Mistletoe Leaves
OKPOP Foundation officially surpasses $18M, with State Treasurer’s approval
The Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP) has officially completed its $18 million Heart & Soul Campaign. This achievement marks a historic milestone in the effort to establish Oklahoma’s first state-funded museum dedicated to the creative legacy of its people. The OKPOP Foundation has received notification from the Office of the State Treasurer confirming that the over $18 million in donations and pledges has been approved. The state will now release matching state funds, allowing the museum to finalize its interior exhibit designs and commence construction.
Blake Shelton, honorary chair of the Heart & Soul Campaign, stated, “This whole campaign wasn’t just about raising $18 million; it was about supporting a mission that means something. OKPOP is here to celebrate the incredible creativity that comes out of Oklahoma, share the stories of those who shaped music, film, and art, and inspire the next generation to pursue their big dreams.
The support from people has been astonishing. Oklahoma should be proud of what’s coming.”
Trait Thompson, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, added, “Raising $18 million to complete this museum required a community of passionate supporters committed to telling the stories of our Oklahoma creatives. I am especially grateful to our legislators who recognized the importance of this museum and the positive impact it will have on our entire state. This journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s rewarding to know that our goal of creating a world-class institution is now on a timeline for completion.”
The Heart & Soul Campaign brought together community leaders, corporations, and individuals to close the final funding gap necessary for construction, exhibit installation, and preparations for the museum’s opening.
“This campaign has demonstrated what is possible when a community unites behind a shared vision,” said Abby Kurin, managing director of the OKPOP Foundation. “We are grateful to every donor and partner, as
well as the OKPOP Foundation board and cabinet campaign members, who made this milestone possible. Reaching this important point is incredibly exciting, and it means we can finally bring OKPOP to life.”
Although there is much work ahead, the release of these matching funds will bring the museum closer to its long-awaited opening in Tulsa’s Arts District.
Jacob Krumwiede, executive director of OKPOP, remarked, “This isn’t mission accomplished; today marks the beginning of the most exciting phase yet. Our team has never stopped working toward this moment—building an archive, recording interviews, and preserving the incredible acquisitions that showcase our state’s cultural impact. Now, we have the opportunity to bring these stories to life in a way that will attract people from across the state and beyond to celebrate what we’ve always known: Oklahoma’s creative legacy is worth celebrating.”
1948 Flxible Clipper takes pride of place at OKPOP
In a move that echoes the lyrics to the Bob Wills song “Take Me Back to Tulsa,” the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP) has recently acquired a restored 1948 Flxible Clipper tour bus, which is the style of bus legendary Bob Wills traveled in. This iconic symbol of Oklahoma’s pop culture history is one of the most prominent artifacts to be added to the museum. It arrived in late October and is now proudly displayed on the first floor of the OKPOP Museum, just off the historic Route 66.
The band’s motorcoach traveled on Route 66 in the 1930s and 1940s, taking Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys to various venues across the region. It will now be the centerpiece of the Crossroads of Creativity exhibit.
The talented musicians, collectively known as The Texas Playboys, played a crucial role in Wills’ rise to fame as the “King of Western Swing,” with Tulsa becoming the epicenter of their burgeoning success. They brought their vibrant sound to life through regular performances broadcast on the Tulsa radio station KVOO. Their captivating noon sessions became a household listening staple, recorded six days a week from the iconic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. So, it is fitting that this significant object should have a reverent place across the street from Cain’s. There, it can be admired and cherished by visitors to the OKPOP Museum.
This is the style of bus that the band used from 1948 until its retirement in the early 1960s. Initially introduced as a model in 1939, the
Flxible Clipper was designed with an innovative unibody construction, reminiscent of an aircraft’s sleek profile. Its distinctive look is characterized by dual headlamps and a gracefully curved panoramic windshield.
As the OKPOP Museum is being developed, plans are underway to create more immersive experiences throughout the museum. In the Musical Journeys exhibit, artifacts and tell the stories of Oklahoma musicians. Through projection mapping, visitors can experience life on the road in a tour bus, with scenes from the journey passing by the windows, replicating the experience of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
The 1948 Flxible Clipper atop its platform at OKPOP, appropriately in its final parking spot across from Cain’s Ballroom, “the house Bob Wills built.”
