What do you remember?

[Hometown]

You can't go home.  Right?  But you can get pretty close.

Girl fights at the Continental Skating Rink.  All the housing behind Warehouse Market that is gone.  Tracy Park Addition (like another Maple Ridge) mostly gone.  The little park on Elgin in the shadows of Boston Avenue Methodist that is gone.  The Free Store (a hangout for young and hip) at 11th and Elgin in a storefront behind the little park.  15 years earlier, a very early gay bar, on the little park in the shadow of Boston Avenue Methodist.  Tulsa Gay Alliance meetings at the Central Library in 1973.  The Taj Mahal.  Tulsa's first "Love In" at Woodward Park.  The Sex Pistols.  Leon Russel and Joe Cocker.  Greasers and Soches (sp).  My second pair of hip hugger bell bottoms from Exodus.  Anti-war candle light vigils at Civic Center.  The Unitarian sponsored Civil Rights march.  Taking a Sunday drive with the family to ogle mansions in Maple Ridge, around Philbrook and up on Reservoir Hill.  Art classes in the attic of the old mansion at Philbrook.  Sparky's Graveyard on the way to Jenks.  Liberal Religious Youth.  The Pink Barn.  Ruth Davis and her storefront art studio filled with playboy like nude paintings on 11th near Peoria.  Inez Henson and the New Beginnings Gallery on 15th Street.  Wheat Straw jeans, madras shirts and blue windbreakers at Whitney Junior High (it might as well have been a uniform).  There was a Black record studio that produced early rock & roll somewhere in North Tulsa.  The Gap Band.  Volunteering for Neighbor for Neighbor with my high school friends – The Circle.  The Generation Rap TV show with the Psychologist Twins.  I had fond memories of Gaylord S. until those Bob Sullivan commercials (talk about stepping on your legacy).  Jim Dandy's tight white stretchy pants.  Driving down the old Rt. 66 to see Janice Joplin in OKC.  Seeing the performer – Taj Mahal – in a very small theatre/barn in rural Oklahoma (the small audience was mostly his family).  Drag shows at the 8th Day.  When Lortondale (those wonderful flat top houses) near 21st and Yale was considered extreme Southeast Tulsa.  The absolute emptiness and desperation of life in South Tulsa.  Oertles.  Globe Clothiers.  The Indian Store (when it really had Indian stuff).  The Et Cetera Shop with early psychedelic wares.  Arman Sebring.  Olivia Hogue.  Carol Knouse.  Fritz Dent.  Movies at the first Living Arts in the large old warehouse downtown.  Fat skateboards from the 60s.  Marvel comics at the Get & Go.  Playing outside until 10 o'clock.  Being a 10 year old kid and roaming around Tulsa without supervision.  Not locking your house or car.  Leaving your house unlocked and unattended in the middle of the day.  The Black housecleaning ladies waiting for buses in South Tulsa.  No Latinos and just a handful of Asian families.  Bombardment and horseplay with snapping towels in gym class.  Fights after school.  First run Goldfinger at the Circle.  First run Alice's Restaurant at the Continental.  The 60s when most of the U.S. was young and we still thought technology would take us to a better world.  Kennedy.  Kent State.  Moratorium.  

Then reaching majority and leaving and not looking back – until the elephant graveyard thing kicked in.

[Hometown]

quote:Originally posted by art_cat

I forgot that someone mentioned Living Arts? Living Arts was founded in 1969 by Tulsa visionary Virginia Myers. It was originally located in a building destined to be torn down for either the PAC or Williams tower. One of my friends was in a musical there at Living Arts in 1970. There were large art studios, and a couple of galleries. Living Arts has managed to survive all these years, and is still alive! They now are Tulsa's oldest contempoary arts organization.

I can remember as a kid in the 50's going to the train depot to pick up relatives. Then, around, 1970, I remember walking through the defunct building, and imagined what a terrific art studio and gallery it would make!

There used to be a row of mom-n-pop thrift stores along Archer? 1st? Somewhere down there, and right on the corner was the Goodwill store. Down the street was the John:16 mission.

There used to be bricked streets somewhere downtown, and trolley tracks too; anyone remember those? Or are they now all asphalted over?

13th street used to run right passed the old Free Store into Boston where Fred Jones Lincoln Mercury was. Used to be a lot of car dealers downtown.

My grandad told me stories about how 13th and 14th used to get closed because the ice and snow would be so bad, and kids would have fun sledding there. My grandparents had one of those huge swamp coolers in the 50's; that must've been before all those Oklahoma manufactured lakes had been made?

