Eastern Trails Museum, Vinita, Oklahoma

The Eastern Trails Museum sits along old Route 66; its exhibits feature a local Civil War battle, railroads, ranching, mercantile, post office, homecraft, ancient points and pipes, schools, Cherokee influence, military, tools, Will Rogers' youth, and more. Vinita was founded in 1871 with Tom Buffington as its first Mayor, serving four terms, he was also Chief of the Cherokees from 1899 to 1903.

Thomas M. Buffington

Buffington was also Delaware District Judge, President of The Cherokee Senate, Chief of the Cherokees, and Mayor of Vinita. He died in 1938 at age 83. In 1901 he gave a speech urging Cherokee acceptance of Oklahoma statehood:

"While the little government that we love so well and to which we have clung so tenaciously is fast going, let us give personal support to each other so that it may be said the Cherokee people are keeping abreast of the time and apace with the onward march of civilization ... for a grand harmonious movement that will bring our homes the blessings of health, happiness, and life and to our nation; peace, satisfaction and prosperity." 

Tom Buffington

The Railroad Junction ~ Vinita was known as "The Junction" in 1871 when two railroads intersected and the town began. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad (known as "The Katy") was the first to enter Indian Territory from Kansas. Later, the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (A&P) built westward from Missouri, crossed the Katy and created a junction. Shortly after, the A&P sold to the Frisco Railway. The town grew up around the railroad junction. Vinita grew to be an important cattle shipping point and hub of commerce. During the height of railway service, more than 18 passenger trains stopped every day in Vinita. Three United States Presidents (Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman) made whistle-stop speeches at the Katy Depot. The rails still cross at the very same junction that once created the most vibrant town in Indian Territory.

A Train Stopping Telegram

Vinita City Council sent President Roosevelt a telegram stating that it was unlawful for any train carrying the President of the United States to pass through Vinita without stopping. 

President Franklin Roosevelt

On June 13, 1936, President Roosevelt's train stopped in Vinita. A crowd of 5,000 greeted him with chants of "Let's build a Grand River dam." Roosevelt told the civic leaders that he would consider federal funding for construction of the dam. Within a few months, the President signed a bill that infused the project with $20 million. Many Vinita residents believe that the spirited interaction between the citizens and the President was the moment when Grand Lake was born. 

Between 1938 and 1940, construction of the Pensacola Dam employed 3,000 people who built one of the most important and impressive structures in Oklahoma history. It was the state's first hydroelectric facility and it completely transformed a rural region by powering homes and businesses with affordable electricity. The dam formed the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees and brought tourism to the area with RV parks, yacht clubs, resorts, restaurants, and many others.

The first television set in Vinita

A radio and television shop on South Wilson Street. In the late 1940s the only station available was Channel 6 in Tulsa. The television had to face Tulsa to get reception. Parts of Vinita had no reception. For many people, the only television they saw for a long time was this one on display in Mr. Shearheart's shop.

First battle of Cabin Creek

On July 2, 1863, Union and Confederate armies fought on the Old Military Road in Indian Territory, southeast of Vinita. The Union goal was to deliver provisions to Fort Gibson in Indian Territory from Fort Scott, Kansas. The train consisted of more than 200 heavily loaded wagons pulled by mule teams. Due to high water in Cabin Creek, the Union commander stopped the wagons overnight to wait for the water to reach a safe level. Meanwhile, Confederate troops, led by General Stand Watie, took a position on the south bank of the creek and waited for the wagons to cross. The next morning, the Union army attacked the Confederates with cannon shelling, an infantry assault, and cavalry attack. The Confederate soldiers retreated to avoid capture and the Union supply train proceeded to Fort Gibson, arriving the evening of July 6.

WWII Army Air Corp Uniform

Will Rogers

General Store

Postal Boxes

Vinita, 1938

Wilson Avenue, Vinita's principal business street, presents a scene of bustling activity, which is expected to expand with the construction of the Pensacola Dam.

