Oklahoma’s nickname goes back to 1889.

 

Oklahoma’s nickname goes back to 1889.

The rules of the various land rushes which allowed settlers to claim land within modern-day Oklahoma were pretty simple.

One could only enter the region to lay claim to a parcel of land after a specific time. There were, of course, many who broke these rules.

They would camp out in the soon-to-be-available regions and then claim land before anyone else could get there.

These people came to be known as “Sooners,” as they entered the region sooner than they were allowed.

Because of this illegal form of settlement in the region, the state gained the nickname the “Sooner State.”