"THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN OKLAHOMA"
Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM - 3 PM
|
Sapulpa Historical Society & Museum 100 E Lee Ave, Sapulpa, OK 74066 Midtown Mini Storage 114 E Lee Ave, Sapulpa, OK 74066 |
Sapulpa Fire Museum 124 E Lee Ave, Sapulpa, OK 74066 Waite Phillips-Barnsdall Filling Station Museum 26 E Lee Ave, Sapulpa, OK 74066 |
Announcements:
September 24, 2024
Ready for the Holiday Seasons
Our volunteers are preparing for this year's holiday season. The fall is such a beautiful time to visit the museum!
Join us and visit our museum this season!
Join us and visit our museum this season!
September 18, 2024
Museum Closed, Saturday, September 21, 2024
The Sapulpa Historical Society and Museums will be closed Saturday, September 21, 2024, as we will be mourning the loss of a volunteer, friend, and loved one.
Christy Elaine (Allen) Jeffries was born 11-20-1948 to Jack and Betty Allen and passed away 9-3-2024 at the age of 75.
Christy was very involved over the years in the Sapulpa community. Her volunteer work included the Sapulpa Historical Society, Friends of the Library, the Sapulpa Community Theatre, Sapulpa Parks and the one most dear to her heart the Sapulpa Arts which she helped get started. She enjoyed her time with all the many friends she made while working to improve the community she had grown to love. She loved working at the house they bought 20 years ago and watched endless hours of DIY shows, learning how to improve it. She loved her family and spoke often of her childhood and of her time with her siblings. They were all together having fun in July for a family reunion along with her daughter Elizabeth Smith.
Christy and husband Mike had just celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary. They met while living next door to each other so 'their song' was "On the street where you live" which brought smiles to their faces every time it played. They loved each other very much but mostly loved US which is how they thought of themselves.
Christy was preceded in death by her parents Jack and Betty Allen. She is survived by her husband Mike Jeffries, her daughter Elizabeth Smith, her sisters Marellie Robinson, Marcia Givens, and Nancy Allen and her brothers Jack Allen Jr. and Sam Allen. Also, stepsons Travis and David Jeffries and many nieces, nephews and grandchildren. She loved them all.
Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday September 21, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Sapulpa, Ok. Arrangements are under the direction of Traditions Funeral Home in Kellyville.
Christy Elaine (Allen) Jeffries was born 11-20-1948 to Jack and Betty Allen and passed away 9-3-2024 at the age of 75.
Christy was very involved over the years in the Sapulpa community. Her volunteer work included the Sapulpa Historical Society, Friends of the Library, the Sapulpa Community Theatre, Sapulpa Parks and the one most dear to her heart the Sapulpa Arts which she helped get started. She enjoyed her time with all the many friends she made while working to improve the community she had grown to love. She loved working at the house they bought 20 years ago and watched endless hours of DIY shows, learning how to improve it. She loved her family and spoke often of her childhood and of her time with her siblings. They were all together having fun in July for a family reunion along with her daughter Elizabeth Smith.
Christy and husband Mike had just celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary. They met while living next door to each other so 'their song' was "On the street where you live" which brought smiles to their faces every time it played. They loved each other very much but mostly loved US which is how they thought of themselves.
Christy was preceded in death by her parents Jack and Betty Allen. She is survived by her husband Mike Jeffries, her daughter Elizabeth Smith, her sisters Marellie Robinson, Marcia Givens, and Nancy Allen and her brothers Jack Allen Jr. and Sam Allen. Also, stepsons Travis and David Jeffries and many nieces, nephews and grandchildren. She loved them all.
Memorial services will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday September 21, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Sapulpa, Ok. Arrangements are under the direction of Traditions Funeral Home in Kellyville.
March 8, 2024
Curator Report
Curator Report 2024
Rachel Whitney, Museum Curator
We have discovered many new stories to tell and new details of old ones. Our research into Sapulpa history has been a game changer. We are adding more and more to each of our displays by sharing these stories that make Sapulpa unique. We’ve found a local author who had a very interesting life and death. We’ve found new details on the oil industry in the area. We’ve found new connections to the past and how to share their stories to those here.
