EXTRA! - Write the Bison

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 10/26/2022 05:00 AM CDT

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History Center Research Museums & Sites Preservation Publications

October 26, 2022

A Ghost figure stands inside a window of Pawnee Bill's original log home, a reflection of the acreage is also seen in the window

Have a BOO-ti-ful Halloween!

Please visit the Oklahoma Historical Society's Calendar of Events for information about OHS events, programs, exhibits, and all of this fall's seasonal offerings.

What's coming up?

Final weekend of the #ExploreOHS Travel Contest!

Time is running out to post your photos of OHS museums and historic sites for the #ExploreOHS Travel Contest! This contest is open to the public, and all entries must be submitted on social media using the #ExploreOHS hashtag. Click here for eligibility requirements and details about how you can participate.

The person (or family/group traveling together) who visits the largest number of OHS sites from October 1-31, 2022, will win a prize pack of OHS swag and a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Honey Springs Battlefield. The contest winner gets to fire a reproduction Civil War–era cannon during the grand opening of the Honey Springs Visitor Center on Saturday, November 5!

A quilt pieced with the figure of a bison

Patch together a group of friends and see the show!

Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum's annual Quilt Show is open a few more days, featuring heirloom and modern quilts from across the state. Cimarron Valley Quilt Guild and Pawnee Bill Quilt Guild members are instrumental in putting together this yearly event.

There is no charge to view the Quilt Show, which is available to visitors during regular hours of operation. Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information about the Quilt Show or other programs, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@history.ok.gov.

A reenactor seated at a rolltop desk, takes on the persona of a territorial era doctor. His doctor bag is in the foreground

Consider yourself a weekend pioneer!

Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet during History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid.

On the first and third Saturday of each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the historic buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village come alive with reenactors who are tending their shops, working their trades, or socializing at the Village Church. Visitors can learn about different skills and trades of the time, or file their own land claim in the Land Office.

Visit the site on November 5 or 19, December 3 or 17 and become a weekend pioneer!

Will Rogers accepting his Oscar, the award has been replaced with a Dog Iron award

Get ready for the Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum (WRMM) and the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch (WRBR) will celebrate the 143rd birthday of Oklahoma’s Favorite Son with Will Rogers Days and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival from Wednesday, November 2, through Saturday, November 5. Many activities are planned to honor the memory of Will Rogers—Cherokee cowboy, philosopher, and movie actor.

To learn more about the Will Rogers Motion Picture Festival or to read a complete schedule of events, visit www.dogirons.com. For more information about Will Rogers Days, please call 918-341-0719 or visit www.willrogers.com/will-rogers-days.

OHS Board of Directors nominations open

Do you know someone who is passionate about Oklahoma’s history and would be an asset to the Oklahoma Historical Society? Would you like to serve? Nominate them (or yourself!) for a seat on the OHS Board of Directors! Nominations are now open for the OHS Board of Directors, a 25-member body consisting of 13 members elected by the OHS membership and 12 members appointed by the governor. There are currently five positions available: District 5 representative, District 6 representative, and three state at-large representatives. You must have been a member of the OHS for at least two years to serve on the board. Click here for more information, the application, and a map of the representative districts.

Nominations are due by noon on November 9, 2022, and will be reviewed by the OHS Board’s Nominating Committee. Incomplete nominations will not be considered. Ballots will be sent to the OHS membership in February 2023 and tabulated in April 2023. Please contact Director of Communications and Development Larry O’Dell at larry.odell@history.ok.gov with any questions.

Nomination form

Hey Kids!

A bison mother and calf at the Pawnee Bill Ranch

an airmail letter written to the Pawnee Bill Bison Herd

Write the Bison!

The bison at Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum are looking for pen pals! Send mail to: Pawnee Bill’s Bison Herd, P.O. Box 493, Pawnee, OK 74058—and you will receive a personalized postcard in return!

Farmer Dave, a large fabric doll seated on a collection of wool on the porch of Hunter's Home

Find Farmer Dave

Hunter's Home has a new member of its staff. Meet Farmer Dave! You can find Farmer Dave going about his chores and sometimes just taking it easy at Hunter's Home. Follow him on Facebook.

If you are between the ages of 4–12 and you can find Farmer Dave on your visit, we have a small gift for you! You never know where he will show up next, so plan your visit to Hunter’s Home today!