Deadman Vista bears an intriguing name whose origin remains a mystery. One legend holds that many years ago horse thieves were caught on a nearby trail and, in an era of swift justice, were hanged from an oak tree in a nearby gap. The Oklahoma Board of Geographic Names is responsible for keeping track of the state's official place names and, whenever possible, recording and verifying the stories behind them. That work is difficult because Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, and before then few written records existed and history depended on word of mouth.