Near Pawhuska in Osage County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
Forest of Irons
Photographed by James Hulse, September 13, 2025
1. Forest of Irons Marker
The red oak group is very prominent in the Cross Timbers region, which is part of the ancestral homeland to the Osage. The old tribal storytellers tell of the Osage Nation's beginning; that Wah-Kon-Tah sent them down from the sky to be caretakers of the Sacred One, Mother Earth. They left the stars and floated down into a Red Oak. These first ones settled on the branches before climbing down the Red Oak. Ever since then the Osage have held the red oaks as a sacred symbol to remind them of their descent to Earth.
The Cross Timbers consists of 890,000 acres of old growth forests filled with red oak, scrub brush, and many other eastern woodland tree species. The Osage Hills State Park is in the center of this unique ecoregion. (An ecoregion is an area linked by a distinct climate and geography.)
Many explorers have traveled this land in marvel and awe over the simultaneous beauty and harshness of this Forest of Irons.
A special place for the Osage for centuries, they easily forged trails for scouting and hunting bison and deer. Others, however, found that the thick forest, rugged terrain, and rushing waters made the area a challenge to navigate.
In 1832 the Count de Pourtales wrote in his journal, later published by Washington Irving, that the prairie fires, which periodically ripped through the dry grasses, would scorch and calcify the lower branches of the old oaks, "... leaving them black and hard so as to tear the flesh of man and horse that had to scramble through them...it was like struggling through forests of cast iron." (On The Western Tour With Washington
this page online
The area varies in width from five to thirty five miles, and served as a boundary and communication barrier between the Interior Prairies and the Great Plains.
In the 1960's, David F. Costello wrote of the Cross Timbers, "Most of the timber appears to be kept small by the continual inroads of the burning prairies; for being killed almost annually, it is constantly replaced by scions of undergrowth, so that it becomes more and more dense every reproduction." (The Prairie World by David F. Costello)
In the early 2000's, scientists were able to bore through some of the largest trees to take core samples to see how long they have been growing. They determined that most of the forest is 200 years old or older.
But the forest is only a portion of the terrain. You will also find savannas and prairies situated side by side, or scattered throughout the Cross Timbers land. This provides much diversity in plants and animals, making this area the perfect place for watching wildlife, or for hunting and fishing.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
Photographed by James Hulse, September 13, 2025
2. The Forest of Irons Marker is the third marker from the right
Location. 36° 44.803′ N, 96° 17.184′ W. Marker is near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in Osage County. It is at the intersection of Bartlesville Road (U.S. 60) and County Road 2809, on the right when traveling east on Bartlesville Road. The marker is located at a small roadside park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17139 US-60, Pawhuska OK 74056, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Osage Nation and 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 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Outlaws (here, next to this marker); Osage County Ranching (a few steps from this marker); The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Photographed by James Hulse, September 13, 2025
3. The view of the Forest of Irons Marker in the small park
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 60 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 21, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