By authorization of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) Board of Directors, 3,600 copies are prepared at a cost of $1,293.61 bimonthly. The publication is financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.
Contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Oklahoma Historical Society or the United States Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by either organization.
Mistletoe Leaves is published for the members and friends of the OHS in partial fulfillment of its mission to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
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By Trait Thompson
As we look back through the lens of 20 years of the Oklahoma History Center (OHC), it is easy to see the growth of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS). This moment of celebration will lead to others, as our accomplished staff and volunteers continue to shepherd historical preservation, one visit, one program, and one exhibit at a time. We have grown, working to keep over 400 OHS events on our calendar. Through wind and weather, our museums, working ranches, and historic homes meet the highest standards—honoring our institutional membership with the American Association for State and Local History; helping our history community thrive and tell a shared history in which everyone belongs.
As many of you are aware, the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP) has recently surpassed its fundraising goal, thanks to the efforts of the Heart & Soul campaign, which is a significant achievement. As the process of building out exhibits begins, we take pride in the fact that the museum will be the first of its kind to celebrate Oklahoma creatives.
This year, we’ve continued to offer diverse educational programming and historical reenactments, aiming to reach broader audiences from all communities through local, state, and federal partnerships. However, we faced challenges as funding for essential preservation programs was temporarily suspended at the federal level, resulting in staff departures from the State Historic Preservation Office.
Despite these difficulties, 2025 has been marked by several anniversaries. We celebrated Kate Barnard’s 150th birthday, the 100th anniversary of the State Flag of Oklahoma, and the 20th anniversary of OHS’s flagship building. Additionally, Dr. Blackburn and I recorded our 50th episode of A Very OK Podcast, and Fort Towson hosted the Doaksville Candlelight tours commemorating the 160th anniversary of Stand Watie’s surrender in the Civil War.
Our Museums and Sites division rolled up its sleeves with multiple projects, including long-awaited updates to the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center and the installation of OHS and highway signage for many of our sites and affiliates.
Continuing partnerships with the Oklahoma Arts Council, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office made for a large attendance at this year’s Bob Wills Day at the Capitol, which included Bob Wills’ daughter, Carolyn Wills. Thanks to our partnership with OETA, several premiere screenings of the Back in Time episodes have taken place at the OHC throughout the year, and we continue to build our shared oral history archives through our partnership with Voices of Oklahoma
Our biennial event at Honey Springs Battlefield drew large crowds of onlookers, who experienced military drills, demonstrations, and programs, and were able to walk through nineteenth-century-style stores of Sutler’s Row.
We are excited to welcome you to our events in 2026, which will include engaging activities such as exhibits, book discussions, workshops, and demonstrations. We will also celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the centennial of Route 66. We invite you to join us at all our museums and sites, as our programming strives to share these important stories.
Camp Supply historical marker replaced
The historical marker reading “Camp Supply” was recently replaced with an updated version on US183/US-412, one mile east of Fort Supply.
The military outpost was established as Camp Supply in November 1868, and the camp’s name was changed to Fort Supply in 1878. Additional information added to the marker sheds light on a more complete history of the site, including the fact that African American “Buffalo” soldiers served at the installation and the fort contained almost 100 buildings when it closed in September 1894. Visit okhistory. org/markers to learn more.
Well-traveled Shepherd sisters’ artwork finds a home at OHS
The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) recently received one of its most significant art collection donations in decades from the First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City, comprising an art collection gift of over 300 pieces by the sisters Nettie, Nellie, and Leona Shepherd. The women—who were all longtime members of the church— were part of a large family that included six daughters and two sons of pioneer George Thomas and Martha Ellen Shepherd.
The significant body of work contains studies, sketches, drawings, and paintings featuring portraiture, still lifes, and landscapes created by the three sisters. The donation is part of a larger collection that once adorned the halls of the Shepherd Manor Retirement Home, which the family built for retirees of their congregation in the sixties.
“Nellie was one of Oklahoma’s earliest professional woman artists, and we are honored to preserve the work of Nellie and her sisters for future generations,” said Karen Whitecotton, deputy director of the OHS.
