The Heartland of America Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma, recently opened an exhibit about the state’s civil defense preparations amid the U.S.-Soviet Union Cold War.
According to KCEO radio, Southwest Oklahoma State University history professor and museum board member Landry Brewer acquired those items for the “Preparing to Survive Nuclear Attack: Western Oklahoma Cold War Civil Defense” exhibit at the museum near old Route 66.
The display features items that the federal government provided to Elk City, including water barrels, food, sanitation kits from the 1960s, radioactivity monitoring devices, and part of a civil defense siren that would have warned locals of a nuclear attack.
“While researching Oklahoma civil defense, I learned of specific steps that western Oklahoma cities took to survive nuclear war, and the Heartland Museum wanted to share some of this visually as we approach an important Cold War anniversary this fall,” Brewer said.
During the Kennedy presidency in the early 1960s, the federal government began a nationwide program to identify existing buildings to be used as fallout shelters and stock them with supplies.
The Southwest Oklahoma State campus had eight fallout shelters at one time.
The museum posted a photo of some of the fallout-shelter items from the exhibit:
Americans of a certain age probably remember this television advertisement from that era:
Many towns still have fallout shelter signs affixed to older buildings, though most of the supplies inside were discarded after the Soviet Union collapsed during the 1990s.
October is the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the U.S. probably came the closest to engaging in a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
Something more fun than memories of nuclear annihilation at the museum is the Porter House Diner building that once stood along Route 66 in Weatherford. Elvis Presley ate there three times during his cross-country trips from Memphis. The building contains a 1960 guestbook that he signed and added “Cool Daddy” in its comments.
(Hat tip to Oklahoma Route 66 Association President Rhys Martin)