Traveling through the Oklahoma panhandle

I only remember once traveling through the Oklahoma panhandle, commonly referred to as no man’s Land, a strip of land between Texas and Kansas in the northwestern part of the Sooner state.

My dad and I had made the trek to visit the Grand Canyon in June 1989. After taking the southern route through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona and visiting the canyon, we traveled northeast for supper in Page, Arizona.

Motel prices where more than we wanted to spend, so we headed into Utah.

It was dark, and as we rolled along, I said something to my dad about being in Utah.

“That’s great son,” he said. “I just can’t see it.”

We stopped at a small motel in Big Water, Utah and spent the night. After enjoying breakfast at a local eatery the next morning, we headed west after I learned about a Hollywood movie set nearby.

We drove across the dessert on a makeshift road to visit the Paria movie set, where we spent a couple hours checking out the set constructed in 1962 for the movie, “Sergeants 3.”

In 1976, the ending scene of “The Outlaw Josey Wales” with Clint Eastwood was the last movie to be filmed there.

I took off walking on the western edge of town looking for photo opportunities and went a bit further than I should have. My dad was a touch upset with me doing that, telling me that I could have gotten lost and unable to find my way back.

We met and visited with a father and son from Washington, D.C., who were touring the movie set and area.

After visiting the Four Corners, where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico intersect, we cut across southern Colorado, staying the night in Durango before crossing over Wolf Creek Pass.

Our next stop was Alamosa, Colorado for the evening. We then made our way to Raton, New Mexico and enjoyed a meal at Denny’s.

We cut across northeastern New Mexico and made our way across the Oklahoma panhandle.

We came across an oil field pumping station along Highway 412. It just happened that there were several GASO pumps at the station.

My dad worked for GASO Pump in Tulsa for nearly 40 years and may have helped build the pumps at the station. The company specialized in building pumps that push crude oil through oil pipelines.

I just remember him standing there looking at the pumps and thinking about the years of service he’d given that company.

A wheat harvesting crew rolled by and made a stop to check on equipment, and we talked with them about their work.

I’m not sure, but I believe we stayed the night in Beaver, Oklahoma. It happened that it was my dad’s 60th birthday. We’d stopped at a local restaurant the night before, and my dad had found some locals to visit with while I made my way back to the motel.

A lot has changed in my life since those days. Today, I’d been right there next to my dad listening in or looking for someone to shoot the breeze with.

The Oklahoma panhandle stretches 166 miles and is 34 miles wide. The panhandle is comprised of three counties — Texas, Beaver and Cimarron.

Brief history of the panhandle

The Republic of Texas founded the panhandle area March 2, 1836.

Texas surrendered claim; panhandle became “unattached” territory in 1850.

First petition for territorial status sent to Congress in February 1887.

Second petition for territorial status sent to Congress in December 1887.

Attached to Oklahoma Territory in 1890.

Prior to Oklahoma Statehood in 1907, the panhandle consisted of one county, Beaver.

Farming and ranching operations occupy most of the economic activity in the region, with ranching dominating the drier western end. The region's higher educational needs are served by Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, 10 miles southwest of Guymon.

The panhandle features Black Mesa State Park, the highest point in Oklahoma, reaching 4,973 feet above sea level.

Beaver, the town in which my dad and I stayed the night, is home to the World Cow Chip Throwing Championship.

Guymon, the largest city in the panhandle, is a hub for the local economy, which includes wheat farming, livestock, hog and dairy farming, manufacturing and oil and natural gas production.

Boise City, another city in the Oklahoma panhandle has an unusual history. During World War II, the city was mistakenly bombed by a friendly U.S. bomber crew during training. The bombing occurred July 5, 1943, at about 12:30 a.m. by a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber.

I have briefly touched on the history of the Oklahoma panhandle. To learn more, visit wikipedia.org or the internet on Oklahoma history.

Have a great week, and always remember that “Good Things are Happening” every day.