Cherokee Heritage Center
1839Located near Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee Nation, this center tells the story of the Trail of Tears and Cherokee survival in Indian Territory.
17.6 mi away
Everything Fort Gibson is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Fort Gibson.
Located near Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee Nation, this center tells the story of the Trail of Tears and Cherokee survival in Indian Territory.
One man created an entire writing system. The Cherokee went from oral to 90% literate in years.
Built 1869 from red brick by a displaced nation. Cherokee capital since 1839.
In 1838-39 about 16000 Cherokee were force-marched here. 4000 died on the way.
First institution of higher learning for women west of the Mississippi. Opened 1851.
Every Labor Day weekend 100000+ celebrate Cherokee survival and sovereignty.
An 1845 antebellum mansion in Indian Territory. Only pre-Civil War building of its kind in OK.
First Native American newspaper in Indian Territory. Printed in Cherokee syllabary since 1844.
Built 1844. The Cherokee had a functioning court system before Oklahoma existed.
142 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
From 1824 to 1888, this fort guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory. Fort Gibson was the westernmost military post in the United States when it was built. Its job was to keep the peace and protect the…
You're driving through the heart of Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through territory shaped by the military career of Matthew Arbuckle. From 1822 until his death in 1851, Arbuckle was a key figure on the…
You're driving through southwestern Oklahoma right now, a place George Catlin saw for the first time in 1834. Catlin was an artist, and he tagged along with a military expedition from Fort Gibson. His mission? To…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here is the site of Fort Gibson, the very first U.S. military post established in what would become our state! <break time="400ms"/> Built in 1824, its mission was huge:…
You're driving past Fort Gibson, a town that's been around since 1824! It started as Cantonment Gibson, established by Colonel Matthew Arbuckle to bring peace between the Osage and Cherokee. This place was a refuge, one…
Right here in Indian Territory, near Fort Gibson, died Micanopy, the hereditary chief of the Seminole people. Born near St. Augustine, Florida, around 1780, Micanopy became chief in 1819. He famously employed about a…
Right here, in Indian Territory, the infamous Confederate guerrilla William Quantrill and his raiders found themselves out of their element. While they carved a bloody path through Kansas and Missouri, their operations…
Right here in Muskogee County, you're driving past the birthplace of Henry Starr, an outlaw who claimed to have robbed more banks than any man in America! Born in 1873, Starr was the nephew of the infamous Belle Starr.…
You're driving through the Cherokee Nation, and right here is a place connected to a legend. Daniel Walker, a Cherokee freedman, was one of the most skilled cowboys you'd ever see on the ranch back in the day. He worked…
You're driving through Oklahoma right now, perhaps near the Canadian River, and you're retracing the path of Lt. James W. Abert's 1845 expedition. This wasn't just a casual trip; Abert was charting the land for the U.S.…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're retracing the steps of Nathan Boone, son of the legendary Daniel Boone. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1832</say-as>, Captain Boone arrived at Fort…
You're driving past Fort Gibson, the starting point for a dramatic 1834 military mission. The Dodge-Leavenworth Expedition set out to negotiate with Plains Indian tribes, but disease quickly crippled the soldiers.…
You're driving through Cherokee County, near Fort Gibson, where a Civil War hero once commanded. Benjamin Grierson, famous for a daring cavalry raid through Mississippi, was tasked with organizing the Tenth Cavalry, a…
You're driving through what was once the Cherokee Nation, but back in June of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1862</say-as>, this was the scene of a Union military expedition. Colonel William Weer led his troops…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, in 1819, English botanist Thomas Nuttall was barely surviving the wilderness. Nuttall, already a seasoned explorer, journeyed into what's now Oklahoma, collecting plant…
You're driving through Muskogee County, near Fort Gibson, where a pivotal moment in Oklahoma's frontier history unfolded. Back in 1832, Congress created the Stokes Commission, tasked with a monumental job: pacifying the…
Right here in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, Lee Wiley was born on October 9, 1908. She'd become one of the first white female jazz vocalists to gain national fame, right alongside Mildred Bailey and Connee Boswell! After…
Right here, near Fort Gibson, is where a significant figure in Cherokee history, William Potter Ross, spent his final days. Born in Tennessee and educated at Princeton, Ross became the first editor of the Cherokee…
You're driving past Okay, in Wagoner County, near where a crucial piece of Oklahoma's frontier history unfolded. Back in 1819, the Barbour and Brand Company set up shop right here, a trading post at the Three Forks of…
You're driving through Okay, Oklahoma, a town with a name that's as straightforward as its industrial past. Right here, the Verdigris River has seen it all, from French traders like Joseph Bogy in 1806, to the Creek…
