The ARCO Building/Towercade

The ARCO Building was the final stop on the Tulsa Treasures tour. This unique building, located at 119 E. Sixth Street, was built in 1949 at the end of the Art Deco era and is a great example of how the style evolved over the years. I have long admired the outside of this building when walking past it. How could entrances like this not catch your eye? (click on photos to enlarge)

Actually, these are two buildings that are connected. This plaque the west side of the building explains:

We were asked by the owner not to go further than the lobby area due to safety issues. And there wasn’t much light, so bear that in mind. There are some ragged edges here and there, but the marble and style are still wonderful. So without further ado......

This is on the floor just as you step out of the elevator:

This ornate door was admired by everyone:
As you walked in the building from the south door, this was the area to the right:
And this to the left:

The ONG Building

Last weekend approximately 40 or so curious Tulsan’s got up early and ventured out into the cold, windy streets of downtown Tulsa to see some treasures. Speaking for myself, it has to be something I really, really want to see or do that makes me get up EARLY on a weekend and then get OUT in the COLD! And this was something, for sure.The Tulsa Treasures Tour, coordinated by Tulsa Now was to begin in the lobby of the old ONG Building. That alone was incentive enough for me to bundle up, grab my camera and go. And I was NOT disappointed. I was wowed the minute I walked in: The light fixtures, the floor, the molding, the star theme…..

The floor:
Pillars in the lobby:

I find the elevators, building directories, and mailboxes in buildings of the oil boom era to be charming and exquisite. This one was no exception.

Built in 1928, the ONG building was one of (if not the) first of its kind (zigzag art deco style) in Tulsa.

Our group then stepped out the east door of the lobby, onto Boston, and listened while architect experts told stories about other buildings of interest. I gazed at my beautiful city and tried to capture the moment.

Across the street was the former Ponca City Savings and Loan Building, a Mid-Century style building that is awesome:
Unfortunately we did not get to tour this building inside, as we hoped, which was a shame. That did not stop our tour from discussing the architecture and history of this building as well as the Chase AutoBank that now occupies that corner. I have always liked this wall that is out there:

Next we got to go across the street, north, and see another rarity: the ARCO Building. More on that in the next post.

The Alvin Hotel

Yesterday I had the golden opportunity to be in the lobby of this historic building, the ONG:

(click on photos to enlarge)

But that is another story (and photos) for another time. I want to focus on the building to the left (west) of the ONG Building in the above picture- The Alvin Hotel.

Built in 1928-29, the Alvin Hotel was located on the northeast corner of 7th and Main.

In 1930 it was one of many new, fashionable hotels around town.

The Alvin's claim to fame was being home to the First Barbershop Quartet Chapter in Tulsa.
The Barbershop Quartet group met and practiced at the Alvin. This was the Main Streeters Barbershop Quartet:

The Coffee Shop:

This is a view from the balcony overlooking 7th Street below:
Later on, the name was changed to the Alvin Plaza:

The Alvin Hotel/Plaza was torn down in 1976.

T.J. Archer Part 2

When Ann Mowbray arrived at the Tulsa train station, having been summoned by her father to come play the organ at his church, T.J. Archer and some other citizens were sitting on the porch in front of his store. As Reverend Mowbray escorted his daughter past the store, T.J. said, “There goes my wife.” One of the other fellows said, “I’ll bet you a box of cigars that she’s mine.” Archer took the bet and sure enough, about a year later they were married.

To meet Annie, Archer attended the Methodist church where her father pastored.

Born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire England, the Rev. George Mowbray came to Tulsa as a pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in 1887.

After they were married, they lived in a room in the back of Archer’s store for the first 3 years, where their first child was born. He then bought 32 acres in North Tulsa and built their first house in the 500 block of North Main.

About 14 years later, a larger brick home was built in the lower lot at the corner of Easton and Main. It had 7 bedrooms, a parlor, a library, a dining room, a kitchen and one of the first modern bathrooms.

1902- Front Row: Beth Thomas (Meeks), Harley Thomas (Joiner), Grace (Mowbray) Winterringer, (Baby) Mildred Winterringer (Wickizer), Helen Mowbray, Hannah Elizabeth Mowbray, (baby) Madeline Mowbray (Harris), Gertrude Winterringer (Carr), George W. Mowbray Sr, Georgia Archer (Young), front of Georiga, Melton Winterringer, Annie (Mowbray) Archer. Back Row: Heck Thomas, Matie (Mowbray) Thomas, George W. Mowbray jr, Mame (Robertson) Mowbray, Mabel G. Archer (Curry), James V. Archer.

1906- From left to right: Annie C. Archer, and her mother and father, Hannah Elizabeth Mowbray, and George W. Mowbray

The Archer children attended the “subscription” school at the church, where parents paid $1 per child to attend. It went from 1st to 8th grade. There were no organized public schools at that time.
1894 The school sat on the north side of Boulder and the MKT Railroad tracks.

