06/07/2026
Love the history of the Cherokee Strip region of Oklahoma
On what seemed an ordinary afternoon in Perry, OK, the usual business and conversation filled Kumback Lunch. Eddie Parker and his staff moved through the busy diner as they always had, serving meals to travelers, townsfolk, and those passing through Cherokee Strip country.
Then the front door opened.
A stranger stepped inside, calm and deliberate, one hand resting on the butt of his holstered pistol. The room fell silent as those present recognized the face of one of Oklahoma's most notorious outlaws—Pretty Boy Floyd.
In a steady voice, Floyd asked Eddie to have everyone else leave the diner. Floyd took a seat, glanced over the room, and ordered a house steak.
For a moment, the notorious outlaw was just another hungry customer. He ate his meal, settled his bill, and left behind a generous tip before disappearing down the road.
Whether remembered as outlaw, folk hero, or fugitive, Pretty Boy Floyd left behind many stories across Oklahoma. In Perry, one of those stories begins not with a robbery or a gunfight, but with a steak dinner at Kumback Lunch.
The Kumback Lunch Exhibit, celebrating 100 years of history, is currently on display. Come discover the stories, people, and legends that passed through one of Perry's most treasured landmarks.
