72 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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Thorpe, James Francis
· Eohc
Right here near Prague, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of arguably the greatest athlete of the 20th century: Jim Thorpe. Born Wa-tho-huck, or "Bright Path," on May 28, 1888, Thorpe was a Sac and Fox…
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Caha, Anton
· Eohc
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of history tied to the Land Run. Anton Caha was one of the very first Czech immigrants to settle here. In 1889, he snuck into the…
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Prague
· Eohc
You're driving through Prague, Oklahoma, a town with roots stretching back to the land run of September 22, 1891. But what makes this place unique? It was settled primarily by Czech immigrants, who named it after their…
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Paden
· 7.5 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Paden, Oklahoma, a town that sprung up thanks to the railroad. Back in 1903, the Fort Smith and Western Railroad pushed through this area, and Paden was born. It quickly became a bustling hub,…
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Sparks
· 10.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Lincoln County, past the town of Sparks. This place started on land that was once part of the Sac and Fox Reservation. After the reservation dissolved in 1890, the land opened up in a run in 1891.…
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Hubbell, Carl Owen
· 11.1 mi · Eohc
Right here near Meeker, Oklahoma, is where Carl Hubbell learned his signature pitch – the screwball. He grew up on a farm, one of five baseball-playing brothers, and honed that wicked pitch winning seventeen games for…
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Meeker
· 11.1 mi · Eohc
You're driving past Meeker, a town born from a railroad's detour. Right here, Clifton existed first, but when the Santa Fe Railway built its line, it zipped right past Clifton, two miles away. So, what did the folks in…
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All-Black Towns
· 12.4 mi · Eohc
Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving through a place where history took a unique turn. After the Civil War, African Americans, seeking safety and opportunity, founded over fifty all-Black towns across the territory.…
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Boley
· 12.4 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Okfuskee County, and right here is Boley, once the largest and most famous of Oklahoma's all-Black towns. Founded in 1903, it was a beacon of hope, attracting African Americans from across the…
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Chief Alfred Sam
· 12.4 mi · Eohc
Right here in Oklahoma, in 1913, a man named Chief Alfred Sam convinced hundreds of African Americans to sell everything they owned and follow him back to Africa. He promised them a land of riches, with diamonds in the…
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Norman Film Manufacturing Company
· 12.4 mi · Eohc
Right here in Oklahoma, you're driving past a piece of film history! Back in the 1920s, the Norman Film Manufacturing Company, a white-owned studio, was doing something revolutionary: making movies that positively…
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Fraternal Orders, African American
· 12.4 mi · Eohc
Right here in Oklahoma, African American fraternal orders were more than just social clubs. After the Civil War, Black Oklahomans brought groups like the Masons, Knights of Pythias, and Elks with them as they settled…
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Stargell, Wilver Dornell
· 13.0 mi · Eohc
Right here in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, you're passing through the birthplace of a baseball legend! Willie "Pops" Stargell, a proud member of the Seminole Nation, was born here on March 6, 1940. He went on to play his entire…
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Earlsboro
· 13.0 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Earlsboro, Oklahoma, a town that experienced two wild booms, fueled by very different liquids. First, it was whisky! Back when the town was near the border of Indian Territory, illegal liquor…
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McFarland, Ernest William
· 13.0 mi · Eohc
You're driving past Earlsboro, Oklahoma, and right here is where Ernest William McFarland was born in 1894. He'd go on to become a U.S. Senator from Arizona and even Senate Majority Leader. He also introduced the bill…
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Davenport
· 15.1 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Davenport, right on historic Route 66! This town owes its start to the Sac and Fox Opening back in 1891, when Noah and Annie Davenport staked a claim. Their daughter Nettie even became the first…
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Goldsby, Crawford
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Lincoln County, and right here is where one of the most notorious outlaws in Indian Territory history struck! Crawford Goldsby, better known as 'Cherokee Bill,' was part of the infamous Cook gang.…
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Tornadoes
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Oklahoma, a state legendary for its unpredictable weather, especially its tornadoes. Right here, in the heart of 'Tornado Alley,' the dread of these storms has been a constant since the Land Run.…
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Harris, Roy Ellsworth
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Lincoln County, not far from Chandler, the birthplace of Roy Harris. Born in 1898, Harris grew up to become one of America's most significant classical composers. His Symphony Number Three,…
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Hillerman, Abbie B. Rich
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the heart of a major battle for the soul of the state. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1903</say-as>, Abbie B. Hillerman, known as the…
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Chandler
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Chandler, right on historic Route 66. This town's origin story is wild! It was supposed to open on September 22nd, 1891, the same day as a big land run. But guess what? Soldiers blocked the way…
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Beard Cabin
· 16.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time at what's considered the first home built in Shawnee, dating back to 1892. The Beard Cabin is a tangible link to the very beginning of this city. Built in 1892, the cabin was constructed by Etta Ray…
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O'Hare, Kate Richards
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Chandler, Oklahoma, a town that was once a hub for a powerful socialist movement in the early 1900s. Right here, in 1904, Kate Richards O'Hare arrived with her husband. She wasn't just any…
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Pringey, Joseph Colburn
· 16.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Lincoln County right now, passing near Chandler. This area is where Joseph Colburn Pringey homesteaded back in 1891 when the Sac and Fox lands opened. He wasn't just a farmer, though. Pringey…
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Cooper, Leroy Gordon, Jr.
