Land run

Land run (sometimes "land rush" ) usually refers to an historical event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened for homesteading on a first arrival basis. Some newly opened lands were sold first-come, sold by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run. The settlers, no matter how they acquired occupancy, purchased the land from the United States Land Office. For former Indian lands, the Land Office distributed the sales funds to the various tribal entities, according to previously negotiated terms. The Oklahoma Land Run of 1889 was the most prominent of the land runs, although there were several others, as enumerated below.

Seven land runs took place in Oklahoma:

1. April 22, 1889: Land run of 1889 took place at high noon and involved the settlement of the Unassigned Lands (most of modern day Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties).
2. September 22, 1891: Land run to settle Iowa, Sac and Fox, Potawatomi, and Shawnee lands.
3. September 23, 1891: Land run to settle Tecumseh, the pre-designated location of the county seat of County B, later renamed as Pottawatomie County.
4. September 28, 1891: Land run to settle Chandler, the pre-designated location of the county seat of County A, later renamed as Lincoln County.
5. April 19, 1892: Land run to settle the Cheyenne and Arapaho lands.
6. September 16, 1893: Cherokee Strip Land Run. The Run of the Cherokee Strip opened nearly 7,000,000 acres (28,000 km²) to settlement on September 16, 1893. The land was purchased from the Cherokees for $7,000,000. It was largest land run in United States history. The Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center museum at the eastern edge of Enid, Oklahoma commemorates this event.
7. May 23, 1895: Land run to settle the Kickapoo lands.

Legacy

• The 1889 and 1893 Oklahoma land runs were portrayed in Edna Ferber's 1929 novel, Cimarron, as well as films based on the novel.

• The Oklahoma land runs were portrayed in the movie Far and Away (1992), directed by Ron Howard.

• In honor of Oklahoma's Centennial of statehood, sculptor Paul Moore won the commission for the Oklahoma Centennial Land Run Monument. As Moore completed elements of the 47-piece monument, such as horses and riders, wagons and horse teams, dogs, and others, they were installed in lower Bricktown, Oklahoma City. When completed, the monument will cover approximately 365 feet (111 m), making it overall one of the largest bronze sculptures in the world.

External links

• Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 (Cornell University)
• "Land Run Monument" photos, Oklahoma City Official Website