[Oklahoma]

The Truth About Oklahoma [cover title]

Chicago: Rand McNally, 1899. 102,[2]pp. Publisher's cream wrappers printed in blue. Minor edge wear, short closed tear along front joint, wrappers detached from text block. Tiny ink stamp on title page, otherwise clean internally. Very good. Item #3958

An illustrated pocket-sized guide issued by the Santa Fe Route's Passenger Department to promote settlement in the Oklahoma Territory. This copy is identified on the title page as one of the "Fortieth Thousand." According to the introductory note: "This is not a statistical report nor a guide book. It is an attempt to truthfully depict, by interviews, clippings, contributed articles, and copious illustrations, a few of the many phases of Oklahoma life, so that a stranger may understand something of the Territory's industries and people." The pen-and-ink drawings in the work were done by C.M. Tuttle and James McCracken, with additional "Half Tones from special photographs." The photographs feature a wide range of the state's history and features, starting from the land rush in 1889 and including images of agricultural scenes, homesteads, mills, schools, churches, town scenes, Native Americans, and more. The final page contains an "Outline Map of Oklahoma Territory." OCLC records just four institutional copies, at Yale, Fort Hays State University, Oklahoma Historical Society, and AAS.

Price: $650.00