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$23.99
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The 1947 Woodward Tornado remains the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma history, leaving more than 100 people dead and nearly 1,000 seriously injured. The tornado struck the city of Woodward under cover of darkness and without warning at 8:42 p.m. on April 9, 1947. The storm left in its wake hundreds of stories of tragic loss, devastation, and even mysteries that remain unsolved. These include the three unidentified girls--one as young as six months--whose bodies have remained unclaimed, as well as the mystery of what happened to Joan Gay Croft, a girl who disappeared from the local hospital on the night of the storm. Croft's disappearance was featured in an episode of the television show Unsolved Mysteries in the early 1990s. There is also the oft-overlooked story of those who took up residence (some for more than a year) in "Tornado Town" west of the city and found some glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.
A Culinary History of Pittsburg County
9781626191624
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$21.99
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Long before the era of the foodie, the little coal-mining town of Krebs set the standard for celebrating food in Oklahoma. Its reputation as the Sooner State's Little Italy began in the mid-1870s when Italian immigrants chased the coal boom to Pittsburg County, deep in the heart of the Choctaw Nation. After 150 years, Italians and Choctaw neighbors are now bound by pasta, homemade cheeses and sausages and native beer once brewed illegally in basement bathtubs and delivered by children from door to door. Stop by for a steak at GiaComo's, a Choc at Pete's Place, lamb fries at the Isle of Capri, gnocchi at Roseanna's or a gourd of caciocavallo at Lovera's--venues that have proven impervious to time and hardship. Join Food Dude Dave Cathey on a tour through this colorful and delicious history.
Abandoned Oklahoma
9781634993012
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$23.99
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They can be found down a back road, hidden off a two-lane highway, in a disappearing small town, or in a city--you never know what abandoned locations you will discover when exploring the vast landscape of Oklahoma. Join the Abandoned Oklahoma team as they tell the story of the school bell ringing for the last time at Dunjee School in Spencer, Oklahoma; the closing of the roadside treasure W. S. Kelly Merchandise in Cogar, Oklahoma; and the end of an era for Lindley Hospital in the town of Duncan. The story of the last laps around the Tulsa Speedway and the final days of the mysterious Abundant Life Building in Tulsa are told through research, personal experiences, and beautiful photography. There isn't much time hasn't touched and the answers to the questions behind some of Oklahoma's most talked about abandoned locations will be found within the pages of this unique publication.
Abandoned Oklahoma
9781634993630
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$23.99
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Abandoned as a school in the late 1960s, Harjo Consolidated Dist. No. 5 became one more statistic in the decay of the American education system. Institutions like Harjo once were, and often still are, staples in rural communities and among those that served African Americans, Native Americans, the disenfranchised, and the poor. As these institutions closed, many students found themselves forced to travel significant distances to continue their education or forgo it altogether. Harjo was no different, offering services to several cities within the locale. Conceived during Oklahoma's oil boom, Harjo was hailed as one of the finest schools of its kind by the late 1920s. However, the institution faltered almost as quickly as it rose. Many remaining alumni have fond memories during their tenure at Harjo, but as time passes, their numbers dwindle, and the institution fades. Not without effort, attempts to repurpose the facility have been implemented, though Harjo never returned to its full glory. This is a pictorial documentary of Harjo, and it is one of many tales of America's struggle with inequality and the education system.
Ada
9780738584362
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$24.99
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Ada, named after the eldest daughter of Jeff Reed, a founder of the town, is located in the east central part of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Pontotoc County and was called the worst town for criminal activity in the Indian Territory for the lack of justice. The west end block of Main Street was called the "Bucket of Blood" and harbored many murderers and outlaws until, in 1909, the hanging of four men in a stable advised all who would hide in Ada to leave or suffer the same fate. The murder of former U.S. marshal Gus Bobbitt was the catalyst for this desperate action. The hanging is one of the most talked about tales of the early West. Growing from the oil, cotton, and cement industries, Ada is known as the city of clear spring water. The Chickasaw Nation has its headquarters in Ada and has been a fount of industry and beauty in the town.
