Vol. 38, No. 2 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 February 2007 To mark the Centennial of Oklahoma Statehood, the Oklahoma Museum of His- tory will mount a major exhibition featur- ing the lives of Oklahoma’s governors and their families. The new exhibit opens in mid-February and continues through the Centennial Year. Since 1907, 24 families have served the state as “First Family.” OMH Exhibits Curators Elizabeth Baxter and Jill Holt and Research Center Projects Specialist Larry O’Dell, in collabo- ration with OHS Executive Director Bob Blackburn, have assembled an intriguing display of artifacts and text that features “the man in office,” rather than his politics. “Our hope is to put a human face on the leaders who have been willing to serve the people,” noted Blackburn. According to Baxter, “We are telling each governor’s story from childhood up through the decision to run for office, the campaign, and the inauguration.” The First Families of Oklahoma exhibit will be displayed in the Oklahoma History Center’s first-floor Gaylord Special Ex- hibits Gallery. Inside the exhibit, graphic panels will offer short biographies, accom- panied by “video scrapbooks.” Each video scrapbook will, at the push of a button, display pictures of the governor from child- hood through his inauguration. This ele- ment was developed by Rillis Howard of the OMH staff. Dispersed throughout the gal- lery are artifact cases featuring items do- nated by or loaned by each governor, in- cluding campaign materials and more per- sonal mementos. “To get artifacts from the former gover- nors, we simply had to explain the idea be- hind the exhibit and ask them for their help. They were all quite willing to help us obtain the artifacts to tell stories that peo- ple might not know about their lives before they took their place in the Governor’s Mansion. The First Ladies and other family members were also very helpful,” said Baxter. Over the past few months Blackburn and the curators have conducted inter- views with the living governors. Deceased governors’ families were contacted as well, and they provided artifacts and photos. “Meeting with these folks and hearing their stories, especially the children who lived in the Governor’s Mansion and helped on campaigns, has given us great insight into the role of the family in the life of a gover- nor,” Baxter explained. In addition, in the upstairs Samuel Rob- erts Noble Gallery, another exhibit will be de- voted to the First Ladies. It will feature pho- tographs, artifacts relating to each woman’s personal career and to her campaign contri- butions, several inaugural gowns, and other apparel, such as Molly Boren’s wedding dress. The Chesapeake Corporation donated $275,000 to construct the exhibits. First Families of Oklahoma will continue at the Oklahoma History Center through 2007. First Families of Oklahoma exhibit premiers February 14 at Oklahoma History Center Governors of the Great State of Oklahoma Charles N. Haskell, 1907-11 Lee Cruce, 1911-15 Robert L. Williams, 1915-19 James B. A. Robertson, 1919-23 John C. Walton, 1923 Martin E. Trapp, 1923-27 Henry Simpson Johnston, 1927-29 William J. Holloway, 1929-31 William H. Murray, 1931-35 Ernest W. Marland, 1935-39 Leon C. Phillips, 1939-43 Robert S. Kerr, 1943-47 Roy J. Turner, 1947-51 Johnston Murray, 1951-55 Raymond D. Gary, 1955-59 J. Howard Edmondson, 1959-63 Henry L. Bellmon, 1963-67, 1987-91 Dewey F. Bartlett, 1967-71 David Hall, 1971-75 David L. Boren, 1975-79 George Patterson Nigh, 1979-87 David L. Walters, 1991-95 Francis A. Keating, 1995-2003 Charles Bradford Henry, 2003– At its autumn meeting the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) presented two awards to the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Jones Public Relations Group, Inc. The first award was the Award of Merit in the Marketing/Public Relations Campaigns category for the Oklahoma History Center Grand Opening. This award recognized all the public relations and marketing that went into the grand opening of the History Center in 2005. The award criteria speci- fied that programs must include marketing communications and/or public relations communications and must be designed to introduce and promote new or established services or ideas. OHS also received an Honorable Mention in the Public Relations Materials 4 Color category. This award recognized the vari- ous printed materials that were developed for the grand opening of the History Center. These included: invitations, news releases, the welcome brochure, and the current vis- itors guide. The Staplegun, a local advertis- ing, marketing, and public relations firm, in concert with the Jones Public Relations Group, Inc., designed these materials. OHS developed the copy and initial design. Staplegun and Jones PR refined those con- cepts into the final, award-winning product. OHS wins two awards from Public Relations Society
Transcript
Vol. 38, No. 2 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 February 2007
To mark the Centennial of OklahomaStatehood, the Oklahoma Museum of His-tory will mount a major exhibition featur-ing the lives of Oklahoma’s governors andtheir families. The new exhibit opens inmid-February and continues through theCentennial Year. Since 1907, 24 familieshave served the state as “First Family.”
OMH Exhibits Curators ElizabethBaxter and Jill Holt and Research CenterProjects Specialist Larry O’Dell, in collabo-ration with OHS Executive Director BobBlackburn, have assembled an intriguingdisplay of artifacts and text that features“the man in office,” rather than his politics.“Our hope is to put a human face on theleaders who have been willing to serve thepeople,” noted Blackburn.
According to Baxter, “We are telling eachgovernor’s story from childhood up throughthe decision to run for office, the campaign,and the inauguration.”
The First Families of Oklahoma exhibitwill be displayed in the Oklahoma HistoryCenter’s first-floor Gaylord Special Ex-hibits Gallery. Inside the exhibit, graphicpanels will offer short biographies, accom-panied by “video scrapbooks.” Each videoscrapbook will, at the push of a button,display pictures of the governor from child-hood through his inauguration. This ele-ment was developed by Rillis Howard of the
OMH staff. Dispersed throughout the gal-lery are artifact cases featuring items do-nated by or loaned by each governor, in-cluding campaign materials and more per-sonal mementos.
