County of site: Cimarron County
Location of memorial: S. Cimarron St. (us-64/385/412) & E. Main St. (US-56/64/287/OK-3) Cimarron Circle-County Courthouse, Boise City
Roadtrippers view of the event
"Located in the Oklahoma panhandle, Boise City is the only town in the United States that was bombed from airplanes during World War II. Visit the Boise City Bomb Memorial to view a replica of one of the six bombs mistakenly dropped on the city during testing on July 6, 1943. The bomb was dropped by pilots in a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber when they mistakenly took lights around the town's square to be their target. Luckily, only practice bombs were used and the town square was deserted when the bomb was dropped just after midnight, though many buildings were damaged or destroyed. The Boise City Bomb Memorial is located just in front of the Red Chamber Caboose." ~ NewsOK
Many newspapers of course, ran stories, still do. This from Fox News: "Boise City (rhymes with voice) is located in the westernmost county in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Like several of the county seats in the western part of the state, Boise City's Main Street features a courthouse square. A roundabout helps drivers maneuver around the Cimarron County courthouse since the city — and entire county — has no stoplight. At one edge of the roundabout sits a plaque and replica bomb representing one of the oddest events in the city's history: During World War II the city was bombed by accident in the middle of the night by a U.S. crew. No one was killed in the July 5, 1943, incident, but the community still notes the event" ~ FoxNews
Marker Text:
BOISE CITY BOMBED
JULY 5, 1943
STILL BOOMING
JULY 5, 1993Some insight into the event:
[Boise City, Oklahoma was one of three cities in the United States to be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at approximately 12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base (50 miles to the south of Boise City) dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town. The practice bombs weighed 100 pounds each and contained four pounds of powder - the rest was sand. Several locations across town display the remains of these bombs.
The next day, officials from the Dalhart Army Air Base visited Boise City and explained that the plane had been assigned to drop bombs on a range near Conlen, Texas, about 30 miles south of Boise City, but somehow got off their mark and mistook the four street lights around the courthouse in the center of town for the lights of their target.
Remember the Alamo, remember Pearl Harbor, and for Lord's sake - - remember Boise City!"]
About the town:
Boise City- rhymes with "voice"-became the county seat in 1908, a year after statehood. It is believed to have been named after the Boyce Cattle Company which operated in the area from 1897 to 1906. The Cimarron County Court- house is on the Register of National Historic Places. Remember the 4-way stop and one way to the right!