OHS EXTRA! - Killing of Umpire Forbidden

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 05/18/2022 05:00 AM CDT

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History Center Research Museums & Sites Preservation Publications

May 18, 2022

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Umpire and Baseball player arguing over a call

“Killing of umpire forbidden”

The inspiration for this month's OHS podcast episode comes from an 1891 code for conduct suggested by the owners of the Oklahoma City Pirates baseball team.* They specified to the public that the umpire had to be treated with kid gloves. Whether or not it was a joke to suggest that killing the umpire was forbidden, it speaks to the passion of the fans. Check out this episode for a wider discussion about baseball’s rich history in Oklahoma.

From the first organized game in 1882 in Indian Territory to town league teams to the pros, Oklahomans have made their mark on the game. In this episode of A Very OK Podcast, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn step up to the plate to explore how baseball made its way to Oklahoma, the significance of those early teams, and Oklahomans who are now enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. They are joined by Chad Williams, director of research for the Oklahoma Historical Society and baseball superfan. Chad discusses his love for the game and how baseball lovers can dive into the OHS archives to find first-hand documents and photos about the boys of summer in Oklahoma.

*Leo Kelley, “Minor Leagues, Major Dreams: Professional Baseball in Oklahoma,” The Chronicles of Oklahoma, 70, no. 1 (Spring 1992): 47.

Watch Field of Dreams again on the big screen!

Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore will host Movie Night featuring the film Field of Dreams (1989) in its theater on Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m.

Prior to the movie, “Horsing Around with Will” will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., during which families can enjoy activities and crafts relating to the movie’s theme. Guests can enjoy free admission, popcorn, and drinks while watching the film. Seating is limited, so early arrival is suggested. This event is free to attend thanks to sponsorship by the Bank of Commerce. Please call 918-341-0719 for more information.

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures, Inc.

Make it a frosty Friday!

On Friday, May 27, from 6 to 8 p.m., Preservation Oklahoma will continue its History and Hops series! For this special evening event, T. S. Akers will make a presentation on Masonic Temples in Oklahoma. This event will take place in the Carriage House of the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion located at 405 NW 15th St. in Oklahoma City.

Beer, water, and light snacks will be provided. This program is free for Preservation Oklahoma members and is only $5 for nonmembers! Members and nonmembers can secure tickets online at www.preservationok.org/shop.

a picture of hops, and the words History and Hops below it

Leather goods living history program at Fort Gibson

On May 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold a living history program titled "Leather Footwear." Come to the fort to learn how leather footwear was made in the 19th century. Staff members will also show examples of other leather goods that were gathered through trade at the site.

This program is free with paid admission, which can be purchased at the commissary located at 907 N. Garrison Ave. or at the office located within the palisade grounds. Please call 918-478-4088 for more information.

The worktable of an audio recording station

Living Legends project gains funding from ARPA

In 2021 the OHS secured an IMLS/ARPA grant through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries for $10,000. The funds were earmarked for the purpose of digitizing 200 reels of the OHS’s Oklahoma Living Legends oral history audio archive. The majority of the collection is held on reel-to-reel audio tape recordings, which is a process of recording that is becoming obsolete. To save the recordings for posterity, each reel of the collection has to be individually digitized and enhanced with software that captures the recordings as mp3 files. With 1,700 reel-to-reel tapes and approximately 2,100 interviews in total, the work of capturing just 200 reels will take as long as a year for OHS archival collections manager Mallory Covington to oversee.

The collection of interviews originally began as an effort by Oklahoma Christian College (present-day Oklahoma Christian University) to preserve the voices of pioneering Oklahomans with the intention that future generations could hear directly how the state’s “cities were carved from windswept plains.” The collection was transferred to the OHS Audio and Oral History Archives in the 1980s. Those interviewed include average citizens, politicians, rodeo riders, astronauts, television personalities, merchants, industrialists, oilmen, entrepreneurs, and artisans. Listen to select interviews from this collection on OHS's Audio Archives YouTube channel by clicking here.

Cherokee Strip Land Run, horses and wagons charge amidst dust to stake their claims

Cherokee Strip Pioneers, 1951–1953

State of the State Address from Governor Dewey Bartlett, 1971

Aunt Susan, wearing an apron, demonstrates cooking to two women

Aunt Susan Mueller

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Oklahomans with roots in China, c. 1938 (21412.M587.17, Z. P. Meyers/Barney Hillerman Photographic Collection, OHS).

Learn more with the Oklahoma Historical Society

A Fluid Frontier: Minority and Ethnic Groups and Opportunity in Oklahoma

A Fluid Frontier: Minority and Ethnic Groups and Opportunity in Oklahoma is one of many e-exhibits available on the OHS website that offer an educational experience online. This virtual exhibit explores the migrations of major cultural and ethnic groups, including Asians, African Americans, American Indians, and Latinos to the state of Oklahoma and their impact on the social and economic transformation of the modern state of Oklahoma. When the land that is now Oklahoma was first being explored, and later officially opened for settlement in the late 1800s, many people of various ethnicities and cultures came here. This created a cross-cultural interaction unique to Oklahoma.

A Fluid Frontier: Minority and Ethnic Groups and Opportunity in Oklahoma meets with Oklahoma History Academic Standards, Social Studies, for grades 9–12.

OHS e-exhibits list

OHS COVID-19 safety measures

We recommend that visitors who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wear face masks in indoor public areas. 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.