Ah, memories... [}:)]

I thought the original Living Arts was founded by a scupture professor at TU named Chuck Tomlins.  I lived there for a few months in the early 70s.  One of the Tandy boys had a studio next to mine and a sculptor named Gary Henson lived across from me.  Remember the foreign movies?

And one of the hippest nights I ever recall was at the "Free Store."  In addition to the street level storefront there was a club in the basement.  I remember slowly passing down the stairs past a throng of long haired kids.  The room was lit by candle light and there was a hypnotic version of a "Beautiful Day" song playing.

Yes, I remember the brick streets and the resale shops.  The hippy girls would buy old furs there.  I bought a long black velvet dress there for a beautiful young artist named Carolyn Tuthill.

[Steve]

Hey Hometown!  How are you and Luis doing?  Give me a call sometime.

Does anyone else remember attending the Fall 1969 state 4A high school football championship game between the Nathan Hale Rangers and Booker T Washington Hornets at Skelly Stadium?  I was in 7th grade at Whitney Jr. High and attended the game with my parents.  My brother was in 11th grade at Hale and went with his friends.  That was back when 4A was the largest high school designation, back when high schools in Tulsa were 10-11-12 grade only and 2,300 kids roamed the halls of Nathan Hale.  That game set an attendance record at Skelly Stadium that stood for many years.  I don't remember much about the game itself, but I do remember the huge, sell-out crowd and the excitement of the event.

Washington and Hale were the real high school football powerhouses back then, and both were even when I graduated from Hale in 1975.

[RecycleMichael]

I played for Washington in the 1973 state championship game against Hale.

We were ahead 39 to zero by halftime so they sophomores like me get into the game.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by recyclemichael

I played for Washington in the 1973 state championship game against Hale.

We were ahead 39 to zero by halftime so they sophomores like me get into the game.

I just grabbed out my 1974 Hale yearbook to see what it says about that game.  Final score was Washington 39, Hale 7.  At least we held you guys to a no-score second half!  Quote from the 1974 Hale yearbook: "What can we say except we lost...State Runner-Up."  
The previous year in the fall of 1973, Hale was state 4A champions.  In my year of graduation 1975, Hale was again the state runner-up in class 4A.

[Hometown]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

Hey Hometown!  How are you and Luis doing?  Give me a call sometime.

Does anyone else remember attending the Fall 1969 state 4A high school football championship game between the Nathan Hale Rangers and Booker T Washington Hornets at Skelly Stadium?  I was in 7th grade at Whitney Jr. High and attended the game with my parents.  My brother was in 11th grade at Hale and went with his friends.  That was back when 4A was the largest high school designation, back when high schools in Tulsa were 10-11-12 grade only and 2,300 kids roamed the halls of Nathan Hale.  That game set an attendance record at Skelly Stadium that stood for many years.  I don't remember much about the game itself, but I do remember the huge, sell-out crowd and the excitement of the event.

Washington and Hale were the real high school football powerhouses back then, and both were even when I graduated from Hale in 1975.

Hey Cuz, Good to hear from you. I'll give you a call soon. We were driving by Lortondale today and boy those houses look good.

You keep those memories coming Steve. By the way, what was the name of that menswear store at Utica Square and also Southroads Mall? They had such great clothes. Remember how Tulsa was kind of collegiate way back when? Tulsa has always had this low key, understated kind of style. Not counting our high water wheat straws.

[art_cat]

quote:

I thought the original Living Arts was founded by a scupture professor at TU named Chuck Tomlins.  I lived there for a few months in the early 70s.  One of the Tandy boys had a studio next to mine and a sculptor named Gary Henson lived across from me.  Remember the foreign movies?

And one of the hippest nights I ever recall was at the "Free Store."  In addition to the street level storefront there was a club in the basement.  I remember slowly passing down the stairs past a throng of long haired kids.  The room was lit by candle light and there was a hypnotic version of a "Beautiful Day" song playing.

dude, like what drugs were you on at the time? a club in the basement of the Free Store? it never happened. If you had an experience there with candles, and whatever, ok, but there was no basement "club"! um, "longhaired kids"? how old were you at the time?

Chuck Tomlins? good guy, but Virginia Myers started the Living Arts center in DT Tulsa in 1969. [sorry] so, where exactly was it that you lived in connection with Living Arts of Tulsa? There was a time when L.A.O.T. was located coser to TU...

a.c.

[Hometown]

quote:Originally posted by art_cat

quote:

I thought the original Living Arts was founded by a scupture professor at TU named Chuck Tomlins.  I lived there for a few months in the early 70s.  One of the Tandy boys had a studio next to mine and a sculptor named Gary Henson lived across from me.  Remember the foreign movies?

And one of the hippest nights I ever recall was at the "Free Store."  In addition to the street level storefront there was a club in the basement.  I remember slowly passing down the stairs past a throng of long haired kids.  The room was lit by candle light and there was a hypnotic version of a "Beautiful Day" song playing.

dude, like what drugs were you on at the time? a club in the basement of the Free Store? it never happened. If you had an experience there with candles, and whatever, ok, but there was no basement "club"! um, "longhaired kids"? how old were you at the time?

Chuck Tomlins? good guy, but Virginia Myers started the Living Arts center in DT Tulsa in 1969. [sorry] so, where exactly was it that you lived in connection with Living Arts of Tulsa? There was a time when L.A.O.T. was located coser to TU...

a.c.

I was probably 14 or 15 when I hung out at the Free Store.  There was a religious man that ran it.  It must have been around '69.  And yes, there was a basement at the Free Store (or possibly an adjoining building).  You entered behind the storefront and I only saw it used as a club once.  There was another club within blocks over on I think 16th that was short lived but also drew a hip crowd.

I lived at Living Arts downtown.  It may have been about '70.  The old warehouse is no longer there but it was much closer in to the core of downtown.  I rented my studio from Chuck Tomlins and also dealt with him for anything having to do with Living Arts.  He appeared to run everything there.  Your Virginia may have been the head of the board of directors or something like that but to my knowledge she was never around during the four or five months that I lived there. My understanding was that Tomlins founded it but it is only common sense that others were probably involved.  I saw my first Frank Stella painting in a show there.  Saw several of my first Fellini and Bergman movies at their weekly film program.  

I remember that while I was living there, the Tandy boy with a studio next to mine graduated from high school and his family hired the band Chicago to play for his high school graduation party.

I became good friends with Gary Henson and his wife Kathy and baby Amon.  (We ended up moving together to a commune of artists in Colorado.)  They lived in a studio across from mine.  He was Inez Henson's son.  

I've been thinking about Inez Henson a lot recently.  She was something of a beatnik.  She was also an abstract expressionist.  She had a big old house over on Carson and had a gallery where she showed her work on 15th called the New Beginnings Gallery.  I think it was in the storefront that now houses some sort of mystic.  Now it has a sign, something about an Archangel.  

Anyway, I've been thinking about Inez because she had created a huge body of abstract paintings that were really remarkable.  I've wondered what has happened to those paintings.  I'm a former art dealer and those paintings were quite a treasure trove.

Anyway, you are surprised that there were long haired kids hanging around those parts?  Around about '69 the length of your hair was the measure of your status.  It wasn't long after that that just about everyone had long hair and business men started showing up at work in pink shirts sporting big bushy side burns.

Anyway, you came up with a lot of similar memories.  Maybe we crossed paths.  Tell more when you get a chance.

[art_cat]

George Stewart was the pastor, minister, what have you of the Free Store; they didnt officially use the basement, so, maybe you attended a private gathering? Remember, the Free Store was a church, owned and operated by a branch of the Presbyterians. So, if you were a Free Store regular, you'll know what the phrase "twenty till two" refers to! [if you can remember, that is, lol]

I was just curious what you meant by "kids". I have been a hair farmer since the 60's, lol.

Here is an article mentioning Living Arts founder Virginia Myers: http://www.midwesterntheater.org/press/living_arts.html Mr Tomlins was no doubt one of many volunteers who have helped out Living Arts over the years. I never attended film screenings there, but a buddy was in a play produced at LA, "Pot, People, and Paraphinalia".

Nice to read your stories....

[Rogers64]

Also....

School bells ring and children sing,
"It's back to Robert Hall again."

"And don't forget Highway 33." Dan P. Holmes.

"You need-um tires!?"

Dragging main from Cotton's near the traffic circle past Boots Drive-In to Penningtons and then a stop by the A&W Root Beer stand on East Admiral.

John Chick on the TeeVee and Spanky McFarland running cartoons.

The Tiki Hut drive-in burger joint across from the cemetery on East Admiral.

Or how about swimming in the strip pits a few blocks north of (faded memory) about Pine and Harvard.

[ttownclown]

Cal "dial-a-smile" Tinney

good times

[carltonplace]

art_cat, Hometown, do you guys have any old pictures? I'd love to see pictures of the Tracy Park, Maple Ridge and Riverview Neighborhoods before HWY 51 and 75 took all of the houses out.

[art_cat]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

art_cat, Hometown, do you guys have any old pictures? I'd love to see pictures of the Tracy Park, Maple Ridge and Riverview Neighborhoods before HWY 51 and 75 took all of the houses out.

