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This Friday, June 7, the Oklahoma History Center Museum will open a new exhibit in the Sam Noble Gallery entitled Inaugural Impressions. The exhibit will explore the lives and contributions of Oklahoma’s first ladies and gentleman while their spouses served as governors.
The exhibit will feature a variety of gowns from the Oklahoma Historical Society’s collections. Oklahoma’s first ladies and gentleman have always played a leading role in our history. Their professionalism and poise have increased the public’s awareness of worthy causes. Plan your visit to the Oklahoma History Center by clicking here.
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STAFF PHOTO BY TRAIT THOMPSON |
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THIS SATURDAY!
Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show
On Saturday, June 8, the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will celebrate the lives and showmanship of Major Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie and his wife, May Lillie, with Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show, which will be held at the historic ranch site.
Through this very special one-day event, enjoy the best of Western entertainment by experiencing the excitement of the sights, sounds, and exhibitions like those of the original Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show!
The museum will be open to the public during the festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the mansion will close at 6 p.m. Local food trucks will be available on-site. Visitors can enjoy historically accurate entertainment such as blacksmithing, chuck wagon cooking, gunfighters and sharpshooters, a magician, medicine man shows, and musicians on the ranch grounds from 2 to 6 p.m. The Pawnee Bill Original Wild West Show stagecoach will be available for photos in the arena from 4 to 6:30 p.m., along with crafts, games, food trucks, and your chance to meet Pawnee Bill and May Lillie. The big show begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are not sold in advance or online. They can only be purchased at the ranch entrance gate on the day of the event.
Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors over 62, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children five and younger.
For more information, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@history.ok.gov.
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Free Juneteenth celebration at the OHC |
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The Oklahoma Historical Society will celebrate Juneteenth with a free program, “Honor, Reflect, and Celebrate!” on Tuesday, June 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center. The event will educate the public about the history of Juneteenth through a book signing, live performances, discussions, and more.
Juneteenth is the celebration of emancipation following the U.S. Civil War. U.S. Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed the end of slavery in Texas at Galveston on June 19, 1865. This news and celebration spread to the enslaved people of Indian Territory throughout that summer.
No registration is required. Light refreshments will be served. Click here to read about the event details, including a list of presenters that will take part in the event.
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FREE WEBINAR
Masonic Lodges in Oklahoma
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On Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 2 p.m. (Central Time), the State Historic Preservation Office will host a free webinar with Oklahoma Historical Society board member Kenneth Sivard. The presentation will explore the rich history of the Masonic Lodges of Oklahoma, with particular interest in their history and architectural style.
A sixth-generation McCurtain County native, Kenny Sivard is a long-time McCurtain County Historical Society (MCHS) member and was elected president of the organization in 2009. Working with the MCHS, Sivard has created educational programs, including a Choctaw Heritage Festival. He assisted Dr. Lewis Stiles in marking the Choctaw Trail of Tears route across McCurtain County. Sivard is active in preservation and restoration efforts in downtown Idabel and on behalf of the Barnes-Stevenson House in Idabel and Howell, Harris Mill, and Waterhole Cemeteries. He has worked at the Fort Towson Historic Site, Honey Springs Battlefield, and the OHS Research Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, arranging for the donation of 7,000 historical photographs. Sivard is co-author of the book Images of McCurtain County, and he has written more than twenty-five articles on historical topics for newspapers and magazines. Sivard currently serves on the OHS Board of Directors.
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Summer Tours at Honey Springs Battlefield |
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Students from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) will serve as tour leaders for a series of guided tours on the six trails that cross the 1,100-acre Honey Springs Battlefield in June and July. The special tours will take place on three Saturdays in June: June 8,15, and 29, as well as Saturday, July 6.
The students will point out the exact locations of military actions, highlight key aspects of the engagement, and discuss its historical importance. Typically, the park and its six trails are self-guided, with a total of 55 trail markers. For more information regarding the guided tours and Honey Springs Battlefield, please email honeysprings@history.ok.gov or adam.lynn@history.ok.gov, or call 918-617-7125.
