Everything Miami is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Miami.
One of the worst environmental disasters in US history. Orange acid water still flows from abandoned mines.
A 1994 study found 34% of children had dangerous lead levels. Kids played on toxic chat piles daily.
The last man in Picher refused to leave his pharmacy. He died June 9 2015 at age 60.
The Quapaw tribe took over cleanup from the EPA and removed 7 million tons of toxic waste since 2013.
86% of buildings undermined by abandoned mines. The ground could collapse without warning.
The greatest switch-hitter in baseball grew up in Commerce playing on the same fields as miners kids.
178 million tons of toxic mining waste piled into mountains visible from space.
An EF4 tornado hit on May 10 2008 killing 7 -- destroying a town already scheduled for demolition.
69 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
Prepare to be transported back to the roaring twenties! This opulent theater on Route 66 hosted Vaudeville acts and movies during the golden age of entertainment. George Coleman, a local mining magnate, commissioned the…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here in Ottawa County, you're passing through a place that was once the lead and zinc capital of the world! Mining kicked off near Peoria in 1891, and soon towns…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here in Miami, you're passing through the home turf of a rodeo legend. Tom Ferguson wasn't just good; he was the best. From 1974 to 1979, he dominated professional…
Right here in Miami, you're driving through a town that wasn't just settled, it was *planned*. Back in 1891, visionary leaders like W. C. Lykins and Miami Tribe Chief Thomas F. Richardville worked with Congress to…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, in Ottawa County, you're passing through the heart of the Tri-State Mining District. For decades, this area was a powerhouse, especially for lead and zinc.…
You're driving through Ottawa County, not far from Miami. Right here, in the heart of Oklahoma, is the story of the Modoc people, originally from the Pacific Northwest. After a fierce conflict known as the Modoc War in…
Right here in Miami, Oklahoma, you're passing through the birthplace of Moscelyne Larkin, a world-renowned ballerina. Born in 1925, she trained right here before heading to New York and then touring the globe with the…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, maybe near the Kansas border, and you're passing through the heart of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation's ancestral lands. These Iroquoian people, originally from Ohio, arrived here…
You're driving through Miami, Oklahoma, the hometown of artist Charles Banks Wilson. Born in Arkansas in 1918, Wilson grew up here and made Miami his permanent studio. He became head of the art department at…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, right in the heart of Ottawa County. You're passing through Miami, a place that's home to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. These weren't always Oklahomans, though. Originally…
You're driving through Miami, Oklahoma, right where the ground beneath you once fueled an entire industry. Back in 1919, this area was booming with lead and zinc mining, so important that the state created the Miami…
You're driving through Ottawa County, and right here is the land of the Ottawa people, whose name means 'to trade.' They originally came from Michigan, moving to Kansas in 1833. By 1867, many sought a new home in Indian…
You're driving through Ottawa County, not far from the Kansas border. Right here, in the late 1860s, the Peoria tribe, along with the Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, and Wea peoples, consolidated their lands after moving from…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here is the home of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. They're descendants of the Illinois tribes, who originally lived much further north. In 1867, these…
You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, and right here, the land holds a story that stretches back to the 1600s. Meet the Moingwena, a small tribe of the Illinois, who were found by Father Jacques Marquette in…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, near Miami. You're passing through the land of the Shawnee Tribe, formerly known as the Loyal Shawnee or Cherokee Shawnee. These ancestors were the last Shawnee group to…
86% of buildings undermined by abandoned mines. The ground could collapse without warning.
You're driving through Ottawa County, near the historic Route 66, passing through North Miami. This town owes its existence to the lead and zinc mining boom. In the early 1900s, the Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri…
The greatest switch-hitter in baseball grew up in Commerce playing on the same fields as miners kids.