Wish I did! If only you could scan my brain! Plenty of pics in there... I have also wondered the same thing! I will ask the 2 people I know are still here. I've tried searching for George Stewart, Free Store pastor, with no leads.

Anyone remember the van parties in Woodward Park, early 70's? Folks with vans would open their cargo side and back doors, and back vans up, so that the openings would align. Then, there would be larger spaces to party in, lol!And, just gatherings in Woodward Park in general by "kids" like us in the 70's were cool...

I remember riding in limos and hearses to graveyards in the 60's, as a preacher's assistant, and how cool that felt! Back when some of the cemetaries seemed like they were at the edge of town!

Anyone remember the short-lived movie theater on the east side of Peoria between 14th and 15th? It burned down. What about the Alhambra hardware store at the northeast corner of 15th and Peoria, back when Cherry street was known as 15th street?

[Hometown]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

art_cat, Hometown, do you guys have any old pictures? I'd love to see pictures of the Tracy Park, Maple Ridge and Riverview Neighborhoods before HWY 51 and 75 took all of the houses out.

What surprises me is how few pics I have of Downtown and later Lortondale out near 21st and Yale.  

There was a period of time when the houses in Tracy Park Addition set empty waiting for demolition.  By this time I was a teen and one of my gang's favorite things to do was to explore the empty houses.  It was fascinating.

I don't know the name of the neighborhood by the little park at 12th & Elgin.

Our other downtown town residence was in Tracy Park Addition.  That neighborhood didn't have the mansions but it had the large old merchant class homes that you still find in Maple Ridge.  There are a few of them left.  We rented a modest Craftsman house on Norfolk near Tracy Park.  It is still there.  It is three houses up from the tennis courts on the left.  The houses across the street from us were destroyed.

The freeway was built on old rail road tracks there.  We used to get hobos from the rail road tracks.  Our housekeeper must have fed one and he must have left a hobo sign on our house.

There was a couple from Kansas City that lived in the house next to us.  One day we got a knock on the door.  A stranger introduced himself and said that he had traveled to Tulsa from Kansas City to let us know what kind of people were living next door to us.  He said they had ruined their all White neighborhood in Kansas City by selling to a Black family.  This was about 1960 or 61.

We should remember that there were a lot of real horrors mixed in with our bittersweet memories.

Anyway, I hope someone can tell me how to post some jpegs I've saved to My Pictures if that is possible.  

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Hometown

quote:Originally posted by Steve

Hey Hometown!  How are you and Luis doing?  Give me a call sometime.

Does anyone else remember attending the Fall 1969 state 4A high school football championship game between the Nathan Hale Rangers and Booker T Washington Hornets at Skelly Stadium?  I was in 7th grade at Whitney Jr. High and attended the game with my parents.  My brother was in 11th grade at Hale and went with his friends.  That was back when 4A was the largest high school designation, back when high schools in Tulsa were 10-11-12 grade only and 2,300 kids roamed the halls of Nathan Hale.  That game set an attendance record at Skelly Stadium that stood for many years.  I don't remember much about the game itself, but I do remember the huge, sell-out crowd and the excitement of the event.

Washington and Hale were the real high school football powerhouses back then, and both were even when I graduated from Hale in 1975.

Hey Cuz, Good to hear from you. I'll give you a call soon. We were driving by Lortondale today and boy those houses look good.

You keep those memories coming Steve. By the way, what was the name of that menswear store at Utica Square and also Southroads Mall? They had such great clothes. Remember how Tulsa was kind of collegiate way back when? Tulsa has always had this low key, understated kind of style. Not counting our high water wheat straws.

I don't recall the name of the store, but I bought much of my 1970's garb at the store in Southroads on the lower level, tucked behind the stairwell.  I remember the store was immediately behind the stairs; there was a snack bar off to one side.  May have been Exodus Menswear.  Bought some great platform shoes there as well as tons of rayon shirts, polyester pants, remember Angel Flight slacks with the seams stitched in that you couldn't wrinkle if you put a 2 ton weight on top and held them in a press for 3 weeks!  
High water wheat jeans.  Remember Tuff Nut brand jeans advertised on TV by John Chick (Mr. Zing)?  Those were the major brand of wheat jeans I remember kids wearing back then.  Although I wasn't allowed to wear dungarees until 9th grade!  My mother thought they were to hoodie or "James Dean" delinquent, so I had to suffer through jr. high wearing chinos or khakis!  AHA!  The final piece of the puzzle!  No wonder I am so screwed up.  It was all my mother's fault!