Edmond resident receives award for historic preservation service.

Judy Pike on Thursday received a Historic Preservation Award from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution for her volunteer work for historic preservation in Edmond.

Pike, an Edmond resident, received the award at the Masonic Temple in Guthrie prior to a fireside chat with former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh and Gov. Brad Henry. The event was a fundraiser for the Oklahoma Territorial Museum, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023.

Amy Stephens, Executive Director of the Emond Historical Society presented the award to Pike.

“Judy has been a part of the Edmond community for 26 years as a school teacher,” she said. “Although she enjoyed studying history in high school and college, it wasn't until she retired that she pursued that interest. At that time, she received an accepted invitation to be a docent at the 1889 territorial schoolhouse in Edmond. And Judy took that opportunity to study Edmond's history.”

In 2013, Pike joined the Edmond Historic Preservation Trust, and for the past 10 years, she has selflessly given her time, Stephens said.

“She's created educational materials for the schoolhouse. She's gardened and raised, leaves and staffed, and worked so hard to ensure that Oklahomans can take pride in the structure that held the first place in public education in territorial Oklahoma,” Stephens said.”

Stephens said the award Pike received is the most prestigious award that the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution presents to individuals who have done extraordinary volunteer work in historic preservation over a long period of time in establishing a historic district, preserving landmarks, restoring and preserving objects of historical cultural significance, or establishing and participating in oral history projects, youth leadership and education.

“And that it pertains to historic preservation of this state, or at a regional and national level, fewer than 30 of these awards are presented each year throughout the United States,” Stephens said. “It is my honor to recognize a volunteer who has given tirelessly to the history and preservation of our beloved schoolhouse.”

Pike expressed gratitude for the award, and told the audience, which included students from Guthrie Junior High a history story.

“I'm just going to tell another short story because that is what history is,” she said. “When I became a member of the Edmond Historic Preservation Trust, I found out that there were some plaques downtown. I went and I looked at the plaques and they were aluminum and they were worn. I told the Trust that I would take an inventory.”

Pike and a high school student friend went to inventory the plaques.

“I went downtown and I took a high school student with me who has become a dear friend,” she said. “We inventoried all the plaques.

When I took the information back to the Trust, my inventory was, some of the plaques were readable, some of them were somewhat readable, and some of them were not readable at all.”

Pike said members of the Trust asked her to take on repairing/replacing the plaques.

“It did take me quite a few years to do all the plaques, so now we have some nice new brass plaques downtown Edmond,” she said. “So, that little story says that is what history is. History is a story, and it's a story of the people who came here and all their trials and tribulations. History is not here for you to like or dislike. History is here for you to learn from so that we are less likely to repeat it. Today is also a historical moment, which I hope some of the young people here realize, and I hope some of you are drawn to history.”