Vol. 39, No. 3 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 March 2008

Galen Culver to presentAnnual Meeting

luncheon programGalen Culver, feature reporter and pho-

tographer for KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City,will reveal the secrets of the Red River re-gion in a luncheon address on Thursday,April 17, at the OHS Annual Meeting inArdmore, according to meeting coordinatorTim Zwink.

Culver joined the NewsChannel 4 teamas a photojournalist in 1989. Before thathe had worked as a reporter, photographer,and weekend anchor on television in FortSmith, Arkansas.

After he earned a degree in journalism andcommunications at Washington State Uni-versity, he began his career in television as areporter and photographer in Montana.

Culver has received many photojournal-ism accolades, including a 1998 WesternHeritage Award from Oklahoma City’s Na-tional Cowboy and Western Heritage Mu-seum. In the 1990s his coverage of the firstGulf War won an Oklahoma AssociatedPress Award for Best General Reporting.

In July 1991 Culver began a unique as-signment to find and showcase amazingOklahoma sights and stories. Since then,the “Is This a Great State or What!” segmenthas aired nearly every Monday, Wednesday,and Friday on NewsChannel 4 broadcasts.

Galen Culver continues his search onthe 5 p.m. newscast these days, producing,shooting, writing, and editing feature sto-ries from every corner of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s state quarter unveiled at HistoryCenter on January 28

Right: Gov. BradHenry shows offone of the first

sets of Oklahomastate quarters at

the unveilingceremony. To hisleft is First Lady

Kim Henry.Below: U.S. MintDeputy Director

Dan Shaverdistributes brand

new quarters toOklahoma

school children(Photos courtesy

of Legislative

Service Bureau).

OHS Annual Meeting is

April 16, 17, 18 in Ardmore.

Registration materials

will soon arrive

in your mailbox.

Several thousand citizens crowded intothe Oklahoma History Center in OklahomaCity to participate in the unveiling of thenewly minted Oklahoma state quarter onJanuary 28. The shiny new coins were offi-cially placed into general circulation afterthe ceremony. Representing the state wasGovernor Brad Henry and First Lady KimHenry. Mrs. Henry placed a symbol of thequarter on a large United States map thatfeatures each state quarter issued sincethe program’s inception in 1999.

Each of the hundreds of school children inattendance received a quarter, handed tothem personally by Mrs. Henry or by ActingDeputy Director Dan Shaver of the UnitedStates Mint.

The coins are being issued in the order ofstatehood, Oklahoma being the 46th. Sym-bols on the piece are the scissor-tailed fly-catcher (the official state bird), on the front,and the Indian blanket (the official statewildflower), on the reverse. After the festivi-ties the quarters were sold for $10 per roll,and special $5 commemorative sets, in asee-through case, were also available.

Deputy Director Shaver noted that“2007 was an exciting year for the SoonerState, celebrating its centennial. Today’sissuance of this beautiful Oklahoma quar-ter serves an an encore, and the coin itselfwill serve as a lasting, nationwide tribute toOklahoma, its heritage, and its people.”

Oklahoma Historical SocietyPublications Division

Dianna Everett, Ph.D., EditorLinda D. Wilson, Assistant Editor

William E. Siemens, Graphic Artist

Membership Office: Alma Moore405/522-5242

<ohsmembers@okhistory.org>

Mistletoe Leaves (USPS 018–315) is published monthly by the OklahomaHistorical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914.Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK. (ISSN 1932-0108)

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mistletoe Leaves, 2401 N. Laird Ave-nue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914.

By authorization of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Board of Directors,5,100 copies are prepared at a cost of $1,025.00 each month. The publicationis financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, UnitedStates Department of the Interior.

Contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of theOklahoma Historical Society or the United States Department of the Interior.Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recommendationby either organization.

Mistletoe Leaves is published for the members and friends of the Okla-homa Historical Society in partial fulfillment of the Society’s purpose to“preserve and perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people, to stimulatepopular interest in historical study and research, and to promote anddisseminate historical knowledge.”

The public and OHS members are encouraged to submit heritage-relateditems for publication. Students and teachers are invited to share studies andprograms and to duplicate contents as desired. Editors are welcome to reprintmaterials with credit.

All Oklahoma Historical Society facilities are for the education and enjoy-ment of all. State and federal regulations prohibit unlawful discrimination instate and federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, and/or handicap.

Anyone denied benefits should contact the Executive Director of the Okla-homa Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914, telephone 405/521-2491, and/or the Director, Office of Equal Oppor-tunity, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.

Historians are always on the prowl. Welook for facts, dates, information, trends,and meaning. We also look for connections.All of us, in one way or another, are con-nected to other people, to other places, toother times. Finding those connections, link-ing one set of circumstances to another, isone my favorite pastimes.

For example, on a personal level, I amconnected to the baby-boom generationthrough my age. I am connected to Arkan-sas, South Carolina, and Ireland throughmy grandparents. And I am connected tothe age of Classical Greece through my fas-cination with Homer. In each case, there isa connecting point that expands my world.

This coming fall the Oklahoma HistoryCenter will host a blockbuster exhibit tenta-tively called “Unconquered: Allan Houserand the Legacy of One Apache Family.” Us-ing the story of this one remarkable family,we will illustrate a kaleidoscope of connec-tions for the visitor.

Among the themes examined in the ex-hibit will be connecting points such as lan-guage, spirituality, home, and family. Thestory will span many people, move about thecountry from the traditional Apache home-lands Oklahoma, and travel back and forthin time from the late nineteenth century tothe present.

