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

The Barn

— Pawnee Bill Ranch & Museum —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 10, 2024

1. The Barn Marker

Inscription.
The barn was built in 1926, the last structure built while Pawnee Bill lived on the ranch. The barn cost $40,000 to construct ($650,000 in today's dollars.) It is constructed of sandstone like all the Ranch structures, a type of fossilized sandstone that some may refer to as worm rock. The barn is unusual in construction. It is three stories with a hay loft which could hold 100 tons of hay, a main floor, and basement stables. The barn's main purpose was to house the Lillie's Scottish Shorthorn cattle, but many other animals were cared for on the ranch such as bison, horses, mules, elephants, camels, geese, goats, pigs, peacocks, deer, and chickens. The grainery was turned into office space at the time the billboard case was built in 1982.

The investment in the structure began when Pawnee Bill purchased the sire of his shorthorn cattle herd, Princeton Enthusiast, in 1924 from the Prince of Wales. As you look around the barn, note the equipment left behind from their cattle business.

Erected by Pawnee Bill Ranch & Museum. (Marker Number 7.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:

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Agriculture • Animals • Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 36° 19.84′ N, 96° 48.984′ W. Marker is in Pawnee, Oklahoma, in Pawnee County. It can be reached from Pawnee Bill Road just east of Harrison Street (U.S. 64), on the right when traveling east. The marker is located on the Pawnee Bill Ranch interpretive trail, at the northeast corner of the barn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1141 Pawnee Bill Road, Pawnee OK 74058, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Tulsa.

It is also 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

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Windmill (a few steps

Marker detail: Bison image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Bison

Bison on Pawnee Bill’s ranch were cultivated from various ranches and zoos beginning in the late 1800s. Officially this ranch began in 1903.

from this marker); Earth Lodge (within shouting distance of this marker); The Log Cabin (within shouting distance of this marker); The Old Entrance Gate (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Blacksmith Shop (about 300 feet away); Local and Regional Sites (about 300 feet away); The Observation Tower (about 300 feet away); Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pawnee.

Regarding The Barn. Contributing structure, Blue Hawk Peak Ranch, National Register of Historic Places № 75001571 (now known as Pawnee Bill Ranch & Museum).

From the National Register Nomination prepared by Kent Ruth, Oklahoma Historical Society, 5/1975:
On this commanding point Pawnee Bill built a rambling log cabin he named Blue Hawk Peak for his Indian friend. Here the Lillies lived until 1910 when their new stone bungalow was built. The comfortably rustic "mansion" remained their home until they died, May in 1936, Pawnee Bill in 1242. When his Wild West Show finally went under in 1913 Pawnee Bill retired to Blue Hawk Peak and concentrated on building up and promoting his herds of bison

3. Marker detail: The Barn Side Billboard
Work is done on the barn side billboard before it is placed in the barn. The barn side was discovered in Lamont, OK in 1980 and advertised a one day show in Blackwell, OK in 1900.
and cattle. When the state purchased the ranch in 1961, it stood much as it had when Pawnee Bill died twenty years before. The house, outbuildings, garden, original log cabin, and three-story stone-and-steel barn were essentially unchanged.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Pawnee Bill Ranch & Museum

Also see . . . Pawnee Bill Ranch (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: The Pawnee Bill Ranch, also known as the Blue Hawk Peak Ranch, was the home of Wild West show entertainer, Gordon W. "Pawnee Bill" Lillie. In December 1910, Lillie and his wife May's dream of a home on top of a hill overlooking a bend in the Black Bear River was realized. Between the years of 1910 and 1926, many other buildings were added to the ranch site. Between 1910 and 1913 the carriage house, log cabin, blacksmith shop, and observation tower were added to the site by the Lillies to accommodate their growing businesses. In 1926, to meet the need for larger livestock accommodations, the Lillies built an impressive three story barn. Since 1962, Blue Hawk Peak has been owned by the State of Oklahoma. Now operated

4. Marker detail: Pawnee Bill & the Barn
Pawnee Bill stands in front of the barn, watching his geese. The watering trough can be seen in the foreground as well as the wooden fencing that surrounded the barn for the livestock.
by the Oklahoma Historical Society, Pawnee Bill Ranch, as it is known today, is open as a historic site dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of history as it relates to Pawnee Bill and May.

(Submitted on February 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: May Lillie feeds cattle, chickens, and turkeys on the ranch. image. Click for full size.

5. Marker detail: May Lillie feeds cattle, chickens, and turkeys on the ranch.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 10, 2024

6. The Barn Marker

The marker is located at the northeast corner of the barn.

The Barn (<i>northeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 10, 2024

7. The Barn (northeast elevation)

From the National Register Nomination: Though erected in 1926, some years after the saddle shop/blacksmith building and the Lillies' original log cabin (built at least in part by Lillie himself), the basement-type barn is the most impressive old structure on the ranch, after the mansion. It is also one of the largest in this part of the country. Its basement level accommodated Pawnee Bill's horses (the original stanchions remain), while the second floor sheltered his purebred cattle. The third floor held tons of alfalfa hay and other feed crops grown on the ranch.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on February 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.