May 26, 2016
"The Cold War: The Early Years"
Tuesday, May 31 through Saturday, June 4 at 2:00 p.m.
Museum of the Western Prairie | Altus, OK
The Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus will host workshops featuring scholars involved in the annual Oklahoma Chautauqua event at 2 p.m. each afternoon from Tuesday, May 31, through Saturday, June 4. These workshops will explore topics relating to this year's theme, "The Cold War: The Early Years."
 
Afternoon workshop attendees also will have the added benefit of exploring the Atlas Missile exhibit at the museum. This exhibit uses narrative, photographs and graphics to detail the influence of the Altus Air Force Base as the location of the 577th Strategic Missile Squadron in 1961. It explores the construction and operation of the sites and explains the reasons for phasing them out in 1965.
 
The exhibit showcases an actual launch control console, which is positioned so that visitors can see the front of the console as well as its "innards" reflected in a mirror situated behind the opened back of the console. Central to the exhibit is a hand-carved replica of the squadron's patch that symbolized its mission: to be on constant alert, day and night, around the world.

The workshops are free and open to the public. For more information please call 580-482-1044 or email  muswestpr@okhistory.org. The Museum of the Western Prairie is located at 1100 Memorial Drive in Altus.
 
Pawnee Bill's Original Wild West Show
Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11
Pawnee Bill Ranch | Pawnee, OK
Pawnee Bill Wild West Show Banner
The historic Pawnee Bill Ranch will host Pawnee Bill's Original Wild West Show on June 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. Stagecoaches will roll amid thundering horse hooves while the lightning of gunfire explodes around Pawnee Bill and his cohorts as the talented performers thrill and amaze audiences at the 2016 Wild West Show. The show will feature acts from the original Pawnee Bill's Wild West Shows. Producers and directors have combined stage and script with historical preservation to ensure that the Wild West Show is the most historically accurate production to date. Kevin Webb portrays Pawnee Bill for the eighth time. Webb, a long-time Wild West Show cast member and Pawnee Bill Ranch employee, is also a whip artist and chariot racer.   
    
The museum and mansion will be open to the public on show days from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. On Saturday, June 11, there will be historically accurate entertainment such as blacksmithing, gunfighters and sharp shooters, a medicine man show and musicians, all free and held continuously on the ranch grounds from 2-7 p.m. The cast will be available for a meet and greet with the audience on the museum grounds starting at 4 p.m. The Friends of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association will serve a barbecue meal in the big barn starting at 5 p.m.
    
Ticket prices in advance are $14 for adults, $10 for children ages 10 and under (ages 3 and under are free) and $12 for seniors over age 65. A group rate of $12 per ticket is available for groups of 10 or more people. On the day of the show ticket prices are $16 for adults, $12 for children ages 10 and under (ages 3 and under are free) and $14 for seniors. Special price package bundles are available for reserved seating and that information can be found at www.pawneebillwildwest.com or by calling 918-762-2513. Call 918-762-2513 to purchase tickets or for more information. Online tickets are not available for this show. The Pawnee Bill Ranch is located one-half mile west of Pawnee on US Highway 64.
Juneteenth Program: Oklahoma's Blues Scene
Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Oklahoma History Center | Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma History Center
On Thursday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m., the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will host a special program to highlight Oklahoma City's blues tradition. OHS Executive Director Dr. Bob Blackburn will do an "Inside the Actors Studio" style interview with Dorothy Ellis, better known as Miss Blues, about her interesting life and music. Musician Walter Taylor will give a presentation on the Oklahoma City blues scene, featuring the contributions of many talented local artists. In addition Shirley Nero, president of the OHS Black Heritage Committee, will formally thank Rev. Dr. M. L. Jemison of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church for the donation of its collection.
 
Miss Blues began "shouting" the blues in the 1940s. She came to Oklahoma City from Texas, alone, at the age of thirteen. She has sung at some of the historic venues of Oklahoma City's Deep Deuce district. Miss Blues will share her story, as well as talk about her "Texas Shout" style of blues. Miss Blues is a staple performer at Rentiesville's annual Dusk 'til Dawn Blues Festival.

Walter Taylor III of Taylor Made Jazz started playing in Oklahoma City clubs at the age of 13. A stalwart of Oklahoma's music scene, Walter is a bandleader, producer, drummer and vocalist. He has worked extensively with the OHS on many music projects. In particular Taylor initiated an oral history project with the OHS to interview many generations of Oklahoma City musicians.
 
Rev. Jemison and the St. John Missionary Baptist Church donated the St. John Heritage House Collection to the Oklahoma History Society. The collection consists of the church's estimated 5,000 archival documents and artifacts, documenting the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement.
 
The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted for the Shirley Ann Ballard Nero Endowment Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. This endowment provides annual money for projects that relate to African American history and Oklahoma's historically All-Black towns. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City.
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Visitor Info  
From the Encyclopedia...
Brush up on your knowledge of Altus Air Force Base before attending the "Cold War: The Early Years" workshop with this entry.    

Nicole Harvey, Editor

nharvey@okhistory.org
(405) 522-5202