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Oklahoma Oil Barons
4 Days
Day 1
Tulsa, originally a Creek settlement called "Tulsey Town," got a huge boost when the nearby Glenn Pool oil field was discovered in the early part of this century. Oil barons gave the town its Art Deco stamp and left behind priceless legacies of art and architecture.
- The Gilcrease Museum, legacy of oilman Thomas Gilcrease, houses a collection of internationally acclaimed Native American artifacts and historical art. See one of the world's largest assemblages of American Western art, including works by Catlin, Remington, Russell and Moran. The museum also has 250,000 artifacts from several Native American cultures.
- The Philbrook Museum of Art, known as one of "America's Castles," is a 1920s Italian-style villa with its classic arches, airy loggias, tile floors and near endless gardens. Former home of colorful oilman Waite Phillips, today the mansion is home to renaissance works in oil and sculpture, as well as ancient, classical and oriental pieces. The museum features national touring exhibitions, lecture series, films and special events, restaurant and gift shop.
- More than 1,200 animals are found at the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum. Primate expert Jane Goodall has called the Chimpanzee Connection one of the top 10 chimpanzee exhibits in the world.
- Historic Greenwood District was known as "America's Black Wall Street" stretched for 20 blocks in north Tulsa with stores, restaurants and nightclubs filled with famous jazz musicians like Count Basie and Cab Calloway. In 1921, Greenwood was the site of the nation's worst race riot. Today, it is home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, the Mabel B. Little Heritage Center, and the Early Black Settlers Exhibit.
Day 2
Just north of Tulsa, find the cosmopolitan town of Bartlesville. When oil was discovered in the Osage Nation, Frank Phillips built an empire by leasing mineral rights from the tribe, and founded Phillips Petroleum Company.
- Tour the Frank Phillips' home, a Greek revival style structure in 1909.
- Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower, a 19-story glass and copper skyscraper is one of only two completed skyscrapers designed entirely by Wright. Completed in 1956, Wright billed his tallest built skyscraper as "the tree that escaped the crowded forest." Tours of the tower are available by appointment, and offers overnight accommodations and fine dining at the Copper Restaurant.
- Nearby, see the Bartlesville Community Center was designed by Wesley Peters, chief architect of Taliesin West, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
- The Nellie Johnstone and Johnstone Park feature a wooden reproduction of the first commercial oil well drilled in Oklahoma in 1923, plus a train engine and kiddy park, picnic and play area.
- Woolaroc is the 3,600-acre ranch and country home of oilman Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum Company. Woolaroc features a world class western art and cultural museum, Phillips' lodge home, family mausoleum, wildlife preserve including buffalo, Native American Cultural Center, North Road Tour, Oil Patch history area and the 1840's Traders Camp.
- La Quinta Foster Mansion, built in 1930s home for oilman H.V. Foster, features terra cotta tiled floors, wrought iron balconies and stuccoed walls and lends elegance to what is now the campus of Bartlesville Wesleyan College.
- The Keepsake Candle Factory is labeled the "Cadillac of Wax." Ingenious methods create these "antiques in wax." See how candles are made and visit the gift shop.
Day 3
Pawhuska is the National Capital of the Osage Nation, who became the richest people per capita in the world during the oil boom of the 1920s. The history is chronicled in the Osage Tribal Museum. The downtown boasts of 86 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Dine at WhizBang Cafe, then head for the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, the only protected ecosystem of its kind. Bison roam the 36,000-acre prairie, restoring the character of the land to what it was in the 1870s. While in Pawhuska visit:
- The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, widely known as the "Cathedral of the Osage," received special permission from the Vatican to depict living Osage tribal members in the stained-glass windows.
- The restored Constantine Center, built in the 1880s, Osage was originally a hotel known as "The Pawhuska House." In 1914 it was transformed into one of the finest opera houses in the southwest. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the theater was restored, and has once again become the center of community activities.
- Known as one of America's Castles, is the Marland Mansion Estate. E.W. Marland's 43,000 square-foot Italian Renaissance style mansion was modeled after the Davanzatti Palace in Florence, Italy. The 55-room "Palace on the Prairie" cost $5.5 million to build in the 1920s. It features elegant gold leafed, vaulted ceilings, Waterford crystal chandeliers, hand-carved wood mantels and stately grounds.
- Tour the Ponca City Cultural Center, E.W. Marland's magnificent 22-room home, built in 1916, which has one of the first indoor swimming pools in the state. The home now houses memorabilia from the world famous Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and Wild West Show, the DAR Memorial Museum, an Indian Museum and Bryant Baker Studio.
- E.W. Marland's Office and Bard Room, located at Conoco Oil Company Complex, features many of its original furnishings. Don't miss the table in the boardroom, which was crafted specifically for Marland and shipped in pieces from London.
- Commissioned by Marland, the Pioneer Woman Statue is a 17-foot bronze tribute to the courage of thousands of brave women who settled new territories with their families. The Pioneer Woman Museum honors the pioneer women whose courage forged homes in new lands. With the expansion and remodeling of the museum, pioneering women in areas such as music, space, and medicine are honored. Traveling exhibits, an auditorium and gift shop are some of the new highlights at the museum.
- The Standing Bear Native American Memorial Park-this 63-acre park, features a multi-stage Native American cultural complex featuring a statue of Ponca Chief, Standing Bear, a circular viewing court, with tribal and clan symbolism features a reflecting pool and an eternal flame.
- Centennial Plaza, with its backdrop of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, features the dramatic Centennial Monument of a settler stepping off his horse to stake his claim.The restored Poncan Theater, built in 1927 in Spanish Colonial Revival style, is a true atmospheric theater with a luxurious interior and ornamentation. The Theater played host to such superstars as Ethel Barrymore and Will Rogers. After the $1 million restoration, the theater now offers regularly scheduled events including live theater, concerts and movies.
Day 4
The splendor of the old-west cowboys and Indian are still very much alive today in Pawnee. The largest Dick Tracy mural in the world is painted on a building downtown and is a tribute to the memory of Chester Gould, a Pawnee native and the creator of the world-famous cartoon.
- Arrive at Pawnee Bill Ranch for tour of museum and home. The Wild West comes alive at this mansion and ranch built by Gordon W. Lillie on the prairie. See Lillie's historic log cabin home, original 1919 mansion, permanent exhibits with Pawnee Bill memorabilia, photos, etc., Wild West Show billboard, barn, buffalo and longhorn cattle.
Jenks is often referred to as the "Antique Capital of Oklahoma." Hunt for treasures and special keepsakes, then relax in an old-time tea room and ice cream parlor.
- The Oral Robert's University Visitors' Center located in the 200-foot Prayer Tower offers two multimedia presentations running continuously. Journey into Faith is a 36-minute multimedia experience illustrating the life and ministry of Oral Roberts. Visitors walk through 6 rooms, each depicting a segment of Oral Roberts' life. ORU Perspectives is a 25-minute, nine projector slide presentation on the ORU lifestyle.
(4-02-04)