A primary connecting point throughoutthe story is Sam Haozous, the patriarch ofthe family, born in 1868 in south-centralNew Mexico. His grandfather was the war-rior leader Mangas Coloradas. His uncle wasthe Apache priest Geronimo. As a child, Samwitnessed warfare in the mountains alongthe Mexican border. He learned the songsand dances that made the Apache who theywere. He followed the Apache way.

Sam and his kinsman became prisonersof war in 1886, eventually being assigned toFort Sill. Sam learned English, became anArmy scout, and developed diverse skillsfrom acrobat and star baseball player to in-terpreter and farmer. He married a fellowApache, Blossom, and they started a family.

As Sam raised his family, he was con-fronted by federal policies that advocated“killing the Indian and saving the man.” De-spite those pressures, and despite the factthat he dressed in overalls and farmed theland with a team of mules, he remainedApache.

Sam shared his stories with his son AllanHouser and with his grandsons, Phillip andBob Haozous. Through those tales, Allanwas connected to Mangas Coloradas. Thus,Phillip and Bob were also connected to theApache way.

Becaause of those connections to thepast, Allan, Phillip, and Bob have producedan inspired body of art that bridges the pastand the present. Their art will allow the restof us to better understand what it means tobe an Apache, whether it i, the 1880s or thetwenty-first century.

Yes, historians are always on the prowl. Ican’t wait to see what is around the nextcorner.

By Bob L. BlackburnExecutive Director

Director’sColumn

New Members, January 2008

*indicates renewed membership in a higher category

AssociateMarty Hepp, Oklahoma CityDavid and Denise Houston, Oklahoma CityGeorge and Winnie Redwine, EdmondLew and Myra Ward, Enid

FriendPaul Baczawski, Oklahoma CityWilliam Isaac Davis, Oklahoma CityJohn and Brenda Donley, WeatherfordStaci Evans, PanolaDr. and Mrs. James Mustoe, NormanCharles E. Norman, Tulsa*Gordon and Jane Romine, TulsaJames and Susan Warram, NormanDoreen Weibel, Oklahoma CityAnn Drummond Wooley, Ada

FamilyMr. and Mrs. Michael L. Anderson, Oklahoma CityPatti Bessen, Oklahoma CityLouise Blackburn, ClaremoreGene and Jamie Burton, Brentwood, TNMichelle Cooke, Ada*Rep. Frank W. Davis, GuthrieJ. B. & Margaret Dufran, NormanTom Dugger & Dr. Ann Yirsa Dugger, StillwaterMatt Feller, Stansbury Park, UTWendy Frederick, Warr AcresHarold T. Garvin, DuncanMarlene Helsel, Oklahoma City*Senator Cal Hobson, LexingtonFay Hudson, AsherTom and Kathleen D. Hughes, Wheaton, ILMrs. Lane Hunter, YukonDavid and Sue Lollis, NormanFred and Mary Marvel, Oklahoma City*Sybil J. Mayes, MustangScott and Robin McMurry, Oklahoma CityBrenda Mitchell, ChoctawJimmy Mullins, BlanchardRusty Nix, EdmondHazle Reeves, Pauls ValleyPerry and Quannah Rice, Edmond*Neil and Donna Scott, Oklahoma CityLester L. Warehime, TulsaAdena Warner, EdmondMr. and Mrs. Warren Weaver, DuncanStanford Williams, Norman

IndividualCynthia Anderson, ChickashaKlee Black, Oklahoma CitySteven Bond, StillwaterBrenda Anderson Bose, StillwaterSally Bright, Broken ArrowJ. B. Clark, Corpus Christi, TXChad Collier, Oklahoma CityEdna Crow, Yukon

cont’d on page 3

Development NewsBy Tim Zwink

Good news! Phase three of the OHS Em-ployee Monogrammed Brick project has beencompleted. During a couple of weekends inNovember more than 600 new bricks were in-stalled in the Red River Journey area of the Oklahoma History Center. Two new patios wereconstructed to accommodate the new monogrammed bricks. Two new benches recentlywere anchored on these patios. Thanks go to all of you who supported this phase of thebrick project by purchasing one or more of these new bricks.

We now have more than 5,100 monogrammed bricks that nearly fill our 15 patios. Whenyou want to find one of these bricks, we have developed a few different ways to go about it.First, you can go to the Oklahoma History Center Admissions Desk. Staff members therehave a locator directory that will give the patio and line number for each brick for which youhave a name. There is also a map at the Admissions Desk, showing where the patios arelocated.

Another way to access the brick locator is to use the Oklahoma Historical Society’s website at <www.okhistory.org/donorprograms.html>. Go to the bottom of “MonogrammedBricks” and click on “find the location of your monogrammed brick.” This will take you tothe locator. Finally, you can call us to help you locate a brick.

For those who would still like a brick, we are now taking orders for phase four of the pro-ject. You can acquire an order at the History Center, you can find one at the web site notedabove, or you can call and we’ll send you one. If you need additional information about thisproject or other OHS fund raisers, you may contact me at <tzwink@okhistory.org> or at405/522-5217.

