Pawhuska, OK

Where the Buffalo Roam ... The Tallgrass Prairie Comes Back to Life

Once, it stretched like a seamless carpet across 14 states—a sea of six-foot high grasses with colorful names covering the land as herds of buffalo roamed freely over its vast domain.

Less than one-tenth of what used to be tallgrass prairie remains today. Just outside Pawhuska, Okla., (pop. 3,825) however, the Nature Conservancy is bringing both bluestem and buffalo back to life on the 38,000-acre Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.

Indiangrass and switchgrass—in addition to bluestem—crown the rejuvenated prairie here, as eagles soar overhead and prairie chickens hide nests of eggs in its thick cover.

The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to re-create a functioning tallgrass prairie began in 1989, when the conservation group purchased the old Chapman-Barnard ranch 17 miles north of Pawhuska. As the site of one of the largest cattle operations in northeast Oklahoma, the historic Osage County cattle ranch had played a key role in Pawhuska’s development as a ranching center. Returning its land “to seed” was something many residents initially had difficulty understanding.

Ann Whitehorn was one. Her grandfather served as manager of the Chapman-Barnard operation for 20 years. Her uncle, Academy Award-winning actor Ben Johnson, was born on the ranch and first worked as a cowhand there at the age of 11.

“In the beginning, ranchers around here were a little skeptical about the preserve,” Ann recalls. “They wanted to make sure the conservancy would take care of the land.”

In fact, the conservancy has proved itself a good neighbor and trustworthy landlord. During the last decade, visitors from all over the world have traveled through Pawhuska to get a glimpse of one of the last remaining tallgrass prairies—and the more than 1,200 buffalo that live there.

For all its majestic beauty and historic value, the restored prairie is only one thing drawing visitors to Pawhuska. The town is also rich in frontier history. The tribal headquarters of the Osage Nation is located here, and the first Boy Scouts of America troop was organized here. Pawhuska has 86 downtown buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including one of the world’s most unusual Catholic churches—Immaculate Conception. Known locally as the Cathedral of the Osage, the beautiful stained-glass windows are rare for their depictions of American Indians. In 1919, the Vatican granted the parish special permission for living members of Pawhuska’s Osage tribe to model for the scenes.

O’Dell Monger, who operates an auto parts store on Main Street, grew up in Pawhuska, met his wife, Eileen, in college at nearby Stillwater, and brought his new bride “back home” 50 years ago.

Eileen Monger has worked for the last 15 years to help revive one of Pawhuska’s local landmarks: the Constantine Community Center. Built in the 1880s, the two-story stone jewel of a building was first an elegant hotel and then an even more elegant opera house before falling into disrepair. Now, through the efforts of volunteers, the center hosts everything from wedding receptions to art exhibits to concerts.

That kind of restoration story appears to be more and more common in Pawhuska these days. The town has one new downtown park and plans to build another. Local (and internationally renowned) artist John Free is currently sculpting a bronze statue of a cowboy to adorn the steps of City Hall. The sculpture is a companion public art piece for his “Counting Coup” bronze of an American Indian, which stands in a downtown Pawhuska park.

The cathedral, the sculptures, and the restored buildings all evoke the echoes of a past Pawhuska still treasures.

Or perhaps, it’s just the sound of thundering hooves running wild across the tallgrass prairie.

Margaret Dornaus is a frequent contributor to American Profile.

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