OHS EXTRA! - A story of place

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 02/23/2022 05:00 AM CST

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History Center Research Museums & Sites Preservation Publications

February 23, 2022

Awards Banquet postponed until March 24, 2022

Due to predictions of winter storms across the state, the OHS has decided to postpone the Awards Banquet originally scheduled for February 24.

Our first priority is the safety of our honorees, guests, and staff. The Awards Banquet has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 24, and our staff will be contacting those who purchased tickets for the event. For further information, please contact Angela Spindle at 405-522-0317 or aspindle@okhistory.org.

“From Tulsa to Beyond” Smith presentation viewable on YouTube

On February 10, the OHS hosted a virtual presentation by Nicka Smith entitled “From Tulsa to Beyond: African American Genealogy in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma.” The presentation is now available on the OHS YouTube channel for those who were unable to attend, or for those who wish to revisit the presentation to see what they may have missed the first time. Smith offers a wealth of information about uncovering African American genealogy in Indian Territory and Oklahoma. Through her presentation, you can discover how to use tribal records (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole), federal records, newspapers, college/university collections, historical society records, and more! Nicka Smith is a professional photographer, speaker, and documentarian with more than 20 years of experience as a genealogist. To learn more about Nicka Smith click here.

View "From Tulsa to Beyond"

Find out more about Freedmen history at OHS

The Oklahoma Historical Society has many resources relating to the Freedmen, and a list of additional resources to assist the general public, scholars, researchers, and genealogists.

When the Five Tribes were forcibly removed from their homelands in the 1830s–40s, people enslaved by the tribes also made the long journey to Indian Territory. By 1861, approximately 8,000–10,000 Black people were enslaved throughout Indian Territory. We believe it is important to share the stories of these Freedmen and we invite you to learn more by clicking the button below.

OHS Freedmen Resources

Carrie William Hall, a Chickasaw Freedwoman, c. 1915

(20699.80.44.3, Rubye M. Hall Collection, OHS)

Morris Sheppard, a Freedman

(10753, Grant Foreman Collection, OHS)

Caesar Bowlegs, a Seminole Freedman

(21504.AL.1.I4.r.2, Roy J. Morgan Collection, OHS)

An Oklahoma Story of Place: Threatt Filling Station

Threatt Filling Station, photographs of the current day station

The Threatt Filling Station pictured above was first constructed in 1915. The service station is still located on the southwest corner of US Highway 66 and Pottawatomie Road near Luther. Serving as a safe haven for Black travelers in the Jim Crow era, the station provided gas to travelers on the Mother Road. A grocery store was added in 1935, which served as a place where Black travelers and locals could purchase necessary sundries like milk, bread, and canned goods without having to travel to towns further away. In 1937 a small cafe building was added, originally called the Brown Bomber after the famous Black fighter Joe Louis.

The story of the station is documented as a part of the Oklahoma Story of Place: Voices of Preservation series. It features Reverend Allen Threatt III discussing the Threatt Filling Station that his family owned and operated. He grew up working for his grandfather by washing windshields and pumping gas at the historic station. This business was not originally listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, but it was known as a Black-owned business to travelers on Route 66 in Oklahoma in the dangerous era of segregation. To see the video on OHS's YouTube channel, click here.

The cash register, pictured above, from the Threatt Filling Station was recently on loan to the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) as a part of The Negro Motorist Green Book traveling exhibition that concluded in January 2021. A digital version of this SITES exhibit can be accessed online by clicking here.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the Threatt Filling Station in Luther on its 2021 list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The Threatt family still proudly owns the property, and are hoping to restore the site in time for the 2026 centennial of Route 66. They are currently fundraising to save the building from the deterioration of time, with hopes of making the site into a museum to teach visitors about the perseverance of the Threatt family, who homesteaded the property following the Land Run of 1889, creating a successful farm that provided food to the community. The station was built in 1915 from native sandstone and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

To learn more about historic properties throughout the state, contact the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office.

Threatt Filling Station Foundation

Fort Towson collage of site photos, cannons, reenactors in period dress, interior exhibit of the Steamboat Herione paddle wheel

Living History Education Day at Fort Towson

Fort Towson Historic Site will host Living History Education Day on Thursday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Educational stations will include reenactors portraying time periods from the fort’s beginning in 1824 through the 1870s. Participants can expect to see soldiers in full gear and civilians who interacted with the soldiers at the fort. The reenactors will teach students about the uniforms, weapons, and lifestyles of soldiers, trappers, storekeepers, and other people around the region who were connected to the fort. Visitors will move from station to station to see demonstrations about military life.

There is no charge for this opportunity to learn about our state’s history, but reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, please contact John Davis at jdavis@okhistory.org or 580-873-2634. Teachers must accompany each group, and a ratio of one adult for every eight students is recommended. Individuals who make a reservation will be met upon their arrival and instructed to proceed to the many educational stations. Fort Towson Historic Site is located one mile east of the town of Fort Towson and three-quarters of a mile north on Highway 70E.

Click here to learn more about the historical timeline of Fort Towson.

Blacksmithing Demonstrations with the Saltfork Craftsmen

Visit the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School in Perry on Saturday, March 5, to watch the Saltfork Craftsmen give Blacksmithing Demonstrations in the blacksmith shop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests can enjoy watching the craftsmen work and will have an opportunity for safe, hands-on experiences. This event is for those who enjoy watching craftsmen at work, and for young and old alike to try their hand at the craft.

This educational event is free to attend, but donations are appreciated. For more information please call 580-336-2405. The Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School is located at 2617 West Fir Street in Perry.

OHS COVID-19 safety measures

We recommend that visitors who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wear face masks and maintain social distancing in indoor public areas. All visitors, staff, volunteers, contractors, and vendors should 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.