Oklahoma - Tidbits of History

Header image from National Park Service, Oklahoma City National Memorial.

Oklahoma became a state on Nov 16, 1907 and was the 46th.

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

There is almost no mistaking the scissor-tailed flycatcher. The male’s nine-inch-long tail and the female’s slightly shorter one proclaims their identity whether seen in good light or in silhouette, flying or perched. Except for the fork-tailed flycatcher of the American tropics (an extremely rare vagrant north of the Mexican border), no other North American bird has such a long, narrow tail compared with its body size. Pale gray is the scissortail’s predominant color, approaching white on the face and breast. The wings are blackish, the tail black and white. Scarlet “armpits” are mostly concealed while the bird is perched, and a scarlet crown patch is almost always hidden. The flanks and belly are flushed salmon pink, which can vary in brightness from individual to individual.
In spring the male performs an incredible courtship flight. Climbing 100 feet up, he dives, summersaulting and showing off his tail, then tumbles back to a perch. This never fails to impress the girls

Flower: Rose

The rose is our national flower and the state flower of New York; the Cherokee rose is the state flower of Georgia; and the wild prairie rose is also the state flower of North Dakota and Iowa. The Oklahoma rose is a hybrid dark red with a strong and sweet fragrance. When it comes to floral symbols, just one flower is not enough for the people of Oklahoma! The Sooner state was already represented by two plants when lawmakers added a third because the others were considered not “cultivated” enough. One, the Indian Blanket, is a wildflower. The other, Mistletoe, is a parasite. So when more than 180 gardening clubs lobbied to add the Oklahoma Rose as a third, lawmakers acquiesced. It became the official Oklahoma state flower in 2004.

Oklahoma’s state wildflower the Indian Blanket is red with yellow tips. It symbolizes the state’s scenic beauty as well as the its Indian heritage. The wildflower blooms in June and July.

Tree: Eastern Redbud

Known as the harbinger of spring, the eastern redbud’s delicate blossoms and buds are one of the season’s most dramatic displays. But this tree’s beauty doesn’t end with its flowery show. Unique and irregular branching patterns combine with a trunk that commonly divides close to the ground to create a very handsome, spreading and often flat-topped crown. Redbud tree is also known as Judas tree. According to the legend, Judas Iscariot hanged himself on the Redbud Tree after he betrayed Christ. Since it was ashamed, Redbud tree changed the color of the bloom from white to red.
Redbud Tree is especially important for the people of Israel, where it has status of protected tree.
Hard wood of Redbud tree is used in the production of veneers.
Flowers, buds and pods are edible. Flowers and buds are harvested at the beginning of the spring, and pods at the beginning of summer. Flowers have sweet or slightly acidic taste. They can be used raw (in the form of salads) or pickled.
Root of redbud tree contains substances that are used for the production of red dyes.

State Quarter
From theus50.com

The Oklahoma quarter features an image of the State bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher, in flight with its distinctive tail feathers spread. The bird is soaring over the State wildflower, the Indian Blanket, backed by a field of similar wildflowers. The coin s design also bears the inscriptions “Oklahoma” and “1907.”

The depiction of Indian Blanket (or Gaillardia) symbolizes the State’s rich Native American heritage and native long grass prairies that are abundant in wildlife. Oklahoma was formed by the combination of the Oklahoma Territory and the Indian Territory of the Five Civilized Tribes Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee. The State’s name is derived from the Choctaw words “okla” and “homma,” meaning “red” and “people.”

Capital: Oklahoma City

Nickname: Sooner State

Motto: Labor conquers all things

The name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people.

Oklahoma Facts and Trivia

Oklahoma ranks 18th in size among the 50 states. It has 69,956 square miles, 464 miles East-West including the panhandle and 230 miles North-South.

The first European to arrive in Oklahoma was Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1541. Like most Spanish explorers, he was searching for gold, but did not find any in Oklahoma. Over one hundred years later, French explorer Robert de La Salle arrived. He claimed the land for the French who then established fur trading posts along the rivers in the region.

In 1803, the United States made the Louisiana Purchase which included Oklahoma. Explorers such as Zebulon Pike and Captain Richard Sparks were sent out by President Thomas Jefferson to map out the new territory. In 1819, Oklahoma became part of the Arkansas Territory.

In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act requiring the Indian tribes in the Southeast to give up their land and move to the west. Oklahoma was set aside as Indian Territory. Many tribes moved to the new territory including the Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole, Choctaw, and Cherokee. Some tribes were forced to march to the new territory under harsh conditions. When the Cherokee were forced to march from the Southeast to Oklahoma in 1838, around 4,000 Cherokee died along the way. Today, this march is called the Trail of Tears.

After the Civil War, Oklahoma became part of the American frontier.

In the late 1800s large sections of Oklahoma were unoccupied. Despite making promises to the Indian tribes that the land was theirs, the United States decided to allow settlers into the land. In 1889, a large section of 2 million acres was opened to the public. Homesteaders had to wait on the border and then “rush” in to grab their land when a gun was shot. Some people cheated and snuck in early. These people were called “Sooners” and gave the state its nickname.

