Oklahoma

National Memorial and Museum
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma is the state directly west of Arkansas, where I live.  It is in the center of the United States from East to West.  It is a state that has a little bit of everything geographically.  It shares the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains with our state but also has a large area of prairie grasslands since it is in the southern edge of the Great Plains Region.  There are 50 State Parks, 6 National Parks or regions and a total of 11 different ecological areas.  Everything from scuba diving to rock climbing is available for outdoor adventure travelers.

Holy City Easter Pageant Ground
Lawton, Oklahoma - Vintage card

Route 66 – the legendary highway that linked the eastern states to the west from 1926 until 1985 – had over 400 miles in Oklahoma.   It has been called the Main Street of America, The Mother Road or the Will Rogers Highway.  It was the road used by many who migrated to California during the Dust Bowl years when severe drought struck the southeastern part of the United States.  Museums about Route 66 are in Elk City, Chandler and Clinton. 

Native American Dancer vintage postcard
 

The Trail of Tears ended in Oklahoma.  This was the largest forced migration of Native American peoples during the 19^th Century.  You will find museums in several cities in Oklahoma that chronicle this sad time in the history of our country.  There remains a large Native American population in Oklahoma who continue to follow their traditions.   Native American gatherings are held throughout the year with many of them open to those who would like to learn about their unique culture.  The Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City is held annually, a gathering of 100 or more Native American Tribes from all over the United States.  Exhibits of art are on display along with some ritual dances to observe.

The International Rodeo Association headquarters are in Oklahoma City and rodeos are major sporting events in the state.   You can find many other interesting places to visit in Oklahoma and their website is interactive so it allows you to quickly locate the places that are waiting for you to visit.  The website for tourism in Oklahoma is http://www.travelok.com .

    

 

We The People



We aren't quite this friendly~



Who are these people, these Americans?  People here are like people everywhere – they are mostly good but there are always a few who are filled with hate instead of love.  Most are kind, generous and curious.  Don’t be surprised if they ask you lots of questions.  You may find some who are rude – but most Americans are friendly and will be happy to help you if you are lost.  Some are always in a rush and others seem to have all the time in the world.





Vintage postcard of Native Americans
in traditional ceremonial costumes



It's a Small World After All!
Vintage Disney postcard



We come from all over the world and there is no one type of person who is an American.  There are Native Americans who were here long before the United States began.  There are descendants from most of the European countries who helped build the original colonies that became the United States.  At different times, Spain, France, Mexico and Russia all laid claim to parts of our country and many of their descendants remain. Chinese Americans helped to build much of our Railroad system and settle the West Coast during the Gold Rush. 



Memorial Statue of Pioneers



Immigrants have come here for many decades to find a different life than the one they left behind.  Slaves were brought here from Africa and were finally freed after the Civil War.  Mexican Americans have come to work our farms for generations.  Students have come from all over the world.  Refugees have become Americans.  We have become a mixture of people more than anywhere else.     

They are rich people, poor people and many who are neither rich nor poor. They are Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Mormon, Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and those who believe in no God at all.  They are educated, illiterate, and somewhere in between.  There are geniuses and those who will never be able to learn. 

There are city people and country people and those who live in small towns.  There are people who travel all the time and some people who have never left their hometown. 

We are a people who are still learning to be tolerant of others so that each of us can fulfill our dreams.  We are not perfect, we still struggle with recognizing that all people are created equal, but we are trying.  We don’t always agree with each other but we will fight and die to defend our right to disagree.