EXTRA! - "Watch Out For Flying Chairs"

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 07/12/2023 05:00 AM CDT

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Four boys, walking down a dirt road with fishing poles over their shoulders, 1935

History Center Research Museums & Sites Preservation Publications

July 12, 2023

Mildred Burke, 1953. The wrestler is wearing a black one pice outfit with a world champion belt, making a bicep curl for the camera.

NOW ON EXHIBIT!

Watch Out for Flying Chairs: Professional Wrestling in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma History Center has opened a new photography exhibit Watch Out for Flying Chairs: Professional Wrestling in Oklahoma.

The exhibit examines professional wrestling in Oklahoma from its emergence in traveling carnivals to today. Oklahoma has been at the forefront of professional wrestling through its continued popularity across communities, as well as the contributions of Oklahomans in and out of the squared circle. Over the last 80 years, traditional wrestling has brought Oklahoma more national and international wrestling medals, trophies, titles, and championships than any other state. It is that expertise in the amateur circle that Oklahomans have contributed to the squared circle of professional wrestling. Leroy McGuirk, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, and the incomparable Danny Hodge all wrestled at the highest amateur levels before turning their attention to the unique world of professional wrestling.

The photography exhibit will be displayed in the West Atrium Gallery on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center. Please call 405-522-0765 or click here for admission costs and group rates.

Pictured: Mildred Burke, World Champion Lady Wrestler, 1953
(2012.201.B0116.0373, Oklahoma Publishing Company Photography Collection, OHS)

a row of men dressed as First Kansas Infantry Regiment soldiers, and the First's Infantry flag behind them

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers needed to 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 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.

A question-and-answer event will be held on Saturday, July 22, from 1:30–3 p.m. at the Fort Gibson Historic Site Visitor Center for those interested in learning more about this unique opportunity. Volunteers who are eligible will be fitted for uniforms and will 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.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining this group, plan to attend the question-and-answer event at the visitor center located at 907 N. Garrison Ave. in Fort Gibson or email fortgibson@history.ok.gov.

A bugler dressed in a Union Civil War era uniform

Battle of Honey Springs Memorial Service

Honey Springs Battlefield will hold its annual memorial service honoring the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Honey Springs near Checotah on Saturday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m. John Beaver, the curator for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Cultural Center and Archives, will be the guest speaker.

The memorial service will be held outside on the lawn of the visitor center. The program will include a welcome and opening remarks from site director Adam Lynn and the presentation of colors by the color guard and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Honor Guard. An invocation will be given by Muscogee (Creek) Nation Secretary of Veterans Affairs Grover Wind, and music by Mvskoke citizen Ms. Anne Townsend-Edwards. After the program, the color guard will retire the colors. The Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield will host its annual meeting following the retirement of the colors.

For more information regarding the memorial service and Honey Springs Battlefield, call 918-617-7125.

A red barn with wooden quilt pattern design

A few spots are left in the Barn Quilt workshops!

Make-and-take your own barn quilt made of square-shaped boards painted to resemble a quilt block at the Chisholm Trail Museum (CTM) on Friday, July 21, or Saturday, July 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Barn quilts consist of colorful wooden patterns, serving as decoration for exterior buildings. Over time they have evolved into a rural development initiative to boost tourism in communities across the United States. Please get in touch with the CTM by calling 405-375-5176 to reserve your place in the workshops led by Oklahoma State University Extension Educator Lindy Hoel. Lunch is included with the $50 per person fee for this workshop. Payment must be received to secure registration.

Claremore placement pinpointing places of interest on the highway

Lunch and Learn virtual webinar tomorrow!

“How to Advocate for Route 66 Resources”

On Thursday, July 13, at noon, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will host a free, virtual Lunch and Learn webinar entitled “How to Advocate for Route 66 Resources.” In this session, Kaisa Barthuli, program manager of the National Park Service’s Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, will talk about the history and significance of Route 66 in Oklahoma and will share information and resources on how to preserve Route 66 buildings, signs, roadbeds, and bridges in your community.

SHPO’s Section 106 Coordinator and Historic Archaeologist Kristina Wyckoff will lead the discussion.

Register for the webinar

Register today for National History Day Boot Camp!

On Thursday, July 27, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Learning and Engagement Department staff of the Oklahoma History Center will host a National History Day Boot Camp workshop to show middle and high school teachers how to bring project-based learning and critical thinking skills into their classrooms through the adaptable curriculum of the National History Day program for grades 6–12.

National History Day Boot Camp registration is $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $15 for nonmembers. The deadline for registration is Friday, July 14. This workshop will be held in the Musser Learning Lab, located on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center.

Register for Boot Camp