Kanuchi

Hickory nuts were gathered in the fall and allowed to dry for a few weeks. After the nuts were shelled, they were placed in a hollowed log bowl (kanona) and pounded with a long heavy stick. Finally, the nuts became soft enough to be formed into balls and stored in a cool place. Then the kanuchi balls were placed in a pot with water and boiled. In early times, kanuchi was served as a thick drink. After the 1850s, cooks began adding hominy and made the mixture into a soup.

Cherokee Outlet Payments

One of the biggest cash payoffs in history took place in Vinita, June 1894. The Cherokee Indians had reluctantly ceded 8 million acres of prime grazing land to the United States Government for $1.40 per acre. Approximately 6,000 Cherokees came to Vinita for their cash payments and each claimant received $265.70. The money arrived by train in canvas sacks and was guarded by armed lawmen. These two photographs were taken in 1874 during the Vinita payments.

Cherokee Ceremonial Mask

Rebecca Swain 1864-1947

Rebecca Swain was a Cherokee businesswoman and civic leader. The Swain's mercantile business had to be in Rebecca's name because her husband was white and therefore could not own a business in Indian Territory. The company was very successful and served the community until 1920. 

Felix Adams, M.D.

Eastern Oklahoma Hospital for the Insane opened in 1913 with 300 patients. In 1946, the name was changed to Eastern State Hospital. In 1953, the hospital had 2600 patients and 800 employees. It was the foremost element in Vinita's economy for more than 50 years. The hospital was recognized for its innovative treatments which included: social interaction, nutritious food, outdoor activities, practical training, and meaningful work. 

Dr. Adams was superintendent of the hospital from its first day until his death 43 years later. He was nationally recognized for his humane and progressive treatment of the mentally ill. More than 21,000 patients were received during his tenure.

These techniques were accompanied by hydrotherapy, electro-shock, medication, and lobotomy. Over the years, the hospital operated a dairy, an orchard, a cannery, swine production, cattle operation, greenhouse, canteen, library, power house, fire department, fishing lake, arts and crafts, beauty and barber shops, nursing school, medical and dental clinics, woodshop, holiday parties, parades, morgue, cemetery and chapel. 

For many years, the employees were expected to live on the hospital grounds, often in the basements of the patient wards. Meals were part of the salary. During the 1950s employees worked 48-hour weeks with 15 days of vacation. Volunteers played an important role. Groups came from Vinita, Claremore and Bartlesville to help. Citizens from Vinita were frequent visitors and participated in social events such as parties and parades. The enormous amount of supplies needed to sustain this "city within a city" (800 means a day, for example) required a special railroad track leading directly to the campus for deliveries.

As pharmaceuticals and deinstitutionalization became the model for treating the mentally ill, Eastern State Hospital's population gradually declined until it closed in 2006. The red brick buildings that once held the prospect of health now stand empty.

Precision Operation

Neuro-Surgeons are shown using the stereotaxio guide for prefrontal lobotomy at Eastern Oklahoma Hospital in Vinita. The instrument enables the surgeon to direct the scalpel into position with mathematical precision. The cranial operation is used for treatment of some types of insanity. Use of the guide has produced "remarkable" results, according to the superintendent of the Oklahoma hospital.

The Harvey House Girls

Harvey House restaurants were famous all across America during the heyday of railroad passenger service. Young, single women with good character were hired to serve customers with high quality meals. In Vinita, the Harvey House was a two-story building and the waitresses lived above the restaurant. They earned $17.50 a month and had a 10pm curfew. 

The first man, who, having fenced off a plot of land, thought of saying, "This is mine," and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society.

Traditional Long Bow

Braided Horsehair Quirt, 1910

The Halsell Ranching Empire

W.E. Halsell and his son Ewing Halsell were the most successful ranchers in Indian Territory (and later Oklahoma) for many years. They were also businessmen and philanthropists. Much of Vinita's early growth was the result of Halsell's interest in banking, oil, and real estate.

Seven Cherokee Clans

Bird Clan; Paint Clan; Wolf Clan; Blue Clan; Long Hair Clan; Deer Clan and Wild Potato Clan