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Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers.
Purchase tickets to the workshop.
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The WKY/KTVY/KFOR Archives
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June 6, 1949, marks 75 years since WKY became the first television station in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Historical Society’s Film and Video Archives contains a photojournalistic record of the WKY, KTVY, and KFOR film collection spanning nearly 30 years from 1953 to 1979.
Through news footage, documentaries, and television specials, these archives capture a rare audio/visual view of Oklahoma’s past. Many digitized films and videos are available, with historical content ranging from inaugurations, parades, tornado coverage, and past football games. Archival footage of the Freedom Riders, Tom Mix on horseback, the Dust Bowl, the 101 Ranch, and a partial segment of The Adventures of 3-D Danny with Foreman Scotty are all available.
KFOR and the Oklahoma Historical Society are proud to make these films available around the clock as an online resource for the public.
Image: WKY Mobile Unit (19630.43.20, OPUBCO - WKY Radio and Television Collection, OHS).
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Rope and read this summer at a library near you!
Buckaroo Bart’s Summer Library Tour will run throughout the month of June. Swing by for some reading and cowboy trick roping! Buckaroo Bart, a.k.a. Bart Taylor, will also have copies of his books, Will Rogers and the Great White House Sleepover and Will Rogers and his Great Presidential Pals, for sale, with all proceeds going to the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. Get full details and a printable schedule by clicking here.
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 Cowboy Roper Lamp
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 The Crowded Hour
by Clay Risen
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Natural Brown Compass Leather Key Chain
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Father's Day is Sunday, June 16!
Don't forget the Oklahoma History Center Museum Store is stocked full of books and unique gift items related to Oklahoma history and culture, that fathers, family, and friends are sure to love. A variety of gifts that celebrate the state, including Made-in-Oklahoma merchandise, carvings, Western art, and much more!
For those hard-to-shop-for friends and family, remember to give the gift of history by gifting them with an Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) membership! Store associates can help you purchase an OHS gift membership.
Click here to see and shop for hundreds of gift ideas from the comfort of your home, or call 405-522-5214 for more information.
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Click event listings below for more information.
7 - Inaugural Impressions exhibit opens, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
7 - Basic Barn Quilt Workshop, The Chisholm, Kingfisher
7 - Oklahoma History Center Open House, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
8 - Quilting Workshop, Sod House Museum, Aline
8 - Guided Tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
8 - Basic Barn Quilt Workshop, The Chisholm, Kingfisher
8 - Pawnee Bill’s Original Wild West Show, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
11–15 - “Lift Every Voice: 60 Years Since the Civil Rights Act” Enid Chautauqua in the Park, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
13 - “Masonic Lodges of Oklahoma” presentation by Kenneth Sivard, State Historic Preservation Office
14 - OU/OAS Archaeological Field School concludes, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Site, Spiro
15 - Guided Tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
15 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
15 - Pinhole Camera Workshop with Jim Meeks, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
17–19 - Wild West Kids Camp, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
18 - Juneteenth Celebration: “Honor, Reflect, and Celebrate!,” Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
19 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
20 - Lunch and Learn: “Robert M. Jones: A Choctaw Millionaire in the American South, 1808–1873,” State Historic Preservation Office
20 - Summer Sounds Concert with musical duo Jim Garling and Susanne Woolley, The Chisholm, Kingfisher
20 - The Road to Will film screening and discussion with Steve McAllister, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
22 - Usable Block Printing class, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
27 - The People’s House: The Story of the Oklahoma State Capitol film screening on OETA
28 - Movie Night featuring Babe (1995), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
29 - Scavenger Hunt, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
29 - Guided Tours, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
30 - Vintage Snack Sets exhibit closes, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
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Masthead image: The Oklahoma History Center has a wide variety of E-Exhibits you can view from the cool comfort of your home! Each one explores an Oklahoma history topic and includes historic images, activities, a glossary, and a bibliography. Experience the full selection of E-Exhibits by clicking here.
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