Tulsa Parks History
Creek Council Oak
Park
1750 S. Cheyenne Ave.
The Creek Council tree, a mature post oak, marks the traditional
"ceremonial ground" chosen in 1836 by the Lochapoka clan of the
Creek Indians. In 1834, they had begun their involuntary migration
from Alabama under the control of the U.S. government.
It was a slow and painful trek and of
the original group of 630, 161 died in route. In 1836 they arrived
on a low hill overlooking the Arkansas River and here they marked
their arrival with a solemn ceremony depositing ashes brought over
the trail from their last fires in Alabama.
The Tulsa-Lochapoka, a division of the
Creek Nation, established their "town." The park is often referred
to as Tulsa's first City Hall. As late as 1896 the Tulsa-Lochapoka
gathered here for ceremonies, feasts and games.
Today, commemorative tribal ceremonies
are held each year.
The park features an ethno-botanical garden displaying plants that
were used by the Creek Indians for food, fiber, ceremonial and
medicinal purposes. Interpretive signs identify the plants and
provide information about their use. This park is protected by
Historic Preservation zoning and is listed in the National Register
of Historic Places.
Owen Park - Tulsa's First
Park
560 N. Maybelle St.
It could be said that Tulsa Parks began with a bang - literally. On
January 23, 1904 at 4:15 p.m., a tremendous explosion rocked west
Tulsa and was heard as far away as Claremore. The entire stock of
nitroglycerine belonging to the Western Torpedo Company that was
used for shooting oil wells was accidentally detonated shortly
after a company employee named McDonald entered a wooden structure
where the explosives were stored.
Needless to say, Mr. McDonald did not survive the
blast. The explosion created a large crater that eventually was
used to create what became known as Owen Park Lake and years later
was made much smaller and is now known as Owen Park Pond.
Although the City of Tulsa did not
purchase Owen Park until 1909, the area was already being used for
major citywide events. In September of 1906, a Labor Day
celebration, complete with a parade that began in downtown Tulsa,
speeches, games, and sports was held.
Thousands of people were reported to
have come there to enjoy band concerts, food and fireworks each
July 4th for several years prior to 1909. That year, the city
bought the land from Chauncey and 
Mary Owen for $13,500 and Tulsa's first park became
a reality.
Owen Park was a natural beauty spot
with its grove of beautiful oak trees and pure well water. Swimming
in the lake was very popular from 1913 through the early 1920s.
There was a sand beach with lifeguards
as well as a bath house to accommodate swimmers. The lake also was
used for ice skating during the winter months.
City Parks Historical Summary
The Tulsa Park and Recreation Department has a history dating
back over 100 years. It first came into being on August 18,
1909, when the City of Tulsa bought Owen Park from Chauncey and
Mary Owen for $13,500. Tulsa's first Park Superintendent, John
Meisenbacher, later moved into a house located on the park. Park
Board meetings were held in a room above his garage. After some
spruce-up efforts with the planting of 600 roses, Tulsa's first
City park officially opened on June 8, 1910.
Tulsa was growing in the early 1900s and residents felt the need
for open space within a town to escape the rigors of new urban
life. Parks came to have a special value to citizens of the
day.
Shortly after Owen Park was acquired, Woodward and Central parks
were added to the new park system. A Park Commission also was
responsible for developing a boulevard system to beautify the city
with flowers, trees and scenery. The Park Department's early years
emphasized horticulture. Recreation was an afterthought. Parks were
mostly places to relax and enjoy the scenery.
More land was needed and in 1912, voters approved the first park
bond issue to purchase tracts of land and fund cheap improvements.
It was during these years that the popular attraction, Orcutt's
Lake at 21st Street and Utica Avenue, became Swan Lake and came
into the Park's fold. The Park System was established in 1918.
The largest park in the system, Mohawk Park, was an afterthought
of the Spavinaw Dam that brought water to Tulsa in 1924. An early
public- and private-sector partnership, Mohawk's purchase was
engineered by a trust comprised of prominent local citizens. Voters
then passed a bond issue to buy the trust's option on the park,
making it a City property.
In 1925, the first written minutes of the Park Board were
recorded. In them were noted the total area of parks - nearly 3,000
acres - and the facts that there were no office facilities, no
system for keeping track of tools, equipment and no plans for
handling maintenance or development.