A neat thing happened to us recently. Last year, we had many tours for ghost hunts. With these ghost hunts, many of the investigators have invited us to be on their show and book. We were featured on Tik-Tok - and we had two visitors come in just because they saw us there. We were featured on a webseries, showing the main historic museum and the fire museum. We were also featured in a haunted Route 66 book that came out back in October. We have had many visitors ask if we’re haunted. If you know, you know.
Other than our ghosts, one of the biggest draws to our museum exhibits have been the dioramas and the front entrance exhibits of the store fronts. Many visitors love the stores that they can walk into and “shop around.” We have rearranged and updated a few of these shops to show-off some local histories. Another huge draw to the facility is our Fire Museum. A lot of changes occurred at our Fire Museum, including adding more stories, images, and more equipment. These new additions tell a better overall story from a personal and professional perspective.
We now have four displays that will consistently be updated every few months. For example, our newest display shows Artifacts of the Month for the next three months. We show off an artists collection in our Local Artists Room, and one display is changed every six months to feature another artist. We highlight a local author, and update the author’s shelf every six months, as well. Another new display is our Movie Theater Display; within this display, every six months, the special feature will be changed out to reveal another connection to pop-culture, here in Sapulpa and Oklahoma.
Recently, it feels as if our visitors to the museum have been more from the area. We have many visitors from around the world, like Spain, England, Australia, and our first Finland visited recently. However, it feels as if people sign-in, I see or hear that they are from Sapulpa, Jenks, Tulsa, or somewhere else in Oklahoma. We have had more return visitors because of the new projects and updates we’ve introduced. To further engage with our audiences, we’ve introduced three Scavenger Hunts. One hunt is for the whole museum with a little prize at the end; the other two are for a specific room, and they’re just for funsies.
Aside from our exhibitions designs, we have many other projects we’ve been accomplishing. We started a “Research Request” form on our website, and nearly every week, there is a new research inquiry for us to dive into. We get requests ranging from family histories, business and building histories. These often led to every-day working family stories to murder-mystery, scandals, feel-good stories, and stories that even our historians don’t know about.
Rachel Whitney, Museum Curator
We have discovered many new stories to tell and new details of old ones. Our research into Sapulpa history has been a game changer. We are adding more and more to each of our displays by sharing these stories that make Sapulpa unique. We’ve found a local author who had a very interesting life and death. We’ve found new details on the oil industry in the area. We’ve found new connections to the past and how to share their stories to those here.
A neat thing happened to us recently. Last year, we had many tours for ghost hunts. With these ghost hunts, many of the investigators have invited us to be on their show and book. We were featured on Tik-Tok - and we had two visitors come in just because they saw us there. We were featured on a webseries, showing the main historic museum and the fire museum. We were also featured in a haunted Route 66 book that came out back in October. We have had many visitors ask if we’re haunted. If you know, you know.
Other than our ghosts, one of the biggest draws to our museum exhibits have been the dioramas and the front entrance exhibits of the store fronts. Many visitors love the stores that they can walk into and “shop around.” We have rearranged and updated a few of these shops to show-off some local histories. Another huge draw to the facility is our Fire Museum. A lot of changes occurred at our Fire Museum, including adding more stories, images, and more equipment. These new additions tell a better overall story from a personal and professional perspective.
We now have four displays that will consistently be updated every few months. For example, our newest display shows Artifacts of the Month for the next three months. We show off an artists collection in our Local Artists Room, and one display is changed every six months to feature another artist. We highlight a local author, and update the author’s shelf every six months, as well. Another new display is our Movie Theater Display; within this display, every six months, the special feature will be changed out to reveal another connection to pop-culture, here in Sapulpa and Oklahoma.
Recently, it feels as if our visitors to the museum have been more from the area. We have many visitors from around the world, like Spain, England, Australia, and our first Finland visited recently. However, it feels as if people sign-in, I see or hear that they are from Sapulpa, Jenks, Tulsa, or somewhere else in Oklahoma. We have had more return visitors because of the new projects and updates we’ve introduced. To further engage with our audiences, we’ve introduced three Scavenger Hunts. One hunt is for the whole museum with a little prize at the end; the other two are for a specific room, and they’re just for funsies.