You're driving past Muskogee, home to Bacone College, Oklahoma's very first college! It opened its doors way back in 1880 as Indian University, dedicated to Christian education for American Indians. It’s not just a…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Charles N. Haskell, Oklahoma's very first governor! He wasn't born here, but he arrived in Muskogee in 1901 and helped transform it…
You're driving through what used to be the wild Indian Territory, and right here is a place connected to one of the most legendary lawmen of the American West: Bass Reeves. Born a slave, Reeves escaped to freedom and…
Right here in Oklahoma, long before the Wright Brothers even took flight, a plumber named Ben Bellis in Muskogee was tinkering with a flying machine. It didn't fly, but it shows Oklahomans have always had their eyes on…
Right here, in what was then the Indian Territory, you're passing near the story of Sophia Alice Callahan, the first American Indian woman novelist. Born in 1868, she was a Creek woman who, in 1891, published 'Wynema: A…
You're driving through Muskogee, the historic heart of Indian Territory, where a pivotal moment in Oklahoma's history unfolded. Right here, the Dawes Commission set up shop in 1893. Their mission? To break up tribal…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a place that was once the heart of a political earthquake. J. Howard Edmondson, born in Muskogee, became Oklahoma's youngest governor ever at just…
Right here in Indian Territory, you're driving past the stomping grounds of Dick Glass, the most notorious outlaw of the 1880s. By 1880, Glass led a gang out of Marshalltown, near Muskogee, dealing in stolen horses and…
You're driving past Muskogee, and right here is the site of Hatbox Field. It started as a general aviation airport in 1921, but got its unique name from its striped hangars that from the air looked like a lady's hatbox.…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the hometown of Joan Hill, a Cherokee artist who became one of the most honored American Indian women artists in the United States. Born in 1930, Hill blended traditional…
Right here in Muskogee, leaders of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations gathered in 1949. They formed the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, a powerful voice for Native…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, the birthplace of a jazz legend: Jay McShann. Born James Columbus McShann in 1916, this pianist, known as "Hootie," taught himself to play and was performing with local…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving through a town with some serious "firsts"! Established in 1872 as a railroad stop, Muskogee quickly became a hub. Imagine this: by 1900, it was home to the largest concentration of…
You're driving through Muskogee County, an area that was once a wild frontier crossroads. Back in 1719, French explorer Jean Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe encountered a Wichita village right here. By the early 1800s, the…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the legacy of Robert Latham Owen. Born in Virginia, Owen came to Indian Territory with his mother and quickly became a force. He was a teacher, a…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, near the town that bears his name: Pryor. But did you know this place is named for Nathaniel Pryor, a key figure in early American exploration and settlement? Pryor joined…
You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Alice Mary Robertson, known affectionately as 'Miss Alice,' made her mark. Born in Indian Territory in 1854, she became Oklahoma's FIRST woman elected to…
Right here in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1905, a pivotal moment in state history unfolded. You're passing through the site of the Sequoyah Convention. Driven by a desire for self-determination as tribal governments faced…
You're driving past Muskogee, and right here, you're passing through the heart of what was once the massive FS Ranch. Captain Frederick Severs, a prominent rancher and entrepreneur, built his empire here in Indian…
You're driving through Muskogee, and right here, you're passing the site of the Union Agency, established way back in 1874. This was the central hub for managing the affairs of fifty-five thousand American Indians and…
Right here in Muskogee, you're looking at the final resting place of the USS Batfish, a World War II submarine that sank fourteen Japanese ships. But its most incredible feat? In just three days back in February 1945,…
You're driving through the heart of Oklahoma, and right here is a place where history was literally carved into the land. It's called Allotment. Starting in the late 1800s, the U.S. government broke up Native American…
Right here, in what is now Muskogee, Indian University was established in 1885. This wasn't just any school; it was a bold move by the Creek Nation, in partnership with Almon C. Bacone, to create a place for higher…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past a splash of color that's become a national attraction! It's the Azalea Festival. It all started back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1968</say-as>, thanks to a local…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, and right here is a place tied to John Downing Benedict, a man who became the first U.S. superintendent of schools in the Indian Territory back in 1899. When he arrived, tribal…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the birthplace of a university that's still shaping minds today! It all started in 1894 as Henry Kendall College, founded by the Presbyterians to educate folks in Indian…