You're driving through Ottawa County, and right here in Commerce, you're passing through a town with a dark, infamous chapter. On April 6, 1934, the notorious Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, along with their accomplice…
You're driving past the site of Picher, once Oklahoma's most northeastern city, and a boomtown born overnight in 1913. Right here, the lead and zinc mines produced over $20 billion in ore, supplying more than half the…
You're driving past the site of Cardin, once known as Tar River. In 1913, this was a booming lead and zinc mining town, packed with eighteen grocery stores, speakeasies, gambling dens, and dance halls. Law enforcement…
Right here, in northeastern Oklahoma, you're driving through the heart of what was once the world's biggest zinc-producing region. In towns like Picher, Commerce, and Quapaw, the Tri-State Lead and Zinc District boomed…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the historic Tri-State Lead and Zinc District. While lead and zinc mining was happening in Missouri and Kansas for decades, Oklahoma's…
Right here in northeastern Oklahoma, you're passing through the territory of Wilbur Underhill, the "Tri-State Terror." Born in Missouri, Underhill found his criminal calling in the lead and zinc mines around Picher in…
You're driving through Ottawa County, near West Seneca, the headquarters of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Back in 1832, this land was granted to the United Nation of Senecas and Shawnees. Imagine, a…
You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, but the story of the Cahokia people starts way back in the 1600s near the Mississippi River in Illinois. They were an Algonquian-speaking tribe, living near a French…
You're driving through Ottawa and Delaware counties in Oklahoma, but this land has a history stretching back centuries and across the continent. Right here, you're on land once allotted to descendants of the Conestoga…
You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, passing through land once home to the Kaskaskia tribe. Though no longer a distinct tribe, their story is woven into the fabric of Oklahoma history. In 1673, Father Jacques…
You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, and you might not realize it, but you're passing through a place with a connection to the historic Mohawk Nation. While most Mohawk people live in Canada or New York, some…
You're driving through Oklahoma, but did you know this land was once home to the Piankashaw? They were a subtribe of the Miami, and their name possibly meant 'those who separated and formed a tribe.' Europeans first…
You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, a place that holds a quiet connection to a once-thriving American Indian tribe: the Tamaroa. These Algonquian speakers, related to the Illinois tribes, once numbered…
One of the worst environmental disasters in US history. Orange acid water still flows from abandoned mines.
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here is the ancestral homeland of the Quapaw people. Their name means 'those going downstream,' a nod to their migration from near the mouth of the Ohio River,…
You're driving past Quapaw, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Louis W. Ballard, a composer of Cherokee-Quapaw descent. His Quapaw name means 'Stands with Eagles.' Ballard became a nationally recognized composer, known for…
Right here in northeastern Oklahoma, near Quapaw, is where Joe Beeler honed his craft. Born in Missouri in 1931, Beeler grew up dreaming of being a cowboy and an artist. After serving in the Korean War and studying art,…
You're driving through Quapaw, Oklahoma, right on the Kansas border. This town was once known as "the Hay Capital" of Oklahoma! Back in 1896, a railroad stop here made it easy for farmers to ship over a thousand…
178 million tons of toxic mining waste piled into mountains visible from space.
A 1994 study found 34% of children had dangerous lead levels. Kids played on toxic chat piles daily.
The last man in Picher refused to leave his pharmacy. He died June 9 2015 at age 60.
An EF4 tornado hit on May 10 2008 killing 7 -- destroying a town already scheduled for demolition.
The federal government paid residents to leave. An entire American town was erased from the map.
The Quapaw tribe took over cleanup from the EPA and removed 7 million tons of toxic waste since 2013.
Lead and zinc discovered on Quapaw allotment land in 1913 launched the Tri-State Mining District boom.
