Osage County, OK
From early tribal tradition, and from the research of archaeologists and historians, and the ancestors of the Osage, we know that this tribe of Indians was closely affiliated with the Siouan, or Dhegiha tribes,their dialect being much the same.
The name, Osage, is a corruption of the tribal name, Wa-Zha-Zhe, that the Indians used themselves, the meaning and derivation is not clear.
The first recorded note of the Osage was by Marquette in 1673. His writing placed them on the Osage River in present Vernon County, Missouri, where they were still established, nearly 100 years later in 1759.
There is little known about the Osage from this time until the treaty at St. Louis in 1804. Here we find the explorers and French traders marrying into the Osage tribe. Almost from the beginning, trading with the Indians became a lucrative enterprise, for the white man and the spead of trade brought a large number of tribes into contact with the French, Spanish and English. All groups trying to make allies among the Indians.
The Osage signed their first treaty with the United States in 1808, ceding to the Federal Government lands new comprising over half the state of Missouri and northern Arkansas, including their old village located on the Little Osage River.
When the Osage signed the treaty of 1825 at St. Louis, they ceded all their lands to the United States, all of Oklahoma north of the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers, northwestern Arkansas, western Missouri and nearly half of Kansas.
Osage County today is the largest county in Oklahoma. Big Prairie? Imagine the vastness of 37,000 acres of prairie, disturbed only by the thunder of more than 800 bison. This is the Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, lying just 17 mile north of Pawhuska. At one time, the American prairie spanned across fourteen states. Now, less than 10% of this original prairie remains, but the prairie surrounding Pawhuska is still flourishing. On the Tallgrass Prairie alone, over 600 plant, 300 bird, and 80 mammal species have been identified. Film teams from around the world have discovered the Tallgrass Prairie as a place of ecological richness and uncommon beauty.
Real Cowboys? Over 250,000 head of cattle thrive on the bluestem grass on over 1,000 ranches around the county. Numerous rodeos and ropings throughout the year give these real American cowboys the chance to showcase their immense skill to the public.
Explore Osage County
1904 School House
The 1904 Stone School House was built as a subscription school on the Osage Reservation. The building was also used for early church services, funerals, and plays. Literally saved from the bulldozer in the 1960
Hominy, OK Historic SchoolhousesHealing Rock
The Healing Rock is not only one of the most outstanding physical formations found in the area, but it also plays an integral part in Osage County'
Skiatook, OK Ethnic HeritageOsage County Historical Museum
One of the three museums in and around Pawhuska, the Osage County Historical Museum is housed in the historic Santa Fe Depot built in 1922
Pawhuska, OK Museums"City of Murals"
Artist Cha' Tullis, a Blackfoot Indian, began painting giant murals in Hominy in April 1990. Along with other local artists, 40 and more spectacular murals depict Indian folklore and are a delight to behold, located on various buildings throughout town.
Cha'
Hominy, OK ArtsPawhuska City Hall
City Hall is located in the building which was the first Osage Tribal Council House. The present stone building, built in 1894, is the second building, as the original was destroyed by fire. The bell in the tower was used to call councilmen to meetings.
Pawhuska, OK Historic BuildingsBattle of Chustenahlah Site
"This site, 3.5 miles NW is where Col. James McIntosh, 2nd ARK.MTD. Rifles, routed loyal Union Indian forces, December 26, 1861. The Battle opened with fire from the Indian line on Patriot's Hill, 2 miles SW. The loyal union Indians finally fled to Kansas." - Oklahoma Historical Society, 167-1995
Skiatook, OK BattlesitesMKT Railroad Depot and Hospitality Center
The present depot was expanded in 1925 from the original depot built about 1910. Missouri-Kansas-Texas service started in 1904 and continued until 1977. During the oil boom years of the 1920s, nine freight and four passenger grains stopped in Hominy each day.
Hominy, OK Railroad HistoryKennedy Building
The Kennedy Building was once the Citizen's National Bank Building. The building was donated to Osage County in 1976, when National Bank of Commerce moved to it new facility. Osage County renovated the building in 1990
Pawhuska, OK Historic BuildingsOsage Round House
Built in 1919 to replace an earlier roundhouse, it is the only surviving community round house in Osage County. Traditionally the focus for village activities, it has been used for dances, gatherings, and meetings and is a symbol of tribal unity and tradition to the Osage Indians.
Hominy, OK Ethnic HeritageTriangle Building
This is a rare, free-standing triangle building. As early buildings in Pawhuska were constructed, a triangle-shaped piece of land was left in the middle of town. It was a park with a two-story bandstand in the center. In 1915, this five-story, "flat-iron"
Pawhuska, OK Historic BuildingsImmaculate Conception Catholic Church
This church is known widely as the "Cathedral of the Osage". Special permission from the Vatican had to be granted to depict living tribal members in the glorious stained glass that was crafted in Munich, Germany in 1919
Pawhuska, OK Historic Churches