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OKLAHOMA AVIATOR
Clarence Leonard Tinker
November 21, 1887–June 7, 1942
Clarence Leonard Tinker (Osage) was born on November 21, 1887, in Osage County, 20 years before Oklahoma statehood. He was the son of George Edward Tinker (Osage) and Sarah Ann Schwagerty Tinker. His father was the founder and publisher of the Wah-Zha-Zhe News.
On January 14, 1942, he received a promotion to the rank of major general, becoming the highest-ranking officer of Indigenous ancestry in the US Army. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was placed in charge of the then-newly created Seventh Air Force at Hickam Field, Hawaii.
Tinker led four Liberator bombers on a raid to Wake Island on June 5, 1942. Leaving Midway Island on June 6, his plane crashed at sea, killing all on board. Tinker was the first American general killed in World War II, declared lost at sea on June 7, 1942. By order of General H. H. Arnold, commanding general of the Army Air Forces, the Oklahoma City Air Depot was designated Tinker Army Air Field (today known as Tinker Air Force Base) on October 14, 1942, to honor Tinker's meritorious service. Tinker was inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame in 1999.
Read more about Major General Tinker in the article "Osage Aviator: The Life and Career of Major General Clarence L. Tinker," by James L. Crowder Jr., featured in the Winter 1987 issue of The Chronicles of Oklahoma.
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UP, UP, AND AWAY!
See Taking Flight at the Oklahoma History Center!
Taking Flight: Oklahomans Explore the Skies is the Oklahoma History Center's (OHC) newest exhibit installed in the Vose Atrium Gallery on the first floor of the museum.
Enjoy air-conditioned comfort while learning about the history of aviation and aviators in Oklahoma. The exhibit has everything from nose art to flight manuals, and vintage toy planes to flight attendant uniforms. Visitors can interact with touch screens depicting aircraft in flight and learn about the state's aviation history. A custom mural of a two-story-high hot air balloon is a great place to dress up for lighthearted selfies and to pretend to take flight! Children will love climbing into the “Sky Fighter” (pictured above), where they can pretend to have a shoot-out with aliens in the seats of a stationary rocket ship.
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Along with uniforms, aviation badges, and medals, aviation enthusiasts can view a World War II pilot's life jacket that once belonged to US Navy pilot Harry Hanna (pictured at right, wearing the vest). This type of vest was nicknamed a “Mae West” because, when inflated, it gave one a buxom appearance like the sultry actress.
Along with the aviators of the "Jolly Rogers" squadron aboard the USS Hornet, Hanna flew missions in the Pacific Theater of WWII. View the episode in our From the Collection video series dedicated to Hanna’s artifacts in the OHS collection. To hear the incredible story of heroism and brotherhood surrounding this artifact, click here.
The Taking Flight: Oklahomans Explore the Skies exhibit is chock full of airplane memorabilia, including the large metal panels of retired World War II bombers with hand-painted, custom nose art. Learn more about the early days of flight in the state by viewing the exhibit. The OHC is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please call 405-522-0765 for more information about all five galleries at the OHC.
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Volunteers needed to help depict All-Black Civil War regiment
Fort Gibson Historic Site is calling for interested parties to join its inaugural First Kansas Colored Infantry Volunteer Regiment living history group. Fort Gibson and Honey Springs Battlefield have partnered to develop a First Kansas Colored Infantry Volunteer Regiment to help conduct programming depicting the All-Black Civil War regiment that was instrumental in helping the US Army defeat Confederate forces in Indian Territory, most notably in the Battle of Honey Springs.
The First Kansas Colored Infantry was made up of free Black and formerly enslaved people. Free Black and formerly enslaved women were employed by the army as nurses and laundresses to support the First Kansas. There is enough funding to supply seven men and four women with equipment and clothing. Fort Gibson and Honey Springs staff will regularly provide training and support for this volunteer group.
There will be a question-and-answer event on Saturday, June 17, and Saturday, July 22, from 1:30–3 p.m. at the Fort Gibson Historic Site Visitor Center located at 907 N. Garrison Ave. in Fort Gibson. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and sign up for the program at that time. Volunteers who are eligible will be fitted for uniforms and work with staff to determine the first training date, which will likely be in August 2023. The first program is tentatively scheduled for November 2023.
This group will conduct educational programming an average of four to five times a year, which can include demonstrations at the November Honey Springs event, garrison weekends at Fort Gibson Historic Site, the April 2024 commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Fort Gibson Historic Site, and the November 2024 commemoration of the Freedmen Commission.
If you or anyone you know is interested in joining this group, make plans to attend one of the Q&A events or send an email to fortgibson@history.ok.gov.
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The Enid Chautauqua invites guests to step back in time with stories and anecdotes from historical figures at the 2023 Summer Chautauqua “American Aviation: Barnstorming to Mach 1” hosted by the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC). These FREE PROGRAMS will take place Tuesday through Saturday, June 13–17, under the big white tent in the Humphrey Heritage Village at the CSRHC. The week-long program includes daily workshops (at 10:30 a.m. and noon) and five evening performances (Tuesday–Saturday). Workshops take place in the historic church of the Humphrey Heritage Village. Evening performances begin at 6:30 p.m. with local entertainment.
Through live performances, visitors can travel to another era and meet some of history’s most illustrious characters while listening to stories and anecdotes from unique, first-person perspectives. Historical reenactments include an in-character monologue and an opportunity for the audience to pose questions to both the visiting luminary and the scholar/presenter. This year, actors will portray Rose Cousins, Jacqueline Cochran, Chuck Yeager, Amelia Earhart, and Eula "Pearl" Carter Scott.
The start time is 6:30 p.m. each night with preshow entertainment. The scholar performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Events are free and open to the public!
Enid Chautauqua coordinates these educational events in partnership with Oklahoma Chautauqua. The CSRHC is proud to be a summer Chautauqua project manager and host site. The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is located at 507 S. Fourth St. in Enid. For more information, please call 580-237-1907 or visit csrhc.org/chautauqua.
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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 Major General 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 Xinos and Kudos of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. Author Carmen Fields will sign copies of her new book, Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band. There will also be a fashion show that focuses on African cultures. Attendees are invited to wear traditional cultural regalia and enjoy an art display by sculptor LaQuincey Reed.
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.
Planning for the 2023 Juneteenth event has included participation from scholars, students, volunteers, and community members.
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. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City.
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This event is hosted by the OHS Multicultural Office and the OHS Black Heritage Committee. It is supported in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives funding from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts. |
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One million items and counting
More than one million items are now available for viewing on The Gateway to Oklahoma History, a free online repository of Oklahoma history brought to you by the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) Research Division in partnership with the University of North Texas Libraries.
The Gateway is a research tool that allows you to search and download millions of historic Oklahoma newspaper pages, photographs, book pages, manuscripts, and maps from the 1840s to the present day. Many of the newspapers pre-date Oklahoma's statehood and are not easily found in local library collections.
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Click event listings below for more information.
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 - Story Time at Hunter’s Home, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
15 - “Freedom Songs” Juneteenth Celebration, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
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
17 - Question-and-answer session for the First Kansas Colored Infantry Volunteer Regiment, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
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
1 - Guided tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
1 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
7 - Overnight at the Chuck Wagon, 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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