American Choral Directors Association
9780738560724
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$21.99
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American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) was formed in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 24, 1959, by 35 choral directors from around the United States. They aimed to create an organization that would meet the professional needs of all choir directors. To achieve this goal, they made the promotion of excellence in choral music through performance, composition, publication, research, and teaching their central purpose. In addition, ACDA strives through arts advocacy to elevate choral music's position in American society. From the original steering committee to today's leaders, this central purpose continues to drive ACDA's development. Among the ways that ACDA has promoted excellence in choral music are national and division conventions featuring the best choirs in the world, awards given to individuals who have in some way contributed to the art of choral music, state workshops and clinics, and honor choirs and commissioned works. Each generation that has passed through ACDA has left its indelible mark. The first generation built the foundation and gave ACDA its purpose. The second generation gave ACDA its independence and voice. The third generation leads the organization into a new and more globally connected world. And through it all, ACDA remains true to promoting choral music excellence.
An Oral History of Tahlequah and The Cherokee Nation
9780738507828
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$24.99
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These pages are filled with memories and favorite tales that capture the essence of life in the Cherokee Nation. Ms. Duvall invites the reader to follow the tribe from its pre-historic days in the southeast, to early 20th century life in the Cookson Hills of Oklahoma. Learn about Pretty Woman, who had the power over life and death, or the mystical healing springs of Tahlequah. Spend some time with U.S. Deputy Marshals as they roam the old Cherokee Nation in pursuit of Indian Territory outlaws like Zeke Proctor and Charlie Wickliffe, or wander the famous haunted places where ghost horses still travel an ancient trail and the spirits of long-dead Spaniards still search for gold.
Ardmore
9780738560854
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$24.99
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Although part of the Chickasaw Nation, virgin soil lured pioneers into Indian Territory, and by 1900, intruders outnumbered Native Americans 10 to 1, building communities throughout Native American lands. In 1887, on a grassy prairie where buffalo had roamed, men gathered where the Santa Fe Railroad planned to build a station. By 1898, Ardmore was a thriving city with businesses, churches, electricity, and telephones. Under a new federal law in late 1898, Ardmore became an incorporated city. Several disasters including a massive explosion and two major fires almost destroyed the town, but the people who built Ardmore came from sturdy stock. After each disaster, they rebuilt, and Ardmore continued to prosper.
Art Deco Tulsa
9781625859891
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$21.99
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Transformed from a cattle depot into the Oil Capital of the World, Tulsa emerged as an iconic Jazz Age metropolis. The Magic City attracted some of the nation's most talented architects, including Bruce Goff, Francis Barry Byrne, Frank Lloyd Wright, Joseph R. Koberling Jr., Leon B. Senter and Frederick Kershner. Like their brazen oil baron clients, they were not afraid to take chances, and the city still reflects the splendor of that fabulous era. Writer Suzanne Wallis and photographer Sam Joyner celebrate the city's enduring Art Deco legacy and its daring revival.
Aviation in Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma
9780738561639
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$24.99
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Early balloonists, called aeronauts, traveled across Oklahoma from fair to festival to exhibit their feats of derring-do. Some parachuted from their balloons while others would slide down to the ground on cables attached to their balloons from heights upward to 1,000 feet. Soon after the Wright brothers proved the possibility of powered, controllable flight, local Oklahoma inventors were building their creations and hoping to be the first to be called pilot in the state. Once oil was discovered in the state, aviation literally took off. The early-day oil barons quickly seized on the utility of aviation. They could be the first on the scene in western Oklahoma or the Texas panhandle to sign a mineral lease or have a broken-down drilling rig back in action in short order by flying in the parts needed. From these humble beginnings sprang the aerospace industry that would carry Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma into the 21st century.
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
9780738503103
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$24.99
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From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available.
Baseball in Oklahoma City
9780738531892
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$24.99
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Oklahoma City is completing its first century of minor league baseball. Since 1904, organized professional teams called the Mets, Indians, Senators, Boosters, 89ers, and now the RedHawks have thrilled fans of all ages. Several fan-favorites who have graced the diamond for Oklahoma City have gone on to stardom in "The Big Show," including major league all-stars Lonnie Smith and Juan Gonzales. Legendary names like Rogers Hornsby and Bill Veeck have also played a part in Oklahoma City's baseball history. As the second century of baseball in Oklahoma City begins, the Oklahoma RedHawks continue the tradition of playing superb baseball in the "The Little Show," with perhaps another future major league all-star or two honing his skills before a capacity crowd at the Brick.
Baseball in Tulsa
9780738523323
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$24.99
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The rich tradition and history of professional baseball are brought to life in Baseball in Tulsa. Wayne McCombs traces Tulsa's baseball past from the cow pastures of Indian Territory into the 21st century. The book documents the struggle many players endure in the coveted quest to become a major league baseball player. Showcasing a collection of over 170 rare photographs, this new volume vividly documents the sport that makes Tulsa one of the best minor league cities in America. See all the greats from the original Tulsa Oilers through today's Tulsa Drillers, including hall-of-famers Satchel Paige, Frank Robinson, Steve Carlton, Dizzy Dean, and Warren Spahn-each of these legends either played or coached in Tulsa.
