There were some interesting road signs in Stroud (population 2,719), Oklahoma, so I decided to detour off Route 66 and travel to Tulsa on some back roads.
Cushing (population 8,327) is known as the "Pipeline Crossroads of the World" because it is one of the most important oil hubs in North America. It sits at the intersection of major crude oil pipelines originating in Texas, the Midwestern United States, and Canada. There are nine major oil companies that operate 23 pipeline systems totaling over 3,000 miles of pipe, capable of moving up to 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. To store the oil, there are 39 storage tanks with a capacity of 100 million barrels. A next-generation refinery, costing $5.56 billion, is being built and will process 250,000 barrels per day. The refinery is scheduled to be open in 2027, with a goal of a zero-carbon footprint.
Perkins (population 3,205) was founded during the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 and is now home to the Oklahoma Territorial Plaza Museum. Exhibits include statues, Frank Eaton's Home, a schoolhouse, railroad exhibits, a church, and others.
Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton was a colorful character, cowboy, scout, deputy, U.S. Marshal, and author.
Chief Nacheninga (also known as "No Heart") was from the Ioway Tribe and gained his name by his feats of bravery.
"End of the Trail" statue.
"Bronco Buster" Statue.
"Buffalo Horse" statue.
The Longan-Davis log cabin was built in 1901 and contains many furnishings typical of the era.
Nearby is the Vassar Barn, built in 1919 and restored by local residents.
Frank Eaton's home was built circa 1900 and was occupied by "Pistol Pete" and his wife, Anna, from 1928 until his death.
A Methodist Episcopal Church that was built in 1892 is still used for family reunions, receptions, and other community and private events.
Located on the site is a railroad museum that contains some train cars and the depot from the town of Yale, where it was last used. Originally located in Cushing, the depot has been moved several times.
The Canadian Pacific "Metapedia" was built in 1903 by the Canadian Pacific Railroad as a wooden dining car but was converted to a high-capacity parlor car in 1917. In 1919, it was converted into a business coach and later assigned to the president of Canadian Pacific Railroad.
In 1975, the coach was retired and purchased by Pierre Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada, and his cousin, who planned to use it as an office for the lumber company they owned. Instead, they sold the car to Kenneth Mitchell, who donated the "Metapedia" to the Territorial Plaza.
Stillwater (population 48,394) is located on land that was part of the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 and is now the tenth-largest city in Oklahoma. It is considered to be a safe city because it is guarded on the west by Bumblebee and on the east by Optimus Prime.
The main campus of Oklahoma State University (OSU) is located in Stillwater and has an enrollment of about 28,000 students. Garth Brooks attended OSU from 1981 to 1985 and, after graduating, lived in Stillwater until 1988, when he moved to Nashville.
In 1953, Troy Smith opened the first Top Hat Drive-In in Shawnee, Oklahoma, then a second in Woodward. Because the name "Top Hat" was trademarked, he opened a third Drive-In in Stillwater under the name of "Sonic" before changing the names of the first two. Therefore, according to the City of Stillwater, the first Sonic Drive-In was located in their city. The original building was torn down, but the original sign ("Service With the Speed of Sound") was retained, and a life-size bronze statue of Gene Longworth, Sonic's first manager, was placed beside it.
Although a few people live in the area, Ingalls is considered a ghost town famous for the Battle of Ingalls. This famous historical event was one of the most notable shootouts of the Old West, involving U.S. Marshals and the Doolin-Dalton gang on September 1, 1893. It has been referred to as "The Last Major Gun Battle of the Wild West."
U.S. Marshals learned that the Doolin-Dalton Gang, who were wanted for robberies and killings across Oklahoma Territory, were in Ingalls, so they rode into town to serve them warrants. However, the Gang learned that they were coming in advance and set up an ambush with the help of some of their allies.
When the marshals arrived, a full-scale street battle erupted throughout the town. Three U.S. Marshals and two town residents were killed, and several others were wounded. Despite the heavy gunfire, all of the Gang members escaped, but some were wounded. The gun battle reportedly caused significant property damage in the town of Ingalls, but the old Ingalls Hotel and Stables are still standing, along with some other buildings. A monument has been placed on the edge of town marking the location of "The Last Major Gun Battle of the Wild West."
Yale calls itself the "Home of Jim Thorpe," who is widely considered one of the greatest all-around athletes ever. He played professional football, baseball, and basketball, and in 1912 won two Olympic gold medals in the pentathlon & decathlon. The only home he ever owned is now a museum in Yale.
Chester Gould was born in Pawnee (population 1,936) in 1900, and after high school, he made a living painting advertising signs on barns. Then, in 1931, he moved to Woodstock, Illinois, and created the Dick Tracy comic strip, which became one of the most influential comic strips of the 20th century. Although the comic strip was not produced in Pawnee, there is now the world's largest Dick Tracy mural and a Dick Tracy museum in the downtown area as a tribute to Chester Gould.
Located just outside of Pawnee is the famous Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.
"Pawnee Bill" was born Gordon W. Lillie in 1860 and became a famous American Wild West showman, frontiersman, and performer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He earned the nickname "Pawnee Bill" because he worked closely with the Pawnee Nation as an interpreter, recruiter, and advocate.
Pawnee Bill became famous for his traveling Wild West shows, similar to those of Buffalo Bill Cody. At one time, they even joined forces to create a combined show called "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Great Far East," which toured across the United States and internationally.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is one of the best-preserved Wild West-era ranches in the United States and offers a mix of history, artifacts, and outdoor experiences. The 500-acre ranch contains Pawnee Bill's 14-room house with original furnishings and personal items, a caretaker's house, a 1903 log cabin, a blacksmith shop, a historic barn, "Indian Flower Shrine," and herds of bison.
Indian Flower Shrine is a circular stone tower built in the early 1900s. It was built to make the ranch not just functional, but also scenic and symbolic. The shrine was intended to be a peaceful, reflective place, not a religious shrine.
Not far from the Ranch is a Pawnee Agency Historical Marker at the site of the former Pawnee Agency and Boarding School. The Agency was established following the Pawnee Tribe's relocation from Nebraska to Indian Territory in the 1870s. The Agency was a significant center for Pawnee administration, education, and interaction with the federal government.
By the time I arrived in Skedee (population 62), I was running out of daylight, but worst, I ran out of GPS service. I knew Tulsa was located to the southeast, so I just started following roads that went east or south. Eventually, I came upon US Highway 64 that led to Tulsa.
Located in Skedee is the Bond of Friendship Statue with Osage Nation Chief Bacon Rind and Colonel Ellsworth Walters shaking hands. The sculpture symbolizes the cooperative relationship between the two men when Colonel Walters helped secure highly profitable oil leases for the Osage people. In the 1920s, the Osage were some of the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The average tribal member received about $15,000-$30,000 per year in oil royalties, while the average American income was around $1,500 per year. Unfortunately, most Osage spent their money on lavish homes, luxury cars, imported furniture, high-fashion clothing, and expensive jewelry. Just before the Great Depression hit, Osage County had the largest number of Pierce-Arrow automobiles in America. Following the Great depression, the oil boom went bust in 1935, and many people lost everything. The Osage people still receive oil royalties, but typically only a few thousand dollars per year. The exact amount varies depending on production and leases.