“To get artifacts from the former gover-nors, we simply had to explain the idea be-hind the exhibit and ask them for theirhelp. They were all quite willing to help usobtain the artifacts to tell stories that peo-ple might not know about their lives beforethey took their place in the Governor’sMansion. The First Ladies and other familymembers were also very helpful,” saidBaxter.
Over the past few months Blackburnand the curators have conducted inter-views with the living governors. Deceasedgovernors’ families were contacted as well,and they provided artifacts and photos.“Meeting with these folks and hearing theirstories, especially the children who lived inthe Governor’s Mansion and helped oncampaigns, has given us great insight intothe role of the family in the life of a gover-nor,” Baxter explained.
In addition, in the upstairs Samuel Rob-erts Noble Gallery, another exhibit will be de-voted to the First Ladies. It will feature pho-tographs, artifacts relating to each woman’spersonal career and to her campaign contri-butions, several inaugural gowns, and otherapparel, such as Molly Boren’s weddingdress.
The Chesapeake Corporation donated$275,000 to construct the exhibits. FirstFamilies of Oklahoma will continue at theOklahoma History Center through 2007.
First Families of Oklahoma exhibit premiers February 14 atOklahoma History Center
Governors of theGreat State of Oklahoma
Charles N. Haskell, 1907-11Lee Cruce, 1911-15
Robert L. Williams, 1915-19James B. A. Robertson, 1919-23
John C. Walton, 1923Martin E. Trapp, 1923-27
Henry Simpson Johnston, 1927-29William J. Holloway, 1929-31William H. Murray, 1931-35Ernest W. Marland, 1935-39
Leon C. Phillips, 1939-43Robert S. Kerr, 1943-47Roy J. Turner, 1947-51
Johnston Murray, 1951-55Raymond D. Gary, 1955-59
J. Howard Edmondson, 1959-63Henry L. Bellmon, 1963-67, 1987-91
Dewey F. Bartlett, 1967-71David Hall, 1971-75
David L. Boren, 1975-79George Patterson Nigh, 1979-87
David L. Walters, 1991-95Francis A. Keating, 1995-2003Charles Bradford Henry, 2003–
At its autumn meeting the OklahomaCity Chapter of the Public Relations Societyof America (PRSA) presented two awards tothe Oklahoma Historical Society and theJones Public Relations Group, Inc.
The first award was the Award of Merit inthe Marketing/Public Relations Campaignscategory for the Oklahoma History CenterGrand Opening. This award recognized allthe public relations and marketing thatwent into the grand opening of the History
Center in 2005. The award criteria speci-fied that programs must include marketingcommunications and/or public relationscommunications and must be designed tointroduce and promote new or establishedservices or ideas.
OHS also received an Honorable Mentionin the Public Relations Materials 4 Colorcategory. This award recognized the vari-ous printed materials that were developedfor the grand opening of the History Center.
These included: invitations, news releases,the welcome brochure, and the current vis-itors guide. The Staplegun, a local advertis-ing, marketing, and public relations firm, inconcert with the Jones Public RelationsGroup, Inc., designed these materials. OHSdeveloped the copy and initial design.Staplegun and Jones PR refined those con-cepts into the final, award-winning product.
Mistletoe Leaves (USPS 018–315) is published monthly by the OklahomaHistorical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914.Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK. (ISSN 1932-0108)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mistletoe Leaves, 2401 N. Laird Ave-nue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914.
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 publicationis financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, UnitedStates Department of the Interior.
Contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of theOklahoma Historical Society or the United States Department of the Interior.Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recommendationby either organization.
Mistletoe Leaves is published for the members and friends of the Okla-homa Historical Society in partial fulfillment of the Society’s purpose to“preserve and perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people, to stimulatepopular interest in historical study and research, and to promote anddisseminate historical knowledge.”
The public and OHS members are encouraged to submit heritage-relateditems for publication. Students and teachers are invited to share studies andprograms and to duplicate contents as desired. Editors are welcome to reprintmaterials with credit.
All Oklahoma Historical Society facilities are for the education and enjoy-ment of all. State and federal regulations prohibit unlawful discrimination instate and federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, and/or handicap.
Anyone denied benefits should contact the Executive Director of the Okla-homa Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914, telephone 405/521-2491, and/or the Director, Office of Equal Oppor-tunity, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
As one of my favorite philosophers oncesaid, “Life is like a box of chocolates. Younever know what you are going to get.” Ofcourse, that philosopher was Forest Gump,and he was referring to the unpredictabletwists and turns in our future.
This past week, we started a new roundof legislative hearings with both our Senateand House committees. Sometimes, younever know what you are going to get.
Although many questions will be askedand many options will be explored, we willstay on message with what we think are themost important long-range strategies for ac-complishing the mission of the OklahomaHistorical Society.
Those three keys are efficiency, higherstandards, and partnerships.
Since the 1980s we have been realigningand tightening the way we accomplish ourmission of collecting, preserving, and shar-ing history. It started with basic governanceand the structure of the Board of Directors inthe new OHS Constitution adopted in 1981.
The efficiencies accelerated in the 1990swith strategic planning, one-year goals andobjectives, and planning documents suchas the “Historic Context Review,” which al-lows us to evaluate success or failurebased on themes, time periods, and placesserved.
More recent have been the structuralchanges in the different departments, suchas consolidating Archives and Library intothe Research Division, consolidating Mu-
seums and Historic Sites into the OutreachDivision, and creating project units thatcan focus on specific goals and technologi-cal innovation. We already see the results.
This growing efficiency has allowed us toraise the standards of what we do. Stan-dard government issue is no longer accept-able. Consistent mediocrity is the same asfailure. We have the talent, and we cer-tainly have the story, so why should we notset our goals higher?
