Susan Dragoo

Susan Dragoo is an Oklahoma-based writer and photographer. Her work on western history and historical travel has been published in numerous periodicals including the Chronicles of Oklahoma, Overland Journal, and Oklahoma Today. Since 2016, the Butterfield Overland Mail route in Indian Territory has been a significant focus of her research and writing. The entire length of the Butterfield route across seven states was designated a National Historic Trail by federal legislation in January, 2023. She has retraced the Indian Territory section of the trail in its contemporary form, identifying and documenting original segments, and photographing the trail along the way, becoming the state’s foremost living authority on the trail and compiling a comprehensive set of resources for exploring the trail. Dragoo’s published work also addresses topics such as Comancheria; Randolph Marcy’s 1849 California Road; Thomas Nuttall’s 1819 expedition into present-day Oklahoma; the historic Black hospital in Okmulgee; the Oklahoma-based origins of the spiritual, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” New Deal structures in Oklahoma; the 101 Ranch; the origins of western film in Oklahoma; and history and travel on the Colorado Plateau and in Baja California. Her writing and photography appear as well in adventure travel magazines in the genres of hiking, motorcycling, and four-wheel-drive travel. In addition, Dragoo’s scenic photography graces the walls of multiple lodges in the Oklahoma State Parks system. As President of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Butterfield National Historic Trail Association, Dragoo is working with the National Park Service and the State Historic Preservation Office to implement the new historic trail status, preserving and protecting the trail and providing interpretation and education. A former healthcare executive, Dragoo has a diverse educational background, including degrees in Telecommunications, Management and Biostatistics. She is a certified life coach, an avid runner and hiker, and an inveterate traveler. Susan and her husband Bill also run Dragoo Adventure Rider Training, based in Norman, Oklahoma. Dragoo is a native of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.