The Outlaw Who Toured America as a Corpse RoadyGoat

1911

For sixty-five years, the corpse of outlaw Elmer McCurdy toured America as a sideshow prop before anyone realized it was real. McCurdy botched nearly every robbery he attempted; his final 1911 heist netted forty-six dollars and a jug of whiskey, and that October he was killed in a shootout in a hayloft near Bartlesville. Embalmed with an arsenic-heavy fluid that left him rigid enough to stand on his own, his unclaimed body was dressed up and displayed for a nickel as 'The Embalmed Bandit.' In 1916 carnival promoters posing as his brothers carried him off, and for decades he drifted through wax museums, haunted houses, and funhouses, mistaken for a dummy. In December 1976 a crew filming The Six Million Dollar Man at a Long Beach amusement park tried to move a glow-painted 'mannequin' hanging from a noose, and an arm snapped off to reveal a real human bone. A 1924 penny and old ticket stubs lodged in the body helped identify him. On April 22, 1977, a horse-drawn hearse carried McCurdy to the Boot Hill section of Summit View Cemetery here in Guthrie, beside fellow outlaw Bill Doolin. Two feet of concrete was reportedly poured over his casket so no one could ever put him back on display. He had, as the saying goes, traveled farther dead than he ever did alive.

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Stillwater, OK RoadyGoat

Stillwater, Oklahoma, owes its existence, and its name, to the Land Run of 1889. When settlers staked their claims on the prairie, they chose a spot beside a particularly calm creek. They called their new town Stillwater, a simple description of that quiet water source, but also a suggestion of the peaceful community they hoped to build. Even the original town plat reflected this optimism, deliberately setting aside space for a future university, a sign of long-term vision. The name "Stillwater" speaks to the town's character even today. While it's grown far beyond a small settlement beside a creek, with over 50,000 residents, the town retains a sense of community pride. It’s a place where Hideaway Pizza was born in 1957, a local favorite that grew into a regional chain. Perhaps the "still water" that gave the town its name also provided a fertile ground for creativity and growth, a place where dreams could take root and flourish.

15.9 mi away

Stillwater, OK RoadyGoat

Stillwater began as a promise, a place carved out of Oklahoma Territory during the Land Run of 1889. Settlers, drawn by the promise of free land, gathered near the "still water" of a local creek and staked their claims. Even in those early days, the town's founders envisioned a future beyond mere survival. The original plat map included a dedicated space for a university, a bet on education that would define Stillwater for generations to come. That bet paid off, and Oklahoma State University became the town's anchor, driving its economy and shaping its identity. The early years weren’t without hardship. A devastating fire in 1914 swept through downtown, leaving ashes where businesses once stood. But the people of Stillwater rebuilt, this time with brick, a testament to their resilience. The town grew, slowly but steadily, its character shaped by the rolling prairie and the warm, energetic spirit of its residents. In the latter half of the 20th century, Stillwater became known for more than just agriculture and education. And Hideaway Pizza, a Stillwater original, grew into a regional favorite. Today, Stillwater stands as a vibrant community, a place where tradition and innovation meet, all under the vast Oklahoma sky.

15.9 mi away

Mulhall, Oklahoma

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The Outlaw Who Toured America as a Corpse RoadyGoat

Stillwater, OK RoadyGoat

Stillwater, OK RoadyGoat

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