Oklahoma: A Story Through Her People

Red Carpet
Country
The diversity of northwest Oklahoma, Red Carpet Country,
ranges from Alabaster Caverns, with the largest gypsum cave
in the world, to an unexpected Italianate marble mansion, the
Marland Mansion, in Ponca City. The shallow sea that covered
the region in the ancient past colored the soil a deep red
brown, hence the name “red carpet.”
The Panhandle’s Black Mesa, the state’s highest point, is a
lava-topped natural monument created by an ancient volcano.
Nearby, dinosaur footprints testify to wildlife visitors of 100
million years ago. Like the land they occupy, the people of
northwest Oklahoma are hearty and independent.
Agriculture always has bloomed in Red Carpet Country.
Enid, the center of the nation’s wheat-producing region, has the
third highest amount of elevator space of any city in America.
The elevators, the skyscrapers of the Plains, stand as a symbol
of the agricultural abundance of this part of Oklahoma.
Higher education is affordable and convenient in Oklahoma.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranks the state’s system of
25 public colleges and universities No. 7 in affordability
and No. 8 in efficiency nationally. Oklahoma’s system of
career and technology education is often used as a model
for other states and foreign countries. The 57 career and
technology education campus sites and 16 skills centers in
correctional facilities work closely with nearby industry to
create customized training opportunities.
O K L A H O M A : A S t o r y T h r o u g h H e r P e o p l e
118