Cherokee Strip Museum & Rose Hill School

09/02/2026

We are just a few short weeks away The Cherokee Strip Celebration and we are excited to bring the Tiny Tot Review back again!

Registration is open: https://cherokee-strip-museum.org/tiny-tot-review/

We are excited to be bringing back this long-standing tradition again at the Cherokee Strip Celebration, in celebration of the land run of 1893.

Registration is officially open!
https://cherokee-strip-museum.org/tiny-tot-review/

08/29/2026

We had the most wonderful time celebrating the opening of our Honoring Our Ancestors exhibit with friends near and far! ✨

Thank you to the Oklahoma Arts Council for their support in making our opening night reception possible. Because of their investment in Oklahoma’s arts and cultural organizations, small museums like ours are able to celebrate and help our communities recognize the significance of incredible artists like Beth Loftin and the impact their work has on our community. We are so grateful to everyone who joined us, supported the exhibit, and helped make the evening so special. ❤️

And congratulations to our auction piece winners, the Salvatis and the Rupps! We hope you enjoy your beautiful pieces for years to come. ✨

What a fantastic night celebrating art, history, community, and the incredible talent we have right here in Oklahoma! This Exhibit will be open until the beginning of 2027.

08/28/2026

✨ Doors are open! ✨
Bids are rolling in! Silent auction ends at 7:30pm.

(Bids accepted on-site or via FB Messenger)
Beth Loftin Art Exhibition Opening Reception

08/28/2026

Our silent auction during the Beth Loftin Art Exhibition Opening Reception will open at 6:00 PM and conclude promptly at 7:30 PM. Guests unable to attend in person are welcome to participate by submitting bids through Facebook Messenger. All bids will be closely monitored throughout the evening to ensure online bids are recorded and communicated during the auction.

Happy bidding, and thank you for your support!

We look forward to welcoming our guests beginning at 6:00 PM. The evening will conclude at 8:00 PM.

For auction pieces names, mediums, and starting bid prices, please see the comments below.

08/27/2026

The mystery is over!
We are revealing the two auction pieces for Beth Loftin Art Exhibition Opening Reception

The paintings portraying local historical figure,
Frank B. Eaton, better known as “Pistol Pete.”

Before he became the Oklahoma State University official mascot, Frank Eaton was a real Oklahoma cowboy, lawman, and U.S. Marshal. His life became part of the stories and legends of the Oklahoma plains.

Years later, Oklahoma State students adopted his likeness and nickname, turning Pistol Pete into a lasting symbol of Oklahoma’s cowboy heritage.

Both Pistol Pete paintings will be available for bidding beginning at 6:00 PM while bidding will conclude by 7:30PM

Message-in bids will be accepted, while the silent auction will take place throughout the evening.

Tickets are still available: https://cherokee-strip-museum.org/attend/

AUCTION PIECES

Image 1: 'Oklahoma Orange'
Oil on framed canvas • 20 × 16
Starting Bid: $500

Image 2:'Pistol Pete'
Oil on framed canvas• 8 × 10
Starting Bid: $250

08/25/2026

These will make great Christmas gifts!!!! Just got them in at the gift shop in the museum!!

08/25/2026

It took lots of time and patience but we finally got our McGuffey 3rd Eclectic Reader books. These books are no longer in print and we use them in our Rose Hill School. After lots of searching and referencing we were able to get one of the old books reprinted. With a grant from the Kay Electric K UP Community Foundation INC. and the Cherokee Strip Historical Society we were able to purchase 400 of these books. We will have them in our gift store and the students will have new books to use in the school house when they attend “A Day at Rose Hill School”.

08/25/2026

The family of Henry Wood at their original claim near Glencoe, Oklahoma Territory, before the family moved to Canada in 1901. The horse seen in the background made the run.

c. 1900, CSM Collections.

08/20/2026

Leopold Radgowsky, an immigrant from Russia, was hired by the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch in 1926 as the leader of their band. In 1928, Radgowsky moved to Perry, Oklahoma, where he became the first band director at Perry High School.

Leopold Radgowsky, date unknown, CSM Collections.

08/18/2026

Trivia Tuesday! Sod houses were common structures across the prairie, as standard building materials were often difficult to come by.

Trivia Question: This tool, a modification to a standard one of its kind, was developed to aid in the working of prairie soil, and was often used in the construction of sod houses. What was it?

J.J. Reilly sod house with tin roof, in Noble County, OK, c. 1910, CSM Collections.