Warner combines the history of Connors State College with Cow Chip Day, an annual festival featuring a downtown parade and Cow Chip Bingo with a real cow. The town’s development also tells a story of several stages: Hereford was founded at Warner’s present-day location, later renamed, and the college began there. You can get to know Warner through two different themes—local history and events. If you’d like to plan your trip around a festival, check the dates against your travel plans.
Local History and the College’s Beginnings
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 and renamed Warner in 1905. The name honored William Warner, a U.S. senator from Missouri. This sequence connects the settlement history of Bennett and Hereford with a specific story behind the name: Hereford was established at the present-day location before being renamed Warner.
At the same time, the college’s history began to take shape. 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 and the first class were two distinct steps: the predecessor began first, followed by the first class in the school building. This timeline provides a clear framework for the college’s early history.
Campus History and Events
The buildings also tell the story of changes on the Warner campus. In 1974, the gymnasium was converted into the Fine Arts Building. The change from a gymnasium to a Fine Arts Building shows how the existing building was later used for a different purpose. The Ogdon Family Connors State College Museum opened in May 2017 in Russell Hall on the Warner campus. It features historical exhibits about the history of Connors State College; the content on display may change.
Visitors can arrange a tour at Connors State College. If you’d like to include a tour in your plans, confirm the arrangements before your visit. This lets you plan a campus tour as a separate activity, while the museum exhibits can offer insight into the college’s history.
Events also offer different reasons to learn about Warner and Connors State College. Aggie Day is an annual college event featuring interscholastic competitions. 4-H and FFA members from Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas compete in 18 different contests. Cow Chip Day, by contrast, is a festival in Warner. Its traditions include the downtown parade and Cow Chip Bingo with a real cow. Aggie Day is therefore associated with school competitions, while Cow Chip Day is a town festival. Check the specific dates before traveling; you can ask the college about future Aggie Day dates.
Warner’s Geographic Location
Warner is about 20 miles south of Muskogee on U.S. Highway 64. Interstate 40 also connects Warner with places to the east and west. These details provide two different road references for orientation: the town’s location south of Muskogee and the east-west route. If a festival or tour is the reason for your trip, coordinate your travel dates with the relevant event and confirm the tour with the college in advance.
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