Oklahoma; a guide to the Sooner state

556 Pages·2008·28.1 MB·English

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OKLAHOMA
A Guide to The Sooner State
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OKLAHOMA
A GUIDE TO THE SOONER STATE
Compiled by Workers of the Writers Program
of the Work^ Projects Administration
in the State of Oklahoma
AMERICAN GUIDE SERIES
ILLUSTRATED
Sponsored by the University of Oklahoma
NORMAN
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS
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THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
STATE-WIDE SPONSOR OF THE OKLAHOMA WRITERS PROGRAM
FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
Howard O. Hunter, Commissioner
Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner
Ron Stephens, State Administrator
COPYRIGHT, 1941, BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHO.MA PRESS
ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO
REPRODUCE THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF IN ANY FORM
Foreword
OKLAHOMA is a land of timbered mountains, treeless plains,
] mesquite and sage brush, cypress and pine, massive build-
ings and small homes, of pioneer newness and old tradition.
Within its boundaries is found nearly everything that w^e think of
as genuinely American.
Here are clear fishing streams, beautiful lakes, and rugged
mountain scenery. Level plains, where fields of grain bear witness
to the rich soil ; remote ranch houses and great herds of cattle graz-
ing on the prairies; oil-field derricks symbolizing the state's rich
resources in petroleum; cities with skyscrapers, interesting towns
—all these reveal the widespread enterprise, contentment, and hos-
pitality of the men and women whose achievements constitute the
substance of this Guide.
There are people now living in Oklahoma whose memories
encompass the whole history of the state. Some of the pioneers who
drove the first stakes in the prairies to plat the sites of our cities,
farms, and ranches have watched the remarkable progress of Okla-
homa since they first arrived. Many men who sat in the constitu-
tional convention and created the state's educational and welfare
institutions are still living, as are members of the Five Civilized
Tribes who helped to govern small Indian republics as distinct and
individual as city states of ancient Greece. In many communities
are children of prairie Indians who hunted the buffalo and moved
their tepee villages across the plains. United States marshals, cow-
boys, missionaries, and pioneer educators have been a part of Okla-
homa life through the years. Fortunately, some of them survive to
VI FOREWORD
recount the story of territorial days as well as the moving events
that have occurred since statehood.
In one sense, Oklahoma is new, but in another real sense it is
old. The first church was organized in 1830, the first public school
law was enacted in 1832, the first printing press was set up in
1835, and the first newspaper began publication in 1844. All these
agencies of civilization and culture were established by and for
the Indian population; and the state's present economic, social,
political, and religious structures were based on these early foun-
dations.
This volume is a serious attempt to present a rounded story of
Oklahoma; in its pages both Oklahomans and visitors in the state
will find much that is useful and interesting.
W. B. BiZZELL
May 15, 1941