OHS EXTRA! - Elk Creek hits the big screen

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 08/18/2021 05:00 AM CDT

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History Center Research Museums & Sites Preservation Publications

August 18, 2021

The Battle of Honey Springs film premiere

The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) and the Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield are pleased to announce the premiere of a new film documenting the Battle of Honey Springs. The first showings of The Battle of Honey Springs, a Pantheon Digital Production, will take place on Saturday, August 28, at 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. at the Honey Springs Battlefield Visitor Center near Checotah. A program with the director, producers, actors, and historians will take place after the last showing, with a reception to follow.

“We are very excited to premiere The Battle of Honey Springs,” said OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson. “This new film is a first-class production that will allow us to tell the story of the battle in an engaging way for years to come.”

July 17, 1863, marked the largest Civil War battle to take place in present-day Oklahoma, then Indian Territory. Near the community of Honey Springs in the Muscogee Nation, Union and Confederate forces battled for control of Indian Territory. Brother fought against brother as members of the Muscogee and Cherokee Nations fought on both sides. Previously enslaved people who made up the First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment fought against their former enslavers and proved themselves to their commanders as they held the center of the line. Ten different American Indian tribes fought in the battle, including members of the Muscogee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, Delaware, Kickapoo, Osage, Quapaw, and Seneca tribes.

The film documents this clash, bringing the past to life to preserve the story for future generations. “We are thankful to the Inasmuch Foundation for making this production possible through a grant to the Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield,” said Adam Lynn, director of Honey Springs Battlefield. “We encourage visitors to come for the film and walk the battlefield interpretive trails. The trails will remain open until 7 p.m. on August 28 so you can enjoy one of the early showtimes, walk the trails, and return to the visitor center for the program and reception following the last show.”

The Battle of Honey Springs is a Pantheon Digital Production, written and directed by Bryan Beasley and produced by Jaime Roman and Jon Roman. The film stars Sidney Flack, Aaron Martin, David Burkhart, TS Akers, Roderick Berko, Tyler Huffman, Warren Gavitt, Jeremy Guana, and Elisha Pratt. Later this fall, a shortened version of the film will become a part of the permanent exhibit in the visitor center.

Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Film + Music Office.

Ambrotype Photographer stands in front of vintage camera

Traditional Trades Day at Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill

On Saturday, August 21, the Chisholm Trail Museum (CTM) and Horizon Hill will host Traditional Trades Day. The free, family-friendly event will give visitors the opportunity to explore several historic occupations and heritage skills such as carpentry, wet-plate photography, candle making, leatherwork, dressmaking, blacksmithing, spinning, weaving, lacemaking, flint knapping, laundering, traditional cooking, music making, and more. The CTM has many exhibits that explore the history of the Chisholm Trail in Indian Territory and present-day north-central Oklahoma. Through engaging demonstrations, Traditional Trades Day's craftspeople, proficient in these skills and trades, give a glimpse into the goods and services necessary to the people who settled in Indian Territory. This year, over 20 living history tradespeople will bring these activities to life for visitors of all ages.

This event is free to the public. The Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill is located at 605 Zellers Avenue in Kingfisher. For more information, please call 405-375-5176.

Photo provided by C. Mobley, Collodion Artist.

This Land is Herland discussion and book signing

On Saturday, August 28, beginning at 2 p.m., the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid will host a discussion and book signing with Sarah Eppler Janda and Patricia Loughlin, editors of the new book This Land is Herland: Gendered Activism in Oklahoma from the 1870s to the 2010s, published by University of Oklahoma Press this year.

Since well before ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 secured their right to vote, women in Oklahoma have sought to change and uplift their communities through political activism. This Land is Herland brings together the stories of 13 women activists and explores their varied experiences from the territorial period to the present. Underscoring the diversity of women’s experiences, the editors and contributors provide fresh and engaging perspectives on the western roots of gendered activism in Oklahoma.

Sarah Eppler Janda is professor of history at Cameron University in Lawton. She is the author of Beloved Women: The Political Lives of LaDonna Harris and Wilma Mankiller and Prairie Power: Student Activism, Counterculture, and Backlash in Oklahoma, 1962–1972. Patricia Loughlin is professor of history at the University of Central Oklahoma. She is the author of Hidden Treasures of the American West: Muriel H. Wright, Angie Debo, and Alice Marriott, which was named the Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History by the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program virtual workshops

The Oklahoma Historical Society will host two online workshops to inform the public about the application process for the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program. The first workshop will take place on Tuesday, August 31, at 1 p.m. and the second will be on Friday, September 10, at 11 a.m.

These virtual workshops will provide guidance for groups interested in applying for this grants-in-aid program, which sets aside $600,000 to award grants typically ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 to municipal, county, or tribal governments, and not-for-profit historical organizations or friends groups of historical organizations registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state. The grants will be specific to four categories: collections, exhibits, programs, and capacity building.

The application process for the 2021/2022 grant cycle begins September 1, 2021, and closes October 22, 2021. Award announcements will be made in January 2022. For more information about the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program, please click here.

Register for grant workshops

OHS COVID-19 safety measures

Per CDC guidance, we recommend that visitors who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccination wear face masks and maintain social distancing in indoor public areas. All visitors, staff, volunteers, contractors, and vendors should continue to use appropriate handwashing techniques.

We ask that you avoid visiting OHS museums, sites, and affiliates if you have COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms, have a fever, or are otherwise feeling sick or unwell.