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Conversations with Michael Wallis: Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend discussion and book signing |
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The Oklahoma History Center will host a free discussion and book signing with Michael Wallis for his new book Belle Starr: The Truth Behind the Wild West Legend (2025, Liveright Publishing) on Saturday, August 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. Ken Busby will moderate the discussion.
Belle Starr, born as Myra Maybelle Shirley Starr in 1848, was known as “the Bandit Queen.” She was linked to outlaws throughout her life and is now considered one of the most infamous female outlaws from the nineteenth century. Historians say her only documented crime was horse theft in 1883. She was shot and killed by an unknown assailant on February 3, 1889.
Wallis conducted extensive research to write this biography of the woman behind the renegade legend, including reviewing correspondence, official records, and contemporary newspaper accounts. Copies of the book will be available for purchase through the Museum Store. No registration is required for this free event.
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Lunch and Learn: “The Battle of Turkey Springs” |
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On Tuesday, August 12, at noon Central time, the State Historic Preservation Office will host a free Lunch and Learn webinar on “The Battle of Turkey Springs,” presented by Gerry Robinson, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation.
In the 1878 Battle of Turkey Springs, a band of Northern Cheyenne, escaping starvation and illness at their assigned reservation in the Fort Reno vicinity, rebuffed the US Cavalry, who had been sent to return them to the reservation. The Battle of Turkey Springs is notable as the last known armed conflict between the US Army and American Indians in Oklahoma.
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This year, Honey Springs Battlefield offers its biennial multiday event, which begins with an Education Day for school groups on Friday, November 7. Events continue on Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9, with a reenactment and self-guided tours through the Union, Confederate, and civilian camps. Visitors can experience military drills, demonstrations, and living history programs and walk through Sutler’s Row, which features several vendors selling clothes, books, souvenirs, and reproduction of nineteenth-century military equipment. Visitors from around the state see special presentations and watch the battle unfold.
Registration forms for reenactors and school groups and application forms for sutlers and vendors are now available. No registration is required for spectators.
For more information, contact honeysprings@history.ok.gov.
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The 2025 Teacher Resource Social will be held at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City on Thursday, August 7, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Educators, get ready for resources galore! We will have door prize giveaways and plenty of free resources from museums and organizations around the state to help you plan for the upcoming school year. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please note that registration information may be shared with Teacher Resource Social vendors.
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Nonprofits are invited to share their resources with educators! Museums, organizations, and vendors who would like to participate in this event, please register now. Organizations will need to bring a door prize valued at $50 or more on the day of the event.
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Treat and Greet: A Teacher Open House |
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The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center will be open during special evening hours on Friday, August 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. to host a Treat and Greet Open House for teachers!
Teachers will be treated to their choice of a root beer float or a personalized ice cream sundae as they explore the Heritage Center and all the programming/field trip options available for the upcoming school year! The historic Humphrey Heritage Village will open with living history interpreters offering hands-on activities, and raffle drawings for prizes will be held throughout the event. We invite all Oklahoma teachers to join us!
Come meet our education staff, learn about available programs, and discuss customization options to fit your specific needs or learning objectives! K-12 teachers are welcome! Local businesses will provide the prizes, and each teacher who attends will receive a FREE pass for two to attend one of our upcoming annual special events of their choice in 2025—Family Farm Day or Christmas in The Village!
For more information, call 580-237-1907 or email csrchinfo@history.ok.gov.
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Wreath laying and flyover |
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Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post were killed in a plane crash on August 15, 1935, in Point Barrow, Alaska. Upon hearing the news, then-president Franklin Roosevelt said, “I was shocked to hear of the tragedy which has taken Will Rogers and Wiley Post from us. Will was an old friend of mine, a humorist and philosopher beloved by all.”
To commemorate the death of Will Rogers, commonly referred to as Oklahoma’s Favorite Son, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum will host a wreath-laying at the tomb on Friday, August 15, at noon. A flyover by volunteer docent and pilot Tom Egbert will conclude the event. Call 918-341-0719 for more information
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Museum After Dark: “Memories of Injustice” lecture with historian and educator Sam Mihara |
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The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center is proud to host guest speaker, historian, and educator Sam Mihara at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 8, as part of the center’s Museum After Dark series.
Mihara will deliver his lecture “Memories of Injustice” about the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II and his personal experiences as a prisoner at a US relocation camp near Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Sam Mihara’s presentation will be featured in conjunction with the Resilience—A Sansei Sense of Legacy exhibit that will be on display in the J. E. & L. E. Mabee Foundation Gallery of the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center through Friday, August 8. Call 580-237-1907 for more information. The cost for this Museum After Dark event is the regular cost of admission.
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Read and rope with Buckaroo Bart this summer at a library near you!
Buckaroo Bart’s Summer Library Tour continues in July and August. Swing by for some reading and cowboy trick roping at a library near you! Buckaroo Bart, a.k.a. Bart Taylor, of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum, will read his book Will Rogers and His Great Presidential Pals (2023) and teach about Will Rogers’ life, character, and impact on American history.
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The OKPOP Museum will host another First Friday OKPOP-IN open house on Friday, August 1, the public is invited to a free exclusive look inside the future of OKPOP with behind-the-scenes tours of the museum. Whether you’re a longtime pop culture fan or just curious about what’s coming to OKPOP, this is your chance to be part of something exciting.
This event is free and open to the public! OKPOP is located at 422 N. Main Street in Tulsa. Save all the dates for the First Friday OKPOP-IN events!
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Around the world in 7 days |
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THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
On July 22, 1933, Wiley Post became the first person to fly solo around the world. Post made the trip in a plane called the Winnie Mae, and the duration was 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes. Learn more about famed aviator Wiley Post in The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (19336.43, Wiley Post Collection, OHS).
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Winnie Mae replica on display at the Oklahoma History Center
A replica of Wiley Post’s famous Winnie Mae airplane is suspended overhead the Devon Great Hall of the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. A soaring eighty-foot floor-to-ceiling glass atrium offers a dramatic view of the Oklahoma State Capitol. The venue is a striking setting for parties, ceremonies, weddings, and evening events.
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Follow the OHS website calendar to learn about our events and programs at OHS museums and historic sites across the state! Our calendar constantly changes with the latest programs and activities, from seasonal events to celebrations, exhibits, films, educational classes, and workshops. |
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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: 1908 Pennant Winners, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Triangular patches on the front of the team uniforms carry the encouragement “We Can, We Will, Bartlesville” (152.4, Howard Sharp Collection, OHS).
Visit the Oklahoma Sports Heroes exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center Museum (OHCM), where learning about the amazing achievements of Oklahoma athletes is designed to be a fun experience for everyone!
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