Oklahoma Trivia

The Bending Branches bent-shaft paddle is still dry and dusty.

 

I haven’t even scratched the varnish on my paddle yet this year. We’ve spent $60 this month alone just on reservation cancellations. As the folks in Moore can attest, as well as those from many other areas of the country this year, the weather is just determined not to give us a break. When our last trip got blown out, literally (60 mph winds, intense lightning, even more intense hail to tennis ball and baseball size), we made a road trip to the Plains Indians and Pioneer Museum, in Woodward.

 

Here are a couple bits of Oklahoma trivia we picked up that we can share.

1. The parking meter was invented in Oklahoma in 1935, by Carl Magee, and first put into service in Oklahoma City.

2. The first shopping cart was invented in Oklahoma.

3. The electric guitar was invented in Oklahoma by Bob Dunn, in 1935.

4. Radio station WKY, from Oklahoma City, was the first station to broadcast from west of the Mississippi River.

5. Clinton Riggs designed the yield sign, and first put it into use in Oklahoma City.

6. Not surprising, Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state in the United States. They represent 67 tribes that inhabited the Indian territories, and thirty-nine of the tribes are headquartered here.

7. Will Rogers, a Cherokee indian, was born on a ranch in the Cherokee Nation, in 1879. He became a cowboy, stunt rider and roper, Wild West show performer, writer that published over 4,000 newspaper columns, and appeared in 71 movies in the 1920’s and 30’s.

8. Oklahoma is the only state with a capitol building that has an operating oil well on its lawn.