In the early 1900’s, European migration into Oklahoma was in full swing. During statehood, most of Oklahoma’s history focuses on Indian Territory and Native America, but there is a chapter that is often overlooked. Oklahoma’s Immigrant Story Immigration into the United States reached an all time high in 1907, the same year that Oklahoma was […]
The Golden Age of Prehistory: The Plains Village Farmers
Oklahoma entered into a golden age around 800 A.D., where civilization thrived and prehistoric empires divided East from West. To the east was the Caddoan empire, consisting of the Mississippian River Valley culture centered around Spiro Mounds in Eastern Oklahoma. To the west were small villages that dotted the landscape, forming a strong but loose […]
Rise of the Buffalo: How Oklahoma Helped Save the American Bison
By 1889, it was estimated that there were less than 1,000 wild buffalo left. A species that once thundered across the land had been hunted to near extinction. At one time, there were as many as sixty-million roaming throughout the Great Plains. Wanting to preserve an example of the bison for the U.S. National Museum, […]
Bob Wills and the Light Crust Doughboys: A Tale of an Iconic Oklahoma Musician
Life took him back to Tulsa, but the journey that Bob Wills took to get there was unique. During the 1930’s, radio was huge. It was also hugely expensive. Early on, Bob Wills and his band started to get a big following in Texas. Looking to expand into radio, and reach a bigger audience, they […]
Cultural Authentication Explained With COVID Masks
Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Authentication Cultural appropriation is a phenomenon that has been villified as the little brother of racism. It conjures mental images of ignorant fashion models strutting down the runway in exotic styles stolen from ethnic groups they’re not part of. Outrage over this contraversial issue is fueled by feelings of racial injustice. […]
Kittens are Toddlers with Fur: A Funny Look at How the Two are More Alike than you Think!
Kittens Versus Toddlers Kittens and toddlers are basically the same creature, if you think about it. Both have been stealing our hearts since the dawn of time. There’s something about that perfect combination of childish cuteness, uncanny bursts of intelligence, and the tendency to not care what anyone thinks that makes their antics utterly hilarious. […]
The Ironic Fate of Oklahoma City’s First Mayor William Couch
History is full of irony, especially in the case of the first mayor of Oklahoma City and the infamous Boomer Sooner land runs. Mayor William L. Couch was an early leader of the sooner movement who had an interesting time of it. While most proponents of the land runs were peaceful, many under David L. […]
Folsom – 8,000 BC
They roamed across the great plains in small bands. Although most groups numbered less than a handful, they became experts at hunting the massive straight-horned Buffalo that dominated the region. Their life was primitive and nomadic, following where the great herds led them. Despite that, they were a highly intelligent people. They had not quite […]
Dolores and Bruno Had a Special Family Bond in Disney’s “Encanto”
We Don’t Talk About Bruno, But Dolores Hears Everything In Disney’s award-winning 2021 animated film, Encanto, was an instant family favorite. In the movie, Bruno and Dolores are part of the magical Madrigal family. Bruno is made to be Encanto’s Disney villain because of his frightening powers. Bruno can see the future The hard truths he […]
Was MSNBC Columnist, Jeanette Walls, a Victim of Domestic Abuse as a Child?
How Do You Define Abuse? Was Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, abused? In the 2005 memoir, her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s crippling optimism are a constant source of hardship on the Walls family. The parents raise their children on the principle that they should take care of themselves. Though the children learn […]