June 15, 2016
Juneteenth Celebration
Thursday, June 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Oklahoma History Center | Oklahoma City, OK
On Thursday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m., the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will host a special program that highlights Oklahoma City's blues tradition.  OHS Executive Director Dr. Bob Blackburn will do an "Inside the Actors Studio" style interview with Miss Blues, Dorothy Ellis, about her interesting life and music. Musician Walter Taylor will give a presentation on the Oklahoma City Blues scene, highlighting many of the talented artists who lived and performed in Oklahoma. In addition Shirley Nero, President of the OHS Black Heritage committee, will formally thank Rev. Dr. M. L. Jemison of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church for the donation of its collection. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
 
Dorothy Ellis, also known as Miss Blues, began "shouting" the Blues in the 1940s. She came to Oklahoma City from Texas, alone, at the age of thirteen. She has sung at some of the historic venues of Oklahoma City's Deep Deuce district. Miss Blues will share her story, as well as talk about her "Texas Shout" style of Blues. Miss Blues is a staple performer at Rentiesville's annual Dusk 'til Dawn Blues Festival.
 
Walter Taylor III of Taylor Made Jazz started playing in Oklahoma City clubs at the age of 13. A stalwart of Oklahoma's music scene, Walter is a bandleader, producer, drummer, and vocalist. He has worked extensively with the OHS on many music projects. In particular Taylor initiated an oral history project, with the OHS to interview many generations of Oklahoma City musicians.
 
Rev. Jemison and the St. John Missionary Baptist Church donated the St. John Heritage House collection to the Oklahoma History Society. The collection consists of the church's estimated 5,000 archival documents and artifacts, documenting the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement, to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted for the Shirley Ann Ballard Nero Endowment Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. This endowment provides annual money for projects that relate to African American history and Oklahoma's historically all-black towns.
"TG&Y is Still Alive: The 80th Anniversary Exhibit"
Opening Saturday, June 25 at 1 p.m.
Chisholm Trail Museum | Kingfisher, OK
The Chisholm Trail Museum is proud to announce a special exhibit, entitled "TG&Y is Still Alive: The 80th Anniversary Exhibit," celebrating the 80th anniversary of the opening of the first TG&Y store. The exhibit will be open to the public through September 2016.
 
In early March 1936 three enterprising men, R. E. Tomlinson, E. L. Gosselin and Raymond Young merged their money and resources to co-own and open the first TG&Y store on Main Street in downtown Norman, Oklahoma. Little did these small five-and-dime store owners from central and western Oklahoma know that the opening of this store would lead to one of the largest retail chain store successes in the nation by the 1970s, boasting more than 900 stores and more than $2 billion in retail profit at its peak. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the first TG&Y store and the Chisholm Trail Museum will celebrate and honor this very special anniversary by displaying the history, culture and spirit of TG&Y through a temporary exhibit focusing on its former owners, employees and avid shoppers.
 
The museum's initial exhibit on the store, entitled "TG&Y: An Original Oklahoma Icon," started fairly small and focused on Raymond A. Young, who opened his first five-and-dime store in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. However, when news spread about the exhibit, countless former TG&Y employees and enthusiasts came from across Oklahoma and surrounding states to remember the history of TG&Y and what it meant to them. It was through these visitors that the museum acquired numerous donations of TG&Y merchandise, pins, pamphlets, magazines and oral histories. With that in mind, the museum will utilize these very generous donations and memories in the upcoming exhibit. The exhibit will include more than 80 store pamphlets from the 1960s through the 1980s including individual photographs and stories about hard-working employees from their time spent working at various TG&Y stores across Oklahoma and the nation. Photocopies of the original pamphlets will be available to any former employee who wishes to take a piece of history home from the exhibit. Binders with original store opening newspaper clippings from around the state of Oklahoma also will be available to view, in addition to numerous TG&Y related artifacts such as TG&Y branded televisions, toy trucks, pins, jackets, glasses, pencils and countless other pieces of merchandise previously sold at TG&Y stores.
 
The grand opening of the exhibit will coincide with the TG&Y reunion group's annual visit to the Chisholm Trail Museum on June 25 at 1 p.m. The exhibit unveiling will be open to the public, and visitors will have the opportunity to tour the exhibit and talk with numerous former TG&Y employees about the history of TG&Y.
 
