You’re driving through Guthrie, Oklahoma, and the first thing you notice isn't the history. It's the red. That deep, iron-rich soil is everywhere, stained into the bricks of the Victorian downtown and dusted across the dashboards of every truck in town. But if you want to see where that red dirt actually holds the weight of Oklahoma’s wildest stories, you have to go to the north side of town. Summit View Cemetery Guthrie isn't just a place where people are buried. It's a sprawling, sixty-acre historical record of a time when Oklahoma was the literal edge of the world.
Most cemeteries feel like quiet parks. This one feels like a library.
Honestly, people come here for the outlaws. They want to see the "Boot Hill" section. They want to stand over the spot where Bill Doolin finally stopped running. Doolin was the head of the Wild Bunch, and he didn't go down easy. In 1896, a U.S. Marshal named Heck Thomas caught up with him in Lawson. Doolin reached for a shotgun. Thomas was faster. Today, Doolin rests under a simple stone that belies the chaos he caused across the plains. It’s a strange vibe. You have the men who built the state—governors, civic leaders, the "First Families" of the Land Run—lying just a short walk away from the men who tried to tear it all down.
The Outlaw Magnet: Why Boot Hill Defines the Legend
If you’re looking for Doolin, you’re looking for the potter's field. Back then, if you died with no money or died with a "bad reputation," you didn't get the prime real estate near the front gates. You went to the edge. The "Boot Hill" section of Summit View Cemetery Guthrie is essentially a collection of men who died with their boots on.
It’s gritty.
One of the most famous residents is Elmer McCurdy. If you haven't heard the McCurdy story, buckle up, because it’s easily the weirdest thing to ever happen in American mortuary history. McCurdy was a failed train robber who was killed by a posse in 1911. Nobody claimed his body. The local undertaker in Pawhuska mummified him and, get this, started charging people a nickel to see "The Bandit Who Wouldn't Give Up." For the next 60-odd years, McCurdy’s body was sold to carnivals, haunted houses, and even appeared in the background of a low-budget movie. People eventually forgot he was a real person; they thought he was a wax mannequin.
It wasn't until 1976, during the filming of The Six Million Dollar Man at an amusement park in California, that a crew member broke "the mannequin's" arm and realized there was a real human bone inside.
✨ Don't miss: Italy Leaning Tower of Pisa Pictures: Why Most People Take Them All Wrong
He was finally brought back to Guthrie in 1977. They buried him under two feet of concrete so nobody could ever steal him for a sideshow again. When you stand at his grave today, you’re looking at the end of a seventy-year post-mortem odyssey. It's a reminder that in the early days of Oklahoma, life was cheap, but a good story was worth a nickel.
Not Just Outlaws: The Civilized Side of the Summit
While the bandits get the headlines, the real soul of the cemetery is found in the meticulously carved granite of the pioneers. Guthrie was the original territorial and state capital. Because of that, the "who's who" of early Oklahoma politics is gathered here.
Frank Frantz is a big one. He was the final Territorial Governor. He was also a Rough Rider with Teddy Roosevelt. You can see that influence in the way the older sections are laid out—it's orderly, dignified, and meant to project a sense of "civilization" to a land that was still very much untamed.
Walking through the older blocks, you see the dates: 1889, 1890, 1891. These are the people who participated in the Land Run. They arrived on trains or horses, staked a claim, and built a city out of thin air in a matter of hours. The grave markers reflect that sudden wealth. You'll see massive obelisks and Greek-inspired urns. These families wanted everyone to know they had "made it."
🔗 Read more: Finding the Right London Metro Map PDF Without Losing Your Mind
The Layout and What to Look For
- The Grand Entrance: The older, more prominent families are clustered near the main drives. Look for the names that still appear on Guthrie street signs.
- The Potter’s Field: This is where the outlaws and the indigent were placed. It’s less manicured, more evocative of the "Old West" aesthetic most tourists are seeking.
- The Veterans' Sections: There is a deep respect for military history here, with markers spanning from the Civil War to modern conflicts.
The Architecture of Grief in the Victorian Era
Guthrie is a Victorian town. It’s one of the best-preserved examples of that era in the United States. Naturally, Summit View Cemetery Guthrie reflects those 19th-century attitudes toward death. You won't just see names and dates. You'll see symbols.
A broken pillar means a life cut short.
An anchor doesn't necessarily mean the person was a sailor; it often represented hope or a firm faith.
Hands pointing upward? That's the soul heading to heaven.
It's a visual language that we've mostly forgotten. Spending an afternoon here is like trying to decode a message from 130 years ago. The stone carvers of the time were true artists, working with tools that would seem primitive now, yet the details on some of the lilies and drapery are still sharp despite a century of Oklahoma wind and rain.
The Reality of Maintaining a Historic Site
It isn't all ghost stories and outlaws. Maintaining a place like this is a massive logistical challenge. The city of Guthrie manages the grounds, and they do a pretty incredible job considering the size. However, historic cemeteries face "stone sinking." That heavy Oklahoma clay is constantly shifting.
Some of the oldest markers have leaned or partially disappeared into the earth. There have been various efforts by local historical societies and volunteers to document and preserve these stones. If you go, stay on the paths. These stones are fragile. Acid rain and lichen are slow-motion vandals, eating away at the inscriptions of people whose only remaining record is that piece of rock.
What Most People Get Wrong About Summit View
There's a common misconception that this is a "spooky" place or a tourist trap. It’s neither. It is an active municipal cemetery. People are still buried here today. You might see a modern funeral taking place just a few hundred yards from a grave dug in 1892.
Because of its fame, people sometimes treat it like a theme park. Don't be that person. Rubbing tombstones with charcoal or wax is generally discouraged because it can damage the surface of the old limestone. Also, while the outlaw stories are fun, remember that for every Bill Doolin, there are a thousand mothers, shopkeepers, and farmers who actually did the hard work of building Oklahoma. Their stories are just as significant, even if they didn't end in a shootout.
Planning a Respectful Visit
If you're heading out there, go in the late afternoon. The "Golden Hour" light hits those red dirt paths and the gray stones in a way that makes the whole place glow. It’s located at 1808 N Pine St, Guthrie, OK 73044.
- Check the Weather: Oklahoma weather is famously temperamental. If it has rained recently, those dirt paths in the older sections can turn into a sticky, red mud that will ruin your shoes.
- Bring Water: There isn't much shade in the newer sections or the Potter's Field.
- Start at the Office: If you're looking for a specific grave, the staff is usually very helpful, but remember they are managing a working cemetery first and a historical site second.
Actionable Next Steps for History Buffs
To get the most out of a trip to Summit View, you shouldn't just wander aimlessly.
First, stop by the Oklahoma Territorial Museum in downtown Guthrie before you head to the cemetery. It gives you the context of the Doolin-Dalton Gang and the political turmoil of the capital's removal to Oklahoma City. Understanding the "War for the Capital" makes seeing the graves of the early governors much more impactful.
Second, download a find-a-grave app or a digital map of the cemetery. The Potter’s Field isn't always clearly marked for those unfamiliar with the terrain.
Lastly, take the time to read the inscriptions on the smaller, non-famous stones. The true history of the West isn't found in the legends of gunmen; it’s found in the staggering number of infant graves from the 1890s and the markers of young men lost to the Spanish-American War. That’s where the real weight of the dirt lives.
When you leave, grab a coffee at one of the spots on Oklahoma Avenue and just sit for a minute. You’ve just walked through a century and a half of ambition, failure, and survival. That red dirt doesn't wash off easily, and neither do the stories from Summit View.