MeetingsIn Oklahoma City the Oklahoma Genea-logical Society’s monthly meeting will beheld on Monday, March 3, 2008, at 6 p.m.in the Chesapeake Special Events Centerat the Oklahoma History Center, 2401North Laird Ave. Jim Slade will present aprogram entitled “Searching Census inCyberspace.” The OHS Research Centerwill be staffed and remain open until 7:45p.m. that evening. Also, plan now to at-tend OGS’s Annual Spring Seminar to beheld on Saturday, April 5, 2008. Visit theOGS web site at <www.okgensoc.org> forfurther details. (Special to ML)

EventsTahlequah’s Cherokee Heritage Center ishosting Indian Territory Days on Thurs-day and Friday, March 27 and 28, at 10a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature a liv-ing classroom of Cherokee history andculture of the 1880s. Demonstrationsand activities will be available. For moreinformation call 918/456-6007 or visit<www.cherokeeheritage.org>.(Special to ML)

On Friday, March 28, at 1 p.m. B. ByronPrice will present a program entitled“Charles M. Russell: Icon of the West,” atTulsa’s Gilcrease Museum. Price’s bookentitled Charles M. Russell: A CatalogueRaisonné was published in 2007. TheGilcrease Forum is presented by the Gill-ies, the museum’s volunteer service orga-nization, and is free and open to the pub-lic. Contact the Gilcrease Museum at918/596-2700. (Special to ML)

The Hutchins Memorial Auditorium inPonca City will host the 11th annual 101Ranch Collectors’ Western MemorabiliaShow on Saturday, March 22, from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. The buy-sell-or-trade show willfeature Western heritage objects such asearly military items, guns, spurs, pocketwatches, coins, and books. Visit the website at <www.hutchinsmemorial.com> orphone 580/762-7682. (Special to ML)

Go to Waurika for their annual Big RedChili Cook-off to be held in the JeffersonCounty Fair Building on Friday, March 7,beginning at 5 p.m. Competition will bebetween individuals, youth, and restau-rants/organizations. The savory food willbe sold after the judging is completed. Ad-mission is free. Contact Gin Dodson at580/228-2166 for information.(Special to ML)

For family fun attend the annual EasterEgg Hunt at Will Rogers Stampede Arenain Claremore on Saturday, March 22, at11 a.m. All children, ages ten and under,are invited to hunt for twenty-thousandEaster eggs stuffed with candy andprizes. Admission is free. For informationvisit <www.claremore.org> or telephone918/341-8688. (Special to ML)

With the advent of windy March daysfamilies can enjoy the Kite Flight andFamily Fun Day at Paradise Cove atHulbert on Saturday March 15, from 1 to3 p.m. Participants will construct anddecorate kites, and prizes will be awardedin two age groups. Rusty the Rodeo Clownwill be giving out balloons and offeringface painting. For more information sendan e-mail to <threeforks@intellex.com>or call 918/772-2108. (Special to ML)

HappeningsThe Oklahoma Department of Librariesannounces receipt of a grant from the Na-tional Historical Publications and Re-cords Commission for the new OklahomaTribal Heritage Project. Grant fundingwill be made available to archives, educa-tional institutions, historical societies, li-braries, nonprofits, and tribes involved inpreserving and making available Ameri-can Indian records. The program will pro-vide $150,000 in special funds, with indi-vidual grants from $1,000 to $10,000.The application deadline is March 3,2008. For info and application forms visit<www.odl.state.ok.us/oar/tribal.htm>.(Special to ML)

Weatherford’s Stafford Air & Space Mu-seum will build a new 5,000-square-footinteractive educational discovery room,the Rose and Tom Luczo Education Cen-ter, in 2008. The new area will provide

hands-on learning experiences to incor-porate mathematics and science as theyrelate to flight and space travel. In addi-tion, a new F-35 Strike Fighter cockpitsimulator will be on exhibit in the springof 2008. Call 580/772-5871 for moreinformation.

To become a member of the Friends ofWill Rogers, which is a nonprofit organi-zation to support the Will Rogers Mu-seum in Claremore, call 1-800-324-9455or visit web site <www.willrogers.com>.Charter year memberships are availablein several denominations from $25 for se-niors to $1,000 for Will’s Lariat ofFriends. Also, memorials and honorari-ums may be made in honor of someoneliving or deceased. The Will Rogers Memo-rial Museum in Claremore and the WillRogers Birthplace Ranch near Oolagahare open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days ayear. Admission is by donation. For infoabout the museums call 918/341-0719or go to <www.willrogers.com.>(Special to ML)

The “God Bless America” Quilt Contestand Touring Exhibit will debut March 28and 29, 2008. Judy Howard, of Buck-board Quilts in Oklahoma City, is callingall quilters who have quilts with Patriotic,Stars and Stripes, Support Our Troops,or Spiritually Inspired from The Biblethemes to consider entering the contestand touring exhibit. The deadline for sub-mitting a signed consent/entry form andyour quilt is March 26, 2008. Go to<www.HeavenlyPatchwork.com> for fur-ther information and to download the en-try form. (Special to ML)

Writings, Etc.The Waynoka Historical Society and theMajor County Historical Society haveworked jointly to reprint the 1906 Stan-dard Atlas of Woods County. The book in-cludes Woods, Major, and Alfalfa countiesand includes town plats, indicating landownership of each parcel in 1906. Thecoffee table book is green with gold letter-ing and costs $40, plus tax and shipping.If ordering from the Waynoka MuseumGift Shop, P.O. Box 193, Waynoka, OK73860, Oklahoma residents should add 9percent sales tax or $3.60 and $7.50 forpriority mail. To order from the MajorCounty Historical Society contact them atP.O. Box 555, Fairview, OK 73737 or call580/227-2265 for the amount of salestax and mailing costs. A limited numberof atlases were reprinted. If you havequestions, call the Waynoka HistoricalSociety at 580/824-1886 or send theman e-mail at <waynokahs@hotmail.com>.(Special to ML)

