EXTRA! - The sky is the limit!

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 09/06/2023 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

September 6, 2023

A black and white photo of a Braniff airplane parked on the tarmac in Oklahoma City with a blue sky with clouds background.

THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

Explore Oklahoma’s aviation history

With 384 public and private airports currently in operation, the history and impact of aviation in Oklahoma is a long one. As early as 1911 Clyde Vernon Cessna, founder of the Cessna Aircraft Company which is still in operation today, began designing and testing airplanes on the Great Salt Plains in Alfalfa County. By 1929, Paul Revere Braniff was launching his first flight from Tulsa for Paul R. Braniff, Inc., which would become Braniff International Airways. By the early 1930s Wiley Hardeman Post was breaking cross-country and around-the-world speed records and helped solidify the mystique of aviation in the American psyche.

Visit the Oklahoma History Center Museum (OHCM) to see the exhibit Taking Flight: Oklahomans Explore the Skies in the Vose Atrium Gallery on the first floor of the Oklahoma History Center. The installation is dedicated to Oklahomans who have contributed to all aspects of aviation—a tradition that carries forward and still impacts the state’s economy today.

A photograph of a plane interior exhibit installation featuring a pilot and 2 window plane seats with an image of downtown Tulsa

Experience the first Braniff flight at the Oklahoma History Center Museum!

In 1928, pilot Paul Revere Braniff flew a single-engine Stinson Detroiter from Oklahoma City to Tulsa, officially launching the Braniff Airlines company 95 years ago. Visitors can experience that historic moment with a unique flight simulation featured in the OHCM’s Crossroads of Commerce exhibit located in the Inasmuch Gallery.

Crossroads of Commerce is a wide-ranging exhibit that takes a dynamic walk through Oklahoma’s five periods of economic development. Through large-scale installations, displays of artifacts, and a variety of audio and video components, Crossroads explores the individual stories of entrepreneurs and companies that have etched their names and faces into many of the state’s collective memories. Click here or call 405-522-0765 to plan your next visit to the OHCM.

A detail of the Kilgen organ metal plate label, with the manufacturer's town St. Louis

PLAYING FAVORITES

Zach Frame Kilgen Theatre Organ performance

The Oklahoma History Center will host its first Kilgen Theatre Organ performance of the season when guest organist Zach Frame will play a series of favorite melodies on the keyboard instrument on Monday, September 25, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the performance are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for nonmembers. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Purchase tickets

A historical image of a Threatt family member filing car tires with air. The Threatt station and gas pumps are seen at right.

REVIVING THE PAST

“Threatt Filling Station Rehabilitation Project” Lunch and Learn webinar

On Wednesday, September 13, at noon, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will host a free Lunch and Learn webinar entitled “Threatt Filling Station Rehabilitation Project.” The webinar will explore the historical significance of the Threatt Family Farm and its centerpiece, the Threatt Filling Station. Preservation efforts are underway to restore the Black-owned and operated station along Route 66, known as a haven for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era.

The featured presenters will be three cousins, the grandchildren of Allen and Alberta Threatt, Linda D. Fisher, Edward D. Threatt, and Charles David Threatt. These family members have combined their talents and resources to preserve, rehabilitate, and reopen the historic station as an Oklahoma destination ahead of the US Route 66 Centennial in 2026. Kristina Wyckoff, SHPO Section 106 coordinator and historical archaeologist will lead the discussion.

Register for the webinar

Men dressed in uniforms are seated on horseback at the reenactment of the Mexican War (1846 to 1848)

HOLDING DOWN THE FORT

“1840s Garrison Weekend” living history program

On Friday, September 22, and Saturday, September 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Fort Gibson Historic Site will hold a garrison weekend event. This 2-day living history program will feature demonstrations of troop movement used in preparation for the Mexican American War. In the 1840s, Fort Gibson soldiers traveled the 123-mile distance to Fort Towson in southeastern Indian Territory.

Visitors will have opportunities to interact with living historians who are experts in the Mexican War era. Experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the early 19th century as soldiers conduct various daily activities at the Fort Gibson Historic Site. This program is included in the cost of admission and will take place at the Fort Gibson stockade.

A vintage typewriter on a desk, from the home of Fred and Addie Drummond

REMEMBER WHEN

Drummond antiques and attic treasures on display

For the entire month of September, family heirlooms belonging to the Fred and Addie Drummond family. The featured items will be displayed at the Victorian-style home they built in 1905. Once a year, the historic Fred and Addie Drummond Home brings out a collection of artifacts belonging to the successful Osage County ranching family for the public to view. Articles of clothing, school memorabilia, sheet music, quilts, toys, and numerous attic treasures belonging to the Drummond family will be on display from Friday, September 1, through Saturday, September 30. To learn more about touring the historic home, call 918-352-5583.

An image of a paper ticket stub that features the words "Prairie to Palate"

JUST THE TICKET!

Prairie to Palate fundraiser

The Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue will have its annual Prairie to Palate fundraising dinner on Thursday, September 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. This farm-to-table dining experience will include an evening of delicious food, wine, live music, and a silent auction held inside the museum. All proceeds support the Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue’s operating costs throughout the year. For more information, please call 580-765-6108 or click here to purchase tickets.

The deadline to purchase tickets for this event is Friday, September 15.