Welcome To Wakita
by Ed Sweeney
Title
Welcome To Wakita
Artist
Ed Sweeney
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
A sign welcoming visitors to the small town of Wakita, Oklahoma (population: 344 as of the 2010 United States Census). Founded in 1898, Wakita is located in Grant County. Additionally, it is situated within the "Cherokee Strip", a portion of northern Oklahoma that was sold by the Cherokee Nation to the United States Government in March 1893. In September 1893, the Cherokee Strip Land Run opened the territory up to over 100,000 settlers who were hoping to claim land. This event was dramatized in the fictional movie "Far And Away" starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
Due to its isolated nature in the heart of "Tornado Alley", Wakita served as a focal point and a shooting location for the 1996 movie "Twister, starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt. Much of the film was shot on location in Wakita, including the famous homestead of "Aunt Meg", which was purposely destroyed as part of the filming to depict damage wrought by a tornado. Today, Wakita is host to the "Twister" Museum, which houses memorabilia from the movie as well as other tornado artifacts.
In reality, Wakita and its surrounding area have experienced several tornadoes throughout its history, including tornadoes which occurred in close proximity to the town in Grant County on May 10, 2010.
This photograph was taken in June, 2010.
Uploaded
September 27th, 2013
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Viewed 637 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/21/2024 at 11:17 PM
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