North Central Oklahoma Wild West Territory

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FAIRFAX, OKLAHOMA

Fairfax Links

Chamber of Commerce

Bob Clark's Spur Collection

Cattle Capital of the Osage
Fairfax is located in the fertile Arkansas River valley. It lies on rolling land at an elevation of 845 feet above sea level. There are also creek and river bottomlands. The hills make excellent cattle and livestock grazing of native bluestem and the bottomlands afford good farming. Hidden under the fertile soil, early settlers found "black gold" better know as oil! These discoveries made Fairfax a hub of agricultural and oil activity.

The convergence of highways, electric power and gas lines at Fairfax create a center of modern living with unhampered development space. The Indian Electric Cooperative, a member owned utility, contributes to some of the lowest electrical rates in the nation. The municipally owned gas and water system supplies dependable cooling and heating fuel. Access to highways 18, 20, and 60 provide smooth flow of materials and people.

Approaches:

BY CAR: Fairfax is located on SH 18. It is 30 miles east of Ponca City on Hwys 60 and 18; 30 miles west of Pawhuska on Hwys 60 and 18; and 70 miles northwest of Tulsa on the Cimarron Turnpike and SH 18.

BY TOUR BUS: Contact Capitol Tours (405) 525-6100 (Oklahoma City), Jefferson Lines (918) 660-0829 (Tulsa); Kincaid Coach Lines (405) 634-3311 (Oklahoma City); Village Tours, (800) 283-3338 (Oklahoma City and Wichita).

	Visit the Fairfax Website

Fairfax History
Fairfax, was founded in 1903 in the southwestern section of the Osage Indian Reservation (now known Osage County).

Maria Tallchief, universally recognized as America's first great prima ballerina, was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, of Scotch, Irish, and American Indian descent. She excelled in two of the performing arts - dance and music - and at age 15 chose a career in ballet. Among her teachers was famed dancer and choreographer Bronislava Nijinska, sister of the legendary Nijinski and member of the innovative Diaghilev Ballet.

Maria and Marjorie (also a noted ballerina) Tallchief were raised on the Osage Reservation in the 10 room terra-cotta brick home featured on the homepage of this site. The Tallchief home and several buildings built by the Alexander Joseph Tallchief (including the local theatre) still stand today.

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BOB CLARK'S SPUR COLLECTION - 308 Main
Housed in the lobby of the First State Bank, more than 150 pairs of spurs are on display. Bank owner Bob Clark received his first pair of spurs from his father who was a cowboy, former western lawman and charter member of the Oklahoma City based Cowboy Hall of Fame. The collection has spurs dating back to 1853 and each have their own history.

Included are spurs belonging to such famous and infamous people as 101 Ranch rodeo and world champion steer roper Henry F. Grammers; Ben Johnson and his father Ben Johnson, Sr., who was a rodeo steer roper; entertainer Johnny Lee Wills; Osage County ranchers R. C. Drummond, Eugene Mullendore, Jr. and E. C. Mullendore III of the famed Cross Bell Ranch; and W. K. "Bill" Hale, an old-time rancher known to the Osage for his "reign of terror". Hale was a cattle baron of Osage County and was later sentenced to prison for plotting the death of several Osage Indians.

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Indian Electric Cooperative