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Cultivating cultural tourism
In this episode of A Very OK Podcast, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn talk with special guest Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell about the importance of cultural tourism in Oklahoma. After discussing some of their favorite historic places in the state, the crew talks about the evolution of the Oklahoma Historical Society from an entity that solely collects artifacts to one that also oversees the operation of important sites across the state. The lieutenant governor examines the successes Oklahoma has had by playing to its strengths and how the OHS plays a key role in bringing new visitors to the state.
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During the month of October, participants have been traveling to OHS museums and historic sites across the state—competing to see who can visit the most sites! This contest is open to the public, and all entries must be submitted on social media using the #ExploreOHS hashtag. A complete list of OHS museums and historic sites is available by visiting www.okhistory.org.sites/ Use the clickable map of 20+ sites to start planning your road trip today! Click here to view the contest rules and eligibility requirements.
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Coming soon!
"What a Mess" living history program at Fort Gibson
On Friday, October 28, and Saturday, October 29, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m., the mess hall of Fort Gibson Historic Site will come alive with the living history program “What a Mess.” Visitors will learn the types of foods available at the post during the 19th century. The kitchen staff will stoke the kitchen fires to make coffee and cook delicious recipes from pork, potatoes, and dried fruits and vegetables. Living historians will demonstrate the skills of military cooks who prepared and fed the many soldiers assigned to their mess.
Demonstrations and programs are free with regular admission. Other buildings open for touring are the commissary, bakehouse, magazine, and barracks, as well as the many furnished rooms located within the palisade walls.
Fort Gibson Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark, is located at 907 N. Garrison Ave. in Fort Gibson. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 for students aged 5–18. Active-duty military and veterans with military ID, as well as members of the OHS with a membership card, enjoy free admission. Please call 918-478-4088 for more information.
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See the lost art of wheel setting in Perry
Visit the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School in Perry on Saturday, November 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a special blacksmithing demonstration in the art of wheel setting. In addition to activities held in the blacksmith shop, the museum's resident blacksmith, Tom Nelson, will be demonstrating the advanced art of setting a wagon wheel and a buggy wheel. The wheel-setting demonstrations will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The wheelwright's craft goes back thousands of years and was essential in an age of wagon use. They were skilled in the art of building and repairing wooden wheels. There are many steps in the construction of heavy wheels, including the finishing touch of adding a metal ring or "tire" to tighten the wheel and ensure its stability. The metal piece is added when it is heated, so as it cools and shrinks, the spokes tighten and the wooden joints of the wheel come together.
This educational event is free to attend, but donations are appreciated. For more information please call 580-336-2405.
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The Daughter of Dawn film screening at Poncan Theatre
On Sunday, November 6, beginning at 2 p.m., the Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue will host a film screening of The Daughter of Dawn (1920) at the Poncan Theatre, located at 104 E. Grand Ave. in Ponca City. Rather than a set ticket price, patrons are encouraged to give a donation as admission to the screening.
The program begins at 2 p.m. with an introduction of the film by Jeff Moore, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s OKPOP Museum in Tulsa. The screening will commence at 2:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer time with the audience.
Click here to learn more about this free screening or by calling 580-765-0943. The historic Poncan Theatre, first opened in 1927, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
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View a clip from The Daughter of Dawn by clicking above. This one-minute clip features a group of men on horseback who are in pursuit of a bison herd. The Daughter of Dawn was filmed in the Wichita Mountains near Lawton. The entire cast was comprised of Native Americans, mostly Kiowa and Comanche. These Indigenous actors brought their own tipis, horses, clothing, and traditions to the set, which made the film especially unique.
After screening only a few times when it was released in 1920, The Daughter of Dawn disappeared without a trace. It was thought to be lost, but in 2004 a 35mm nitrate copy surfaced in private hands. A digital copy of the film was carefully captured from this reel, which is preserved in OHS collections. The Daughter of Dawn was added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry in 2013. You can learn more and purchase a DVD or Blu-ray by clicking here.
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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.
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Click event listings below for more information.
19 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
20 - Working America: A Sam Comen Photography Exhibition closes, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
20 - Thursday Night Lecture Series featuring Michael Williams and the story of Elmer McCurdy, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
21 - History & Haunts at the Overholser, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
22 - “Introduction to the Basics of Survival” workshop, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
22 - Come and Learn: Okey Drew book discussion and signing presented by Dr. Ameenah Fuller, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
22 - History & Haunts at the Overholser, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
25 - Space Night Open House, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
25 - “Shut the Door! Barns in Oklahoma: Oklahoma’s Special Purpose Barns and Farm Structures” webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
26 - Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors meeting, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
27 - Haunts of Memories Past: Tales from Dewey's Early Days, Dewey Heritage Theater, Dewey
28 - Movie Night featuring An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
28 - History & Haunts at the Overholser, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
28–29 - “What a Mess” living history program, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
29 - Cemetery Symbols: Carved in Stone, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
29 - “History Never Dies” Halloween Carnival, Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, Guthrie
29 - History & Haunts at the Overholser, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
29 - Ghost Stories Candlelight Tours, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
29 - Haunts of Memories Past: Tales from Dewey's Early Days, Dewey Heritage Theater, Dewey
30 - Annual Quilt Show closes, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
31 - Halloween Night at the Museum, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
2–5 - Will Rogers Days and Motion Picture Festival, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
5 - Wheel Setting Demonstrations with Tom Nelson, Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, Perry
5 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
5 - Honey Springs Visitor Center Grand Opening, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
5 - Cast-Iron Cooking class, Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill, Kingfisher
6 - The Daughter of Dawn (1920) film screening, Poncan Theatre, Ponca City
12 - Quilting workshop with Martha Ray, Sod House Museum, Aline
12 - Choctaw Code Talkers documentary film screening, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
15 - Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
16 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
16 - Rushmore Four performances, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
18–19 - “Hunter Trapper” living history program, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
19 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
19 - Let’s Talk About It: Lonesome Dove (1985) by Larry McMurtry, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
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Masthead photo: John Dunjee standing behind his exhibit of sweet potatoes at a free street fair in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory, October 1898 (4065, Frederick S. Barde Collection, OHS).
This photograph is available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
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