Striving to Recall Oklahoma's Past

"Before we start, I just wanted to let you know that he's a talker," said Christine Martin, Director of Communications at Cox Communications Inc.

Ken Greenwood sits across from us at a large conference table. There is plenty to distract him, sheets of papers before him and protoDVD copies of his new documentary, Cowboys in Tall Grass. Instead, Greenwood chooses to stare--not into space--but into a place only a person who has seen life in years and experience can.

Greenwood is a talker, but the passion for his subject makes you want to listen. He has spent the last two years compiling written word, audio and visuals such as rare home movies and family photos for his documentary.

It seems all of his hard work has paid off. On November 22, Ken Greenwood, in partnership with Cox Communications' Cox Channel, premiered his tribute to Oklahoma history, Cowboys in Tall Grass.

This was Greenwood's first attempt at a History Channel--style narrative and he already had a major sponsor. What began as a reunion video for a bunch of old cowboys three years ago turned into a cable-worthy series. Cox Communications became of his ambition recently and offered him a chance to premiere his work on their local Tulsa channel. The ball was rolling quite smoothly.

Greenwood had plenty of help with this endeavor, but the final product was his baby. His slight, soft growl lended itself well to voice over and Greenwood's investigative style kept the mind busy. Who knows, it may be big one day.

"I would love to get national attention for this because it would help us [Oklahomans] gain a little recognition," said Greenwood.

The six-part series narrates a time gone by that should be close to every Okie's heart. Greenwood found his research to be fairly unvisited by other historians and unimportant to many civilians.

"There is not much of an interest in our past in Oklahoma, especially outside of the big cities," said Greenwood, "People feel ashamed of our past because we were never really supposed to be here in the first place. It was a sort of disgrace to be this far out and expect anything good to happen for them [boomer sooners]. It was something for nothing," Greenwood said.

Wild, Wild West

Cowboys in Tall Grasses follows the rise and fall of the classic cowboy empire in the once sought after territory we now call home. Familiar faces and names like Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill should keep you tuned in.

If you feel the same jaded discussion about recurrent independent films is getting a bit old, watch Cowboys in Tall Grass and then delight your pretentious friends by throwing in a modest Bill Pickett reference and see if anyone tunes in.

The documentary stayed true to its roots and kept things local with a soundtrack credited to area musician, Shelby Fischer. He adds a little vintage without getting hokey.

Maybe it was the dew on the window behind us, the early light trying hard to pour through the oncoming cold front, or the shaky sepia cow wrangling footage. Cowboys in Tall Grass looks into the past seamlessly.

The interviews were warm and personal, just how oral history should be. Greenwood remembers them well. A woman recounted living within view of Blue Mound, which still bears the carved signatures of all who passed through on their way west. Her smile was deep and proud, with just a bit of uncertainty.

Greenwood cherished this sentiment. A white house with a generous front porch appears on screen. At the sight of the Dewey Hotel, Greenwood's countenance moves from pure joy for Oklahoma to a closely held sorrow for his state's refusal to preserve and protect what will ultimately keep us on the map.

"It's really goofy. The state can't come up with enough money to save these buildings, it's all we have," Greenwood said.

The landmark building was torn down a year ago because no one fought to keep it standing. Parking lots will help people get here, but they won't make the state famous for much.

Greenwood's mind wasn't always in the past. In fact, he had eyes on the younger generation as well.

"Everyone needs to learn about our history," Greenwood said.

He plans to donate the entire series to several public school systems in to help aid in their history curriculum and promote a proud Oklahoma to future historians, ranchers and demolition crew members.

Although Greenwood admits the film has a slower pace than a VH1 documentary, for example, he hopes to instill one rancher philosophy in schools located in areas such as Osage County. "The homesteaders encouraged their people to be as well educated as possible," Greenwood explained.

"We want to get this in the schools because it will show the students things they may not have known about their home state."

Cowboys in Tall Grasses is on sale at the 101 Ranch Museum in Ponca City and will continue to play on Cox Channel until late December. For more information about the project, contact Christine Martin at Christine.Martin@cox.com.