Pathfinders

It is doubtful that the most creative fiction writer could have ever conjured collectively the cast of characters that inhabited Northeastern Oklahoma. They began arriving a century before Oklahoma became a state, developing a new nation replete with laws and an education system dubbed the "Athens of the West." Although divided in their loyalties, they fought a Civil War then overcame the most heinous crime era in American history. These "Pathfinders" included explorers, Religious men of the cloth, intellectuals, soldiers of fortune and lawmen fearlessly pursuing desperate criminals. All held one trait in common, a commitment to succeed in their endeavors and they set the bar high. Little wonder then that following generations from this region the artists, entrepreneurs and sports figure have excelled world-wide. Their heritage would permit nothing less.