num_pages: 188
description: It is hard for those of today's generation to imagine conditions as they existed one hundred years ago in Cleveland County. Chapter by chapter, Bonnie Speer guides the reader through the empty wilderness, the settlement of the land, and through the development of the towns. Blending personal tales with factual data, she tells the story of heartbreak and triumph, focusing on the pioneering spirit of a courageous people. The pictures in this book have been carefully selected to document the struggle of these men and women. Their desire to obtain free homes and their fight for survival is balanced by humorous anecdotes including how a jackass came to be counted in Moore's first official census. The tale is also told of the treacherous Canadian River and of the infamous sand bar saloons at Lexington. Carrying her story into the 20th century, Ms. Speer relates the effects of the Great Depression upon county residents. She details how the U. S. Navy came to Norman during World War II, the posT war expansion, the developing oil boom, and the creation of Lake Thunderbird. A special chapter in the book highlights the history of the Sooner football team at the University of Oklahoma, for what story of Cleveland County would be complete without it? In this entertaining and informative account of Cleveland County, Ms. Speer ably presents the colorful and diverse heritage of the area. Anyone who has ever lived here will cherish The Pride of The Promised Land, the story of the way things were.
language: English
title: Cleveland County the Pride of the Promised Land: An Illustrated History
titlecomplete: Cleveland County the Pride of the Promised Land: An Illustrated History
publisher: Reliance Pr