I have to agree, at least to the notion that politics and money were involved in "re-locating" the round mountain creek battlefield site to Payne County or Yale site. If anyone does any amount of research at all, it becomes pretty clear there are tons of evidence showing the keystone area as the location of the battle.Meanwhile, there is practically no historical reasons for the Payne Site with regards to the Opothlayahola Campaign. One interesting contemporary note is the historical markers. The marker at the Payne County "twin mounds" site was put up by the Payne County Historical Society. South of the Keystone Park (and also north of a old trail marker called ironically round mountain)is a marker put up by the Oklahoma Historical Society. This marker speaks of the battle of round mountain. We have written evidence and maps showing important trails, such as the Osage Trail, that would have been used by Opothlayahola and his campsite areas are known. Likewise, we know the trail used by Cooper to follow. Walnut Creek is mentioned several times, which is north of Keystone above the Arkansas River. Geographically, it places all three battles involving Opothlayahola in close enough proximity to each other to fit with the known campsites and migration north. The Yale or Payne County site is too far away and does not fit with any accounts.
I also think I know the general location of the battle. It is true that the Keystone Lake and highways lay in the path of some of the movements of the campaign. The battle ground itself covers a three mile retreat. I have not to mention various skirmishes between pickets of Opothlayahola's Creek warriors and Cooper's troops that cover a much larger area. The first main battle, where Confederate troops were caught in an ambush, I believe is in an area not effected by modern construction. The latter part of the battle, the retreat south, does fall into some developed area.
I base my conclusions on maps, trail evidence, topography, accounts, and of course hunches, in particular where I would go with horses and where I would lay an ambush for enemy troops.