Sherlock Holmes’ notoriety has resulted in many groups, both formal and informal, forming out of sheer interest and dedication to the canon. One of these groups is the Afghanistan Perceivers of Oklahoma.
The Perceivers are an affiliated chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars, which is the first official Sherlock Holmes literary society founded in 1934 by Christopher Morley. The Perceivers took their love for the fictional detective one step further by establishing Holmes Peak: a slope in their hometown of Tulsa, OK.
Dick Warner, the standing head of the Afghanistan Perceivers in 1985, was determined to find a geographical location after which to name the famous detective, and set his sights on a previously unnamed location just outside of Tulsa’s city limits. The previous owner of the land, dead since 1982, had bequeathed the land to the Catholic diocese, the University of Tulsa, and Oral Roberts University. Both universities supported the idea, but the bishop of Tulsa vetoed the proposal, unimpressed by what he considered to be a frivolous idea.
Warner was not deterred. He wrote out to the Vatican directly, reminding the Pope that Holmes had previously earned the admiration of the church for a mystery he had solved involving the mysterious death of a fictional Cardinal Tosca. He received his response through the bishop of Tulsa, who was displeased to learn that the matter had gone over his head. Nevertheless, he grudgingly admitted that, under the Vatican’s orders, the one-third of the land that belonged to the diocese had been granted to the other two universities.
Finally, Warner was able to present his idea and permissions to the Geographic Names Board, and on July 27 of 1985, Holmes Peak was established. In 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Afghanistan Perceivers, the group scaled Holmes Peak in celebration.
Related Content on Sherlockian.net
- Societies and Locations
- Arthur Conan Doyle Resources
- Variations on Sherlock Holmes