Rachel Whitney, Curator, Sapulpa Historical Museum
A well-known fact about Sapulpa buildings is that either the buildings had been consumed by fire and destroyed or the buildings were demolished due to expansion or for the building being hazardous. On a rare occasion were the buildings destroyed by a tornado.
In the 1960s of Sapulpa,some buildings that are no longer here, for example, the Lawrence Cigar Store in 1965; another would be the Harvey House & Frisco Depot in 1963; and the Sapulpa High (and Junior High) School by 1969; and even, St James Hotel by 1962; and a tornado heavily damaged Booker T. Washington High School in 1960.
The 1960s in Sapulpa had not only buildings being torn down but buildings were being prepared for new businesses and expansions of old businesses or replacing older buildings with new ones.
In September 1918, at Linden and Dewey, the Sapulpa High School was being constructed. “The institution which, when completed, will give Sapulpa one of, if not the best, high school in the entire state. The building work was commenced last January and originally it was presumed that the new school would be ready for an opening in February of this year. However, the difficulty in procuring proper materials has caused some delay in the work and it will probably not open exactly as scheduled. Workmen are rushing all phases of the job in an effort to finish the building in as near construct time as is possible.”
This week in Sapulpa history, on July 20, 1959, it was announced that the new high school was nearing completion. “Workmen should finish work on the new Sapulpa High School building within two months, as they have reached 70% completion on the $557,000 structure. Located near Mission and Dewey, the builder says it will be one of the ‘nicest’ school buildings in the state. The building will be put into use in the second semester of the next school term. Supt. of Schools Noel Vaughn said he was ‘very pleased’ with the progress on the building.”
In May 1960, a tornado devastated much of northern Sapulpa. Booker T. Washington students had not finished their school year yet when the tornado tore through the building. “The new high school is all set to receive Booker T. Washington students who will be housed there. Noel Vaughn said about 90% of the desks have been salvaged and taken to the new high school.” The new high school took in its first students before opening.
It was quick thinking to find a new place for the students. In an instant, Sapulpa changed.
Speaking of instant change, this week in Sapulpa history, on July 20, 1961, “instant buildings, building is being built in a hurry” for the Fire Department.
“One of the speediest things to be seen in Sapulpa today is not a fast car, but the furious pace at which workmen are constructing a temporary steel building to house fire station equipment while the old station is torn down and a new one built.”
The City Hall building, at 121 E Hobson, which once housed the Police Department and Fire Department had been planned to be demolished and the organizations would be moved. But in order for the Fire Department to move out quickly, the equipment had to be stored. “The building site, the parking lot on the southwest corner of Park and Hobson,” and the building being erected would take only ten days.
Within the next year, the City Hall and Police Department moved to 116 E Dewey, while Fire Station No. 1 remained at the Hobson location for a few more decades.
The High School, City Hall, and Departments were not the only ones expanding or relocating in the early 1960s. The American National Bank held a special event this week in Sapulpa history.
On July 20, 1965, “some 45 members of the Chamber of Commerce and officials of the American National Bank and Trust Co., assembled on the cleared ground south of the present bank for a short groundbreaking ceremony.”
“Guy Berry, Sr., and Guy Berry, Jr., board chairman and president, respectively, joined in turning the first spade of dirt of American National Bank and Trust Co.’s expansion site.” The gold spade covered in dirt was just the beginning of the 210-day construction.
The groundbreaking expanded the business located on the corner of Main and Dewey to the end of the block to Main and Lee. “The expansion, which will encompass the entire east side of the unit block of South Main, will include a greatly-expanded drive-in bank facility, walk-up window and remodeling of the exterior of the present bank.”
In Sapulpa’s history, times change, businesses close or grow, buildings may be torn down, but others can be built or expanded.
