Oklahoma

Blackwell

Blackwell, "America's Hometown" is just south of Braman on Hwy 177 and east of I-35 along the Chickaskia River.

Learn about the homesteaders from the Land Rush of 1893 at Blackwell's Top of Oklahoma Museum. It is housed in the Electric Park Pavilion, constructed in 1913 as a tribute to the arrival of electricity and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum holds artifacts ranging from antique lace to old farm equipment. The Historical Society keeps many vital records and historic photos of the area.

The Statue of Lady liberty in front of the Memorial Pool Complex is one of 150 originals remaining in the United States. Other buildings that show the history of Blackwell are the police and fire department building, built in 1909 and the Blackwell Public Library with Roman/Greek architecture.

For recreation Blackwell has a nine-hole golf course, six parks (two with walking/jogging trails), six tennis courts, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and children's pool. Annual events include the Kay County Free Fair the second week of September, the Tulips-a-Bloom Festival in April and the Water Garden Tour and Streeter's Rod Run, both in June. Christmas brings the largest Indoor Animated Christmas Display in Oklahoma open each Saturday before Christmas at the First Presbyterian Church.s

If you're into antiquing, you'll be right at home in Blackwell. Seven antique stores are open seven days a week. There is also a flea market the first Saturday of each month on the Kay County Fairgrounds. For the outdoorsman, there is great deer and pheasant hunting along the river.

Braman

Braman is the northern gateway to Kaw Lake. Located in northwest Kay County, just off Interstate 35 in northcentral Oklahoma, Braman is rich with the fortunes from wheat and oil production.

A replica of a wooden oil derrick at the south entrance to the city stands as a tribute to this heritage. Visit the Braman Historical Society Museum open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday 9 am-12 Noon for a glimpse into the history of the community. Photos from early-day Braman also adorn the walls of the Braman Town Complex.

Across the street is the Heroes' Tribute, a monument honoring military men and women from the community who have served since 9/11/2001 in the Warm on Terrorism. It's a peaceful place to sit and reflect on how these Heroes have sacrificed to preserve our way of life.

Give the children the opportunity to play in the beautiful park where they will have fun twisting and turning down the colorful character slides. Then get your exercise on the walking trail.

If you're in Braman during the summer, relax to the music of a local band on Saturday evenings in the park. Visit the town-wide yard sale on July 4th and attend the rodeo in August. Visiting in the fall? Put the Braman Bash on your schedule for the last week in September or the Christmas Parade and Craft Show the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Fairfax

Fairfax is located in the fertile Arkansas River valley. It lies on rolling land at an elevation of 845 feet above sea level. There are also creek and river bottomlands. The hills make excellent cattle and livestock grazing of native bluestem and the bottomlands afford good farming. Hidden under the fertile soil, early settlers found "black gold" better know as oil! These discoveries made Fairfax a hub of agricultural and oil activity.

The convergence of highways, electric power and gas lines at Fairfax create a center of modern living with unhampered development space. The Indian Electric Cooperative, a member owned utility, contributes to some of the lowest electrical rates in the nation. The municipally owned gas and water system supplies dependable cooling and heating fuel. Access to highways 18, 20, and 60 provide smooth flow of materials and people.

Kaw City

Life is special here in the undiscovered natural beauty of north Central Oklahoma. Nature and thousands of acres of sparkling waters surround you and offer you an exciting array of opportunities. Here in Kaw City on the "peninsula", fishing for Crappie and Channel Catfish are the best in the region and during season we have the best Whitetail deer and duck hunting in the state!

Whether you come to fish, hunt, boat, sail, hike, go four-wheeling, or just lay back and relax, we have a unique place for your visit in Kaw City. Camping is second to none with an abundance of public and private RV locations, all within a short distance of Kaw Lake. You'll have a choice of menus at local restaurants, and a place to re-provision when you need fuel or supplies.

When you discover the 168 miles of Kawlake shoreline, 50,000 acres of nearby open prairie, including a herd of buffalo, you are in for hours of great outdoor entertainment!

Kaw Lake

Go east out of Kaw City to experience the north end of 17,000 acre Kaw Lake or east out of Ponca City to experience the south end. With 168 miles of shoreline,Kaw Lake includes seven Corps of Engineers campgrounds with 268 campsites with electric and water hook-ups.

There are two group campsite locations in Osage Cove at the south end and one at Sarge Creek near Kaw City.

Newkirk

Newkirk, located on Highway 77 just eight miles south of the Oklahoma/Kansas state line, is known as Oklahoma's Front Porch. The entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places with the largest collection of limestone buildings in Oklahoma.

The beautiful Kay County Courthouse, built with oil money in 1925/1926, is the only courthouse in Oklahoma paid for before it was constructed. Two magnificent sculptures grace the courthouse lawn - the Kay County War Memorial and the Land of Hope statute.