“We’re grateful that the Oklahoma Historical Society can preserve and share these important works,” said Jan Robinson, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City. “Many are sketches and studies that deserve professional care and public access beyond what the church could provide.”
The matriarch of the family, Martha Ellen Shepherd, was also a painter, providing encouragement and early art instruction for her daughters. After settling in Oklahoma, Nellie and Leona Shepherd traveled east to attend the Academy of Art in Cincinnati. Then, at a time when many writers, artists, and affluent individuals were migrating to Paris to study the arts in the early 1900s, Nettie and Nellie made the journey overseas. At the school, the sisters were instructed by the post-impressionist French artist Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin at the Académie Vitti in Paris, one of the first institutions to accept female students. In 1910, Nellie’s impressionistic painting of her sister Lottie received an honorable mention at Le Grand Salon in Paris, a prestigious annual art exhibition. Out of the 800 American artists who submitted their work that year, Nellie was one of only two selected for recognition.
In 1910, Nettie, Nellie, and Lottie Shepherd (who was visiting her sisters in France) began making the journey home. They stopped in Italy, various ports along the African coast, and New York. That same year, Nellie co-founded the Oklahoma Art League. Unfortunately, the oldest sister, Nettie, died from sepsis the following year at the age of 40. In 1917, Nellie remained at the forefront of early Oklahoma artists, becoming the head of the art department at the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha. In 1918, she was elected president of the Oklahoma Art Association.
Just as she was making strides in the art world, Nellie developed a respiratory illness, and the doctors of her time recommended fresh, dry air and sunshine as treatment. As a result, she moved to Arizona. Despite her health concerns, she continued to create drawings and studies of the Pima and Papago people in that region. One of the last portraits Nellie was working on was of traditional native storyteller Te Ata (Chickasaw), which still hangs in the Oklahoma State Capitol as part of the Oklahoma State Capitol Art Collection. Nellie died in
Tucson of tuberculosis in 1920 at the age of 43. Artist and museum director Nan Sheets and Swedish-born painter and museum director Oscar Brousse Jacobson both acknowledged Nellie as an outstanding early artist of the state.
Leona Shepherd lived to the age of 64, continuing to paint and draw in a tender, fanciful, and wistful style using a bright color palette.
The Shepherds were neighbors to the Classen, Shartel, and Overholser families, among other pioneers, often corresponding with each other or meeting in their travels overseas. Their original 160acre tract, roughly bounded by NW 23rd, NW 30th, Villa, and Pennsylvania, was developed to include a pecan grove, fruit orchard, and a hay farm. Half of the property was sold in 1915 and became part of the Shepherd Historic District residential area. By the 1920s, it had evolved into a popular community stop called “Shepherd Lake,” featuring amenities such as pony rides, a mini golf course, and a popular swimming hole. In 1962, Edith and Lottie Shepherd sold the remaining acreage to the developers of Shepherd Mall. The Shepherds are well known in the area for their cultural and charitable endeavors.
This canvas captures a view of the twin bell towers, spire, and flying buttresses of the Notre Dame Cathedral with a crane barge along the Seine River in the foreground.
A tranquil lake scene painted by Leona Shepherd.
“Papago Indians in Tucson” by Nellie Shepherd.
A bird’s eye view of the Shepherd’s farm surrounded by Oklahoma City, 1947 (2012.201.OVZ001.2597, OPUBCO, OHS).
OHS Calendar of Events
January
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
Homeschool Day at WRMM, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
Back in Time: “Route 66 turns 100” screening, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
The Rhapsody Project exhibit closes, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
Community Craft Day: “Crown Yourself!,” Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
“Around the Hollywood Campfire” allaround cabaret production, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee Meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
OETA’s The American Revolution screening, panel, and workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
28 - Art of the Wish exhibit opens, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
28 - Oklahoma Historical Society Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma
30 - Movie Night featuring Will Rogers in State Fair (1933), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
History Alive!: An Evening with James Madison, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
February
Antique Dolls exhibit opens, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
Date Night at the Museum, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
Open House: “We Heart Museums,” Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma Route 66
Centennial Commission meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee Meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
Kilgen Theatre Organ Performance featuring the silent film Safety Last (1923) with Brett Miller, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
Route 66 exhibit opens, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
Movie Night featuring Cars (2006), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
Antique Doll exhibit closes, Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Hominy
Dutch Oven Gathering, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
Follow the OHS website calendar to learn about our events and programs at OHS museums and historic sites across the state! Our calendar constantly changes with the latest programs and activities, from seasonal events to celebrations, exhibits, films, educational classes, and workshops.
