The National Register of Historic Places has listed two new sites in Oklahoma.
The State Historic Preservation Office of the Oklahoma Historical Society identifies, determines and nominates properties for federal designation.
Michael Mayes, National Register coordinator with the Oklahoma Historical Society, said the nominations were on behalf of citizens concerned with the future of both sites.
Carverdale in Oklahoma City
West of I-35 and north of Northeast 10th Street in Oklahoma City is a neighborhood steeped in history from the mid-20th century. It's significant for a couple of reasons — a residential development for Black families during segregation and central to the Civil Rights Movement.
Carverdale is a Northeast Oklahoma City neighborhood built in 1944. It was one of the few places in the city where a Black soldier coming home from World War II could buy a home.
Many residents bought these houses through the G.I. Bill, Mayes said. It was a new program of government loans and benefits to help returning veterans transition to civilian life.
"Which was kind of a feat in itself," he said. "There were several racial discrimination practices that were still prevalent within the mortgage plans that were established, and they were able to overcome that and gain access to their own homes."
The neighborhood was platted by John Burk Martin, a white Oklahoma City real estate developer. He created affordable housing in Carverdale for returning vets.
He was instrumental in helping minority communities, Mayes said. "This was a project of his that he saw through from beginning to end."
During the Civil Rights Movement, many residents of Carverdale helped plan the sit-ins and participated in protests in Oklahoma City, according to a statement from the State Historic Preservation Office.
"The Carverdale Historic District," the statement said, "represents the development of Oklahoma City's Black community and growth by converting their homes into places of business and safe havens during racial strife as a self-contained community within a community."
Turkey Springs Battlefield in Woods County
Turkey Springs Battlefield, located in northwestern Oklahoma, is listed as an archaeological site for its military significance, Mayes said.
The Battle of Turkey Springs was the first encounter along the Northern Cheyenne Homecoming Trail. But it was the last known armed clash between the U.S. Army and Native Americans in Oklahoma.
In 1878, a group of Northern Cheyenne fled their western Oklahoma reservation to return to Montana. They clashed with soldiers on the Kansas border. Army soldiers retreated during the encounter, and the Cheyenne continued their journey north.
Eventually, after three more battles along the trail, many Native Americans in the group were killed but some escaped and were allowed to stay in Montana at the North Cheyenne Indian Reservation, according to the Wyoming Historical Society.
The National Register of Historic Places is part of the National Park Service. It was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. It's a "national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources," according to the National Park Service website.
The Oklahoma Historical Society is a state agency that collects, preserves and shares the history and culture of Oklahoma and its people, according to its mission.
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