Oklahoma’s notorious outlaws from pre-statehood through the 1950s are the subject of an exhibit soon to be featured at the Catoosa Historical Society Museum.
Wanted: Dead or Alive features photographic images of some of Oklahoma’s most infamous criminals. While there may be a few household names, such as the Doolin and Dalton and Ma Barker gangs, the exhibit features stories that may not be as well known.
Visitors will learn about the Whiskey Cities, the Tulsa Central Park Gang, the Spencer State Bank, Wanda Bartram, Ralph Roe and many more. Many of the people featured were born and raised in Oklahoma or moved here and started their lives of crime.
The exhibit is scheduled for the Catoosa Historical Museum from June 7 through August 9, 2021. The museum, located at 217 South Cherokee Street in Catoosa, will be open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (except July 3) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. h. is free.
“Sometimes the stories aren’t so much about the place as the individual,” said Teresa McAfee-O’Donnell, president of the Catoosa Historical Society, which sponsors the exhibit. “Although many stories feature despicable characters, others are about people whose lives have gone temporarily astray.”
Some of the tales include some weird twists and there’s even an unsolved mystery.
The exhibit was developed by the Oklahoma Historical Society by incorporating images from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the University of Oklahoma’s Western History Collection, the National Archives, and the Oklahoma Historical Society.
