Oklahoma Land Run, circa 2008

Child: “Mom, do you know what a Sooner is?”

Me: “Well, yes, it’s the mascot of Oklahoma University.”

Child: “But do you know where that name came from? About how Sooners were the people who snuck across the starting line at the Oklahoma Land Run to claim their land early? And how they went SOONER than they were supposed to?”

Me: “Yes, I knew that, too.”

Child: “So my teacher said basically, Sooners are big fat cheaters.”

Me: “Well, um, I guess technically, yes, that is correct.”

Child: “So Dad is a cheater because he is a Sooner.”

Me: “Uh, your dad graduated from OU, but that doesn’t make him a cheater. Let’s just say that nowadays, being a Sooner might be more like someone who really wants to win, or who really wants to accomplish their goals.”

Child: “No, they’re big fat cheaters.”

Me: “Ok, you know, I think you’re not quite getting it. Back *then*, a Sooner was a cheater … it doesn’t mean that anyone who graduates from OU is a cheater.”

Child: “Yep, Sooners are cheaters.”

Me: “I'm telling you, being a Sooner now isn’t the same thing as being a Sooner then.”

Child, in a sing-song voice: “Dad is a cheater, Dad is a cheater!”

Me (tired sigh): “You do understand that your father didn’t actually PARTICIPATE in the original land run, don’t you???”

And with that, so marks the annual 4th grade re-enactment of the Oklahoma Land Run.


All kids had to dress the part of a pioneer. (And you KNOW how much I love costumes!! Actually, this was much easier to put together than the 70's outfit Brayden needed last week ..... man, I love costumes.) {please note heavy sarcasm} The only overalls I could find at Goodwill that were skinny enough to fit him were Ladies XS from the Gap. Please don't tell Kellen he was wearing ladies overalls. We borrowed the hat (thanks, Stephanie!) and personally, I thought the metal pail for his lunch was an extra-special touch. Explaining to him that it wouldn't be authentic if he carried a Lunchable and a Powerade in it was another story.



The kids were grouped up in "families" and made to keep journals chronicling their Land Run experience, including their preparations. And don't try to adjust your glasses or monitors .... I blurred Kellen's family faces since I didn't ask permission to post the photos on the internet. Kellen's group named themselves the "Johnson" family, and they had quite an elaborate plan of attack to ensure they would get the lot that they wanted.



If you'll notice, apparently that plan included Kellen and one other "family members" running like crazy to the lot after the principal fired the starter pistol, while the rest of the family got stuck hauling all the gear, including their "homestead".


Then, once you had the lot number, you had to run back to the surveyer's table and be the first to claim it. There was an ugly scene involving Kellen's family where three different families were trying to claim two lots .... the family next to Kellen's got bumped, and were NOT too happy about it. Plus, the teachers let a small group of kids sneak in early (hello, SOONERS!) and they totally snagged the lot my nephew wanted. Considering in the original land run, there was only enough land for one out of three who were trying, this was probably a pretty close re-enactment, but it made my stomach hurt because I want all the kids to be be happy and they WERE NOT. Even the Land Run scene in Far and Away makes my stomach hurt. But my sister told me that two years ago, my older nephew wound up in tears, so at least it wasn't that bad.



The Johnson Family with the deed to their land. My brother-in-law, who is an actual surveyer, marked off the land, plotted it with stakes, and notarized all the deeds. It was really pretty cool, if I do say so myself.



Then, of course, the best part of the day, LUNCH. Kellen took a bread and butter sandwich, an apple, and an oatcake. One boy in his group brought beef jerkey, one brought root beer, and one brought a pan of the most delicious cornbread I've ever eaten seen in my life. No, no, I definitely didn't eat any. And really, do you think they had Little Tykes wagons back then?? Or plastic bags from Wal-Mart?



Then they played games, and even played impromptu baseball with the apple that I so lovingly packed, and called it a day. A very successful day, in my opinion.


This event takes place on the college campus near our school. As we were setting up (I tied the red flags to the stakes ... aren't they beautiful?) some of the college kids walked by and asked what we were doing. When I replied, "Land Run for the elementary school" one of the college boys paused, got a nostalgic look on his face, and said, "Ahhh, the Land Run. That was one of the funnest days in school" which prompted some of the other parents to talk about how much *they* enjoyed the Land Run when they did it.

Um, hello? I grew up in Oklahoma and attended this VERY SAME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and *I* never got to do a Land Run! What's up with that????

So my question is, has anyone else done this? And even more unlikely, has anyone who attended school in any other STATE ever re-created the Oklahoma Land Run?