Oklahoma Historical Society

PROJECT PURPOSE

ARPA-VAR-2101 - Exhibits - Multiple Sites - All-black town signs - From 1865 to 1920 African Americans created more than fifty identifiable towns and settlements in Oklahoma. Fourteen of those communities still exist. Nowhere else did so many African American men and women come together to create, occupy, and govern their own communities. Interpretive signage in the communities tell their story, but those signs are ageing and in need of replacement to help develop the tourism potential of the communities. The communities are: Boley, Brooksville, Clearview, Grayson, Langston, Lima, Red Bird, Rentiesville, Summit, Taft, Tatums, Tullahassee, Vernon, IXL, and Fort Coffee.

EVIDENCE

Our projects utilize local or regional contractors to perform the work and draw local, state and national visitation to the area thus boosting the local economy from construction activities and tourism for the area and state.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

The communities and local businesses around this site were impacted by the state shutdown and the decline of tourism as a result of the COVID pandemic. The local communities, municipalities and businesses lost revenue from sales, lodging, taxes and other tourism related benefits. This project benefits everyone by employing local businesses to create or improve local attractions and facilities to improve local tourism and community programing. The historically all-black communities are located across eastern Oklahoma. The communities are small with the largest being Langston with a population of 1,724 due to the historical all-black college located in the community. The smallest of the communities is Lima in Seminole County with a population of 53. The combined populations of the communities is 4,582. potential impact includes the traffic on the main roads through these communities--17,168.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Project performance will be measured by project completion.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma