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WHAT’S INSIDE

what’s inside... 10 5

29 35

Upfront

Meet Your Writer: Sarah Leslie Gagan

From the Heart: Hold Tight to What is True Life Lessons Learned From a Cane Pole & a Catfish

When Love Was Lost & Grace Was Found

Business Spotlight: Building Trust Father-Son Archambo Team has Spent Years Serving

On the Osage: Shaking Things Up Shidler Residents Garnering Attention for Great Works

Profile: Scott Sabine The Engineer that Could

Local Landmarks: Return to Glory Days The History of the Johnstone-Sare Landmark

Feature: Bartlesville’s Explosive Growth A Look at Historic Businesses & Homes

Knowing Nowata: Hotels in Nowata A Look at Hotels of Nowata’s Early Days

Feature Sponsor: Style on Johnstone Ave. Classy Properties Highlight 300 Block of Street

Funny You Should Ask: Saying Farewell The Long Season of Goodbyes

Local History: Hotel Phillips

Kids’ Calendar

Chick-fil-A Events Calendar

Profiles of the Past: Calvin Coolidge Mason A Look at the Remarkable Life of a Local Resident

July Cover Contest: Featuring Price Tower Thank You to All Our Contestants

Grand Openings: Sizzlin’ Summer Series Tower Center at Unity Square Kicks Off Exciting Events

A Good Word: The Power of Prayer Prayer the Key to Healing Country’s Racial Divide

Downtown History: The Adams Building Structure Was & Is an Integral Downtown Building

Looking Back: Famous Ancestor Bartian’s Ancestor Signed Declaration of Independence

Once Upon a Time: A Game of Chicken Sunday Dinner Turned Into Family Pet for a Summer

Now You Know: America’s Tangle of Angles Price Tower Built by Frank Lloyd Wright & H.C. Price

A Fresh Perspective: Fireworks With Dad & LBJ Coming of Age During the Civil Rights Act & 1960s JULY 2020

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UPFRONT

upfront Growing up, most of us had heroes in our lives — the ones that we looked up to, the ones we acted like or dressed like, and the ones we wanted to be just like when we grew up. These bigger-than-life heroes could have been Will Rogers, John Wayne, James Dean, Michael Jordan, or the most popular of all heroes ... Superman! I have a different kind of hero — a hero who I could never wear his cape or fill his boots. On June 11 at 11:45 p.m., my hero — my fatherin-law, a proud Marine, a man bigger than life and, to be honest, the only father figure I had to help me become the man I am today — Del Dutcher, passed away at his home and went to be with his heavenly Father. In the last five days of his incredible life, I witnessed what FAMILY, LOVE, and JESUS means to this family. To his three kids, 16 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and many others, including me ... he was simply known as “Papa.” He was absolutely the greatest man I have ever known. What I have learned and witnessed over the last 16 years about Papa was the absolute love he had for Jesus, for the love of his life — or like Papa said “my little bride” Dona, of 55 years, and for all his babies. After 80 years, Papa was a man who gave everything to his family and with sweat, blood, tears, and prayers built a catfish farm and a ranch. This is his legacy. These places have so many memories running through the valleys, lakes, and ponds where all his grandkids caught their first fish. It is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see. It is also where I asked Christy to marry me. My relationship with Papa began in 1985, when I went to the ranch and meet Del for the first time. My stepdad, Kenneth, and Del were friends from high school. Before going out on a first date with Christy, you had to meet Mr. Dutcher ... “not a good thing” was what everyone had said. I was a little wild back then, and the new kid in town with long hair. Here I was going out to the ranch to take Del’s little girl on a date. I think he put up with me back then knowing Christy and I wouldn’t last, and he was right ... at least for the next 18 years. After Christy and I married, I completely fell off the cliff, relapsing after 13 years of sobriety and just six months before his granddaughter, Grace, was born. My relationship with Del was severely bent, but not broken. Del did not support Christy’s decision to stay with me. Actually, very few people did, but who’s to blame them?! I'm the one who caused all the chaos. After I

got clean and started to put our lives back together in the next weeks, months, and years, I earned back Del’s complete trust and support. For the next 13 years, he became the father I never had. Dona told me she would tell Del all the time and I quote “Just tell Keith that you think of him as a son.” Papa would always say “he knows'.' I cannot tell you how many times he helped me over the years ... he helped pick me up off the floor and start living for my family. In the last days of Papa's life, some amazing things happened. I have never seen so much love and the presence of the Holy Spirit in all my life. The family circled around Papa with a wall of love that nothing could penetrate. All of his kids, grandkids, and his closest friends spent many hours with Del, talking and telling stories. Even though he could not talk much, he would give you his sarcastic look and smile. A few days before Papa passed, I was talking with him by ourselves. After getting him situated and comfortable, he looked up at me and said “this isn't a good situation” ... I said “no Papa, it sucks.” He looked at me and grabbed my hand and said “take care of my girls” Those girls would be Dona and Christy. After all we had gone through, I was the one Del trusted to take care of Dona and Christy, no matter what. I finish this Upfront on Father's Day. I have had a father who walked out on me when I was four days old and two stepdads in my life, and not one of them ever told me that they loved me. In Del’s final weeks, when I would go out to the ranch to visit him, I would never leave without saying “I love you, Papa.” It didn't matter how weak, tired, or sick he was, Papa would always grab my hand and say back to me “I love you, Keith.” Those would be the last words he spoke to me. God Bless you, Papa! Tell Tyler we miss and love him!

Volume XI Issue VII Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by

ENGEL PubLishiNG

Offices located in Downtown Bartlesville in the historic Price Tower 510 Dewey Ave, Suite 400, Bartlesville, OK 74003 P.O. Box 603, Bartlesville, OK 74005

www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly Publisher

Brian Engel brian@bartlesvillemonthly.com Art Direction

Copper Cup Images design@coppercupimages.com Director of Sales & Marketing

Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com Community Liaison

Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com Project Manager

Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com Calendar/Social Media

calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com Contributing Writers Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Jay Webster, Maria Gus, Tim Hudson, Rev. Victor Paul, Lori Kroh, Carrol Craun, Kelly Bland, Rita Thurman Barnes, Keith McPhail, Mike Wilt, Brent Taylor, Sarah Gagan Contributing Photographers Bartlesville Area History Museum, Chance Franks Cover by Andrew Nichols

Resource Pages

Jessica Smith

ABOUT THE COVER Photo by Andrew Nichols, winner of the July Cover Contest featuring Price Tower Creative Concept by Keith and Christy McPhail

Keith & Christy McPhail, bmonthly managing editors, with Dona & Del Dutcher.

Design by Copper Cup Images

JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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FROM THE HEART

Hold Tight to What is True Life Lessons Learned From a Cane Pole & a Catfish by Lori Kroh My son got into fishing this last year, and as I was driving over the old bridge on my way into Dewey I had a memory pop into my heart and flood my soul. My dad bought us girls long bamboo poles ... It was basically like 6 feet of a bamboo long stick and on the end was a line and a hook. It didn’t have a reel ... I almost wonder now if he made them himself. I was 7, my sisters were 5 and 4. We had on straw sunbonnets and a big pink daisy sat right in the center of my hat band. I remember feeling loved and dressed for the occasion. We opened up the tackle box and to me it looked like jewelry for fish. I loved all the iridescent worms and the silver lures the best, and how each hook had its very own look. As our poles were dangling out the rear window of the green station wagon, us girls sat in the back looking at where we had been. What great perspective to see where we have come from and trust someone knows where we are going. My kids don’t see anything close to that view, they have their heads down and earpods turned up. As we watched the rushing water and swirling pools of currents, we soon learned it would be our turn to catch the big one. He would make sure and tell us to be careful and not get too close to the edge of the water, as the steep banks of the river allowed us to lean over and watch. Every so often, I could see the bobber go down and I would start yanking and running backwards to haul in my fish. I had to run backwards because the pole had no reel, and it was the only way to bring the fish out of the water. Sure enough, we caught many perch. We would take a picture or two with the Polaroid and then release them back into the river. I remember one night sitting on the edge of a big rock and I saw a fish that looked to be longer than me lurking right by the rocks. It looked to be 3 feet long and I saw the black, long whiskers of a catfish. I whispered to dad and he didn’t hear me. Then, I yelled to him to hurry and come over. “Hurry! You’re gonna miss it. It’s bigger than me. Hurry, dad! Hurry!” He ran over and helped me put my pole in and I waited and watched. I sat there and every prayer I ever prayed paled in comparison to my new one of “Please God, please God let me catch this fish.” I watched for him and sure enough the bobber bobbed and then went under. My faith increased and I yanked! I held on tight and yanked even harder and nothing happened except my bamboo pole bent into the shape of a “C.”

be very proud of myself. He praised me for holding on and praying with all my might. Then, he told me that although I had faith in God, all my trust was in the line and the line is only as good as the tension it can take.

I remember hollering for dad and holding onto the pole with everything I could muster. Yet, the line broke as the red and white bobber floated away until it faded out into the sunset. I stood there watching the biggest fish (at least the size of me) escape into the currents of the Caney. I hung my head and felt defeated. I remember my dad put his hand on my shoulder and told me to

Maybe we are too. We are only as good as the tension we can take. Some of us have snapped, some of us are bobbing along, and some can see from the rear view the longest road paved before us. May we catch hold and never lose faith of holding tight to what is true, stepping away from the steep decline, and giving our kids a new chance to see another way. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Building Trust Father-Son Archambo Team has Spent Years Serving Community by Sarah Leslie Gagan Experience cannot be taught. It’s gained by living and serving. The father son team of Mark and Aaron Archambo have years invested in serving generations of clients with their financial needs. Together, the focus of their knowledge and wisdom empowers confidence in those they serve as they use their experience to help others accomplish their financial goals. The exceptional level of service provided by Archambo Financial Advisors Inc. is founded on personal relationships. Mark and Aaron believe a financial advisor and staff should take time to know their clients personally. “It’s important to have an eye for detail. Not only financial details, but everyday details,” Aaron explains. “This means returning phone calls promptly and making sure requests are given the utmost attention and follow-through.” The personal service provided by the Archambos includes confidentiality, privacy, and being accessible when clients need them. Moreover, Mark and Aaron are committed to treating others with respect as they meet and anticipate the needs of their clients. “In the business that we are in, the most important part of our work is trust. We feel like that is imperative,” Aaron describes. “If you don’t have trust in a financial planning relationship, you really don’t have a good relationship, and it’s not a relationship that will last very long. We do all we can to maintain and make sure that trust is the forefront of our business relationships. We take pride in that. I sleep well at night knowing we put our client’s interests above our own.” When Aaron graduated from Southern Nazarene University in 1992, he didn’t plan on returning to his hometown of Bartlesville, but that would soon change when his father, Mark, called with a job offer. Aaron began working at the same firm as his father in

1992, while continuing his education. He pursued and passed the Certified Financial Planner exam in 2011 and has been a member of the Financial Planning Association since 2000. He has served as president of the Archambo firm since 2016. Aaron and his wife, Elise, have three children and enjoy raising their family in Bartlesville. They actively serve at Bartlesville First Baptist Church. Aaron has been on many community boards and volunteered in several capacities. One of his favorite charities is the Salvation Army, where he has served since 2007. Mark and his wife, Cathy, have been married since 1975 and have eight children and 16 grandchildren. They are active at Hope Presbyterian Church, where Mark serves as treasurer. Mark has served the Bartlesville community in several volunteer positions at organizations such as Bartlesville Optimist Club, Bartlesville Jaycees, and Bartlesville Rotary. In 2004, Mark founded Archambo Financial Advisors Inc., where he served as president until 2016. He continues to serve the firm as vice-president. Mark founded the firm on high standards for excellence — from which they have not wavered. “We enjoy our relationships with our clients, because after working with clients long term — some of my clients I’ve had for 37 years — they become like family. Since we deal with such an intricate part of their life, their finances, they feel like they can talk to us about anything. We have clients all over the country, and we end up with great relationships,” Mark reflects. The Archambo firm has weathered many economic and market cycles in their history. Aaron sums it up, “The more you do this, the more your clients trust you. Our clients find a lot of value in knowing that someone has the experience to lead them through a difficult or uncertain time. We have the skill and knowledge to help clients through. You can’t teach that. You only gain that through experience.” JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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PROFILE

Scott Sabine The Engineer that Could by Sarah Leslie Gagan The landscape of downtown Bartlesville has been home to the historic campus of ConocoPhillips for generations. For the past decade, the oversight of these iconic buildings has been entrusted into the capable hands of Scott Sabine, manager of Bartlesville facilities for ConocoPhillips. This position has challenged Scott, as he found the focus of his career becoming less and less about himself and more about the empowerment of others — and the betterment of community. Born and raised in Maine, Scott earned his degree in electrical engineering at the University of Maine in Orono. Scott has a natural-born passion for problem solving — it’s what makes him tick, and it’s what drove him toward engineering. Before ConocoPhillips, his career focused on planning and building power systems, and he found great satisfaction in the task. “To be able to stand back and watch a power plant run at full capacity, with smoke churning from the stacks, knowing I was a part of creating that, was, wow, it was such a great feeling.” Prior to accepting his position at ConocoPhillips, Scott skillfully tackled and solved problems and issues involving inanimate objects. The twist with his current position was he now became responsible for managing people, as well as infrastructure. He had to reshape his passion for problem solving to include resolving issues that had names, personalities, and souls. It was a direction he was unsure about in the beginning, but quickly discovered the newfound responsibility unlocked a

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PROFILE heart for serving that he had carried inside him all along. With mentoring and coaching a large part of his responsibilities, he harnessed his love of problem solving into helping others discover solutions. Scott enjoys having a team and says, “Let’s find out what the problem is together, and the solution will present itself.” It’s a rewarding aspect of his job that he never envisioned, and credits his team for being good people. “They are good-hearted, enthusiastic people. They are where I once was, and I can see the problems so clearly, and want to help them through it. It’s not about me anymore, but about helping others be the best person they can be. As I’ve grown into this role, I’ve learned that I really enjoy the coaching and mentoring part of it. It’s rewarding, because while I’m still solving problems, what I’m really doing is helping people.” Scott moved to Oklahoma from New England with hesitancy. It was such a different culture than he had known. He viewed Bartlesville as just a pit stop in life. That view changed when he participated in the Leadership Bartlesville program. Learning about the community and all that Bartlesville had to offer ignited his passion like wildfire, and he has never looked back. The connections he made through Leadership Bartlesville provided opportunities for him to serve and partner in the city he and his wife, Laura, have grown to love. Scott proudly serves on the committee of the Frank Phillips Home and looks forward to the annual placing of the flags along Cherokee to celebrate Independence Day. His engineering expertise made him a natural fit to participate in development of the Tower Center at Unity Square. He takes pride in this new addition to Bartlesville and loves the diversity it adds to our social venues. Laura shares her husband’s love of giving back to the community, and actively serves at The Mutual Girls Club and Casa Hispana. Together, the Sabines enjoy outdoor activities including bike riding and running. Their life together began when they met in Aruba. Sharing a love of traveling, they especially delight in being near water.

