We spent
Day 1 in Claremore, and of course, it was important for them to understand
about “Indian Territory” because all of us Okies know there was quite a bit of
history left out of the books. I enjoy talking about the number of tribes that
call Oklahoma home (39) and it always shocks visitors at the number of Indian
reservations (0). (There are areas that are recognized by the federal
government as reservations, but it is original land that tribes bought back,
not given by the US government) I try to describe what the Indian removal
really looked like, and I do as much as I can to erase Hollywood imagery. After
a short lesson on the Cherokees and the clan system, and how marriage and slave
ownership created Cherokees that had nothing to do with blood, they were ready
to meet the Cherokee Kid.
Claremore
has a wonderful memorial to Will Rogers, and it is perfect for all ages. It’s
hard to believe that Will Rogers has been dead for 83 years; his quotes and
wisdom still live on. We enjoyed the docent, Andy Hogue, as he portrayed Rogers
and highlighted his life. He twirled a rope and poked fun of government in the
words of Will and we realized how some things just don’t change. Supper was at
The Hammett House for chicken fried steak, Oklahoma’s state meal. There didn’t
seem to be anyone on the bus that knew if Missouri had a state meal.
Day 2
took us to Bartlesville. We were welcomed by the Chamber and a volunteer tooted
the whistle of the steam train locomotive that they have worked to restore and
allow anyone to climb aboard. We dipped into some of the rich oil history at
the Phillips 66 Museum before making our way to Woolaroc. Frank Phillip’s impressive
collection is huge and worth the drive to see.
We drove back to Pawhuska and I took the
opportunity to debunk the “August in Osage County” image that the movie gave to
this area. This was the focal point of their trip, and The Pioneer Woman, Ree
Drummond, has brought this small town back to life with her investment in her
community. I tried to describe how the Indian removal, the discovery of oil and
gas and the Oklahoma land run all resulted in the Osage Indians being the
wealthiest people on earth per capita in the 1920’s. As early as 1886, a
Drummond has been in the mercantile business in Pawhuska. Ree is just following
in the family footsteps.
Day 3 of
the tour brought us down part of Rt. 66 to visit our corner of the state. Grand
Lake’s size always draws comments. They were familiar with Lake of the Ozarks
and Tablerock, but didn’t really know what lay just beyond the state line. The
“Show Me” State now knows a bit more about the “Sooner” State.
