Alva in Woods County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)

The Run, September 16, 1893

— Alva Mural Society —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 8, 2024

1. The Run, September 16, 1893 Marker

Inscription.
The greatest horse race in history.

Mural painted by Roger Cooke, 1998

Erected 1998 by Alva Mural Society. (Marker Number 1.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is September 16, 1893.

Location. 36° 48.233′ N, 98° 40.033′ W. Marker is in Alva, Oklahoma, in Woods County. It is on Barnes Street just west of College Avenue, on the right when traveling west. The marker and mural are mounted above eye-level on the south facade of the building at this address. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 610 Barnes Street, Alva OK 73717, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically on the prairies,

and on the Southern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and Cherokee Outlet.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

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this marker: Alva Speedway (within shouting distance of this marker); World's Tallest Man (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Monfort Drug and Book Store / Jim and Mary Holder (about 400 feet away); Starr Lumber Company (about 400 feet away); In Honor of the Growth of Cooperative Extension Continuing Education in Woods County (about 500 feet away); The Old Courthouse (about 500 feet away); Rialto Theatre Building (about 600 feet away); The Supply Trail (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alva.

Also see . . .
1. The Run (Alva Mural Society).

Excerpt: This mural, our first, depicts the land run that opened up our part of Oklahoma, known as the Cherokee Outlet or Cherokee Strip. The land run took place on September 16th, 1893. Prospective settlers raced into the land from the Kansas border and staked their claim for a quarter-section farm or a city lot. The city of Alva was born on this date.

(Submitted on February 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Land Run of 1893 (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: In U.S. history, the Land Run of 1893, also
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 8, 2024

2. The Run, September 16, 1893 Marker & Mural
Looking north across Barnes Street. The marker is mounted just below the lower left corner of the mural.
known as the Cherokee Outlet Opening or the Cherokee Strip Land Run, marked the opening to settlement of the Cherokee Outlet in the Oklahoma Territory's fourth and largest land run. It was part of what would later become the U.S. state of Oklahoma in 1907.
The Land Run itself began at noon with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads on what had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land run.
While there were certainly success stories, not all land claimants found prosperity. Despite the opportunity afforded by free land, many of the new towns were overbuilt, while some farmers found their land claims unsuitable for farming, resulting in many claims being abandoned by the end of the year.

(Submitted on February 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

The Run, September 16, 1893 Mural image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 8, 2024

3. The Run, September 16, 1893 Mural

The mural was painted in 1998 by Roger Cooke, who claimed that this was the most complicated mural he had painted.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 99 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 3, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.