In research it is not uncommon to be looking for a particular piece of information and stumble upon other interesting (though unrelated) information. This happens to me quite often and I have learned to quickly make a copy of the surprise find so I can come back to it later. In the following post, I had been looking through old Magazine Tulsa issues, doing research for a previous exhibit at the museum, and came across this drawing and article. I have inserted some other photos for interest.

30 YEARS AGO
by John Clark
from Magazine Tulsa – August, 1947
In 1917 Boston Avenue was rapidly being converted from a quiet residential street into the business heart of the “Oil Capital of the World.”

In that year, the new Gallais Building at 4th and Boston, which had been completed a year before,

was sold to Dr. Kennedy who more than doubled its Boston Avenue frontage to make the present day Kennedy Building.
Across the street on the southeast corner, evacuation was already underway for the new Cosden Building which would then be the tallest in the state.

This, along with City Hall

was the first office structure to be erected in the block which had- since 1907- been the playgrounds around “Old Central” (high school).

In the drawing, “Old Central”, with the flag flying atop the mast, can be seen rising above the twin towers of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church in the right foreground.






As seen in this photo, taken from the top of the NBT Building, looking north on Boston:


Here are a few more interesting views of Boston Avenue-
3 comments:
Nancy - great old photos. I have not posted to my Historic Tulsa in weeks. Maybe I should match some of your old shots with some "now" pictures.
Great pictures. I love'em.
Wow. Great photos! Some I've never seen before.
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