Then and Now Images of Sapulpa:
The IOOF building on the corner of Dewey and Park. (Then, circa 1910; Now, 2021)
IOOF stood for Independent Order of Odd Fellows which was a men's organization which promotes social and personal growth. The women's organization, Rebekah's, would later form with the same framework.
The building had a cone that stood above the entrance corner is believed to have been made of copper. It is unknown when or why the cone was removed.

What Happened This Month in Sapulpa History:
On September 22, 1918, the Oklahoma Union Railway Company began its interurban service between Sapulpa and Tulsa. The electric cars were modern in every respect and were 60 feet long. It was though that the cars would run every hour. The only problem on opening day was that the first car could not make the short leg/curve at the "Y" at Main and Dewey. (Sapulpa Herald, September 23, 1918)

Artifact of the Month:
This 1922 Buick delivery truck was purchased February 23, 1923 by G.H. Thompson from C.B. Cox Cadillac and Buick dealer in Sapulpa. It is believed to have originally been used by a grocery store.

Around the late 1950s, Eugene Kuykendall, the Sinclair bulk dealer in Sapulpa, found it abandoned in a barn. He and his son-in-law, Wallace Dobson, retrieved it and took it to Kukendall's home. Later, Kuykendall sold it to William and Mary Ward of Sapulpa, who donated it to the Sapulpa Historical Society in June 1966.

It has been restored by Robert E. Baxter, Jon Cobb, Rusty Snell, and John Davis.

Then and Now Image of Sapulpa:
​A never before seen postcard image of the Lee Hotel at 100 E Lee Ave. The entrance of the hotel stands in the middle of the building; stores were along the first floor. This building would later convert to the YWCA (on second floor), and a business college (third floor), with stores still in the first floor. Until the 1970s, when the building changed hands to the Sapulpa Historical Society & Museum.

This Month in History: in late August, 1946, the School Board decided to delay the opening of school by one week as a safeguard against Polio. Earlier that month, the wading pool at Reed Park closed for the summer due to lack of customers. Parents were keeping their children away due to the fear of Polio. At the time, August 3, no reported cases of Polio occurred in Creek County. However, a six year old died of Polio by the end of August. (Sapulpa Herald, August 3, 29, 30, 1946)

What Have We Been Up This Month?
We are working on updating our Euchee Mission School exhibition. Be sure to check in and see how the student life at the Euchee influenced the alumni students.

Tourism:
Furthest Visitor Outside Of Sapulpa:

• In Oklahoma: Enid, Oklahoma (approx. 120 miles away)
• In the Country: Donalsonville, Georgia (approx. 900 miles away)
• In the World: London, England (approx. 4,500 miles away)

A Word From Our Intern:
This summer, I had the privilege of working as an intern at the Sapulpa Historical Museum as part of my pursuit of a Master of Arts in American Studies from Northeastern State University. American Studies is an interdisciplinary study of the American experience and culture. The Sapulpa Historical Museum proved to be the ideal place for me to explore the themes of American Studies because of Sapulpa’s rich history and significant role in the U.S. economy and its population of minority groups. Initially, I chose the Sapulpa Historical Museum to complete my internship because of its friendly, small-town American atmosphere. One feels a little nostalgia when walking through the museum as visitors learn of Sapulpa’s beginnings as a frontier town in Indian Territory. To name just a few topics, the Sapulpa Historical Museum tells of Sapulpa’s oil boom, its establishment of the railroad, successful entrepreneurs, and the Muscogee (Creek) and Yuchi (Euchee) people.

During my time at the museum, my goal was to research the history of the Euchee Mission, sometimes referred to as Euchee Indian Boarding School, once located where the Sapulpa Junior High and High School now stand. The research was no easy task! Very little published information exists about the school, and what does exist only touches the surface of the school’s history. Therefore, I had to primarily rely on archived newspapers and Euchee Mission reunion booklets containing the alumni's oral histories. Although the research was difficult and the process slow, I welcomed the challenge. This project made me a better researcher. It required much inquiry and “digging,” but ultimately, I accomplished my goal.

It would not have been possible without the help of the museum’s curator, Rachel Whitney, and the museum’s volunteers, who helped and encouraged me along the way. I am incredibly grateful to Rachel Whitney for her generosity and willingness to share her knowledge (and office!) with me. With her help, I completed the research paper and developed a panel for the museum’s exhibit on the Euchee Mission.

My experience at the Sapulpa Historical Museum has helped me grow as a researcher and teacher. Much of my research focused on Euchee Mission’s former students, as told through their own stories, and their stories were not what I expected. I expected Euchee Mission, like many Indian boarding schools across the United States and Canada, to have been a place of oppression and abuse. Instead, Euchee Mission was a place of refuge where many Native American children received a happy upbringing and a quality education. I hope my research provides a more accurate picture of the Euchee Mission and that visitors to the Sapulpa Historical Museum will learn about its unique history. 

Amy Rogers
American Studies Graduate Student at Northeastern State University

Then and Now Images of Sapulpa:

Sapulpa opened its third theatre with the opening of the State Theatre at 120 East Dewey in 1939. The other two theatres were the Criterion, 10 S Water, and Yale, 7 S Main.

The location was later the home of Harrison's. It is now the location of Box's Studio.

This Month in Sapulpa History...

Sapulpa was to have its first park. The Wells Packing Company had a small lake on its site and was cleaning it and the area around it for the public's use. People were already using it for swimming and the company planned on building a bath house and a fishing dock. Roads were to be built for better access to the park. (Sapulpa Evening Light, July 20, 1910)

There are still remnants of this lake to this day. It is located east of the theatre and west of Brown Street.