Explore the real places in Oklahoma City that appear in Paradise by Toni Morrison. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Langston, Boley, Cherokee Strip Land Rush Start Line, Nicodemus, Guthrie and 7 more.
Highway 33 — Historic all-black town inspiration
Langston serves as one of the historical inspirations for Ruby and Haven in Morrison's novel. The town represents the dream of self-sufficient all-black communities that the founding families of Ruby sought to create and maintain. The novel's exploration of how these communities preserved their identity while struggling with isolation and internal conflicts mirrors Langston's own history.
Founded in 1890, Langston was one of Oklahoma's prominent all-black towns, established during the land rush period. It became home to the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (now Langston University) in 1897, making it a center of Black education and culture in the territory.
Langston remains a small community and is home to Langston University, a historically black university. The town maintains its historical significance as one of the surviving all-black towns in Oklahoma.
Visit: Langston University (historic site)
Highway 62 — All-black town model
Boley represents another inspiration for Ruby's founding mythology. In the novel, the original settlers of Haven and later Ruby fled from towns where they faced discrimination, seeking to create a place where they could govern themselves. The pride and isolation of Ruby's citizens reflects the historical experience of towns like Boley, which flourished as self-contained Black communities.
Established in 1903, Boley became one of Oklahoma's most prosperous all-black towns, with its own banks, newspapers, and businesses. At its peak, it had over 4,000 residents and was known as the 'Black Metropolis of Oklahoma.'
Boley is now a much smaller community but maintains its historical identity. The town hosts an annual rodeo and festival celebrating its heritage as one of Oklahoma's historic all-black towns.
Visit: Boley Historic District (historic site)
Near Arkansas City, Kansas — 1893 Land Rush
The Cherokee Strip Land Rush of 1893 forms part of the historical backdrop for the novel's exploration of how all-black towns like Haven and Ruby came to be established. The founding families in Morrison's novel participated in similar land rushes, seeking opportunities to create independent Black communities in the Oklahoma Territory.
The Cherokee Strip Land Rush occurred on September 16, 1893, opening 6.5 million acres to settlement. Over 100,000 people lined up along the Kansas border to race for land claims, making it the largest land rush in American history.
A monument marks the approximate location of the starting line. The area is now part of agricultural land, but the historical significance of this massive land rush is commemorated with markers and educational displays.
Visit: Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum (museum)
Graham County, Kansas — All-black frontier town
Nicodemus serves as a historical parallel to the communities in Paradise. Like Ruby, it was founded by African Americans seeking independence and self-governance. The novel's themes of community solidarity, the challenges of maintaining racial purity, and the tensions between preservation and progress are reflected in the real history of towns like Nicodemus.
Founded in 1877, Nicodemus was established by African American settlers from Kentucky. It became one of the most successful all-black towns in Kansas, complete with churches, schools, and businesses serving the surrounding agricultural community.
Nicodemus is now a National Historic Site, preserving the legacy of African American frontier settlement. The town maintains several historic buildings and offers educational programs about Black pioneer history.
Visit: Nicodemus National Historic Site (historic site)
Oklahoma's First Capital — Territorial government seat
Guthrie represents the seat of territorial and early state government that the residents of Ruby deliberately distance themselves from. The novel emphasizes how Ruby's founders sought complete independence from white governmental structures, viewing places like Guthrie with suspicion and choosing isolation over integration with mainstream Oklahoma society.
Guthrie was Oklahoma Territory's capital and later became the first state capital when Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907. The city was a major administrative and commercial center during the territorial period.
Guthrie is now a National Historic Landmark with the largest contiguous area of Victorian architecture in the United States. The historic downtown area features museums, shops, and restaurants in restored 19th-century buildings.
Visit: Oklahoma Territorial Museum (museum)
Near Lawton — Military installation
Fort Sill represents the military authority that the men of Ruby both distrust and occasionally must acknowledge. In the novel's historical narrative, places like Fort Sill symbolize federal power and the complex relationship between African American communities and government institutions during the era of westward expansion.
Established in 1869, Fort Sill served as a frontier military post during the Indian Wars and later became an artillery training center. It played a significant role in the pacification and settlement of the Oklahoma Territory.