You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Carolyn Thomas Foreman made her mark as a historian. Born in Illinois and educated in Europe, she moved to Muskogee in 1897. While her husband Grant was a…
You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Grant Foreman, one of Oklahoma's most important historians, made his home and his mark. Arriving in 1899, Foreman initially worked for the Dawes Commission,…
You're driving near Muskogee, and right here, you're passing the site of Fort Davis. Named for Confederate President Jefferson Davis, this was the main Confederate base in northern Indian Territory during the Civil War.…
Right here in Indian Territory, after the Civil War, establishing schools for newly freed slaves was a huge challenge. It wasn't just about money or white opposition; each of the Five Tribes had its own approach. The…
You're driving through Muskogee, and right here, you're passing the birthplace of Oklahoma's first Native American newspaper, the 'Indian Journal.' Launched in May 1876 with the motto 'We Seek to Enlighten,' this weekly…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the echoes of the Indian International Fair, held annually from 1875 to about 1900. Imagine a week-long spectacle, a true oasis of culture and community. Indians and…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, the birthplace of jazz guitar legend Barney Kessel. Born in 1923, Kessel grew up right here, soaking in the sounds of jazz in local movie theaters. He went on to become one of…
Right here, in Muskogee, you're driving past the birthplace of what is now the University of Tulsa! In 1894, Reverend William Robert King, a Presbyterian minister, founded Henry Kendall College. He was inspired to…
You're driving through Muskogee right now, and you're passing by a company with a truly unique origin story. Back in 1896, Laurence H. Rooney needed to register his construction company, but Oklahoma was still a…
Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through land that was once envisioned as a promised land for Native American tribes. Isaac McCoy, a missionary and surveyor, was a major force behind the idea of an 'Indian…
You're driving through Wagoner County, not far from where the last elected principal chief of the Creek Nation, Pleasant Porter, was born in 1840. His Creek name was Talof Harjo, and he was a bridge between two worlds,…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past a place that was home to Ora Eddleman Reed, a pioneer journalist who championed Native American culture. In 1898, she launched 'Twin Territories: The Indian Magazine,'…
You're driving through Muskogee, and right here is where Joseph Sondheimer built an empire! Born in Bavaria, he came to America and by 1867, he was establishing depots for his hide, fur, and pecan business. He followed…
You're driving through Muskogee, a city that owes a lot to one man: Clarence William Turner. Born in Ohio in 1857, Turner came to Indian Territory with his father in 1870, eventually settling here in Muskogee. He was a…
You're driving through Muskogee, the birthplace of Claude "Fiddler" Williams, born right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1908</say-as>. He started on the mandolin and guitar, playing in local barbershops…
Right here in Oklahoma, women were organizing for change way back in 1919. As the nation geared up for World War I, leaders realized businesswomen hadn't formed formal clubs like others. So, in 1919, the National…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, a town that sent a doctor to Congress! Thomas Coburn, a family physician, made history right here in the 1990s. In 1994, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, aiming to…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma's "Railroad Capital of the Southwest." Right here, in this city, Charles Edward Creager made history as one of the very first Republicans to represent the brand-new state of…
You're driving south of Muskogee, and right here is Davis Field. It wasn't always a civilian airport. Back in 1941, the War Department built it as the Muskogee Army Airfield, commandeering a stretch of U.S. Highway 64…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, the hometown of Edmond A. "Ed" Edmondson, a man whose career touched the halls of Congress and the wild rivers of Oklahoma. Born here in 1919, Edmondson wasn't just another…
You're driving through Muskogee, home of the Griffin Food Company. It started in 1908, founded by brothers John and Charles Griffin, who first tried their hand at the grocery business in Durant back in 1902. That first…
You're driving through Muskogee, Oklahoma, and right here, James Robert Jones got his start. Born in 1939, he was fascinated by politics at just eight years old after visiting the county attorney's office. By twelve, he…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the early days of a movement that changed how women participated in democracy. Back in 1917, Carrie Chapman Catt had a vision to unite women across…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of its railroad history. The Midland Valley Railroad was chartered way back in 1903, part of a massive boom to connect growing towns and…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, the Great Depression hit folks hard, especially the elderly. Before <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1935</say-as>, they relied on family or local charity. But…
