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    Sand Springs, Oklahoma
    Sand Springs, Oklahoma
    Sand Springs, Oklahoma
    Ebook177 pages5 hours

    Sand Springs, Oklahoma

    By Jamye K. Landis and Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum Association

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    About this ebook

    One man s dream burst into reality as Sand Springs,
    Oklahoma, became the industrial center of the
    southwest in the early twentieth century. Self-made
    millionaire Charles Page recognized opportunity and quickly bought Native American land allotments as they became available for sale, setting about his vision of creating a planned community for thousands of workers. From feverish growth and economic prosperity to violent labor unrest and race riots, Sand Springs exemplifies the opportunities and struggles faced by countless towns across the nation.
    The more than 200 images contained within this book
    are from the collection of the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum, as well as several private contributors. Focusing on the unusual philanthropic endeavors, industrial and economic diversity, and intriguing political and social structure that has formed this spirited town, the book invites its readers to examine many rare photographs and discover
    for themselves the traits that make Sand Springs both unique and ubiquitous.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateDec 1, 1999
    ISBN9781439627280
    Sand Springs, Oklahoma
    Author

    Jamye K. Landis

    Collected and interpreted by Jamye Landis and the members of the Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum Association, the images in this book represent not just buildings and faces but also the ambitions, hopes, dreams, and struggles of an entire community as it withstood nearly a century of rapid change.

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      Book preview

      Sand Springs, Oklahoma - Jamye K. Landis

      day.

      INTRODUCTION

      Sand Springs, Oklahoma, is truly a fascinating and unique town whose tremendous contributions and rare history have been long overlooked. Created largely by the sheer force of a single individual, Sand Springs sprang up during Oklahoma’s golden age of wealth and opportunity as the state’s only planned industrial city. To understand Sand Springs, its significance, and its people, one must consider two curiously complementary factors: commercial enterprise and philanthropy.

      Town founder Charles Page, himself, is a bit of an enigma as he embodies both traits of commercial enterprise and philanthropy. Some believe Page to be a ruthless businessman who regularly cheated Native Americans out of their land allotments. Others believe him to be a near saint who rescued hundreds of orphans and widows from a dismal life. Did he create Sand Springs simply to support and guarantee the future of his orphans home, or was the Sand Springs Home a side endeavor of his true empire-building ambitions? We may never fully understand the true motivations of Charles Page. Certainly the loss of his father, his own meager childhood, and later the death of his first wife and infant son contributed to his nearly compulsive need to provide for women and children. His struggle to find steady work and the gain and loss of a few fortunes undoubtedly sharpened his own steely will and fierce business skills. His financial dealings are seemingly all in accordance with common legal and ethical practices of the day. However, he was out of step with the times in that he helped those that society typically overlooked. Page’s first school was integrated, and he gave land and money for schools and churches of all races. When disaster struck, such as the Tulsa Race Riots of 1921 and the flood of 1923, Page provided food, shelter, and necessities for its victims regardless of color or age. He regularly provided not only for women and children, but working men as well, stating that men’s stomachs get hungry too. His money poured out almost as quickly as his oil poured in. He was both lavish in his generosity and demanding in business. He also attempted to solve difficult issues in his town that we as a country are still struggling with today, such as daycare, racial tensions, and the role of working women. Whether philanthropist, entrepreneur, or, most likely, both, Page was clearly a man of vision who was, in so many things, far ahead of his time.

      Simply put, Charles Page created Sand Springs. When he arrived, it was little more than a sandy wilderness. At his death just 15 years later, the town was known as the Industrial Center of the Southwest. Industries that opened or relocated here, with their cutting-edge products and technology, have made significant contributions not just to the town’s economy but to the world. Kerr Glass revolutionized canning with its patented self-sealing jar. Commander Mills was at one time the largest cotton mill west of the Mississippi. The Sand Springs Railway is one of the most successful short-line railways in the country, and the Sand Springs Hospital was a teaching hospital widely recognized as the finest in the Southwest. These are just a few of Sand Springs’ industries, whose diversity ranged from dog food to chandeliers, from coffee to steel. Their accomplishments and contributions are impressive on any level, but particularly for a town of less that 15,000 people. This diversified industrial base allowed Sand Springs to weather the Great Depression and continues to mold and shape the community today.

      The residents of Sand Springs, or Sandites as they prefer to be called, are proud of their heritage. The Sand Springs Home and local industries continue the tradition of philanthropy and entrepreneurial spirit that is truly the heart of Sand Springs. Hopefully this book will allow readers a glimpse into the past of this American town.

      Sand Springs Home matrons gather near a wall on the Sand Springs Home grounds. Given the considerable task of taking care of more than 100 children, these dedicated women played important roles in shaping many young hearts and minds.

      One

      THINK RIGHT

      Sand Springs began as a cluster of families settled on their Native American land allotments just west of booming Tulsee (Tulsa) in Indian Territory. As Oklahoma reached for statehood in 1907, entrepreneur and oilman Charles Page seized the opportunity to purchase 160 acres of land in an area known for its clear water from several sandy springs. Page dreamed of creating a planned industrial community. However, his first wagons did not carry lumber or steel, but children. Well known for his generosity in Tulsa, Page became the guardian of 25 orphans from the bankrupt Cross and Anchor Orphanage. Sand Springs was built upon this

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