The centennial bench is made of steel, like the people who have made Oklahoma what it is today. The bench is 100 inches long and there will b[e] 100 of them produced. Each bench will come with a certificate of origin and number of each bench. The design is by metal artist James Murr and his wife Rose. The back of the bench tells the story of Oklahoma from 1907 thru 2007.
[I]f you notice the line between 1907 and 2007 makes three significant dips, only to rise a little higher each time, and always with the sun shining on it. These signify three important events in Oklahoma history. The first is the crash of 29, the second is the dirty thirties, and the third is the bombing of the Murrah building. The people of Oklahoma are a hardy bunch, tough, and a whole lot plain stubborn. When the crash of 29 came a lot of people just gave up, but a true Okie does not know when to quit. Before anyone could get a grip on the fact that there was no money, no jobs, and most important, no food along came the drought of the thirties. What wasn't wiped out by the crash, either was blown away or covered up. The ones that had enough tenacity to stick it out are the ones that make Oklahoma what it is today. The bombing that took one hundred and sixty eight lives from us was a horrible thing we will never forget, but again thru the crying and tears
those people of steel keep on keeping on making the rest of the country realize we are here to stay. May God continue to bless this great land and its people.
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