Oklahoma Attractions: Pioneers and Prairie Song Living Museum

Life on the Rugged Plains

 

In the late 1800's, pioneers began to trickle into what would later become the state of Oklahoma. They were a group of brave individuals who carved out homes and settlements on the western frontier, searching for a brighter future or running from their past. Enduring harsh summers and cold winters, these early settlers in Oklahoma learned to live without modern conveniences like electricity and plumbing, but even without these luxuries, they persisted. Their rugged determination led the way for others; they established churches and schools, post offices and doctor’s offices. They did this with very few resources and a lot of hard work.

Early life in Oklahoma was not easy. Most of these early settlers started out with only an uncultivated piece of land. At times, entire families would be brought to settle in Oklahoma. It was typical for these families to settle near other Oklahoma settlers in order to share resources. At first, the families would construct a one or two room house made of rough wood and packed with clay to keep the inside dry. Then the harsh work of clearing the ground and planting crops would begin.

Life on the farm was not suitable for every settler. Early entrepreneurs would set up trading posts nearby large groups of families in order to make a living. As more people arrived in the area, these trading posts soon became the center of a new town. Many of these early towns are still evident in modern Oklahoma, as they became the main streets and downtowns of most modern cities.

In 1994, in honor of those brave Oklahoma Settlers that have gone before them Marilyn Moore Tate and her husband, Kenneth, began the construction of Prairie Song.

The past is vividly alive at this recreated 1800s pioneer village museum. The museum is Tucked away in the rolling hills of Washington and Nowata counties, near Dewey, Oklahoma. Hidden from the view of passersby, Prairie Song is an authentically constructed 1800s pioneer settlement....

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Oklahoma Attractions: Pioneers and Prairie Song Living Museum