The results can be seen throughout theorganization, and most clearly through thenew Oklahoma History Center. We expectednothing less than the quality you would seein the Smithsonian or the National Archives,and we got it. We knew we could do better.
The attainment of higher standards,coupled with greater efficiencies, helps uslook over the next horizon and leads us tothe third part of this historic trinity—part-nerships. The Oklahoma Historical Soci-ety, alone, cannot climb the mountain be-fore us. We need partners to reach thatheight.
We need sister organizations such as theOklahoma Genealogical Society, the Friendsof Higher Education, and the cultural divi-sions of the many Indian tribes to collect andpreserve the story. We need friends in thebusiness community, the media, and thegeneral public to help us share the story.
Without the funding, energy, and leader-ship of our friends, we will lose the momen-tum gained by the Oklahoma History Cen-ter and the Centennial Celebration.
This year, as we talk to senators, repre-sentatives, and officials in the Governor’sOffice, we will stay on theme and empha-size that our service to the people of ourgreat state depends on keeping a balancebetween efficiency, high standards, andpartnerships.
Yes, life is like a box of chocolates. As thelegislative session opens, we will see whatwe get.
By Bob L. BlackburnExecutive Director
Director’sColumn
New MembersIndividual
Blanton, Eloise, Oklahoma CityBraden, Charles, EdmondCrews, Ray, Colleyville, TXCriner, Mark, Wichita, KSDagenhart, Carol, Commerce City, CODushane, Robin, GroveFearing, Glenna A., StillwaterFloyd, Larry C., YukonGalbraith, Dale W., Oklahoma CityGray, Virginia, Oklahoma CityHector, E. Roy, StratfordHoward, Nancy, Bardstown, KYJames, Clary, BethanyKarr, Linda J., MilburnKemp, Thomas Jay, East Hampton, CTKirkpatrick, A. J., MooreLeblanc, Mary Gene, Oklahoma CityLeforce, Frank, GuthrieMartin, Dan, RamonaParrish, John W., ShawneePauli, Virgil Lee, TulsaShaver, Melba L., MooreSmith, Delores Willoughby, ChickashaWilson, Janet, NormanZimmerman, Louise, Arlington, TX
FamilyAldridge, Virginia, EdmondArrowood, Jason & Lindsay, ClaremoreBickley, Alan & Susan, Madison, WIBlumenthal, Morris, Oklahoma CityBoer, James & Jane, YukonBoyce, Jim, Oklahoma CityBuchanan, Mike & Linda, Dallas, TXBuchanan, Rick, EdmondCall, James L., Oklahoma CityChristian, Steve, NormanDowell, Carl & Christel, EnidFears, Joe & Rhonda, TulsaFerguson, Jeanne, EdmondGalbraith, Alan & Bonny, Oklahoma CityGalbraith, Jack & Martha, MustangJames, Greg & Penny, BethanyLuckens, Clifford & Cynthia, Oklahoma CityMoorman, Stanley J., EdmondOdell, Albert & Ann, Beaumont, TXPittser, Ronald F., Oklahoma CityPotts, John & Gus Shaver, NormanSaunders, James, Oklahoma CityShaklee, Mary M., KremlinSisemore, Karen, Oklahoma City
FriendKitchell, Toni, Oklahoma City
InstitutionDeer Creek High School Library, Edmond
Development NewsBy Tim Zwink
The 2007 Oklahoma Historical Society An-nual Meeting will be held on April 12, 13, and14 in the Oklahoma History Center at 2401 N.Laird Avenue in Oklahoma City. Arrange-ments are now being finalized under the direction of the Annual Meeting Committee, whichis chaired by board member James Waldo.
The conference hotel for the 2007 Annual Meeting is the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites at6200 N. Robinson, about four miles north of the History Center.
A block of rooms has been reserved for OHS members, who are responsible for makingtheir own room reservations. The room rate for persons attending the meeting is $73 plustax, and reservations may be made by calling 800/682-0049 or 405/843-5558. To receivethe special rate, tell the desk clerk that you are attending the OHS meeting.
More details about the Holiday Inn, including pictures of hotel accommodations andamenities, may be found at <www.okchotel.com>.
Additional plans for the meeting will be announced over the next few months, with regis-tration materials being mailed to the OHS membership in March.