For more information about the Kingfisher Chisholm Trail Museum and to see updates on events and programs, please visit www.ctokmuseum.org, follow the museum on Facebook or call 405-375-5176. The Governor Seay Mansion and Chisholm Trail Museum are located at 605 Zellers Ave. in Kingfisher, Okla. Hours of operation are Tuesday- Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The museum is closed on major holidays. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors.
SHPO Presents 2016 Citations of Merit
The Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) presented its 2016 Citations of Merit during a banquet on Thursday, June 2, in Enid, Okla. The banquet was a highlight of Preservation is Golden: Oklahoma's 28th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference, held June 1-3.
 
26 citations were presented for accomplishments in 11 Oklahoma communities. The award recognizes positive impacts on the preservation of Oklahoma's historic properties through restoration, rehabilitation, research, planning, public programming and other activities. The 2016 recipients of the SHPO's Citations of Merit and their accomplishments include:
 
Amber/Pocasset
  • Amber-Pocasset Elementary School, Third Grade for production of an iMovie about the historic Pocasset Gymnasium
Bartlesville
  • Main Street Bartlesville, Bartlesville Area History Museum, Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, Bartlesville Visitors Bureau, Bartlesville Redevelopment Trust Authority, Washington County Historical Society, City of Bartlesville, and Price Tower Art Center for sponsorship of Tradition and Transition: Oklahoma's 27th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference
Chickasha
  • Grady County Historical Society for the façade rehabilitation of downtown Chickasha's historic Dixie Building
Depew
  • Charles Elliott for protection of a segment of historic Route 66 roadbed and a unique stone bridge
Enid
  • Kingkini Arend for efforts to increase public awareness about Enid's Mid-Century Modern Architecture
  • Main Street Enid, Inc., for creation of the Downtown Enid History website
  • Tammy Wilson for presentation of the Eerie Enid Tour and the Oklahoma Ghost Towns Tour
  • Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce for continued sponsorship of the Cherokee Strip Celebration
  • Robert Klemme for extraordinary efforts to mark and share the history of the Chisholm Trail
  • Railroad Museum of Oklahoma for collecting, sharing and preserving the history of railroading
Mustang
  • Jodi Rolls for extraordinary efforts to protect and maintain Mustang's historic Meloy House
Norman
  • Robert L. Brooks for more than 30 years of research, publication and leadership in the protection of archaeological resources
  • John D. Hartley for 30 years of dedicated public service in the study and management of archaeological and historic properties
  • Brent Swift Design Build and Butzer Gardner Architects for the certified rehabilitation of Norman's Logan Apartments
Oklahoma City
  • Carnegie Centre, LLC; Beck Design; and Sikes Abernathie Architects for the certified rehabilitation of Oklahoma City's historic Main Public Library Building
  • Comprise CDC; Rosin Preservation, LLC; and Yeager Architects for the certified rehabilitation of Oklahoma City's historic Wesley Hospital
  • Founders Tower Condominiums, LLC; Richard R. Brown Associates; and Steven McQuillin & Associates for the certified rehabilitation of United Founders Tower
  • Elise Kilpatrick, Seibold Architecture, and Preservation and Design Studio for the certified rehabilitation of Oklahoma City's Milk Bottle Building
  • Midtown Renaissance and Butzer Gardner Architects for the certified rehabilitation of Oklahoma City's The Mayfair
  • Midtown Renaissance; David Kraszewski, architect; and Preservation and Design Studio for the certified rehabilitation of Oklahoma City's Marion Hotel
  • OCU Law Building Associates and Frankfurt Short Bruza Associates for the certified rehabilitation of the Central High School Building for the Oklahoma City University School of Law
Pawhuska
  • Bruce Smith for the adaptive reuse and certified rehabilitation of the historic Pawhuska Drug Building
Shawnee
  • St. Gregory's University and TAP Architecture for rehabilitation of the historic Benedictine Hall
Tulsa
  • Linda Barnett for leadership in community revitalization efforts and service as State Coordinator for the Oklahoma Main Street Center
  • Interak Corporation and Sikes Abernathie Architects for rehabilitation of the Ward Building in Tulsa's Brady Historic District
  • Nelson+Stowe Development, Ross Group, and KKT Architects for rehabilitation of Tulsa's Coliseum Apartments
 
For more information about the 2016 Citation of Merit recipients and about the SHPO's awards programs, contact Melvena Heisch at 405-522-4484 or mheisch@okhistory.org or visit www.okhistory.org/shpo/shpoawards.htm.
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From the Encyclopedia...
Check out this entry about the Fred Jones Manufacturing Company.  The Fred Jones Ford Plant in OKC has recently been renovated and is now a 21c Museum Hotel. 

Nicole Harvey, Editor

nharvey@okhistory.org
(405) 522-5202