Mark your calendar
The Oklahoma Historical Society Awards Banquet will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at the Oklahoma History Center. A cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m., and dinner and the awards program will follow at 6:30 p.m.
The event celebrates the contributions of historians, educators, students, and civic leaders and their impact on our efforts to collect, preserve, and share the history of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
Among the awards presented, several individuals with be inducted into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame for their distinguished contributions to Oklahoma history. Recipients are celebrated for their lifelong dedication and excellence in preserving, collecting, interpreting, and disseminating the state’s story. In addition, the Guardian of History Award will acknowledge elected officials for their efforts in safeguarding Oklahoma’s rich heritage. Educators, students, writers, and individuals in our community who advance our understanding of history and have made extraordinary efforts to preserve our state’s past will also be recognized.
More information regarding ticket sales is forthcoming.
Movie Nights at WRMM
Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore (WRMM) is planning a Movie Night in its theatre on the last Friday of the month throughout the year. Movie Night is a popular community event, offering a place for family and friends to connect. On the last Friday of every month, the doors to the theatre open at 6 p.m., with the movie beginning at 7 p.m.
Discover the new retrospective exhibit that debuted during the Oklahoma History Center’s 20th anniversary celebration Collect. Preserve. Share. 20 Years at the Oklahoma History Center. The center first opened to the public in 2005 and significantly enhanced the Oklahoma Historical Society’s (OHS) ability to collect, preserve, and share the state’s history. Featuring current and former staff favorites, the exhibit will showcase meaningful acquisitions from the past twenty years and the expanded capacity, mission, and impact of the institution. For 20 years, the Oklahoma History Center has welcomed visitors from across the state and beyond to explore 215,000 square feet of exhibits, archives, and public spaces. The facility also houses the John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center, which provides free access to thousands of books, photographs, manuscripts, and oral histories.
Guests can enjoy free admission, popcorn, and drinks while watching the film. Seating is limited, so early arrival is suggested. Thanks to the Bank of Commerce sponsorship, this event is free to attend.
Be sure to catch the 1933 classic starring Will Rogers in State Fair on January 30, and the Disney/Pixar 2006 film Cars showing in the WRMM Theatre on February 27! Movie night listings will be updated throughout the year.
Please call 918-341-0719 for more information. Visit willrogers.com/events for the latest WRMM programming.
Kilgen Theatre Organ performance and Safety Last (1923) silent film screening with Brett Miller
On Monday, February 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., a Kilgen Theatre Organ performance will be held in the Devon Great Hall at the Oklahoma History Center featuring organist Brett Miller accompanying the Harold Lloyd silent film Safety Last (1923). The film is best known for a stunt that made cinematic history in which Lloyd is hanging precariously from the hands of a large clock, dangling over city traffic at the height of a skyscraper.
Brett Miller is an active organist, conductor, and arranger specializing in the art of silent film accompaniment. A finalist in the American Theatre Organ Society’s Young Organist Competition, Brett has continued his academic involvement and advocacy for the education and preservation of silent films through performance “live to picture.” In the spring of 2021, he was appointed Music Director of the Empire Film and Media Ensemble, a nonprofit based in Rochester, New York, that advocates for the education, performance, and production of film music. He was recently appointed Artistic Director of the organization.
Tickets are $10 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $20 for the general public and are available by calling 405-5220765.
Longtime director of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum retires after three decades
Pat Smith has had a lifelong connection to Route 66. Growing up on a family farm adjacent to the highway in Custer County, she created early memories of the Mother Road as she watched countless cars go by. Eventually, she became the Director of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton.
Smith’s journey with the museum began in April 1991 when it was still known as the Western Trails Museum, just before the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) acquired it. As the acting supervisor during the museum’s transition to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, she played a crucial role in renovating and expanding the facility. She also created engaging exhibits and established a gift shop.
