Baptists and Quakers soon followed with the aim of evangelizing the tribes and the town quickly grew into an important agricultural center with cattle drives passing through from Texas and the largest cotton-seed oil mill in the Southwest. The town was settled after the American Civil War when the government relocated Shawnee tribes to the Cherokee territory reservations. And of course, taste some of the best southern cooking in the state!Ī stone’s throw from the old Route 66 (now Interstate 40), Shawnee in Pottawatomie County, is home to the Potawatomi Nation headquarters, the Oklahoma Baptist University, and the nearby Twin Lakes. With a population of over 31,000, multicultural Shawnee lies just 35 miles east of the capital and is a wonderful and welcoming place to learn the rich cultural heritage of the local Native American tribes, discover beautifully painted horses or tiny gnomes around the city, take in museums, a water park, or a spot of shopping downtown. Oklahoma City offers a range of fun and interesting activities, but the neighboring town of Shawnee is a delightful well-kept secret.
The state of Oklahoma in the Southwest Central region of the US may be known mainly for its cowboy culture and agriculture, but there is so much to see and do in this underrated part of the country.
