Project celebrates 100 years of Oklahoma statehood

There is no doubt "The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture,” which was published recently, will be an invaluable tool for students of all levels, teachers of humanities-related subjects, amateur historians, library users and scholars in disciplines outside the humanities.

It also will be a tremendous help for the rest of the general public interested in learning about the history, cultural background, customs, leaders, organizations and industries of any part of the state. This means we can learn more about our own Oklahoma hometowns and regions, or those of parents, grandparents or other relatives.

We also can learn about places we would love to visit before we go there. We can learn about the histories and development of parks, museums, theaters, geographical features plus social, cultural, and economic backgrounds.

"The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture” is a tremendous accomplishment by Oklahoma Historical Society Publications Director Dr. Dianna Everett, her project staff and volunteer authors, who primarily are university-based scholars, said Bob Blackburn, director of the Historical Society. The project celebrates Oklahoma’s first 100 years of statehood.

"With 2,455 entries, ‘The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma’ is comprehensive,” Blackburn said. "It strikes a balance in the broad sweep of Oklahoma history, and it is accessible in two printed volumes and a digital version online. It also is engaging with subjects that range from town histories and personal biographies to essays and accounts of events that have defined our shared history.

"Each historical theme is informed overall by chronology, and each is complemented by cultural, regional and geographic perspectives. The entries are reader-friendly in their presentation from A to Z in strict alphabetical order with profiles of each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties and 586 incorporated towns and cities among other subjects.”

This means I can go to O and easily look up Okarche, my mother’s hometown and learn about how it was settled during the Cheyenne-Arapaho Land Run, which included my great grandparents.

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