Press Release
May 15, 2019
Contact: Shea J. Otley
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4485
sjotley@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/shpo
Texas County Farm and Ranch Owners Receive Centennial Awards
OKLAHOMA CITY — Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Lynda Ozan announced that an Oklahoma Centennial Farm Award and an Oklahoma Centennial Ranch Award have been presented to the owners of two Texas County properties.
Dana and Tommy Tomlinson of Guymon, recipients of the Oklahoma Centennial Farm Award, own Byers Farm located in the vicinity of Guymon. The family has grown wheat and corn since great-grandfather Joseph C. Byers settled the land in 1903.
David and Kathy Harrison of Tyrone, recipients of the Oklahoma Centennial Ranch Award, own Eleven Bar Ranch located in the vicinity of Tyrone. The family has grown wheat and raised cattle since grandfather Fred Harrison settled the land in 1919. The family also has received the Historic Structures Award.
To qualify for a Centennial Farm or Ranch Award, a property must be owned by a family member for at least 100 years and must be operated or occupied by a family member or leased out by a family member. The property must include a minimum of 40 acres and gross annual sales of at least $1,000. The Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry have sponsored the Centennial Farm and Ranch Awards for 30 years, in which time 24 awards have been given in Texas County.
For more information about the Centennial Farm and Ranch Program, please contact Shea J. Otley at 405-522-4485 or sjotley@okhistory.org.
The State Historic Preservation Office 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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