Beaver County
9780738583501
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$24.99
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Beaver County's unique history is reflected in the five flags that once flew as claim to the area, as well as in the fact that for 70 years the land between the 100th and 103rd meridians and between 36?30' and the 37th parallels belonged to no territory, state, or nation--hence the name "No Man's Land." Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado traveled through the west central part of the area on his return to Mexico from his hunt for the Seven Cities of Cibola. Later ranchers, cattle, and freight trails brought permanent settlements. In 1903, homesteaders, sometimes called "punkin rollers," began to stake claims, build sod houses, and become permanent residents long before there was any law and order, since no government existed.
Bricktown
9780738561370
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$24.99
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From the moment 10,000 settlers descended upon Oklahoma Station in 1889 and declared it Oklahoma City, the land surrounding the depot was destined to become the new community's hub of commerce. The wholesale district was first home to massive cotton operations. Wholesale grocers, livery stables, and hardware and implement distributors followed, building up sturdy brick edifices in the years leading up to Oklahoma's statehood in 1907. Almost every major railroad line dissected the area, which was once bordered to the south and east by the North Canadian River, and by World War I, oil derricks were popping up like trees. By the 1970s, the once proud wholesale district was a ghost town. But most of the old brick buildings and streets had survived the ravages of time. Developers just as ambitious as the city's early settlers rechristened the area Bricktown, and a city seeking to reclaim its past spent millions adding a canal, ballpark, and other improvements that have made Bricktown a popular regional entertainment district.
Broken Arrow
9780738520148
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$24.99
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Broken Arrow was established in 1902 as a railroad terminal on the Missouri, Kansas, & Texas Railroad. It became a trade center for cattle, cotton and corn. In the early days, roses were planted in homes and along streets, and the use of a local spring for city water gave Broken Arrow the title of "City of Roses and Pure Water." The population was stable until 1950, when the rapid growth of the city made it the fifth largest in Oklahoma. Broken Arrow: City of Roses and Pure Water is a collection of vintage images that illustrates the development of the town from an agricultural trade center to a prosperous city of diversified, light industry and a center of education. Featured in this book are the busy streets, parades and festivals, softball tournaments, tourist attractions, and recent civic improvements that make Broken Arrow unique. Historic photographs of downtown stores and residential homes depict the earliest growth patterns of the city and show the development of Broken Arrow as a community.
Building Bartlesville
9780738550510
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$24.99
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Bartlesville was founded in 1897 in the oil-rich northeast corner of a state that was soon to become the most prosperous oil-producing region in the world. Its architectural heritage prior to World War II reflected its citizens' European and East Coast tastes for classical, large-scale buildings typical of the era. Although symbols of their time, as well as the prosperity of their owners, their designs slightly pale in comparison to the unique modernistic styles that began appearing after 1940. Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) and Bruce Goff (1904-1982) were perhaps the most famous architects working in and around Bartlesville in the second half of the century. As harbingers of a new type of "mid-century modernism," their designs were notable alongside those by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (founded in 1955), Taliesin Associated Architects (founded in 1959), Clifford May (1908-1989), and Thomas McCrory (1925-). Building Bartlesville: 1945-2000 documents the architectural richness of this "City of Legends" and includes photographs, drawings, and documents in an excellent companion for those interested in both Oklahoma history and modern architecture.
Campus Ghosts of Norman, Oklahoma
9781626192126
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$21.99
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Since Norman's inception more than 120 years ago as a college town, it has gathered a shadowy history and more than a few residents who refuse to leave. Ghostly organ music and sinister whispers fill school buildings in the night. Patients walk the surgical suites of the old infirmary, which was once a quarantine ward for polio victims. Long-deceased sisters still occupy their sororities--one even requiring an exorcism--and dorms are notorious for poltergeists and unexplainable sounds. Professor Jeff Provine sheds light on some of the darker corners of this historic campus and the secrets that reside there.
