Oklahoma and Oklahoma City have a fascinating history that stretches back past the oil boom, the Great Land Run of 1889, the great cattle drives, the Civil War, the Five Civilized Tribes, and the Plains Indians.
Some people snuck over at night to stake out prime land early, hiding from the army patrols.
These were known as Sooners. In 1910, with a population of 64,000, there was a petition to change the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City. With enough signatures, there was a popular vote, which Oklahoma City won. Rumor has it that Governor Charles Haskell and a group of conspirators gathered at the Lee-Huckins Hotel that night. After a midnight trip to Guthrie to retrieve the State Seal, the governor declared the hotel the temporary capitol building.