Most folks think Oklahoma had one big land run. You’re probably aware of the big one in 1889, where folks literally lined up their wagons and horses and took off like a race to claim free land.
That’s the image etched into every fourth-grade textbook and re-enacted at football games in Norman.
Here’s the twist… There were actually seven official land runs in Oklahoma Territory before statehood, and behind the dramatic visuals and romanticized pioneer grit you’ve seen in movies, the whole thing was a bit messier than Hollywood lets on…