Cherokee Strip Land Rush
9780738540740
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$24.99
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On September 16, 1893, over 100,000 people converged on the edges of six million acres just south of the Kansas border, a parcel officially designated the Cherokee Outlet but more commonly called the Cherokee Strip. This was the largest of the rushes, where officials threw open whole parcels of land at one time. The opening of the outlet drew people with a wide mix of motivations. Those who arrived that stifling September found heat, dust, wretched conditions, high prices--and hope. Among them was William Prettyman, whose photographs remain the most stirring record of the event. When the starting gun went off at noon, the blurred images of people and animals racing across the dusty terrain became part of the memory of a whole region.
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
9780738541471
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$24.99
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Choctaw are the largest tribe belonging to the branch of the Muskogean family that includes the Chickasaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminole. According to oral history, the tribe originated from Nanih Waya, a sacred hill near present-day Noxapater, Mississippi. Nanih Waya means "productive or fruitful hill, or mountain." During one of their migrations, they carried a tree that would lean, and every day the people would travel in the direction the tree was leaning. They traveled east and south for sometime until the tree quit leaning, and the people stopped to make their home at this location, in present-day Mississippi. The people have made difficult transitions throughout their history. In 1830, the Choctaw who were removed by the United States from their southeastern U.S. homeland to Indian Territory became known as the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Claremore
9780738550565
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$24.99
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Throughout the years, a city's history has a way of disappearing along with a way of life that will most likely never be seen again. The reader will be offered a rare glimpse into the very heart of Claremore's vibrant past. Claremore is truly brimming with history, from the radium baths to the Frisco Railroad to the town's famous residents, including Clem Rogers, father of the widely loved entertainer and advocate for Oklahoma statehood in 1907. This collection of vintage postcards contains views from the town beginning at prestatehood, when Claremore was considered part of Indian Territory. Each postcard sends the reader on a journey through time from an era full of freedom and spirit to "getting your kicks on Route 66."
Classic Restaurants of Oklahoma City
9781467119214
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$24.99
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$21.99
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Oklahoma might seem like an unexpected place for Cold War tensions to boil over, but the state played a key role in a conflict that threatened global annihilation. Altus Air Force Base served as a hub for twelve intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites; in 1964, a missile housed at the Frederick site exploded, although the nuclear warhead remained unaffected. Ordinary citizens lived under the shadow of nuclear war as well. A former OU faculty member accused of committing espionage for the Soviet Union fled the country, while a SWOSU professor dug his own fallout shelter in Weatherford--by hand. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, an emergency siren malfunction sent terrified Elk City parents scurrying to local schools to pick up their children. Landry Brewer presents a fascinating cross-section of the era, from top-level strategy to the details of daily life.
Downtown Oklahoma City
9781467108904
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$23.99
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The establishment of what became Oklahoma's capital city was unique among the states, as it emerged into existence on a single day, April 22, 1889. Throughout the decades that have followed, the heart of Oklahoma City has experienced building and expansion, urban renewal, and improvements made through the Metropolitan Area Projects Program.
Duncan and Stephens County, Oklahoma
9780738503134
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$24.99
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Including some of Oklahoma's earliest and most productive oil fields, Duncan and Stephens County played a major role in the development of America's oil industry. Through historic images, this book focuses on the two themes that emerge from the area's past: first, the settlement, growth, and development of communities with strong, progressive pioneer heritage; and second, the discovery of oil in the late teens, and the development of a petroleum industry with a worldwide reach and impact. Using primarily the archives of the Stephens County Historical Museum, the authors selected photographs that illustrate the two themes of community and oil, and how they impact each other. Highlights include the growth and development of Duncan, Marlow, and Comanche; prosperity from the oil boom; the strong sense of community through the Depression; service in both World War I and World War II; renewed growth following World War II; and contemporary efforts to strengthen the communities.
Early Woods County
9780738583105
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$24.99
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Woods County, Oklahoma, is showcased in images dating from 1894 to statehood in 1907. This time span covers the period of early settlement and the hardships of pioneers in a new territory. It includes the growth from a wide-open prairie to the beginnings of small towns and school districts, from mostly one-room schoolhouses to the Normal School for higher education, known today as Northwestern Oklahoma State University. People from all walks of life came to the Cherokee Outlet before the land run of 1893 and after. Those frontier inhabitants suddenly found themselves nearly alone on the wide expanse of prairie unbroken by a single building and with almost no trees. Early settlers came from across the country and even from across the ocean, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hope. These new residents carved out a living and made Woods County what it is today.
Eastern Oklahoma's Forgotten Frontier
9781467155601
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$24.99
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An in-depth look at frontier life in Eastern Oklahoma.