New Members, cont’d.David Dary, NormanDeborah Dickas, Bellbrook, OHFr. Paul Eichhoff, ClaremoreLawrence Gibbs, StillwaterDonna Gussert, GuthrieJay Hannah, NormanMichael R. Higgins, NormanMs. D. Madeine Kaphengst, Cheyenne, WYPam Koenig, Oklahoma CityCarolyn Mathews, Sand SpringsBervis McBride, Oklahoma CityGeorge E. McLellan, Russellville, ARStayton Milligan, TulsaEdward J. Perkins, NormanTeresa Robinson, BlanchardDouglas F. Russell, AdairAnn Shanks, EdmondDon and Estelle Singer, Austin, TXLindsey Speligene, EdmondSusan Stanbaugh, WaukomisJean Tomassi, TulsaShirley Trekell, Troy, ILMs. Virginia Umbdenstock, Boca Raton, FLMaria Wilson, Guthrie

InstitutionsBoston Public Library, Boston, MAHeartland Of America Heritage Foundation, Weatherford

Jack D. Baker (Oklahoma City)

Baker is an eighth-generation Oklahoman and a citizen of theCherokee Nation. He was born on his grandfather’s Cherokeeallotment at Chewey in Adair County. He is a graduate ofWestville High School and of Oklahoma State University. He re-tired from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company after 29 years.Baker is involved in a number of civic and historical activities.Currently, he is president of the National Trail of Tears Associa-tion, treasurer of the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc.,president of Goingsnake District Heritage Association, boardmember of the Cherokee-Moravian Historical Association, and amember of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council. He has servedas a member of the Cherokee Nation Constitutional Conventionand the Design Planning Committee for Native American exhib-its for the Oklahoma History Center and has contributed to theOklahoma Encyclopedia project. He has written numerous arti-cles and books related to Cherokee history and genealogy.Baker has been a life member of the OHS since 1973. Elected tothe OHS Board in 2002, he has served on the Research, IndianHeritage, Nominating, and Annual Meeting committees.

William Tunell (Oklahoma City)

Tunell, born in 1933 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, had the greatgood fortune to move to Oklahoma City in 1976, joining the fac-ulty at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He waseducated at the University of Notre Dame and Cornell UniversityMedical College and after training and military service for theU.S. Army, taught and practiced pediatric surgery for 30 years.He retired in 1998 as Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Surgery) atthe University of Oklahoma. A widower, Tunell has two children,Maureen, a mother and homemaker in Dallas, and Bill, an attor-ney in Oklahoma City. Past service has included a term asTrustee of St. Gregory’s University and as an advisor to theOklahoma City Junior League. Tunell’s interest in history is as alayman who believes that history is integral to understanding thepast, improving the present, and determining the future. This be-lief spurred his life membership both in the South Dakota Histori-cal Association and in the Oklahoma Historical Society, the latterfrom 1977.

Johnny L. Barton (Alva)

Born in Vian, Barton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education fromNorthwestern Oklahoma State University and a Master’s ofCommunication Disorders from the University of Oklahoma withcertification in Speech Pathology. He has worked as an assistantfood store manager, taught in the Oklahoma City public schools,and was a faculty member and administrator at NWOSU for 29years. He was a Speech Pathologist at Northern Oklahoma Re-source Center, retiring as Director in 2006. He was namedNORCE Employee of the Year in 2000. Other honors includeNWOSU Teacher of the Year (1971, 1982), NWOSU Outstand-ing Graduate Award, Alva Chamber of Commerce Citizen of theYear, Alva Centennial Commission Honor Service Award, andOklahoma Main Street Board Member of the Year. Barton hasheld many community and civic leadership positions includingEducation Advisory Committee for the Oklahoma Real EstateCommission (member), NWOSU Scholarship On-Campus FundDrive (chair), Governor’s Conference on Rural Health Needs(delegate), and Alva Youth Council Children’s Theatre Program(director). While mayor of the City of Alva, he served as execu-tive director of the Alva Centennial Commission. A member ofthe Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Barton joined the OHS in2005.

Deena K. Fisher (Woodward)

Fisher, Dean of the Woodward Campus of NorthwesternOklahoma State University and Associate Professor of History,holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration (OSU) and aM.Ed. in History Education and School Counseling (SWOSU).In 2006 she attended the “Institute for Management and Leader-ship in Higher Education” at Harvard Graduate School of Educa-tion. Fisher was also a contributing editor and developed theteacher-student material for the history textbook entitledOklahoma–Land of Contrast (Clairmont Press, 2006). She coor-dinates a week-long Oklahoma History Summer Institute that issponsored by Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Mu-seum of the Cherokee Strip in Enid, and Plains Indians and Pio-neers Museum in Woodward. She serves on several boards, in-cluding Oklahoma Historical Society, Cherokee Strip RegionalHeritage Advisory Council, Plains Indians and Pioneers Mu-seum, Rotary, William S. Key Correctional Citizen AdvisoryBoard, Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies, Woodward In-dustrial Foundation, Woodward Chamber of Commerce, and PsiChapter of Delta Kappa Gamma and is an advisory member forthe Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women. She is mar-ried and has three children and three grandchildren. She enjoysvisiting historical sites and museums. An OHS Board membersince 2004, Fisher currently serves on the Membership,Outreach, and Publications committees.

