Tanner had his annual Land Run at school. They dress-up in their old western clothes and made a stick horse so that they could re-inact what happened 119 years ago on April 22, 1889. There was about 2 million acres of land that needed established. So the government let anybody who wanted it, "run for it." There were around 50,000 people who turned out for it. The government had set out so many stakes, and the people took a flag and put it in place of a stake to call the land their own. They had to wait at a starting line until the gun was fired and then they could run and get their land. Some people hid out early at the stake of land that they wanted. These people became known as "Sooners." But by the end of the day, both Oklahoma City and Guthrie (Oklahoma's first capital) had established cities of 10,000 people. Literally in half a day, because the gun didn't fire until noon that day. Tanner had a great time with MiMi and Poppie helping him find a huge plot of land to "stake". Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Maples said he made a great choice of land. Then we all sat down on a blanket we brought and had a picnic lunch on Tanner's new homestead.
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