In 1995, Smith was appointed Director of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, where she oversaw daily operations, curated gift shop merchandise, maintained artifact records, fostered fundraising initiatives, and developed educational programs. She supervised staff and coordinated volunteers, ensuring the museum remained clean and accessible in all types of Oklahoma weather.
During her tenure, the museum, dedicated to Route 66 and its rich history, has seen increasing popularity year after year. Thanks to her three decades of stewardship, large bus groups, motorcyclists, and tourists continue to visit the museum in significant numbers. Today, it attracts visitors from across the country and around the world all year long.
One of Smith’s fondest memories, which she kept quiet at a guest’s request, involves Sir Paul McCartney. He took a cross-country trip on Route 66 in 2008 for his 66th birthday and stopped at the museum.
Smith has collaborated with various organizations, including the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, the National Route 66 Festival and Financial Committee, the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, the Great Plains Country Association, the National Historic Route 66 Federation, the Oklahoma Museum Association, and the American Association for State and Local History.
Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards, including recognition from the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, the International Route 66 Federation, and the OHS, acknowledging her dedication to service and her contributions to Route 66.
After 30 years of dedication, Smith has retired from her position, which she acknowledges would not have been possible without the support of the OHS, the Friends of the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum Inc., the Clinton community, and the dedicated museum staff and volunteers. Her family, particularly her devoted husband Virgil, has been a constant source of support in keeping the museum operational over the years. One of their most significant projects was acquiring and completely restoring the vintage 1940s Valentine Diner, which now serves as part of the museum’s exterior exhibits.
From left to right, Senator Darcy Jech, Michael Wallis, Brian Aneshansley, Pat and Virgil Smith, Dr. Bob Blackburn, Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, and OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson in attendance at a farewell party for Pat Smith on October 29, 2025.
Harold Lloyd performed this infamous stunt while dangling above 908 S. Broadway in Dowtown Los Angeles during the filming of Safety Last
Learning and Engagement trunks receive OCCF grant funding
The Oklahoma History Center Museum’s (OHCM) learning and engagement department recently received a $10,100 grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation (OCCF) to develop two new educational trunks and update six existing colonial trunks by spring 2026. This initiative, aimed at reaching more underserved communities, was submitted by the Friends of the Oklahoma History Center. It aligns with the Oklahoma Historical Society’s (OHS) mission to share state history by overcoming common barriers to education, such as distance, budget constraints, and field trip costs.
The new trunks will enhance the OHCM’s education trunk program, which currently serves 23,000 students annually.
The educational trunks are portable kits that bring handson history to classrooms and libraries throughout the state. Each trunk includes tactile objects, multimedia resources, and a comprehensive guide with activities aligned to Oklahoma’s academic standards and is offered for free.
This grant will support the completion of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) trunk and the Historian’s Toolkit. The AANHPI trunk is 65% complete, featuring diverse cultural items such as a Vietnamese áo dài, Marshallese stick charts, Bollywood media, and Zomi children’s literature, among others, representing Oklahoma’s diverse AANHPI communities. This funding will facilitate the final research, acquisition of items, and development of guides and lesson plans.
The Historian’s Toolkit is a new trunk being developed that will contain tools and curriculum to help schoolchildren build historical thinking skills. This trunk will contain reproduction documents, archival tools, oral history excerpts, and comparative source materials. Based on National History Day projectbased learning, these firsthand documents can teach children the foundational concepts of historiography, ethics in interpretation, and the various media through which history is shared, including art, storytelling, and popular media.
The project will update the museum’s six most frequently used colonial-era trunks, which fifth-grade educators often utilize for les sons on colonial life and colonial agricul ture. This initiative is part of the celebra tion of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. The materials inside these six trunks will be re freshed and replaced, as they have been in high circulation for a decade. Additionally, an updated online access model will re place outdated DVDs and CDs. Resource guides will be revised to reflect current scholarship, moving beyond a solely European perspective to include diverse historical viewpoints.
Thanks to the OCCF, the OHS aims to reach nearly 8,000 individuals, including students, educators, and general audiences, engaging with the educational trunks. This total is based on FY2025 data, when the trunk program reached 23,308 individuals, including 15,290 from central Oklahoma.
