Oil and gas have long historic ties in state
For well over a century, going back to the development of the Frank Phillips Home in 1909 and the 1930 unveiling of the Pioneer Woman Statue in Ponca City, the energy industry has played a major role in the donation of artifacts, the creation of public art and financial contributions to Oklahoma museums and historic sites.
These dramatic efforts were extended tremendously in 2005 with the development of the outdoor oil and gas park at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. This exhibit reflects the entire scope of the energy industry in Oklahoma, including manufacturing and supply firms in oil and gas, with major contributions by Chesapeake Energy Corp., Kerr-McGee Corp. and Devon Energy Corp.
“Most Oklahomans take for granted they can put gasoline in their car or turn a knob on the stove and get a blue flame,” said Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. “Similarly, many people give little thought to the fact they drive on good roads, enjoy a growing economy and reap the benefits of philanthropists. All of that, either directly or indirectly, can be traced to the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma.
“Ironically, when the Oklahoma History Center opened in 2005, the OHS did not have enough collections to assemble a first-class exhibit on the history of oil and gas. That changed when Devon Energy funded the outdoor oil and gas park and Kerr-McGee Energy donated the company archives to the OHS.
“Today, visitors can explore the outdoor park with four generations of oil and gas derricks and oil field equipment on display, the world’s tallest Christmas tree of valves donated by Gene Downing, and several oil patch trucks, including a 1950s tanker used by Harold and John Groendyke.”
The story goes back to 1903, when Frank Phillips came from Iowa to learn about the surrounding oil fields. He returned in 1905 with his wife, Jane, and son, John. He started the Phillips Petroleum Co., completed the Frank Phillips Home in 1909 and developed 81 consecutive successful oil wells.
The 28-room mansion was remodeled twice, the last time in 1930. Phillips lived there until his death in 1950. The home was donated to Oklahoma Historical Society in 1973.
The Phillips Petroleum Company Museum presents exhibits of the pioneering influence by Phillips on the industry, including his family approach to employees, the creation of products from refined petroleum fuels to natural gas and the development of aviation fuels.
In another thread of history, Ernest Whitworth Marland, an oilman, U.S. congressman and 10th governor of Oklahoma, in October 1926 invited 12 sculptors to submit designs for the Pioneer Woman Statue in Ponca City. Bryant Baker’s model was the most popular in exhibits across the nation, so his was chosen.
The Pioneer Woman Statue was unveiled April 22, 1930, on the anniversary of the first land run in Oklahoma. President Herbert Hoover gave a brief radio address. The principal address was given by Will Rogers, who quipped that he traveled a long distance just to undress (unveil) a woman.
Marland planned to have many other statues around the Pioneer Woman, but he ran into difficulties. Five statues were completed and delivered to the mansion, though it is unclear if they ever were displayed. These included a plainsman, a cowboy, an Indian chief, woman outlaw Belle Starr and an Indian woman.
Marland’s establishment of the Continental Oil Co. in 1928 is featured at the Conoco Museum, also in Ponca City.
Meanwhile, the care and custody of the Pioneer Woman Statue was placed under the supervision of the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, which later became the Tourism and Recreation Department. The Pioneer Woman Museum was built just east of the statue in 1958, and oversight of the museum was transferred to the Historical Society in 1991.
In Oklahoma City, the History Center exhibit documents Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry risk takers from World War II to the present day. Major theme areas include Exploration, Drilling, Production, Delivery, Conversion, Public Use, Retail, Building Communities and Energy for the Future.
One of the most recent artifacts received by the History Center energy exhibit is Chesapeake’s donation of a compressed natural gas motorcycle.
The Drilling section features an interactive representation of the inside of a Helmerich and Payne Flex Rig #447 and a portable drilling platform that increased the speed and efficiency of oil and gas drilling. Oil field jobs, ranging from geologists, seismic technicians and drillers to production and delivery specialists, are featured.
“Inside, the exhibit includes a reproduction of a fullservice Kerr-McGee station from the 1960s and a series of stories about exploring, producing and transporting oil and gas,” Blackburn said. “The final story is about the impact of oil and gas on the quality of life in Oklahoma. Of 1,200 foundations in Oklahoma, more than a thousand of them were created with money made in the oil and gas industry.”