TO SEND TO THE LEGISLATURE BUT LAWMAKERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLY.

>>> ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH, WE PRESENT THE LATEST INSTALLMENT OF OUR YEAR-LONG SERIES ON OKLAHOMA'S "HISTORIC BLACK FRONTIER TOWNS".

YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT THESE TOWNS ARE BEING STUDIED AND VISITED BY ACADEMICS AND TOURISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD--- BECAUSE THEY TRULY REPRESENT A UNIQUE PIECE OF NOT JUST OKLAHOMA, BUT AMERICAN HISTORY.

THIS MONTH, STEVE SHAW SHARES THE STORY OF REDBIRD, OKLAHOMA.

STEVE?

>> THE TOWN OF REDBIRD ORIGINATED AS A SMALL SETTLEMENT IN WAGONER COUNTY IN THE LATE 1800'S.

AT LEAST PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THOSE BLACK SETTLER'S PROFICIENCY WITH AGRICULTURE.THE SMALL TOWN THRIVED FOR MANY DECADES.

THE SOURCE OF REDBIRD'S DECLINE WAS FAMILIAR.

>> I WANT TO SEE WHICH ONE IS YOUR AUNT.

>> MY AUNT, RIGHT HERE.

>> SHE'S STILL ALIVE?

>> SHE IS STILL ALIVE.

>> DELMA SMITH WAS BORN IN REDBIRD IN 1932.

ROOSEVELT JUST DEFEATED -- IN A LANDSLIDE IN RESPONSE TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

>> THAT WAS THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO THIS TOWN.

>> SMITH IS A WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SMALL PROUD TOWN.

>> WE'RE HERE, AND WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

WE'RE HERE.

I LOVE REDBIRD.

I STILL LIVE ON LAND THAT MY MOTHER AND FATHER PURCHASED IN THE 40'S.

>> REDBIRD GOT ITS NAME AT LEAST PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THERE WERE SO MANY CARDINAL BIRDS OR RED BIRDS IN THE AREA BACK IN THE DAY.

THE TOWN SITS ALONG THE MISSOURI-KANSAS-TEXAS RAILROAD.

34 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TULSA COUNTY.

IT ONCE BOASTED A TRAIN STATION, TWO COTTON GINS, A MILL, HOTELS, EVEN A CASKET FACTORY.

THE FIRST SCHOOL OPENED IN 1913.

REDBIRD'S RICH HISTORY ALSO CAME WITH A LOT OF HEART ACHE.

DURING THE 1920S, THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE, REDBIRD REPORTEDLY WAS THE FIRST THAT RESIDENTS STOOD GUARD ON THE NKT RAILROAD TRACKS AND PROTECTED OTHER BLACKS WHO HAD FLED AND FOUGHT BACK AGAINST THE RACISTS AND THE KILLERS WHO HAD DRIVEN THEM THERE.

EARLY IN THE 1920'S AFTER EXCLUDED FROM VOTING, THE REDBIRD RESIDENT SUED FOR THAT RIGHT.

HE TOOK IT ALL THE WAY TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, AND WON THE HISTORIC CASE.

>> THANK GOD SOMEBODY FOUGHT FOR US.

>> 68-YEAR-OLD EDNA DAVIS IS DELMA SMITH'S DAUGHTER.

>> IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEBODY HERE COULDN'T VOTE.

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN THE RACE RIOTS CAME OUT, THAT SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS THAT I HAVE NOW, GOT IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK AND THE CITY OF TULSA TURNED THEM AROUND.

TURNED THEM AROUND AND SAID, NO, YOU CAN'T GO TO TULSA AND PROTEST.

YOU GOT TO GO BACK TO REDBIRD AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL LIVING.

>> YES, THAT'S OUR HISTORY, AND WE PUT IT OUT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE.

>> BUT THERE WERE SO MANY GOOD MEMORY AND IS GOOD TIMES THAT FLOWED FROM THE TOWN OF REDBIRD, TOO.

KEITH IS REDBIRD BORN AND RAISED.

A NATIONAL GUARD VETERAN WHO WENT ON TO A 20 PLUS YEAR CAREER AS AN OVER THE ROAD HEAVY TRUCK DRIVER, AN ODYSSEY THAT TOOK HIM ALL OVER THE U.S. AND THEN SOME.

>> WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

>> AN EXPERIENCE.

I WAS YOUNG AND DUMB AND READY TO GO.

AND I GOT ON EVERY SEVEN DAYS, SOMETIMES TWO WEEKS.

