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3. Before we were Rams, we were Owls.

In the 1950s, Owasso’s school team names were changed from the Owls to the Rams. Can you imagine eating breakfast at Owl Cafe or seeing the likeness of a giant owl on the water tower?

I would be curious to know more about the reason for the name change.

4. Many people think the name “Owasso” is Cherokee, but it isn’t.

When the railroad came in to Owasso around the turn of the century, there wasn’t a bridge crossing Bird Creek yet.

Instead, the railroad built a turnaround for trains to be able to head back north, and so the name “Owasso”, which means “the end” in Osage, was coined.

5. During the weekends, Owasso’s “population” nearly triples.

With a recently estimated population of somewhere between 35,000 and 37,000, Owasso isn’t exactly the small town it was 40 years ago. As a matter of fact, Owasso has been recognized as Oklahoma’s fastest growing city several times in the last 25 years alone.

During the weekends, Owasso sees a massive influx of traffic, as residents of outlying towns and rural areas come to Owasso to shop and dine. It was estimated in 2014 that this weekend bump in traffic simulates a population of nearly 100,000.











6. There may be a hidden stash of gold on Bird Creek in Owasso.

Patrick Hamblin’s War Wagon mentions a stash of gold that was hidden by Confederate army during their retreat from a battle. Wikipedia’s entry for Owasso mentions a single coin being found in 1984, renewing interest in finding the hidden Civil War treasure.

7. Part of 1994’s “Midnight Runaround” was filmed in Owasso.

A sequel to hit Robert De Niro flick “Midnight Run” was partially filmed in Tulsa, OK.

Christopher McDonald (think Shooter McGavin on Happy Gilmore) took over the role of bounty hunter Jack Walsh after the original “Midnight Run” and a few scenes were actually filmed in Owasso.

One particular scene was filmed in a barn on the west side of Owasso on Memorial, while another scene shows a farmer looking over a crop of haygrazer that was grown off of 76th, east of the ski lake.

8. Owasso High School has seen 16 Rams become major league baseball players.

It’s no secret that Owasso’s high school sports program is an impressive, powerful machine. Did you know that Owasso Rams are widely considered to be one of the nation’s best baseball programs?

Owasso has seen 16 Rams go on to play major league baseball. Not many high school teams can boast numbers like that.

9. A coin toss that saved Owasso-born Tommy Allsup’s life from an infamous tragedy.

Everyone has heard of the tragic airplane crash that took the lives of rock and roll stars Richie Valens, Buddy Holly, and The Big Bopper.

What many people don’t know is that Owasso-born Tommy Allsup narrowly avoided death with a “losing” coin toss for a seat on the airplane that crashed. Richie Valens won the coin toss.

Allsup went on to forge an impressive career, working with the likes of Bob Wills, Waylon Jennings, Roy Orbison, and Willie Nelson.











10. The building where Sokolosky Medical Clinic now exists was the original home of St. Henry’s Catholic Church.

Dr. Sokolosky’s clinic sits at 86th and Main now (and has been there for quite a while), but that building was originally built to house St. Henry’s Catholic Church before the construction of their location alongside of 169.

11. The Dalton Gang hid out in a cave in Owasso

Did you know that the infamous Dalton Gang outlaws once hid out in outcropping of boulders that overlooks town near 96th and Memorial?

The names of these historical outlaws (and others) are inscribed in the walls of the boulders.

Want to know more about Owasso’s interesting history?

Check out our pictorial article “Owasso, OK: Then and Now” and see how we blended old and new photos together to show what it would look like if Owasso businesses and landmarks were in their same locations in modern times.

Also, if you knew more than half of these list points, you need to take a look at our article “16 Signs You’ve Been in Owasso A Long Time” and see how Owasso you really are!

And don’t forget to heck out the Owasso Historical Museum — their Facebook page is chock full of interesting pictures and facts.







