No Man’s Land

The Oklahoma Panhandle, spanning 34.5 miles in width and 167 miles in length, was not attached to any US state or territory before 1890. Most maps identified it as Public Land or the Public Land Strip, but it became popularly known as No Man’s Land. The phrase referred to the fact that no one could legally own land within the Strip. Being outside any jurisdiction or any form of government, it became the home of outlaws, cowboys, and settlers. Beaver City was the largest town in the area. In 1890, Congress attached the Strip to the newly organized Oklahoma Territory, with Beaver City as the county seat. At statehood, the Panhandle was subdivided into three counties (Cimarron, Texas, and Beaver).