EventsYale’s Jim Thorpe Park, located on S.H.51, will host the 13th Annual Winter En-campment Battle of Round Mountain onFebruary 17–18, 2007. A living history les-son will be presented for students on Fri-day, February 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. OnSaturday and Sunday, February 17–18,the public can view Confederate and Unionencampments from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Battledemonstrations will occur at 2 p.m. on Sat-urday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. OHSspeakers Arthur Street, Howard McKinnis,and Omar Reed will present programs on“Cannons,” “Variety of Guns Used in theWar,” and “Blacks in the Civil War.” Dailyadmission to the event is $5 for adults.Children, ages 12 and under, are free. Agrand ball is free to the public on February17, from 7–10 p.m., at the elementaryschool gym. While in Yale, visit the JimThorpe House, located at 706 E. Boston.The former home of 1912 Olympian JimThorpe offers artifacts from Thorpe and hisfamily. For more details contact Lou Hensleyat 918/387-2525. (Special to ML)
Weatherford’s Southwest Oklahoma StateUniversity Fine Arts Auditorium will be thevenue for the 37th Annual Jazz Festival onFebruary 8–9 at 7 p.m. The SWOSU JazzFestival will feature artists from across thecountry as well as jazz groups from areaschools. Terry Segress offers more informa-tion at 580/774-3175 or by e-mailing himat <[email protected]>.(Special to ML)
Tulsa’s 21st Annual Indian Art Festivalwill take place on February 9–11 at TulsaExpo Square, 4145 E. 21st Street. Theevent will offer an art market, Indian exhi-bition dancing, storytelling, food, and cul-tural exhibits. For the schedule of eventsgo to <www.tulsaindianartfest.com>. Forreservations call 918/838-3875. The festi-val is a project of the National Indian Mon-ument and Institute and is given with theassistance of the Oklahoma Arts Counciland the National Endowment for the Arts.(Special to ML)
In Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma ArtsCouncil and the National Endowment for theArts are sponsoring the Winter Tales Story-telling Festival on February 15–17 at StageCenter, 400 W. Sheridan, Oklahoma City.Considered one of the nation’s top story-telling festivals, the event will feature eve-ning performances, workshops, and achildren’s matinee. Singer-songwriter TomPaxton and nationally acclaimed tellersGay Ducey, Andy Offutt Irwin, and BabaJamal Koram will participate. For more in-
formation call 405/270-4848 or log on to<www.artscouncilokc.com>.(Special to ML)
Lawton’s Great Plains Coliseum, 920 S.Sheridan Road, will be the venue for ajudged quilt show entitled “For the Love ofQuilts” on February 16–17 from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. In addition to more than 200 entries,two traveling quilt exhibits, the HoffmanFabric Challenge and the Top 100 Quilts fromthe Oklahoma Centennial Contest, will be fea-tured. Call 580/252-0387 or e-mail JudyIrey at <[email protected]>.(Special to ML)
ExhibitsThe Bartlesville Area History Museum, lo-cated at 401 S. Johnstone, is the venue foran exhibit entitled The Flight That Changedthe World: Wiley Post’s Contribution to Avia-tion. The exhibit, an official Oklahoma Cen-tennial project, features Post’s life and hisfascination with aviation. As part of the ex-hibit two videos are presented. One is anhour-long documentary titled Wiley Post ofOklahoma, hosted by Bill Moore of theOklahoma History Center, and previouslyfeatured on OETA. The second video is atwo-minute footage of one of Post’s flights atthe Bartlesville airport, shot by Bartlesville’sphotographer Frank Griggs. The exhibit willbe on display through February 28, 2007.Admission is free. The museum days andhours are Tuesday through Saturday from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call918/338-4290. (Special to ML)
Tulsa’s Sherwin Miller Museum of JewishArt, located at 2021 E. 71st Street, willhave the From Shtetl to the Sooner State:Celebrating Oklahoma’s Jewish History ex-hibit on display until March 2007. Call918/492-1818 for more information.(OMA MuseNEWS, Winter 2007).
HappeningsClaremore’s Will Rogers Memorial Museum,located at 1720 W. Will Rogers Boulevard, isoffering Sunday movie matinees during themonth of February. Double features of WillRogers’s movies will be shown in the mu-seum’s large theater at 2 p.m. and 3:30p.m. on February 4, 11, 18, and 25. TheyHad to See Paris and A Connecticut Yankeewill be presented on February 4; Dr. Bull andHandy Andy on February 11; So This is Lon-don and Down to Earth on February 18; andBusiness and Pleasure and State Fair onFebruary 25. During intermission visitorscan watch shorts from Rogers’s personalproductions and home movies or the Dis-ney short on polo, offered in the DisneyTheater. Admission is free. The museum is
open year round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Foradditional information call 918/341-0719.(Special to ML)
Writings, Etc.Love County Historical Society’s 2007 Cal-endar, which is an Oklahoma Centennialedition, features images of the GlazenerConfectionary (1899), O. F. Comer (1910),Rosse Hotel (1914), Bomar Depot (1918), Si-mon School Students (1941), Greenville’s7th and 8th Grades (1941), Meadowbrook5th and 6th Grades (1942), BurneyvilleHigh School Girls’ Basketball Team (1943),Jimtown School Students (1945), MariettaSenior Class (1947), Thackerville HighSchool Boys’ Glee Club (1947), and Mont-gomery Store (early 1950s). Calendars canbe ordered from Love County Historical So-ciety, P.O. Box 134, Marietta, OK 73448.Cost of the calendar is $5 plus $1.50 forpostage. The postage will vary if more thanone calendar is ordered. Contact LaquittaLadner at 580/276-3477 for information.(Special to ML)
MeetingsIn Oklahoma City the Oklahoma Genea-logical Society’s monthly meeting will beheld on Monday, February 5, 2007, at 6p.m. in the Chesapeake Events Center atthe Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N.Laird Avenue. Marianne Long, featuredspeaker, will present a program on Ger-mans who lived in Russia. The OHS Re-search Center will be staffed and remainopen until 7:45 p.m. that evening.(Special to ML)
In Purcell the McClain County Historicaland Genealogical Society meets on thethird Tuesday of every month at theMasonic Hall, 900 N. Canadian. Member-ship in the society is open to all interestedpersons. Contact the McClain County His-torical and Genealogical Society by phoneat 405/527-5894 or mail inquiries to 203W. Washington, Purcell, OK 73080.(Special to ML)
AwardsThe Oklahoma City National Memorialand Museum has recently been awardedaccreditation from the American Associa-tion of Museums Accreditation Commis-sion. Oklahoma now has eleven accreditedmuseums. (Special to ML)
Hidden Collections . . .The Jimmy Stewart Papers
By Larry O’Dell
Thanks to the donation by James E.Stewart, Jr., the Oklahoma Historical Soci-ety houses an important collection thathighlights the history of the state and na-tional Civil Rights movement. The JimmyStewart Collection (2006.75) tells the storyof an African American leader who stood inthe forefront of this struggle throughoutthe twentieth century.
