia “Lee” Reeder, Edmond Edmond Lana Gray, Oklahoma City of new OHS mem bers who have joined our Lana Reynolds, Semi nole Lorie Schwab, Mid west City James Haney, McLoud fam ily of peo ple who care about Oklahoma Wil liam D. and Patsy Roach, Kingston Jim and Gayla Shadid, Oklahoma City Quintus H. Herron, Idabel *John and Debbie Yoeckel, Edmond Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Shannon, Boise City Candis Hol lo way, Oklahoma City history. If you are getting this news letter FAMILY Max and Diane Simpson, Edmond Pamela S. Hoskins, Edmond for the first time, wel come to the family. Jane W Allen & Don Wylie, Mid west City Carole Ann & Mike Smith, Oklahoma City Janice Hughes, Ama rillo, TX For years, I have wanted a grow ing and *Steve and Patty Armbruster, Stillwater Clyde and Darlene Smith, Edmond Rob ert Hughes, Orlando, FL Da vid and Arlene Baker, Lawton Kip and Betty Smith, Edmond Mrs. Wilma Isom, Wilburton ac tive mem ber ship. It is good for each *Van and Pat Bar ber, Oklahoma City Har old and Gayla Splin ter, Erick Jill Kelsey, Edmond member, it is good for the orga ni za tion, H. El more & Charlene Bathurst, Blackwell Wal ter Lee Stout, Ponca City Ms.