Oklahoma - 2011

Thank you to all who responded to my survey. It appears that most would like more on Facebook, but many want me to continue the blog. And then there is the problem of some who are not on Facebook. As someone said "what to do, what to do, what to do?" Sooo, I will try to do both, but with some changes. Since photos have been a complicated issue on the blog, I plan to put some photo albums on Facebook and put mainly narative on the blog. I will also put a link to Facebook on the blog. Hope it works, let me know.

Our 2nd stop in OK was Guthrie, a city born of the 1889 Land Run. Located in the Unassigned Lands, Guthrie was chosen as a site for one of the Federal Land Offices where land seekers were required to file their claims. It became a city of over 10,000 in a single day, April 22, 1889.

Four months after the Run, in August 1889, The Guthrie City Directory listed: 6 banks, 16 barbers, 16 blacksmiths, 17 carpenters, 2 cigar manufacturers, 5 newspapers, 7 hardware stores, 15 hotels, 19 pharmacists, 22 lumber dealers, 39 doctors, 40 restaurants, and 81 lawyers!

November 1907, OK was declared a state and Guthrie was the First State Capital. However, in 1910, an election was held and Oklahoma City was named the capital. Only 1 session of the State Assembly was held in Guthrie. Today Guthrie is nationally renowned for its collection of late 19th and early 20th century Territorial- and Victorian-style architecture. There are over 2,000 buildings within the Guthrie Historic District covering 1,400 acres.

The State Capital in Oklahoma City was built 1914 - 1917. Though the blueprints specified a dome, it was not added until 2002. It is the only Capital in the USA with an oil well on the grounds.

April 19, 1995 will always be remembered as the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. Pictures of the Memorial will be on Facebook.

Oklahoma has nearly 400 drivable miles of Route 66, more than any other state. We found the only round barn on Route 66, built in 1898. We also had lunch at Pops: gas station, restaurant, shake shop & convenience store with 500+ soda selections; 66 ft soda bottle; & a 12,000+ soda bottle collection. The roof over the gas pumps features angular steel-beam structure inspired by historic bridges on Route 66. Check out the pictures, the anchor beams are buried 50 ft in the ground!