Cleveland County the Pride of the Promised Land: An Illustrated History - Hardcover

Speer, Bonnie

9780943087023: Cleveland County the Pride of the Promised Land: An Illustrated History

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0943087023 ISBN 13: 9780943087023

Publisher: Reliance Pr, 1988

It is hard for those of today's generation to imagine conditions as they existed one hundred years ago in Cleveland County. Chapter by chapter, Bonnie Speer guides the reader through the empty wilderness, the settlement of the land, and through the development of the towns. Blending personal tales with factual data, she tells the story of heartbreak and triumph, focusing on the pioneering spirit of a courageous people. The pictures in this book have been carefully selected to document the struggle of these men and women. Their desire to obtain free homes and their fight for survival is balanced by humorous anecdotes including how a jackass came to be counted in Moore's first official census. The tale is also told of the treacherous Canadian River and of the infamous sand bar saloons at Lexington. Carrying her story into the 20th century, Ms. Speer relates the effects of the Great Depression upon county residents. She details how the U. S. Navy came to Norman during World War II, the posT war expansion, the developing oil boom, and the creation of Lake Thunderbird. A special chapter in the book highlights the history of the Sooner football team at the University of Oklahoma, for what story of Cleveland County would be complete without it? In this entertaining and informative account of Cleveland County, Ms. Speer ably presents the colorful and diverse heritage of the area. Anyone who has ever lived here will cherish The Pride of The Promised Land, the story of the way things were.

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From the Inside Flap:

Oklahoma burst into being on April 22, 1889, at twelve noon, at the sound of a bugle. In lumbering wagons, on fast horses, and even on bicycles, and on foot, hopeful settlers crossed the boundaries of the Unassigned Lands in the heart of Indian Territory. By nightfall, more than 50,000 people had taken up residence in the land. They set about at once to carve new homes for themselves out of the barren wilderness.
County D, soon to be named Cleveland County, was in the southern most section of this land. Well watered by the Canadian River and Little River, and with adequate rainfall and good soil, the area was soon transformed into prosperous farms and progressive towns. In a land where a good railroad always existed, the crowning jewel came when Norman was selected as site of the new state university, thus, insuring the future growth of the area and making it a focal point for cultural, intellectual, and athletic activities.
It is hard for those of today's generation to imagine conditions as they existed one hundred years ago in Cleveland County. Chapter by chapter, Bonnie Speer guides the reader through the empty wilderness, the settlement of the land, and through the development of the towns. Blending personal tales with factual data, she tells the story of heartbreak and triumph, focusing on the pioneering spirit of a courageous people.
The pictures in this book have been carefully selected to document the struggle of these men and women. Their desire to obtain free homes and their fight for survival is balanced by humorous anecdotes including how a jackass came to be counted in Moore's first official census. The tale is also told of the treacherous Canadian River and of the infamous sand bar saloons at Lexington. Carrying her story into the 20th century, Ms. Speer relates the effects of the Great Depression upon county residents. She details how the U. S. Navy came to Norman during World War II, the posT war expansion, the developing oil boom, and the creation of Lake Thunderbird.
A special chapter in the book highlights the history of the Sooner football team at the University of Oklahoma, for what story of Cleveland County would be complete without it?
In this entertaining and informative account of Cleveland County, Ms. Speer ably presents the colorful and diverse heritage of the area. Anyone who has ever lived here will cherish The Pride of The Promised Land, the story of the way things were.
On the jacket front: Titled A Run for All Reasons, this painting was done in 1979 by G. Neal Taylor, a Norman artist. It depicts the Run of 1889, crossing the Canadian River into southern Cleveland County.

About the Author:

Bonnie Speer is a native of northwestern Oklahoma where she grew up on a farm. Her great-grandparents and grandparents settled in the area during the opening of the Cherokee Strip so she developed a natural interest in her heritage. She has a Master's degree from the University of Oklahoma in professional writing. She has sold over 350 articles and eleven books. She is an adjunct professor of journalism, University of Oklahoma.

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