On Saturday, June 6, at 1 p.m. the Chisholm Trail Museum in Kingfisher will open a new exhibit about former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Carl Mays. The exhibit is entitled "Carl Mays: From Kingfisher to the Big Leagues." Mays started playing baseball in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, in the early 1900s and went on to play in the major leagues for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Giants.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Carl Mays was born in Liberty, Kentucky, on November 12, 1891. After the sudden passing of his father, Mays's mother moved the family to Kingfisher around 1903. Carl Mays worked on his family's farm and grew up playing baseball with other young boys out in the local pastures, often using dried cow chips for bases. After Kingfisher beat Hennessey with Mays at the helm as pitcher, the Hennessey Sluggers offered to pay him more money to pitch for their team. Consequently, Mays moved approximately twenty miles north to pitch for the Hennessey Sluggers in 1909, where he led the team to the title game. According to the Hennessey Clipper newspaper, Mays recorded a no-hitter and won every game he pitched for the Sluggers. Toward the end of his MLB career, Mays retained his ties to the Kingfisher County area, sending letters to friends residing in Hennessey and Kingfisher. Carl Mays was one of the best MLB pitchers from 1915 to 1929; however, he most often is remembered for causing Major League Baseball's only fatality. In 1920, before batting helmets were used, Mays's submarine ball cracked the skull of Cleveland's Ray Chapman, who died the next day.

For more information about this exhibit, please contact Director Adam Lynn at 405-375-5176 or ctmus@pldi.net. The Chisholm Trail Museum and Governor A. J. Seay Mansion are located at 605 Zellers Avenue in Kingfisher.

Construction of the long anticipated visitor center at Honey Springs Battlefield is underway, Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) announced. "It has been a complicated process to get the project off the ground," said Blackburn. "The center is a multimillion dollar development partnership between four federal agencies, a state agency, McIntosh County, several local businesses and a nonprofit organization.  Federal involvement includes the National Park Service, as well as all three agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development-Rural Business Service, Rural Utilities Service and Rural Housing Service."

"The site offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy hiking and area wildlife, while learning about the Battle of Honey Springs and the impact of the Civil War on American Indians living in Indian Territory. The Civil War's toll on life and property was greater per capita in what is present-day Oklahoma than any state in the country," said Blackburn.

The new visitor center is being built in Rentiesville, one of thirteen remaining All-Black towns populated by former slaves after the Civil War. In addition to being home to noted historian John Hope Franklin, blues legend D. C. Minner and Rentiesville's annual Blues Festival, the town is home to Oklahoma's largest military engagement. Ryan McMullen, state director of USDA Rural Development, said, "The community has a high level of poverty, but does have some historic and cultural assets that provide opportunities for tourism, which the new center will capitalize on. In addition to exhibits, the center will offer library space with collections focusing on Indian Territory, the Civil War and the community. The library also will provide computers for community internet access," continued McMullen.

According to McMullen, "USDA Rural Development has awarded nearly $500,000 in grant funds and over $600,000 in financing through the Rural Business Enterprise Grant and Community Facilities programs. A portion of the financing includes a guaranteed loan through Peoples National Bank in Checotah. The project also benefits from recent Rural Utilities Service investments that have improved high-speed internet access to the area."

Blackburn said, "The state, through the Oklahoma Historical Society that owns the battlefield, has contributed over $1 million in site development and architectural service fees. The OHS will continue to be involved providing in-kind services to monitor construction of the building and to provide design and construction services for the completion of the museum exhibits for the new center."

McIntosh County is working to improve the roads leading up to the center and the access road to the battlefield walking trails. This includes replacement of a bridge and blacktopping the dirt access road.

All the partners have a vital role in the project, but the heart of the project, according to Blackburn, are the members of the Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield. "This nonprofit membership organization is handling all the grant funding and, most importantly, the USDA loans to make the project happen. The OHS cannot borrow funds so the visitor center will belong to the Friends. The operation of the center will be through a continuing partnership between the Friends and the OHS," said Blackburn.

"The project is underway but we still have a lot of work to do," said Friends president Gary Nichols of Checotah. "We are launching our fundraising efforts to raise the funds needed for exhibit development and to possibly add some elements back to the building that were cut to bring the project into budget." Nichols continued, "We also hope to retire the debt well ahead of the 40 year term." 

The building was designed by ADG of Oklahoma City. The construction contract was awarded to Zenith Construction of Tahlequah. Company President Tyson Young was critical to getting the project underway, according to Blackburn. "The low bid was out of the money, but Young worked with the OHS Construction Manager Rillis Howard and the project architect, J. C. Witcher of ADG, to value engineer the project to get it within budget," said Blackburn.

