Cherokee Strip Historical Society
Join in the preservation of our local history by becoming a member of the Cherokee Strip Historical Society. Annual membership is $25 and a lifetime membership is $150. Membership gives you and your family admission to the museum and a personal invitation to the annual meeting held in October.
Cherokee Strip Historical Society Board of Directors and Officers
| Sharon Courtright | Stephanie Rupp |
| J. D. Koch | Carol Steichen |
| Mary Koch | Marilyn Voise |
| Glenda Mittash | Melanie Williams |
Scholarship
The Prusa Family Memorial Scholarship is made possible by donations, special gifts, and memorials to the Cherokee Strip Historical Society. It is a $1,000 scholarship awarded by the board of the directors to a sophomore level or above college student. Preference may be given to students within history, social studies, or museum sciences. In addition to filling out this online form, please mail (1) A current transcript with grade point average, (2) proof of registration, and (3) Three letters of recommendation to: CSHS Scholarship Committee c/o Cherokee Strip Museum, 2617 West Fir Avenue, Perry, Oklahoma 73077
History
In 1953 the state legislature passed a Joint House Resolution creating the Cherokee Strip Historical Society and authorizing the development of local branches. This was done to commemorate the epic Land Run of 1893 that opened around six million acres of land located in the Cherokee Outlet (which had become known as the Cherokee Strip) to non-Indian settlement. With the support and encouragement of the state government, the Noble County Branch of the Cherokee Strip Historical Society (CSHS) was formed.
During the next few years the society's main function was to care for a growing collection of materials informally collected, stored and exhibited in the basement of the Perry Carnegie Library. Most of the items, photographs and documents collected related to the early pioneer settlement of the local area. In 1965 the Cherokee Strip Historical Society reorganized and incorporated for the purpose of building a museum to house their growing collection. Through a joint effort of the Historical Society and the State of Oklahoma, the Cherokee Strip Museum was constructed in 1968. Title to the land, building and the collection was given to the State. The Cherokee Strip Museum is now operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The growth and development of the Cherokee Strip Museum continues to be the organization's primary focus. The CSHS provides a local advisory board, financial assistance and volunteer help for the museum. In July 1993, the CSHS entered into a contractual arrangement with the OHS to begin operating the gift store in the museum and the award winning educational program, "A Day at Rose Hill School." The partnership between the CSHS and the OHS has benefited both organizations and allowed both groups to better fulfill their mission.