Pioneer - Dillingham Garden - Enid, OK - Relief Art Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Harold T. Holden is a famous Western artist. He has created dozens of sculptures that catch the life, the hardships, and the spirit of determination that settled and developed Indian Territory into the proud State of Oklahoma it is today.

Holden has identified six "eras" in this historic panorama: (1) The Plains Indians, (2) The Cattle Trails, (3) The Great Ranches, (4) The Great Land Rush, (5) Agriculture, and (6) Oil Exploration. This sculptured plaque is entitled "Agriculture" and honors those hard-working settlers who plowed civilization out of the barren Plains.

The sculpture shows a settler with his wide-brimmed hat to keep the scorching Oklahoma sun off his head. He is standing next to a plow horse which is attached to a hand-driven plow. The farmer has stopped his work for a moment to interact with his young daughter, who has come out to the field with a bucket of water. Holden has caught a snippet of everyday life on the rugged land. A plaque beneath the sculpture reads:

PIONEER
by Harold T. Holden

Era of Agriculture

The Era of the Pioneer Farmer was Ushered in Dramatically by the Land
Rush. Overnight, the Land was Populated with Settlers Struggling to
"prove up" their Claims. In the First Few Years Farming the Land was
Incredibly Hard and Some Families Packed up and Moved on. However,
Success was the Reward for Those who Persevered. Families Today
Continue to Exemplify the Traditional Pioneer Values that we All Respect and Cherish.

Johnston Enterprises – Major Donor

"Proving Up" was a requirement of gaining full ownership of the land a pioneer claimed in a Land Run. He had to live on his claimed land, and improve it by things such as building a home, clearing the land, planting a crop. after which he could receive a "patent" and full ownership of the land by the U.S. Government.

Your impression of the sculpture?: Where is this sculpture?: Government Springs Park 400 Block E. Owen K. Garriott Road Enid, OK US 73701 Sculptors Name: Harold T. Holden Date Sculpture was opened for vewing?: Not listed Website for sculpture?: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   01/26/2018 The Snowdog visited it 05/21/2017 Max and 99 visited it

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