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The Cherokee Strip Museum of Alva has made great strides over the last 20 years. At one time, the museum was one of the ‘best kept secrets in Alva.’ It sat up on the hill like a silent sentinel and kept its treasures ready for occasional visitors who would come to visit. Using social media has given the museum access to a wide area of clientele and brought many visitors to Alva and the museum. In earlier times, the museum drew around 5 or 10 visitors a month. During the just month of June this year, the museum boasted 132 visitors! They cam...
The little Cedar Grove Wesleyan Church was filled to capacity on Saturday, Feb. 24, for a dedication and blessing ceremony at its new location on the Cherokee Strip Museum compound. Approximately 100 former members and Cedar Grove community members were in attendance for this ceremony. Nathan Hosier, present minister of the church, presided over the ceremony. Ron Olson, long time former minister, was in attendance and spoke of the years he spent ministering at the little country church. He... Full story
Issac Black, famous Oklahoma outlaw buried in the Alva cemetery, now has a tombstone, after being buried 123 years in an unmarked grave. After his apprehension and death, Black was buried without any service or grave marker because his robberies and killings had been a menace to society. The Cherokee Strip Museum board felt after 123 years it was time to mark his grave. The late Joy Sherman had expressed her interest in getting Black's grave marked and was in the process of doing it at the time... Full story
Helen Otte Beisel was born on a farm Northwest of Alva to Henry and Bertha Otte. She went to the country school of Pleasantview through eighth grade. She walked to school through the pasture and her dog would follow her to school, then go back home. Beisel's parents came from Germany. Her father immigrated to Cheney, Kansas, where he worked for room and board the first year. While living in Germany, all 17-year-old boys were told they had to go into the military. The German family tradition was...
The story of the Kinzie family in Alva, Oklahoma, spans over a century. With innovation, ingenuity and hard work, the Kinzies have established a long-lasting legacy with far-reaching effects. Guy Kinzie came to Oklahoma from Indiana in 1905 when he was nineteen years old. Kinzie was Wayne Kinzie's father, thus the forerunner of Kinzie Industries and Plane Plastics. Guy Kinzie started his own business, Alva Brake and Electric, in the building that is now the Honda Shop owned by Neal and Jim...
Mark your calendars for the rapidly upcoming Talk of the Town Tour on Alva’s downtown square, hosted by the Cherokee Strip Museum on Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. Plan to bring your friends and family down to the square for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon of hay ride tours, highlighting some very colorful and intriguing history of Alva in the early 1900s. Local talent will depict interesting history from past businesses that laid the foundation for what Alva is today, bringing to life some entertaining characters and sharing stories that many don’t know abo...
Susie Koontz and her husband have lived many places during their careers. Koontz always had a dream to come back to her roots in Oklahoma, live on the farm and raise cattle. She is the daughter of Jo Ann Cole and the late Kenney Cole. In 2004, Koontz's dream was realized when they returned to Oklahoma and began the next chapter of their lives. Koontz has always had a special passion for horses, and two of her horses made the trip back from California to Oklahoma. They found their new home to be...
The Cherokee Strip Museum is scheduled to receive a new exhibit from the Nancy Denner McGowen family, telling of Nancy Denner's (as she was then) journey from small town Alva to second runner up in the 1957 Miss America Pageant. Denner is the daughter of the late Joe and Mary Denner, owners of the Golden Krust Bakery in earlier days of Alva. The Alva Chamber of Commerce needed a participant to send to the Miss Oklahoma Pageant and Denner was selected to go. She represented Alva in the competitio...