Rex M. Ball (Tulsa)

An Oklahoma City native, Ball earned a B.S. Degree in Architec-ture from OSU and an M.A. Degree from MIT. He served on theBoard of Visitors, OU School of Architecture, and as President ofAIA chapters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and the State Council.In 1976 Ball was one of the youngest to become a Fellow of theAmerican Institute of Architects and is a Life Member of theAmerican Institute of Certified Planners. He became ChairmanEmeritus of HTB, an international architecture-engineering plan-ning firm, after 37 years of practice. While he was CEO, HTB re-ceived over fifty local and national awards. In 1994 he was ap-pointed to the seven-member U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Heserved on committees for the National Trust for Historic Preser-vation and Preservation Oklahoma and chaired the sixth WorldCongress on Art Deco and the International Coalition of Art DecoSocieties. A director of the Tulsa Historical Society, Ball servednine years on the Tulsa Preservation Commission, including twoterms as Chair. He and his brother donated the original drawingsof the State Capitol to facilitate construction of the new dome asenvisioned by the original architect. Ball became a Life Memberof the OHS in 1954.

Billie Stone Fogarty (Oklahoma City)

Fogarty is President of the Oklahoma Genealogical Society andhas been active in the genealogical community of the county,state, and nation for more than 25 years. She holds membershipin the Association of Professional Genealogists, GenealogicalSpeakers Guild, and International Society of Genealogical Writ-ers and Editors. A former public school history teacher with aB.S. degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and aM.Ed. degree from the OU, she currently teaches family historyresearch to adults and is a frequent lecturer on genealogical top-ics. She has been invited to speak at the National GenealogicalSociety Conference in the States, May 2008. She has been ac-tive in historic preservation, serving on Historical Preservation,Inc., and as Heritage Hills Associate Board president and Heri-tage Hills Historic Homes Tour chair. She is involved with otherorganizations, including Daughters of the American Revolution,Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Colonial Dames ofthe XVII Century, the 1889er Society, and First Families of theTwin Territories. Her Oklahoma roots run deep, being the de-scendant of 1889ers and claiming descent from 18 pioneers formembership in First Families of the Twin Territories. She waselected an OHS Life Member in 2007.

Aulena Scearce Gibson (Lawton)

Gibson currently serves on the OHS Development/Endowment(chair), Executive, Research, and Collections committees. Sheis a fourth-generation Oklahoman. With the exception of threeyears teaching in Missouri public schools, she has been alife-long resident of Oklahoma. Her early years were spent pri-marily in Tahlequah. She attended Northeastern State Universityand is a graduate of OSU. She and her husband have lived inLawton since 1958. Gibson places great importance on the pres-ervation and dissemination of historical records, the conse-quence of her interest in family history. For 25 years she wrote aweekly genealogy column for the Lawton Constitution. Shehelped organize the Council of Genealogy Columnists andserved as its newsletter editor and president. It is now the Inter-national Society of Family History Writers and Editors. She hasbeen active with the Southwest Oklahoma Genealogical Societyand is past board chair of the Lawton Public Library. Gibson’spast civic work includes serving on boards of the Oklahoma Heri-tage Association, Lawton Philharmonic, and Cameron UniversityFoundation, organizing its President’s Partners organization in1989. She is currently trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation forExcellence and is director emeritus of the Oklahoma ArtsInstitute. An OHS member since 1980, Gibson continues to fo-cus on history.

Ann Elizabeth Halligan (Stillwater)

Halligan is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree inBusiness Education. She came to Oklahoma as First Lady ofOklahoma State University in 1994 when her husband, JamesHalligan, assumed the presidency of OSU. She previously hadwork experience as a legal secretary in Iowa and Washington,D.C., as a high school business teacher in Texas, and as a realestate sales agent in Missouri and Arkansas. A dedicated volun-teer, she has served as President of the Stillwater Area UnitedWay, Director of the Girl Scouts of Magic Empire Council, Direc-tor of the Tulsa Ballet, and Chair of the Board of Stillwater Medi-cal Center. Current service includes Board Officer of Friends ofOSU Library, Director of Friends of OSU Music, President ofHome Owners Association of Nottingham, Financial Advisor ofAlpha Chi Omega Sorority, Director of Alpha Chi Omega SororityHousing Corporation, Member of Chapter EP of PEO, and Vol-unteer at Elite Repeat, a shop to benefit Habitat for Humanity,Community Action, and Domestic Violence. Both Ann and JimHalligan were named Stillwater Citizens of the Year in 1999.Members of the OHS since 1995, the Halligans note that theirlove for Oklahoma was a major factor in their decision to remainin Oklahoma following Dr. Halligan’s retirement as President ofOSU in 2002.

Committee names candidates for2008 Board election

Board member and chair of the OHSNominating Committee Bill Corbetthas announced the names of 11 candi-dates who will stand for election tothree-year terms on the OHS Board ofDirectors.

According to the OHS Constitutionand By-laws, 13 of the 25 members ofthe Board are elected by the OHS mem-bership on a rotating basis. In 2008 themembership elects 1 (one) memberfrom District 5, 1 (one) member fromDistrict 6, and 3 (three) members fromthe State At-Large.

Biographical sketches for the 2008nominees appear below by district andin alphabetical order.

The OHS will mail the ballots and vot-ing instructions to the membership inMarch. Completed ballots may be cast inperson or by mail, but must be receivedin the executive director’s office before12:00 noon, Friday, April 11, 2008.

District 5

District 6

State At-Large

Cal Hobson (Lexington)

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Hobson graduated from LexingtonHigh School as valedictorian and then earned a B.A. degreefrom the University of Oklahoma. He was commissioned a sec-ond lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force and retired with the rank ofcolonel in 1999, having received three meritorious service med-als, three Air Force commendation medals, and one U.S. Armycommendation medal during his 32 years of commissioned ser-vice. He was designated an honor graduate of four militaryschools and colleges, including the Squadron Officers Schooland the Air War College. Hobson served 28 years in theOklahoma Legislature, including 12 in the House of Representa-tives and 16 in the Senate. He was elected President Pro Tem-pore in 2002, serving until 2005. Currently, Hobson is ExecutiveDirector of Operations of University Outreach at OU. He is amember of the Lexington, Noble, and Norman Chambers ofCommerce. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for the SamNoble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the CommunityServices Building Board of Directors. Hobson and his wife,Elaine, live in Lexington and have three children (Jack, Matt, andAubrey) and two grandchildren (Tate and Allison). He has been amember of the OHS since 1977.