The Newkirk Community Museum is located at 101 S. Maple, and it is filled with artifacts from the area Native Americans and early pioneers. They also have the largest collection of one-room school stage curtains in Oklahoma as well as a restored mail buggy. The museum is open Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entering the Heritage Center, located at 116 N. Main, is like stepping in the front door of a Victorian era home.

Just east of Newkirk is the Kaw Casino open seven days a week. Also east of Newkirk is one of the oldest golf courses in Oklahoma complete with sand greens.

Pawhuska

Pawhuska , capital of the Osage Nation, attributes much of it's rich history and culture to the Osage tribe. The origins of the tribe date back to the Ice Age, though their link with Pawhuska began in 1871 when they bought this land back from the Cherokees.

As perpetual owners of the mineral rights in the county, the Osage Indians became the richest people per capita in the world during the "Oil Boom" of the 1920's. Their fascinating history is chronicled in the Osage Tribal Museum, the oldest continually operating tribal museum in the United States. Hear about Wild West outlaws such as Jesse James, Belle Starr, and Bill Doolin who hid out in the hills around Pawhuska (Bob Dalton was even the Osage Police Chief!) Many other famous people have had ties to Pawhuska: Herbert Hoover, Tom Mix, Clark Gable, Bob Wills, Ben Johnson, and more. Oil Barons such as Frank Phillips and Jean Paul Getty sat under the "Million Dollar Elm" in Pawhuska to bid for the Osage oil leases which helped make their fortunes. Or, would you believe that the first Boy Scout troop was founded in Pawhuska? (They camped out at Buckingham Palace and danced for the Queen!) These wild stories are all true; visit the Osage County Museum for information on these stories and more.

Ponca City

Ponca City, a community of 26,000 is located in north central Oklahoma, 18 miles south of the Kansas border and 15 miles east of Interstate 35. Ponca City is strategically located between the metropolitan centers of Wichita (85 miles; 1 1/4 hours' drive), Tulsa (97 miles; 1 1/4 hours' drive), and Oklahoma City (103 miles; 1 3/4 hours' drive). The community lies 318 miles from Dallas, 582 miles from Denver, 489 miles from Memphis, and 450 miles from St. Louis. Serving a population of 75,000 people within its immediate trade area, Ponca City provides ease of access to the aeronautical centers of Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Wichita. It also has the advantage of a Central Time zone location for firms doing business on both coasts.

Ralston

Once thought to be Tulsa's rival for commercial success and prominence in the arts, Ralston's success and artistic expression are now tied to the 1902 Harry Brothers Opera House in downtown Ralston. The newly renovated theater, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, still showcases local talent and nearby college performing arts groups.

Shidler

Shidler is located in the extreme northwest area of Osage county. Off the beaten track, this small community of 500 is becoming known to many.

Shidler was originally established by Eugene Shidler in December 1921 due to oil development in the Burbank Field, which proved to be one of the largest oil finds in the United States.

Shidler hit it's heyday in the late 20's and 30's with well-known figures such as Cosden, Phillips, Marland, Sinclair and even Clark Gable working as a roustabout in the fields.

The town was incorporated in 1925 and at one time, 10,000 were reported to live in Shidler in tents, huts and makeshift houses. Life was fast, rough, and tough with survival of only the fittest.

Today, Shidler is a peaceful, relaxing place to live with a friendly small town atmosphere. You won't find malls, museums, and amusment parks here. What you will find is an area of friendly people who still care and share.

With the current trend of "getting back to basics" and with good hunting , fishing, golf and other outdoor activities, the Shidler area really fits the bill.

Tonkawa

A unique past, an intriguing present and an exciting future - that's Tonkawa! Native Americans, hardy pioneers, visionary educators, legendary oilmen, German prisoners of war and creative citizens have all left their marks.

The Heart in the Park labyrinth with its time line of Tonkawa history and the Grand Heart Walk of panels are the latest additions to Centennial Park. A number of historical monuments and three museums - the McCarter Museum of Tonkawa History, the Tonkawa Tribal Museum and the A.D. Buck Museum of Science and History - give glimpses into the history of the area.

The town takes its name from the Tonkawa Tribe, which was removed to the area in 1885.

Because of abundant wheat production in the area, Tonkawa styles itself "Wheatheart of Oklahoma."

With the discovery of oil in the Tonkawa (Three Sands) Field in 1921, the town briefly was known as "The Billion Dollar Spot." Several beautiful homes and churches built during this time still stand. German prisoners of war were housed here in a POW camp during World War II, and the site is identified by a stone marker engraved with a map of the original compound.

Northern Oklahoma College is the home of the Eleanor Hayes Art Gallery, which hosts outstanding exhibits by Oklahoma artists. Its landscaped grounds delight the eye with individual memorial gardens and sculptures. Numerous cultural events are open to the public.