Tue, Dec 02 2008
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Published August 19, 2007 01:06 am - Ancestors passed down great stories By Nancy Calhoun Genealogy and Local History, Muskogee Public Library
What a state! What a story! People of all ages love a good story. Our ancestors traditionally passed down lessons to be learned and their heritage through stories and story tellers. Bob L. Blackburn and Paul F. Lambert surely had that in mind when they chose how to tell the story of Oklahoma’s first 100 years in “You Know We Belong to the Land, the Centennial History of Oklahoma.” Events in Oklahoma’s history are told through stories about the people who lived it. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and paintings, the book is a visual feast for Oklahoma enthusiasts. It includes photographs and references to Muskogee and the surrounding area. Sections are devoted to Muskogee notables Alice M. Robertson, J.J. “Jake” Simmons Jr., Alexander Posey, and Ora Eddleman. Copies are available at Muskogee Public Library, both in the adult collection and in genealogy and local history. Indian and pioneer papers Other stories of Oklahoma people are included in the “Indian and Pioneer Papers.” More than 11,000 interviews were conducted by more than 100 writers scattered across the state. The headquarters was right here in Muskogee where Grant Foreman served as project director. Since the WPA project was undertaken in the late 1930s, there were plenty of pioneers alive who remembered Oklahoma statehood, pre-statehood, their move to Oklahoma, and even slavery. The interviews were typed into more than 45,000 pages which filled 112 volumes. There are only two complete bound sets of the originals: one at the Oklahoma Historical Society and one at the University of Oklahoma. However, they are available on microfilm at Muskogee Public Library in genealogy and local history. The interviews tell the story of the migration to Oklahoma and the pioneers’ early life here. Pioneers of all nationalities and from diverse backgrounds were interviewed. While not everyone has a relative in the papers, someone interviewed may have mentioned the relative or described the area where they resided. The set has over 85,000 index cards to aid in searching the collection. Your story Oklahoma’s centennial year is the ideal time to record your own Oklahoma experiences for the next generation. 
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