Discover How Hollywood Met the American Old West in Real Life

HOW THE OLD WEST HAS BEEN DEFINEDPeople				overall size
refer to the 'Old West' as the 'Wild West' or				of Indian Territory to cover most of what is
simply the				now Oklahoma.During the Civil War, the Five
'West'.No matter how what they might call it,				Civilized Tribes who owned most
many look upon the				of the land comprising Indian Territory, gambled
American Old West as a wild and dangerous				their lot on
place that existed				the southern Confederate States. When the
in the last half of the 1800's in the American				South lost, the Five
Frontier, west				Civilized Tribes lost more of their lands under the
of the Mississippi River in the United States.Even				new treaties
Europeans who dislike or fear George W. Bush				that had to be negotiated with the victors in
are quick to				Washington, D.C.Beginning with the Osage
call him a "cowboy", in a derogatory manner, as				Reservation Act of 1872, the federal
if his being from				government began to treat Indian Territory
Texas automatically brands him as being like the				more as a legally
outlaw cowboys				defined "territory".In 1889, the federal
that died at the O.K. Corral on October 26 1881,				government finally established a federal
in Tombstone,				court for the management of the Indian
Arizona Territory.Many other people from around				Territories. And then on
the world romanticize the American				April 22nd 1889, the "Unassigned Lands" of
Old West. They conjure images of cowboys,				central Oklahoma were
indians, guns, cattle,				opened to white settlement. 50,000 people, who
buffalo, trains and the simple life when they				were called
imagine the world				"Boomers", settled the "Unassigned Lands" that
of the Old West.Television, radio shows, and				day.Then in May of 1990, Indian Territory was
movies have all contributed to				divided into Oklahoma
the romanticism of America's Old West.				Territory and Indian Territory. Over the next
Television brought us				several years,
"Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza". Movies have come				various "land runs" permitted the various sections
through time to				of Oklahoma
further emphasize people's romantic ideas of the				Territory to be settled.(For more information
Old West. Movies				about the multitude of "land runs", check
that come to mind include "Far and Away" in				out this timeline: )THE CHEROKEE OUTLET LAND
1992, "True Grit" in				RUN OF 1893The famous opening of the
1969, "Two Mules for Sister Sara" in 1970,				Cherokee Outlet that was the backset
"Dances With Wolves"				for the movie "Far and Away", took place on
in 1990, and "Tombstone" in 1993. And then				September 16, 1893.When the Cherokee Outlet
there were my two				was opened, there were 7 original
favorite westerns of all-time, "Support Your				counties: O, L, K, P, Q, M and N. It was
Local Sheriff" and				mandated by law that
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" which both				the settlers of each county would select the
came out in 1969.(People love their westerns, and				new county name
the Internet Movie Database				after the run. The names selected were Garfield,
gave them the chance to rate their favorite				Grant, Kay,
western movies here:				Noble, Pawnee, Woods and Woodward.THE
)PEOPLE STILL THINK THE WEST IS ABOUT				ESTABLISHMENT OF THE 101 RANCH IN
THE COWBOYS AND INDIANSEven in today's				NORTHERN OKLAHOMAOriginally bound for
communication age, some people still believe				California, Colonel George W. Miller found
that Oklahoma and Texas exist as it did in the				himself often sidetracked into various business
1890's. Back in				ventures on his
the late 1980's, I had travelled to Florida. While				trek west.In 1893, Colonel Miller founded his 101
there, someone				Ranch in northcentral
asked me where I was from. When I said				Oklahoma near present day Marland, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma, they had this				south and west of
puzzled look come across their face.After a				Ponca City, Oklahoma.Colonel Miller became good
moment or two, this individual seemed to have				friends with Chief White Eagle, the
made the				chief of the Ponca Nation. The Ponca Nation is
connection they were looking for. She asked me,				situated to the
"So, how did you				south of Ponca City, Oklahoma, and just east of
get to Florida?"I was confused. I said, "Well, I				the 101 Ranch
drove."She responded, "Oh, so you stopped along				site.In 1903, Col. George Miller died and the ranch
the way and bought				was taken over
a car?"I said, "No. I had the car before I left."I				by his three sons.At its height, the 101 Ranch
could see a "deer in the headlights" moment, and				which was located in Kay and Noble
then I heard				counties in the Oklahoma Territory was
her soon-to-be-famous words, "I thought				comprised of a full
everyone in Oklahoma rode				110,000 acres. It became the real nexus
on horses and in wagons. What about the				between the American Old
indians? Do you all still				West and the world-famous 101 Wild West
have problems with the indians?"True story. No				Show, which featured
kidding. It is hard to believe, I know. I would				cowboys and indians in the flesh and show dates
not have believed it myself if I had not been				around the world
there to hear it.Yes, some people believe that we				from 1905 to 1931. Even the shows at the ranch
still live as we did 100 years				were noted to
ago.GOING WESTPrior to 1848, the people who				have attracted more than 65,000 spectators at
lived in the American Old West				various times.HOLLYWOOD MEETS THE WILD
were primarily the military men and lawmen,				WESTAmong the many notable accomplishments
mountain men who				attributed to the
often worked as trappers and/or traders, the				Miller's and their 101 Ranch Wild West Show, was
native American				their role
population, cattle ranchers and their hands, and				in the revitalization of the western genre in
farmers.Then on January 24, 1848, the news of				Hollywood.The first movie ever made of the
James Marshall's "Gold!"				western genre was "The Great
erupted from Sutter's Mill, California. Suddenly,				Train Robbery" in 1903. By the end of the
everyone				decade, most believed
wanted to go west."Go West Young Man!" was				that the western was dead.In 1911, the Miller's
the cry that reverberated around the				signed a contract with the New York Motion
globe. "Thus began one of the largest human				Picture Company and its' subsidiary studio, the
migrations in history				Bison Company.The 101 Ranch served as the
as a half-million people from around the world				backdrop for several Hollywood films,
descended upon				and the stars of the 101 Wild West Show
California in search of instant wealth."(For more				staffed hundreds of early
information about the California Gold Rush, visit				westerns. More than 100 cowboys, cowgirls and
this				indians from the
site: )THE HISTORICAL STORY OF INDIAN				101 Ranch Wild West Show participated in
TERRITORYIndian Territory, also known as I.T.,				various Bison Company
was established in 1830.				westerns.Even the great Will Rogers did a short
The intent of the establishment of the Indian				stint with the 101 Wild
Territory was to				West Show, before moving to Hollywood to
have a place in which to relocate the Eastern				become world-famous.
Native American				Will Rogers is just one of the many famous
Tribes. In its early days, Indian Territory actually				names that came
covered				through the 101 show on their rise to stardom.
most of modern-day Oklahoma, Kansas and				Many of the
Nebraska.Indian Territory was not a territory by				names of 101 performers became so famous in
the legal established				their day that you
definition of a territory for several more				may even recognize them today: Bill Pickett,
decades. In the				Tom Mix and many
beginning, there was no government or laws				others.If you want to know more about history,
governing Indian				pick your favorite search
Territory. It was simply the place that was set				engine and go hunting. You would be surpised
aside to be				how much wonderful
occupied by the Native American tribes.In 1854,				history exists on the World Wide Web.Copyright
the American government decided that they				Bill Platt - All Rights Reserved. Reprints allowed
needed to				with article and resource box unedited. If you
increase the lands that could be used by their				post this article on a website, you must set the
growing				links up as hyperlinks.
population. So, at this juncture, they reduced the

Preceptions

Discover How Hollywood Met the American Old West in Real Life