Oklahoma City, OK

Spaniard Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explored the rolling grassy hills of Oklahoma in 1541, at which time the area was largely uninhabited. The region later became part of the Arkansas Territory in 1819, and in the decades to come, it was designated as the homeland for American Indian tribes, particularly the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole, who were forcibly removed from eastern lands by the federal government.

Settlement by European-Americans was made easier when the Southern Kansas Railway built a line from the Kansas border south to Purcell. The “Oklahoma Station” watering stop was established in 1887—a few name changes and decades later, it became known as Oklahoma City. When the area was officially opened for homesteading on April 22, 1889, more than 50,000 people gathered at the boundaries. Where there had been only a railroad station and three buildings, about 10,000 people staked claims in a single day. The city grew such that by 1910 it became the state capital. Oklahoma City later gained national attention through Bobby Troup's 1946 jazz classic, "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66," which gives a shout-out to the “mighty pretty” city located along the historic roadway.

As the 19^th century gave way to the 20^th, Oklahoma City developed into an agricultural, commercial, and transportation hub. In 1934, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) opened a grand Art Deco inspired station befitting the city’s status as the head of government and business. The waiting room featured two 40-foot high glass and metal chandeliers whose soft light illuminated the abstract patterns painted on the ceiling. When passenger rail service to the city ended in 1979, the station fell into disrepair until it was sold to developer Jim Brewer in 1998.

In the late 1990s, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) laid forth its plans for the resumption of rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas; subsequently, the agency approached Brewer to see if the old ATSF depot could be used as the northern endpoint of the Heartland Flyer, which was inaugurated in 1999. ODOT funded the rehabilitation and upgrade of the building and took care to maintain its historic details. In 2005, the platform was dedicated to the memory of Paul Adams, the former ODOT Deputy Director who was instrumental in the negotiations that brought Amtrak back to Oklahoma.

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In cooperation with the National Park Service, a limited edition National Parks Passport Cancellation Stamp has been created with the Amtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train.  The cancellation stamp will be available for one year and only at select stops along the tour—such as this one.   Collectors will appreciate this cancellation stamp as a unique addition to their National Park Service passport. Find out more information on the National Park Service Passport Cancellation program.