Artifact of the Month

Distinguished as the first Osage woman to receive a Master's Degree, Theresa Bell Trumbly Keefer was born this month in 1914. Born in Osage County, Theresa would graduate from an Independence, Kansas high school and junior college. She began teaching in 1934. She earned her Bachelor's of Arts Degree at Northeastern Teachers College in Tahlequah. She later earned her Master's from Oklahoma A&M (today Oklahoma State University) in Stillwater. Theresa moved to Sapulpa in 1942, and worked for the Department of Public Welfare; later teaching in the Sapulpa Public School at the end of WWII. She kept teaching until retiring in 1977. Information taken from her obituary.

We welcomed the new year with a bang. We have had an amazing month with visitors joining us for a tour of our lovely museums.

Tourism: The furthest visitor outside of Sapulpa (for this month):

• In Oklahoma:  Claremore (approx. 44 miles away)
• In U.S.: Lynchburg, Virginia (approx. 1,110 miles away)

We have had a busy month with new tourists! Come in for a tour down memory lane!

Announcement: We have some exciting events happening this year. We can't wait to get started! Come in and see us, and we'll show you around.

Then and Now, Images of Sapulpa.

(Then): American National Bank
(Now): American Heritage Bank

For over a hundred years, there has been a bank standing at this very corner of Main and Dewey.

​Around the time of statehood (between 1904 and 1908), there were 3 banks at this very intersection, nearly one on each of its four corners.

Did you know…
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This month in Sapulpa history: The $100,000 home of Lewis Meyer was destroyed in a fire on January 4, 1959. Mrs. Jeannette Meyer died in the fire. The home was located some five miles west of Sapulpa Highway 66. (Sapulpa Herald, January, 5, 1959).
 
Sapulpa Woman Dies As Fire Levels $100,000 Ranch Home
Mrs. Meyer is Victim of Inferno
Memorial services were held Monday afternoon for Mrs. Jeannette Meyer, 70, who perished early Sunday morning when fire destroyed the $100,000 ranch home of Max Meyer, five miles southwest of Sapulpa.
It was not until about 8 pm Sunday that the charred remains of Mrs. Meyer were recovered from the smoldering debris of the once elaborate home.
Tennants of the 2,220-acre Meyer ranch carried Meyer to safety after he had been overcome by smoke and fumes as he tried to save his wife. He suffered second degree burns and shock.

Artifact of the Month

​This artifact is the spire off the top of the original gazeebo seen in the picture next to it.

The Gazeebo at the Court House was the hang out joint in Sapulpa. Bands would play; families would picnic, teenagers would dance. And other events took place in the area - do you have a favorite memory involving this spot?

The Sapulpa Main Street and Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce kicked off the holidays with a great bang with an amazing Christmas Parade and Jingle Mingle holiday events! The Sapulpa Historical Society held an evening event, Open House - which we had several new faces coming through to see the amazing museum in lights!

We also celebrated with our many volunteers - we wanted to share our many thanks and appreciation to the ones who lend a helping hand at the Sapulpa Historical Museum.

Tourism: The furthest visitor outside of Sapulpa (for this month):

• In Oklahoma:  Caney (approx. 137 miles away)
• In U.S.: Durham, North Carolina (approx. 1,138 miles away)

We have had a busy month with new tourists! Come in for a tour down memory lane!

Announcement: Just a reminder, the Sapulpa Historical Museum will be closed during the holidays: closed Saturday, December 22nd - January 1st. We will resume regular hours Wednesday, January 2nd 10 AM - 3 PM.

Then and Now images of Sapulpa.

Then: The Woodbury Hotel (1936).
Now: Ram Machine (today).

The building once was three stories. Being vacant during the tornado in May 1960, the top floors were badly damaged. Today it is now a one-story building.

*Bonus* Hobson Ave was one of the first streets established in town. The railroad tracks coming through Oklahoma stopped just west of North Main St, following Hobson Ave as the settlement became a town - then the tracks eventually moved out West.

Did you know...

The Loraine Hotel caught fire and was completely destroyed. This was the worst fire in Sapula’s history. The Loraine Hotel was destroyed and two buildings to the north were also destroyed; they were, Swift’s Market and the Home Appliance Store. Two people died in this fire. (Sapulpa Herald, Dec 2, 1949).

*Bonus: There were 3 hotels within one block: Loraine Hotel, St. James Hotel, and Lee Hotel. The Loraine burnt down, St. James was torn down, and the Lee changed hands to become Y.W.C.A. - now the Sapulpa Historical Museum.

Artifact(s) of the month...

Photographs and a newspaper clipping of a school protest by Sapulpa High School students. The school board had made a decision concerning the Christmas break and how long of a break it should be. The decision was made to change the break from two-weeks to one-week. However, some students had jobs outside of the classroom, and were upset by the decision - cutting their hours at work. The students circled around town during school hours - this picture was taken in front of Sapulpa Herald.

*Sapulpa Herald, December 17, 1946* (check out the bonus)
The article reads...
"All Except About 10 Striking Students Are Back In Classes"
All but about 10 students, who walked out of classes yesterday in their strike for a two weeks Christmas holiday were back in their classes today, according to James L. Prince, city school superintendent.
He stated that school practically was back to normal this afternoon.
Announcement of disciplinary action to be taken will be made either tomorrow or Thursday, Prince said. Students will be dealt with individually, with some general disciplinary moves under consideration.
According to school authorities, a committee of students called on G. C. Corneliscn, high school principal, in an effort to negotiate return of students and escape any punishment. They received a flat "no," to their proposal, it was stated.
"That strike is a washout and the walkout has turned into a lockout relative to the trouble makers in so far as I am concerned. Some of the trouble makers are not wanted back in school," Prince declared.
Prince paid tribute a sudden and determined action by parents in seeing that their sons and daughters return to classes. "We couldn't have done anything if the business men and parents hadn't back up the school authorities. It is definitely a tribute to the good citizenship to be found in Sapulpa. Teachers today report better class work and order and the most pleasant day they had in a long time," Prince added.
Yet to be decided was whether the annual football banquet scheduled for Friday night would be held in view of the ill-advised student strike.
Students, claiming over 400 walked out, while school authorities estimated only about one-half of the 585 high school students left classes, will get only a one-week holiday starting Friday afternoon. William Griess, school board president, reiterated again today that there would be no change in the holiday period.
The main reason given by students for the walkout was that they wanted to work during the Christmas holiday and make some extra money. School authorities stated that students with jobs had only to make application and present a letter from the employer and an excuse would have been granted.
There were only 49 said they had jobs, according to the school superintendent. About 25 of those students have been excused to work.
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*bonus: The Sapulpa Historical Society now has our local newspapers digitized! Our earliest digitized newspaper is from the Sapulpa Signal, July 14, 1904.

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