The role of a park changed in the 20's and 30's. When the urban
life became an accepted fact, people looked to the parks to provide
scheduled activities. W.O. Doolittle, the first park
superintendent, was hired in 1926. His pay was $325 per month plus
a house and car. He filled the superintendent position until 1937
and left his mark on the department by the movement to recreation
programs. Horticulture was de-emphasized as he created summer
programs, improved facilities and hired recreational leaders.
The 1920's saw continual growth with the first park bond issue
for development of Newblock Park, the dedication of Tracy Park
wading pool, purchase of Lincoln and Springdale parks, building of
roads at Mohawk for golf and zoo and a $150,000 bond issue for
public improvements.
Under Mayor Patton in 1928, Owen, Cheyenne, Newblock, Howard,
West Tulsa, Boulder, Riverside Drive, Tracy and Central parks were
landscaped, fencing was added to Swan Lake, and a $200,000 park
bond was sold. Archer Park's playground was added in 1929.
Tulsa's economy suffered during the Depression in the 30's but
the Park Department profited from work programs. The Civilian
Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration workers
cleared outlying parks of everything but trees and helped build the
Rock Garden and Rose Garden at Woodward Park.
The National Park Service took over planning of structures in
Mohawk Park from the City Park Department. The WPA workers built
bridges, roads and shelters to blend in with the natural landscape.
They also brought waterlines and restrooms into Mohawk for the
first time.
Parks were now a chief source of leisure for the public. So when
O.E. Zeigler, a disciple of Doolittle, became superintendent in
1937, he further developed recreation programs. People crowded into
City parks on nights and weekends in the 30's, 40's and 50's. The
City created a Recreation Department in 1946.
A 1947 study discovered Tulsa had 10 acres of park land to 4,615
people. The standard ratio was 10 acres per 1,000 people. The
Department was handicapped on correcting the problem by an
unusually small operating budget. Recreation leaders were underpaid
and there were no year-round programs.
As the city grew after World War II, there was an urgent need to
acquire park land in the new residential developments. Voters
passed bond issues for acquisition and capital improvements on a
regular basis until the mid 60's, but the parks still lagged behind
the booming population increases. A bond issue in 1952 built much
of the park system. The Garden Center was purchased and playgrounds
and pools were added to many areas. George Taylor was appointed
program and recreation director.
For years, the Park Department was directed by the same board as
the airport. The political importance of the airport did not allow
adequate time for the direction of the ever-increasing park system.
With the separation of the boards in 1958, the Park Department took
on a new look and Gilcrease Museum was added to the department,
Mohawk was revitalized, new arts and crafts programs were offered
and a year-round recreation program was initiated.
Funding took a new turn in 1960, when through a Park Department
initiative, a partnership was formed with Tulsa Public Schools to
take advantage of federal programs. The Community School
Coordinating Committee was established. This led to facility
exchange and the joint use agreement in 1963.
Recreation was formally joined with Parks and in 1961, Bob
Hunter became the first Parks and Recreation Department
director.
Bond issues became tougher to pass and in 1969 an omnibus bond
issue failed.
Continued federal funding was seen for recreation programs.
Thirty Park and Recreation sites, 12 community agencies and three
county recreation programs were funded with Department of Labor
money and administered through Tulsa Park and Recreation.
In 1972, voters passed a $13 million bond issue that was matched
with $3 million in federal funds to build park facilities. Oxley
Nature Center was established in Mohawk Park in 1974 and private
monies in 1977 allowed for its development.
Hugh McKnight became the director of the Tulsa Park and
Recreation Department in 1975 and retired in January 2001. During
his tenure, the last two recreation centers, Manion and Hicks
Parks, were built in 1976. The next year held major reorganizations
in store for the Zoo. An investigation of animal care led to the
end of Tulsa Zoological Society and the creation of a group that
later became Zoo Friends.
Mary Ann Summerfield became the department director in July 2002
and retired at the end of 2007. During her time in the position,
private/public cooperative efforts were instituted resulting in
more than $1.4 million in donations for the construction of new
park facilities including a new 12,000 sq. ft. community/senior
Central Center at Centennial Park. It opened in 2006 and
continues to be one of the more popular park facilities in
Tulsa.
As the Tulsa Parks and Recreation Department enters its
100th year anniversary, programs and improvements are still
progressing. Lucy Dolman now serves as Director for the Parks
Department. Such ongoing projects include the Woodward
Park/Garden Center Master Plan, the Department Master Plan,
WaterWorks Arts Center expansion and renovation, 3 new Water
Playgrounds, and two major Mohawk Park additions including a
new Skate Park and Soccer Complex.