Born September 6, 1912, in Texas, JamesE. Stewart, Jr., moved in 1916 with his fam-ily to Oklahoma City. There, he met and be-came acquainted with future author RalphEllison, who became a life-long friend. In1928, after Jimmy Stewart had attended afew years at Douglass High School, he andhis family relocated to Wichita, Kansas.There, he earned honors playing football atthe already integrated Wichita High SchoolNorth. Stewart attended Langston, thencalled the Oklahoma Colored Agriculturaland Normal University, for one year beforemoving to Oklahoma City. As a young manhe ingratiated himself with Roscoe Dunjeeand began writing a column that Dunjeeprinted in his newspaper, the BlackDispatch.
The column, titled “Jimmy Says,” notonly commented on timely issues, but ac-tivities occurring in the black community.In 1937 the Oklahoma Natural Gas Com-pany hired Stewart, who eventually workedhis way to a position as a vice president. In1942 members elected him vice presidentof the local NAACP branch, and he quicklybecame its president.
World War II interrupted his civilian life,and he signed on as one of the earliest Afri-can Americans allowed to enlist in theUnited States Marine Corps. After return-ing to Oklahoma, Stewart persisted in ad-vancing Civil Rights and joined the NAACPNational Board of Directors. In 1952 hesponsored Oklahoma City as the host com-munity for the national convention. A keyfigure in Oklahoma’s peaceful integrationof public and private facilities, Stewart at-tained many honors over his career. Hedied on April 13, 1997.
The collection contains chapters from anunpublished autobiography, an invaluablestudy for students of mid-twentieth cen-tury Oklahoma. The collection also holdscorrespondence (personal and business),speeches, official reports, newspaper clip-pings, tape recordings, photographs, andbooks from his library. He also collectedpostcards, pictures, and memorabilia con-cerning his interests. Many of the photoswere autographed by the celebrities.
The John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Re-search Center, located at the OklahomaHistory Center, is exhibiting many of theseitems in the James Stewart Exhibit in themain reading room. A finding aid may be ac-cessed and many of the photographs viewedonline at the Oklahoma Historical Society’sweb site, <www.okhistory.org>, through theResearch Division’s database, CuadraStar.
The purpose of the “I Remember SecondStreet” program is to videotape the partici-pants as they reminisce, thereby chroni-cling everyday life around Second Street.Johnson will be the facilitator, and all in-terested individuals will be able to takepart in the “open mike” session.
In addition, artist Mary Ann Moore will besigning her poster, “The Aldridge Theater,” aprint of a pastel painting created for theOklahoma Historical Society. Other SecondStreet–related items will also be available.
Both programs will occur in the Chesa-peake Room. For more information, con-tact Bruce Fisher at 405/522-5049.
On Saturday, February 10, Fort GibsonHistoric Site will present its annual Com-munity Program in celebration of BlackHistory Month.
The event will take place in the site’s his-toric stone barracks. This year’s topic willbe “The Invisible Men of Honor: The Legendof the Buffalo Soldiers.” The Buffalo Sol-diers were members of all-black units thatserved in the U.S. Army from the 1860sinto the mid-twentieth century. In 1867Fort Gibson became the first assignment ofthe Buffalo Soldiers in Indian Territory.
Planned activities include presentationof three Buffalo Soldier stories and theshowing of a 20-minute history film. Theprogram will begin at 1 p.m. and will lastapproximately one hour.
Refreshments will be served afterwards.Admission to the fort will be free during theevent.
Fort Gibson Historic Site is located onState Highway 80 in Fort Gibson and is op-erated by the Oklahoma Historical Society.Regular admission is $3 for adults, $2.50for seniors (65 and over), and $1 for stu-dents 6 to 18. Children 5 and under are ad-mitted free.
For additional details, contact eitherOmar Reed or Chris Morgan by telephoneat 918/478-4088 or e-mail the historic siteat <[email protected]>.
A young James Stewart as he be-gan his career in journalism andCivil Rights (OHS photo).
Pictured at the 2004 Buffalo Soldiers pro-gram were the late Tom Harris(Muskogee), Dr. Wilbur Wilson, a WorldWar Two Tenth Cavalry veteran, andSylvester Sallis, a Tulsa educator (Staff
photo).
Buffalo Soldiers tocelebrate Black HistoryMonth at Fort Gibson
Oklahoma History Centerto host two black history
programs in FebruaryOn February 10 and 17, 2007, OHS will
commemorate Black History Month at theOklahoma History Center, according toBruce Fisher, Curator of Diversity. Theprograms are open to the public.
On Saturday, February 10, at 10 a.m., asymposium will deal with “History of Afri-can Americans in Radio Broadcasting inOklahoma.” The featured lecturer will beLester LeSure, the state’s only historian ofthe topic. Following his lecture and a ques-tion-and-answer session, a panel discus-sion will be conducted by students ofbroadcaster Ben Tipton, joined by ClaraLuper. Tipton, known as “the Tall Man,” isthe state’s best-known black broadcaster.He worked at KBYE, where he introducedRhythm and Blues to the Oklahoma Cityaudience. He also created an organizationcalled “Soul Motivators” to train youngblack people, primarily of high-school age,to be broadcasters. The program will takeplace in the Chesapeake Events Center atthe History Center.
A week later, on Saturday, February 17,at 10 a.m. a round table discussion will beheld on the topic “I Remember SecondStreet.” Residents and former residents ofOklahoma City’s formerly segregated Afri-can American district are invited to joinJames Johnson, president of the DouglassHigh School Alumni Association, to per-sonally describe their experiences of grow-ing up or living there.
Six Oklahoma resources listed in National Register of Historic PlacesThe Oklahoma State Historic Preserva-
tion Office is pleased to announce that onDecember 6, 2006, the National Register ofHistoric Places accepted six new submis-sions from our state. The National Registerof Historic Places is our nation’s official listof properties significant in our past. Thenewest listings from Oklahoma include theWaverly Historic District in Enid, theMuskogee Depot & Freight District, NicholsPark in Henryetta, the Merchants NationalBank Building in Lehigh, Ardmore’s CentralPark Bandstand, and the Park Hill MissionCemetery near Tahlequah.
The Waverly Historic District is a resi-dential district that represents Enid’searly-twentieth-century growth and suc-cess as an economic center. From folk Vic-torian styles through stately Colonial Re-vivals of the early 1920s, Waverly neighbor-hood’s housing stock reflects the tastes ofsome of the area’s most influential citizens.
The district includes the McCristy-KnoxMansion and the T. E. Eason Mansion, twoof Enid’s finest historic homes. More typi-cally, though, the district’s streets are linedwith good examples of the more modesthomes that reflect the styles of the 1910sand 1920s. Craftsman-style bungalows andstately, Colonial Revival–style houses popu-late the tree-lined streets. The City of Enidrecognizes the neighborhood as a local his-toric preservation district. Cathy Amblerprepared the nomination for the City ofEnid.
The Muskogee Depot & Freight District islocated on the south edge of downtownMuskogee. Centered on the Midland ValleyRailroad Depot and the Rock Island FreightDepot, this area reflects Muskogee’s impor-tance as a rail center in eastern Oklahoma.Numerous business and manufacturingconcerns located in the area, attracted by ef-ficient rail service. The area still serves as awarehouse district but is slowly evolvinginto a city cultural center. The Three RiversMuseum occupies the former Midland Val-ley Depot, the district’s most prominentbuilding. The Prairie School–style depot, at-tributed to St. Louis architect Louis Curtis,anchors a burgeoning cultural district. Inrecent years street improvements have en-hanced the area, while music events have
attracted large crowds. Sally Schwenk As-sociates prepared this nomination for theCity of Muskogee.
Nichols Park in Henryetta is centered onLake Nichols and is located about a milesouth of the town center. It is significant asa designed landscape constructed by theCivilian Conservation Corps between 1938and 1941. The rustic structures that markthe beach and picnic areas reflect the Na-tional Park Service Rustic style of architec-ture, which emphasized a naturalistic de-sign using local materials. An impressivebathhouse on the lake’s north shore is a fo-cal point of the park. Picnic and campingareas on the lake’s west and south sidesare connected by hiking trails and a perim-eter road. These picnic areas feature stonepavilions that highlight the high quality ofmasonry work done by the CCC workers.This was one of the last such parks to be
constructed in Oklahoma,and the city is working torehabilitate the old park.Cindy Savage, of ARCHConsulting, prepared thisnomination for the City ofHenryetta.
In Lehigh the MerchantsNational Bank Buildingwas constructed in 1907 atthe busiest corner of aonce-thriving Coal Countytown. An ornate, two-storybrick-and-stone building,the bank reflected the re-gional importance of coalmining and cotton farm-
ing. As these two industriesfailed, so too did the bank,
and the town slowly declined. Now owned bythe Lehigh Historical Society, the MerchantsBank Building stands as the sole reminder ofa once-thriving commercial center. The restof the downtown area has disappeared, torndown as the population moved out. The LHSmaintains a museum in the building and israising funds to restore some of the historicinterior finishes. The building remains asource of pride in a community that oncewas the county seat of Coal County.
The Central Park Bandstand in Ardmoreis a Classical Revival–style structure con-structed of white limestone. It was built tohouse the town’s Orthophonic Victrola, alarge, concert-grade record player. Outdoorconcerts, with popular and classical musicemanating from the machine at the center
of the bandstand, were popular attractionsin the 1920s. The bandstand also servedas a gathering point for other events, bothfestive and political. The bandstand, dis-tinctive with its sweeping colonnade,serves also as a memorial to the fallen sol-diers of Carter County who served duringthe Great War. The City of Ardmore hasextensively rehabilitated Central Park andadded new playground equipment andrestrooms, but the Bandstand has justlyremained the park’s focal point. The nomi-nation was prepared by Cindy Savage, ofARCH Consulting, for the City of Ardmore.
Park Hill Mission Cemetery, also knownas Worcester Cemetery, is located just southof the Murrell House in Park Hill, nearTahlequah. It is the final resting place for anumber of persons significant in Cherokeehistory, in particular Elias Boudinot andRev. Samuel Worcester. Both men were as-sociated with the influential newspaper,the Cherokee Phoenix. Boudinot gainednotoriety for signing the Treaty of NewEchota, which called for the Cherokees’ re-moval from their eastern homelands to theIndian Territory. Assassinated soon afterarriving in Indian Territory, his was the
cemetery’s first interment. Worcester notonly operated the territory’s first printingpress, but he also served as a teacher andas a religious missionary. The cemetery isowned and maintained by the OklahomaHistorical Society. This nomination wasprepared by Lois Albert of the OklahomaArcheological Survey, using a matchinggrant from the SHPO.
The State Historic Preservation Officecontinues to strive to gain recognition forplaces significant in Oklahoma’s history.These six properties add to the compen-dium of the state’s documented history. Agoal of the SHPO is to have five propertiesfrom each county represented in the Na-tional Register by Centennial Day, Novem-ber 16, 2007. The listing of the MerchantsNational Bank in Lehigh brings the numberof Coal County’s listings to three. Othercounties with fewer than five listed re-sources are: Cotton, Dewey, Greer, Harmon,Love, Major, Marshall, Nowata, and Wood-ward. For more information on NationalRegister properties, contact Jim Gabbertby telephone at 405/522-4478 or e-mail<[email protected]>.
Nichols Park picnic shelter,(J. Gabbert/SHPO photo).
Saturday-Sunday, 2–5 p.m.Closed: Mondays and state holidays.Admission: Free.Directions: Three miles north and seven miles east
of Sallisaw on State Highway 101.
