OKLAHOMA CITYThe cannon was fired and almost 50,000 people raced across the line. That was at noon on April 22, 1889, less then a month
after President Benjamin Harrison signed the legislation that opened the Unassigned Lands to homesteaders. The Unassigned Lands was the land that had not been given to the Indians tribes forced to relocate to this area of the country.
Just a few sites you shouldn't miss in Oklahoma City.
|
On horseback, on foot and in wagons, people raced for their chance to stake their claim in Oklahoma Territory. Nearly 10,000 of these pioneers pitched tents near the Oklahoma Station. Without any form of government, Oklahoma Station was chaotic. Claim jumping and fighting amongst the homesteaders was common place. Those homesteaders also had to deal with "Sooners," those who jumped the cannon (so to speak) and made their claims before the land was legally opened. Within a matter of hours,
Oklahoma City was born.
May 1, 1889 was when the first election was held in Oklahoma City. They
elected permanent officials to help maintain some form of law and order. One month after The Land Run, the Commercial Club was started. It was later renamed the Chamber of Commerce. From its beginning, the Commercial Club attracted businesses, commerce and the all-important railroads to Oklahoma City.
The population of Oklahoma City had double by the time 1900 rolled around. In 1910, three years after Oklahoma became a state, Oklahoma City had a population of 64,000 - the largest city in Oklahoma. It was the center of commerce for the state. The Chamber had attracted the railroads, packing plants and other forms of industry. Known now as "Stockyards City," it was known as "Packing Town" in Oklahoma City's early years.