|
|
The traveling exhibit, Encountering John Brown, will be displayed inside the Honey Springs Battlefield Visitor Center beginning on January 9.
The official grand opening of the exhibit to the public will take place on Saturday, January 13, at 1 p.m.
The Grand Opening will be celebrated with light refreshments and is included with paid admission. This is a good opportunity to see the exhibit material that uncovers the history of the man who helped ignite the American Civil War. The display will also provide meaningful historical connections between John Brown and those who later fought at the Battle of Honey Springs on July 17, 1863.
Encountering John Brown was developed, designed, built, and toured by Overland Traveling Exhibits from North Newton, Kansas. Founding institutions include the Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence, Kansas.
An abolitionist, John Brown, spoke out against the institution of slavery and slaveholding in hopes that all people, no matter their race or background, would eventually share freedom equally. Brown also led a group of fellow abolitionists in armed conflicts against pro-slave Missouri border ruffians prior to the outbreak of the Civil War with the assistance of James G. Blunt, William Addison Phillips, Josiah Hinton, and others who would later organize one of the most culturally diverse U.S. armies (Army of the Frontier) ever formed in the entire Civil War. These same Brown men led this army, which consisted of three Union Native Home Guards and the First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was the first African American Unit to see combat in the entire Civil War. Additionally, these regiments consisted of many Freedmen who had self-liberated themselves from present-day Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. They would fight for their freedoms and homes at the Battle of Honey Springs and the Civil War in Indian Territory. For more information, call 918-617-7125 or email honeysprings@history.ok.gov.
|
|
 Funding for this program is provided in part by a grant from the Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of OH.
|
|
OETA’s Back In Time premiere and panel discussion to feature Will Rogers
On Tuesday, January 9, at noon, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum (WRMM) will premiere an OETA production of Back in Time: “Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son.”
OETA has partnered with the museum to arrange the first screening of Back in Time: “Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son” in the museum’s theatre. A panel discussion and a question-and-answer session with Back in Time producer Robert Burch and WRMM experts will follow the screening.
This event is free but does require registration. Register for the screening.
Back in Time is OETA’s award-winning documentary series showcasing significant people, events, and stories that shaped the history of Oklahoma.
|
|
|
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip with musical group Zoetrope
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 (CSRHC) in Enid.
On Saturday, January 6, the musical group Zoetrope will play traditional songs of yesteryear during the History Alive! event, when the four historic territorial buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village come to life with reenactors dressed in period clothing from the late 1800s. Wayne and Brenda Cantwell make up the duo Zoetrope. Wayne will perform American old-time American and Celtic music using fiddle, 5-string clawhammer banjo, and mountain dulcimer, and Brenda will add to the entertainment with spoons, bones, and limberjack clog dolls. To learn more about the event, contact the museum at 580-237-1907.
|
|
|
Lunch and Learn: "The Canadian County Jail and Current Preservation Efforts"
The effort to preserve the old Canadian County jail will be highlighted in a Lunch and Learn webinar hosted by the State Historic Preservation Office on Wednesday, January 10, starting at noon. The featured speaker is Amy Neathery with Preservation El Reno.
The jail was finished in 1907, a few months before Oklahoma became the 46th state. It cost $18,000 to build. The jail served the county for 78 years. The presentation will focus on the jail’s rich history, including several design features that made it unique when it opened in 1907 and are still unique today. Neathery will talk about the steps taken to reverse a decision by the Canadian County Commissioners to destroy the building. Neathery will also discuss what led to the current state of disrepair. The presentation will finish with a summary of the vision for the building and the goal to have it restored by the Route 66 Centennial in 2026. Registration for the webinar is required. For more information, contact Kristina Wyckoff, Section 106 coordinator and historic archaeologist, at 405-521-6381 or kristina.wyckoff@history.ok.gov.
|
|
|
Click event listings below for more information.
5 - Silver Selections from the USS Oklahoma exhibit closes, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
6 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip with musical group Zoetrope, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
7 - Osage Ribbonwork class with Ruth Shaw **class is full,** White Hair Memorial, Fairfax
9 - Encountering John Brown exhibit opens, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
9 - OETA’s Back in Time: “Will Rogers, Oklahoma’s Favorite Son” premiere, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
10 - Lunch and Learn: “The Canadian County Jail and Current Preservation Efforts” presentation by Amy Neathery webinar, State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
13 - Encountering John Brown exhibit grand opening, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
14 - Osage Ribbonwork class with Ruth Shaw **class is full,** White Hair Memorial, Fairfax
17 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
18 - Historic Preservation Review Committee Meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
20 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
20 - Make Your Own Tea Blend: “Grown in Oklahoma” workshop **class is full,** Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
24 - Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
25 - Oklahoma Built Excellence: GM OKC exhibit opens, Oklahoma History Center Museum, Oklahoma City
26 - Movie Night featuring Will Rogers in Steamboat Round the Bend (1935), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
30 - OCSS State Conference, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
February 2024
1 - Antique Doll exhibit opens, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
3 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
3 - “The History of John Brown” presentation by Dr. Jennifer Murray, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
|
|
|
Masthead photo: Emma Kaiser and Josephine Pleasant in a two-horse open sleigh on North Broadway, Geary, c. 1912 (20315.36.1.A, Kent Ruth Collection, OHS).
This image is available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History
|
|
|
|
|