You're driving through Fairland, a town that owes its existence to the railroad. It was laid out along the tracks of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, drawing people and businesses from the nearby, soon-to-be…
You're driving through Ottawa County, Oklahoma, near the town of Wyandotte. This land is the end of a long, hard journey for the Wyandotte people. Originally from the Montreal area, they were decimated by war with the…
You're driving through Wyandotte, Oklahoma, a town named for the Wyandotte tribe, who were moved to this area back in 1867. Right here, the Society of Friends, or Quakers, established a mission and boarding school for…
You're driving through Ottawa County, passing by the site of Peoria. This place owes its existence to the Tri-State Lead and Zinc District, which boomed from 1891 to 1896. At its peak, Peoria was a bustling mining camp…
You're driving through Craig County, past the town of Bluejacket. This quiet community was once hit by two devastating tornadoes, back in 1938 and 1939. The first, on May 4, 1938, came from an unusual direction, killing…
You're driving through northern Craig County, passing Welch. This town got its start around 1888, thanks to D. B. Nigh leasing land from Frank Craig. The Katy Railway was already in the area, and by 1891, they built a…
Get your kicks on Route 66 at this beautifully preserved gas station! It's a tangible reminder of the golden age of American road trips. Built in 1930 by the Independent Oil and Gas Company, it quickly became a Phillips…
You're driving through Afton, right on historic Route 66! This town owes its start to the railroad, but its name has a poetic twist. It's said a Scottish surveyor named Anton Aires named it after his daughter, Afton.…
Get ready to cross a piece of Route 66 history: the Rainbow Bridge! This beautifully preserved Marsh arch bridge is a classic example of early 1900s engineering. Back in 1923, this bridge was built to carry Route 66,…
Pull over here for a taste of old Route 66 at Williams' Store, a real survivor from the early days of cross-country travel. Leo Williams built this place in 1925, just a year before Route 66 was officially designated.…
You're driving past Bernice, a town that literally moved! The original Bernice, founded in 1912, was a bustling railroad and agricultural hub. But in 1940, the Pensacola Dam was completed, creating the Grand Lake O' the…
Right here, near Vinita, Elias Cornelius Boudinot's actions sparked a movement that changed Oklahoma forever. In 1869, federal authorities confiscated a tobacco factory owned by Boudinot and his uncle, Stand Watie, for…
You're driving through Vinita, and right here is the site of Galloway College, later known as Willie Halsell College. Opened in 1888, it was a Methodist school that played a surprising role in the lives of two…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, perhaps near Vinita, where one of America's first major Native American writers got his start. John Milton Oskison, born in 1874, grew up here and even attended the Willie…
You're driving through Delaware County, near the town of Vinita, where Thomas Alberter Chandler was born in 1871. He was a Cherokee man who became a prominent farmer, businessman, and oil producer. He reportedly drilled…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through land once shaped by the Halsell family. In 1872, William Halsell blazed a new trail, the Halsell Branch of the Chisholm Trail,…
Right here, west of Vinita, is where Patrick Shanahan waged his own private war against a railroad back in 1882. An Irish immigrant who'd married a Cherokee citizen, Shanahan refused to let the St. Louis and San…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the ghost of a railroad giant: the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway, better known as the Frisco. This wasn't just any train line; by the early…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here, in Vinita, was born Michael Synar. He wasn't just any politician; he was a force in Congress for sixteen years, representing Oklahoma's Second District.…
Right here in Vinita, you're driving through a town with a name that almost wasn't! It started about two miles south, but a railroad reroute changed everything. Elias Boudinot named the original site for his friend, the…
You're driving through what used to be Indian Territory, and right here, you're passing through the heart of a powerful cattlemen's alliance. In 1892, in Vinita, leaders from various Indian nations came together to form…
You're driving through Northeast Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through Vinita, the town that was home to James Sanford Davenport for much of his life. Davenport was a key figure in Oklahoma's early statehood,…
You're driving through what used to be the Cherokee Nation, and right here is where Nathaniel Skinner, a Kentucky transplant, built a life as a cattle baron. He arrived in the 1870s, married a Cherokee citizen in 1879,…
Pull over! You're looking at a piece of Route 66 history right here at the Kan-O-Tex Service Station. It's more than just a snack stop; it's a time capsule. This station originally opened in 1934, serving travelers…
You're driving through northeastern Oklahoma, and right here is Craig County. This land was once the hunting grounds for the Osage, but starting in the 1830s, it became a new home for the Cherokee people. Many arrived…