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The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will celebrate the lives of Major Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie, his wife May Lillie, and their famous Wild West Shows with a one-day celebration on Blue Hawk Peak.
On Saturday, June 10, Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the historic ranch site. Stagecoaches will roll amid thundering horse hooves while the lightning of gunfire explodes around Pawnee Bill, May, and their cohorts, as the talented performers thrill and amaze audiences. The event will feature exhibitions of acts from Pawnee Bill’s historic Wild West Show.
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A VARIETY OF ENTERTAINERS
Kevin Webb will portray Pawnee Bill for the 15th time. He is a cast member, a whip artist, and a chariot racer. Alyce Webb will portray May Lillie for the 5th time, performing her act on horseback. The Mike Pahsetopah family will perform as the Dancing Eagles, paying tribute to Indigenous culture with their stunning Native dancing. Show cowboys and cowgirls will return this year to demonstrate their skills with reckless feats of horsemanship and entertaining races. The Charro El Roble group from Oklahoma City will perform an equestrian sport called escaramuza, and Cowboy Jim Garling will perform his cowboy songs and Western swing around the grounds.
AND MORE!
The museum and beautiful 1910 mansion will be open to the public during the festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Food from local food trucks will be available on-site. There will be historically accurate entertainment such as blacksmithing, chuck wagon cooking, gunfighters and sharpshooters, a magician, medicine man shows, and musicians held continuously on the ranch grounds from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Pawnee Bill Original Wild West Show stagecoach will be available for photos at the arena from 4 to 6:30 p.m., along with Wild West demonstrations and games. Preshow festivities begin inside the area at 7 p.m. with the big show beginning at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS FOR THE WILD WEST SHOW
Admission costs are $10 for adults; $8 for seniors over the age of 62; $5 for children ages 6–12; and free admission for children five and younger. Tickets are not sold in advance or online. Tickets must be purchased at the ranch entrance gate on the day of the event. Please join us in celebrating Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show and experience some of the best of historic Western entertainment. For more information, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@history.ok.gov.
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Locate Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located on Blue Hawk Peak, one-half mile west of Pawnee on US 64.
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New outdoor signage installed at Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
A series of new outdoor signs have been installed on the grounds at Pawnee Bill Ranch to help visitors understand the main points of interest on the property. The ranch achieved this goal through an Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant awarded to the Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association. Now guests can enjoy self-guided walks around the grounds of the historic site, learning about the 500-acre property that includes the original ranch blacksmith shop, a 1903 log cabin, a large barn built in 1926, and an Indian Flower Shrine—all available to the public.
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Do your children want to experience the Wild West?
Be sure to sign up your youngsters for Will's Wild West Kids Camp at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore!
From Monday, June 19, to Friday, June 21, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Wild West Kids Camp will transport participants back in time to the Wild West with hands-on activities in a fun and entertaining learning environment. Kids will have the opportunity to participate in nature programs, crafts, period dancing, 19th-century games, train rides, and much more. A chuck wagon lunch will be provided.
The camp is for ages 5–12, and preregistration is required. The cost for the camp is $30 for WRMM members and $45 for nonmembers. Campers will receive a cowboy hat, shirt, rope, and other crafts. For more information or to register for the camp, please visit www.willrogers.com. The deadline for registration is June 11!
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WE LOVE THIS!
#ExploreOHS Travel Contest winner names baby bison
Congratulations to the winner of our latest #ExploreOHS Travel Contest! Bea Cummings Parker and her husband Mike visited 24 OHS sites during the month of March. Yes, you read that correctly. They visited 24 different museums and historic sites across Oklahoma—that’s simply amazing!
For their prize, the Parkers chose to name a baby bison. In mid-April, the first calf of the season was born at Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum and it was a girl! They named the bison “Ora”—to honor Mike’s grandmother Leora.
We had lots of participants in the month-long contest. They traveled across the state, visited OHS sites, and shared their photos on social media with the hashtag #ExploreOHS. Kelsey Perry and her family came in second place by visiting 19 OHS sites. Morgan Riggs and her family visited 10 OHS sites, placing third in the contest.
