Everything Yale is known for
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Yale.
45 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
You're driving through Payne County, and right here, the waters of Lake Keystone might be hiding the site of the very first battle of the Civil War fought in Indian Territory. It happened way back on November 19, 1861.…
You're driving through Yale, Oklahoma, and you might not realize this quiet town was once the epicenter of a massive oil boom. Back in 1913, an oil well on the Ame Randle farm blew in as a gusher. Just a month later,…
Right here in Yale, Oklahoma, was born a jazz legend who would become known as the 'West Coast Miles Davis': Chet Baker. Born in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1929</say-as>, Baker's understated trumpet style…
Right here, in the 1840s, you're driving through land that was just being explored by scientists! Samuel Washington Woodhouse, a doctor and naturalist from Philadelphia, was part of a U.S. Army survey team. Their…
You're driving through Quay, a town that started as Lawson back in 1894. It got its current name in 1903, honoring a Pennsylvania senator. This quiet farming community hit the big time in the 1910s and 20s, becoming an…
You're near the former home of Jim Thorpe, considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes *ever*. In 1917, Thorpe, his wife Iva Miller, and their children moved into this house in Yale, Oklahoma. They lived here…
You're driving through Oilton, a town that exploded to life in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1915</say-as>. This was the height of the oil boom, and Oilton sprang up around the massive Cushing-Drumright Field.…
Right here in Pawnee County, you're passing through Jennings, a town with a name that might ring a bell with outlaw fans. While some say it's named for a developer, many believe it honors Alphonzo 'Al' Jennings, a…
You're driving past Maramec, Oklahoma, a town with a name that sounds like it's straight out of a history book. And it is! Originally called Crystal, this town got a new name in 1903, inspired by a Civil War ship: the…
Right here is where Oklahoma's oil boom really took off! In 1912, Thomas Baker Slick, Sr., drilled the Wheeler No. 1 well. It was the first successful well in what became the massive Drumright-Cushing Oil Field. This…
You're driving past Ingalls, Oklahoma, and right here is the story of Mattie Beal, a pioneer woman who became a landowner during the great land runs. Born in Missouri in 1879, her family staked a claim near Ingalls in…
Imagine this quiet spot once buzzing with the energy of Oklahoma's oil boom. This is where the Drumright Gasoline Plant No. 2 stood, a critical piece of the Cushing-Drumright Oil Field. Construction on the plant…
You're driving through Creek County, right near Cushing, and you're passing through the heart of what was once the most important oil field in Oklahoma: the Cushing-Drumright Field. Discovered in January 1912 by Thomas…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through a piece of its nuclear history. Back in the 1950s, Kerr-McGee, a company known for oil, dove headfirst into the atomic age. They bought a refinery…
You're driving through Cushing, Oklahoma, a town that became the 'Pipeline Crossroads of the World.' While it started as a railroad stop and agricultural center, Cushing hit the big time in 1912 when wildcatter Thomas…
You're driving through Oklahoma's oil country, and right here, the McMan Oil Company made history. Founded in 1912 by Robert McFarlin and James Chapman, McMan hit it big almost immediately in the newly discovered…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and you might be passing a place that helped build the modern retail landscape! Right here, in 1918, Charles Ross Anthony partnered in his first business in Cleveland. Just four years…
You're driving through Drumright, Oklahoma, a town born from the wild days of the oil boom. Right here, back in 1912, the first producing well in the Cushing-Drumright Field blew in. Suddenly, thousands of oil-field…
You're driving past Hallett, Oklahoma, a town with a history as varied as the crops once grown here. While this community began at the junction of two railroads around 1903, and later thrived on oil and agriculture,…
Imagine hitting the jackpot, then losing it all because people thought you couldn't handle the money. That's kind of what happened here. In 1916, the Gypsy Oil Company struck it big on Jackson Barnett's land with the…
You're driving through Pawnee County, and right here is Terlton. It popped up right after the Cherokee Outlet opened in 1893, named for a territorial legislator. At first, it was a farming town, but things really took…
Right here, just off Highway 51, you're passing through Ripley, a town that boomed thanks to the railroad in 1900. But Ripley's claim to fame isn't just its bustling depot or the legendary Ghost Hollow north of the…