Scott and Laura have three adult children, and after being empty-nesters for several years they are in the process of adopting their 8-year-old granddaughter, Ahlaina. Scott is learning to be a dad again and is becoming familiar with a whole new pulse of Bartlesville, incorporating soccer and focus on the school system into his life. He envisions exciting new opportunities for service as his fam-

ily grows. He loves what Bartlesville has to offer families with younger children and looks forward to becoming involved in new ways in the coming years. Scott is incredibly open about his love of Bartlesville. He considers it the most welcoming town he has ever seen in his life. “I love the eclectic style and people. I’ve never seen anything like it before, where people are so engaged with the community. That I can be a part of that, it makes me fight like a dog to partner with the community to keep things beautiful. I am so comfortable here and have never seen a community so inviting and supportive.” When he travels back to Maine to visit family, it’s no longer like “going home.” In the beginning, this may have been just a pit stop, but that certainly isn’t the case anymore. “No matter where we travel, Bartlesville is home. We have found our home; I can definitely see myself retiring here.”

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Bartlesville’s Explosive Growth A Look at Historic Business Landmarks in Town by Debbie Neece It was the tenacious early pioneers who established themselves in Indian Territory and brought incorporation to the settlement of Bartlesville. And, it was the vision of men like William Johnstone who had a survey completed to plot the land area that would become the new town of Bartlesville. Furthering his vision, he posted an open invitation to any and all who would construct a business building in his amber field of wheat with the only stipulation of permanence. What an opportunity – FREE LAND! Shortly thereafter, George B. Keeler and William Johnstone made the first move by constructing stone buildings at Second Street and Johnstone Avenue – Keeler on the northwest corner and Johnstone on the southwest corner. And the rest of the Bartians followed. Buildings were moved from the Johnstone and Keeler North Delaware Settlement to the new Second Street location and new false fronted wooden buildings and stone structures were erected along what would become Second Street. Growth happened at jackrabbit speed with the clanking of oilfield equipment

and the pounding of hammers from sun up to sun down, preventing silence. Bartlesville’s progress was explosive. Streets were laid with north-south streets assigned names (Keeler, Johnstone, Dewey, Osage, Cherokee Delaware), while east/west streets were numbered (First, Second, Third, etc.). Even-numbered addresses were assigned to the north and east sides of the streets, while odd-numbered addresses were on the south and west sides of the streets. In days of stormy weather, the gumbo mud-filled streets were not only a hindrance for horses and buggies but ladies dresses became heavily soiled. Excitement ran high when, during the summer of 1904, Second Street between Osage Avenue and Keeler Avenue became paved with brick. By the time of statehood, November 16, 1907, the busy little oil town had drawn five to six thousand people and has continued to grow. Now the streets of Bartlesville are lined with Mom and Pop businesses fulfilling their hopes and dreams.

118 W. Second Street ~ Spencer Management ~ Second Street was within easy access to visitors arriving via the railroad. The street has seen its share of heavy fire damage; received a reputation for unscrupulous activity; and many buildings have been razed and not replaced. Although the current building at 118 W. Second Street is not original; the location has a history to behold. Originally home of the Union Feed Store, this address was also the location of the James Brothers Livery and Stable. As early as 1905, horseless carriages made their appearance in Bartlesville. Dr. Fred Sutton’s “buggy” had high rubber-tired wheels, a rod with a wheel attached to steer and a crank starter. As more and more autos took to Bartlesville streets, livery businesses began a transition their service to care for auto needs.

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The James Brothers expanded their operations to include auto repair while focusing on livery as well. Then, by 1917, C.W. James turned his focus solely towards servicing shiny automobiles. The location continued to be a service garage under several operators until Glen Durrill and John Yearout opened the Durrill

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Feed and Produce Company which continued to as Durrill’s Feed through 1974. The Hildabrand family took over in 1975 as the Hildabrand Farm and Ranch Supply. From 2003 through 2006, the building was vacant; then the Red Dirt Soap Company occupied the building 2007-2008. After being vacant again for several years, Spencer Management became occupants about 2012.

Mark Spencer is a Bartlesville High School graduate and a multi-layered entrepreneur. With over 30 years of restaurant experience, he owns several businesses in various locations hiring as many as 130 employees; and, in Bartlesville he owns Spencer Management Janitorial Service and the Painted Horse Bar and Grill on Frank Phillips Blvd.

200 S.E. Third Street ~ Owens Building ~ In 1908, an address was not necessarily needed for most locations, like the Owen’s Building at the northeast corner of Dewey Avenue and Third Street. Yes, the physical address was 200 E. Third Street but everyone called it the “Owens Building” which was the location of the Owens Jewelry Company. Each day from 1908-1910, Andrew, Carl, Clarence and Lena Owens offered their customers diamonds and jewelry, watches and clocks, and silverware and glassware. The handsome three-story building also had plenty of room for organizational meetings on the third floor, some apartment rentals and offices for oil companies throughout. From 1910-1922, the Bartlesville State Bank located in the Owens Building and was replaced by Central National Bank from 1923 until about 1930. Then the building was briefly vacant. On February 16, 1934 a Bartlesville Morning Examiner article announced Frank McCollum would be the general contractor who would raze the Owens Building beginning September 29th in order to erect a three-story building within 30 days, complete with a basement. In 1933, Montgomery Ward was located at 320-322 S. Keeler, in the shadow of the Phillips Tower building. Upon the construc-

tion of the new Third Street building, Montgomery Ward occupied the building through 1964. After a short vacancy, the L.A. McKinney Music Company occupied the building from 1967-1975. Many area residents spoke of the music lessons and contests held at this location. The building was again vacant from 1976-1979 when Phillips Petroleum Company occupied the building from 1980-1987. About 1993, the Voice of the Martyers, Inc. occupied the building until they moved to their new building east of Bartlesville in 2011. In 2015, Trevor and Shelly Sutterfield of Sutterfield Financial Group purchased the building and plans have yet to be announced.

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

300 E. Frank Phillips Blvd. ~ BancFirst ~

The Washington County Courthouse was completed at the end of Third Street in 1914 and businesses began to build closer to Cherokee Avenue. The Bartlesville Steam Laundry built a hefty 52x90 foot two-story building at 308-310 E. Third Street with apartments on the second floor. The Brady and Leamon Auto Dealership purchased the building in 1919. In November 1919, the Wasage Motor Company began construction of their building at 300 E. Third, directly next door to the Brady building. As the basement was being dug, the west wall of the auto dealership became unstable, collapsed and hurled the sleeping Mrs. Hipp and her two-year-old daughter into the basement hole. Mrs. Hipp sustained minor injuries and sadly the child did not survive. The auto dealership received extensive damage and the building had to be demolished and replaced. Bert Gaddis took over the Wasage construction and opened his Ford–Lincoln Dealership at the northeast corner of Third and Osage from 1922 to 1938. The building then took a different focus as the Foodtown grocery from 1942-1946.

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And the Examiner Enterprise occupied this corner from 19561991 when they moved to their Nowata Road location. About 2005, the structure was stripped of its exterior and the new BancFirst building was constructed. The new building was occupied in 2008.

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

120 E. Second Street ~ Print Shop ~ The sleepy little corner of Second Street and Dewey Avenue has seen some pretty exciting activity over the years. On the day of Oklahoma’s birth in 1907, a deadly shooting occurred and two unfortunate men were taken to 120 E. Second Street. John McCallister was the undertaker and Washington County’s first and only coroner and his office was behind the Indian Territory Furniture Store. The furniture store closed and the Sapphire Café occupied the building frontage for a few years but McCallister’s Undertaking Parlor continued to operate in the building through 1935. In fact, in 1923 when Al Spencer was killed south of Caney, McCallister cared for him too. After a brief vacancy, the Consumer Cooperative Grocery operated at this location from 1940-1948; followed by the Eden’s

Market 1950-1953; Herrington’s Furniture from 1955-1976; Furniture Land and William Webb Interiors through 1979. Rufus Geurin operated the Printing Center in Dewey from about 1971 until 1980 when he purchased the building at 120 E. Second Street in Bartlesville and opened the Bartlesville Print Shop. Then, in 2010, Shawn Roberts bought the business from Mr. Geurin and the building from the Knights of Pythian Lodge who had met on the second floor of the building since about 1940. During the dating courtship of Shawn Roberts and Christie Butcher, the couple supervised the total gut of the building’s second floor which resulted in their married dwelling in 2017. According to Shawn, they weren’t sure they would enjoy loft living in the heart of Bartlesville but they absolutely love it. And the best part is work is just a few steps away – Christie down the front staircase to Moxie on Second and Shawn down the back staircase to the Print Shop.

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

A Look at Some of Bartlesville’s Historic Homes by Sarah Gagan Oil brought droves of people seeking to share the wealth, and as the population grew, the landscape of our town experienced a construction boom, with many unique residences built, featuring

assorted architectural styles that were as unique as the residents. Many of these early homes are still with us today.

1434 S. Delaware Ave. ~ The Kane Home ~ John Miller Kane was born on July 29, 1908. He was the eldest of three boys born to Henry and Louise Kane. After graduating from College High School, he earned his petroleum engineering degree from the University of Kansas. John married Marie Dahlgren Foster on June 14, 1933. The couple had three children, John Foster Kane born in 1934, Henry Foster Kane in 1939, and Mary Elizabeth Kane who died shortly after her birth on January 22, 1937. In the 1930s and 1940s, John was associated with the Foster Petroleum Company. John also, along with his father and his brother Richard, maintained real estate, farming, and ranching interests in Washington County and in Kiowa County, Kansas. John was a dedicated member of Rotary, and a member of Hillcrest Country Club. He was a talented woodworker, as well as a single engine aircraft pilot. In 1938, John and Marie Kane built a new home on South Delaware Avenue. The home was a two story, red brick house with limestone decorating the main entrance, and a steeppitched, side-gabled roof with an exterior chimney on the north side. John and his family lived in the home for 26 years. It remains a Kane family home today.

1117 S. Johnstone Ave. ~ The Rood Home ~ Robert Drakley Rood was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin in 1863. He graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1887 and entered Rush Medical College in 1888. He had a successful practice in Stevens Point, where he met Miss Ethel Kirwan. The two married in 1895. They lived in Stevens Point before moving to Indian Territory in 1903, where Robert became a prominent player in the oil industry.

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After nearly 20 years of marriage, John and Marie divorced in 1952 and went their separate ways. Marie married Harold Smith and moved to Tulsa. Unfortunately, she died soon after in a house fire on Christmas day 1954. John’s second marriage was to Corinne (Gray) Dustin on October 6, 1955. John Miller Kane died in Bartlesville on December 4, 1964 and was entombed in the White Rose Mausoleum. His second wife, Corinne, died in Grove, Oklahoma in August 1998.

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

By 1907, the Roods bought a new home on the outskirts of town, at 1117 South Johnstone. It was built in the neoclassical style, identified by the facade with a full height porch, supported by four ionic columns and a two-story entry portico. The home construction was originally started by an Eastern adventurer speculating in oil and gas wells who became very wealthy overnight. His wife, however, didn’t enjoy the lifestyle and lack of culture in Indian Territory, and insisted they return East before the home was finished. The oilman immediately arranged a cash sale of the unfinished home to Dr. Robert Rood. The architecture of the home resembled a fashionable colonial mansion in the South with balconies, stately columns, and a wide sprawling porch. The home had 14 rooms and three baths. Gas jets were piped into every room for lighting, as electricity was not yet available on the frontier. Shades on the gas jets were made of carnival or fine cut glass. The home included imported mirrors with French tiles and mantels supported by hand carved pillars. Often, the Roods spent weekends lavishly entertaining large numbers of guests. Gourmet food was served on the tables set with the finest Irish linens, imported china and crystal goblets were filled with wines and liquors. With the Rood’s involvement

in the Republican Party, the guests were often Washington “bigwigs” seeking financial support from local oil barons. During the depression, Robert Rood fell on hard times. The home was sold in 1935 to Francis and Cloe Alexander, and the Roods moved to upstate New York. Dr. Rood died in Jamaica, Long Island in April 1937 at the age of 73. His ashes were returned to Bartlesville and entombed at the White Rose Mausoleum. The Alexanders lived in the home until the mid-1950’s.