Aside from our exhibitions designs, we have many other projects we’ve been accomplishing. We started a “Research Request” form on our website, and nearly every week, there is a new research inquiry for us to dive into. We get requests ranging from family histories, business and building histories. These often led to every-day working family stories to murder-mystery, scandals, feel-good stories, and stories that even our historians don’t know about.
January 9, 2024
New Year, New Displays
This year we are updating three displays and adding two more!
Updates: Inside our Lewis Meyer Bookstore Display, we have a display for Local Authors. On a special shelf, we highlight a local author and their work. We change this shelf every six months to show off another author's work. Inside our Movie Theater Display, we have a special feature showing Sapulpa's (and Oklahoma's) connection to pop-culture. We change the special feature every six moths, as well. In addition, in the Local Artists Room, we have one wall dedicated to one artist's collection. Again, we update this one wall every six months.
New: We have a special display case that will be updated every 3 months. On each shelf shows the Artifact of the Month, one shelf, one month, one artifact. This is in correspondent with our feature in the Sapulpa Herald, Museum Musings: Artifact of the Month, that comes out the first Wednesday of each month. Another display we will be adding soon, Women's History of Sapulpa. Here, we wish to tell the stories of local women, their work, their organizations, their lives. Coming Soon!
Updates: Inside our Lewis Meyer Bookstore Display, we have a display for Local Authors. On a special shelf, we highlight a local author and their work. We change this shelf every six months to show off another author's work. Inside our Movie Theater Display, we have a special feature showing Sapulpa's (and Oklahoma's) connection to pop-culture. We change the special feature every six moths, as well. In addition, in the Local Artists Room, we have one wall dedicated to one artist's collection. Again, we update this one wall every six months.
New: We have a special display case that will be updated every 3 months. On each shelf shows the Artifact of the Month, one shelf, one month, one artifact. This is in correspondent with our feature in the Sapulpa Herald, Museum Musings: Artifact of the Month, that comes out the first Wednesday of each month. Another display we will be adding soon, Women's History of Sapulpa. Here, we wish to tell the stories of local women, their work, their organizations, their lives. Coming Soon!
December 21, 2023
End of the Year
We will be open with our regular hours today, 10 am to 3 pm.
We will also be open this evening, 5 pm to 8 pm.
We will be closed the rest of the year so our volunteers may spend the holidays with their families.
We will return with regular hours, Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Sapulpa Historical Society family.
We will also be open this evening, 5 pm to 8 pm.
We will be closed the rest of the year so our volunteers may spend the holidays with their families.
We will return with regular hours, Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Sapulpa Historical Society family.
October 1, 2023
Rumble Fish Open House
Open House, Saturday, October 21.
10 AM to 4 PM
The artsy film by author S.E. Hinton and director Francis Ford Coppola is turning 40!
Come celebrate the film that was filmed right here in Sapulpa!
We have a wonderful movie theater exhibit, showcasing Rumble Fish.
The Rumble Fish Open House will have door prizes, Chuck-It Dogs, costumes, special exhibit, wonderful docents and volunteers, Tee Pee Drive-In partnership showing the film, and a walking-tour of the buildings and businesses featured in Rumble Fish! The walking-tour will be a limited-space, ticketed event - get tickets here!
10 AM to 4 PM
The artsy film by author S.E. Hinton and director Francis Ford Coppola is turning 40!
Come celebrate the film that was filmed right here in Sapulpa!
We have a wonderful movie theater exhibit, showcasing Rumble Fish.
The Rumble Fish Open House will have door prizes, Chuck-It Dogs, costumes, special exhibit, wonderful docents and volunteers, Tee Pee Drive-In partnership showing the film, and a walking-tour of the buildings and businesses featured in Rumble Fish! The walking-tour will be a limited-space, ticketed event - get tickets here!
July 1, 2023
Open House Birthday Celebration
The Sapulpa Historical Society will be celebrating turning 55 this month! We will be hosting an Open House with our Birthday Celebration during the First Annual Petunia Festival in the downtown district.
