 The 226-mile tract known as the Cherokee Strip is much more
than a parcel of land. It was the setting for the largest, most
spectacular competitive event in history -- the Cherokee Strip Land Run
of 1893. Cities and towns grew from the dust of that great race, and
today their amazing story can still be heard across the Oklahoma plains.
Oklahoma's
Cherokee Strip is one of the few places where the pioneer spirit
that settled American is still vibrant enough to experience.
Feel it in the wind that sweeps through tall-grass prairies and
fields of wheat. See it in the faces of those who live and work
on the land their ancestors dreamed of owning when they mounted
their horses, buggies and even bicycles and trains, to make the
last great race for land on that hot and dusty afternoon of
September 16, 1893. This is a story of drama, perseverance, hope
and above all, dreams.
The Land
The Cherokee Strip extends 226 miles from east to west and 58 miles
north to south -- larger than the states of Connecticut, Delaware and
Rhode Island combined. Thirteen northern counties and 9,400 miles make
up Oklahoma's portion of the Cherokee Strip, historically designated as
the Cherokee Outlet. Looking across the vast horizon of the Cherokee
Strip, it's easy to imagine the thousands of buffalo that once roamed
the open plains. It is a land as diverse as America itself, with rolling
Osage prairies in the east to gypsum sand dunes and the rugged Glass
Mountains in the west.
American Indians In The Strip
Although the flags of many countries have flown symbolically over the
untamed lands of the Cherokee Strip, American Indians were its original
owners. In 1828, the U.S. government gave the land to the Cherokees,
calling the area the Cherokee Outlet because the tribe could cross
freely to hunting grounds in the west. The Cherokees were assigned lands
in northeastern Oklahoma (then Indian Territory), and never lived in the
Cherokee Strip.
In 1866, the United States asked the Cherokees to sell portions of
the Strip to "friendly" Indians. Tribes or parts of tribes,
such as Osage, Pawnee, Kaw, Ponca, Tonkawa, Nez Perce, Otoe and
Missouria, settled in the region. When the Strip was opened to white
settlement, tribes living there -- with the exception of the Nez Perce,
who were previously moved to their Oregon homeland -- were sold
individual allotments not to exceed 80 acres, half of the allotment
amount offered to settlers who made the run. Museums and attractions
throughout the Cherokee Strip tell the poignant story of American
Indians and how their cultures and spirituality have persevered during
the last 100 years.
The Cattle Trails
After the Civil War, Texas had some six million head of longhorn
cattle but virtually no market for the beef. Demand for their product by
hungry Easterners led Texas ranchers to drive their cattle through the
Cherokee Strip to railhead markets in Kansas and Missouri. Several
cattle trails crossed the Outlet, but the best known is the namesake of
Jesse Chisholm, a Scotch and Cherokee trader. Chisholm made his first
trip up the trail in 1865, and millions of cattle thundered across the
Strip over the next 20 years, driven by men who had spurred a new
occupation -- the cowboy. Remnants of the famous Chisholm Trail can
still be found across the Cherokee Strip. In 1993, at the commemoration
of the Centennial Anniversary of the opening of the Strip, this colorful
era returned when many people participated in cattle drives, wagon
trains and trail rides that made their way through the region.
The Great Ranches
When it became obvious raising cattle on the lush grass of the Outlet
was more profitable than driving herds from Texas, sprawling ranches
appeared in the Strip. In 1883 the Cherokee Strip Livestock Association
was formed and six million acres were leased from the Cherokees. Seven
years later, President Benjamin Harrison ordered the ranchers to remove
all cattle from the Strip. Plans were in place to open the expansive
ranchlands for settlement by eager pioneers. The Race
 They
came to the land that would be Oklahoma by train, horseback, wagon and
on foot, from every state and territory in the nation and abroad. Texas
and Kansas had the most settlers represented. Most had few material
possessions but all came with a dream: to stake a claim and make a home
on the vast, virgin prairie known as the Cherokee Strip.
 President
Cleveland and Secretary of Interior H. R. Smith hoped they learned
something from earlier "stampedes" for land. They hoped that with better
planning they could avoid the troubles and confusion that accompanied
the 1889 land rush. Prior to opening the land they established county
seats and opened four land offices at Enid, Perry, Alva and Woodward.
Homesteaders were to go to these offices and pay a filing fee ranging
from $1.00 to $2.50. Filing fees were based upon the quality of land.
However, the Strip was to be settled by the horse-race method. To
eliminate "sooners," they set up makeshift offices just inside the
Cherokee Strip border. Homesteaders were to register and produce filing
fee affidavits to be eligible for the run.
On the day of the run, it was hot and dry. Dust, whipped by wind, and
thousands of feet, made it unbearable. To add to the misery, soldiers
were doing their best to keep order, and see that no one "jumped
the gun." The run was to begin only when troopers shot their
pistols at high noon. There were several reports of persons shooting a
gun in the crowd. Many homesteaders excitedly took off on hearing any
gun shot. Such excitement could only lead to trouble for some. One
fellow heard the wild shot at four minutes before noon, and took off.
Troopers reportedly chased him for a quarter mile before shooting him
dead.
Finally, at noon September 16, 1893, a shot rang out and more than
100,000 determined settlers raced for 42,000 claims. By sunset, there
would be tent cities, endless lines at federal land offices and more
losers than winners. The Cherokee Strip Land Run was a tumultuous finale
to what many have called the last American frontier.
 Making the
race and staking a claim must have seemed simple when compared to
establishing a home in the sometimes formidable Cherokee Strip. Many
settlers carved sod homes and dugouts from the prairie while others
lived in their covered wagons. The first winters were harsh as the land
tested the endurance and character of its new inhabitants. Many of the
settlers could not endure the harsh conditions, and after weeks, or
months, gave up their dream.
The hard times gave way to better days as crops flourished and
communities, schools and churches rose from the windswept plains. Over
100 years later, agriculture remains the strength of the economy and way
of life. The stories of these brave homesteaders still echo through the
Cherokee Strip. Walk through the only remaining sod house, explore the
many Cherokee Strip Museums, or visit with people whose ancestors,
through grit and determination, settled this untamed frontier.
Black Gold
With the first commercial oil well in 1897 came fortune seekers from
around the world to strike it rich in the teeming oil fields. Many found
and lost their wealth in the Cherokee Strip, and left a legacy of
architecture, art and culture in towns like Bartlesville, Ponca City and
Enid. Today, the Strip's abundant oil reserves continue to make
petroleum a dominant industry.
To View Other Ponca City History Facts
CLICK HERE
|
NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing