Excerpts from Emily’s letters and diary provide a fascinating glimpse into life at the Murrell Home at the time. In her writings she described things from everyday life that included such mundane things as trips to the general store, plus the more exciting events such as excursions into Tahlequah and social events both at the Murrell Home and in Tahlequah. Visitors would often enter lively discussions about current events.

On Saturday, June 7 everyone has the opportunity to be a visitor of the Murrells at the annual Murrell Home Lawn Social. This year’s Lawn Social is set in 1861 and will focus on "Civil War and the Cherokees." Re-enactors will perform skits demonstrating the lives of the Murrells and their Cherokee kin as they consider their role in the American Civil War during those tumultuous times.

The 1861 Lawn Social is from noon-5 p.m. Admission is free. Attendees are invited to bring their own picnic lunches and lawn chairs and step into the lives of Park Hill’s residents with period music and dancing, as well as lawn games that were popular during the time. There will also be traditional craft demonstrations and you’ll have a chance to see fashions from the Civil War era.

The Murrell Home was built in the 1840s by George Murrell, who was a native Virginian. He married Minerva Ross in 1834. Minerva Murrell was a member of a wealthy Cherokee/Scottish family, and she was the niece of Chief John Ross.

The Murrell Home is the only remaining antebellum home in modern-day Oklahoma. This home stands as a reminder of the high lifestyle practiced by a few in the Cherokee Nation before the Civil War. The home contains original and period artifacts and furnishings. The site is owned and operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society, and hosts many events throughout the year, including educational programs for fourth and fifth graders in the spring and in the fall, the popular Murrell Home Ghost Stories the last Friday and Saturday each October, the Christmas open house in addition to the Lawn Social each June.

The Murrell Home is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. March through October. November through February the Murrell Home is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the 1861 Lawn Social or the Murrell Home, please call 918.456.2751.