Leon Nelson (Oklahoma City)

A native of Perry and a graduate of Perry High School, Nelsonserved in the U.S. Navy before continuing his education atOklahoma A&M College. As president of the campus VeteransClub, he appeared before members of the legislature to supportchanging the institution’s name to Oklahoma State University.Following graduation, he served as City Manager of Ponca Cityfor 19 years. In 1970 he successfully negotiated the purchase ofthe contents of Pioneer Woman sculptor Bryant Baker’s studiofor Ponca City. He also played a significant role in the city’s pur-chase of the Marland Mansion and Estate and served as Presi-dent of the Oklahoma Municipal League. After leaving PoncaCity, he pursued a career in banking, retiring in 1998 fromNationsBank as Vice President of Education Lending forOklahoma. He and his wife, Marcene, began volunteering for theNational Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2000. He also has served asKeeper of the Chips and Sheriff of the Indian Territory Posse ofOklahoma Westerners. Nelson has been honored by inductioninto the Marland Mansion and Estate Hall of Fame and theOklahoma Hall of Fame for Municipal Officials. He has been amember of the OHS since 1999.

Emmy Scott Stidham (Checotah)

Stidham grew up in Edmond and Checotah and attended OU.She served as board member of Checotah Main Street for eightyears, serves as publicity chair for the Checotah Chamber ofCommerce, and was named the chamber’s Member of the Yearin 1996 and 2003. She is founding director of Friends of HoneySprings Battlefield. As founding president and current projectschairman of Checotah Landmark Preservation Society, she wasinstrumental in saving and relocating the local 1890 Katy depotand placing it, the Methodist Church, and downtown businessdistrict on the National Register of Historic Places. She wasnamed McIntosh County Democrat’s Outstanding Citizen ofYear (1986) and McIntosh County Citizen of Year (1992) and re-ceived the Oklahoma Heritage Association’s Distinguished Ser-vice Award for Preservation of State and Local History (1996).Her service includes Oklahoma Methodism’s Conference Com-mittee on Archives and History (member), P.E.O. International(present delegate), Checotah’s Jim Lucas Library (past presi-dent), and the Centennial Heartland Heritage Center (trustee).An OHS life member since 1985, Stidham was elected to theOHS Board in 1988. She has served the OHS as treasurer andas a member of the Annual Meeting, Budget/Endowment, Sites,Historic Preservation, Nominating, Evaluation, Executive, andBurkhart Trustees committees, and she currently serves as vicepresident.

OHS Places . . .Overholser Mansion

405 Northwest Fifteenth StreetOklahoma City, OK 73103Phone: 405/528-8485 or 405/525-5325Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.–3 p.m.Admission: Adults $3

Seniors $2.50Children, 6–18 $1Children under age 6, free

Prominent Oklahoma City entrepreneurHenry Overholser had his three-story, Vic-torian-style home designed by architect W.S. Matthews and constructed at NorthwestFifteenth and Hudson in 1903. Overholserhad come to the newly established town ofOklahoma City a few days after the 1889land run. A man with a vision, he had sev-eral railroad carloads of prefabricated,wood-frame buildings shipped to townsoon after his arrival. He subsequentlyerected six business buildings along Grand(now Sheridan) Avenue. Within a two-yearperiod he had the Grand Avenue Hotel andthe Overholser Opera House built. Di-vorced from his first wife, he married AnnaIone Murphy on October 23, 1889, andthey had one daughter, Henry Ione, bornon April 5, 1905. While Overholser workedto bring new businesses to the young city,his wife became prominent in social circlesby hosting balls, charity events, luncheons,and dinners.

The Overholser Mansion served the cou-ple well as they entertained important indi-viduals. The twenty-room, brick-and-stonehouse has leaded-glass windows, nine fire-places, and hardwood floors. With wood-work of Antwerp oak and mahogany usedthroughout, the home was furnished withhand-loomed carpets, Oriental rugs, bro-caded silk draperies, and lace and linencurtains. The third floor was used as a ball-room. Guests invited to a reception in

spring 1904 probably entered through oneof two formal entrances, the one on theeast, with its massive double doors, or theone on the south, under a porte cochere. Atwo-story carriage house, which served asa garage and servants’ quarters, is situatedwest of the home.

Using funds raised primarily by theOklahoma Chapter of the American Insti-tute of Architects, the Oklahoma HistoricalSociety acquired the property in 1972. Cur-rently an affiliate of the OHS, the mansionis operated by Preservation Oklahoma, aprivate, nonprofit organization dedicated topreserving Oklahoma’s historic places. TheNational Society of Colonial Dames ofAmerica, Historical Preservation, Inc., theWomen’s Architectural League, and theFriends of the Overholser have aided in therestoration and operation of the OverholserHouse. It was added to the National Registerof Historic Places (NR 70000586) in 1970.

Top: Main elevation of Overholser Man-sion. Above: in the mansion’s garden (Bill

Siemens photos).