McMullen said, "Alone, USDA Rural Development could not make such a large project happen in such a small, impoverished community. But with plenty of creativity and enough partners, it's still possible to make big things happen in small towns."

The visitor center has been a dream since the first land was acquired to secure the battlefield in 1964. Over the years many individuals have contributed to securing the land, developing a road and walking trails through the site. The battlefield was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013 in recognition of its historical importance. National Historic Landmarks are nationally significant historic places that possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. The program, established in 1935, is administered by the National Park Service. Currently there are 2,540 designated National Historic Landmarks.

The Battle of Honey Springs was the largest engagement of the American Civil War fought in Indian Territory, and it had far-reaching impact on Indian Territory, American national development and the future state of Oklahoma. The Battle of Honey Springs (also called Elk Creek) was a turning point for the war in the Trans-Mississippi West. Prior to the battle on July 17, 1863, the Confederate forces were in full control of the areas below the Arkansas River and the areas north of the Arkansas River were in dispute. After the battle, the Federals controlled the area north on the Canadian River and the area between it and the Red River was placed in dispute. The Confederate loss at Honey Springs led to the loss of Fort Smith and western Arkansas. Honey Springs was the largest battle in which American Indians, blacks, and whites fought with and against one another. It was the first major engagement where black troops carried the day and perhaps the first major engagement where ex-slaves fought against their masters. 

If you would like to contribute toward the building construction, exhibit development or to retire the building debt, contact OHS Museums and Sites Director Kathy Dickson at 405-522-5231 or kdickson@okhistory.org. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

The 2015 Oklahoma History Conference, sponsored by the Oklahoma Historical Society, was a sellout, according to Charles Tate, chair of the planning committee for the conference. The conference was held at the Artesian Hotel in Sulphur on April 22, 23 and 24. The Chickasaw Nation was the Presenting Sponsor for the event.

In addition to the Artesian Hotel, conference events were staged at the Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center and the Chickasaw Cultural Center. 18 presentation sessions on topics relating to the conference theme, "Land, Wood, and Water: Natural Resources in the Course of Oklahoma History," were held over a two-day period as well as a bus tour, a concert, reception and two luncheons.

Chickasaw Governor Bill Anoatubby was the keynote speaker for the conference, making his presentation during the Annual Conference Luncheon on April 23. The Annual Awards Luncheon was held on April 24, during which four individuals were inducted into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame. The honorees were Sally Bourne Ferrell, Chandler; Jimmie Lewis Franklin, Las Vegas, Nevada; Edwin C. McReynolds, deceased and John Wooley, Foyil.

A variety of other individuals and organizations were recognized during the Annual Awards Luncheon for outstanding work on behalf of Oklahoma history. Tracey Hanshew of Stillwater and Alvin O. Turner of Norman each received Muriel H. Wright Awards for outstanding articles published in The Chronicles of Oklahoma in 2014. Hanshew's article was titled "Rodeo in Oklahoma is Women's Business: How Lucille Mulhall's Fame Created Opportunity in Rodeo." Turner was recognized for his article "The Dust Bowl: The Blame Game, the Facts, the Problem that Remains."

Charlotte Bailey and Evelyn Culver of Oklahoma City's Classen School of Advanced Studies each received Joseph B. Thoburn Student Historian Awards for their documentary project titled "Through the Eyes of Elephants" that earned them first place at the state level as eighth grade students in the 2014 Oklahoma History Day competition. LaRadius Allen Stephens, an Oklahoma history and American history teacher at Classen SAS, received the William D. Pennington Outstanding Oklahoma History Teacher Award.

Other individual award recipients included Jennifer M. Frazee of Tahlequah and Northeastern State University, who was recognized for producing the outstanding MA degree thesis approved in 2014. It was titled "A Mansion at the Athens of Indian Territory: Hunter's Home, 1845-1991." Michael J. Hightower, Oklahoma City, was honored as the author of the Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History published in 2014, Banking in Oklahoma, 1907-2000. The University of Oklahoma Press was recognized as the publisher of Hightower's book.

Two organizations also were recognized. The Friends of Fort Washita, Inc. was honored as the Outstanding Local OHS Support Group, and the Chickasaw Cultural Center was recognized at the Outstanding Regional Historical Complex.

Conference activities were concluded with a book signing featuring authors Wiley Barnes, Larry Floyd, Jimmie Lewis Franklin, Kent Frates, Joshua Hinson, Davis Joyce, Michael Lovegrove, Phillip Morgan, Vicki Penner, Rebecca Travis, Bill Welge and John Wooley.