A project of the Oklahoma City / County Historical Society
Oklahoma City / County Historical Society
Stories originally posted by Steve Lackmeyer on the classic okchistory.com site.
One of downtown Oklahoma City's greatest architectural triumphs sits next to something that... isn't. Thanks to an award-winning renovation in the 1990s that included the restoration of corridors,…
Ho Ho the Clown wasn't just a tv star - he was a welcome guest at hundreds of children's birthday parties. So let's go back in time and…
Our ally in telling OKC History, Doug Loudenback, has established what might be the most authorative mapping of Deep Deuce yet.Now, we delve into how Deep Deuce came…
This week in 1984 was pretty important because I was about to embark into the unknown - life after high school. So indulge me while I mix a…
Can we bring balance not just to the Force, but also to OKC History? That's been the question as two admitted northside boys, Jack and I, have spent…
When Jack and I first began promoting our book "OKC Second Time Around," one of early stops was at KOKC 1520 AM radio for an interview with Randy…
Of all the features we envisioned doing with OKC History, the idea of posting yearbook photos of hometown kids who later became something big really excited us. And…
So what do we have here? Are these actual recipes from the old Lady Classen Cafeteria? On a cold day like this, it sure would have been nice…
March 29, 2009 - On this week in Oklahoma City history, The Oklahoman reported that for the first time, the paid subscription of The Daily Oklahoman and Oklahoma…
Come on now, admit it. If you were a kid in Oklahoma in the early 1980s, you too were going around mimicking Ernest P. Worrell and saying "hey…
Without a doubt, Lady Classen Cafeteria is one of those beloved old landmarks that won't be forgotten anytime soon. Before we delve into the history of the restaurant,…
Ho Ho the Clown did not start out as the star attraction at KOCO. In the early days of television, it was a cameraman, Art Johnson, who reluctantly…
An OKC History fan from New York has the following inquiry:Do you remember "Toy"? As in, "Hi, I'm Toy" -- the OKC furniture store owner who appeared in…
You've got to love Mitch Jelniker's hair. Oh sure, we watch Will Ferrell in "Anchorman" and think, "oh, how ridiculous." But wait... there's Mitch!So where is Mitch today?Mitch…
NEW VIDEOS! AND YES, LINDA IS BACK!Oh Linda, oh Linda, you were once always just a remote click away. We took you for granted. And then you were…
Almost two years ago Jack and I were treated to a somewhat "unauthorized" tour of the old Kerr McGee campus prior to its handover to SandRidge Petroleum. The…
Another building lost to the ravages of time? Not quite... the Petroleum Building still can be found in the downtown Oklahoma City skyline. You just have to look...Before…
The latest offering from Dennis Church's "Then and Now" collection - the former Federal Reserve Bank at 226 NW 10. To see what it looked like decades earlier,…
Yet another "then and now" from Dennis Church. This building is now part of the ongoing MidTown Renaissance project started by Greg Banta and being continued by Bob…
The Centennial may be long over, but Jack and I believe that Dennis Church's "then and now" photo collection should not be forgotten simply because it's now 2009.…
Longtime Oklahoma City residents remember TG&Y staying open through the 1980s, with a brief revival in the 1990s. But in reality, the Oklahoma City-based retailer's death began in…
It was d j vu all over again...The Oklahoman today (Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008) featured a story about the Zogby poll surveying outsiders - opinions of Oklahoma City.…
William L. Couch was born in North Carolina in 1850. Sixteen years later his family moved to Kansas. In 1880 Couch aligned himself with the Oklahoma Colony effort…
Election results kept civic leaders on the edge of their seats when it came to the Å Yes Ë Em All bond issues presented to Oklahoma City voters…
Yes, I'm not making this up. This building was standing across the street from the Gold Dome at NW 23 and Western Avenue until last week. But no…
September 6, 2008 - Gene Autry was, at one time, a superstar. The singing cowboy created a Christmas classic with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and he…
By Jim Edwards and Hal Ottaway, Abalache Book Shop Publishing, 1983, not in print. Copies of all three Vanished Splendor books can be obtained online or at second…
By Jim Edwards and Hal Ottaway, Abalache Book Shop Publishing, 1982, not in print. Copies of all three Vanished Splendor books can be obtained online or at second…
By Bunky, The McMaster Printing Co., 1890 (reprinted in 1988). Reprints are widely available and sold for as little as $5.ESSENTIAL OKC HISTORY Review: Early day journalist "Bunky"…
By David Dary, Oklahoma Publishing Co., 2003, in print.Review: Realize that this is a tribute book, and not a history of the family-owned company that owns The Oklahoman…