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A Life on Fire: Oklahoma’s Kate Barnard author talk with Connie Cronley |
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On Saturday, February 8, at 1:30 p.m., the Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will host an author talk featuring Connie Cronley. This event is free to the public. Copies of her book, A Life on Fire: Oklahoma’s Kate Barnard (2021), will be available for purchase in the museum’s store during the event.
Cronley’s award-winning biography focuses on Catherine Ann “Kate” Barnard (1875–1930), a passionate political reformer and fearless activist who advocated for the vulnerable and marginalized. Barnard made history as the first woman elected to state office in Oklahoma, serving as the Commissioner of Charities and Corrections in 1907—almost fifteen years before women gained the right to vote in the United States.
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OETA's Black Frontier Towns special screening and discussion panel on February 6 |
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The Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA), in partnership with the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS), invites the public to a special screening of Black Frontier Towns in honor of Black History Month. The event will take place on Tuesday, February 6, from 1 to 3 p.m., in the Chesapeake Event Center and Gallery at the Oklahoma History Center.
Black Frontier Towns is a Heartland Emmy Award-winning documentary series OETA’s Oklahoma News Report team produced. This year-long series, recognized at the 38th Annual Heartland Emmy Awards, highlights the history and enduring legacy of Oklahoma’s 13 historically Black townships still in existence today—communities built by Black pioneers seeking independence, opportunity, and self-sufficiency.
Following the screening, a panel discussion will feature historians, scholars, and cultural experts who will provide deeper insights into the founding, growth, and continued significance of these towns. Audience members will have the opportunity to engage with the panelists and ask questions.
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Oklahoma History Center Traveling Trunks
The Oklahoma History Center offers a traveling trunk program, which brings the museum experience into the classroom. Each trunk contains lesson plans, hands-on activities, and three-dimensional artifacts for students to handle. All museum programs address Oklahoma Academic Standards and correlate with Oklahoma History Center exhibits. Find information about trunk topics and the process of requesting and checking out a trunk for your learners by clicking the button below.
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Oklahoma City Black History Mobile App Launch with Keynote Speaker Bob Dotson |
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Emmy-winning storyteller Bob Dotson will be the keynote speaker for the February launch of a mobile app designed to familiarize people with Oklahoma City’s Black history. The free app will be introduced at the Oklahoma History Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 15. Visitors can enjoy a photo exhibit, door prizes, and live jazz music.
Dotson, who began his broadcasting career at WKY in Oklahoma City, won his first National Emmy Award for “Through the Looking Glass Darkly,” which chronicled the lives of Blacks in territorial Oklahoma and their contributions following statehood.
The mobile app tour is a development of Oklahoma Black Living Legacy (OBLL), a nonprofit founded in 2020 to raise awareness of and preserve the state’s Black history, artifacts, and living legacies. OBLL volunteers researched the app with staff and volunteers at the Oklahoma History Center. An Oklahoma Historical Society Preservation Grant and other sponsors helped fund the project.
According to Doris Youngblood, OBLL executive director, the organization’s goal is “to foster understanding and pride throughout generations.”
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“Third Indian Home Guard” living history program |
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The Fort Gibson Historic Site's February and March living history programs on Saturdays in February and March will be centered on the Union Third Indian Home Guard, and how they performed daily maintenance of their firearms, uniforms, and other equipment.
The Third Indian Home Guard were mostly recruited from pro-Union Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole tribal members who joined the Union army from refugee camps in Kansas.
The program includes paid admission to the site. For more information, please call 918-478-4088. The Fort Gibson Historic Site is located at 803 N. Garrison Ave. in Fort Gibson.
Visit The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture to read more about the history of the Indian Home Guard.
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“An Afternoon with General Blunt” presentation with Jim Spillars at Honey Springs Battlefield |
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On Saturday, February 15, from 1 to 2 p.m., Honey Springs Battlefield will host living historian Jim Spillars, who will portray General Blunt (1826–1881). Spillars will give a presentation on Blunt’s leadership during the Engagement at Honey Springs which was the largest of more than 107 documented hostile encounters in Indian Territory. He will be dressed in period Civil War attire for this event.
General Blunt was a ship captain, a physician, and an abolitionist. He led Indigenous and Black troops to victory at the Battle of Honey Springs, helping to bring a portion of Indian Territory under Union control.
Jim Spillars is the former president of the Washington County Historical Society and has dedicated many years to studying and portraying General Blunt.