Travelers to eastern Oklahoma should visitSequoyah’s Cabin, near Sallisaw and the Oklahoma-Arkansasstate line. The cabin serves as a state museum and an interpre-tive center. Furnishings in the cabin replicate how it might havebeen furnished by Sequoyah. Situated near the museum is abronze sculpture of Sequoyah accomplished by sculptor FredOlds.
Sequoyah (ca. 1778–1843), also known as George Guess orGist, created the Cherokee syllabary, which was adopted by theCherokee Nation in 1821. Sequoyah was born in Tuskegee, inpresent Tennessee, and lived in Alabama and Arkansas beforecoming to Indian Territory in 1829. That year, he built a one-roomlog cabin near present Sallisaw. There he farmed and worked as ablacksmith.
Sequoyah’s Cabin became the property of the Oklahoma Historical Society in 1936. Be-tween 1936 and 1937 a Works Progress Administration (WPA) work project enclosed thecabin in a stone building. The secretary of the interior designated the site as a National His-toric Landmark in 1966. In 2006 Sequoyah’s Cabin became the nation’s sixth landmark tobe listed in the National Literary Landmark Register.
The following individuals donated mate-rials to the Research Division in the lastthree months of 2006:
Patrick Alexander, BethanyBarbara Cody, TuttleAlvin Turner, NormanGlendeen Unsell, Ada
Joe Todd, Oklahoma CityHoward Piepenbrink, Alexandria, VA
Judy Dutterer, Winnetka, ILKenneth Corder, Edmond
Billy Erkin, McAlesterMichael Dean, Oklahoma City
Sharon Burns, OGS, Oklahoma CityJoan Overturf, Corvallis, OR
Mary Dickerson, Whitefish, MTBetty C. Park, Oklahoma CityGregory A. George, Guthrie
Doris Yocham, SapulpaAnne C. Jones, Kansas City, MO
Judy Burns, Oklahoma CityLaquetha Young, Oklahoma City
Anne Browne Dunker, Rogersville, MDMargaret Gagliardi, Annandale, VA
Donna M. Stephens, EdmondVereal Barton, Gordonville, TX
John Sipes, Jr., NormanBill Marion, Edmond
Bob Blackburn, Oklahoma CityBob Green, Oklahoma City
Ellen Collins Johnson, TahlequahM. L. Deering, EdmondDon Paulson, Ouray, CO
J. L. Barrington, Naperville, ILRobert Gaylord, Edmond
Mrs. A. C. Wilbur, Port Clinton, OHPaul T. Bryant, Arden, NC
Betty Jane Harris, Vegas, NVMary Duffe, Edmond
Donald M. Mueller, YukonElizabeth Hay, Houston, TX
Myrtle Beavers, Destin, FLMary Jane Warde, Stillwater
Richard J. Gewin, Oklahoma CityGayle Carson, Oklahoma City
Dan Provo, EdmondDaryle G. Murray, Oklahoma City
Robert Main, Oklahoma CityWill Paine, StillwaterVernon Kyker, MooreElaine Dake, Norman
Al M. Snipes, Oklahoma CityRobert Thomas, Edmond
Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, GermanyPhyllis A. Young, Lawton
Fred Dittmar, Norman
Donors to the Research Division’s library and archive
Mark your calendar!! HistoryCenter volunteer training is
February 10The growing army of Oklahoma History
Center volunteers will muster for the year’sfirst training session, to be conducted from9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, February 10,2007. Previously interviewed individualsare scheduled to attend the session.
In the past year, these dedicated individ-uals have researched and catalogued arti-facts for the Oklahoma Museum of Historyand have served patrons in the ResearchCenter.
The session on February 10 will featurepresentations by Museum Director DanProvo, Education Director Mike Adkins,and others. Contact volunteer coordinatorRobbin Davis at <[email protected]> orcall her at 405/522-0754.
OHS MUSEUMS AND SITES
Black Kettle Museumjunction of US 283 & SH 47Cheyenne, 580/497-3929
Cherokee Strip Museum/Rose Hill School, 2617 WFir, Perry, 580/336-2405
Robert S. Kerr Museum6 mi. SW of Poteau, US 270at Kerr Conference Center918/647-9579
Sequoyah’s CabinSH 101, 11 mi. NE ofSallisaw, 918/775-2413
Sod House MuseumSH 8, 5½ mi. N of CleoSprings, 580/463-2441
Spiro Mounds Archaeo-logical Center, 3 mi. Eand 4 mi. N of Spiro918/962-2062
State Capital PublishingMuseum, 301 W HarrisonGuthrie, 405/282-4123
T. B. Ferguson House519 N Weigle, Watonga580/623-5069
Tom Mix Museum721 N Delaware, Dewey918/534-1555
White Hair Memorial½ mi. S of SH 20 on Black-burn Rd., Ralston918/538-2417
Victorian Style Show and Ladies’ Teaset for March 3 at History Center
Crinoline and lace, bonnets and bows—step back in time and enjoy a Victorian styleshow and tea hosted by the Oklahoma Historical Society on Saturday, March 3, 2007, from2 to 5 p.m. in the Chesapeake Events Center, in the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N.Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City. All proceeds will benefit the Oklahoma State History DayProgram, an annual event hosted by OHS for Oklahoma’s fifth year through high schoolstudents’ participation.
Kelsey Arnold, OHS Administrative Programs Officer, told Mistletoe Leaves that approxi-mately 27 ladies will be modeling. Each will wear five dresses to illustrate fashions from thedecades from 1820 to 1920. As the models promenade across the stage and stroll aroundthe room, OHS Director of Historic Homes Martha Ray will emcee the event, giving descrip-tions of each gown and accessories, such as hats, handbags, parasols, and shoes. Modelswill be wearing dresses and gowns that would have been worn for day wear, for visiting, forevening, and for balls during each of the decades. Women’s period undergarments will alsobe modeled and described. Arnold stated that most models have sewn their own dresses,while others have had their apparel made by seamstresses who sew for reenactors.
