The land runs
Beginning in 1889, the federal government opened parts of what became Oklahoma to settlement through land runs, in which settlers raced to claim homesteads and town lots. Towns such as Guthrie and Oklahoma City appeared almost overnight. The postcard era began a decade later, but early real photos of these young towns, still raw and unpaved, are collected, as are cards made for anniversaries of the runs.
Indian Territory
Eastern Oklahoma was Indian Territory, home to the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole nations and other tribes, until statehood in 1907 merged it with Oklahoma Territory. Cards of Indian Territory towns, such as Muskogee, Tahlequah and Ardmore, and of tribal capitols, schools and people, are historically significant, especially those with Indian Territory postmarks or identified people and places.
Oil
Oil discoveries at Glenn Pool near Tulsa in 1905, and later at Cushing, Healdton, Burbank, Seminole and Oklahoma City, created boom towns and made Tulsa the Oil Capital of the World. Real photos of derricks, gushers, refineries, boom town streets and oil workers are among the most sought-after Oklahoma cards.
Farms and cotton
Cotton in the south and west and wheat in the north and northwest shaped Oklahoma agriculture. Real photos of gins, cotton wagons, wheat harvests, threshing crews and elevators are collected. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s hit the Panhandle hard, and cards from that era document it.
Route 66
Route 66 crossed Oklahoma diagonally, through Miami, Vinita, Tulsa, Stroud, Oklahoma City, Clinton, Elk City and Sayre, and Oklahoma has more original miles of the road than any other state. Named motor courts, cafes, gas stations and attractions such as the Blue Whale at Catoosa are collected. See Route 66 and roadside postcards.
Places and subjects to look for
- Guthrie: the territorial capital and its early brick streets.
- Oklahoma City: early streets, the capitol and later oil field.
- Tulsa: the oil boom, refineries and early downtown.
- The oil towns: Cushing, Drumright, Healdton, Burbank and Seminole.
- Indian Territory towns: Muskogee, Tahlequah, Ardmore and Okmulgee.
- Route 66: motor courts, cafes and roadside attractions.
- The Panhandle: wheat country and Dust Bowl towns.
Statehood and early politics
Oklahoma's statehood on November 16, 1907, was celebrated in Guthrie, and statehood-era cards are collected. The capital moved to Oklahoma City in 1910, and cards of both cities' capitols appear in collections.
Real photos versus printed views
Later chrome Route 66 and city cards were printed in quantity. Real photos of oil fields, boom towns, Indian Territory towns, land run towns and farm work carry most of the value in an Oklahoma collection.
What is common
Printed views of the capitol, Oklahoma City and Tulsa buildings, and later chrome highway cards are plentiful.
Why early Oklahoma cards are scarce
Many Oklahoma towns grew from nothing to busy places in a year or two, and photographers who followed the booms often made only small numbers of each view. Boom towns faded when the oil ran out, and many Indian Territory towns changed rapidly after statehood. Real photos made in those fast-moving years can be the only records of places that looked very different a short time later.
Weather
Tornadoes have struck Oklahoma towns throughout its history, and local photographers recorded the damage. Event real photos from identified towns are historically significant and collected.
Ranches and the Cherokee Strip
Ranching filled western Oklahoma and the Cherokee Strip before settlement, and later the 101 Ranch near Ponca City became famous for its Wild West show. Real photos of ranch life and the 101 Ranch show are collected.
Questions about Oklahoma postcards
Are Oklahoma oil boom postcards valuable? Real photos of oil fields, boom towns and workers are among the most collectible Oklahoma cards.
Are Indian Territory postcards collectible? Yes, especially those with Indian Territory postmarks or identified people and places.
Are Route 66 postcards from Oklahoma worth anything? Named motor courts, cafes and attractions are collected.
Do you buy Oklahoma collections? Yes, complete collections from anywhere in the state, by mail.