Saturday, July 8,
Open House, 9AM to 3PM
Birthday Celebration, 11AM to 1PM
We will have cookies and lemonade! It is Free for everyone! All our buildings in our organization, the Sapulpa Historical Museum, Sapulpa Fire Museum, and Filling Station will be open and welcoming everyone to join us! We will have a special guest during our Birthday Celebration:
John Stephens of Sapulpa who was the model for the Tulsa Golden Driller Statue!
Saturday, July 8,
Open House, 9AM to 3PM
Birthday Celebration, 11AM to 1PM
We will have cookies and lemonade! It is Free for everyone! All our buildings in our organization, the Sapulpa Historical Museum, Sapulpa Fire Museum, and Filling Station will be open and welcoming everyone to join us! We will have a special guest during our Birthday Celebration:
John Stephens of Sapulpa who was the model for the Tulsa Golden Driller Statue!
April 25, 2023
The Curator Report
Earlier this month, we held our Annual Banquet for our volunteers and members. We usually have the dinner at Freddy's in Sapulpa, but, sadly, last year the restaurant closed. This year, we were able to have our Banquet at the Oaks Country Club.
Our Museum Curator presented an annual report on what the museum life has been like in 2022 and 2023. Here is the abridged version:
Our Museum Curator presented an annual report on what the museum life has been like in 2022 and 2023. Here is the abridged version:
March 15, 2023
Birthday Bash!
The City of Sapulpa turns 125 on March 31! Sapulpa Main Street will be hosting a Birthday Bash for our wonderful town. In addition, the Sapulpa Historical Society will be having an Open House on Saturday, April 1st - open 10 am to 4 pm.
We will be having cookies, popcorn, and lemonade! Come visit all our wonderful docents, volunteers, and amazing museums - the Sapulpa Historical Museum, Sapulpa Fire Museum, and Filling Station!
We will be having cookies, popcorn, and lemonade! Come visit all our wonderful docents, volunteers, and amazing museums - the Sapulpa Historical Museum, Sapulpa Fire Museum, and Filling Station!
January 3, 2023
It's A New Year!
We're back! Ring in the new year by visiting your local historical museum. We have many warm and welcoming exhibitions, displays, and historical collections. Our tours take roughly an hour, and we also have the Fire Museum and Filling Station, and it is all free admission! Come in and see us!
November 3, 2022
Events and Closings Coming Soon
Every year we host a Christmas Open House and a Volunteer Luncheon. Mark your calendars for December 1 for the Open House! Our volunteers will gather for a lunch on December 7th. We will be closed for the Volunteer Luncheon.
Closings for the Holidays are as follows:
Thanksgiving Break: Closed November 20-26
Winter Break: Closed December 22-January 2
Closings for the Holidays are as follows:
Thanksgiving Break: Closed November 20-26
Winter Break: Closed December 22-January 2
August 17, 2022
Museum Cook-Out
In honor of the 1922 Buick Delivery Truck that the museum owns, we will have a cook-out to celebrate the truck's 100th birthday! Come to the Waite Phillips-Barnsdall Filling Station Museum at 26 S Lee Ave (across the street from the main museum).
This will be September 9, 6-8 PM. We will be serving you Hamburgers with Chips and a Bottle of Water (burger toppings will be provided, as well). The meals will be $7/each. You can take the meals to-go or sit alongside our
antique cars at the Filling Station.
The cook-out will be during the 4th Annual Cruise Night, September 9, 2022. Participants will cruise Sapulpa as we kick off the festivities for the 33rd Annual Route 66 Blowout held September 10th, 2022! Come feel the nostalgia with us as we celebrate Historic Route 66!
The cook-out's proceeds will go to the Sapulpa Historical Society, Inc.
antique cars at the Filling Station.
The cook-out will be during the 4th Annual Cruise Night, September 9, 2022. Participants will cruise Sapulpa as we kick off the festivities for the 33rd Annual Route 66 Blowout held September 10th, 2022! Come feel the nostalgia with us as we celebrate Historic Route 66!
The cook-out's proceeds will go to the Sapulpa Historical Society, Inc.
June 11, 2022
Have A Summer Vacation Plan?
Why not make the Sapulpa Historical Museum a place to relax, learn, and get excited about history?!
Foster a love of our town and exploration all summer long.