1200 S. Johnstone Ave. ~ The Shipman Home ~ James Thaddeus Shipman graduated from law school at the University of Michigan in 1906. That same year, he came to Indian Territory and opened a law office in Bartlesville. After serving as county judge from 1911–1915, he became a law partner with B.A. Lewis. In 1938, he was appointed district judge of Nowata and Washington Counties. In June 1910, James married Samuella McCorkle, and the couple lived at 117 S. Creek for 13 years, until they purchased the residence at 1200 S. Johnstone in 1923. The home is a two story, red brick house with shutters on the windows. The small front porch has an arched roof, which is repeated in the dormer window roof above the front entrance. The circle drive in the front of the house was added after the Shipmans lived in the home. When the Shipmans lived there, a front walk edged with shrubbery led straight to the street. Upon entering the home, the dining room and kitchen were on the left, and on the right was the living room. The ground floor contained all the living areas, and the four bedrooms were upstairs. Originally, the area to the west was an open, covered porch, but was

later enclosed, enlarging the living room. A porte-cochere over the back provides shelter for guests or family as they enter the home. The driveway leads to the two-story garage with servants’ quarters above the garage. The Judge and Samuella had no children and would live in the home for the remainder of their years. Samuella died in 1954 and the Judge in 1958. Both are entombed in the White Rose Mausoleum. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

300 E. 11th St. ~ The Blue Home ~ David Burdette Blue came to Bartlesville in 1907 to practice law and held the position of Bartlesville City Attorney for several years. He grew up in Coffeyville Kansas and graduated law school in 1905 at the age of 19. David and Joseph J. Shea became law partners and were well known throughout Northeastern Oklahoma. They enjoyed a lucrative law practice until Blue joined H.V. Foster in the Indian Territory Illuminating Oil Company (I.T.I.O.) around 1917. He married Violet Catherine Kroenert in October of 1911. The couple had two sons and lived in a variety of apartments and houses until 1920, when they built the house at 300 E. 11th St. The Blue house was a typical three story, Georgian Colonial home with a side-gabled roof; there were two pedimented

dormer windows protruding from the front roof. The formal entrance was capped by a semi-circular entry portico. The frame of the house was white clapboard. Few structural changes have been made over the years, except for a small addition added to the west of the house, and the front entry has been altered with a small pediment roof and a semi-circular fanlight above the door. In the summer of 1932, the Blue’s youngest son, John, fell off a hay wagon and died from his injuries. In 1939, David Blue was named president and general manager of I.T.I.O., a position he held until the merger with Cities Service Oil Company in 1941. Around this time, David and Violet sold their Bartlesville home and relocated to Tulsa. Blue continued to serve Cities Service in a legal advisory capacity until his death in 1943.

822 S. Johnstone Ave. ~ The Shea Home ~ John Joseph Shea left his home state of Iowa to move to Independence, Kansas in 1904, but the next year, he moved further south to Bartlesville, Indian Territory. He took up his profession of law and immediately began to take a leading role in the legal, civic, and political affairs of the community. J.J. and his wife Agnes had 6 children and needed a large home when they arrived in Bartlesville. They bought the house at 822 S. Johnstone Ave., where they lived for the 10 years they were in Bartlesville. 20

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

This house was a large two-story wood frame house with a fullwidth, one-story, wrap around front porch. The roofline was pyramidal with flared eaves and dormer windows on three sides of the roof. There was a large chimney on the north side of the house. The Sheas found the house provided ample comfort for their large family. Standing for more than 100 years, this home has stood the test of time. It has been owned by several families until 1961, when the Service League of Bartlesville purchased the property and operated the Bargain Box, a clothing resale shop for more than 50 years. In 2014, non-profit group Seekers of Success purchased the property and lovingly restored it into The Anchor House, offering space for area charity organizations to provide their services to the community. The freshly-painted yellow house with red doors glows with renewed life and hope, providing stability to those in need.

J.J. Shea and his wife, Agnes, resided in Tulsa until his death in 1928, one year after Agnes’ passing.

511 S. Cherokee Ave. ~ The Larkin Home ~ John J. Larkin left his home in Pennsylvania in 1904 to follow his dream. He moved to Bartlesville, Indian Territory to explore possibilities of beginning a new oil business in the area. After becoming convinced of his possibility for success, he started his company, Larkin Brothers Company, in April 1905. John and his wife Lillian married in 1906 and had two sons. In 1913, the Larkin family built their home at 511 S. Cherokee Ave. This simple but elegant three-story home was built of red brick, trimmed in white. Today it stands as the only home on the block. The house has undergone very few structural changes, except that a small porch has been enclosed to provide a foyer before entering the living room. It was designed for family living and gracious entertaining. Upon entering, one sees a spacious living room with a flowing floor plan to the dining area, a small library, and an inviting sunroom. A staircase leads to the upstairs bedrooms. The kitchen remained very much the same in 1980 as when built, with light oak woodwork and molding and cabinets built all the way to the ceiling. Upstairs are bedrooms, sewing and sitting rooms, and a guest room. The home was built without closets, as wardrobes were used for clothing storage in the early 20th century. From the backkitchen door there is garden space between the house and the carriage house, with a smaller building to the south used as the servant’s quarters.

The Larkins lived in their lovely home until 1921, when John and Lillian decided to move their business to St. Louis. They sold their home to Dr. Howard and Etta Weber. The home has changed owners several times since but remains in good condition. As we revisit some of these homes, I would like to thank Vicki Stewart, Debbie Neece and Barbara Garrison who authored the wonderful book, “If Bartlesville’s Walls Could Talk” which provided much of the material that made this article possible. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

FEATURE SPONSOR

Style on Johnstone Ave. Classy Properties Highlight 300 Block of Street by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Each July, Jacob Bartles presented one of the best 4th of July parties in Indian Territory. It was a time for families to gather and political speeches to reach the masses. And towards the end of the event, Bartles shared boxes of his favorite “smokes” and reached many agreements on the banks of the Caney River with a handshake and fine cigar. And such was the tradition of Frank Phillips who sealed many an oil deal with a cigar and beverage on the porch of the Woolaroc Lodge. In 1915, Bartlesville was home of the Cherokee Cigar Company with 12 employees making, packing and shipping handmade cigars. Their unsavory manufacturing practices of saliva-sealing the hand-rolled cigars raised a few eyebrows but the cigars were popular with locals and some enthusiasts even had their name inscribed on the colorful cigar bands, one such customer was Joe Bartles, son of Jacob Bartles. Over the years, there have been many “smoke houses” in Bartlesville but when the Platinum Cigar Bar opened at 314 S. Johnstone Avenue in 2019, class came to town. The 300 block of South Johnstone Avenue was sparsely built until the Southern Building was constructed just south of the New Adams Hotel in 1912. The twostory brick constructed building became the home of the Southern Abstract Company with many oil companies occupying

the second floor. From 1921-1923, the Central National Bank occupied the building while their building was built at Third and Dewey. Then, from 1923 to 1927 the Advance Shop ladies ready to wear operated at this location, followed by Hasselmann’s Flowers, Terry Jewelry Store, Zales Jewelry Store, Betty’s Bookrack and Flowerland. For the Sutterfield Property Management team, the old Flowerland building was a diamond in the rough. With a lot of elbow grease, they have uncovered the brick walls, steel structure and wood beams to bring style to Johnstone Avenue. The Platinum Cigar Bar has a fully stocked humidor with a wide variety of quality cigars and accessories, as well as high-quality spirits, draft, and bottled craft, foreign and domestic beers. With two floors of comfortable lounge furniture, dimmed lighting, a dumbwaiter to service the second floor and a casual

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relaxing atmosphere, there are sure to be many deals sealed at the Platinum Cigar Bar. Check their calendar for parties, wine tastings and special events.

Thank you, Janice Shippy, for your 20 years of nursing and 10 years serving as a nurse practitioner. You will be missed by your patients and the Primary Care staff.

Still open for your Since 1999

providers WILLIAM W. DAVITO, DO MARK D. ERHARDT, DO DANIEL J. HOLDMAN, MD ELIZABETH R. SHERROCK, MD DONALD R. SIMMONS, MD MICHAEL RYAN VACLAW, MD JANICE L. SHIPPY APRN, DNP AMANDA GUTIERREZ, LPC

HEalth needs! Same-day appointments Mon-Thur 8am-5pm | Fri 8am-12pm | Sat 9am-12pm

Telemed appointments available during office hours

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primarycareassociatesbartlesville.com JULY 2020 | b Monthly

JULY CALENDAR SPONSORED BY 4

Big Bang 5k/10k/ Fun Run

Teens Cake Deco/Sign Up Required

7;30 AM; Downtown Dewey

2 PM; Bartlesville Public Library Led by Dusty Hardester of Dusty Rose Cakes, teen participants will decorate minisheet cakes based on their favorite story from a book, movie, video game, life event, etc. Space is limited. Sign up at the BPL website.

Bartlesville 4th of July Fireworks 9;45 PM; Sooner Park The fireworks will blast-off at 9:45 p.m., but because of social distancing and limiting public gatherings, we will not host Freedom Fest, just saluting America with fireworks.

Dewey Fireworks 9;45 PM; Downtown Dewey

Hotrods Customs & Donuts 9 AM; Two Tal Oakie Sings and Such LLC, Dewey OK

Extreme Animal of Oklahoma

2 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square TEENS! Join improvisation artist Maria Gus for a fun introduction to the art of Improv. No experience necessary, no pressure, no stress...just come ready to have a fun & playful time!

6 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square

Little History Adventures Presents 2 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square

SALE

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First Wesleyan Family Fun Night 6 PM; Sooner Jr Miniature Golf Come join us for Family Fun Night at Sooner Jr Miniature Golf. Free Admission!

Magic Show

Bartlesville High School Graduation

Teen Improv Workshop

2 PM; Extreme Animals

Sizzlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summer Series: Beach Party

3 PM; Tower Center at Unity Square Join us at the Stage Area of the Tower Center at Unity Square for one of these amazing Magic Shows! Kevin Wade always delivers with a fun & educational performance.

8 PM; Custer Stadium

Bruin Golf Classic 9 AM; Adams Golf Course Mark your calendars. Check facebook event for more details to follow.

Still Open For You Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 5:00pm Friday 8:00am - Noon

"Building a Healthy Community One Individual at a Time." William Davito, DO

Daniel Holdman, MD Elizabeth Sherrock, MD Janice Shippy APRN, DNP Donald Simmons, MD M. Ryan Vaclaw, MD

Saturday 9:00am - Noon

20-23

Mark Erhardt, DO

Se Habla Español

15-17

VBS-Focus 6 PM; East Cross United Methodist Register your kids here today! https://eastcrossumc.breezechms. com/form/FOCUSregistration Register to volunteer here: https://eastcrossumc.breezechms. com/form/FOCUSvolunteers. VBS runs through July 23.

3-5

Jordan Belong Soccer Camp TBA; Robinwood Fields

27-29 Coach Donnie Bostwick’s Basketball Camp Ages: 9 – 18; Commuter Camper Cost: $150; Extended Day Cost: $195.

Sick visits for patients suffering from potentially infectious or transmissable conditions from 1:30-5pm only, Mon-Thur.

918-331-9979 www.primarycareassociatesbartlesville.com

30-31 Diaper Dandy Camp Who: Girls & Boys, Ages 4 – 8; Where: OKWU Mueller Sports Center; Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Cost: $75.

July 30-Aug 1 39th Annual Green Country Rodeo TBA; Bartlesville Round Up Club

Youth Rally TBA; Victory Church Bartlesville

13 Violin Adventures with Ashley Allison

OKM Music Children’s Events Storytime and Piano with 18 Rachel Foote 1 PM; Ambler Hall

1&3 PM; Fr. Lynch Hall

1&3 PM; Ambler Hall

Dan the Taxi Man with Moriah Ross and Erick Ode

“Once Upon A Lively” and “Secretes of the Vegetable Garden” with Moriah Ross

10 AM, 1 &3 PM; Ambler Hall

Magic with Jim Green

Prince & Princess Tea

17 10 AM & 1 PM; Ambler Hall

“Melody’s Mostley Music Day” with Jenny Lin

Disney Bingo Songbox with Jacky Manning and Michael Duncan

10 AM; Ambler Hall

6&7 PM; Radio or Facebook

Note For all OKM Music Childrens Events: AN RSVP THROUGH FACEBOOK DOES NOT SECURE A SPOT, ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS EVENT. TO RSVP, PLEASE GO TO: https://bit.ly/2XRARfZ or call (918) 336-9900. All “Especially for Kids” events require an event RSVP! For more information, contact Rose Hammerschmidt, 918-336-9900 or email rhammerschmidt@okmozart.com Please pick up materials at the OKM office by July 10.

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JULY EVENTS CALENDAR

Know of an upcoming event you would like to see on our calendar? Visit us at www.bartlesvillemonthly.com to submit a free listing!

Sat, Jul 4

Dewey Fireworks

Sat, Jul 11

Wed, Jul 15

Downtown Dewey 7:30am

Big Bang 5k/10k/ Fun Run Downtown Dewey 8 AM

2 PM

6 PM

Wed, Jul 8

Teen Cake Decorating Class

First Wesleyan Family Fun Night

Bartlesville Public Library

Sooner Jr. Miniature Golf

9 AM

600 S Johnstone Ave.

Sooner Park

Mon, Jul 13

Fri, Jul 24

Bartlesville Farmer’s Market Opens

Hotrods Customs & Donuts Car Show

Frank Phillips Park

Two Tal Okie Signs & Such, LLC

Frank Phillips & Keeler The Farmers Market has always been a place for fun interaction with our neighbors. This will change some in 2020, but we will still provide an economic benefit to our area farmers and the nutritional well-being of the local population. 9:45 PM

Bartlesville 4th of July Fireworks Sooner Park After many years absence, we are excited to announce the fireworks show will return to Sooner Park instead of downtown Bartlesville on July 4th. The fireworks will blast-off at 9:45 p.m., but because of social distancing and limiting public gatherings, we will not be hosting Freedom Fest, just saluting America with fireworks. Please be safe and enjoy the show!

700-1/2 N. Delaware St., Dewey

2 PM

8 PM

Teen Improv Workshop

Bartlesville High School Graduation

Fri, Jul 10

Tower Center at Unity Square

6 PM

Times Vary

Sizzlin’ Summer Series: Beach Party

OKMMusic “Especially for Kids” Events

Tower Center at Unity Square

Venues Vary

For those of us who won’t be on a beach on July 10, we are going to bring the beach to you! Join us for our Sizzlin’ Summer Series with live music, food trucks, and an opportunity for your kids to cool off under the spray of a BPD firetruck. We will have other activities and games for the kids as well. Come join US!

Custer Stadium

For individual events, times, and locations check out our Kids Calendar on page25.

Tue, Jul 14

Sat, Jul 25 9 AM

Bruin Golf Classic Adams Golf Course

Thu, Jul 30

2 PM

8 PM

Little History Adventures Presents

39th Annual Green Country Rodeo

Tower Center at Unity Square

Bartlesville Round-Up Club Arena Green Country Rodeo features a wild horse race, bronc riding, bull riding, barrel racing, calf scramble, food, fun, and excitement.

JULY 2020 | b Monthly

JULY COVER CONTEST SPONSOR

Thank you to all contest participants for your amazing photos of Frank Lloyd Wright’s only skyscraper. Rick Loyd, executive director, Price Tower

“If you foolishly ignore beauty you will soon ﬁnd yourself without it. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.” Frank Lloyd Wright

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PEOPLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOICE WINNER

Photo Courtesy of Chance Franks

JULY 2020 | b Monthly

JULY COVER CONTEST

Congratulations to the grand prize winner of our July 2020 cover contest, Andrew Nichols. As the grand prize winner, Andrew will receive $250, a free night stay at The Inn at Price Tower, two free tours of Price Tower, plus you can find his photo featured on our cover!

We would also like to congratulate Chance Franks, winner of the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice award. Chance will receive a $50 gift card from Copper Restaurant and two free tours of Price Tower.

Thank you to everyone who entered! We were blown away by the creativity and originality of all entries and appreciate everyone who took the time and effort to be part of our contest.

Alex True

Andy Dossett

Becky Cowen

Beth Von Buchwald

Brandi Hawe

Andrew Nichols

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JULY COVER CONTEST

Chance Franks

Charles Chapman

Christy Fees

Cody Meade

Coleen Hambrick

Denise Wally

Diane Gentges

Eva Martin

Evan Martin

Fatima Padilla

Fritz Green

Fritz Green JULY 2020 | b Monthly

JULY COVER CONTEST

Fritz Green

Gay Wheeler

Jaden Wright

Jayleen Mayes

Jen May

Joe Dunn

Katie Zaun

Konrad Brandemuhl

Kyle Travis

Leonard Dick

Leslie Jerden

Luis Ortiz

Lynne R. Barnes

Martha Ambler

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JULY COVER CONTEST

Matthew Sinclair

Nan Morrison

Renee Lenertz

Russell Maddock

Sharon Janda

Sheri Doe

Stephen Carl

Susan Steward

Suzanne Warren

Tamsen Skinner

Toni Klemm

Toni Klemm JULY 2020 | b Monthly

JEFF HALL REAL ESTATE “My commitment to service is my commitment to you!”

Jeff Hall, Broker/Associate (Licensed Broker in OK and NC)

515 SE Delaware Avenue, Bartlesville, OK 74003 918.440.9199 jhall@mcgrawrealtors.com

320 SE Delaware Suite 5 PO Box 996 | Bartlesville, OK 74005

918-333-5151 34

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AGENT FOR GOODVILLE MUTUAL

A GOOD WORD

The Power of Prayer Prayer is the Key to Healing the Country’s Racial Divide by Rev. Victor Paul The following is a sermon excerpt immediately after the death of George Floyd. As pastor of Greater First Baptist Church, I must admit that today is one of the most difficult Sundays to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ I’ve experienced in all my years of preaching and shepherding God’s people. I understand among other things, part of my task as pastor and shepherd is to offer hope to the hurting and to interpret scripture as it applies to current events. This morning I am reeling from the pain of recent events in our great country that highlight the racial tension and the injustice that appears to be sewn into the fabric of America society. Recently we’ve seen Ahmaud Aubery, a young black man who, while jogging, was hunted down and murdered by a white vigilante father and son duo because they thought he committed a crime. Recently, we’ve seen a white woman in Central Park call the police and in a bold insidious lie, tell them a black man was threatening her and she feared for well being simply because he asked her to leash her dog in an area where dogs were supposed to be leashed in the first place. Most recently, we’ve seen an unarmed black man named George Floyd, already subdued and not a threat, murdered by a policeman in Minneapolis by placing his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes, ignoring his pleas to stop because he couldn’t breathe. These three recent events that have caught the attention of our nation have highlighted the problem of racism in our country. But many of us know that they are a recent manifestation of countless similar events that have been perpetrated on people of color throughout the history of our nation. As a Christian man who believes in the power of prayer, I know that prayer is key to the healing of the racial divide that exists in our country. Nevertheless, I need to be completely honest with you. At times I weary of community prayer, time after time after time, when nothing seems to change. I will always answer the call to prayer, but I also believe that those who pray for this issue also need to be a part of the solution to this issue. To my brown-skinned brothers and sisters, I encourage you to peacefully protest and denounce the violence and looting that is also taking place. I encourage you to speak out, even though there is a risk that your voice will be misconstrued as stoking racial division. Your voice must be heard not only at the protest march, but at the ballot box.

To my white brothers and sisters, your prayers are also not enough. You must help to instill public and legal policy to prevent these types of things from taking place. Please don’t let the violence of some of the protests distract you from the underlying concerns that caused the protests in the first place. I wish to offer a new paradigm from which to view the countless deaths of unarmed citizens at the hands of those who are sworn to protect them. I challenge you to view the death of George Floyd through the lens of the pro-life movement. The emotion generated by the death of unborn babies due to abortion can and should also applied to the death of unarmed citizens who, like fetuses in the womb, also could not speak for themselves. Can we extend the pro-life message “from the womb to the tomb?” My friend, Dr. Andre Lewis, commented, “As people debate the proper response to George Floyd’s murder, we must condemn all forms of racism, bigotry, and discrimination. We must call it for what it is: SIN! As Christians, we renounce this hateful ideology. Racial injustice is incompatible with the promise of the gospel. But posting strong words on your Facebook page isn’t enough. We must do the hard work of confessing, forgiving, and peacemaking. We must be intentional about extending invitations and sharing meals with people. We must contribute our money and labor to causes that promote justice. We must do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Lord, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

LOOKING BACK SPONSOR

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LOOKING BACK

Famous Ancestor Bartian’s Great-Great Grandfather Signed Declaration of Independence by Kay Little, Little History Adventures

Josiah Bartlett, born in 1729 in Massachusetts, was a patriot, scholar, statesman, physician, chief justice, and a governor of North Hampshire. He is better known as the 2nd signer of the Declaration of Independence. So, what is his connection to Bartlesville? In the Bicentennial edition of the Bartlesville ExaminerEnterprise on July 1, 1976, one of the headlines read, “Bartian’s Ancestor signed the Declaration.” Mr. Bartlett’s great-great granddaughter, Abigail Bartlett Simkins, lived in Bartlesville most of her adult life. She was very involved in the community. Mrs. Simkins grew up with an heirloom photo that has been handed down from generation to generation. In 1976, as she passed it to the next generation, making sure her children and grandchildren knew their heritage — of which they were all very proud. Josiah Bartlett studied hard to become a doctor. He became a doctor at the young age of 21. In fact, three of his sons and seven grandsons also became physicians. He was an unconventional doctor. He would not bleed his patients, as other doctors did. His practice thrived and he was very respected. Josiah was active in public affairs and a very honest man. This led to his election as Representative from Kingston, New Hampshire to the Provincial Assembly in 1765. He was also an unconventional representative. The Royal Governor attempted to bribe Josiah to side with the English, but Josiah was a patriot and served several times in the Continental Congress. He was the 2nd signer, after John Hancock, of the Declaration of Independence. He went on to serve his country in many ways, including governor of New Hampshire.

Unfortunately, he died in 1795, before seeing his country succeed from his efforts. Abigail, also known Gail, Simkins felt like her heritage from Josiah influenced her life. She was very involved with the DAR, Daughters of the American Revolution. She joined the Bartlesville DAR in 1973 and served as chaplain from 19741977. She was also a member of the local Word Weavers and Genealogical Society. Abigail was described as a quiet, gracious woman with a warm smile, which sounds a lot like her ancestor, Josiah. Abigail Lena Bartlett was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1909. After graduating from Sapulpa High in 1926, she attended Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha and Oklahoma University. She married William Simkins on December 10, 1932 in Bartlesville. He worked in Research and Development at Phillips Petroleum Company. Abigail worked as church secretary at First Presbyterian, then joined Phillips Petroleum Company as a secretary in the Gasoline and Refining Department. William died in 1973 and Abigail stayed in Bartlesville until 1990, when she moved to Houston, Texas, to live with her daughter, Winifred McNabb. Abigail died in 2000 while living in Texas and was buried next to her husband, William, at Memorial Park in Bartlesville. As Abigail was proud of her ancestor Josiah, I believe Josiah would be very proud of his descendant, Abigail Bartlett Simkins.

JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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NOW YOU KNOW

America’s Tangle of Angles Price Tower Built by Frank Lloyd Wright and H.C. Price by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Bartlesville is much more than the people who live and work in the area, our community is blessed to be the caretakers of some of the most notable legacies in the world – for example, H.C. Price’s Price Tower. In 1913, Harold Charles Price Sr. arrived in Bartlesville and worked as a chemist at the zinc smelters, until an economic decline left him jobless. In 1921, he began the Electra Welding Company on Second Street (current location of Moxie), a company that became the H.C. Price Company, the largest pipeline welding and coating company in the world. He married Mary Louise Pattison in 1926 and they were joined by sons, Harold Jr. and Joe. Mary Lou attended and received a teaching degree from Oklahoma University so it was fitting their sons attended O.U. as well. While Joe worked to obtain an engineering degree, he was able to observe lectures presented by Bruce Goff, famed architect and the Director of the Architecture School at O.U. The two became friends and the friendship brought Joe a beneficial introduction to Frank Lloyd Wright, another architectural genius. H.C. Price Sr. appreciated ranch style construction and, in 1945, hired Architect Cliff May, the “Father of the California Ranch Home” to build his home at Star View Farm, south of Bartlesville. H.C. planned to use May as the architect for his ranch style office building as well. However, at Joe’s insistence, the family traveled to Mr. Wright’s home in Wisconsin to speak about designing a two-three story office building. Once at Mr. Wright’s office, there was a long discussion behind closed doors before Joe’s parents and Mr. Wright emerged with smiles upon their faces. H.C. said, “I wanted a two story building, Mr. Wright wanted a 14-story building and we compromised on a 19-story building.” And their relationship continued to be a series of “compromises” throughout the project. Mr. Wright hated telephones – he said “If it is worth talking about, come and see me.” With only three floors on the ground, the Tower looked like a mushroom when H.C. received a telegram from Mr. Wright with instructions to be home at a certain

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date and time so Wright could call. When the phone rang, H.C. quickly became frustrated as he conveyed his questions to Mr. Wright’s secretary, who in turn relayed the answers. After about five minutes, H.C. asked his third question and received the reply, “Mr. Wright has left.” H.C. was furious and called for the company pilots to ready the plane for his departure to Arizona for a face-to-face with Mr. Wright. Weeks passed without a word from H.C. Price, and then the pilots called to say they would be arriving in thirty minutes. Joe Price feared the tower would remain a three-story mushroom; however, to his astonishment, when H.C. exited the plane, he elatedly rambled about Mr. Wright designing a house in Scottsdale as a winter entertainment home. Apparently, the two gentlemen arrived at an agreement soon after H.C. arrived and they spent the remaining time designing the “Grandma House” which was completed in 1955. For H.C. the important part of the Grandma House was the view and for Wright it was the design. Wright told H.C., “You buy the land; I will build you a view.” When the project

NOW YOU KNOW was completed, Wright eloquently penned: “And the Mountain looked upon the Prices and what they had done; And the Mountains came over to the Prices and said AMEN!” And the Price’s received a magnificent view. Joe Price said, “That is how those two men got along. Once they were face-to-face, they solved all things in a matter of minutes” to benefit each. In as much as H.C. Price Sr. was the money in the establishment of the Price Tower, it was Joe Price’s relationships and forward thinking that the brought the Price Tower to Bartlesville. Of the Price family, Joe carried the strongest relationship with Mr. Wright who referred to Joe as his “little engineer.” Joe was drawn closer to the Tower through the lessons he received from Mr. Wright, especially the “prairie flower” lesson during a nature walk in which Mr. Wright explained the correlation of the structural physics and integrity of the flower and the Tower. Holding the stalk of the flower, Wright said the design of the Tower’s “tap-root” structural system is based on the four elevator shafts which form the structural stem of the Tower, proving to be “hurricane strong.” The two men had an understanding. Mr. Wright only visited the Tower construction site five times. Upon one of the visits, Joe was the “chauffeur” and as they neared the tower, Mr. Wright began to repeatedly yell “STOP THE CAR!” And then he jumped from the car with walking cane in hand and ran over to the round window on the north side of the building, beating it with his cane. Joe had admired the round window, calling it the “morning sun” as a contrast to the many angles in the building but Mr. Wright very angrily said, “Look what your damned fool architect did!” The fury was because there were to be no circles in Wright’s “tangle of angles.” Joe said, “Mr. Wright was absolutely out of his mind and did not leave until he had sketched, designed and the workers were building a copper square window which would set on an angle as a diamond shape. This left the viewer to see the height and beauty of the building and not the window.” Only then was Mr. Wright at ease. When H.C. moved into the Tower, a world globe was placed in his office. It is the only circle in the building although the base is a triangle. Mr. Wright designed the now-famous aluminum based chairs with red upholstery for the Price Tower and Joe Price was tasked with finding a vendor to make the chairs. He searched furniture manufac-

tures on the eastern coast and met failure. The Price Company welding fabricators sent him to Fred Snell at a little welding shop in the Tuxedo area who had an aluminum welding machine. Fred dismissingly told Joe, “Up at Dewey there is a little foundry with a couple of kids, maybe they can make them.” The foundry was the Bluestem Foundry operated by Calvin Mason. Mason received a call from Mr. Price’s secretary, asking him to visit with H.C. Price at the Tower. When Mason arrived, he was greeted by Mr. Price, Mr. Wright and a roll of drawings. Mr. Price asked Mason, “Can you make this chair?” Mason answered, “Yes.” With skeptical arrogance, Mr. Wright said, “Are you SURE?” Mason said “Of course I can make this. If you can draw it, I can make it.” Mason indeed did make the Frank Lloyd Wright designed chairs and then created the hand railing on the outside staircase as well – the most difficult metal casting of his career. This was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with both the Price family and Mr. Wright. And, Mr. Wright often sought Mason’s professional opinion on many jobs thereafter; including Wright’s mile-high skyscraper, The Illinois, with a planned “528 stories and room for 100,000 people, 15,000 cars and 100 JULY 2020 | b Monthly

