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GIFTS FOR THE HISTORY LOVER IN YOUR FAMILY!
Shop at Oklahoma Historical Society museums and historic sites this holiday season!
The Oklahoma History Center Museum Store and OHS sites across the state have a unique selection of gifts—perfect for the history lover in your life! Please be sure to make a stop at your favorite OHS museum or historic site over the holidays, and frequent the gift shops found at most of our locations. To see a full list of our museums and historic sites, visit okhistory.org/sites/index.
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Fort Gibson 1870s Hospital and Gift Shop
The renovations of the 1870s hospital at the Fort Gibson Historic Site are complete. The refurbished building has orientation areas, gallery spaces, site maps, a replica hospital ward, and now houses Fort Gibson Historic Site’s Gift Shop.
On your next visit to the Fort Gibson Historic Site, at 803 North Garrison Avenue, find unique replica gifts, including writing sets, inkwells, handblown glass, dishes, and other items fashioned after those used in the 19th century.
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November is Native American Heritage Month. The Oklahoma Historical Society has multiple resources for discovering Oklahoma’s Native history, culture, stories, and people. Visit the Native American history page on the OHS website to explore our archives, newspapers, oral histories, podcast episodes, historic places, noted landmarks, and educational tools. You can also read about Oklahoma’s remarkable Native actors, performers, artists, musicians, writers, historians, and athletes.
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LISTEN TO THE LATEST
The Choctaw Code Talkers
During World War I, it was common for the German military to tap Allied communications lines along the Western Front. Seeking to find a way to communicate that could not be interpreted by the enemy, the commander of the 36th Infantry’s 142nd Regiment enlisted Choctaw soldiers to send messages in their native language. The result led to successful operations in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, ultimately pushing the Germans out of France and ending the war. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the history and legacy of the Choctaw Code Talkers. Their guest is Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer, author of the book, Anumpa Warrior: Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I (2018, RockHaven Publishing).
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Very OK apparel
Are you a fan? Show your enthusiasm for A Very OK Podcast with your very own soft and colorful t-shirt, available for purchase online from the Oklahoma History Center Museum store!
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1850s Christmas Traditions program |
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Visit Hunter’s Home—the only remaining pre–Civil War plantation home in Oklahoma—for a genuine 1850s Christmas experience from Tuesday, November 19 through Friday, December 13.
During these dates, the historic home will be decorated in the style of an 1850s Christmas when the Christmas holiday was just beginning to include traditions we know today. In that time period, Christmas was a more modest occasion.
For more festivities, be sure to attend the Christmas Open House at Hunter’s Home from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 15.
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OHS early December events |
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The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum is ready to kick off the holiday season with its annual Open House celebration during Clinton’s Festival of Lights. This year’s event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, December 3, from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Open House will occur during the afternoon, allowing everyone to visit the museum and participate in downtown events. Museum volunteers will serve refreshments at the event in the museum's Wow! Room. Admission is free to the local community as a gift for all of the museum’s support during the past year.
Along with hosting an Open House, the museum will enter a decorated Classic Chevrolet Truck in Clinton’s Festival of Light parade. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Main Street (or Frisco Ave.) in Clinton. For additional information, contact Pat Smith at 580-323-7866 or email patricia.smith@history.ok.gov.
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Tenth Annual Holiday Market at the Museum
The Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus will host its tenth annual Holiday Market at the Museum on Tuesday, December 3, at 6 p.m. The event will showcase the talents of local artists who will be selling their unique work, including paintings, jewelry, pottery, fused glass, works in wood, and more. This is a great opportunity to support both the artists and the museum while doing your holiday shopping.
The market is free and open to the public. Visitors can also tour the museum while browsing the artists’ displays. Refreshments will be served.
The Western Trail Historical Society organizes this event. The Museum of the Western Prairie is located at 1100 Memorial Dr. in Altus. For more information, call 580-482-1044.
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Museum After Dark: Christmas in the Village
A Victorian-style Christmas experience will return to the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid with “Museum After Dark: Christmas in the Village.” The beautifully decorated Humphrey Heritage Village will be full of holiday cheer from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, December 6.
With the purchase of regular admission, visitors will see some of the unique Christmas traditions that early Cherokee Outlet settlers may have brought with them. A cottage market will be set up, and guests can purchase local handmade gifts. This family-friendly event will also include Christmas carols, hot drinks, a visit with Santa Claus, and more.
For more information about the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, please call 580-237-1907 or visit csrhc.org.
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Wassail at the Carnegie Library
The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will participate in a tour showcasing some of Guthrie’s most distinctive homes and historic buildings on Saturday, December 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will hear tales of the early days of Oklahoma’s first capital.
On the day of the event, wassail will be served at the Carnegie Library to warm the hearts and hands of tour participants. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online from the Guthrie Territorial Christmas Foundation. Tickets can also be purchased in person on Monday, December 2, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Guthrie City Hall. Pre-purchased tickets are nonrefundable. Visit the Guthrie's Territorial Christmas Foundation website to learn more.
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Photos with Santa
The Heritage Gallery at Will Rogers Memorial Museum will be the perfect backdrop for taking photos with Santa on Saturday, December 7, and Saturday, December 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bring your family, camera, or phone to take beautiful family pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information, please visit willrogers.com or call 918-341-0719.
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Christmas Tea
On Sunday, December 8, the Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School in Perry will host a Christmas Tea from 1:30 to 4 p.m. This event coincides with the Christmas Tour of Homes in Perry when the museum opens its doors to the public. The museum, the gazebo, and Rose Hill School will have festive holiday decorations to set the mood for an old-fashioned Christmas. Historical interpreters in Victorian dress and 3rd- and 4th-grade carolers will add to the seasonal splendor. Guests can enjoy tea, hot cider, and cookies.
This event is free to the general public. Bring the family and remember to do some holiday shopping at the museum’s gift shop while you visit. For more information, please call 580-336-2405.
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 Giving thanks for Volunteers!
At the Oklahoma Historical Society, we recognize that we are only able to function throughout the year thanks to our faithful and steadfast volunteers who give their time at all our locations. This group was recently honored for twenty years of volunteer service at the Oklahoma History Center!
Volunteers make the mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society possible by providing invaluable resources through educational programs, assisting in daily operations, and working behind-the-scenes in collections.
Thanks, OHS volunteers, for all you do to carry the OHS mission forward—helping us collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of Oklahoma and its people!
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 THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
On November 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation admitting Oklahoma as the 46th state in the Union. This front-page story in The Hobart Republican published the news from Washington DC for readers in Kiowa County on November 21, 1907, with a quote from Roosevelt that stated Oklahoma had gained “admission to the Union on and equal footing with the original thirteen states.”
This newspaper and thousands of others are available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History. The online digital portal is available as a free public resource day and night.
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Follow the OHS website calendar to learn about all of our events and programs at OHS museums and historic sites across the state! |
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Connect with the Oklahoma Historical Society on social media—where you can learn more about Oklahoma history and get up-to-date information about events and exhibits across the state!
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Masthead image: World War II ration stamps from War Ration Book Four, printed and distributed in booklets by the US Office of Price Administration. The booklets were distributed to "every eligible man, woman, child, and baby in the United States" in an effort to address shortages of supplies and foods. Learn more about rationing during World War II in Oklahoma through The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
(1995.032.1.8.006, 1995.032.1.8.007, 1995.032.1.8.008, Willis Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society).
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