11 Fun Facts About Oklahoma
Not many people know what makes Oklahoma great. From its Native American history, to its much-celebrate Pecan Festival, Oklahomans have plenty to be proud of. Learn a little more about our great state with these 11 fun facts!
1.A lot of water in a landlocked state
Considering that Oklahoma is a land-locked state, it has a lot of water. There are more than 1,401 square miles of water in its lakes and ponds, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island. It also has about 55,646 miles of shoreline.
2.Cow chips?
Beaver, Oklahoma hosts the World Cow Chip Throwing Championship. In case you wondered, a cow chip is dried cow dung!
3.State fossil
The state fossil is the Saurophaganax maximus, a lizard dinosaur whose remains were discovered in Cimarron County in the early 1930s. The bones were reconstructed into an exhibit at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
4.JM Davis Arms & Historical Museum
The JM Davis Arms & Historical Museum holds the largest privately-owned arms collection in the world. There’s more than 50,000 items to see, including the space where JM Davis is entombed to be with his guns for eternity.
5.State meal
Oklahoma has an official state meal which includes barbecued pork, chicken fried steak, sausages and gravy, fried okra, grits and squash. It’s state bean is the black-eyed pea, the state fruit the strawberry. Grab a piece of pecan pie to have the official state dessert.
6.Vinita, OK
Vinita is the oldest incorporated town along Route 66, and it was the first town in Oklahoma to have electricity. It was named for Vinnie Ream, the artist behind the life-statue of Lincoln in the Nation’s Capital.
7.Boise City bombing
On Monday, July 5, 1943, a B-17 Bomber dropped practice bombs on Boise City. As such, it’s the only city in the continental United States to be bombed during World War II. The air raid lasted more than 30 minutes. Fortunately, the damage only cost the town about $25. One crewmember from the raid went on to marry a girl from Boise City.
8.An important invention
Sylvan Goldman, a Jewish gentleman born in Oklahoma, invented the shopping cart. In order to promote the new contraption, a store owner hired actors to use the carts to make them more popular for shopping.
9.Native American population
Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state and is the tribal headquarters for 39 tribes.
10.The yield sign invention
Two Oklahomans claim to have invented the yield sign, which was first used in Tulsa at a high-accident intersection. However, other stories say that the first signs were used in Ohio.
11.Pecan Festival
Okmulgee holds world records for the largest pecan pie, pecan cookie, and pecan brownie. Every June, the town holds an annual Pecan Festival.