NOW YOU KNOW

helicopters.” Mason held his composure and politely declined the construction offer to which Mr. Wright smiled and slyly said, “You said if I could draw it, you could build it.” Mason frankly replied,

“This is not a practical building.” And incidentally, the building was never built either. As the final touches were applied to the Price Tower, H.C. requested Mr. Wright create a mural of Bartlesville to be placed in the entry of the Tower. Mr. Wright animatedly said “No, the wall shall be void!” H.C. insisted and Wright said “I will contact you in three days.” Wright was deeply inspired by Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” and from the collection of poems, Wright created the words that grace the entry of the Price Tower…another compromise agreement between Wright and H.C. Price. “Where the city that has produced the greatest man stands, there the greatest city stands.” — Walt Whitman Frank Lloyd Wright once said to be a skyscraper, the Tower must have residential, commercial and retail space. Architect, Bruce Goff was the longest residential tenant; floors 11-19 were reserved for the Price Company with H.C.’s office on the 19th floor; Barbara’s Fashions and Salon of Beauty, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, doctors, lawyers, radio stations and oil companies have all occupied the Tower.

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NOW YOU KNOW

An estimated 13,000 people attended the Grand Opening of you know people; you know your neighbors; you grow up honest the Price Tower in 1956 and because people know you.” Joe the H.C. Price Company continPrice now lives in California… “If you foolishly ignore beauty you will soon find yourself ued to headquarter at the Price but Bartlesville is home. without it. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with Tower though 1981. For the you all the days of your life.” During Frank Lloyd Price family, Bartlesville was — Frank Lloyd Wright Wright’s career, he designed home. They not only estabover 1,100 architectural works of art and, although less than half lished a business, they established homes and were members of of the designs have been realized, he has been recognized as one our community. In the words of Joe Price, “Once you leave of America’s greatest architects. However, it was his relationships Bartlesville, there lies the difference, friendship. In Bartlesville, that have left a mark on the clients the most. ~ Special Appreciation to Price Connors, Jay and Ann-Janette Webster, and the Bartlesville Community Foundation.

Did You Know? Bartlesville is host to two of the world’s largest cloisonné (enamel on copper) murals. The Community Center has a mural showing the Stylized Northeastern Oklahoma Countryside and the Price Tower has a mural entitled Willows in Reflections designed by John DeKoven Hill and fabricated by Paulie Lamb. Now You Know*

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MEET YOUR WRITER

Sarah Leslie Gagan Popular Writer Combines Talent with Life Experiences by Tim Hudson Bartlesville Monthly Magazine writer Sarah Leslie Gagan said that she always knew she was born to write. “My earliest aspiration was to be a presidential speech writer. After high school, I went into nursing instead, mainly because of the guaranteed employment in the field,” she said. “About 20 years into nursing, I combined my love of writing and my nursing degree and started focusing on freelance medical writing.” And lucky for Bartlesville she did. She’s been a consistent writer with bmonthly for a while now, and is a contributor to not only the magazine, but Bartlesville in general. Originally born in Branson, Missouri and transplanted to Michigan, she ended up in Bartlesville in 1982. “Some writing areas I specialize in are domestic violence, trauma, PTSD, depression, and addiction. I also enjoy writing pieces pertaining to gardening, raising livestock, and country life,” she said. “Something I love most about writing is making non-fiction pieces tell a story. I love taking hard subjects and breaking them down for people to connect with, and engaging my readers in ways they can relate to and understand.” She added that the story she did for the bmonthly on the Spanish Flu was her favorite. In addition to it combining her two passions in life, writing and healthcare, she said the story was informative about the area too. “It helped me to learn things about Bartlesville, things that I didn’t know. I had to do some research, and of course Joe Todd provided interviews he had done with actual survivors,” she said. “With every article, I learn more about the town I’ve lived in for over 30 years.” The other subjects that Sarah likes to write about were also close to her experience. “I am a survivor of domestic violence. I had a marriage of 20 years that was pretty rough, and so all of those things were just kind of what I knew the most about. Mental health and my own recovery and all of the counseling and different things,” she said. “It just kind of came natural to write about these things after my divorce, when I was trying to reshape my career and figure out what I wanted to do.” The word “survivor” is also a word that seems to follow Sarah around. She is a survivor of breast cancer, having been diagnosed

with the disease in 2015. “I am also a ghost-writer who loves helping others get their stories out and into print. I enjoy writing poetry, devotionals, and inspirational pieces,” she said. “I ghost wrote medical stories. They were mainly continuing education credits to put together a learning program for nurses to do to get the credits they need every year to renew their license.” She said that readers will soon have more avenues to enjoy her writing, as she’s in the middle of writing two books. “I’m currently writing two books, one supernatural fiction, and one non-fiction true crime book with ties to Bartlesville in the 1980s.” JULY 2020 | b Monthly

HOPE & BELIEF

When Love Was Lost & Grace Was Found

by Keith McPhail

I write these stories about my life — our life — for the magazine, which is often difficult to do, as I describe my mistakes and failures. However, every story I write shows that anything is possible with Hope and Belief in yourself, others, and God. If these stories help one person or one couple to keep going and to hold on, then any struggle and pain I feel is worth it. Writing is therapy for me. It helps keep me grounded and gain perspective on what's important in life. I want our story to inspire and help others. I want you to know that you're not alone. I want you to know someone else has struggled and defeated the enemy. I want our story and my words to give Hope and Belief that the power of love and prayer can move mountains. I open up another chapter of our lives about the first year of our marriage. I want you to see that only by Christy’s faith and God's Grace are you reading these words today. Our love story has impacted so many lives and to see how God's Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness, and Faithfulness laid a foundation for our love decades before is amazing. The words you are about to read will put you in the middle of the darkness, madness, and devastation of addiction and how everything in your life can and will change in a matter of months. When you battle addiction, who you see in the mirror will be a stranger. This story will show how love can conquer all. You will read about the all-out battle with the enemy for my soul, our marriage, and our new family! If I could paint you a picture of what true love, best friends, and soulmates looks like, the colors on the canvas would be vibrant and beautiful. Our story was then, as it is today, a journey of a love that was meant to be forever. We forged our love together in 1985 as two young, innocent teenagers, but we fell apart because of my actions and our love was lost. After being apart for over 17 years, we came back together with our special friendship 50

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July 23, 2005

and rediscovered the love we always had for each other ... a love that never quit. In the late afternoon of July 23, 2005, a love story that could be written into a movie script today came true. In that very moment, that minute, that hour ... everything in my life was finally just right. All I knew was that everything I had ever dreamed of and had wanted since 1985

was coming true right before my eyes. It is so hard to find the words and feelings that were rushing through me when I was standing in that moment, watching Christy’s dad walk her down the aisle, soon to have her take my hand and start a brand new life …a life of happiness. I mean, seriously, I had been apart from Christy for 18 years, and now she was

HOPE & BELIEF

2009

about to become my wife ... Christy Dutcher McPhail. I say dreams do come true even with our past hurts, pains, and failures — which in the end helped make a way for Christy and I to become husband and wife. On that day in front of God, close friends, and family — including our six kids: Tyler, James, Mary, Blake, Madison, and Parker — Christy and I pledged our love to one another. We joined our six kids together and both of us, at the age of 36, jumped head first into our life together. What we didn’t know was that the enemy was starting to take hold. It happened ... I relapsed after 13 years of sobriety. Why? Why? God, WHY? Christy had never been around drugs, so she didn’t see the warning signs. For the next 14 months, our lives, our faith, family, friendship, love, and our marriage, that we both had wanted so badly, started to crumble. I completely lost it. I was spiraling out of control.

Two months into our marriage, Christy told me we were having a baby. Both of us knew we wanted a child to help bridge our family together. We knew when the time came, we would name her Grace and she would know her name meant “a gift from God.” We named our daughter — our little miracle — Grace Olivia McPhail ... our little little. She was the anchor that held us together in the strongest and darkest storms. Grace saved my life. She is the reason Christy gave me one more chance. This is what we had dreamed of ... being together, having a family, having a baby ... but no one knew that I had started to spiral out of control with my cocaine addiction. Everything in my life, and I mean EVERYTHING, was about to change! In that very moment our marriage, faith, trust, and our new family was in the grasp of the enemy. It's only goal was to steal, kill, and destroy my life

— this love story, this family, and this marriage. I want to share with you how lost and out of control my disease and addiction were, and how close to death I came. I never imagined that I would be married to my high school sweetheart, have six kids, have a baby on the way, and be shooting cocaine in my arms and legs. At the end of this battle with my addiction, I had lost 30 pounds and scarred my body to the point that it was hard to find a vein that had not collapsed. I would not be alive today if it was not for Christy going against everyone — and I mean everyone. She risked losing it all and took one last chance on me and our love. The man she had put all her Hope and Faith into, who lied hundreds of times, let her down relapse after relapse. But before that last chance she gave me, I was at the edge of death. Late one night with plenty of cocaine, for whatever reason I had in my sick JULY 2020 | b Monthly

HOPE & BELIEF

Keith and Grace 2006

2019

head I drove to the back of a parking lot. but she still believed! She believed On this day, I stand in front of the Back then, the Toyota Camry had a door because she knew the real me, she woman who still today just melts me to between the back seat and the trunk that knew this was not who I wanted to be ... my core. She is the meaning of what true you could crawl through. I did just that she knew my true heart, and she was love is and one’s commitment to see it and laid in my trunk at six-foot-four with not willing just to give up. through. She walked with me in the a flashlight in my mouth and shot dope in storm that Grace calmed. Still, after all I don't know if you have ever had that my arms for hours. Mercy found me that these years, I close my eyes and shake one special person in your life who comnight, because I never should have come my head, remembering how our love pletely melts you with their smile, or who out of that trunk alive. The scars I have story began with a new kid in town from you feel their soul breathing on you, their on my arms and the large scar I have on Arkansas meeting a beautiful 16-year-old my right leg is a reminder that Oklahoma girl. when all Hope seems lost, I go back to that night 35 Mercy will draw you near and “Standing in the middle of the storm in front of me is years ago when I first saw you. give you a place to rest. I cannot From that moment, my life has my wife…the one who helped breath life back into tell you how many times I never been the same. Thank you, wanted to give up ... just be my life…Christy Dutcher McPhail” Christy, for loving me, for being done with it all. But God had a my eyes when I couldn't see, different plan, and here we are and for believing in me when no today, 15 years later. God is else would. Thank you for showgood! Standing in the middle of the touch sends goose bumps up your whole ing me what forgiveness is and taking storm in front of me is my wife ... the one body. When Christy walks in the room that last chance on me when everyone I have always loved and adored ... the one the butterflies swarm from my stomach. was against us. You are my soulmate, who helped breath life back into my life ... She moves me! Christy is the most beauand I will carry you with me forever. Christy Dutcher McPhail. tiful woman that these eyes have ever You're the one person who knew me, To this day, I still shake my head and seen. I am infatuated with her beauty. accepted me, and believed in me before just say thank you, Jesus, for your mercy, She is the love of my life. I love walking anyone else did — and when no else Grace, and this amazing woman. Christy into our bedroom when she is getting would. I will always love you and nothing never gave up on me even through all ready for the day and I see her. Even will ever change that. Happy Anniversary. the lies, tears, darkness, anger, hopetoday, after all these years, I pinch myself Simply yours, lessness, and hurt. Christy continued to so I will know that she, Christy Dutcher, Keith believe in me even when her faith was is my wife! sometimes as small as a mustard seed .. 52

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ON THE OSAGE

Shaking Things Up Shidler Residents Garnering Attention for Great Works by Kelly Bland Yes sir, we are always shaking things up in Osage County, Oklahoma and there are a couple of movers and shakers in Shidler that have their town — and the state of Oklahoma — taking notice. Like being headliners on the Ed Sullivan Show, John Payne and Molly Lawson are tearin’ it up inspiration-wise in the far northwestern corner of the county, and it is music to this gal’s ears. While his partner isn’t known as Smokey, John Payne is definitely known as The Bandit – The One Arm Bandit, to be specific. Known around the globe for his fame in the rodeo entertainment world, John has always lived outside of the box. From being able to ride just about anything with four legs to having a way with animals like none I’ve ever seen, what John Payne may be best known for is his heart for his community. I was in Shidler recently and noticed one of the old two-story downtown buildings having a huge wrap-around balcony being constructed. I couldn’t resist, so I stopped to ask what the plans were. It turns out John Payne owns the building, and he was building the balcony for “socialization” purposes for he and his rodeo buddies when they come to town. Just the sight of it made me want to be included in the clan. Before I left, I might have mentioned that it sure would look good with white lights hanging above and under it with a western swing band up in the center of it and folks dancing in the streets below. We will see… Just like Jerry Lee Lewis broke the mold with his ability to tickle the keys, Molly Lawson is breaking the mold for capturing the essence of the cowboy from behind the lens of her camera — AND she is about to shake things up in Osage County with her very first art show. July 13-31, 2020, at The Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum in Pawhuska, Molly

Lawson, also from Shidler, is going to “grab the bull by the horns” and show everyone that she’s “got chicken in the barn” in true shakin’-it-up style. She has spent the last half of the year out in the pastures, in the branding pen, and breaking daylight with some of the best cowboys in the state. Through

her photography, she doesn’t just capture the moment — she captures the meaning behind the moment in a way that touches the heart. It will all be large, on canvas, and available for purchase at The Cowboys of Oklahoma Art Show.