Foress B. Lillie was a participant in the land run of 1889, and set up a tent for business as soon as shots were fired. Lillie’s Drug was the first drug store established in Guthrie. Lillie was issued the No. 1 license certificate when the new state of Oklahoma registered him as a practicing pharmacist.

In 1890, Oklahoma was split into the Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. The leaders of the Indians wanted to make their own state called Sequoyah. They applied for statehood in 1905. However, Congress rejected their application and instead reunited Oklahoma into a single state. Oklahoma became the 46th state on November 6, 1907. The original capital city was Guthrie. The capital was moved to Oklahoma City in 1910.

The world’s first installed parking meter was in Oklahoma City, on July 16, 1935. Carl C. Magee, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is generally credited with originating the parking meter. He filed for a patent for a “coin controlled parking meter” on May 13, 1935.

Vinita is the oldest incorporated town on Oklahoma Route 66, being established in 1871. Vinita was the first town in Oklahoma to enjoy electricity. Originally named Downingville, the town’s name was later changed to Vinita, in honor of Vinnie Ream, the sculptress who created the life-size statue of Lincoln at the United States Capitol.

A statue entitled “Hopes and Dreams,” in downtown Perry was created by local sculptor Bill Bennett and placed there on a massive granite pedestal as a Cherokee Strip Centennial Memorial. The statue portrays an early-day couple coming to the newly opened western frontier.

Turner Falls Park in Davis is the oldest park in Oklahoma. Many springs from the world famous Arbuckle Mountains form Honey Creek that cascades down a seventy-seven foot fall to a natural swimming pool making the majestic Turner Falls the largest waterfall in Oklahoma.

In 1998, a life size statue of a cattle drive, titled “On the Chisholm Trail,” was set in place in Duncan as a monument to the American Cowboy.

Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to be bombed during World War II when it was mistakenly bombed by a friendly U.S. bomber crew during training. The bombing occurred on July 5, 1943, at approximately 12:30 a.m. by a B‑17 Flying Fortress Bomber, based at Dalhart Army Air Base (50 miles to the south of Boise City). This occurred because pilots performing target practice became disoriented and mistook the lights around the town square as their target. No one was killed in the attack (only practice bombs were used and the square was deserted at the time),

On the evening of March 25, 1948, a tornado roared through Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma, causing considerable damage, a few injuries, but no fatalities. However, the destruction could have been much worse. A few hours earlier Air Force Captain Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest J. Fawbush correctly predicted that Atmospheric conditions were ripe for tornadoes in the vicinity of Tinker AFB. This first tornado forecast was instrumental in advancing the nation’s commitment to protecting the American public and military resources from the dangers caused by natural hazards.

Rogers and Hammerstein’s movie “Oklahoma” was filmed mostly in Nogales, Arizona. The corn field in the opening number as well as the reprise song, “Surrey With the Fringe On Top” were shot at the historic Canoa Ranch in Green Valley, Arizona. The train station used in the “Kansas City” routine was located in Elgin, Arizona. Producers thought the oil wells would be a distraction for exterior scenes.

Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state in the U.S. Many of the 250,000 American Indians living in Oklahoma are descended from the 67 tribes who inhabited the Indian Territory. Oklahoma is tribal headquarters for 39 tribes.

1995 – The Oklahoma City bombing occurred when American terrorists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people. On June 2, 1997, McVeigh was found guilty on 11 counts of murder and conspiracy. He was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001. Terry Nichols was found guilty of conspiring to build a weapon of mass destruction and of eight counts of involuntary manslaughter of federal officers. He was sentenced to 161 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. He is in a maximum security prison in Colorado.

Oklahoma has been politically conservative for much of its history. During the first half-century of statehood,(1907-1957) it was considered a Democratic stronghold, being carried by the Republican Party in only two presidential elections (1920 and 1928). During this time, it was also carried by every winning Democratic candidate up to Harry Truman. However, Oklahoma Democrats were generally considered to be more conservative than Democrats in other states. Starting in 1952, Oklahoma has been carried by Republican presidential candidates in all but one election (1964). Oklahoma was one of three states, the others being Utah and West Virginia, where Barack Obama failed to carry any of its counties in 2012, and it was the only state where Barack Obama failed to carry any county in 2008. In 2016, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, again won every county, being one of only two states, the other being West Virginia, where Democrat Hillary Clinton failed to carry a single county.

Readers Digest State Jokes
How can you tell if an Oklahoman is married? There’s dried chewing tobacco on both sides of his pickup truck.

Readers Digest most difficult to pronounce towns
What makes Pawhuska, Oklahoma, so hard to pronounce is that it kind of feels like something’s missing between the W and the H. Once you get past that urge to stick another sound in there, you’re left with Paw-HUS-Kuh, which is more a challenge to the mouth and the tongue than to phonetics.

Strange Laws

It is illegal to have the hind legs of farm animals in your boots.

Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.

It is illegal to wear your boots to bed.

Fish may not be contained in fishbowls while on a public bus.

Tissues are not to be found in the back of one’s car.

Oklahoma will not tolerate anyone taking a bite out of another’s hamburger.

No one may spit on a sidewalk.

Females are forbidden from doing their own hair without being licensed by the state.

Anyone arrested for soliciting a hooker must have their name and picture shown on television.

It is against the law to read a comic book while operating a motor vehicle.

Whaling is illegal.