Press Release
May 3, 2023
Contact: Chad Williams
Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5207
chad.williams@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/research
One Million Items Now Available for Viewing on The Gateway to Oklahoma History
OKLAHOMA CITY — More than one million items are now available for viewing on The Gateway to Oklahoma History, a free online repository of Oklahoma history brought to you by the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) research division in partnership with the University of North Texas.
The Gateway is a research tool that allows you to search and download millions of historic Oklahoma newspaper pages, photographs, book pages, manuscripts and maps from the 1840s to the present day. Many of the newspapers pre-date statehood and are not easily found in local library collections.
“In the next few years, The Gateway will contain all 14.5 million public domain newspapers,” said Chad Williams, director of the OHS research division. “Hundreds, if not thousands, of new items are added every month.”
Items on The Gateway include collections from the OHS and partners like the Ardmore Public Library, Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society, Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum and Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.
There have been more than 11 million total uses of The Gateway since April 2012, with more than one million uses every year since 2019. All items found on The Gateway are word searchable and free to download or share on social media. Visitors use The Gateway for family history research, school projects, writing books or browsing images from the unique and diverse history of the state of Oklahoma. As always, in-person help is available at the John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center inside the Oklahoma History Center.
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.
###
