Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center(61)

ENID

It was good to go back to Enid, Oklahoma. I grew up about a half hour from there so the family and I would go to the grocery stores, the day old bread place, Braum's, K-Mart and the occasional trip to Winchell's Donuts. When I was old enough to venture off, my friend Seth and I would pile into his big car and "go into town." We explored that town top to bottom and had great fun. When I finally got my driver's license (in Enid) I started going there on my own. That could be where my need to roam started. And I'm still doing it! Stepping back into my past was cool but a little haunting since most everything was so different from thirty years ago. Wait...thirty-five years ago. Sheesh! But some of the changes were awesome like the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center.

As you might expect, the Center's history focuses on the area around Enid. But one thing I learned while I was there was part of their focus as well. There were three land runs in Oklahoma, not just one. They start their history at the third of the three Oklahoma Land Runs, the 1893 Land Run. When the government opened Indian Territory to settlers, they had the first run in 1889 to make claims in unassigned lands. The 1891 run saw the settlement of lands that were given to the Sac and Fox, Potawatomi, Shawnee, and Iowa Tribes. As history has taught us, the US government generally didn't hesitate to treat the Natives very poorly. "Here's some land for you. Oh, by the way, we need that too so we're going to kick you out of your spot again." But I digress. The third and final Cherokee Outlet Land Run happened in 1893 and covered lands in the north and west of what was to become Oklahoma. Enid was to be the center of activity with the Land Office being there where settlers would register thier claims. In some of the photos below, you can see the actual Land Office. Pretty cool!

Another great feature of the museum for me was the trip down memory lane as it pertained to Phillips University. When I was still in high school, I joined the Phillips orchestra as a fairly adept tuba player. After high school graduation, I thought I would just start going to Phillips since I knew a bunch of people, was in the music program, and didn't live far away. So that's what I did. It wasn't until later that I was talking to fellow freshmen in the music department that they had submitted applications, sent audition tapes, interviewed with professors, and got accepted. I felt bad and never told anyone, "Really? I just started going here." HA! The displays they had of old PU made me a little nostalgic for that era of my life. I wouldn't do it over again, but it was nice to see. From the Phillips displays through the maze of Enid history, I was able to take in a lot of information and I got to see a plethora of cool things. I learned things I didn't know and was reminded of a few things I had forgotten about. All in all, a very good trip to a cool museum. And since I'm a member of the Oklahoma Historical Association, it was free to me. Bonus! But even if you're not a member, you should still make a trip to see it. They have the indoor museum and the outdoor museum called the Humphrey Heritage Village. That's where the Land Run Office is along with a few other historic buildings. Plan a trip and see it all! You'll love it.

507 S 4th Street, Enid

580-237-1907

Entry Fee: Adult-$10, Seniors-$8, Students-$5

Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 - 5:00

https://csrhc.org

Jonathan Elmore ©2025