Did You Know...

The Sapulpa Street Car Company was going to extend its tracks to the new Schram Glass Plant, west of town. This would put it close to the water treatment plant and the big dam. With the extension of the tracks to the dam it made its area very suitable for a park. With very little expense this assured that the park would come to being as they had sold all but six shares of stock for the purpose of buying the land. The trolley line was extended to the Schram Glass Plant. (Creek county Republican June 20, 1913).

Artifact of the Month:

This is a tile, possibly from the bathroom, of the Bridal Suite in the Saint James Hotel. The hotel existed on the corner of Main & Lee.

There were 3 hotel buildings within a block of each other (not all three buildings were operating at the exact same time, however). On the corner of Main/Lee was the St James - across the street was Loraine Hotel (operating at the same time as St James) - and a block from this on Water and Lee was the Lee Hotel (at the time Lee Hotel had become the Y.W.C.A.). St James closed as was torn down in 1963; the Loraine burnt down in 1949; the Lee Hotel closed in 1920, but became the Y.W.C.A. which led to the opening of the Sapulpa Historical Museum in 1968 - the only hotel building of the three still standing.

Then and Now Images of Sapulpa:

Roadside attractions are a dime-a-dozen, especially along Route 66. Here's an oldie-but-ah-goodie. Remember this one?

(Then) Sapulpa sign in a Hollywood(land) style
(Now) Aleris International Inc, Real Alloy Recycling Inc.

Did You Know...

​On May 26, 1981, the historic 74 year old Rock Creek Methodist Church burned down in the night.

Flames destroy landmark church (Sapulpa Herald, May 27, 1981)

The end of an era came last night in a blaze of flames as the Rock Creek Chapel, 1700 S Hickory, allegedly fell victim to an arsonist's torch.

Built in 1907, with funds provided by Elizabeth Sapulpa, the bare bones of the church stood in an overgrown field, with the windows and many boards gone, a stark reminder of Sapulpa's past.

Mrs. Sapulpa, the wife of James Sapulpa, who was the son of Chief Sapulpa, had a dream to build a church for the Native American worshipers of the area.

Hard money was not easy to come by during the years shortly after the turn of the century, so Mrs. Sapulpa sold part of her Native American land allotment to raise money for the structure.

The door of the church was always open for the people of the area, and it was in many ways a personal church, built to provide a place for the Native American population of Sapulpa to meet and worship.

The church was affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church South as a mission, but was staffed by the Native Americans since the property was never taken from the restricted rolls of the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA).

The property remained in the custody of the family until 1973 when it was sold at a sheriff's sale to a local developer.

In the early days of Sapulpa, the Rock Creek church was surrounded by camp houses built by the members of the church.

Members could build their own camp houses to provide a place to stay while attending services. Many of those houses were destroyed by fire, and the church itself was heavily damaged.

During the summer months camp meetings were held a week at a time at the church, and people came from many miles around to pitch their tents and stay for a week of services, conferences and just plain visiting.

The worship services at the church were little like the services today. There was no piano or any other musical instrument used during the services, and men and women sat on opposite sides of the room. The pastor, elders, and deacons sat on the stage area and led the singing and the prayers.

Seating arrangements were by tradition, each seat an honored place, and no one would think of taking another person's place or chair.

The Rock Creek Church was one of four in the circuit of a preacher, who was elected each year to serve as senior pastor. There was no salary for a circuit preacher. He was paid from collections.

Early records show that one collection netted 54 cents and 9 mills. A mill was the original Oklahoma sales tax token. The preacher kept the 50 cents. Four cents and the mills went into the church's general fund.

In the late 1960s, the Sapulpa Historical Society was granted a lease on the building by the heirs of Mrs. Sapulpa and the BIA. The Society hoped to restore the church to its original condition and maintain it as a Sapulpa Historical Site open to the public.

The Society did put on a new cedar-shake shingle roof to preserve the interior of the building but the lease and provisions were too expensive for the Society to handle.

Then, litigation over the Native American land was settled, the land was sold at auction, and the combined efforts of the city and the Society were outbid by a land developer.

All that now remains of the church is its foundation, and a hot bed of ashes.

For the past years the historic structure has been falling into decay, a victim of time and the elements. Children have played in the ruins of the building, and fire  has threatened its dry timbers. That threat has finally been realized, and a piece of Sapulpa's history is gone forever.