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here in Shawnee, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr., one of America's original seven Mercury astronauts! His love for flight started young, taking his first airplane ride at…
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Fluke, Louise Funk
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, and right here is where a young artist named Louise Funk got her start. She'd later be called the 'Betsy Ross of Oklahoma' because in 1925, she designed our state flag! Funk…
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Pitt, William Bradley
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here in Shawnee, Oklahoma, is where it all began for one of Hollywood's biggest stars: Brad Pitt. Born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963, he can trace his family's Oklahoma roots all the way back to the…
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Sacred Heart Abbey
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here, you're driving past the site of Oklahoma's oldest educational center in continuous operation: Sacred Heart Abbey. Founded way back in 1877 by Father Isidore Robot, this Benedictine monastery was built on…
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Sonic
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here in Shawnee, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of an American icon: Sonic Drive-In. It all started in 1953 with Troy Smith and a little root beer stand called the Top Hat. Smith was inspired by a…
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St. Gregory's University
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here in Shawnee, you're driving past the site of what was once Oklahoma's oldest institution of higher learning: St. Gregory's University. Its story starts way back in 1875 when monks arrived in Indian Territory…
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Governor's Mansion (Shawnee, Oklahoma)
· 16.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine if this building had become the governor's mansion! Back in 1903, Shawnee was in the running to become the capital of the brand-new state of Oklahoma. Some folks were so sure of it, they built this grand house…
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Farmer-Labor Reconstruction League
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here in Oklahoma, back in the early 1920s, farmers and factory workers decided they'd had enough. They were tired of falling prices, unemployment, and low wages. So, they banded together to form the Farmer-Labor…
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Gerrer, Gregory
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Pottawatomie County, maybe near Shawnee, and you're passing the legacy of an artist who painted for the Pope himself! Father Gregory Gerrer, a monk here in Oklahoma, was born in France but came to…
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Indiahoma Farmers' Union
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here, in what would become Oklahoma, farmers were fighting back against big business! In the years before statehood, the Indiahoma Farmers' Union, born from the Populist movement, was a force to be reckoned with.…
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Oklahoma State Federation of Labor
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, and right here is where a pivotal moment in state history took place. Back in 1906, labor leaders from across the territories gathered for the Twin-Territorial Federation of…
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Progressive Movement
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here, in Shawnee, in August of 1906, a pivotal moment in Oklahoma history unfolded. As Oklahoma and Indian Territories were gearing up for statehood, two powerful groups—the Twin Territorial Federation of Labor…
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Shawnee
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here, you're driving through Shawnee, a town born from a land run in 1891! Thousands raced to stake their claim, and four pioneers—Etta Ray, John and Henry Beard, and James Farrall—crossed a line that would become…
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Pottawatomie County
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Pottawatomie County, and right here, the story of Shawnee and Tecumseh is unfolding. It all kicked off with a land run on September 22nd, 1891. White settlement began in earnest, with tribes like…
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Henry, Charles Bradford
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Brad Henry, the state's twenty-sixth governor. Born in 1963, Henry's career path took him from running his family's oil company to serving as Shawnee's city…
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Oklahoma Baptist University
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
Right here in Shawnee, you're driving past Oklahoma Baptist University, a school that got its start way back in 1906. It took a bit of time to get going – they actually had to suspend classes in 1912 due to a lack of…
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Shawnee Demands
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Oklahoma, heading towards statehood. Right here, in Shawnee, back in 1906, a crucial meeting took place. Representatives from farmers, laborers, and railroad workers gathered to hammer out a list…
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Shawnee Mills
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Shawnee, Oklahoma, and right here is the site of the Shawnee Milling Company, a testament to Oklahoma's agricultural roots. It started way back in 1891, north of town, but it was pulled by mules…
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Shawnee, Absentee
· 16.9 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the heart of the Absentee Shawnee people. These Shawnee, unlike others, were scattered, migrating from places like Ohio and Missouri, eventually…
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Lincoln County Courthouse
· 17.1 mi · Things to Do
Four courthouses have stood on this hilltop since 1891.
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Cromwell
· 17.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Cromwell, Oklahoma, a town that exploded into existence in 1923 thanks to the oil boom. But this wasn't just any boomtown; it quickly earned the nickname 'Cromwell the Wicked.' Imagine this:…
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Tilghman, William Matthew, Jr.
· 17.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Seminole County, and right here, in the town of Cromwell, Oklahoma's last great peace officer met his end. William M. Tilghman, a legendary lawman who hunted buffalo, served as a U.S. Marshal, and…
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Shawnee, OK
· 17.3 mi · Local history
Shawnee sits comfortably on the rolling prairie of central Oklahoma, just high enough to catch a good view of the horizon. The land here is a mix of gentle slopes and fertile plains, a landscape molded by eons of…
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Marshal Bill Tilghman Homestead
· 17.4 mi · Things to Do
One of the Three Guardsmen lawmen. Served as Lincoln County sheriff. Buried in Chandler.
