Oklahoma Trivia

Oklahoma where the waving wheat sures smells sweet and the wind....well the wind....well it's dog gone windy!

I love many things about my home state but one thing I really love is the original names of some of our towns and communities.  Of course we have a lot of names that reflect the native american history of our state like Tahlequah, Pushmataha, Seminole etc.  but I love some of the other colorful stories that go with other towns in our state.

Bushyhead, Oklahoma - An almost non-existant farming community. Founded in 1898, the town was named in honor of Dennis W. Bushyhead, chief of the Cherokee Nation 1879-87. It is still unknown if, indeed, he actually sported a bushy-head.

Bug Tussle, Oklahoma - Bug Tussle, known more formally as Flowery Mound, which is just as bad, is a quiet little farming community. That it is better known than Cracker Box, Buzzard Roost, Gouge Eye, and other imaginatively named Oklahoma communities can be credited to the fame of its most famous native son, the Honerable Carl Albert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1971-1977.

Hooker, Oklahoma - This small farming community sprang into being in 1901 when the Rock Island Railroad started laying track across the Oklahoma Panhandle. The town was named for Joseph Hooker, a local cattleman. While Joseph Hooker was indeed prosperous, he never hired any hookers. In fact, there wasn't any even allowed in town.

Bowlegs, Oklahoma - A by-product of the Seminole oil boom, Bowlegs came into being in 1927 on the allotment of a Seminole Indian of that name. The name itself is the white man's corruption of the tribal family name "Bolek."

and my very favorite.....................

Slapout, Oklahoma - Though lacking post office or school, and boasting only a roadside store or two, Slapout lives in Oklahoma folklore for its picturesque name, allegedly derived from the unvarying response of an early-day merchant to every call for an item he didn't have in stock: "I had it yesterday, but I'm slap out today."