View of the State Seal, and a Story

Capitol Visit

7

Quite a view upon looking up from the rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol building.  Taken from the second floor of the five floored building this scene bedazzled my eyes. Looking past the Charles Banks Wilson murals, the very top of the interior view of the Capitol Dome could be seen. The Oklahoma State Seal crowned the view. 650 rooms and 11 acres of floor space reaches out in all directions from this center point. The pulse of Oklahoma radiates to all 77 Counties from this building that houses our state government of elected members.

There are 45 small stars in our seal, each representing a state that belonged to the Union before us. The large star represents our state, the 46th admitted in 1907. So nice to still be young!

Side Note

My Granddad Parker was born in 1886 in Grayson County, Texas. He lived till the ripe old age of 94 and was 21 years old when Oklahoma became a state. I was 35 years old when he passed and I knew him well. He told me that he came to Oklahoma in 1902, crossing the Red River at the Henderson Ferry, north of Savoy, Texas. They settled around Wapanucka and Boggy Depot which was located along the mail route from St. Joesph, Mo. to California. He soon left and went to Arkansas but came back to Oklahoma in 1907, the year of our Statehood. He married my Grandma Parker in 1910..........and the story goes on!