Rooted in the Plains

Nicole Blackstock
  • 5.0 (1)
  • HISTORY

Rooted in the Plains is a podcast about the people, places and moments that shaped the Great Plains.  We’ll dig into stories of resilience, curiosity and courage. These are the voices that whisper through the wind and are written in the dirt beneath our feet. 

  1. 3D AGO

    A Line in the Sod: Oklahoma Land Runs

    Note: This episode opens with a gunshot sound effect.  On September 16, 1893, a gun was fired at noon, and 100,000 people surged across the Oklahoma plains in the largest land run in American history. Within 2 hours, 6.5 million acres were claimed. Cities appeared overnight. The frontier, they said, was finally settled. But a young Tonkawa woman was already there, lying flat in the grass at the edge of her family's field, feeling the hoofbeats in her teeth. In this episode, we follow the process that made the Oklahoma Land Runs possible, the Dawes Act of 1887, the Jerome Commission's hard bargaining and deception, and the quiet arithmetic of tribal land ceded for cents on the dollar. We hear from Oklahoma's first territorial governor, who wrote frankly about the chaos and the cost. And we sit with the Tonkawa, who kept their allotments, watched a town spring up on their former land, and watched it be named after them. For photos, maps, and glimpses of the past, follow @rootedintheplains on Instagram. Want to learn more? Berthrong, Donald J. "Legacies of the Dawes Act: Bureaucrats and Land Thieves at the Cheyenne-Arapaho Agencies of Oklahoma." Arizona and the West 21, no. 4 (1979): 335–54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40168884 Da', Laura. "Passing the Frontier." Prairie Schooner 96, no. 1 (2022): 79–81. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45474106 Faulk, Odie B. "Land of the Fair God and the Run for Land." History News 44, no. 5 (1989): 7–8. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42652022 Hasskarl, Robert A. "The Culture and History of the Tonkawa Indians." Plains Anthropologist 7, no. 18 (1962): 217–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25666463 Hefley, Maurice. A Pioneer at the Land Openings in Oklahoma. Summer 1962. Oklahoma Historical Society. https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2123819/ Steele, George W. Report of the Governor of Oklahoma to the Secretary of the Interior, 1891. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891. https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6155&context=indianserialset

    15 min

  2. MAR 4

    What Couldn't Be Erased: Deadwood's Chinatown

    In 1876, Chinese immigrants arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota, building restaurants, laundries, medical practices, and a temple that smelled of incense from a block away. By 1880, there were over 200 - possibly 400. But then the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 changed everything. In this episode, we explore how a thriving community faced systematic legal persecution - yet refused to disappear. We'll meet Wong Fee Lee, who became the first Chinese property owner in Deadwood in 1877, and Judge Granville Bennett, who made sure Chinese clients got fair trials even as the Supreme Court ruled that they had no constitutional protections. We'll witness elaborate public funerals where hundreds of white residents watched, and follow Ah Sam as he sues for his wages and wins. Then we go underground: archaeologists discover Feature 17, a ritual burial interrupted mid-ceremony during the worst years of persecution, and a ceremonial burner built in 1908 that was used for decades - evidence that dignity survived. By 1931, the last Chinese resident left Deadwood. But in 2025, South Dakota declared Wong Fee Lee Day, unveiled a statue, and 69 descendants gathered to celebrate. For photos, maps and glimpses of the past, follow @rootedintheplains on Instagram. Want to learn more? Chen, Joyce J. "The Impact of Skill-Based Immigration Restrictions: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882." Journal of Human Resources (2015).Fosha, Rose Estep, and Christopher Leatherman. "The Chinese Experience in Deadwood, South Dakota." Historical Archaeology 42, no. 3 (2008): 97–110. Garrison, William Lloyd. "Chinese Exclusion." The Advocate of Peace 64, no. 2Maher, Jim. Facebook post about Wong Fee Lee Day statue unveiling. June 26, 2025. Accessed February 16, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/jimmahersculpture/posts/1565495491474042/.“THE AMENDMENT OF THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.” American Advocate of Peace (1892-1893) 55, no. 12 (1893): 277–78. "The Supreme Court and the Chinese Exclusion Act." American Advocate of Peace 55, no. 6 (1893): 130–31.Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. Insurance Maps of Deadwood, South Dakota. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1891, 1897, 1909, 1915.Wong, Edith C., Eileen French, and Rose Estep Fosha. "Deadwood's Pioneer Merchant: Wong Fee Lee and His Wing Tsue Bazaar." South Dakota History 39, no. 4 (Winter 2009): 283–322.

