c-span.org, or listen with the free c-span radio app. for background on each case, order your copy of a landmark -- landmark can pieces -- landmark cases book. it is available for a dollars $.95 -- $8.95. announcer: this year, c-span is touring cities across the country, exploring american history. visita look at our recent to shawnee, oklahoma. you're watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span3. while in shawnee, oklahoma. we took a driving tour of the city with city manager. >> thank you for agreeing to show us around shawnee. >> i'm happy to be here. thank you for joining me. >> where are we now? we are heading into the town. >> we are on interstate 40.

heading east into shawnee. we will get off on the street. to our west is oklahoma city which is about a 35 mile drive from shawnee. as we crest of this hill, you can see the community which is fairly developed along the interstate. shani went through a rebranding campaign. things onine is great the horizon. you conceive coming into the community, we are quite noticeable. >> commented people live here? >> 31,000 people. population is probably 70 to 100,000. city limits proper comey are at about 31,000. >> who lives here? what are folks doing here? who does it draw? >> we are far enough from oklahoma city that we are our own community. we have been in it -- been in existence for over 100 years per we are close enough to oklahoma city that we benefit from that proximity. we have a number of people who

commute to oklahoma city for work. our largest local economic drivers include four area tribes, oklahoma baptist university, 2200 students and several hundred employees. >> right now, we are driving through oklahoma university. tell me about the university. how does that play into the general feeling of the city and the population? >> i think it plays in hugely. we are a university town, in many senses. it has been here for over 100 years. it started on 60 acres of land and $100,000 that the community and the city helped raise. bond anda strong relationship between the city of shawnee, the community as a role -- as a whole and the university.

they bring a culture and a different feel and make it to the community, which is -- sets us apart from other communities our size but don't have a university. >> we are leaving that more buildup, hustle and bustle area with all of that where starting getting into the independent businesses and the downtown area. should we go downtown? >> i would love to. >> how has the main street changed since you have started living here? >> main street has changed quite a bit. we had a main street improvement plan on the books for about 12-15 years. we did one small phase of that 12 years ago before i was here. our big effort over the last few years has been making good on a plan. we finish set up a year ago. >> we have seen the murals here. >> you're seeing the new landscaping, new sidewalks,

landscaping. >> you have worked to revitalize you still have these things of the past >>, there were theaters here. >>that's an incredible example of a historical theater. we have new businesses and growth. we still have a lot of vacant holdings, there is a lot of potential for people to come in to lease a property for an inexpensive amount. >> under construction, we have the old santa fe railroad depot. a beautiful building. they are finishing their new museum right now which is adjacent. the city is rehabbing that parking lot which is under construction. >> train history is important in shawnee. links andere critical why shawnee flourished when it was started. ofhad dozens and dozens stops on a daily basis that went through shawnee and helped it improve. >> should we see the local

business? the mill is a huge part of shawnee. >> i would love to show you the mill. >> we are coming up on the mill now. how does the mill impacts shawnees academy? >> -- shawnees economy? >> it is one of the biggest employers. they are a key employer. more important than not, they are a key part of our history. ownership,d the staff, are intricately involved in the community from major community initiatives to serving on boards and committees, to their volunteer efforts and how they impact their local churches and other organizations. it is seen by people in multiple states that see and use their products. part of yourg

population and economy is the citizens in pottawatomie nation. >> absolutely. the pottawatomie nation along with three other tribes. >> should we go to their land? let's do that. now we are crossing the canadian river. we are going to the pottawatomie nation. >> what is the role they play here in your community? >> they employ over 2200 people. from an economic space, they are huge. there is obviously the cultural aspect which is a major factor into the community. percentage ofrge population, native american background, which could be a pottawatomie or other nations as well. they are an integral part of the community. they are involved in major initiatives. they bring a lot of culture and

activity. >> we passing through their land right now. we see their tribal headquarters to our left. their cultural heritage center, which is a museum. >> that was just reopened. that was unfortunately -- that unfortunately suffered a flood a few years ago. completelyen remodeled. just a beautiful facility. i highly recommend visiting there. inthey also owned businesses the area, such as casinos, we passed a grocery store. >> they do. they have two large casinos. a golf course, grocery store, is a veryy store large enterprise. they have smaller markets, food markets in neighboring communities. the city of macleod. their impact has been felt not just only on the city of shawnee but countywide. >> we are leaving citizen pottawatomie nation. we are heading toward downtown.

have seen a lot of your community today. what is next for the city of shawnee? >> we are continuing to grow and focus on quality of life issues. economic development. improving the neighborhoods that our residents live in. i see that pushed by the city commission and the mayor continuing in that regards. i want people that are familiar with this part of a country to know there are a lot of opportunities here. a lot of opportunities for younger people, you might not find it elsewhere because of our cost of living, because of the nature of our citizenry here. encourage the public to get out and visit shawnee and other communities like shawnee around the country. >> thank you so much for showing us around your city. >> thank you so much for being here. announcer: r cities tour -- our staff recently

visited shawnee, oklahoma. learn about other stops at c-span.org/cities tour. you're watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span3. c-span, where history unfolds daily. in 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies. we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court and public policy events in washington dc and around the country. >> archives, museums, and around the country.