Tickets for the Victorian style show are $15 per person, and the deadline for sending pay-ment is February 9. Mail your check or money order made out to OHS to: Kelsey Arnold,Oklahoma Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. For regis-tration purposes, please include your name, complete address, and phone number. Formore information contact Kelsey Arnold at 405/522-0692 or send an e-mail to her at<[email protected]>.
Drummond House doll exhibitcontinues through FebruaryThe Friends of the Drummond Home
will host an antique doll and antique Val-entine exhibit beginning February 1 andcontinuing through the month. The ex-hibit is on display inside the DrummondHouse, 305 N. Price Avenue in Hominy.
Dolls on exhibit come from the collec-tions of Wanda Shepard (Skiatook), theTallGrass Doll Club (Bartlesville), MichelleWebb (Hominy), and Beverly Whitcomb(Wynona). Barbara Herd of Wynona alsoloaned a portion of her large collection ofantique Valentines.
The Drummond House’s hours of opera-tion remain Wednesday through Saturdayfrom 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from1 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more informationcall 918/885-2374.
Murrell House postcards arenow available
The Friends of the Murrell Home haverecently produced note cards featuring ascenic view of the historic house and itsgrounds. The price of a single card is $1,and sets of 5 are offered for $5 and 10 for$10. All proceeds benefit the Friends of theMurrell Home, the organization that sup-ports part of the operation and mainte-nance of the historic Murrell House at ParkHill, near Tahlequah.
More information is available, and or-ders may be placed by calling the staff at918/456-2751 or sending an e-mail mes-sage to <[email protected]>.
The Murrell House is located at 19479 E.Murrell Home Road in Park Hill.
Above, presented in the order in which a lady dons them:
The Fort Washita Frontier Brigade Muster will take place on Saturday,February 10, at the Fort Washita Historic Site. The public is invited to viewCivil 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 admissioncharge. For more information call 580/924-6502. The site is located on StateHighway 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 theday, 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 ofsuch individuals as Civil War refugees, a candlemaker, and a surgeon. An-other will discuss the problems of controlling nineteenth-century youthgangs. Fort Towson Historic Site is located northeast of the town of FortTowson on U.S. 70.
Call 580/873-2634 for additional information, or e-mail the staff at theirstation, <[email protected]>.
Centennial Bookshelf
PERIODICALS
Oklahoma Historical Society2401 N. Laird AvenueOklahoma City, OK 73105-7914
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Vol. 38, No. 2 February 2007
$8.95 in paper.
OHS publications are alwaysavailable in the Oklahoma His-tory Center Gift Shop.
Telephone the OHC Gift Shopat 405/522-5214 or e-mail it at<[email protected]> to getadditional information on theseand other titles relating to theFirst Families of Oklahoma ex-hibit and the 2007 CentennialCelebration.
Purchases may also be madeonline at <www.okhistory.org>.
Membership discounts al-ways apply.
Oklahoma’s Governors is a four-book series,beginning with the Territorial Era, 1889–1906.
The series also includes Oklahoma’s Gover-nors, 1929–1955: Depression to Prosperity. Allare edited by Dr. LeRoy Fischer of OklahomaState University and are published by theOklahoma Historical Society.
$13.95 in paper.
Wilma Mankiller to presentOklahoma Lecture in the Humanities
at Oklahoma History Center on February 22Former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller will be the distin-
guished speaker at the 22nd Annual Oklahoma Lecture in the Humanities, which isalso recognized as the official Centennial Lecture in the Humanities by the OklahomaCentennial Commemoration Commission.
The lecture will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 22, in the Devon Great Hallof the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. The lecture will be free and open tothe public.
Wilma Mankiller made history in 1985 as the first woman to be elected PrincipalChief of the Cherokee Nation. During her tenure she focused on improving health careand developing self-managed social programs. Mankiller has been inducted into theNational Women’s Hall of Fame, the International Women’s Hall of Fame, and theOklahoma Hall of Fame. President Bill Clinton presented her with the PresidentialMedal of Freedom in 1998. She is also the author of Every Day is a Good Day: Reflec-tions of Contemporary Indigenous Women.
Call the Oklahoma Humanities Council at 405/235-0240 for further information.
Prairie Landsmen: The Jews of Oklahoma on display atHistory Center through February and March
Photographs by David Halpern of Tulsa are featured in Prairie Landsmen: The Jewsof Oklahoma, an exhibit on loan to the Oklahoma Museum of History by the SherwinMiller Museum of Tulsa. The exhibit comprises 38 photographs of Jewish people andplaces in Oklahoma that tell a story of the state’s Jewish community. Diverse in ori-gins and occupations, the Jews of Oklahoma still share a common bond. Each is aLandsman (pronounced Lonts-mon), which means “one who comes from the samehome town.”
Oklahoma towns represented in the exhibit include Ardmore, Velma, Muskogee,Fort Gibson, Chandler, Ponca City, Tonkawa, Claremore, Caddo, Enid, Nelagoney,Pawhuska, Chickasha, Hobart, Seminole, Collinsville, Hartshorne, Lawton, Erick,Bartlesville, Tahlequah, and Purcell.
According to Halpern, “In these photographs I have chosen to examine some of thefamilies and individuals in the smaller cities and towns. They may be the last bastionsof a shrinking non-urban population.”
The exhibit was developed in 1996 under a program sponsored by the OklahomaMuseums Association and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for theHumanities.
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.
