Do You Know Your Oklahoma History?

Saturday, May 26th 2007, 4:25 pm

By: News On 6

Do you know your Oklahoma history? The News On 6 and the â€œTulsa Worldâ€ teamed up to find out what Oklahomans know about their state. One of the questions we asked was, who were the Boomers? Only 34% of those surveyed knew the answer, 35% got Boomer and Sooner mixed up. The News On 6â€™s Chris Wright reports a lot of Oklahomans need to brush up on their history.

You've heard the cheer at OU football games, and the Sooner Schooner is pulled by ponies named Boomer and Sooner, both played an important role in Oklahoma history, but not everyone can explain the difference between a Boomer and a Sooner.

"I don't have a clue. I don't know what it is," said one person.

"No, no, no, I don't know," said another.

Others know half the answer.

"A Sooner is a guy who came across in the land rush sooner than the bell went off. And a boomer is something that explodes on the Fourth of July," said one Oklahoman.

Almost, the Boomer, Sooner confusion is statewide. In a recent poll conducted by the News On 6 and The â€œTulsa World,â€ only one third of respondents answered the Boomer question correctly.

"I know what a boomer is. Those were the people in the land rush, and the Sooners, the Sooners jumped the gun," said one person surveyed.

The Boomers, as portrayed by Tom Cruise in Far and Away, waited until the official start of the Land Run in 1889 before entering the state. The Sooners were already here, hiding out in order to claim the best homesteads. While both groups will forever have their place in Oklahoma history, some still don't see the need to educate themselves about Boomers and Sooners.

"I could care less. I'm an OSU fan. Go Pokes!" one Oklahoman said.

And believe it or not, 11% of people polled did really think that Boomers were the children born to those first settlers.

Watch the video: Brushing Up On Oklahoma History