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Tulsa 1923 summer fun

What did Tulsans do 100 years ago to escape the summer heat? Some answers can be found in a little clipping I saved during some research on Tulsa's streetcars and electric interurban railroads.

Posted by Michael Bates on November 19, 2023 11:00 PM

Why streetcars survived in Boston

It's a commonplace sentiment among fans of streetcars that a cabal of car and tire manufacturers bought out city streetcar systems one by one and shut them down, replacing the wonderful old PCC trolley cars with diesel-belching buses. In reality, there were many factors undermining the popularity and financial feasibility...

Posted by Michael Bates on December 24, 2019 1:16 AM

Shawnee to Sapulpa by electric interurban

Another interesting map find. This Rand McNally Vest Pocket Map of Oklahoma from 1910 appears to be an earlier map, overprinted in red to show numbers indexed to railway names and parcel companies and to show electric railway lines. The U. S. Post Office did not deliver parcels until January...

Posted by Michael Bates on January 1, 2019 4:58 PM

Tulsa County plats, indexes online

Exciting news! Yesterday, Tulsa County Clerk Michael Willis announced that subdivision plats for Tulsa County are now online. You no longer have to subject yourself to downtown parking and courthouse metal detectors to access this fascinating trove of Tulsa history. We have a pretty big deal launching in the Tulsa...

Posted by Michael Bates on May 16, 2018 11:36 PM

Tulsa 1921 map

A remarkable and detailed 1921 map of Tulsa is available for viewing online, from the Special Collections of the University of Tulsa McFarlin Library. The inset map shows the entire city, and is captioned; TULSA AND ADDITIONS A Ready Reference and Guide Map to Tulsa's OFFICE & PUBLIC BLDGS. CLUBS,...

Posted by Michael Bates on March 29, 2014 12:01 AM