"For a mile up and down the river could be heard the rhythmic drum beat of drum and song, and dancing feet. And in the memory of men now living this, and not the roar of traffic or the hum of industry, was the voice of Tulsa." - Angie Debo
Before Tulsa became an oil town, it was a Creek town and Creek history and landmarks remain in plain sight all over the city. From the Perryman's to the site of Tuckabatchee's former cabin, we'll cruise the city by bicycle on an interactive tour led by local preservationists and Creek historians. The tour will feature Creek sites that are well known and some not so well known.
The date is Saturday, June 25th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We'll start our tour at 3 North Lawton Ave on the edge of the Brady Arts District and we'll end at Prairie Brewpub in the Brady Arts District for food and a chance to socialize and ask questions.
Registration begins at 9:45 a.m. and the tour begins promptly at 10:15 a.m. The tour will last nearly three hours and will cover nearly 10 miles.
If you don't have a bicycle, our friends at the Tulsa Hub will provide one for a small donation. We'll be providing water, snacks and bike escorts along the way to keep everyone safe and hydrated.
Stop 1: Council Oak Tree
Creeks relit the ceremonial fire from their homelands Alabama and Florida near the Council Oak Tree. Every year, the city of Tulsa and the Creek nation hold a small ceremony honoring and celebrating this site as a place where some of the Lochapoka ended their journey from the Southeast after removal in 1830. Stomp dances were held here and this was also the site of the town square. Today. The city of Tulsa protects this important landmark and the park surrounding it.
Stop 2: Maple Ridge Neighborhood (Tuckabatchee's Cabin)
Today the leafy neighborhood of Maple Ridge, where oil mansions sit next to 1920's cottages was once the home of Tuckabatchee-one of the oldest Creek Indians to ever live in Tulsa. He outlived many family members who he buried in present day Maple Ridge. It's believed that his cabin sat at the corner of Cincinnati and Hazel.
Stop 3: Zink Park (former site of Lewis Perryman Trading Post and Ranch)
The Perryman's were thought to be one of Tulsa's first families. They helped create schools, churches and a sense of community for many Creeks. Lewis Perryman first established this trading post on the Verdigris river, but after an unknown epidemic, re-settled here in present day Tulsa. On 41st and Peoria sits the site of Tulsa's first post office-established by Josiah Perryman.
Stop 4: Perryman Cemetery
At 32nd and Utica rests some of the founders of Creek and modern day Tulsa. Rachel and George B. Perryman, LegusPerryman, Lewis Perryman and many of their ancestors who fought in the Civil War and survived removal from the Southeast during the 1830's. The cemetary was first established in 1848 by Lewis Perryman. After years of disrepair, the cemetery was moved to this location around 1971.
Stop 5: Woodward Park (Helen Woodward's Allotment)
The allotment process was part of the Dawes Commission-a government initiative designed to take away Native people's communal sense of land and replace them with capitalist values. Under this process, Creek's received 160 acres-during the oil boom and construction years, Creek allotments and land were stolen and sold to make way for white settlers. Such was the fate of Helen Woodward, whose father sold her land which is now present day Woodward Park. But she didn't go down without a fight.
Subscribe to our podcast From Creek Town to Tulsa Town here.
Please email allison@kosu.org for more information.
Hope to see you there!