At the dawn of the nineteenth century, a steady stream of new arrivals began making their way into the rugged lands of Eastern Oklahoma. European settlers and the tribes who were forcibly relocated to the territory after 1830 established new lives alongside the Native Americans indigenous to the region. Their biographies make up an often untold story of two hundred years of Oklahoma history. From the origin of towns and commercial enterprises to profiles of pioneers both prominent and obscure, Ronald R. Switzer highlights the diversity and determination of the people who grappled for success in the early days of the Oklahoma frontier.
Edmond Oklahoma
9780738519753
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$24.99
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From its humble beginnings in 1886 as a fuel and water pump house at Mile Marker 103 of the Santa Fe Railroad, through the eras of land run, statehood, oil boom, two world wars and beyond, the city of Edmond has always been growing. Today, a "beacon for the rest of Oklahoma," it boasts a vibrant community of over 70,000 residents. Edmond is home to the state's oldest continuously running newspaper, the Edmond Sun. The first church and schoolyard in Oklahoma Territory were located here, as well as the state's first institute for higher learning. Indeed, Central Normal School, now called the University of Central Oklahoma, has been at the heart of Edmond since the 1890s and is featured prominently throughout this book. Edmond is a railroad town, an oil town and a college town, depending on who you ask; but Edmondites both past and present simply know it as the "perfect town." Edmond, Oklahoma: Always Growing tells the story of this proud city through more than two hundred vintage photographs, many dating back to before the turn of the twentieth century.
Eerie Oklahoma
9781467151917
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$21.99
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With a flash of green light, a portal opens up in the Beaver Dunes. But even the strangeness of another dimension struggles to compete with Oklahoma's hair-raising heritage. The woods still whisper of a woman with doe eyes and deadly hooves. Tulsa's ivy-covered Hex House remains haunted by the ghost of its infamously manipulative owner. From the traveling mummy of John Wilkes Booth to the grandma who seasoned plum cakes with arsenic, Heather Woodward explores the peculiar and petrifying portions of Oklahoma's past.
Enid
9780738577470
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$24.99
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Enid is the eighth-largest city in Oklahoma and the largest city in northwest Oklahoma. Its origins can be traced to September 16, 1893, the day of the Cherokee Outlet Land Run, when more than 100,000 people raced for six million acres of land. The town quickly grew as inhabitants came to Enid to register claims at the land office. As the seat of Garfield County, Enid was the hub for numerous railroads, including the Rock Island, Santa Fe, and Frisco lines. It was already a prosperous town when in 1916 the Garber-Covington oil field was discovered east of town, guaranteeing that the area would become a center of petroleum production. The community has nurtured interesting people, such as Marquis James, a writer who won two Pulitzer Prizes, and H.H. Champlin, founder of the Champlin Refining Company. Enid: 1893-1945 features these residents' stories and many others that made the period Enid's first golden age.
Fort Sill
9781467129640
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$24.99
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Established in 1869, Fort Sill initially hosted cavalry regiments, including buffalo soldiers, charged with pacifying native tribes in portions of Texas, Kansas, and Colorado. Replete with old West sagas, heroes, and villains, accounts from the post fascinate enthusiasts even today. Its namesake was chosen by Maj. Gen. "Little Phil" Sheridan to memorialize Brig. Gen. Joshua Sill, who gave his life in the Civil War. Similarly, the lasting impressions of great Americans are commemorated within the fort at Henry Post Army Airfield, "Flipper's Ditch," "Ambrosia Springs," "Sherman House," and of course, "Geronimo's Guardhouse." Even the city of Lawton was named after the "Prince of Quartermasters," Gen. Henry W. Lawton. Fort Sill's reputation as the premier artillery training and development center for the US Armed Forces has endured, preparing servicemen for every significant American conflict since its inception.
Golden Hurricane Basketball at The University of Tulsa
9780738533469
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$24.99
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When Kendall College fielded its first basketball team in 1907, no one could predict what great sports moments were in store for the city of Tulsa. All-American caliber athletes such as Bob Patterson, Jim King, Bobby "Bingo" Smith and Willie Biles laid the foundation under the direction of groundbreaking coaches like Clarence Iba, Joe Swank and Ken Hayes. The past 25 years have arguably seen some of the best court action in The University of Tulsa's history. Paul Pressey, Steve Harris, Tracy Moore, Shea Seals, Michael Ruffin and Kevin Johnson are just a few of the marquis players that have donned the Blue and Gold. They have been led into battle by a "who's who" of big time coaches including Nolan Richardson, Tubby Smith and Bill Self.