Bristow Historical Society

10/19/2026

HOMETOWN HERO ~ Samuel Combs, Jr.
Raised in Bristow, Samuel Combs was a 1950 graduate of Lincoln High School. He went on to earn a degree from Langston University in 1954. In October, 1954 he joined the Army serving in the 4th Infantry Regiment in Alaska. After his stint in the Army he taught vocational agriculture at Wheatley High School in Beggs. A champion of high school vocational agriculture programs, Mr. Combs co-founded the Retired Educators for Agricultural Programs to address the shortage of black role models in agricultural-related occupations. His contributions were recognized with his induction into the Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame in October 2005. We thank him for his service.

10/16/2026

This camping club group followed us in as we were opening up this morning. Lovely people who stayed and enjoyed our museum for approximately an hour! We wish them happy and safe travels!

10/16/2026

June 3,1963 -

Bristow's Little League Baseball Park was dedicated with hundreds attending. Professional baseball stars headlining the festivities included Pepper Martin of the St. Louis Cardinals, Dee Sanders of the New York Yankee, Lloyd Waner from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Allie Reynolds of the New York Yankees.

It was an all-day event as a BBQ dinner was provided, the Jr. High and High School bands played, followed by a Native American Stomp Dance, and a variety show.

The evening ended with baseball and softball games between the Lions and the Rotarians with huge crowds cheering on both teams.

The park was built totally by volunteers and fundraising at a cost of $20,000, which would be over $ 213,000 in today's economy.

Mose LeForce and Ed Chapman spearheaded the effort. The grandstand seated 1100 people. Given a round of applause for the hard work were volunteers Frank Penn and sons, Don Raines, Jim Provence, Roscoe Pilant, Rex Cearley, Olin Haulcomb, Buddy Brown, Jim Murray and Jack Turner.

300 youngsters played the field that summer and 19 teams of both youth and adult played in the Bristow League. Little League Park was touted as "one of the finest baseball parks anywhere."

The power of volunteers in a small town is truly amazing, and we are thankful for those who dream BIG for Bristow!

10/14/2026

Picture postcard dated 1934. The band is parading north between 7th & 8th. Notice the spectators looking down from above. Those buildings are gone and Dollar General resides there now.

10/13/2026

Hey parents - Get those kids out of the house this Friday for this fun event!

Ahoy! Painted Sky Opera is bringing a The Pirate Project: An Interactive Opera to the library this Friday at 10! Bring a matey, or we might make you walk the plank! ⚓️

10/12/2026

More delightful visitors from the Netherlands! And I learned something today I will pass on: Netherlanders are the tallest people in the world with an AVERAGE height of 6’ for men and 5’8” for women! Wishing these two young men a great trip through the U.S.!

10/12/2026

HOMETOWN HERO ~ Calvin Lester Lunsford
Private Lunsford enlisted in the United States Army on December 21, 1944, serving in the Coast Artillery, Anti-Aircraft Unit. Tragically, he lost his life at the age of 18 due to a non-battle injury in a railroad accident on March 18, 1945, after only three months of service. He was survived by his parents and several siblings. We pay tribute to his ultimate sacrifice and honor his memory.

10/10/2026

PARENTS,

We need your help.

The Chrysler Tower Plaza is not a bike park. Please let your riders know that it is private property and maybe show them the signs that say we have cameras there. We also have many seniors and handicapped visitors who enjoy the area.

Bikes are NOT allowed inside the Plaza.

We made this area for all to enjoy, and we have worked too hard to let it be used improperly.

This is your warning. Talk to your kids before we have to take the next steps please.

Please share!

10/09/2026

We’re delighted to be featured in the multi state Rt. 66 travel magazine called Route 66 Sentinel.

The story of the Chrysler Tower is shared and it’s awesome to see Bristow, Oklahoma’s most famous sign getting the recognition it deserves!

You can click on each picture to see more of the story of the tallest neon sign on Route 66.

10/07/2026

This lovely couple visited the Depot today along with many, many others.

We would love to be open even more days but we need more volunteers.

Come and visit with us about how you can join this amazing team!