A Very OK Podcast

The California Road

After gold was discovered in California in 1848, Americans flocked to the west coast to make their fortunes. In 1849, Congress instructed Captain Randolph Marcy to find a suitable passage from Fort Smith to Santa Fe by traveling south of the Canadian River. Guided by Delaware scout Black Beaver, Marcy and the first wagon train reached their destination in June 1849. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the people on the journey, conditions encountered along the way, and some of the interesting geographical features the group discovered. Their guest is Art Peters, curator at the Hinton Historical Museum and author of three books about the California Road in Caddo County.

Impeachment

Since statehood, numerous elected officials have found themselves on the wrong side of the Oklahoma Legislature’s good graces, which resulted in impeachment charges being filed. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss Oklahoma’s constitutional requirements for impeachment, some of the officials who have been impeached in the state over the years, and the charges leveled against them. Their guest is former Oklahoma Senator Cal Hobson, who served in the legislature from 1978–2005 and was president pro tempore during the impeachment of Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher in 2004.

47 in a Row

From 1953 to 1957, University of Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson and his Sooners won 47 games in a row, an NCAA record. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss Coach Wilkinson and his leadership skills, the players who made the winning streak possible, and a few of the significant games along the way. Their guest is Berry Tramel, a 46-year veteran sports journalist who has written for The Norman Transcript and The Oklahoman. He now writes for the Tulsa World.

Television Comes to Oklahoma

Crowds came by the thousands to Municipal Auditorium in Oklahoma City to see the first television images in Oklahoma at a demonstration sponsored by WKY Radio on November 13, 1939. Despite television being a financial drain on broadcasters who had tried it before, E.K. Gaylord believed Oklahoma deserved it, so he applied for a license and was granted the first station in Oklahoma. On June 6, 1949, at 7 p.m., WKY-TV went on the air. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss how the new technology was embraced by the Gaylords, the popular shows and personalities on WKY-TV and later KFOR, and the impact television has made on Oklahoma. Their guest is Wes Milbourn, vice president and station manager at KFOR.

The Birth of the State Park System

Oklahoma was a state for almost thirty years before the state park system was created. Thanks to federal funds and free labor provided by the Civilian Conservation Corps, seven new state parks were constructed starting in 1935. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the political conditions that led to Oklahoma creating the State Park Commission, the invaluable work of the CCC, and lasting impact of the parks. Their guest is Dr. Matthew Pearce, State Historian for the Oklahoma Historical Society.

 

200 Years of Fort Gibson and Fort Towson

 In February 1824, the general-in-chief of the Army authorized the abandonment of Fort Smith and the creation of a new fort in the southwest. Col. Matthew Arbuckle selected a site near the Three Forks and named it Cantonment Gibson. Its mission was to protect white settlers, work for peace between tribes in the region, and establish a diplomatic relationship with Plains tribes. A few months later, Maj. Alexander Cummings established Cantonment Towson near the Kiamichi and Red rivers with a mission of protecting the international border and later, serving as a buffer between the Choctaw and Plains tribes. In this episode, we discuss the important role each fort played as well as what daily life was like for those stationed there. Our guests on this episode are Jennifer Frazee, director at Fort Gibson Historic Site, and Calista Stephens, director at Fort Towson Historic Site.

The Five Moons

Maria Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief, Yvonne Chouteau, Moscelyne Larkin, and Rosella Hightower were all American Indian women, born in Oklahoma during the 1920s, who went on to become prima ballerinas. Nicknamed the “Five Moons,” they achieved the pinnacle of success in their respective ballet careers, making their marks in America and on the international stage. They were named Oklahoma Cultural Treasures in 1997 and a beautiful mural in the state capitol, Flight of Spirit, pays tribute to them. Our guest on this episode is writer, director, actor, and dancer, Russ Tallchief, who is also the great nephew of Maria and Marjorie Tallchief.

Jazz in Oklahoma

The confluence of cultures in Oklahoma, from Blacks who arrived as enslaved persons from the southeastern United States to European immigrants, created the ideal environment for the musical form known as jazz to take root. Jazz performers such as Charlie Christian, the Oklahoma City Blue Devils, and the Ernie Fields Orchestra made their mark on the genre starting out in small clubs located in Tulsa’s Greenwood and Oklahoma City’s Deep Deuce districts and later traveling to New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Los Angeles. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss Oklahoma’s early jazz scene and interview Carmen Fields, author of Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band. Ms. Fields discusses her father’s legacy, the musicians in the orchestra, his hits, and her brother, Ernie Fields Jr.

The 1965 Oklahoma Supreme Court Scandal

In 1964, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice N.S. Corn was convicted on federal income tax evasion charges. While incarcerated, he provided testimony implicating himself, Justice Earl Welch, and Justice N.B. Johnson in a scheme to accept bribes in exchange for affecting the decision in cases before the court. The resulting scandal cast a shadow over the court and resulted in an impeachment trial in the state legislature. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn explore the scandal and the environment that led to it. Their guest is Jari Askins, administrative director of the Courts and Lieutenant Governor from 2007 to 2011.

Two Worldviews in Conflict

The Cherokee Nation lived in their ancestral homelands in the eastern United States for centuries before the first arrival of Europeans on American soil in the 1500s. As settlers arrived in larger numbers, the Cherokees were forced to cede or sell their lands, first to the British government and then to the United States through successive treaties. This ultimately led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to Indian Territory in the 1830s. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the events and significant court cases that paved the way for Cherokee removal west of the Mississippi River. Their guests are Jack Baker, Cherokee historian and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and Lindsay Robertson, professor emeritus of Native American Law at the University of Oklahoma.