Travel through our many exhibits of the ole west, how settlers thrived, how the Natives lived, how the industrial boom really set Sapulpa apart from other towns. Learn about prominent figures and how the became leaders of the community, engage with our displays and show how diverse our history and culture grew over the century.
Travel through our many exhibits of the ole west, how settlers thrived, how the Natives lived, how the industrial boom really set Sapulpa apart from other towns. Learn about prominent figures and how the became leaders of the community, engage with our displays and show how diverse our history and culture grew over the century.
April 1, 2022
Travel Art Exhibit
April 5 - April 27
The Oklahoma Arts Institute Quartz Mountain has a travel exhibition featuring Oklahoma artists (painters and photographers). During the month of April, we will be housing the exhibition. Also, be sure to check out Sapulpa's very own artwork featured in the travel exhibit: "A Boy and His Pup" by Emma Castleberry.
March 10, 2022
Annual Banquet Tonight
February 23, 2022
We're closed 2/23 - 2/26
January 8, 2022
Our Newspapers Are Digitized!
Ever wonder what happened in our town in 1904? Or wanted to know what the advertisements were for a business in the 1930s? Or wanted to see a family member's name in the news from the 1950s? Or needed to find an obituary of a friend from the 1990s? Or just want to look back a few years ago to see when a business opened or closed in the 2010s? Well, look no further - the answers are in the digitized newspapers. Click the link to find Sapulpa newspapers from 1904 to 2017:
December 1, 2021
Christmas Open House & Volunteer Luncheon
The Museum's Christmas Open House will be held next week, Thursday, December 9th, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Come visit with us this holiday season!
Come visit with us this holiday season!
September 1, 2021
Upcoming Events
The 20th Anniversary of September 11th and the 32nd Annual Route 66 Blowout
Saturday, September 11, 2021 starting at 9AM to 3PM
All museum buildings will be open! We have Popcorn at the Filling Station, Great Tour guides at the Museum, and a Book Signing at the Fire Museum!
Come in and join us!
In addition: the 50th class reunion event for the class of 1970 will be hosted at the Sapulpa Historical Museum.
Saturday, September 11, 2021 starting at 9AM to 3PM
All museum buildings will be open! We have Popcorn at the Filling Station, Great Tour guides at the Museum, and a Book Signing at the Fire Museum!
Come in and join us!
In addition: the 50th class reunion event for the class of 1970 will be hosted at the Sapulpa Historical Museum.
April 21, 2021
Fundraiser Announcement and Attachment
We are asking for your help and support during these difficult times. We greatly appreciate your contribution and support. Be sure to fill out the Attachment page to be included with your generous donation.
If you'd like to contact us:
(EMAIL) [email protected]
(PHONE) Mike Jeffries, Museum Director, (918) 344-7843
Thank You and Stay Safe.
If you'd like to contact us:
(EMAIL) [email protected]
(PHONE) Mike Jeffries, Museum Director, (918) 344-7843
Thank You and Stay Safe.
April 1, 2021
If you'd like to contact us:
(EMAIL) [email protected]
(PHONE) Mike Jeffries, Museum Director, (918) 344-7843
Thank You and Stay Safe.
(EMAIL) [email protected]
(PHONE) Mike Jeffries, Museum Director, (918) 344-7843
Thank You and Stay Safe.
December 1, 2020
As of November 19, these are the days we will PLAN to be closed. These dates will not change, but in the future dates may be added.
Dates We Plan To Be Closed:
Dates We Plan To Be Closed:
- November 22-December 2;
- December 20-January 31.
November 1, 2020
Special Travel Exhibit
"Votes for Women: 100 Years of Women's Suffrage"
The travel exhibit is from Oklahoma Historical Center featuring Oklahoma women and suffrage. 2020 celebrates the 100th anniversary for national women's vote. November 5, 2018, however, marked the 100 years of the women's right to vote in Oklahoma. Oklahoma became the twenty-first state to grant suffrage to women by vote of 106,909 to 81, 481. This exhibit explores a history of women since 1890 who were among the first in Oklahoma Territory to lobby for the right to vote. It started with the Women's Christian Temperance Union who wanted a voice in school elections. The grassroots efforts grew in 1895 when Laura A. Gregg, a National American Woman Suffrage leader, came to Oklahoma to push for universal right to vote.