Arson is said possible  (same article)

The Old Rock Creek Chapel located in a field near 1700 S Hickory was destroyed by a fire shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday.

When firefighters responded to the 10:15 p.m. fire, the building was engulfed in flames. Five firefighters and four officers stood by to protect area houses and to make sure the fire did not burst out of control, Fire Marshall Tony Woodall said Wednesday. Woodall added that there was not much else the department could do because the chapel was burning when it arrived.

Fire reports indicated the fire possibly could have been set by individuals playing with matches in the area.

(The bell tower of the Rock Creek Chapel, 1700 S Hickory, was a blazing symbol of the end of an era Tuesday...The structure, built in 1907 by Elizabeth Sapulpa, was reduced to ashes within 30 minutes.)

Artifact(s) of the Month

Rock Creek Methodist Church paintings by local artists. These are just a few images we have collected at the museum featuring the church*.

1) Sam Houghton painting of Rock Creek Methodist Church and arbor; oil based painting on canvas; 1980s
​2) Dale Lang painting of Rock Creek Methodist  Church, side view; oil based; 1972
​3) Gael Wallace painting of Rock Creek Methodist Church, driveway; acrylic; 1980s

*The church was built in 1907 by Elizabeth (Barnett) Sapulpa - wife of James Sapulpa (Chief Sapulpa's son). Elizabeth used her land allotment to build the church. Elizabeth passed away in 1955.

Who remembers Carl's Pig Stand at 219 N Mission, phone # P-2470? (City Directory, 1956)

(Then): Carl's Pig Stand, circa 1948*
(Now): Route 66 Car Wash, today

​*Bonus image of Carl's Pig Stand, 1980

Did You Know...

There was a vote to allow dancing at the Youth Center. The voting results showed that 1,617 were for and 1,430 were against. The election had become very heated at times with most of the ministers in town opposed to dancing. The students held a parade on Monday endorsing the parade. (Sapulpa Daily Herald, April 6, 1949)

(Top) Article #1: Special Election On Recreation Center Permitting Dancing At Euchee Comes Up Here Tuesday, Sapulpa Daily Herald, April 3, 1949, front page

Voting booths will be opened here at eight city schools.
...
The actual wording of the question as it will appear on the ballot is:

"Shall the following measures be instituted by the Board of Education and shall said Board proceed as follows: Establish a recreational center for high school students at Euchee Mission grounds by use of the present gymnasium building, which center shall be kept open at least two evenings a week, one of which shall be Saturday night, and on such other nights as shall be in harmony with the general school program, such as the Junior-Senior Prom, Hi-Y Prom, special holiday parties, etc.; that said recreational center shall be available for and provide facilities for social dancing both square and ball room, dart games, table tennis, badminton, and games of similar nature, intramural basketball, a piano, turn table, and other facilities for music, a soft drink and sandwich counter, which shall be under the auspices of the Student Council?"


(Bottom) Article #2: Youth Center Proposal Carries In Close Vote 1617-1430; Early "No" Trend Loses In Late Vote, Sapulpa Daily Herald, April 6, 1949, front page

Sapulpa citizens, more than 3,000 strong, trooped to the polls yesterday and, in a tight election, decided that the youth of the city should have a recreational center at the Euchee Mission with dancing.

The official count of the ballots was 1,617 for, and 1,430 against.

The first six boxes to report gave the negative vote a lead of almost 200 ballots. With Jefferson and Woodlawn yet to report, the vote count stood at 860 for and 1,042 against. Because of the heavy vote at the two schools, it was almost an hour before their returns came in.

Jefferson with its preponderant vote (529-211) in favor of the proposition gave the proponents of the bill the lead for the first time in the balloting, and Woodlawn put the "clincher" on the election with a majority of 51 for the youth center.

Voting by precincts in the order of their reporting: Booker T. Washington, 20 for - 93 against; Liberty, 93 for - 215 against; South Heights, 70 for - 151 against; Forest Park, 191 for - 147 against; Garfield, 48 for - 104 against; Washington, 438 for - 332 against; Jefferson, 529 for - 211 against; Woodlawn, 228 for - 177 against.
...

Artifact of the Month:

Eva Maud Bartlett's ballroom dress, circa 1890. She wore this dress at two Territorial Governor's Ball. This dress was machine made lace with hand embroidered details and a bustle.