Pawnee - Woodward, Oklahoma

July 7-9, 2023:

It a very cloudy, stormy, windy morning as I depart Ponca City heading on route 177 to route 64 to Pawnee, OK.  The wind was really strong so I made a stop at the 7 Clans casino, connivence store /gas station at Red Rock to wait the storm out for a while.  It worked, there was some partial clearing, I nether lost or gained any money and I continued on.    

I arrive at Pawnee Bills Ranch in mid morning and visit the museum and take the house tour, it was great as expected.  He was an adept business man and promoter while his wife was a horse rider and sharpshooter who performed in his shows.  He teamed up with Buffalo Bill for a few years touring all around the country. After the touring ended he held shows on his ranch and maintained a herd of Buffalo.

The house tour was very special as everything inside the house is original, just like Pawnee Bill left it.  It's a beautifully designed, built and furnished house.  He entertained many prominent people in the house, there are many rooms, lavishly decorated and as modern as possible for the time period with electric lights and a cooling and heating system.  

There is also a large barn with an amazing old hand painted show promotional sign panel that was found recently.  This sign panel was hidden under wall panelling and discovered and saved when a building was being demolished.  

Pawnee Bill was a huge proponent of saving the Buffalo and started a herd at his ranch, which continues today with about 50 buffalo on the surrounding ranch land.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawnee_Bill_Ranch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawnee_Bill

He was a great promoter

She went from a being Philadelphia doctors daughter to a wild west sharpshooter

Mary was quite a character

This merger didn't work out well

This panel goes the length of the barn

Quite the cast of characters

The ranch gate

I then go to downtown Pawnee, in light rain, to explore the downtown sights.  There are several interesting early 1900’s buildings, especially the Court House with its very ornate stone work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawnee,_Oklahoma

The movie theater is operating

The Hotel is in sad shape

The Museum and Dick Tracy Headquarters

The Court House

Close up views of the Court House

Unfortunately the bakery is closed

I then visit the Pawnee County Historical  Museum which has lots of information on areas history, the original Indian tribes, the new settlers and lots of lots of historical relics, artifacts and family histories. Last but not least is a fascinating exhibit on Chester Gould who grew up in Pawnee and went on to develop the famous Dick Tracey character.  They must have the largest repository of Dick Tracey objects in the country right here.  You can’t miss this exhibit if in this area.  This is another small town wonderful museum manned entirely by volunteers who tirelessly work to save this history.   

Interesting old Oklahoma map

The former High School was beautiful,  the present one is rather dull

The Pawnee tribe is alive and well with a reservation just outside of town and a small casino.  It’s quite amazing to me that so many of these Indian tribes still exist and figure prominently in these areas. I believe there are many residents in these areas who are not tribal members, but have some connection through inter marriages over the years.  Many of the original pioneers who came to these areas married native women because they were tough, worked hard, knew the area and would provide good relations with the area tribe.    

I also travel for a mile or so outside of town to see the "Bath House" which is quite amazing, a beautiful stone building, but inside the changing and shower rooms need some upgrading.  The building itself is a national treasure built by the WPA in 1939, it’s sits on a hill top overlooking a beautiful lake side bathing beach area.  This lake front area has many campgrounds, boating and fishing facilities along its shores.

The entrance

The stairway leading down to the swimming beach

The beach

I spend a quiet night on a downtown side street and as usual am up at 7 AM.   It's Saturday morning and I see a few people setting up for the Saturday Farmers Market in the town square.  I take a look, but nothing really interests me.  Overall I like this rough small town, it has some character and the people seem really friendly.  

I’m now moving on continuing west on route 64 to Route 412 once known as the Cimarron Trail, now the Cimarron Turnpike.  It’s labelled a toll road but when I exit there is no toll, I'm confused ?

I exit the highway to explore Enid, Oklahoma where I find an attractive Courthouse and Post Office surrounded by the arts and entertainment district, but there really wasn’t much art or entertainment, it was more like lawyers offices, banks, clothing shops and restaurants.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid,_Oklahoma

A nice downtown view

The Keeper of the Plains statue

The Court House in the center of the town square

Can you buy anything for 5 cents today?

Nice mural

One of the tallest buildings, but I don't know what ?

A few more beautiful murals

The doorway  art is great

I continue on route 412, stopping at a few small towns with nothing much to see until I come to the towns of Fairview, Oklahoma where find many views to capture. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairview,_Oklahoma

 

The Korner Bar is cool

Main Street view

Liked what they did to dress up the sidewalks

More Train murals

The car dealer has many retro car signs

GM mistake getting rid of Pontiac ?

Court House 

After Fairview, the scenery changes considerably with rolling terrain, exposed red earth and mesas.  I then come to an exit for the Gloss Mountain State Park and take it to find a parking lot with a trail going uphill to a mesa top with beautiful views.  It is quite a geology lesson as this mesa is composed primarily of Selenite Gypsum.  The view from the top looks down on several oil wells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloss_Mountain_State_Park

Also known as the glass mountains ?

I took a few souvinirs 

Really Red Mesas

It's all stairs to this point

That's the Selenite

View from the mesa top

Oil wells down in the valley below

I then continue to my destination for the night in Woodward, Oklahoma.  It has a very attractive central downtown area, with the especially nice Woodward Theater and a great looking western store.  It seems that there was a legendary young man, a real character Temple Lea Houston who gave a famous speech concerning the town Madam.  There is a prominent statue of him in front of the Woodward Theater.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodward,_Oklahoma

Massive grain elevators

Nice Woodward welcome mural panel

A favorite BBQ restaurant

The Woodward Theater

A fine western shop

It looks like another Walmart parking lot for me again tonight, but first I go to a downtown restaurant, Long Shots, for a meal and it was excellent.

A fine restaurant

At around 11PM the storm starts, high wind, pounding rain, thunder and lightning for about 2-3 hours, kind of scary, but it could have been worse.

  

It wan't fun

In the morning I search for a Laundromat, it seems that there are very few here, I find one that is open, but my first impression from the street is poor.  However after going in and getting a friendly greeting from the attendant inside, I decide it will be fine and it was.  

  

My lack of overnight sleep resulted in a decision to take it easy for the day.  I drove around exploring, searching for murals and interesting views and I found several. 

Temple seems to be the most notable town resident

Taken from the restaurant menu

A parking lot sign

Beautiful brick work

Backyard mural

 A recent fire on Main Street, another old building gone

You can't buy cool, you must wear them to get that look

First take out a loan, then get your tattoos

Great sign

This is true !

The attendant at the laundromat had told me about a town northwest of here (Gate, OK) to check out and it's in my direction of travel so I have a game plan for tomorrow. 

Not sure where my day will end ?