Fort Sill remains an active U.S. Army installation and houses the U.S. Army Field Artillery School. The fort also operates a museum showcasing military history and the settlement of the American West.
Visit: Fort Sill Museum (museum)
Central Oklahoma — State capital and urban center
Oklahoma City represents the outside world that Ruby's residents view with suspicion and fear. In the novel, trips to larger cities are rare and viewed as potentially corrupting influences. The city symbolizes the integration and modernization that Ruby's leaders resist, preferring their isolated, self-contained community.
Founded during the Land Rush of 1889, Oklahoma City grew rapidly from a tent city to the state capital. It became a major oil and agricultural center, representing the kind of rapid modernization that all-black towns sometimes struggled to match.
Oklahoma City is now a major metropolitan area and the state's largest city, featuring the Oklahoma City National Memorial, museums, and cultural attractions that tell the story of the state's complex history.
Visit: Oklahoma History Center (museum)
Okfuskee County — Surviving all-black town
Clearview represents another model for the kind of all-black community that Ruby aspires to be. In Morrison's novel, the founding families are deeply aware of other such communities and measure Ruby's success against their survival and prosperity. The novel's exploration of how these communities maintained their identity speaks to places like Clearview.
Founded in 1903, Clearview was established as an all-black town and became known for its agricultural prosperity and strong community institutions. It survived longer than many similar communities through the mid-20th century.
Clearview remains one of the few surviving all-black towns in Oklahoma, though much smaller than its historical peak. The community maintains its identity and continues to celebrate its unique heritage.
Visit: Clearview Community Center (historic site)
Muskogee County — Oil boom all-black town
Taft represents the kind of prosperity that Ruby's founders hoped to achieve through their careful community planning. The novel's emphasis on economic self-sufficiency and the dangers of outside influence reflects the experiences of oil-boom towns like Taft, which faced both opportunities and threats from rapid economic change.
Founded in 1902 and named after President William Howard Taft, the town prospered during the Oklahoma oil boom. It became one of the wealthiest all-black communities in the state, with its own bank, newspaper, and thriving business district.
Taft is now a small community that has retained its historical significance. While much smaller than during its boom years, it continues to maintain its identity as one of Oklahoma's historic all-black towns.
McIntosh County — All-black town with jazz heritage
Rentiesville embodies the cultural richness that communities like Ruby both celebrate and fear losing. In Morrison's novel, the tension between maintaining traditional values and embracing cultural expression reflects the experiences of towns like Rentiesville, which became known for their musical traditions while maintaining their independence.
Established in 1903, Rentiesville became famous as the birthplace of jazz musician Don Byas and maintained a strong musical tradition. The town was known for its cultural life and community celebrations.
Rentiesville hosts an annual Dusk 'Til Dawn Blues Festival, celebrating its musical heritage. Though small, the community maintains its historical identity and continues to honor its cultural contributions to Oklahoma history.
Visit: Rentiesville Blues Festival Grounds (historic site)
Seminole County — Agricultural all-black community
Lima represents the agricultural foundation that sustained communities like Ruby. Morrison's novel emphasizes how the men of Ruby take pride in their ability to work the land and maintain economic independence, reflecting the experiences of farming communities like Lima that depended on successful agriculture for survival.
Founded in the early 1900s, Lima was established as an agricultural community by African American settlers. The town developed around farming and maintained its character as a rural all-black community through much of the 20th century.
Lima remains a small rural community, largely agricultural in character. While much smaller than in its early years, it represents the continuing legacy of African American agricultural settlement in Oklahoma.
Okfuskee County — Mixed community near all-black towns
Weleetka represents the kind of integrated community that Ruby's founders deliberately avoided. In the novel, the men of Ruby view integration with suspicion, preferring the purity and control of their all-black town to the compromises required in mixed communities like Weleetka.
Weleetka developed as a railroad town with a diverse population including African Americans, Native Americans, and whites. It served as a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural area, including several all-black towns.
Weleetka remains a small Oklahoma town that serves the surrounding rural area. The community reflects the demographic changes that occurred throughout rural Oklahoma during the 20th century.
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