    14 min

  3. FEB 18

    Temples of Literature: Nebraska's Carnegie Libraries

    Between 1901 and 1922, Andrew Carnegie funded 69 libraries across Nebraska, giving the state the second-highest per capita rate of Carnegie libraries in the nation. But why Nebraska? In this episode, we explore how women's clubs, a newly formed state Library Commission, and Carnegie's millions transformed Nebraska from having just 26 libraries to over 120 in two decades. We'll meet Belle Stoughtenborough, who traveled the state preaching "the library way," and Edna Bullock, who lobbied the legislature relentlessly until Nebraska established its Library Commission in 1901, at exactly the right moment. Then we visit two libraries: Broken Bow, where the Ladies Library Association kept books circulating for 30 years before finally getting their "temple of literature," and Chadron, where librarian Elizabeth O'Linn Smith served soldiers at Fort Robinson during World War I, declaring, "I will go wherever I am needed." As we continue building our Rooted in the Plains community, today, we open the doors to our Carnegie Library, right next to the opera house. For photos of Nebraska's Carnegie libraries, past and present, follow @rootedintheplains on Instagram. Want to learn more? Bobinski, George S. "Carnegie Libraries: Their History and Impact on American Public Library Development." Library Quarterly 39, no. 4 (1969): 390-405.Kevane, Michael, and William A. Sundstrom. "The Development of Public Libraries in the United States, 1870-1930: A Quantitative Assessment." Information & Culture 49, no. 2 (2014): 117–44. Mickelson, Peter. "American Society and the Public Library in the Thought of Andrew Carnegie." The Journal of Library History 10, no. 2 (1975): 117–38. Pollak, Oliver B. A State of Readers: Nebraska's Carnegie Libraries. Lincoln, NE: J & L Lee Co, 2005."List of Carnegie Libraries in Nebraska." Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Carnegie_libraries_in_Nebraska

    18 min

  4. FEB 4

    Bass Reeves? You Seem Familiar.

    Content Warning: This episode discusses historical violence, including domestic violence, murder, and attempted suicide. While not graphic, sensitive listeners may want to be aware before listening. Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves walked into his boss's office for his next assignment, a murder warrant. When Marshal Leo Bennett saw the suspect's name, he hesitated. "Maybe another deputy should handle this one, Bass." The name on the warrant: Benjamin Reeves. Bass's son. "Give me the writ," Bass said. Born into slavery in 1838, Bass Reeves escaped to Indian Territory during the Civil War and later became one of the first Black U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi. Over his 32-year career, he arrested more than 3,000 criminals and killed 14 men in the line of duty, all while never suffering a single wound. He was a master of disguise, spoke multiple Native American languages, and became known simply as "the Black Marshal." But could this legendary lawman have inspired America's most famous fictional hero? Want to see more? See historical photos and more glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplains Want to learn more? Burton, Art T. Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves. New Edition. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2022. Gideon, D.C. Indian Territory: Descriptive, Biographical and Genealogical. New York & Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1901. Littlefield, Daniel F. Jr., and Lonnie E. Underhill. "Negro Marshals in the Indian Territory." The Journal of Negro History 56, no. 2 (April 1971): 77-87. National Park Service. "Bass Reeves Biography." Fort Smith National Historic Site. https://www.nps.gov/fosm/learn/historyculture/bass_reeves.htm Williams, Nudie E. "Bass Reeves: Lawman in the Western Ozarks." Negro History Bulletin 42, no. 2 (April-May-June 1979): 37-39.