Can you feel it? From breathing new life into a historic downtown building, to living it to the fullest out in Oklahoma tallgrass pastures — Upcoming Osage County Events there’s something good going on in the Osage. So, come on July (all month) Summer Shindigs at POSTOAK over baby — we’ve always got Lodge the bull by the horn ‘cause July 13-31 The Cowboys of Oklahoma Art there’s a whole lotta shakin’ Show going on! Y’all come see us in July 13-19 Cavalcade Rodeo Osage County where July 18 Chick Wilfong at The Ben Johnson #TheSmilesAreAlwaysFree and Cowboy Museum the lemonade is just a quarter. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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LOCAL LANDMARKS

Return to Glory Days A Look at the History of the Johnstone-Sare Landmark by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Three Bartlesville men have been credited with the creation, maintenance and restoration of one of the most prominent anchors in Bartlesville’s historic downtown district – William Johnstone, Mike May and Clyde Sare. Standing at the northwestern corner of Johnstone Avenue and Frank Phillips Blvd., the Right Way Hotel/May Brothers Clothing/JohnstoneSare building has occupied the corner since 1899. No man stands alone; it takes a group to complete monumental tasks. The railroad was coming and Bartlesville grew towards the railroad depot in anticipation of “new comers.” Frank Overlees and Ola Wilhite built their two-story, wooden National Hotel and opened Christmas Day 1899 with a gala

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celebration. The following December, the hotel was re-christened as the Right Way Hotel with a two-table pool hall for entertainment and a barber shop to keep everyone tidy.

The Right Way never slept and played a significant role in the development of oil in this area. Oil men with heavy pockets headquartered at the hotel while oilfield workers sought rest, a meal or a challeng-

LOCAL LANDMARKS

ing game of pool. The halls were often trod by the likes of Frank Phillips, Harry Sinclair, H.V. Foster, George Getty and son, J. Paul Getty since the hotel accommodations were the best of its time. With lodging at a premium and houses in short supply, city growth required additional guest rooms, so the three-story brick Right Way Hotel Annex, known as the 1904 Building, was built just north of the hotel and opened on July 4, 1904. This building made available seventy additional modern guest rooms for hotel patrons. And, since the building towered a story above the Right Way Hotel, the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right Way Hotelâ&#x20AC;? painted along the roofline beaconed travelers in search of lodging. The 1904 Building continued to serve as lodging under the name Avaneda Hotel for over forty years (1919-1962).

owned and operated the building as the Johnstone Park Apartments for over forty years when, in 2008, the 109 year old building was razed. With a clean slate at the Right Way Hotel corner, William Johnstone constructed a three-story brick and steel reinforced structure. The Madansky family opened The Model Clothiers on the first floor March 19, 1910. In 1921, the family Americanized their name by changing it

to May and changed the name of the family business to May Brothers to coincide. They operated at that location for 98 years, until the retirement of Bartlesville notable, Mike May in 2008. FIRE! August 31, 2009 the sky was aglow as flames ravaged the century-old May Brothers building and a second fire three months later brought area residents to fear a parking lot would surely be the result. However, the Clyde Sare family had

On September 24, 1909, the original wooden Right Way Hotel closed in preparation of relocating the building to 100 N. Osage (Osage Avenue and Hensley Blvd.) where it operated as furnished rooms and apartments. Undaunted by the March 1982 tornado and the October 1986 100year flood, Emory and Marjorie Pitzer

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LOCAL LANDMARKS better plans – saving the building from a wrecking ball at the final hour. For Clyde, it was personal. He had deeply rooted memories in the building and the question was not if they could save the building – it was just how the building would be saved. “The difficulties and financial investment involved in saving the structure would not have been faced by someone with logical or mathematical calculations, only with a heart for the structure.” — Crystal Sare

In 1942, Clyde’s father, Victor Sare, was a sharecropper by day and a janitor for the Phillips Petroleum offices in the building by night. Clyde often accompanied his father to his nightly cleaning job where Clyde played in the broad upstairs hallways creating fond childhood memories. When I spoke to Clyde in 2014, he best described himself as “obnoxiously obstinate, when I wanted something, I wanted it.” Personally, I found a determined man with tenacity and a heart melting grin. He described his high school hay farming days and his time at Oklahoma A&M (now OSU) where he majored in Economics, minored in Business Administration and presided over the Oklahoma Young Democrat Club. But when our discussion turned to the time Clyde wanted former President Truman to speak at OSU, the

ornery grin came upon his face. For some people no is not an answer…Clyde was that type of person. In 1957, as Clyde repeatedly penned letters and telephoned requesting Truman’s presence at one of the most important events of Clyde’s college experience, the answer was finally yes. His tenacious determination paid off. The event night, the Ball Room was full of Who’s Who in politics which proved to be

a huge asset for Clyde’s political career later. He said it was a little overwhelming but “When I was elected to the State House, people at the House knew who I was before I knew who they were.” The 1958 election to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives brought Clyde back to the May Brother’s building to office where he served his constituents for consecutive two terms. One of his crowning achievements was his work towards replacing the accident-prone two-lane road between Bartlesville and Tulsa with the four-lane divided Highway 75 we have today. In the mid-70s, the Sare family established a self-serve storage business with operations in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. Their manufacture of Structural Insulated Panel Systems (USA SIPS), used to create climate control in their storage units, became essential in the stabilization and restoration of the Johnstone-Sare building. It seems William Johnstone was a man ahead of his time. When he built the three-story building with steel-framed construction and solid limestone vertical supports, he built the structure to last. After removing over 7,000 tons of debris

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LOCAL LANDMARKS from the charred shell of the building, it was Johnstone’s ingenuity and the Sare’s determination that saved the building. In the aftermath of the August 31, 2009 May Brother’s fire, it became evident that the mural wording painted on the south side of the 1904 Annex nearly a 100 years ago had become visible. The heat of the fire crumbled the stucco that covered and protected the words and although the words Right Way have faded significantly over time, now that renovations are complete, the word HOTEL is still prominently visible and preserved beyond a double archway on the second floor. Although the renovations were not quite complete, in 2012 Clyde and Pat Sare celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at the heart of their family… the historic Johnstone-Sare Building. Under the umbrella of the Sare’s Centennial Restorations Company, the family and work crews returned the building to its former glory. On New Year’s Eve 2013, residents and dignitaries gathered for a celebratory “Lighting of the JohnstoneSare Building” where Clyde Sare described the project as a labor of love. The Sare family has completely restored the building from the bottom up, enhanced by the internal and exter-

nal decorative design and creativity of Crystal Sare. The elegant entry into the main lobby is filled with the romantic “I suspect both my father and I wanted floral aroma of the Johnstone-Sare Building to help Honey’s Flowers signal that the lights are back on in and a picturesque downtown Bartlesville.” staircase that leads — Crystal Sare to the second story “The Room At The

Top.” The rentable event venue is the perfect location for weddings and parties with a view of downtown Bartlesville like no other. As an added detail, the original door to Room 214, Clyde Sare’s office door during his service as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (1958-1962), has been installed along the staircase leading to the second floor – a permanent reminder of his service fifty years ago. The 1904 Building has been lifted to a level of elegance not befitting the dusty oilmen who occupied this hotel many years ago. The “Jewel Box Hotel Apartments” is a sophisticatedly decorated boutique hotel within walking distance to everything downtown has to offer – the “crowning jewel” of Johnstone Avenue. In the end, the Johnstone-Sare building continues to be one of the most prominent anchors in Bartlesville’s historic downtown district and has returned life to the corner with the Oklahoma based Hideaway Pizza and gourmet Omega Chocolates. One might say the Sare family has restored the days of glory…with a modern flare. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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KNOWING NOWATA

Hotels in Nowata A Look at Some of the Hotels of Nowata’s Early Days by Carrol Craun Weary travelers coming to Nowata needed places to rest, and sometimes live. The McCartney and Journeycake hotels built of white and yellow pine are names of the earliest mentioned lodgings, prior to 1892. Most of the early-day hotels have been lost to time, but three stand out and are either still in use today or undergoing restoration work. One of the finest structures built in Indian Territory in 1892 was the two-story wooden Carey Hotel, built by William Carey. Located on the corner of Cherokee and Oak, across the street diagonally from the depot, the hotel featured a wide covered porch, an elegant dining facility, and meeting rooms. The structure burned August 3, 1894, and was rebuilt. Later, in an attempt to update the hotel, brick was added to part of the structure. The opening ball held on New Years Eve was the social event of the year. Over the course of time, many fortunes were made and lost in the dining rooms and private rooms. Card games and hand shakes were all it took. The hotel enjoyed a strong business which did not wane until more structures were built to meet the needs of a rapidly growing community. In 1929, Hanson Smith, then current owner of the Carey, leased the property to Phillips Petroleum Company as a site for a new, modern gasoline filling station. The entire structure was to be torn down, but at the last minute Mr. Smith decided to move the front part of the building to the rear of the lot and build a 25-foot store building for a store he would operate. The original two story part that housed the dining room and private rooms above was torn down and the gasoline station built. A portion of the building that was moved to the back of the lot of the hotel still stands and is used today for a private business.

‘radium water’ facility was installed in the hotel in 1915 and opened for business on February 16, 1916 under the direction of J.R. Cruff. Promoters claimed the radium waters cured a wide range of illnesses, rheumatism, bladder and kidney issues, stomach problems of all kinds, malaria, and cancers. To quote a brochure from the times “Radium Water Baths create a reaction accompanied by an elevation of body temperature, accelerated heart action with diminished pressure in the arteries, and a stimulation of the nutritive changes in the tissue cells, especially those composing the organs of elimination and those concerned in the formation of blood, and when waters taken internally combined with sweating produced by baths and packs, elimination by all the Emunctories is greatly increase.” Fortunately this treatment is not recommended today.

One of the new structures in the pioneer town was the Savoy Hotel, originally called Thraves, completed in 1909 — just two years after statehood. It was touted as a modern, elegant hotel with rooms for 62 guests. It was to be a three story brick structure, a place where oil leases could be signed and formal balls held. On the night of August 22, 1909, a disgruntled employee set the building on fire and it was destroyed — the day before its grand opening. The builder was W. A. Davis, considered to be the architect of Nowata, and his daughter, Helen, was born the night of the fire. He rebuilt the hotel to accommodate 200 guests and it did fulfill its original purpose of bringing class and sophistication to the pioneer town. The first floor was the site of many small businesses: beauty shops, restaurants, oil field offices, candy store, barber shop, pool hall, and a concession stand that sold cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, and magazines. Each room had electricity, even if it was just a single hanging light, and was one of the first hotels to offer telephones in each guest room. A sign is still visible on the outer west wall of the building that points down to the Radium Baths located in the basement. While drilling for oil, radium water was found at the depth of 1500 feet in the shallow oil fields near town. Touting the health benefits, a

The building was the focal point of society until 1928, when it became bankrupt. During the 1940s, the second floor of the building became the Nowata Hospital. The basement served the community as a civil defense shelter and a meeting place for residents to gather during tornadoes and other weather crisis. Coming on the scene in 1910 was the Campbell Hotel, built by Herbert C. Campbell, who was trained as a medical doctor prior to joining his brother, John, in Indian Territory in the late 1880s. He worked as a cowboy when he arrived in Indian Territory and acquired land that later produced oil, making him a millionaire. His hotel was originally slated to be built just north of the Carey Hotel on Oak, but the location was changed to the corner of Pine and Cherokee. The structure still stands today and has been converted to apartments. It is built of blond brick with black accents in door openings and window trim. The base of the original portico still stands but the top cover is gone. The hotel is divided into a north and south tower, each standing three stories tall. The connecting center had a skylight which over time has been covered. The small individual rooms on the upper floors were once used by oil filed workers. Each room had space for a bed and possibly a dresser. Bath and shower facilities were communal with a washing station in the hall area. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK

The Long Season of Goodbyes Here’s the thing — people die. I know, right? Welcome to July. The problem is, I fear I’m heading into one of those long seasons of Goodbye’s. In just the last couple of months, I’ve lost three family members and two friends. It started as the Coronavirus Pandemic began to demand center stage in March. Our community quietly lost two icons. The first was Mike Proctor. Mike and his company, AFC, became clients of our little fledgeling video production company more than 20 years ago. He was inventive and funny and a huge OSU fan. We loved him anyway. After our first project together, he and his wife, Margo, helped back every community venture we could dream up. We made up a Farmer’s Market with live music — they sponsored it. We invented an 66

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overly-elaborate 5K race. They sponsored it. We did concert events and Loft Crawls and Independent movies … they contributed to all of them. When we shot and produced an original Rock Musical almost 10 years ago, most of the movie took place in a bar called Hanny’s. Mike agreed to fabricate a sign for us for the set. Everything came down to the wire. The day before we shot, we went to pick up the illuminated sign and it said “Hannity’s” instead. That wasn’t going to work on a lot of levels. Mike stayed late and they fixed the sign on the spot — not charging us. Later, as he continued his 10-year battle with cancer, he was chosen for an experimental drug trial. I encouraged him in the unique opportunity he had. I said, “Mike, nobody knows what the side effects of this drug are. Think of the power of that! You can say or do