>> HE SAYS HE CAME BACK TO REDBIRD 12 YEARS AGO TO CARE FOR HIS DYING MOTHER.

AND STAYED.

>> ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF OUR UPBRINGINGS, THINGS WE WERE RAISED TO LEARN AND DO CHILDREN NOWADAYS WON'T EVER GET TO EXPERIENCE IT AND NEVER HAVE THE RESPECTED WE HAD BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE WERE RAISED IN REDBIRD.

THIS SMALL COMMUNITY HAS PUT OUT GIANTS AND THEY COME FROM PEOPLE WHO LOVED US AND RAISED US WELL.

>> WE WERE RAISED TO RESPECT EACH OTHER, TO WORK AND TO GO TO SCHOOL.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

EVERYBODY DISCIPLINED YOU WHEN YOU WERE WRONG.

YOU COULD GET THE BACK HAND OF HALLELUJAH, AND SAW YOU OUT THERE DOING SOMETHING YOU HAD NO -- >> DELMA SAYS REDBIRD'S POPULATION DECLINE BEGAN WHEN WORLD WAR II BEGAN.

MANY IN THE TOWN THAT ONCE BOASTED OVER A THOUSAND, SAW WORK IN LARGER POPULATION CENTERS WHERE THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION OF GOOD PAYING INDUSTRIAL JOBS.

BUT ALSO JOBS THAT EVENTUALLY DIED OUT AND WENT AWAY.

>> THAT'S WHAT STARTED, YES.

THAT'S WHAT STARTED IT.

STARTED THE MIGRATION.

>> MORE THAN 8 DECADES LATER, REDBIRD'S POPULATION HOVERS AROUND 160.

REDBIRD'S POST OFFICE, OFFICIALLY CLOSED BACK IN 2014.

BUT THEY STILL MAKE DO WITH THE MAIL ROOM.

>> WE POST TOWN EVENTS OR SURROUNDING AREA EVENTS AS WELL.

>> DARRELL MOORE IS THE MAYOR.

>> I DON'T MIND HELPING OUT ANYBODY WITH A NEED.

AND I CONSIDER EVERYONE HERE MY FAMILY.

>> YOU'RE NOT MAYOR BECAUSE OF THE MONEY.

>> THAT WAS A GOOD ONE.

>> MOORE SAYS THERE ARE SIGNS OF A REDBIRD REBIRTH.

IN THE PAST DEN YEARS, THE -- TEN YEARS THE TOWN HAS USED SEVERAL GRANTS TO TRANSFORM WHAT USED TO BE A CONCRETE BASKETBALL COURT INTO AN AIR-CONDITIONED COMMUNITY CENTER.

>> WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOST EVENTS FOR THE TOWN, WE HAVE CHRISTMAS PARTIES IN HERE, THANKSGIVING GET TOGETHERS.

PEOPLE RENT IT OUT FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES.

BABY SHOWERS.

PEOPLE USE IT FOR WAKES, FOR FUNERALS.

WE HAVE A CEMETERY ON 181ST STREET.

THE TOWN EVENTS WE HAVE.

WE UTILIZE THE PARK FOR A STATION, IT'S MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE TOWN.

>> THE OLD TOWN HALL BUILDING IS RENOVATED INTO A MUSEUM.

WATER AND GAS SYSTEMS ARE RENOVATED AND THE MAYOR SAYS BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE KICKING THE TIRES ON VENTURES TO ESTABLISH A NEW THRIFT SHOP, BARBERSHOP, AND MAYBE, MAYBE, A NEW GROCERY STORE.

DON'T SLEEP ON REDBIRD.

>> RIGHT, WE'RE COMING BACK.

WE'RE COMING BACK.

IT'S A SLOW PROCESS, BUT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.

>> MOORE SAYS EVEN TODAY, REDBIRD DOESN'T FORGET AND DRAW STRENGTH FROM IW LANE, WHO'S NAME ALSO ADORNS STREET SIGN.

>> IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE FROM HERE CAN MAKE THAT MUCH OF A CHANGE FOR EVERYONE.

IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, SOMEONE HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.

IT'S INCREDIBLE.

>> BY THE WAY, DARRYL MOORE'S GRANDMOTHER IS DELMA SMITH.

COMING UP NEXT MONTH- RICH LENZ TRAVELS TO GRAYSON, OKLAHOMA TO CHECK OUT THEIR FAMOUS GUMBO FESTIVAL.

RICH, SOUNDS DELICIOUS!