Warner: Local History and Festival Traditions

Warner can be explored from two perspectives: the development of the town’s name and the history of Connors State College. There are also events with distinct profiles: Cow Chip Day, an annual festival, and Aggie Day, an annual college event featuring interscholastic competitions. If you’re planning a hotel stay, this distinction can help you decide what to focus on first: local history, campus history, or a specific event date.

Local History: From Hereford to Warner

Warner developed from the rural communities of Bennett and Hereford in the Canadian District of the Cherokee Nation. Hereford was founded at Warner’s present-day location in 1903; in 1905, the town was named Warner in honor of U.S. Senator William Warner of Missouri. The town’s history thus leads from Hereford to its present-day name. Bennett and Hereford are also the communities from which Warner emerged.

The history of Connors State College also includes several milestones that occurred close together in time. The predecessor of Connors State Agricultural College was founded in Warner in 1908. In February 1909, the Connors State School of Agriculture held its first class in the Warner Public School Building. The founding of the predecessor and the first class are distinct historical milestones.

Campus History and College Profile

In 1974, the gymnasium building on the Warner campus was converted into the Fine Arts Building. The Ogdon Family Connors State College Museum opened in Russell Hall on campus in May 2017. It features historical displays about the history of Connors State College; exhibit contents may change over time.

Connors State College offers visitors the opportunity to arrange a tour. Coordinate the tour before your visit. The college’s agricultural program includes hands-on experience in the classroom, laboratory, and field. In the equine program, students work in several training laboratories five days a week, where they start untrained horses under saddle.

Events with Distinct Focuses

Cow Chip Day is an annual festival in Warner. The event includes a parade in downtown Warner, as well as Cow Chip Bingo with a live cow. Aggie Day has a different focus: the annual Connors State College event features interscholastic competitions. 4-H and FFA members from Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas compete in 18 different contests.

If you’d like to plan your trip around one of these festivals, check the date for the year you want to visit. The events have distinct profiles that can help with your planning: Cow Chip Day is described as a festival with a parade and bingo, while Aggie Day is a competition for 4-H and FFA members. A college tour, on the other hand, must be arranged in advance.

Locating Warner on the Map

Warner is about 20 miles south of Muskogee on U.S. Highway 64. Interstate 40 connects Warner with places to the east and west. These two details answer different orientation questions: the first gives an approximate distance and direction from Muskogee, as well as the U.S. Highway; the second describes the interstate’s east–west connection. This lets you locate Warner both in relation to Muskogee and along the route running east and west.

Discover more destinations: Muskogee

Go to the main travel overview: Muskogee.