Right here in what was then Indian Territory, a magazine called Twin Territories hit the stands in December 1898. It was a monthly publication from Muskogee, aiming to show the nation that this land wasn't just…
You're driving past Muskogee, the birthplace of William Blake Crump, who would become the legendary director Blake Edwards. He's the creative genius behind iconic films like "The Pink Panther" and "Breakfast at…
Right here in Muskogee, you're driving past the site of Oklahoma's very first municipal junior college. Muskogee Junior College, or MJC, opened its doors back in 1920, thanks to the city's school board and…
Pull over for a second, because you're about to see a house inspired by Mark Twain, right here in Oklahoma! Arthur C. Trumbo, a prominent Muskogee businessman, had this house built in 1906. He wanted it to resemble one…
You're driving south of Fort Gibson, passing through Braggs, Oklahoma. This quiet town exploded during World War II. In 1942, right here, construction began on Camp Gruber, a massive $30 million military cantonment. It…
You're driving through eastern Oklahoma, near Braggs, and right here is the site of Camp Gruber. Activated in 1942, this massive World War II training ground covered over 100 square miles. It was built to prepare troops…
Right here in Braggs, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of a true country music innovator: Robert Lee Dunn. Born in 1908, Dunn didn't just play music; he invented his own electric steel guitar, complete with…
You're driving through Hulbert, right here on Highway 51. This town started in 1890 with a store and grist mill, built by Benjamin Hulbert. He was a Kentucky trapper who married a Cherokee woman and built his business…
You're driving through Wagoner County, and right here is Tullahassee, considered the oldest surviving All-Black town in Oklahoma. Its story begins way back in 1850, when the Creek Nation opened a school on the old Texas…
Right here in what is now Wagoner County, you're passing through the area where William Schenck Robertson dedicated his life to educating and ministering to the Creek people. Arriving in the Indian Territory in 1849,…
Muskogee, Oklahoma, a place that hums with a quiet strength, owes much of its historical prosperity to its strategic location and the iron horse. Founded in 1872 and named for the Muscogee Creek Nation, the town quickly…
Right here, you're passing through Summit, Oklahoma, one of the state's historic All-Black towns. Platted in 1910, it had a post office way back in 1896. Some say it got its name because it was the highest point on the…
Right here in Wagoner County, you're driving past the legacy of Dr. Belle Cobb, the very first woman physician in Indian Territory! Born in Tennessee, she came to the Cherokee Nation with her family and eventually…
You're driving through Wagoner, Oklahoma, a town that owes its very existence to railroads. It all started in 1887 when a railroad fireman built a hotel here. Soon, other businesses popped up, and the town grew around a…
You're driving past Bacone, Oklahoma, home to a remarkable institution. Right here, in 1880, Almon Bacone, a former educator, started the Baptist Academy with just three students and himself as the sole teacher. He…
You're driving through present-day Muskogee County, Oklahoma, near the confluence of the Verdigris, Grand, and Arkansas rivers. Right here, back in the late 1700s and early 1800s, was the bustling Three Forks area, and…
Right here in Oklahoma, during the Great Depression, the government launched a massive project to put people to work and preserve history. It was called the Historical Records Survey. From 1936 to 1942, Oklahomans…
You're driving through Porter, Oklahoma, a town that owes its very existence to the railroad. Back in 1903, the Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad needed to build three towns spaced out along a new line. Porter was…
You're driving through what's now Cherokee County, Oklahoma, passing through Park Hill. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1839</say-as>, Elias Boudinot, a Cherokee leader and newspaper editor, met a…
Right here in Park Hill, you're passing by a place that embodies the enduring spirit of the Cherokee people. In 1963, Cherokee leaders founded the Cherokee National Historical Society to preserve their rich history and…
Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through the birthplace of printing in the state. Back in 1835, at Union Mission, the very first book printed in what's now Oklahoma rolled off the press. It was a Muskogee-language…
Right here in Park Hill, you're passing through a place that was central to the life and work of Ann Eliza Worcester Robertson. Born in Tennessee in 1826, she accompanied her missionary parents as they ministered to the…
You're driving through Cherokee County, and right here is the area where Reverend Stephen Foreman lived out his days. Born in Georgia in 1807, Foreman was a Cherokee Presbyterian minister and a key figure in Cherokee…
Right here in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, you're passing through the stomping grounds of Woodrow Wilson Rawls, the author of the beloved classic, 'Where the Red Fern Grows.' Born in Scraper in 1913, Rawls grew up on his…
You're driving through the Cookson Hills, a beautiful, rugged stretch of land that's the southernmost tip of the Boston Mountains. These hills, reaching up to 1500 feet, are blanketed in thick timber and crisscrossed by…
An 1845 antebellum mansion in Indian Territory. Only pre-Civil War building of its kind in OK.
