Nature Is Reclaiming This One Abandoned Oklahoma Spot And It's Actually Amazing
By Ashley|Published February 24, 2016
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Ashley
Author
Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 30 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. When she isn't writing about Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beach and exploring new areas.
The hills of Osage Nation have quite a few tales to be told. From cowboys and Indians to cattlemen and oilmen, the stories of the Osage Hills could fill several history books. Legends exist of a “Little Las Vegas” that thrived back in the day, along with many card cheats that still remain buried in the hills of Osage. Beyond all the hearsay that has endured, we do know for certain what some of the Osage land was used for.
In 1917, the Osage tribe adopted an emergency war resolution providing oil leases to the Department of the Navy during WWI. Over 5,000 acres were selected and named the "Naval Reserve." The lease was considered "unsuitable" and never utilized; it was returned 10 years later.
The Osage nation then leased the field for development in 1928 to oil companies. The remains of a school built by the oil company are being overtaken by nature.
During that time period, the oil companies would build small towns for the workers, which were very family oriented and tightly knit communities. The foundations are all that are left of some of the buildings.