El Reno

Prologue - Day Two
September 2, 2024
Eureka, Mo. to El Reno, Ok.

We woke around 5:30 and We lay on our bed a while before slowly rolling out of, actually more accurately rising from, our bed and began to think all things coffee. The camp stove was set up and a pot of water was prepped for heating. Before too long we were enjoying a cup of freshly brewed Brew coffee. We are more than willing to rough it, but we have limits and a fresh cup of coffee pushes the limit. Public restrooms at Walmart were greatly appreciated before we began to strap things in before heading out for the day's drive.

We were basically on the US Route 66. It is a route developed in the early 1900s for those traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles. It heads south out of Chicago and begins its turn towards the west in St. Louis, Mo. It continues a southwest route until around Oklahoma City, Ok where it travels mostly west. The great novelist John Steinbeck based his novel "The Grapes of Wrath" on a family's trip west as they traveled on Route 66 here in this part of the US. It is historic and quite interesting. We traveled part of the old route but also knew that it would take us quite a while to travel the old winding road before arriving on the West Coast. Instead, we opted for US 44 and stopped in at several of the small towns to drive through and see some of its charm.

In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This Act removed Indians from their native lands and moved them to the northern regions of Oklahoma. Included in those removals were Indians from what is now known as Northern Indiana. In 1843, one of my ancestors emigrated to Indiana. The land became available largely due to the removal of the Indians from the lands they called home. Today, my family enjoys living on land stolen from the Indians that settled just north of where we settled for the night. I am not sure how to deal with the internal conflict raging as I consider how much my family and those living around us, at their expense. It was costly for them physically, emotionally, and economically. We (I am not sure who all to include) tried to make it up by giving them worthless goods and empty promises. The debt is still outstanding!

Finally we drove through Greenwood Ave., the home of Black Wall Street. This was the home of an economically and culturally thriving community during the first part of the 20th Century. Since this was a black community, there was a lot of animosity and jealousy from the white community. In 1921, there was a white mob uprising against this community and after much looting, murders, and burning, the community was destroyed and has never fully recovered. I wonder how much more prosperous Tulsa would be today if they had seen them as assets to the community instead of adversaries? Today we passed through Indian and Black communities that were treated horrendously by our white forebears. So much to think about during our day’s travel!

All in all, our day was uneventual, for which we are grateful. Sometimes, yes usually, uneventful travel days are a blessing.

We are blessed, may we be a blessing to all we meet.

Until tomorrow!Read more