About:

Early in the spring of 1893, B.S. Barnes, having heard that the Cherokee Strip was to be opened for settlement, headed for Arkansas City with the hope of building a new city in this frontier area. Barnes had sold his furniture manufacturing plant in Adriane, Michigan, desiring to make his fortune on “The Strip.” Strategically located within 90 minutes of three major metropolitan communities, Ponca City has the amenities normally found only in larger communities, but without the hassles of traffic jams, overcrowding, high utility rates, and urban crime.