Right here in Taft, you're driving through a place with a unique place in history. Originally called Twine, this community became Taft in 1904, named for future president William Howard Taft. But what makes Taft truly…
Pull over here for a minute; this is a spot where the Old South met the Cherokee Nation. This is the Murrell Home, built in 1845 by George Murrell, a wealthy white merchant who married into a prominent Cherokee family.…
First institution of higher learning for women west of the Mississippi. Opened 1851.
Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through the heart of a historic tragedy. Over 150 years ago, in 1838 and '39, more than a quarter of the Cherokee people died on the forced migration from their southeastern…
Right here in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, you're passing through the heart of Cherokee Nation history. In 1987, Wilma Mankiller became the first woman elected chief of the Cherokee. She wasn't just a figurehead; Mankiller…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, near Tahlequah. Right here, in the 1830s, the Cherokee people faced an impossible choice: leave their ancestral homelands or resist a powerful U.S. government. Their…
You're driving through Cherokee County, land of the Cherokee Nation's capital, Tahlequah. This area was forever changed by the "Trail of Tears," bringing thousands of Cherokees here. One of the most prominent leaders,…
You're driving through Tahlequah, the heart of the Cherokee Nation, and right here, the Cherokee Advocate newspaper once served as the voice of a people. Established in 1844, it was the country's *only* tribal…
You're driving through the Cherokee Nation, near Tahlequah, where the legend of Ned Christie was forged. Christie, a blacksmith and gunsmith, found himself accused of murdering Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Maples in 1887.…
You're driving through Tahlequah, the heart of Cherokee Nation. Right here, Evan Jones, a Welshman by birth, spent fifty years as a Baptist missionary to the Cherokee people. He didn't just preach; he translated the…
You're driving through Tahlequah, the historic capital of the Cherokee Nation. Established in 1839, this town was born from the ashes of the Trail of Tears. Imagine, right here, a brand new capital being built by a…
You're driving through Tahlequah, the heart of the Cherokee Nation, and right here is where Dennis Wolfe Bushyhead made his mark. Born in Tennessee, he came to Indian Territory in 1839. After a stint in the California…
Right here, near Tahlequah, you're driving past the legacy of the Cherokee Male and Female Seminaries. Opened in 1851, these weren't just schools; they were beacons of higher education for the Cherokee Nation. Imagine a…
You're driving near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where two of the most influential rockabilly musicians of the 1950s got their start. Larry and Lorrie Collins, the Collins Kids, grew up on a dairy farm right here and attended a…
Right here in Indian Territory, long before Oklahoma was a state, folks were gathering for fairs! Back in 1845, the Cherokee Agricultural Society held the territory's very first fair. Imagine it: farmers showing off…
Right here in Tahlequah, you're driving past the birthplace of Masonry in Indian Territory. On November 7th, 1848, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas granted a charter for Cherokee Lodge Number 21. Many prominent American…
You're driving through Cherokee County, and right here, in places like Tahlequah and Park Hill, the Union Indian Home Guard Regiments were formed during the Civil War. These units, made up of Cherokee, Creek, and…
You're driving near Tahlequah, and right here, the Tsa-La-Gi Amphitheater hosted a powerful drama for nearly four decades. From 1969 to 2005, actors brought the tragic story of the Cherokee removal to life in the…
You're driving through Cherokee County, heading towards Tahlequah. Right here, you're passing the site of the former Cherokee Female Seminary. For over twenty-five years, from 1875 to 1901, Ann Florence Wilson was its…
Right here in Tahlequah, you're driving through the heart of Cherokee Nation history! William Wirt Hastings was a giant of his time. Born in Arkansas in 1866, he moved to Indian Territory, graduated from Vanderbilt, and…
You're driving through Tahlequah right now, home to Northeastern State University. This place has roots going way back, opening in 1909 as a teacher training school. Get this: it started in a former Cherokee Female…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here in Tahlequah, a newspaper editor became a congressman. Theodore Marshall Risenhoover bought the Tahlequah Star-Citizen and was known for his crime-fighting…
One man created an entire writing system. The Cherokee went from oral to 90% literate in years.