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK anything you want and just blame it on the drugs. You’ve got a blank check. Use it!” I think he liked that idea. At least he laughed. A week and a half after Mike Proctor died, Mike May followed him. It feels like the May family was here in Bartlesville nearly from the beginning. They built what is now the Johnstone-Sare building (where Hide-a-Way Pizza is located) and quickly began constructing a legacy of community involvement. When we started the “Heart of Town Farmers Market" a hundred years ago, it quickly grew to include tents and tables and stage pieces. (It was like setting up a mini-circus every week.) Mike was kind enough to offer us storage in part of his unused building space. We set up in the shade of the Arvest Tower on Johnstone every Saturday of the summer and fall. Somehow in those early years, it never occurred to us to rent port-a-potties. So when our musical entertainment drove in from Tulsa early one Saturday morning and the driver emerged like a hernia patient, because he absolutely needed “to go,” I was at a loss. “Wow, Dave. Okay, here’s the deal,” I said “…if you go down this alley, about a third of the way down there’s an opening. Follow that around and you’ll probably find a place no one will see you and you can take care of your business.” From there I went about setting up more tents. 60 seconds later, a red-faced Mike May raced from his private parking spot in the alley wearing khakis, loafers, and a button down shirt and took my arm. “Jay, there’s a man peeing in the alley!” I looked past him and shook my head shamefully. “You know Mike, he’s from Tulsa….” Then I just shrugged as if to say, “You know how those city people are.” A few weeks ago, I lost my second-to-last Grandparent. E. James Webster passed away on April 15. He was a veteran of the Korean War - despite being severely height-challenged. He was a college graduate and found gainful employment within the oil industry for most of his life. He successfully helped raise one boy and three girls. He loved fishing and wood-working almost as much as laughing. (If the two of us found ourselves in a room with a Pink Panther Movie on … God help you.) You would be hard pressed to find anyone who could say something unkind about “Jim” Webster or who somehow didn’t like him. Maybe the worst thing you could say about him was he had a signature throat clearing that he used like a nervous tick, and his palms sweated continuously. He baptized every person he met with a moist paw that struggled to wrap around any hand. One day he told me about his medical induction into the Army. He was in the examination room when the doctor informed him he’d have to get immunization shots before he left. The nurse would be in shortly. Jim took a deep breath and steadied himself. Then he turned and faced the wall, took another cautious breath and dutifully pulled his pants down to his ankles so that his white Wisconsin cheeks were fully exposed. On cue, the nurse entered the room, approached the patient, gave him a shot in his shoulder and then left the room without saying a word.

A little over a month after my grandfather died, we lost my wife’s uncle unexpectedly. Losing a parent or grandparent is difficult, watching someone lose a sibling adds another emotional element. Your family unit has been forever changed. A week after Jim Elmore passed, the family got together for a celebration of life. Summer planned a surprise attack and we were outside with the heat index shooting up into the 100s. We were embarrassed and kept apologizing for the suffocating, wet heat. “It’s not normally like this. In fact we’ve had a wonderful spring so far. I really apologize.” The only upside of the record highs, was it was nearly impossible to distinguish between the running sweat and the tears. But even the heat couldn’t quell the outpouring of love and happy stories and fond memories. Person after person stood up, wiped their face, and fanned themselves before unanimously describing Jim as a generous, adventure-loving soul who was bent on “seeing” people instead of seeing past them. A man who asked, “How are you?” — and meant it. I was born at a young age, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to get “older.” When I was in my 20s and 30s, I imagined what my marriage would be like after decades instead of just years. I wondered about my professional life and what adventures I would find. I tried to see myself in those years. I guess in the end, this is what getting older looks like — the good, the bad, and the parts you’d sorta like to skip over. The challenge with losing people in your life is that the experience comes in waves. You have the immediate shock of losing them followed by weeks of reminders that they are in fact really gone. And then in the midst of saying “goodbye” you are faced with your own mortality in the process. “Is there anything I can do to push death off?” “How can I make an impression on the lives of those I really love?” “How do I want to be remembered?” One thing I enjoyed in these last few forced goodbyes is that those of us left behind were able to remember these people as they really were. We didn’t feel compelled to canonize them or whitewash their lives or personalities. That’s not the way life is. People aren’t perfect and neither are their lives. It’s enough to say, “On the balance, he was a good man. He loved generously. He gave of himself. And we’re better because he was here rather than not.” I think when I pass (not that I want to), that might be what people say. “He was a nice enough guy. He made me laugh sometimes and told loud stories. He really loved his wife and kid. Sometimes he was anxious and socially awkward, and he didn’t like staying at parties too long, but on the balance — we liked him. I’m glad he was around.” And then of course, it might be nice if someone really close to me looked down at me and said to the others — “Look! I think he’s moving!” Cheers, friends.

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THE OLD

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LOCAL HISTORY

Hotel Phillips Historic Building Undergoing Another Transformation by Mike Wilt It is 1948. America is settling into post-World War II living. A postage stamp costs three cents, Humphrey Bogart stars in two films, and while radio remains king, the number of television sets in use doubles in six months. But the country is also experiencing a baby boom, inflation, the Cold War, and a housing crisis. It is the last that gives birth to what has long been a Bartlesville landmark. The community and its industries are thriving, but many families cannot find suitable housing. Phillips Petroleum Company employees are no exception. The company’s rapid growth brings more and more people into town, but many are forced to leave because of the housing shortage. To help alleviate the situation, Phillips purchases 1.3 acres at 821 Johnstone Avenue. Included in the purchase is a house that was once owned by renowned oil man H.V. Foster. The current owner is H.C. Price, president of an eponymous pipeline company who years later would employ Frank Lloyd Wright to build The Price Tower. The house is dismantled to pave the way for construction of the Phillips Apartment Hotel. The architectural firm of Gentry and Voskamp of Kansas City is hired to design the building and Manhattan Construction Company is awarded the building contract. The seven-story building plus a basement is designed to meet the large demand for apartments for single employees and married couples without children. It opens on June 1, 1950 and features 176 apartments and 28 hotel rooms with 14 color schemes carried out in the drapes, carpeting, lamps, upholstery, and pictures. No adjoining rooms are alike. Décor duplication is found only in opposite wings and on different floors. The building also features several innovations: air conditioning (at a time most Phillips offices are not air-conditioned), a self-service laundry in the basement, self-service push-button elevators, and streamlined kitchens with “forced draft ventilation” so that cooking odors don’t linger after meals. Rigby Slight, who has 30 years of hotel business experience, is hired as the first resident manager. Phil Arnold, who later became the vice president of Phillips Research and Development, is the first occupant. He rents a corner apartment on the seventh floor and installs the first private telephone in the building. Fast forward to 1980. The U.S. men’s hockey team stuns the world by capturing the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Movie theaters are packed for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. And the Phillips Apartment Hotel is renovated after 30 years and becomes, well, a hotel. It is transformed into a AAA fourstar luxury hotel with a five-star Mobil Travel Guide restaurant. It boasts 207 well-appointed guest rooms and suites along with man-

icured, award-winning flower gardens. The Georgian Room serves guests continental and regional cuisine on fine European china, crystal, and silver. For another 30 years, the Hotel Phillips is a distinctive destination for discerning travelers and oil company employees in town on business. Jump ahead to 2010. The top movie is Toy Story 3 and the New Orleans Saints win their first Super Bowl after experiencing Hurricane Katrina five years earlier. And the oil company sells the Hotel Phillips after owning the property for 60 years. New owners transform the building back to its roots and rename it the Johnstone Apartments. It is now 2020 and the property has new owners and is undergoing another series of renovations to become The Apartments at Hotel Phillips. Purchased by TAG Multifamily in 2018, the blonde-brick building will have hotel rooms and offices on the first floor and approximately 80 apartments on floors two through seven. There will be three sizes of one-bedroom units ranging from 617 to 736 square feet. Two-bedroom units measure 1,249 square feet. Studios to three-bedroom apartments will range between 355 and 1,250 square feet. All will have custom kitchen cabinets, new appliances, and granite countertops. Each apartment has a number of windows in the living areas and bedrooms that allow natural light to beam in. Many of the units on the higher floors that face east provide a spectacular view of downtown with the Price Tower and Bartlesville Community Center prominent in the foreground. In keeping with the original plan to avoid décor duplication, there are four different colors of cabinets, two different types of flooring, and three different colors of paint to give neighboring units a unique look. In addition to nightly rentals and offices, the first floor will have a fitness center – complete with cardio equipment and free weights – on the south wing, and a coffee shop with ready-made meals on the north wing. Tenants and visitors will pass underneath a new awning with a new logo as they approach the front entrance. The lobby area will undergo an extensive renovation including the addition of a doubledsided fireplace. The building’s roof will be totally resurfaced, and an event space with lighting and an outdoor kitchen will be added. Plans are to have the rooftop ready for the Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours in November. And lastly, the parking lot across the street to the east will also be resurfaced and covered parking will be added. Renovations are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2021.

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PROFILES OF THE PAST

Calvin Coolidge Mason A Look at the Remarkable Life of a Local Resident by Debbie Neece, Bartlesville Area History Museum Walking among us are some of the most amazing Washington County people with incredible life histories. Such is the life of Calvin Coolidge Mason who was born on Election Day, 1924, and his dad named him for the man he hoped would be president. To his family, he was “cotton top” but to the rest of the world, he was a world renowned expert in Induction Metal Melting and Metallurgy. Calvin was a “jack of most trades” and every position he took gained him skills and respect as he climbed his professional ladder. During his junior and senior years, he worked afternoons for high school credit as part of Dewey’s Diversified Occupations vocational education program. By the time he reached 18 years of life, he had worked as a farmhand with his dad, at two machine shops, at an auto parts store and was bricklayer’s helper. He attempted to serve the Navy during WWII but his colorblindness prevented acceptance so he joined the Naval Construction Battalion as a Fireman First Class Seabee. His battalion was shipped to the South Pacific for just over two years and he returned home News Year’s Day 1946. His brother, Everett, helped him get a job at Dewey’s J&S Foundry operated by Cliff Salisbury and Howard Jones. The following September, he married Jacqueline “Jackie” Curtis and they made their home in Dewey where their son, James Dewayne, and daughter, Deborah Kay, joined their family. Pouring molten metal into sand molds to cast parking meters and aluminum letters for Phillips 66 gas station signs at J&S Foundry intrigued Calvin – an intrigue that turned into a life-long passion. He established Bluestem Foundry with Frank and Cecil Magana joining him as one-quarter each partners. Later, Bluestem Foundry acquired J&S Foundry. Then the foundry evolved into construction. Calvin’s insurance agent, C.A. Comer, contracted with famed Architect Bruce Goff to design his Dewey residence and Calvin became the contractor. That “build” brought a working relationship with Mr. Goff and in turn with Frank Lloyd Wright and H.C. Price who asked Calvin to create foundry pieces for the Price Tower. H.C. Price then invited Calvin to construct Joe Price’s bachelor studio – Skin’enKan.

and even Australia. Flying his Piper single engine airplane came in handy for nearer distances like St. Louis, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Climbing the corporate ladder, Calvin became the Vice President of Inductotherm Corporation, from which he retired in 1980.

“If you’ve done it, it ain’t bragging.” — Walt Whitman

Obtaining a pilot’s license required Calvin to take college admissions tests at the University of Tulsa. When the testing was complete, TU’s Dean tried persuading Calvin into seeking an engineering degree because he had scored extremely high in mechanics. However, Calvin had his heart set on flying.

He did not have to look for a job; with his expertise, jobs called him to all points of the world – Canada, Japan, Mexico, England

When the Mason’s finally settled back in Copan, Calvin built Jackie’s dream home – an amazing three-story, 5,000 sq. ft. geodesic dome house, which was one of his most treasured accomplishments.

After the home was completed in 1983, Calvin returned to work as manager of Superior Manufacturing in Dewey, retiring in 1991. Jackie Mason passed away in 2005 and Calvin followed her in 2016.

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GRAND OPENINGS

Sizzlin’ Summer Series Tower Center at Unity Square to Kick Off Exciting Events by Maria Gus Tower Center at Unity Square has been open for over a month and the time has come to give the green space a proper welcome. The Sizzlin’ Summer Series kicks off live entertainment at Unity Square with plenty of fun for the entire family. Area residents are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket, and get ready for a good time. The outdoor venue will be a great place to enjoy a summer breeze in a beautiful open space. “I’m looking forward to a time we can all come together as we celebrate the best of all of us,” said Dedra Morgan, Bartlesville resident and member of the Tower Center at Unity Square management committee. “I’m so happy to see what beauty our community can create when we work together.” Unity Square pulls together two of Bartlesville’s most iconic structures, as it lies between the Price Tower and the Bartlesville Community Center. The park features a stage, fountain, sculpture, interactive music features and many native Oklahoma plants and flowers. Attendees can catch Something Steel from 6 - 7:45 p.m. and the Get Down Band from 8 - 10 p.m. Food trucks on hand will include Bacon Me Crazy, Prairie Fire Grill, and DJ’s Southern Snow. The Bartlesville Fire Department will be spraying water, perfect for kids to cool off in the summer heat, and the Young Professionals are sponsoring a social distancing scavenger hunt. Families can also take photos with the Chick-fil-A cow with a fun Instagram photo frame.

