Do you know how Oklahoma came to have a panhandle? Did you know that Washington Irving once visited what is now Oklahoma? Can you name the official state rock, or list the courses in the official state meal? The answers to these questions, and others you may not have thought to ask, can be found in this engaging collection of tales by renowned journalist-historian David Dary. Most of the stories gathered here first appeared as newspaper articles during the state centennial in 2007. For this volume Dary has revised and expanded them—and added new ones. He begins with an overview of Oklahoma’s rich and varied history and geography, describing the origins of its trails, rails, and waterways and recounting the many tales of buried treasure that are part of Oklahoma lore. But the heart of any state is its people, and Dary introduces us to Oklahomans ranging from Indian leaders Quanah Parker and Satanta, to lawmen Bass Reeves and Bill Tilghman, to twentieth-century performing artists Woody Guthrie, Will Rogers, and Gene Autry. Dary also writes about forts and stagecoaches, cattle ranching and oil, outlaws and lawmen, inventors and politicians, and the names and pronunciation of Oklahoma towns. And he salutes such intellectual and artistic heroes as distinguished teacher and writer Angie Debo and artist and educator Oscar Jacobson, one of the first to focus world attention on Indian art. Reading this book is like listening to a knowledgeable old-timer regale his audience with historical anecdotes, “so it was said” tall tales, and musings on what it all means. Whether you’re a native of the Sooner State or a newcomer, you are sure to learn much from these accounts of the people, places, history, and folklore of Oklahoma.
Stories of Old-time Oklahoma
In commemoration of the project's tenth anniversary, this book has been written to introduce VoicesofOklahoma.com to a new audience, and to provide dedicated visitors with some of their favorite stories between the covers of a book.
This is a 1939 true story about a seventy-three-year-old Navina, Oklahoma, widowed farmer who was missing when his married daughter and her husband came to his house to fix Sunday dinner, as had been arranged the day before.
A brilliant, kaleidoscopic narrative of Oklahoma City—a great American story of civics, basketball, and destiny, from award-winning journalist Sam Anderson NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • NPR ...
Spanning over two centuries and two hundred photographs, this is a must have for any long-time resident or history lover of Oklahoma City!
A rare collection of accounts of incidents and legends throughout the state - intriguing bits of the past generally not found in conventional works of history.
The unforgettable saga of America's last frontier-the Oklahoma Country. Never has the story of this great land and people been told like John J. Dwyer does it. Storybook, history book, coffee table book.
Without rhythm, there can be no balance. In Oklahoma: A Sense of Place, best-selling author Michael Wallis reminds us that it is important to know all of our history - good, bad, and ugly.
If you like to read about early western history and at the same time read about the real people who were making it happen, this is the right book for you.
Winner, 2017 Oklahoma Book Award, sponsored by the Oklahoma Center for the Book Winner, 2016 Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History, sponsored by the Oklahoma Historical Society At the beginning of America’s Great Depression, Texas and ...