Top photo: Baby Ora in the pasture with her mom. Bottom photo: Bea and Mike Parker visiting Fort Towson Historic Site.
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The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will celebrate Juneteenth with “Freedom Songs” on Thursday, June 15, from 5-8 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center.
Juneteenth is the celebration of emancipation following the American Civil War. On June 19, 1865, US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger proclaimed the end of slavery at Galveston, Texas. News of emancipation spread north to the enslaved people in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) at different times during the summer of 1865. However, emancipation was not immediate for all enslaved people—it was enforced later through the Reconstruction Treaties of 1866.
The event will include a book signing, live performances, discussions, a fashion show, and student presentations. Featured performers include Loria Philips, Bonita Franklin, Starr Fisher, and students of the Gamma Epsilon chapter of Phi Delta Kappa sorority. Author Carmen Fields will sign copies of her new book, Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band, and discuss her father’s struggles. There will also be a fashion show that focuses on African culture. Attendees are invited to wear traditional cultural regalia.
Dr. Markus Smith will serve as master of ceremonies. Smith is a professor of political science at Oklahoma City Community College, realtor/CEO/team leader, and author of Journey Through the Hoods.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Registration ends at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 13. Light refreshments will be served. Register for “Freedom Songs” by clicking here.
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This project is supported in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts. |
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FREE DOCUMENTARY SCREENING
The People's House documentary premiere at deadCenter Film Festival
On Sunday, June 11, at 1:30 p.m., a new documentary on the Oklahoma State Capitol will premiere at the deadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City. The People’s House was directed by Oklahoma native Bryan Beasley and produced with support from the Inasmuch Foundation and the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The premiere is FREE! No film festival pass is needed. The documentary screening will take place on Sunday, June 11, at 1:30 p.m., at the Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16 in Oklahoma City.
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Click event listings below for more information.
30–31 - History Day Camp, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
31 - A. Day’s Work art exhibit closes, Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, Guthrie
1 - History Day Camp, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
1 - Vintage Snack Sets exhibit opens, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
1 - Hidden Oklahoma: “Geoarchaeology” presentation by Dr. Debra Green (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
3 - Guided tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
3 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
9–10 - Musket Cleaning demonstration, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
10 - Guided tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
10 - Quilting workshop with Martha Ray, Sod House Museum, Aline
10 - Carriage House Sit and Sew, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
10 - Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
10 - Second Saturday Sewing Circle, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
10 - Crochet a Market Bag workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
11 - The People’s House film screening at deadCenter Film Festival, Harkins Theatres Bricktown 16, Oklahoma City
13–17 - “American Aviation: Barnstorming to Mach 1” Enid Summer Chautauqua, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
15 - “Freedom Songs” Juneteenth Celebration, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
15 - Story Time at Hunter’s Home, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
17 - “19th-Century Weapons and Tools of Survival” presentation by Seth Goff, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
17 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
17 - Kids Make History, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
19–21 - Will’s Wild West Kids Camp, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
20 - Youth Hand-Stitched Soccer Ball workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
21 - “Finding the Girls: Records for Researching Women” Lunch and Learn webinar (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
21 - Spoon Ring for Teens Metalsmithing workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
21 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
21 - History OffCenter: "OkieKaraoke," Cabin Boys Brewery, Tulsa
24 - Guided tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
24 - Haversack Sewing workshop with Dr. Larry Toll, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
24 - Hands-On Historic Skills, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
27 - Simple Ring Metalsmithing workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
29 - Sports Night at OHC, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
30 - Wheels exhibit closes, Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, Perry
30 - Vintage Snack Sets exhibit closes, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
30 - Movie Night featuring Sullivan’s Travels (1941), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
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Masthead image: 1886 map of Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) showing tribal lands, reservations, towns, villages, schools, rivers, forts, agencies, and railroad lines, published by G. W. and C. B. Colton and Company, New York. The Oklahoma panhandle is not depicted at the time this map was published because it was not yet affiliated with the state—popularly referred to at the time as "No Man's Land" (ITMAP.0182, Oklahoma Historical Society Indian Territory Maps, OHS). |
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