Oklahoma Historical Society

The Oklahoma Historical Society has been collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Oklahoma and its people since before statehood. OHS started by creating, collecting, and disseminating newspapers throughout the Oklahoma Territory.

Now, OHS has grown from a hand full of people with this same desire to collect, preserve, and share the history of the area now known as Oklahoma to several departments, museums, and historical sites from across the state and the Southwest.


Historic Preservation Office

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) carries out the federal preservation programs in Oklahoma. These programs were established under the National Historic Preservation Act and are conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS). The SHPO collects, evaluates, and maintains information about archeological and historic properties in the Oklahoma Landmarks Inventory (OLI); nominates properties to the National Register of Historic Places; reviews federal undertakings for effects on archeological and historic resources; assists individuals planning rehabilitation projects for federal tax credits; administers the Certified Local Governments Program; develops and implements the statewide preservation plan; and offers a wide range of technical assistance and outreach efforts such as the annual statewide preservation conference.

With these programs as the tools, the SHPO works with federal agencies, other state agencies, local governments, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and concerned citizens to protect Oklahoma's significant buildings, structures, sites, districts, objects, and landscapes.