Oklahoma Turns 109

via Oklahoma Historical Society

Today is Oklahoma's 109th year of statehood, becoming a state on this day November 16th 1907. That day in Guthrie they held an inauguration parade for Oklahoma's first governor Charles N. Haskell. Haskell was born in Ohio but made his way to Muskogee via a business venture in a rail line that ran from Fayetteville, Arkansas. After serving as a delegate to the Sequoya's Constitutional Convention in 1905, he won the vote for Oklahoma's first governor by nearly 30,000 votes. The population of both Oklahoma and Indian Territory where a combined 1,414,177. According to the election board website there were three candidates on the ballot. Democratic nominee Haskell received 134,162 votes and Republican Frank Frantz received 106,507 votes and Socialist candidate Joseph Hanna received 9,678 votes . There were a total of 250,409 votes cast. That is 17% of the population at the time. Considering the era that isn't half bad. In 109 years we have only increased that to 39% of the Oklahoma population voting.

via Maps Etc

The town of Haskell, Oklahoma is named after our first governor as well as Haskell County.  You can also thank Mr. Haskell for getting Oklahoma started on the "dry" side of the alcohol laws by writing prohibition into our constitution. It wasn't till 1933, coincidentally the same year that Charles Haskell died, that they introduced the sale of beer in Oklahoma.

via Chickasaw.tv 

But this is not about liquor laws and such, its about becoming a state. It is celebrating the day our great state actually became a recognized state and not just a territory anymore.

Just for fun here are some other things that
happened around the state and the world in 1907.
The week before we became a state the 3rd Bedlam game was held in Norman between Oklahoma A&M and University of Oklahoma. Which might I add if you look on the map above the University of Oklahoma was actually in Indian Territory so Oklahoma State fans can say that they are the original university in Oklahoma.

However, I digress.  As most of you probably know the Chicago Cubs won the world series in 1907. Royal Oil and Shell merge to form British Petroleum (BP). The worlds first air force was established by the US Army. The famous Pike Place Market was dedicated in Seattle. Lot's of things happened in 1907 but by far the most important was on November 16th 1907, live it up Oklahoma you're getting up there!