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1897 Tornado Memorial Site
· 17.4 mi · Things to Do
A four-block-wide tornado killed 19 and leveled the town. They rebuilt in sandstone.
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Museum of Pioneer History
· 17.4 mi · Things to Do
Twin 1897 sandstone Mascho buildings on the National Register.
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Chandler Land Run Townsite
· 17.5 mi · Things to Do
One of only two OK towns with its own dedicated land run on Sep 28 1891.
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Kickapoo Opening
· 17.5 mi · Eohc
You're driving through what used to be the Kickapoo lands, the site of Oklahoma's fifth and final land run! It all happened at noon on May 23rd, 1895. Ten thousand people showed up to claim their piece of the nearly…
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Lincoln County
· 17.5 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Lincoln County, named for President Abraham Lincoln. This area was opened up by a massive land run on September 22, 1891, when twenty thousand people lined up for over six thousand homesteads. The…
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Chandler Cotton District
· 17.5 mi · Things to Do
Six gins and a cottonseed oil mill. Cotton was king through the 1920s.
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Chandler News-Publicist Building
· 17.5 mi · Things to Do
68 years of frontier journalism (1891-1959). Digitized at Library of Congress.
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Castle
· 17.5 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Okfuskee County, passing through the small community of Castle. It got its start back in 1903 when Manford B. Castle became the first postmaster, and the post office opened its doors. By 1911, it…
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Route 66 Interpretive Center
· 17.6 mi · Things to Do
1935-37 WPA armory in red sandstone reopened 2007 with immersive Route 66 exhibits.
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Rock Café
· 17.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over! You're approaching a slice of Route 66 history: The Rock Café, a survivor and a star! Built in 1936, and opening its doors in 1939, this restaurant is named for the sandstone that makes up its walls. The Rock…
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Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum
· 17.6 mi · Things to Do
1920s filling station near Warwick with 65+ vintage motorcycles. Free admission.
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Chandler Armory
· 17.8 mi · Scraped Hmdb
You're passing a piece of Oklahoma history, right here at the Chandler Armory! It's more than just a building; it's a tangible link to the New Deal and the legendary Route 66.Built between 1935 and 1937 by the Works…
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Seminole (tribe)
· 18.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Seminole County right now, the historic homeland of the Seminole Nation. These resilient people, originally part of the Creek Confederacy, moved south into Florida centuries ago, earning their…
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Boren, David Lyle
· 18.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Seminole, Oklahoma, and right here is the hometown of David Lyle Boren, a guy who became the nation's youngest governor at just 33 years old! In 1974, his campaign used a unique symbol: the 'Boren…
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Seminole (town)
· 18.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Seminole right now, and you might be surprised to learn this town was once a mud-pit boomtown! Back in 1926, the Fixico Number One well blew in, kicking off the Greater Seminole Oil Field.…
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Seminole County
· 18.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Seminole County, and right here, in the early 1920s, this area exploded with oil! After years of searching, the Betsy Foster Number One well blew in near Wewoka in 1923, kicking off a massive oil…
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Edwards, Frenchy
· 18.3 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Seminole, Oklahoma, and right here is the birthplace of Frenchy "Stoney" Edwards, a country music star who broke barriers in the 1970s. As an African American in a predominantly white industry,…
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Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association
· 18.3 mi · Eohc
Right here in Seminole, Oklahoma, a statewide voice for cattle ranchers was born. Back in 1950, local ranchers pooled five dollars each to form the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association. They were facing tough times, with…
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Seminole, OK
· 18.9 mi
Seminole, Oklahoma, a town nestled among the state's rolling hills at an elevation of 961 feet, carries a history deeper than the oil wells that once defined it. Founded in the early 20th century and named for the…
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Stroud
· 19.0 mi · Eohc
Right here in Stroud, Oklahoma, you're driving past a town with a wild past! Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1915</say-as>, Stroud was known as a notorious "whiskey town" – one of the last places liquor…
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Young, Dora Steel Schexnider
· 19.0 mi · Eohc
Right here in Oklahoma, you're passing through history made by Dora Steel Schexnider Young. Born into the Sac and Fox Nation, she made history on August 25, 1973, when she became the first woman ever elected chief of…
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Sac and Fox
· 19.0 mi · Eohc
Right now, you're driving near Sac and Fox Nation headquarters, south of Stroud. You might know the Sac and Fox for their famous member, Jim Thorpe. But did you know in 1983, they created their own system for vehicle…
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Keokuk, Moses
· 19.0 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Lincoln County, right near Stroud, where Moses Keokuk, a chief of the Sac and Fox tribe, lived and died. He wasn't just a tribal leader; he was also a Baptist minister who encouraged his people to…
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Bearden
· 19.8 mi · Eohc
You're driving through Okfuskee County, passing by the small town of Bearden. It all started back in 1896 when Jessie Simpson Bearden moved here from Alabama. He built a log cabin just south of the North Canadian River,…