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"The Great Depression in the Cherokee Outlet" presentation with archivist Aaron Preston |
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On Saturday, February 8, from 10 to 11 a.m., Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center archivist Aaron Preston will present a lecture on The Great Depression in the Cherokee Outlet. The lecture will center on how the Outlet suffered and grew during this time. The research being presented is drawn from oral histories—firsthand accounts of the people who lived through this period.
This is the third program of “A.M. with the Archivist,” a three-part lecture series for the price of regular museum admission!
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Quilting Workshop at the Sod House Museum |
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The Quilting Workshop meets on the second Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Sod House Museum for $5 per person. Learn to create appliqué designs, traditional block patterns, original designs, crazy quilts, landscape designs, and paper piecing. New members of any skill level are always encouraged to attend!
Share in the happy exchange of shared skills, fun, camaraderie, refreshments, discussions, quilt patterns, and old-fashioned bed turnings at the next quilting workshop. Proceeds directly fund Sod House Museum renovations.
The Sod House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 580-463-2441 or email sodhouse@okhistory.org.
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RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!
Date Night at the Museum: “Art from the Heart”
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Make it a memorable date night for your Valentine at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center on Friday, February 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. This art-inspired evening promises to create the perfect night out! Wander through the galleries as you enjoy delicious themed hors d’oeuvres and a romantic drink to make your museum experience even more special. Plus, couples are welcome to explore the Humphrey Heritage Village after dark and see our history in a whole new light!
“Art from the Heart” is a self-guided, whimsical experience perfect for a Valentine’s date. Each refreshment station will have delightful take-home gifts that fit the theme of the event. At each stop in the gallery, you’ll find fun art supplies to create your masterpieces to remember this special night together.
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Plan your next event
at the Oklahoma History Center!
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The Oklahoma History Center has many event spaces to accommodate special occasions of all kinds. The facility fee is reasonable and includes setup, staffing, security, maintenance, and audio/visual equipment use. A preferred catering list can be provided, and outside catering is allowed with prior approval and an additional fee. Special discounts are available for government and nonprofit organizations.
Let the Oklahoma History Center’s knowledgeable and capable staff help make your event a success. For more information about OHC venue rentals click the button below.
The Devon Great Hall (pictured above) is a striking setting for daytime or evening events. Its hardwood floors and polished granite accents create an atmosphere of sophistication.
A soaring 80-foot, floor-to-ceiling glass atrium offers a dramatic view of the Oklahoma State Capitol. Guests will marvel at the replica of Wiley Post’s famous Winnie Mae airplane suspended overhead. For more information, contact events@okhistory.org or 405-522-0745.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO PARTICIPATE?
2025 Oklahoma Farm-to-Table Festival
Call for Vendors!
The Oklahoma History Center will hold the 2025 Oklahoma Farm-to-Table Festival on Saturday, March 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will encourage the exploration of historic and modern agriculture. There will be hands-on activities and demonstrations for visitors of all ages.
Would your organization like to participate?
The Oklahoma History Center invites organizations to participate in the Oklahoma Farm-to-Table Festival. At this family festival, attendees will explore historic perspectives, farm life, and how food gets to our table. Families will experience perspectives from Colonial America to the modern day with hands-on activities for visitors of all ages.
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On this day, January 29, 1914, Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Big Bow, (pictured above), was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma and was a Kiowa artist. He was the grandson of Kiowa Chief Big Bow. He designed the red and yellow Thunderbird insignia for Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Division.
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President Woodrow Wilson became the 28th President of the United States in 1913. Did you know that four notable Oklahomans were given the name Woodrow Wilson along with their respective surnames?
Woodrow Wilson Crumbo was born on January 21, 1912, near Lexington, Oklahoma. “Woody” Crumbo was a Creek/Potawatomi artist, dancer, and musician.
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Oklahoma. “Woody” Guthrie was a writer, musician, and illustrator. He wrote and performed the song "This Land Is Your Land" in 1940s.
Woodrow Wilson Rawls was born on September 24, 1913, in Scraper, Oklahoma. Rawls was a novelist and short-story writer. He published a widely popular children's novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, in 1961.
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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: A blinding snow blankets the Oklahoma City and slows traffic on Broadway near NW 5th Street. The line of cars keep moving, but at a snail's pace, January 21, 1954 (2012.201.OVZ001.7076, Oklahoma Publishing Company, OHS).
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