“It’s hard to describe the joy and pride I feel seeing Unity Square being enjoyed by the citizens of Bartlesville during this soft opening phase,” says Annah Fischer, who has served on both the Unity Square design committee and management committee. Fischer says that being able to celebrate all together in July will be extra special. Several fun giveaways are also planned, including free t-shirts to the first 1,000 people to attend, sponsored by Bartlesville Radio. Guests can also purchase Unity Square Signature Sizzlin’ Summer Series t-shirts, fans, and frisbees. Recyclops will be available for sign up and the Bartlesville Police Department and Fire Department will distribute free Unity Square stickers. Val Callaghan, managing director of the Bartlesville Community Center, is most looking forward to seeing Bartlesville citizens who voted ‘Yes’ to the beautiful, urban green space come together and enjoy the new space. “I am blown away by the generosity of those in our town,” said Callaghan. “The committees who have given their time to design, build, and manage the space; the foundations; businesses and individuals who have donated to the building projects; and the sponsors whose generosity has made the Sizzlin' Summer Series as reality.” The Tower Center at Unity Square Sizzlin’ Summer Series is sponsored by Doenges Family of Autos, Truity Credit Union, bmonthly Magazine, Bartlesville Radio, Arvest Bank, Visit Bartlesville, Chick-fil-A, Stumpff Funeral Home, and Urbanhaus Custom. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

DOWNTOWN HISTORY

The Adams Building Structure Was and Is Still an Integral Downtown Building by Mike Wilt While it’s part of the Bartlesville skyline, the 12-story Adams Building at 411 Keeler Avenue is often overshadowed. There’s the 19-story high-rise Phillips Building, built in 1964, across the street to the east. Just to the north is the 14-story Frank Phillips Tower, which was completed in 1930, and is the only remaining structure from the original company complex. One block to the east at 315 Johnstone Avenue is the 16-story Plaza Office Building, completed in 1987. And then there’s the iconic 19-story Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Price Tower, built in 1956, at Sixth and Dewey. But when the Adams Building was completed in 1950, it was the second tallest structure in Bartlesville. It instantly became the shining star of the downtown landscape and, more importantly, an integral part of the company’s operation. Phillips Petroleum Company was founded by Iowa brothers L.E. and Frank Phillips in 1917. The company had assets of $3 million ($60 million today) and 27 employees. By the late 1940s, the company had $635 million in assets ($6.7 billion today) and 17,000 employees including 3,300 in Bartlesville. The problem was those employees were scattered throughout the city in 30 different buildings. Company officials at the time described it as a “deplorable situation,” and began planning for a new office building.

The Names and Numbers Designed by the architectural firm of Neville, Sharp, and Simon of Kansas City, the Adams Building was completed in October of 1950. It was named after K.S. “Boots” Adams who became the company’s president at age 38 in 1938, and who succeeded Frank Phillips as CEO in 1949. Boots retired in 1964 and passed away at age 75 in 1975. Sadly, “Uncle Frank” did not live to see the building completed. He passed away on August 23, 1950. Twelve stories high and one city block long, the Adams Building featured 29 different types of marble from seven states and six foreign countries, over 1,600 windows, and 390,000 square feet to accommodate 1,200 employees. It housed a medical department staffed with three full-time doctors, three nurses, two technicians, and one industrial hygienist. Each of the six high-speed elevators was operated by women known as “conductresses.” 74

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In the building’s Communication Center was a teletype office that processed more than 5,000 telegrams a day. A pneumatic tube system ran directly to the local Western Union office to ensure immediate delivery. There was also a “teletype dictation” system that allowed communication with all of the company’s field offices and eliminated the need for typing messages in advance. A 17-position switchboard served as the central telephone communications center for all of the company’s Bartlesville offices. It was one of the largest privately operated switchboards in the Southwest.

DOWNTOWN HISTORY The Gymnasium The Phillips 66ers were arguably the greatest amateur basketball team of all time. Formed in 1920, the 66ers played their home games at the YMCA and, later, what is now Central Middle School. The team started playing on the maple wood floor of the Adams Building in the 1950-51 season. Capacity for basketball games was 2,600 with seating for 2,100 spectators in the balcony and 500 in folding chairs on the floor. In later years, the gym was the site of basketball and volleyball tournaments as well as gymnastics meets. The legendary high school basketball game between the Sooner Spartans and Col-Hi Wildcats that lasted seven overtimes was played in the gymnasium in 1979. When basketball season was over, a portable flooring of hardsurface pressed wood was laid on top of the gym floor for square dancing and roller skating. For other special events, such as the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting, the gym could handle almost 4,000 people when the entire floor was filled with chairs.

The Bowling Alley During the noon hour and evenings throughout the work week and on Saturday, employees frequented the bowling alley in the basement. Tour guide notes from back in the day highlighted “12 of the finest lanes in the country” with “the most modern equipment, including the mechanical genius of automatic pin-setters and ball returns.”

The Auditorium

The Rest

The folding doors at the north end of the gymnasium opened into an auditorium that could accommodate 800 people. It featured a beautiful parquet floor made of oak, walnut, and maple and wall paneling comprised of Philippine mahogany. Dinners, stage and musical entertainment, movies, and dances were all held in the cavernous room.

Other areas of the building included a cafeteria that served three meals a day Monday through Friday and could seat 345 people. The facility was used by employees and members of their immediate families, and visiting business and intown guests. Arrangements could be made for large employee gatherings such as dinners and parties. It was not open to the public, and it operated for the “benefit and convenience of employees.”

The Swimming Pool Located on the southwest side of the Adams Building was an indoor pool that measured 45 feet wide by 100 feet long with depths from three feet to 11 feet. A spectators’ gallery could hold 200 people. Swimming periods were open Monday through Saturday for employees, their families, and other groups. A full program of children’s classes was held during the summer. The Splash Club, a competitive swim team, was formed in 1950 and went on to become one of the premier organizations in the country. The pool became the site of numerous local, regional, and national meets and championships and home to countless accomplished athletes.

Some 350 key personnel routinely gathered in the Officers’ Dining Room for lunch. It also served as an ideal location for conveying special messages or advance announcements of policy and business matters. And for on-the-go officials and executives too busy to leave work for a haircut, an appointment-only barber shop was available. To house honored business guests was a five-bedroom suite. Some notables included the Sheik of Arabia, several state governors, and The Lord Mayor of London.

The Present While the switchboard, cafeteria, barber shop, officers’ dining room, and guest suite have all disappeared with the changing times, the gymnasium, auditorium, pool, and bowling alley are still frequently used 70 years later. And while taller buildings may get more attention, the Adams Building continues to be an integral part of the company’s daily operations. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

ONCE UPON A TIME

A Game of Chicken Sunday Dinner Turned Into Family Pet for a Summer by Rita Thurman Barnes Once upon a time my sweet mama got hungry for a farm-raised chicken, so we headed east of town where a lady sold fresh eggs and hens. I was in high school and my mama, even though she wasn’t well, still wanted fresh eggs for breakfast. She grew up long ago on a farm in a large family and chicken was on the menu every Sunday and many times in between. So, off we went to acquire a Sunday dinner chicken. I don’t know if you remember the woman everyone called the “egg lady” but she was located on the southwest corner of Adams as far as you could drive to the east. We would turn right, pull into her yard, and stop in front of two exceptionally large cellar doors from which the egg lady would magically emerge. She would engage with whomever occupied the passenger side of the vehicle and on this occasion, it was Mama who ordered a big fat white hen. I cannot remember how we got a chicken all the way home in a car, but we did. Upon arriving at our back yard, Mama began executing her plan to behead the bird, but the bird had other ideas. I’m sure it had been some time since Mama had wrung a chicken’s neck, but she gave it her best shot even though it didn’t work. The screeching white hen swiftly escaped Mama’s clutches and took off down the alley with Mama in pursuit of her as rapidly as possible. The hen ran as fast as her two feet would carry her and found the first place she could hide – an open crawl space under a small house on the alley. Mama saw there was nothing she could do so she went back to the house for help in the person of my brother, Virgil. He headed back for the little house on the alley and managed after some time to cajole the terrified chicken out of the crawl space. He took her home to Mama who was too tired to try to strangle her again. Mama finally decided to “keep her for the eggs” so my other brother, George, put together a small chicken coop of sorts and clipped the chicken’s wings. She was provided a small wooden shelter, food and water and life moved on.

It was early spring when “Henrietta” came to live with our family. We enjoyed sitting on the front porch after lunch where there was a swing and chairs. Being the youngest, I usually ended up sitting on the steps. Henrietta’s clipped wings eventually grew out enough that she could escape her enclosure and head immediately for the house where she would sit by me on the steps. It was really amusing to everyone the first time, but it grew to be, nearly sixty years ago, an acceptable part of the day. When my brothers and my sister would return to work and Mama and I would go inside, Henrietta would follow us and flap her wings so she could look into the house through the glass part of the aluminum storm door. She was never allowed inside the house of course but it wasn’t for lack of trying. George rebuilt the coop to prevent her from escaping but to no avail. The summer went by with Henrietta settling in as a family pet but one day the telephone rang, and it was the boy next door. He said, “Rita, you’d better look in your back yard. Your dog is killing your chicken.” I ran outside and threw the dog into the house and, believe it or not, I called Dr. Harkavy, our family vet. He told me there wasn’t much I could do to save Henrietta, so I followed his instructions and gave her cold water through a straw until she died. Then I buried her. Mama never got to eat her prized chicken, but we all enjoyed the eggs Henrietta laid that summer. Sadly, Henrietta did outlive our mama who passed away in March. I told this little tale to my own children when they were youngsters and I now share it with my grandchildren. I relate it to them with great humor and they giggle aloud as I cluck and cackle my way to the end of the telling of the life and times of Henrietta. I’m so happy they enjoy the story but for me – it’s not quite as enjoyable anymore because everyone in the story has passed on but me. I hope we’ll all get to laugh together again one day about Henrietta’s escapades that season so long ago. Mama could tell a good story so I hope she would get a good laugh out of it too. Until then. JULY 2020 | b Monthly

Physical,, Occupatitional,, and Spe peech Therapyy Serv rvices es Locate ted in Downtown Bart rtlesvillee When the world says give up, â&#x20AC;Ś try it one more time! We are excite ted to celebrate te one yearr of service in i Bart rtlesville!! Thank you for your support as we have grown beyond our hopes in such a short time! We are proud to offer PT, OT, and ST services, spreading HOPE and JOY to the families of our community.

www.bartlesvillehopepediatrictherapy.com Occupational Therapists

Speech Therapists

Physical Therapists

Laura Rix-Robertson OTR/L Owner

Nikki Walsh M.Ed CCC-SLP

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Abigail Petermann M.S. CCC-SLP

Leslee Gaston PTA

Amanda Reyes COTA

Heather Shoesmith M.S. CCC-SLP

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Office Manager Danica Moles

Destinee Figler COTA Aspen Golemboski COTA

b Monthly | JULY 2020

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

Lighting Fireworks With Dad & LBJ Coming of Age During the Civil Rights Act and the 1960s by Brent Taylor My favorite childhood moment happened on the 4th of July. I had no precocious notions of patriotism. I just loved fireworks ... Black Cats, Lady Fingers, Whiz Bang Spinners, and sparklers. But my favorite firework was the family pack. There wasn’t a fuse to light, and it wasn’t condoned by the Certified Firework Makers of America. It was the remains, the bottom of the box of the family pack, when my Dad got tired of shooting them off one by one and he said, “Light ‘em up.” Roman candles, Lady Fingers, Cherry Bombs ... the unlit got lit. It was loud, unpredictable, and colorful. And it was hard on the heels of some other fireworks. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Immigration Act of 1965 marked the moment the family pack got lit all at once. Immigration law at the time excluded Latin Americans, Asians, and Africans in quotas and preferred northern and western Europeans over southern and eastern Europeans. And so in the volatile 1960s, as I began to understand that not all folks were white, something exploded in our collective national conscience. Had LBJ any sense that he had become like my dad, losing patience with lighting Lady Fingers one at a time? As he signed this act into law at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, he unwittingly lit the family pack ablaze. The notion of a melting pot where all cultures and colors create a kaleidoscope of thought, economic clout, creative energy, entertainment power, and sports competitiveness is the world we live in today. Upon the courageous shoulders of Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, and many others, the Civil Rights Act was signed. This watershed moment in history helped launch cities like Atlanta and Charlotte in the years following 1964, places with African-American mayors and sports stars. Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium was a project enabled by the Act of 1964. On faith and a prayer, the stadium

was built and soon Henry Aaron came to town to play baseball in the deep south. My memories of 1964 in Bartlesville are simpler. I remember a teenage garage band a block away serenading the neighborhood, trying to be the next Beach Boys. We played kick the can and there was truth in the sarcasm of The Monkees song, “Another Pleasant Valley Sunday” ... there was charcoal burning everywhere. I remember hearing the great sonic boom of jets flying through the sound barrier. Space and blue sky was the frontier and the United States of America, well, we were the cowboys. There wasn't anything our American ingenuity could not conquer. The sound barrier, the Soviet menace, the moon. Except perhaps bullets fired from the rifles of Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray. And so, as F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said at the end of The Great Gatsby, “... we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” This was the decade of Dr. King’s dream and the death of Camelot. We were undone, our innocence ended, borne back ceaselessly into the past, to the beginning of democracy, starting over, all in now. We became a

country of color and diversity in the years following 1965. It was during the summer of my youth in the white-bread suburbs when the world was exploding in color and I watched my dad light a family pack of fireworks, when the door was cracked and the kaleidoscope of light spilled into my world. Little did I understand about other colors and cultures and races, but neither did LBJ ... or my dad ... or any of us. We were simply enjoying fireworks as our country burst forth into brilliant color. I’ve outgrown my love of fireworks. But I still love color and variety and the vivid interest it brings into my world. A world filled with much more to eat than just hamburgers and potatoes, a world awash with the sound of much more to hear than the simple earthy English of the midwest, a world with much more to see than the brown-haired, freckled faces of my youth, a world that challenges me to understand my place in it, to be proud of my heritage, proud of my country, proud of my family ... even as I admire all the voices and faces and foods and ways of those born far from the smoke of my own backyard. Brent Taylor is the CEO of Taylor Homes Group. www.thghome.com JULY 2020 | b Monthly

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