This exhibit will be available from November 5 - December 19, 2020.
This exhibit will be available from November 5 - December 19, 2020.
October 1, 2020
New Exhibition: Local Artists Room
The new room opens this month! The Local Artists Room will feature Sapulpa's (and the area's) artists of painters, quilters, sketchers, and knitters. We will soon add other artists' techniques to the room, such as potters, photographers, and more. For now, however, the room is designed with three main walls showcasing multiple artists throughout the town's history. Then the Feature Wall, the fourth wall, highlights one artist's collection the museum owns. This wall is the only wall that will consistently change, every six (6) months; every six months, another artist's collection will be highlighted on this wall. We have artworks from Dick Ruhl, Sam Houghton, Gale Wallace, Pahsetopah, Russell Crosby, Cleo Clark, and many more!
September 1, 2020
Oklahoma Route 66 Passports are here!
We are part of the Travel OK: Route 66 Passport program - come get your passport STAMPED here!!!*
*The date and time in the books have been changed due to Covid-19. The book states are regular hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM - 3 PM), however, due to the special hours, we are now open THURSDAY-Saturday, 10 AM - 3 PM.
What the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport means:
*The date and time in the books have been changed due to Covid-19. The book states are regular hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM - 3 PM), however, due to the special hours, we are now open THURSDAY-Saturday, 10 AM - 3 PM.
What the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport means:
- Bring your passport to each of the book's 66 stops, and the friendly folks there will stamp the corresponding page for you.
- The book is divided into Eastern, Central and Western sections. Once you’ve got all the stops completed for a section, take the passport into one of the five Oklahoma Tourism Information Centers that are managed by the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department.
- A staff member will sign your completion page for that region and give you your prize — a portion of a fun Route 66 magnet. Return once you get each stretch finished to get the other magnet pieces.
- Once you complete all three sections, bring your passport back to the Tourism Information Center. A staff member will verify that it's complete, stamp your book and give you a free collectible Route 66 coin.
May 1, 2020
PHASE ONE REOPENING
Starting June 4th, 2020, the Sapulpa Historical Society has updated the business hours for public tours. Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 AM to 3 PM for all museums. If you'd like to contact us: (EMAIL) [email protected] (PHONE) Mike Jeffries, Museum Director, (918) 344-7843 Thank You and Stay Safe. |
November 1, 2019
Christmas Open House: A Gene Autry Christmas
Thursday, December 12: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Did you know that Gene Autry worked at Sapulpa's depot?
The Christmas Cowboy co-wrote and sang Christmas songs that we still cherish today - such as Rudolph (Red Nose Reindeer), Frosty the Snowman, Here Comes Santa Claus, and Up on the House Top.
In a way, you can say that dear ol' Rudolph is from Sapulpa!
We will have hot apple cider, desserts, and wonderful docents to greet you during your tour of Sapulpa history.
Thursday, December 12: 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Did you know that Gene Autry worked at Sapulpa's depot?
The Christmas Cowboy co-wrote and sang Christmas songs that we still cherish today - such as Rudolph (Red Nose Reindeer), Frosty the Snowman, Here Comes Santa Claus, and Up on the House Top.
In a way, you can say that dear ol' Rudolph is from Sapulpa!
We will have hot apple cider, desserts, and wonderful docents to greet you during your tour of Sapulpa history.
April 1, 2019
We have begun our next project. A local artist, Kenneth Hollingshead, has painted the Black-and-White murals on the front of the Sapulpa Historical Society & Museum's building. Another local artist, Russell Crosby, has painted the Color mural on the west end of the Sapulpa Historical Society & Museum's building. We have seven murals of historic images in Sapulpa.
August 1, 2018
We celebrated turning the big 5-0 on August 25, 2018. We hosted our very own birthday party with food, cake, guest speakers, and a huge crowd eager to learn the history of this great town! In 1968, we started in a small room of the Y.W.C.A., and within fifty years, we not only own the entire building, we expanded to the whole block; we opened the Sapulpa Fire Museum and the Waite Phillips Barnsdall Filling Station.
See our pictures here:
|