Bartlesville – RDZ Photography

Virtual Travel – Oklahoma

Architecture, Art, Festival, History, Museum, Nature, Sciences, Sports, Transportation, Water Features

Today’s stop is Oklahoma.

In the early 1800s the United States government was taking over Native American land at a fast pace. One of the concepts they came up with for the people they were displacing was to create ‘Indian Territory’ in the middle of the country. The map below shows how the area that was to become the state of Oklahoma was divided up amongst the various tribes.

In 1889 the government was going to open up the area in the middle that was ‘unassigned’. The plan was to allow people to head for this land at noon on April 22, 1889, however a number of people took off early, despite a ‘sooner clause’ stating anyone who did would be denied land. Originally the term Sooner was derogatory, but now it is embraced by most Oklahomans.

In downtown Oklahoma City there is a large statue collection celebrating that day.

Oklahoma became a state in 1907. The current State Capitol building was completed in 1917, and has the unique feature of a working oil well on the grounds.

Unusual state symbols of the day

Official State Caricature Artist – Teresa Farrington

State Monument – Golden Driller – This guy is huge – 76′ tall.

Native Americans

1958 1991 1993

The Native American culture is celebrated far and wide throughout Oklahoma. The largest celebration is the Red Earth Festival.This multi day cultural event includes a parade. (photo from Wikipedia)

Everywhere you go you see signs of the Native culture. Many are excellent tributes, but some are a bit more commercial (like the gas stations with tepees).

Nature

1975 1977 1983 1985 1986 2009 2011

Oklahoma is mostly a vast plains.

Oklahoma is known as the center of tornado alley, having suffered from numerous deadly tornadoes each year. The National Weather Center is located in Norman, and has a collection of weather collecting devices on display.

There are a few areas that aren’t flat plains, like Gloss Mountain.

2019 05 29 151 Fairview OK Gloss Mountain State Park

2019 05 29 121 Fairview OK Gloss Mountain State Park

2019 05 29 117 Fairview OK Gloss Mountain State Park

2019 05 29 109 Fairview OK Gloss Mountain State Park

2019 05 29 114 Fairview OK Gloss Mountain State Park

There are also hills in Southeastern Oklahoma. (photo from Pintrest)

As you travel around the state you come across a number of random sights.

2019 05 29 161 Jet OK Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge

2019 05 29 162 Jet OK Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge

2019 05 29 110 Fairview OK Gloss Mountain State Park

Transportation

1980 1995 1996 2008 2011

Wait, was it left on 28 or right on 82….

Oil is big business in Oklahoma, once home of Phillips Petroleum.

Darryl Starbirds’ National Rod and Custom Hall of Fame is located in far eastern Oklahoma. Well worth going out of your way to get there.

2019 05 30 132 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 51 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 42 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 35 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 114 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 116 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 90 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 68 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

2019 05 30 65 Afton OK Darryl Starbird Custom Cars

Grand River Dam.

Cities and Towns

1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2015

Oklahoma City is the state capitol, and largest city (not by much – Tulsa is nearly as large). It is a nice city, with a decent downtown, and a hipster neighborhood called Bricktown.

Tulsa – As noted, Tulsa is nearly as large as OKC. It has long been a center of the oil industry.

Tulsa has always been a center of the music scene, with the ‘Tulsa Sound’. Eric Clapton is such a fan, most of his band is usually made up of Tulsans.

Bartlesville was the headquarters of Phillips Petroleum. It is home to a landmark Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper.

2019 05 29 251 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 255 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 231 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 228 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 225 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 219 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 213 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 192 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

2019 05 29 217 Bartlesville OK Price Tower

Oklahoma seems to be a center for statues.

Just south of Oklahoma City is the Museum of Osteology. Oklahoma was surprisingly interesting, well worth a visit.

Across America – May 2019 – Random Scenes Part 2

Architecture, Art, History, Nature, Transportation, Water Features

Central Tennessee – Bus Graveyard

Northern Alabama – Rock Zoo

Scottsboro, Alabama – Did you ever lose your luggage on an airplane and never get it back. It likely ended up here, as they buy all of the unclaimed luggage from the airlines and sell it in essentially a thrift store.

Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Bartlesville, Oklahoma – Phillips 66 Petroleum Company Headquarters

Vinita, Oklahoma – Will Rogers Rodeo

Eastern Oklahoma – Pensacola Dam. A mile long and releasing a lot of water because of the recent rains.

Joplin, Missouri – America’s 2nd largest truck stop.

Southern Missouri – Presumed dead armadillo

Somewhere else in Southern Missouri – Coke Machine Graveyard

Scenes around Cairo, Illinois – At the confluence of the Ohio River and Mississippi River – with flooding.

Evansville, Indiana – Restored Greyhound Bus Station, now a hipster hamburger place. Manhattan prices in small town Indiana.

The interior looked nothing like a bus station.

Evansville, Indiana – County Courthouse

Scenes around Louisville, Kentucky

And after 3 weeks of running around the country – back in Ohio (in Cincinnati). Only 2 hours to home.

Bartlesville, Oklahoma – May 2019 – Frank Lloyd Wright Goes to New Heights

Architecture, Art, History

Those who follow this blog regularly know many of the postings are for architecture, and many of those have featured Frank Lloyd Wright. FLW generally is known for his homes, but did design some commercial properties as well.

One of his most famous commercial properties is the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. While a 19 floor building in a small city might seem out of place there are a few other buildings of similar height, as it was the headquarters for Phillip 66 petroleum company, and continues to be a major employer as part of Conoco – Phillips.

As usual there are many unique touches to the design, including these inlaid logos in the floor for the original owner’s company.

The building houses an art museum, as well as a collection of the original furnishings.

The building was built with offices and apartments. The apartments have been turned into a boutique hotel – we were lucky enough to get a 2 level room on the 13th and 14th floors.

The furnishings are new but fit the style perfectly.

As with many FLW designs there is quirkiness to the design (the bathroom was insanely small, and the stairs were narrow and at an angle) but it was worth it to spend the night in a work of art.