Signs of things to come
The Oklahoma Historical Society’s Museums and Historic Sites division has partnered with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to install new highway signage for several of its sites and affiliates across the state.
New directional highway signs have been installed at various locations, including the Cherokee Strip Museum, the Fred and Addie Drummond Home, Fort Towson Historic Site, Honey Springs Battlefield, Hunter’s Home, the Museum of the Western Prairie, Oklahoma Territorial Museum, The Chisholm, the Sod House Museum, and White Hair Memorial.
These welcoming signs feature a distinct brown color with bold white lettering, which is a state designation for public points of interest of recreation and culture. With these new signs, travelers will find it easier to locate the Oklahoma Historical Society’s museums and sites of historical significance, allowing them to learn about the pivotal roles these places played in Oklahoma’s past.
OETA’s The American Revolution - screening, panel discussion, and genealogy workshop
On Saturday, January 24, experience history like never before with a special program featuring a screening of portions of Ken Burns’ new documentary The American Revolution. A panel discussion and a Lunch and Learn session with a genealogy workshop, hosted by the OHS Research Center, will follow the screening.
Directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, The American Revolution brings to life the complex stories of the men and women who shaped a nation. Discover their humanity in both triumph and struggle and explore the crises that tested their courage and convictions. By combining the perspectives of American leaders, their British counterparts, and ordinary people who lived through the war, this series presents a powerful and thought-provoking examination of the fight for independence and the birth of the United States.
During the genealogy workshop, participants will explore the rich resources of the Oklahoma Historical Society—including historic newspapers, census records, vital records, land and incorporation documents, and unpublished family and county histories. Attendees will learn how to utilize subscription databases to uncover family stories, military service records, ancestral land allotments, and even American Indian ancestry files. Trained research staff will guide participants in navigating these resources, helping both beginners and experienced genealogists discover the stories of their own ancestors.
This immersive program offers a unique opportunity to connect national history with personal history, giving participants insight into the Revolutionary era while unlocking their own family legacies.
The Oklahoma History Center is proud to partner with the OETA for this special event. Visit okhistory.org/events for future programming.
A student wearing a replica Continental soldier uniform in the classroom, from one of the OHCM colonial-era-themed traveling trunks.
Art of the Wish opening January 28
On Wednesday, January 28, the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC) will open the traveling exhibit Art of the Wish in the J. E. & L. E. Mabee Foundation Gallery. In 2017, two artists, Marn Jensen and Andy Newcom, spent six months traveling across the country, interviewing many individuals aged 80 to over 100. They asked each person a simple but profound question: “If you had a wish for the world, what would it be?”
Their project, titled Art of the Wish, features artworks created using a variety of mediums, including photography, sculpture, textiles, encaustic art, mixed media, and painting. Each piece reflects the inspiration drawn from an individual’s wish. The artists carefully selected their materials, often incorporating repurposed and found objects that had previously been discarded. They explored thrift stores and flea markets in search of items that conveyed a sense of vulnerability, as many of the seniors they spoke with had experienced similar feelings.
This exhibition is organized by Exhibits USA and the Mid-America Arts Alliance in Kansas City, Missouri, and will remain on exhibit at the CSRHC through May 23.
Okmulgee County property joins National Register
The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are pleased to announce a new National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listing for Oklahoma. The National Register of Historic Places is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Haygood-Shephard American Legion Post 103, Okmulgee County
Located at 800 North Wilson Street in Okmulgee, the Haygood-Shephard American Legion Post 103 is significant for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of one of the last known segregated social clubs for Black military veterans in northeast Oklahoma that sits in its original location. The Legion Post 103 is named for Okmulgee’s first Black soldier casualties of war during World War I (Henry Arthur Haygood) and World War II (Allen B. Shephard). The Haygood-Shephard American Legion Post 103 stands as an important symbol for Okmulgee’s Black community and their resilience during times of racial inequality aimed at both Black veterans and the Black community.
Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection, and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The SHPO identifies, evaluates, and nominates properties for this special designation.
