Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Celebrates 125 Years of Conservation

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge marked 125 years of conservation with a celebration reflecting on more than a century of history. Established as a national forest on July 4, 1901, the refuge gained its wildlife mission when President Theodore Roosevelt expanded its designation on June 2, 1905. The celebration highlighted the refuge’s milestones: buffalo returned via the Bison Conservation Initiative, elk arrived in 1907, and Texas longhorns were introduced in 1927. A centerpiece of the event was the rediscovery of a time capsule buried in 1926 and found exactly 100 years later—containing newspapers and artifacts that offered unexpected personal connections to attendees, like refuge employee Grover Fuqua discovering his great-grandfather’s name in a headline from that era. For generations of local residents and outdoor enthusiasts, the refuge has represented more than conservation; it’s embodied the ongoing relationship between people, the land, and the wildlife that share this landscape.

Read more coverage:

• KOSU: As Wichita Mountains Refuge Celebrates 125 Years, Outdoor Enthusiasts Bury Time Capsule
• KSWO: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge celebrates 125 years of conservation
• The Lawton Constitution: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge celebrates 125 years
• News Channel 6: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge celebrates 125 years with rediscovered century time capsule