Hidden Collections . . .The Frederick Samuel Barde

CollectionBy Larry O’Dell

In 1893, when the newspapermen of theOklahoma Press Association founded theOklahoma Historical Society, fittingly oneof its first and strongest manuscript collec-tions came from a print reporter. The Fred-erick Samuel Barde Collection (82.89) con-tains more than forty-seven boxes of mate-rial pertaining to all aspects of Oklahomahistory. In 1917 the Oklahoma Legislaturepurchased the collection for $5,000, donat-ing it as a cornerstone acquisition for theOklahoma Historical Society.

Fred Barde, who was born in 1869, be-gan his journalism career at Sedalia, Mis-souri, prior to relocating to Kansas City.There, he worked for the Kansas City Starand began writing stories about OklahomaTerritory as early as 1897. In 1898 he

moved his family to Guthrie, continuing towrite for the Star.

Not only was he known as “the dean ofOklahoma journalism,” Barde was also anoted naturalist. He studied Oklahoma’senvironment, writing and photographingthe state’s flora and fauna, especially birds.In 1912 he published Field, Forest, andStream in Oklahoma and in 1914 OutdoorOklahoma. He also served as president ofthe Oklahoma branch of the Audubon So-ciety. Frederick S. Barde died in Guthrie onJuly 22, 1916.

The Barde Collection holds not only hiswork on Oklahoma events and biographiesbut also photographs and maps. The boxesand folders have been arranged in alpha-betical order by subject, and a very goodfinding aid can be found in the online data-base at the Research Division’s portion ofthe Oklahoma Historical Society’s web siteat <okhistory.org>.

This collection can be examined at theJohn and Eleanor Kirkpatrick ResearchCenter in the Oklahoma History Center.

The State Historic Preservation Of-fice is pleased to announce that sevennew properties from Oklahoma havebeen added to the National Register ofHistoric Places as of December 12,2007. The National Register is the na-tion’s official list of places significant inour history.

Tulsa’s Ranch Acres is Oklahoma’sfirst post–World War II residential his-toric district listed in the National Reg-ister. Located just outside the down-town area, it consists almost exclu-sively of ranch-style homes con-structed between 1949 and 1962. De-signed with young professionals inmind, Ranch Acres was a luxuryneighborhood. Generous lots allowedmost of the subdivision’s ranch houses tosprawl across the property and gave indi-viduality to spacious houses in a naturalis-tic landscape. Ranch Acres became thecity’s largest single development of postwarluxury homes. Dr. Cathy Ambler preparedthe nomination for the City of Tulsa.

In Harmon County, the Hollis City Halland Jail and the Gould Community Build-ing are the best-preserved local examplesof Works Progress Administration projectsfrom the 1930s. A two-story, native-stonebuilding erected in 1937, the Gould Com-munity Building has served a variety of so-cial and community functions. The HollisCity Hall and Jail is a two-story, Mod-ern-style, stone building dating from 1939. Itwas the WPA’s last project in Hollis and re-mains in use in its original function. JimGabbert, architectural historian, preparedthe nominations.

The Luke D. Berry House in Cushing wasbuilt in 1925 for a prominent businessmanof the same name. The two-story, ItalianRenaissance Revival–style home representsthe oil-boom period in Cushing’s history.

The nomination was prepared by Rose-mary Cullen with the help of Jim Gabbert.

Centered on the Garfield County Court-house and the U.S. Post Office and CourtHouse, the Enid Downtown Historic Dis-trict is a commercial district containingmore than eighty properties representativeof the development of this important northcentral Oklahoma community. Most of thebuildings were constructed during Enid’s“Golden Era” of 1916 to 1944 and reflectthe architectural styles popular duringthat period. Contributing properties in-clude the Masonic Temple, a ClassicalRevival–style building on IndependenceAvenue, and the Shield Building, a Mis-sion-Spanish Colonial Revival–style build-ing on South Grand. Dr. Cathy Amblerprepared this nomination for the City ofEnid.

The First Baptist Church (Colored) isAnadarko’s oldest surviving African Ameri-can church. Erected in 1914, this vernacu-lar-style building is constructed of concreteblock and features a tall, square tower onthe front and a pyramidal roof. It also re-

tains its original pointed-arch, wood win-dows. The First Baptist Church (Colored) issignificant for its architecture and for itsconnection to Anadarko’s African Ameri-can community. The nomination was pre-pared by Cindy Savage of ARCH Consult-ing for the City of Anadarko.

In Ardmore, the Choctaw, Oklahoma andGulf Railroad Viaduct is a wooden trestlebridge constructed between 1901 and 1902.For decades this bridge served as a criticalrail link in the area and today is the onlypre-1915 rail-related resource in that com-munity. Cindy Savage prepared this nomi-nation for the city of Ardmore.

The Okmulgee Colored Hospital wasoriginally listed in the National Register in1984 as the Okmulgee Black Hospital. Newdocumentation accepted by the NationalRegister officially changes the historic prop-erty name of this resource in OkmulgeeCounty to the Okmulgee Colored Hospital.Constructed between 1922 and 1923, theOkmulgee Colored Hospital opened itsdoors in 1924. This facility operated as aracially segregated hospital until it closedin 1956. Okmulgee Colored Hospital wasrelatively unique because it offered care inthe black community with the help of a pri-marily African American medical staff. Thenecessary additional documentation wasprepared by Dr. Michael Cassity for the Cityof Okmulgee.

The State Historic Preservation Officecontinues to strive to gain recognition forthose places significant in Oklahoma’s his-tory. Listing of the properties in HarmonCounty brings closer the goal of at least fivelistings per county.

For additional information contact KelliGaston at 405/522-2713 or by e-mail at<kgaston@okhistory.org>.

Hollis City Hall and Jail (J. Gabbert/SHPO photo).

