The Museum Broken Arrow

10/16/2026

TODAY we celebrate the 124th birthday of the city of "Broken Arrow, Indian Territory", established October 16, 1902 which was five years before Oklahoma became a state. Happy Birthday to our City!!

10/16/2026

Last week a visitor to our Muscogee Creek exhibit said the figure of the woodland hunter looked like a real person who was looking at her. We did not mean to freak anyone out, but in a way, it IS a real person. Back in 2009, a young Muscogee Creek man named Trenton went through the process of having his face cast for the figure. He was perfect for this project! You can follow the steps in the photos. Click on each one for more information.

10/16/2026

10/16/2026

We proudly present a special collection of the accomplished Muscogee artist Johnnie Diacon this month in the Barbara Brown Kimbrough Gallery. You don't want to miss it!

10/15/2026

How we installed a log cabin in the second floor gallery: If you have toured the second floor exhibit gallery you never saw the double wide door on the back wall. It is completely hidden from sight. That was the entry point for the unassembled cabin. From the photos you can see that the Museum had a big empty room to fill when the building construction was finished. Now it was our turn to build the gallery. The log cabin was the first and largest historical artifact to be put in a place of honor. It is the first thing you see when you enter. Who helped the Historical Society do this project? The people of Broken Arrow who donated money made it possible, but Magnum Construction provided the labor and equipment. It's called working together, and it was a magical project. The crew handled it with care and marked each piece. We had wall A, wall B, C, & D and each log was also labeled with a number from 1 to 7. The 1830s construction was all done with hand tools. Each log had started out round and was made square using a draw knife, a tool with a long blade and handles on each end, all by hand. You can see the knife blade marks in each log. The original builders cut notches into the corners of each wall (at the end of each log) to fit together tightly, and each corner joint brought two logs together at a right angle. The notches would fit together only one way...if a log was in the wrong place, it did not fit. Then notches were cut in the top logs to hold in place supports for the roof. Marking the logs by wall was necessary to reassemble the cabin the way it had originally been built. Click on each photo to see the steps of reconstruction.

10/13/2026

Napoleon Bonaparte Childers built a log cabin for his family on a rise that today overlooks 305th E Ave between E 51st and 41st in Wagoner County. Four of his grandsons served in WW2 and also lived in or spent time with grandparents in the log cabin. After the grandchildren were all grown, the oldest brother Walter died, and the cabin and ground were sold. Local history lovers accepted the cabin's logs and fireplace stones and stored them. Ivan Brown of Arkansas Valley Bank (AVB now) tried for years to find the right place to rebuild the cabin. Gilcrease Museum turned it down since it did not fit their collection. The cabin then went to Persimmon Hollow, an antique "mall" on West Kenosha, and the whole property, land and antiques, were purchased by Bill Darnell, a member of the Broken Arrow Historical Society. Darnell then donated it to the Museum Broken Arrow/Broken Arrow Historical Society to be permanently housed in the museum which was under construction in 2007. Today, it is the crown jewel of the gallery. Next post: How to install a log cabin in a second floor gallery.

10/12/2026

The Childers family of east Broken Arrow began with William Clarence (W. C.) Childers, who was a clerk in a store near the Arkansas State Line in 1830s Indian Territory. That store was owned by Major John Ridge who had signed the Treaty of New Echota in 1835. His signature on that treaty broke Cherokee law and forfeited tribal lands in the Southeast, and as a result, Ridge was assassinated by his fellow Cherokee tribal members. Ridge's actions led to the forced Removal of the Cherokee from their homes. W.C. Childers thought it best to leave the area. He had done no wrong, but he wanted to break all association with Ridge, so he moved to the west side of the Verdigris River into an area that is today Wagoner County. 2nd generation: His son Napoleon Bonaparte (N.B.) Childers who was half Cherokee was adopted into the Creek Tribe following the Civil War. He was a Creek Nation judge for 16 years in the Coweta District. He built a log cabin prior to the Civil War in the Adams Creek area which is now in the Museum Broken Arrow. 3rd generation: N.B.'s son was Ellis Buffentan Childers who had a law firm, "Childers & Mingo" in the Creek Nation. He also served as Speaker of the Creek House of Warriors. Ellis fathered several sons, and one of them, Ernest, (4th generation) was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for acts of heroism near Oliveto, Italy on September 22, 1945.
Obviously, the Childers family history was impressive and has been preserved. Watch for the next post that will focus on the pre-Civil War log cabin that served as a home to family members and the story of its preservation.

10/10/2026

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Come out to for a day full of family fun!
🚙Today is the annual Cool Grilles Classic Car Show hosted by the Rotary Club of Broken Arrow and the museum will have FREE ADMISSION thanks to Edward Jones-Financial Advisor:Robyn Havener
🙌Thank you Robyn!

🎨Check out the beautiful Johnnie Diacon Art Show

⛽️And get your 'kicks' shopping our gift shop with classic car and Route 66 items from local vendors BeezCoCustoms, Jack and Lynne Gossett Designs, , Oklahoma Trading Card Company, , and Spreading Stardust.
☀️We will see you today!

10/08/2026

🌙Tonight! Johnnie Diacon Opening Reception 6PM🖌
Come see and meet Johnnie Diacon Art in Broken Arrow with his incredible retrospective representing every artistic journey he has been on.
With eclectic art training from Bacone College, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and the University of Arkansas, Johnnie explores a variety of media and styles.

As an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, the Raprakko Etvlwa (Thlopthlocco Tribal Town), and the Ecovlke (Deer Clan), Johnnie’s cultural heritage deeply influences his work. His father introduced him to art at a young age, and a move from Miami, OK to Springdale, AR.

Today, Johnnie’s traditional works often depict spiritual and ceremonial themes, reflecting his rich cultural background and personal experiences.

Follow Johnnie’s artistic journey and discover the beauty and depth of his creations:

10/07/2026

🎨We're almost ready for tomorrow night's Johnnie Diacon Opening Reception

Come see and meet in Broken Arrow with his incredible retrospective representing every artistic journey he has been on.

With eclectic art training from Bacone College, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and the University of Arkansas, Johnnie explores a variety of media and styles.

As an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, the Raprakko Etvlwa (Thlopthlocco Tribal Town), and the Ecovlke (Deer Clan), Johnnie’s cultural heritage deeply influences his work. His father introduced him to art at a young age, and a move from Miami, OK to Springdale, AR.

Today, Johnnie’s traditional works often depict spiritual and ceremonial themes, reflecting his rich cultural background and personal experiences.

Follow Johnnie’s artistic journey and discover the beauty and depth of his creations: