In the late 1800s, what is now Oklahoma was the Promised Land: a place where pioneer met Native American and a new, uniquely American culture was born.

In 1871 T.G. Overstreet married Margaret Victor in Greene County, Missouri. Later that year, the young couple came to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Overstreet built a small log cabin just south of the Arkansas River at the foot of Short Mountain and began to clear cane thickets along the river.

At the time, Indian Territory was home to five tribes-Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Seminole and Muskogee (Creek)- which had been relocated from the southeastern U.S. (Other tribes, from both East and West would eventually be moved to Indian Territory and the adjacent Oklahoma Territory). Margaret was part Choctaw and the Short Mountain area was part of the Choctaw Nation.

The Overstreets were entitled to all the land they cleared and one-quarter mile surrounding it. Before long the Overstreet Farm and Ranch encompassed 3,000 acres of rich Arkansas River bottomland. It became known for its quality cattle, hogs, mules, horses, cotton and potatoes.

In 1890, the Overstreets began work on the home that the family members referred to as the 'big house.' The fifteen-room house had an unusual design, with inside chimneys, back-to-back fireplaces, closets, and a captain's walk, features not seen in the area at the time. In fact, the grand house was unlike any for miles around in its size and elegance.

The home was completed in 1895. Members of the Overstreet family lived in the house until the 1970s. The Kerr Center restored the home to its former grandeur in the late 1980s. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as an important reminder of Oklahoma's unique history.