Seven new listings added to National Register of Historic Places

Historic home professionals attendconference at Phillips House

In early February twenty-seven historic home professionals metat the Frank Phillips House for a two-day conference dealing withartifact care and maintenance. Martha Ray, Historic Homes Direc-tor for the Oklahoma Historical Society, was the featured speakerand conference leader.

Ray discussed care and maintenance of numerous types of arti-fact materials, including fine arts, china, glass, wood, paper, photo-graphs, books, rugs, leather, furs, textiles, metals, and plaster.

Participants included professionals and volunteers from theFrank Phillips House, Woolaroc Lodge, the Price Tower, the GlassHouse, the E. W. Marland House, the George Murrell House, the T.B. Ferguson House, the Seay Mansion, Pawnee Bill Ranch HistoricSite, and the Drummond House. (Right: Brandon and Rachel Reid, Mary Dean,

and Beverly Whitcomb discuss cleaning a buffalo rug. Staff photo.)

Cherokee Strip HeritageCenter Outreach Spaceplans March lectures

and exhibitOn Wednesday, March 12 , at 12 noon,

Education Director Glen McIntyre will lec-ture on “The Five Civilized Tribes and theirGolden Age.” This talk will discuss how theCherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek,and Seminole nations came to Oklahomaand the decade of success they had in the1850s.

On Wednesday, March 19, at 12 noonSandie Olson, director of the Harvey HouseMuseum in Waynoka, will present a videoon “The Transcontinental Air TransportComes to Waynoka.” For a brief time,Waynoka was a hub for the Transcontinen-tal Air Transport system (TAT).

On Saturday, March 22, at 1 p.m., JudyFerguson will present a First Person Im-pression. She’ll portray a Harvey HouseGirl. The Harvey Houses were restaurantson the Santa Fe, Frisco, and other rail sys-tems. Ferguson will tell about her life andabout Harvey Houses as well.

From March 1 through March 28 a trav-eling exhibit will be on display in the Out-reach Space. We Know We Belong to theLand: A Hundred Years of Oklahoma andthe Congress takes you on a journeythrough Oklahoma’s history. Beginning interritorial days, you’ll explore the eventsand people that shaped this state andhelped make it what it is today. You willalso meet every person who representedOklahoma in the U.S. Congress. The textnarrative was written by Danney Goble,co-author of the state’s high school text-book on Oklahoma history. The events andpeople from Oklahoma’s history and poli-tics are celebrated in this exhibit, createdby the Carl Albert Center CongressionalArchives in commemoration of Oklahoma’sstatehood centennial.

All of these events are free and take placeat the Outreach Space for the CherokeeStrip Regional Heritage Center, located atthe east end of Oakwood Mall in Enid,Oklahoma. For more information pleasecall Glen McIntyre, education director, at580/237-1907.

A Quilt Block Class

Yearn to create a hand-made quilt top?Plan to join the Quilt Block of the Monthworkshop series at the PBR! OHS HistoricHomes Director Martha Ray and the PBRstaff will help each class member create anew quilt block every month. The monthlysession meets the first Tuesday, in thiscase March 4, in the evening. The fee is$15. By the end of the series each partici-pant will have had the opportunity to as-semble a complete quilt top.

A Lunch-and-Learn Lecture

On March 12 the ranch will host aLunch-and-Learn Lecture at 12 noon inthe museum conference room. Staff mem-ber Anna Davis will discuss the genealogyof Gordon William Lillie (Pawnee Bill). Af-terward, she will hold a Q&A session.Interested individuals may bring brownbag lunches and enjoy an hour learningmore about the ranch’s namesake.

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt

On March 22 the ranch hosts the Paw-nee Lions Club’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt.Pawnee Bill himself began the event at theranch more than a century ago. Now thehunt is a tradition. Hundreds of childrenline up at various places on the property,waiting for Pawnee Bill (this year againportrayed by Wayne Spears) to fire his gunto signal the start.

March is filled with happenings at Pawnee Bill Ranch

A Warrior Run

March 22’s activities continue with thePawnee Warrior Run, a race for childrenaged 12 and under. There are prizes!

The Annual Easter Sunrise Service

On Sunday, March 23, the ranch againsponsors the annual sunrise service andEaster breakfast fund raiser. Historic BlueHawk Peak provides a scenic place for par-ticipants to attend a nondenominationalcommunity Easter Service followed by apublic breakfast for $4.

A Flint-Knapping Workshop

Don’t worry. The staff will teach you howto make an authentic-looking arrow pointor spear point without nicking your fingers!

A flint-knapping workshop will occur atthe PBR on March 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. Mas-ter knapper Carl Lucas of Cleveland will in-struct. The fee is $7. This is a hands-on op-portunity for participants to learn atime-honored “primitive” skill. The classwill be held in the historic barn. Preregis-tration is required.

How to Take Part

Call the Pawnee Bill Ranch staff at918/762-2513. For more information or toregister in advance, just e-mail them at<pawneebill@okhistory.org>.

Pioneer Woman Museum Announces 2008Woman of the Year Contest

The Pioneer Woman Museum in Ponca City is holding its fifth annual Woman of the YearContest. Anyone can submit a nomination form for any Oklahoma woman. The deadline isMarch 15, 2008.

The museum invites the nomination of women, living or deceased, who have been or areactive in their community and considered to be a “notable” Oklahoma woman. Nominationforms are available online at <www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com> and contain questionsabout service activities and personal qualities of the nominee.

For the winner, the nominee or a representative of the nominee must be present to acceptthe award. The nominee cannot be an employee of the Oklahoma Historical Society or amember of the Pioneer Woman Museum Advisory Board.

For additional information call 580/765-6108.