WASHINGTON –The U.S. Postal Service® will celebrate the 100th birthday of Oklahoma’s statehood Jan. 11 with the issuance of the Oklahoma Statehood stamp. The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Oklahoma City at 9 a.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. Laird Avenue.

Written in the right corner of the stamp design are the words, “Oh, what a beautiful mornin’...,” a popular song from the musical “Oklahoma,” by Rogers and Hammerstein. Oklahoma became the 46th state on Nov. 16, 1907. The stamp is a painting by Oklahoma artist Mike Larsen and features the morning sunlight as it touches the waters of the Cimarron, one of several rivers that meander through the state.

Starting Jan. 11, the stamp will be made available at the event, online at the Postal Store on www.usps.com/shop, at philatelic centers nationwide, by calling toll-free 800-STAMP-24 and at all 567 Oklahoma Post Offices.™

Oklahoma History

"The U.S. Postal Service is proud to take part in this historical occasion,” said Ellis Burgoyne, vice president, Southwest Area Customer Service, who will serve as the dedicating official. “We are thrilled to honor the beautiful state of Oklahoma with a postage stamp to commemorate its centennial anniversary."

Joining Burgoyne will be the Governor of Oklahoma, the Honorable Brad Henry; Lee Allan Smith, chairman of Projects and Events with the Oklahoma Centennial Commission, who will emcee the event; and J. Blake Wade, executive director of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission.

For many people, the name “Cimarron” conjures up images of the Old West. Along the banks of this storied river ran the southern branch of the Santa Fe Trail — one of the most heavily traveled wagon roads to the West (1821-1880).

In the years following the Civil War, Texas cowboys drove millions of cattle across the Cimarron as they made their way north to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail. And in 1889, would-be settlers poured across the river in the first of several government-sponsored “land runs.” Renowned author Edna Ferber featured this land run in her acclaimed novel “Cimarron” (1929), which was later made into an Oscar-winning film.

When President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation to admit Oklahoma to the union, the action merged two entities: the Indian Territory, which included members of more than 60 indigenous and relocated Native American groups, and the Oklahoma Territory, home to numerous non-Indian settlers, many of whom had taken part in several land runs sponsored by the federal government in the late 19th century.

Through the years, the people of Oklahoma have made many contributions to our nation’s heritage. “From the Native Americans who first settled this land to the ‘boomers’ and ‘sooners’ who hoped to sow better lives in the tallgrass prairie,” wrote Governor Brad Henry in October 2004, “Oklahomans have always been pioneers, overcoming obstacles through talent, ingenuity and determination.”

Oklahoma Statehood Philatelic Fact Sheet

Philatelic Products

There are five philatelic products available for the Oklahoma Statehood stamp issue:

• Item 460820: Block of 4 - $1.56
• Item 460830: Block of 10 - $3.90
• Item 460840: Full Pane - $7.80
• Item 460861: First Day Cover - $0.77
• Item 460893: First Day Cover Keepsake - $8.57

Distribution: Item 460800, 39-cent Oklahoma Statehood, PSA Pane of 20 Stamps

The Oklahoma Statehood commemorative stamp will only be distributed to, and sold at, the first day of issue site in Oklahoma City, OK; at Post Office™ windows within the state of Oklahoma; at philatelic centers nationwide; and through Stamp Fulfillment Services (SFS) in Kansas City, MO. Stamp distribution offices will not receive a standard automatic distribution of this commemorative stamp for subsequent distribution to all Post Offices.

How to Order First Day Covers

SFS also offers first day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service™ stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

INFORMATION FULFILLMENT
DEPT 6270
US POSTAL SERVICE
PO BOX 219014
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014

How to Order First Day of Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by mail. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

OKLAHOMA STATEHOOD STAMP
POSTMASTER
PO BOX 9998
OKLAHOMA CITY OK 73125-9998

Since 1775, the United States Postal Service and its predecessor, the Post Office Department, have connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. An independent federal agency that visits more than 146 million homes and businesses every day, the Postal Service is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. It receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of $72 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The U.S. Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume—some 213 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year—and serves 10 million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.