Located near Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee Nation, this center tells the story of the Trail of Tears and Cherokee survival in Indian Territory.
Pull over here for a minute; this place is more important than you think. This is the Cherokee National Capitol, built in 1869. From 1869 until Oklahoma statehood in 1907, this building housed the Cherokee Nation's…
Built 1869 from red brick by a displaced nation. Cherokee capital since 1839.
These sandstone walls whisper tales of justice, Cherokee-style. This is the Cherokee National Prison Museum, once the only jail for the entire Cherokee Nation. Back in 1874, the Cherokee Nation built this sturdy…
Every Labor Day weekend 100000+ celebrate Cherokee survival and sovereignty.
Tahlequah, nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks, has always been a place steeped in history and tradition. As the capital of the Cherokee Nation since 1839, it carries the weight and the honor of that legacy. In…
Built 1844. The Cherokee had a functioning court system before Oklahoma existed.
First Native American newspaper in Indian Territory. Printed in Cherokee syllabary since 1844.
In 1838-39 about 16000 Cherokee were force-marched here. 4000 died on the way.
This seemingly quiet spot represents a powerful commitment to women's education by the Cherokee Nation. In 1887, tragedy struck when the original Cherokee Female Seminary, a source of immense pride, burned to the ground…
Pull over here! This unassuming building witnessed the birth of Cherokee law in Oklahoma. Built in 1844, this structure served as the Supreme Court for the Cherokee Nation. Justices here interpreted Cherokee law,…
Built 1874 from local stone. Housed Cherokee criminals judged by Cherokee courts.
You're driving through Wagoner County, just southeast of Coweta, and you're passing through Red Bird. This is one of Oklahoma's historic All-Black towns, founded by families like the Barbers and Ruffins before 1900. It…
You're driving past New Tulsa, Oklahoma, a town that incorporated in 1966 as Oak Grove, but changed its name just a year later. The whole point was to avoid being gobbled up by nearby cities. For years, this tiny town,…
You're driving through Gore, Oklahoma, and right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1986</say-as>, this town experienced a major industrial accident. A Kerr-McGee plant, just east of here, was processing…
Right here in Gore, Oklahoma, you're driving past the hometown of a legend: Loren "Steve" Owens. He's one of only three University of Oklahoma Sooners to ever win the coveted Heisman Trophy, which he did in 1969. Owens…
Right here in Oklahoma, salt was once worth its weight in gold. Back in 1815, the very first commercial salt works in Indian Territory started up on the Grand River, near what is now Gore. It was a risky business – the…
You're driving through the Ozarks, and right here, the Illinois River cuts through the Cookson Hills. This waterway has a wild past! In 1828, it became the central artery for the Cherokee Nation's new homeland. But this…
Right here near Muskogee, you're passing through the birthplace of Willard Stone, a sculptor of Cherokee heritage. Born in 1916, Stone's unique wood sculptures gained national acclaim, often depicting stylized human and…
You're driving past Oktaha, a town with roots stretching back to the turn of the last century. It started as a stop on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, with a simple boxcar serving as the very first depot. The…
You're driving through the heart of the Cherokee Nation, near Webbers Falls, where a desperate bid for freedom unfolded in 1842. Over twenty-five enslaved people, mostly from the Joseph Vann plantation, staged a daring…
You're driving through Webbers Falls, a place with deep roots in Cherokee history. Back in 1828, Cherokee Chief Walter Webber established a trading post right here, bringing goods up the Arkansas River. It wasn't just…