    15 min

  5. JAN 21

    When Fences Became Phone Lines

    In the 1890s, Great Plains farmers faced a problem: they desperately needed telephones, but the Bell Telephone Company thought rural areas were too expensive and unsophisticated to serve. So, farmers built their own system—using barbed wire fences. By 1920, these homemade networks had made farmers more connected than city dwellers. This is the story of whiskey bottle insulators, party line eavesdropping, and how the devil's rope became a lifeline across the isolated prairie. Want to see more? See historical photos and more glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplains Want to learn more? "A Cheap Telephone System for Farmers." Scientific American 82, no. 13 (March 31, 1900): 196. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24982232. "A Wire Fence Telephone Wanted." Scientific American 71, no. 16 (October 20, 1894): 249. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26115301. Arguimbau, Ellen. "From Party Lines and Barbed Wire: A History of Telephones in Montana." Montana: The Magazine of Western History 63, no. 3 (Autumn 2013): 34–93. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24416215. Dawson Public Power District. "Ghost Towns: A Look at Our Past." Accessed January 3, 2026. https://dawsonpower.com/2020/10/ghost-towns-a-look-at-our-past/. Eckhardt, C. F. "Before Ma Bell: Rural Telephone Systems in the West." Texas Escapes. Accessed January 3, 2026. https://www.texasescapes.com/CFEckhardt/Rural-Telephone-Systems-in-the-West.htm. Emerson, Lori. "Barbed Wire Networks." In Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook. University of Colorado Boulder, forthcoming 2025. Fischer, Claude S. "The Revolution in Rural Telephony, 1900-1920." Journal of Social History 21, no. 1 (Autumn 1987): 5–26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3788072. Holmes, Bob. "The Wired Wild West." New Scientist 220, no. 2948 (December 21, 2013): 76–77. Sicilia, David B. "How the West Was Wired." Inc. 19, no. 9 (1997): 74. Trew, Delbert. "Barbed Wire Telephones." Texas Escapes. Accessed January 3, 2026. https://www.texasescapes.com/DelbertTrew/Barbed-Wire-Telephones.htm.

    20 min

  6. TRAILER

    Episode Samples

    Rooted in the Plains, Episode Samples

    5 min

  7. JAN 7

    Meadowlarks, Cottonwoods, Honey Bees, Oh My!

    In this Season 2 premiere of Rooted in the Plains, we will explore how the Great Plains states chose their official symbols, flowers, birds, trees, and insects. From the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago to grassroots campaigns by women's clubs, discover the surprising stories behind these emblems of state identity. Learn why five states chose the same bird, how Montana kids voted for their state tree 41 years before the legislature acted, and why Oklahoma has three different flower symbols. Through conversations and quiz questions, we uncover the women-led movement that gave our states their lasting symbols and what these choices reveal about shared identity across the Great Plains. Want to see more? See historical photos of the Woman's Building, state symbols, and more glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplains Want to learn more? https://arboristnow.com/news/discover-the-unique-stories-behind-america-s-state-trees-and-flowers-part-3-the-midwest/Dobransky, Kerry & Gary Alan Fine. "The Native in the Garden: Floral Politics and Cultural Entrepreneurs." Sociological Forum 21:4 (2006): 559–85. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4540965https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/the-unstoppable-rise-of-the-state-symbolhttps://southwestmt.com/blog/state-symbols-of-montana/https://sos.wyo.gov/Services/StateInfo_Symbols.aspxhttps://www.ndstudies.gov/curriculum/teacher-resources/state-symbolshttps://sdsos.gov/general-information/about-state-south-dakota/state-seal-symbols.aspxhttps://www.jocogov.org/newsroom/jan-29-kansas-day-test-your-knowledge-kansas-symbolshttps://sos.nebraska.gov/state-symbolshttps://www.travelok.com/abouthttps://wheretexasbecametexas.org/category/texas-state-symbols/https://www.kansashistory.gov/p/kansas-symbols-state-symbols/15635https://agclassroom.orghttps://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/209029/a-national-garland-how-women-led-the-movement-to-declare-state-flowers

    20 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    Stories from the Plains Sky- Part 2

    The sky tells its story in many ways through observation, science and technology. In this episode, Dr. Randy Peppler from the University of Oklahoma explores how meteorology and Indigenous environmental knowledge intersect across the Great Plains and how listening to both reveal a deeper understanding of place and weather.  See photos, maps, and glimpses of prairie life on Instagram: @rootedintheplains *Part two of a two-part series exploring the stories and science of the Great Plains sky.

    13 min
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About

Rooted in the Plains is a podcast about the people, places and moments that shaped the Great Plains.  We’ll dig into stories of resilience, curiosity and courage. These are the voices that whisper through the wind and are written in the dirt beneath our feet. 

Information

  • Creator
    Nicole Blackstock
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rooted in the Plains
  • Show Website
    Rooted in the Plains