As you tour through downtown Stillwater, take note of the historic mural lining the wall of the Stillwater Martial Arts building on Main Street. Ben Douglas, the owner of the building, became inspired by downtown artwork in Cushing and inquired about the artist behind the massive murals. Then, Douglas and his sister called up Palmer Studios Inc. to plan a mural celebrating the history of the building their father once worked at in the mid-1900s.

Dr. Bob Palmer came up to Stillwater to create a sketch of images representing the 9th & Main St building’s history before setting up a projector to start the painting process. Palmer and his crew memorialized the building’s original purpose as a bank, church and school during the 1890s. Later, for much of its history, the building housed Cooksey’s, a grocery store where Douglas’ father, Stephen Glenn Douglas, served as manager and eventually owner. Back then, steel steps on the south side of the building led men up to the second story to spit and whittle. In 1954, however, a fire came through Cooksey’s and took out the second floor.

This historic mural shows the many stages and changes of the current Stillwater Martial Arts building, while also serving as a reminder of Douglas’ father’s involvement in the community. The Rotary Club sign on the mural represents S. Glenn Douglas’ 64 ½ years of perfect attendance at Rotary Club and his role as a member of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce and President of the Stillwater Rotary Club. Take a look at the mural and imagine Cooksey’s seven delivery trucks shuttling their daily deliveries across Stillwater.