US #2754

1993 29¢ Cherokee Strip Land Run

• Issued to mark the centennial of the Cherokee Strip land run
• It was the third US stamp to commemorate the land runs of the Oklahoma Territory
• Second US commemorative to be issued in panes of 20 rather than panes of 50

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Value:  29¢
First Day of Issue:  April 17, 1993
First Day City:  Enid, Oklahoma
Quantity Issued:  110,000,000
Printed by:  American Bank Note Company
Printing Method:  Offset and engraved
Format:  Sheets of 180 separated into panes of 20
Perforations:  11

Why the stamp was issued:  The Cherokee Strip Land Run stamp was issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the competition to stake out claims to eight million acres of land in what is now northwest Oklahoma. 

About the stamp design:  The stamp was designed by Oklahoma artist Harold T. Holden.  He had created a sculpture named Boomer, which stands in front of the Cherokee Strip Conference Center.  It depicts a man on horseback straining to reach a land claim.  The artist based his stamp design on this sculpture.  Using acrylics, he painted Boomer, then added a wagon pulled by two horses in the background.

First Day City:  The Cherokee Conference Center in Enid, Oklahoma, within the Cherokee Strip, was the site for the First Day of Issue ceremony.

History the stamp represents: The Indian Territory of the West was home to Native American tribes in the 19th century.  When the railroads were expanding to the west, the US government reclaimed the land.  On April 22, 1889the first section of land was opened up to homesteaders who were willing to work the land for five years.  The third land run occurred in the Cherokee Strip on September 16, 1893.  More than 100,000 people participated in the run, hoping to claim some of the free land.  This stamp commemorates that run.