You're driving through Olive, Oklahoma, the birthplace of Jack Guthrie, the man who first made the song "Oklahoma Hills" famous. Born Leon Jerry Guthrie in 1915, he adopted the cowboy persona and name "Jack" because he…
You're driving through Pawnee County, and right here is where legendary lawman Frank Canton once served as deputy U.S. marshal. But before he was bringing outlaws to justice, Canton himself was one! Born Josiah Horner,…
You're driving through Pawnee County, and right here, the very name of this place has a story. It was originally organized as 'Q County' after the Cherokee Outlet land opening in September 1893. But when it came time to…
You're driving through Glencoe, Oklahoma, a town with a name that echoes a bloody Scottish history. The town itself sprang up in 1899 with the arrival of the Eastern Oklahoma Railway. But the name Glencoe? It wasn't…
Right here, you're driving through land that was once part of the Sac and Fox reservation. On September 22, 1891, Oklahoma held its second-ever land run, the Sac and Fox opening. This was the first time land previously…
You're driving through Creek County, and right here is the town of Shamrock. It got its start in 1910, named by a guy who missed his hometown in Illinois. But Shamrock really hit its stride during the oil boom, becoming…
You're driving through western Oklahoma, and right here, you're passing through the lands settled by Germans from Russia. These weren't Germans who lived in Russia their whole lives, but ethnic Germans who had moved to…
This seemingly quiet spot holds a complex history, a crossroads of government policy and Native American life. The Pawnee Agency, including a boarding school, was established here in 1876. It served as a central point…
These quiet buildings stand as a reminder of a tumultuous chapter in Pawnee history, marking the spot where the US government exerted its control over the Pawnee Nation. In 1876, the Superintendent's House was built…
You're driving through Oklahoma, and you might be passing right by the legacy of one of its most famous figures: Pawnee Bill! Born Gordon Lillie in Illinois, he got his nickname and a lifelong connection to the Pawnee…
Right here, in Pawnee, Oklahoma, in 1972, the American Indian Movement, or AIM, made national headlines. You're driving through a place that became the center of a protest over federal education funds. AIM activists,…
You're driving through Pawnee County, Oklahoma, and right here is the territory where Bill Doolin, one of the West's most notorious outlaws, made his last stand. After a career robbing trains and evading lawmen across…
Right here in Pawnee, Oklahoma, you're driving past the birthplace of Chester Gould, the artist who brought Dick Tracy to life! Born in 1900, Gould was inspired by his newspaper editor father and honed his skills right…
Right here in Pawnee, Oklahoma, you're driving through a place that's produced two Medal of Honor recipients. That's more than most towns in America! The highest military award for bravery in the U.S. has been given to…
Right here, you're passing through Pawnee, a town named for the Pawnee tribe who were relocated here from Nebraska in the 1870s. The Pawnee Agency and Boarding School were established, and the post office opened in…
You're driving through Pawnee County, and right here is the stomping ground of Bird Segle McGuire, a key player in Oklahoma's early statehood politics. Born in Illinois, McGuire landed in Pawnee in 1894 and quickly rose…
You're driving north of Chandler on Highway 18, and right here is Agra. This town owes its existence to the railroad, specifically the Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma line that connected Oklahoma City to Kansas back in…
You're driving through Skedee, a town with a name that echoes the Pawnee people who once called this land home. Originally called Lemert, this community got its start in 1902 when the railroad came through. But the name…
Right here in Cleveland, Oklahoma, you're driving past the hometown of Billy Vessels, the state's first Heisman Trophy winner! Vessels had a tough upbringing but found solace and support in this very town, which he says…
You're driving past Cleveland, Oklahoma, and right here is where a major oil boom kicked off in 1904. The Uncle Bill Number One well, drilled on the William Lowery farm, started flowing at 250 barrels a day after being…
You're driving past Cleveland, a town with a unique origin story. It started as Herbert, named after a homesteader, and even had a post office. But a little dispute over land meant that post office was moved just a…
You're driving through Pawnee County, not far from Cleveland. Right here, back in 1904, was the site of the Uncle Bill Number One. It wasn't Oklahoma's *very* first commercial oil well – that honor goes to Bartlesville…
You're driving through Pawnee County, and right here is Blackburn. This town popped up fast after the Cherokee Outlet land opening in 1893. Named for a Kentucky Senator, Blackburn quickly became a hub, especially…