Press Release
February 24, 2020
Contact: Jennie Buchanan
Museum of the Western Prairie, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 580-482-1044
jbuchanan@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/westernprairie
“It’s All About Water!” at Museum of the Western Prairie
ALTUS, Okla. — On Thursday, February 27, at 7 p.m. Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus will present “It’s All About Water!” A companion program to the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street Water/Ways exhibition, “It’s All About Water!” traces the development of the local community and the role water has played in that development.
The story begins with the first obstacle early-day settlers encountered—crossing the often treacherous Red River. It then explores other challenges, like determining the main channel of the Red River and thus the border between Texas and Oklahoma Territory, experimenting to find the crops that would produce best in this area, finding an adequate supply of suitable drinking water for a growing town, surviving the drought conditions of the Dirty Thirties, and making provisions for a prosperous future for the community. The story also focuses on the community members who met those challenges without hesitation, such as land promoter Buckskin Joe, homesteader Peter Hove, conservation advocate Ward Perryman and water pioneer W. C. Austin.
For more information, please call 580-482-1044. The Museum of the Western Prairie is located at 1100 Memorial Drive in Altus.
The Museum of the Western Prairie is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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