The Story According To Mabel Archer Curry:

One day in 1895, one of Archer’s friends, an Indian by the last name of Perryman (first name unknown), came into his store inebriated and told Jeff he was going to shoot him. Perryman had been seen down at the train depot shooting at boys’ toes to see them jump before coming into the store. Jeff told him that he didn’t want to do that because they were friends. So instead of shooting Jeff, he shot at the floor, into cans of blasting powder. There were three explosions, the force of which knocked Jeff into the heavy shelving, set his clothes on fire and blew the roof off the building. He got out with his clothes on fire and ran up the street to the doctor’s office. Perryman was blown over the railing, over the safe and was killed instantly.

Archer was treated for his burns, but there was no hospital in Tulsa, so he was taken home where he died one month later from his injuries. He left behind 3 children ages 3 ½, 1 ½ and a baby born 4 months after he died. His widow Annie never remarried.

George Mowbray, who had been living and preaching in Stillwater with his wife, returned to Tulsa and took over running the store with Annie, later becoming Tulsa’s 5th mayor, the first president of the Commercial Club as well as an undertaker and real estate broker.

photo taken around 1912-
A street and a brick store were later built and named The Archer Building in 1909, to commemorate the life of Thomas Jefferson Archer. The building under construction (2nd story framing and window frames are visible), on the left, was the Archer Building.

A piece of that history lies in the Vintage Gardens at the Tulsa Historical Society.

Tulsa Founders: T. J. Archer

Thomas Jefferson Archer came to Tulsa in 1882. An orphan child, he had worked hard and had saved enough money to buy a tent. He followed the railroad workers, pitching his tent along the right of way when they were building the Frisco railroad from Vinita to Tulsa. He sold work gloves, work shoes, tobacco and quinine (which everybody had to take for malaria), and a few groceries- staples like coffee, beans and rice. When the railroad team moved on, so did he. But when the railroad people got to Tulsa, they stopped. So T.J. got a bill of sale for half a block of property. It started at the railway line and First Street.

In this map of Tulsa as a tent town in 1882 or 1883 Mr. Archer's tent is number 4

click to enlarge:

He pitched his tent right there, selling gingerbread cookies and coffee as that was all he had left until the next train came in. Another family by the name of Hall moved in across the street and opened a general store.

T.J. quit selling groceries and put in some hardware and furniture stock. This was his first store- Archer is in the center with his hand in his vest:
In a memoir told by Mabel Archer Curry (daughter) in 1978 she says:
“My father (Thomas Jefferson Archer) had a little store where he sold dry goods, and later farm equipment."
Archer is again in the middle, wearing the buttoned jacket; to the right is the town Marshall. Gentleman on the left is unknown. The store, at this time, had been upgraded:

“Farmers would come in and buy things from him, sometimes on credit. When they gathered their crops, they would either pay him, or if they didn’t have the money, they would pay him with livestock. When he received livestock from people, he would put them in a feed lot. At the end of the year, he would ship a carload of cattle to market and take the money from the sale and buy stock for the store. In that way he was able to buy some land and build a house.”
Livestock out behind the store:

Interior shot of the store. In it we see buckets, lanterns, wagons parts:

In this next interior shot....:

...we see horse collars (hanging from the ceiling on the right), rifles, pistols, ammunition, and black powder (kegs on the right), cook stoves (center), oil lamps and other household goods (on the left). A soda fountain can be seen in the left background. Mr. Archer is leaning on the counter.

Archer also sold furniture. This is the interior of his furniture store around 1892:
This is looking south on Main Street, Tulsa Indian Territory 1892. Thomas Jefferson Archer's 2nd Tulsa store building located on left:

The house that Archer was able to buy was very nice, indeed. Daughter Mabel: "The house had 5 rooms and a picket fence. The house was always painted green and had flagstone walks from the street to the house.”

Next up: The family and an untimely death.

Veterans Day

Technical Difficulties

My old pc died and I am working off my little netbook while waiting for my new iMac to arrive. Blogging is a little challenging right now, but I did not want to miss the opportunity to honor the Veterans today with a few pictures from the Beryl Ford Collection, to keep this Tulsa History related. I will post a more personal entry on my other blog.

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In 1917 a parade was held to honor patriots and encourage young men to enlist in aniticipation of the U.S. entering the war in 1918. Photo was taken from top of the Robinson Hotel.

(click on photos to enlarge)

Tulsa honored Company D, 11th Engineers, 36th Division when they returned home on June 12, 1919 with the Arch of Welcome.
The arch was erected on Main Street between 3rd & 4th Streets and was built at a price of $3500 and paid by public subscriptions. It was made of paper mache and thrown away after.

Veterans Day Parade, circa 1955. Dode McIntosh, the last appointed Creek Indian Chief, in his World War I uniform. The parade started at approximately Frankfort and 3rd streets. Today the KOTV television studio is located on the intersection's southwest corner.

Thank you, Veterans, for serving.