Owen Park, Tulsa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Owen Park Historic District
|
|
 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Built | 1910 |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001137 |
| Added to NRHP | September 9, 1999 |
Owen Park is a special neighborhood and historic district in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's bordered by Edison Avenue to the north and the Keystone Expressway (Hwy 412) to the south. The neighborhood also has Owen Park itself on its east side. This park was Tulsa's very first city park, opening on June 8, 1910. The whole historic district covers about 163 acres, while Owen Park is about 24 acres.
Contents
Discovering Owen Park's Past
The story of the Owen Park area goes way back to the early days of Oklahoma.
Native American History
In 1825, the U.S. Government made a deal with the Osage people. They agreed to give up land for the Cherokee and Creek Tribes to live on. Even though the Osage were supposed to move, some were still there in 1832. That's when U.S. Rangers arrived with some visitors.
One of these visitors was Washington Irving, a famous American writer. On October 14, he stopped at a high point in what is now Owen Park. He loved the amazing view from the hilltop. You can read about what he saw in his book, Tour of the Prairies. Today, a monument stands at Easton Boulevard and Vancouver Avenue to remember his visit.
By 1834, the Osage Tribe moved to a reservation in Kansas. Some people think Owen Park might have been where a Creek settlement called Big Springs Town was located. After the Civil War, the Osage moved back to the land that is now Osage County. A monument in Owen Park marks the spot where the Osage, Cherokee, and Creek Nations once met.
Tulsa's Oldest House
Did you know Tulsa's oldest house is in Owen Park? A Methodist minister named Rev. Sylvester Morris built it in the early 1880s. It used to be on North Cheyenne Street. Rev. Morris served from 1836 until 1907. This house is a cool piece of Tulsa's history!
The Big Boom and the Park Pond
Before 1904, a large wooden building stood on land that is now Owen Park. A company called Western Torpedo Company stored a chemical called nitroglycerine there. They used it to help get oil out of wells.
On January 23, 1904, there was a huge explosion at the warehouse. It created a big hole in the ground! This hole later filled with rainwater and became the first Owen Park Lake. It was later made smaller and called Owen Park Pond. In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a cool grotto (a cave-like structure) for the pond. It was rebuilt in 1985, keeping its original WPA style.
For many years, people in Tulsa used this open land for big events. The first big event was Labor Day in 1906. The Fourth of July became a regular celebration there, with band concerts, picnics, and fireworks for everyone to enjoy.
Meet Chauncey Owen
Chauncey A. Owen (1847 - 1930) was a businessman and a veteran of the Civil War. He came to Indian Territory and married Jane Wolfe, a Creek woman.
Chauncey's Early Businesses
In the 1870s, Chauncey Owen became a successful rancher and farmer near Broken Arrow. He grew peaches, farmed large areas, raised cattle, and harvested wood. He even built a big ranch home known as the “Big House.”
In 1882, a railroad was being built towards the Arkansas River. Chauncey Owen followed the railroad workers, setting up a large tent. He used this tent as a boarding house, providing food from his farm to hundreds of rail workers. This included James Monroe Hall and his brother, Harry C. Hall, who are considered founders of modern Tulsa. The Halls even ate at Owen's tent!
Owen quickly moved his tent boarding house closer to the new railroad stop. Soon after, he built Tulsa's very first hotel. It was a two-story wooden building with six rooms, called the Tulsa Hotel. It opened in the winter of 1882. Mrs. Owen, also known as "Aunt Jane," managed the hotel.
In 1892, Owen leased some of his wife's land to J. P. Goumaz. The Goumaz family planted 7,000 peach trees, an apple orchard, strawberry fields, and a large concord grape vineyard. You can still see some parts of the vineyard on alley fences today!
How Owen Park Was Created
Chauncey Owen's wife, Jane, passed away in 1902. Her family received 160 acres of land from the Creek Nation. This land included what is now Owen Park and the neighborhood around it.
Making a City Park
In the early 1900s, this land was often used for public events, even before it was officially a park. Fourth of July parties with fireworks would draw thousands of people!
After oil was discovered in 1901 near Red Fork, Tulsa grew very quickly. Owen wanted to sell his land, but it was so large that not many people were interested. So, he offered more than 20 acres of land to the city for a park.
In March 1909, the city held its first Park Commission meeting. By August 18, 1909, they decided to buy the land from Chauncey and Mary Owen for $13,500. Some people thought the land was too expensive and too far from downtown. But most people were happy when a streetcar line was planned to go all the way to the park. Owen Park officially opened on June 8, 1910.
Changes to the Park Land
In 1910, the city sold 5 acres of the park land to a nearby brick company. Owen tried to stop the sale. He worried the brick company would dig big holes that would fill with water and cause sickness. He lost his appeal in court. Sadly, his concern came true when a young boy drowned in an abandoned brick pit in 1954. The city then bought the land back and filled the pit, adding it back to the park.
In 1913, a small lake was created in Owen Park by building a dam in a ravine. This lake was used as a city swimming pool! Even though it often got muddy, people loved it. In winter, the lake became a skating rink. Today, you can't swim or skate there, but fishing is popular, and many ducks and geese call it home.
By 1915, the neighborhood was growing fast. The main road was paved, and the Washington Irving monument was dedicated. Ads in the Tulsa World newspaper called it "Tulsa’s most beautiful residence suburb." The oil boom created many jobs, and new homes were built quickly. By the end of the 1920s, the area was full of homes, from small bungalows to large mansions. Schools were also built. Pershing Elementary opened in 1918, and Theodore Roosevelt Junior High opened in 1926 next to the park.
What Owen Park Neighborhood Looks Like
The Owen Park Historic District is mostly homes. There are also a few shops, a historic church, an elementary school, and a former junior high that is now a high school (Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences).
Most of the houses were built with wood frames and siding. Some have shingles, stucco, brick, or stone. Many were built in the Bungalow Craftsman style, which is about 70% of the homes. Other styles include Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival.
Owen Park Joins the National Register
The Owen Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 9, 1999. This means it's recognized as an important place in history!