“Around the Hollywood Campfire” production
On Saturday, January 17, at 7 p.m., Tulsa-based cabaret star Janet Rutland and authorbroadcaster John Wooley return to the Will Rogers Memorial Museum with an all-new cabaret production: “Around the Hollywood Campfire.”
This musical revue explores the rich legacy of Western film and television music, with selections ranging from Gene Autry and The Sons of the Pioneers to sophisticated favorites by Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer. The setlist is full of surprises—including a beautiful top 20 hit by the New Christy Minstrels—and pays tribute to the unforgettable soundtracks of television Westerns from the 1950s through the 1970s. With Janet in fine voice and John’s signature storytelling, the show combines nostalgia, warmth, and deep musicality.
The production will include two of Oklahoma’s finest musicians. Scott McQuade will accompany on piano, bringing his signature sensitivity and skill to the arrangements. Joining him is Shelby Eicher, a renowned fiddler and mandolinist best known for his 15-year tenure alongside Roy Clark and his current leadership of the Tulsa Playboys. Together, they add depth, warmth, and expert musicianship to the show’s Western-inspired sound.
Tickets are $20. Visit willrogers.com/events to learn more and purchase tickets.
Back in Time: “Route 66 turns 100” screening at the History Center
On Thursday, January 8, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Oklahoma History Center, OETA will kick off the centennial year for Route 66 by screening a new Back in Time episode dedicated to the “Main Street of America.” For a century, America’s most iconic highway has carried travelers, dreamers, and adventurers across the heart of the nation. No state celebrates that legacy like Oklahoma, where more miles of the legendary Route 66 survive than anywhere else. From the neon glow of Tulsa’s Meadow Gold sign and the whimsical Blue Whale of Catoosa to Lucille’s Service Station near Hydro and the site of Cal’s Café in Erick, Back in Time explores the unique places and people who keep the spirit of the Mother Road alive.
Oklahoma Historical Society
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Mistletoe Leaves
Vol. 57, No. 1
Family Membership now only $50!
Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) museums and historic sites are great places to learn about the state’s rich and diverse history. Currently, OHS Family memberships are available for $50 instead of the usual $75. This offer will conclude on Sat urday, January 31.
Family Membership includes FREE admission for six people to more than 20 Oklahoma Historical Society museums, historic homes, and military sites across the state, subscriptions, discounts, and more!
Additional OHS membership benefits include print and/or digital subscriptions to The Chron icles of Oklahoma, Mistletoe Leaves, and EXTRA!, early registration and discounts for select OHS programs and events, a 15% discount at the Okla homa History Center Museum Store and Research Center, and two voting privileges for the OHS board elections.
Visit store.okhistory.org to join or renew online.
January/February 2026
Fort Towson receives federal grant for steamboat education
The Fort Towson Historic Site will soon grow its educational programming related to the steamboat Heroine. As the recipient of a $102,179 National Maritime Heritage Grant Program grant, the site will be developing in-house educational programming on the history and significance of the steamboat Heroine. It was excavated and studied by archaeologists long after its sinking in the Red River near Fort Towson in 1838. A joint effort between the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Institute of Nautical Archeology at Texas A&M University led to its excavation and study, revealing its vital role in supplying Fort Towson and the surrounding community.
The grant, which is administered by the National Park Service, will allow the site to implement a series of interpretive experiences. These include updates to the site’s sutler store, the intended destination for many of the items being transported by the Heroine. It also includes the fabrication of hands-on STEM-based learning models, new signage, and educational events and programming that will take place throughout the grant period. The result will be a more immersive educational experience that will connect learners of all ages with the steamboat’s history. Students will learn more about why it was delivering supplies, how it navigated the rivers, and who was affected by its presence.
For more information on the steamboat Heroine, please see The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture at okhistory.org/heroine. Exhibits can also be found at both Fort Towson Historic Site and the Oklahoma History Center Museum that dive into greater detail of the steamboat’s history and impact.
The Fort Towson Steamboat Heroine Education Program is being supported in part by a National Maritime Heritage Grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
For more information, call 580-873-2634 or email fttowson@history.ok.gov. The Fort Towson Historic Site is located at 896 N. 4375 Road in Fort Towson.
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A small-scale replica of the steamboat Heroine on display at the Fort Towson Historic Site.