April 13-17
The Guthrie American Legion and the City of Guthrie will come alive April 13-17 as it celebrates the 92nd Annual 89er Days Celebration throughout downtown Guthrie.
The activities are for Guthrie residents and visitors to remember the prosperous hope embedded in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. It was the first land run of its kind. The area today now includes parts of Logan, Canadian, Cleveland, Payne and Kingfisher counties. The land run started at noon on April 22, 1889, with an estimated 50,000 people lined up for their piece of the available two million acres.
The land involved in the run was considered some of the best unoccupied public land in the United States. President Benjamin Harrison decided to open the two million acres for settlement. The Homestead Act of 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, allowed legal settlers to claim lots up to 160 acres provided a settler lived on the land and improved it. At that point, the settler would then receive the title to the land. The term “sooner” was derived during this time. Sooners were individuals who participated in the run by entering the territory early and hiding out until the official land run started.
History says they then laid claim to the best homesteads. This of course led to all sorts of legal challenges, not only at the local land offices but also with the United States Department of Interior. The term known as “boomers” was also actually adopted at the same time. The term refers to those who campaigned for the opening of the lands and wanted to settle in the area. By the end of the first day, not only had the town of Guthrie been established, but also so had Oklahoma City. Both cities had approximately 10,000 people in each city.
The city of Guthrie started the historic day with a population of zero. By sunset, streets were being marked lots were being staked out and governments were being organized. Schools were open by the second week, with newspapers and banks quickly following suit.
Guthrie was named the territorial capital until statehood in 1907, and the first state capital until 1910 when it moved to Oklahoma City.