Tulsa People: Renaissance Woman

O.U.R. Streetcar: The Trolley that Ran Through Renaissance

1911 Tulsa Postcard Courtesy of Tulsa Historical Society. Used with Permission. Tulsa’s transportation system has evolved from horse-drawn wagons and buggies to streetcars, jitneys, automobiles, electric bicycles, and scooters. (“Jitney” was slang for a five cent piece. Small buses that carried people for 5 cents a ride became known as jitneys.) From 1905 through 1935 an electric double rail trolley system wound through the city carrying hundreds of Tulsans to work, shopping, recreation and back home again. This is a short history of the Tulsa streetcar system, including one line that ran through present day Renaissance. Before the introduction of the trolley in 1905, horse-drawn vehicles were the primary mode of transportation. Tulsa's horses were well accustomed to the unpaved, dusty, and sometimes mud-filled roads. Hitching posts in front of homes and businesses were common at the time. In November 1905, Tulsa Mayor C. L. Reeder...

East Dial Building

East Dial Building Telephone technology has evolved exponentially such that, chances are, you may even be reading this on your phone. A concept that would have been inconceivable for those living and working in 1929 when Southwestern Bell Telephone Company designed and built the East Dial Building in what we now call the Renaissance Neighborhood. The elegant two-story building at 1204 S. Harvard Avenue features buff brick with ivory terracotta trim. T he double front doors facing Harvard on the south end of the building are flanked by large lighted sconces and a large ornate awning above. The motif lining the awning is of small robed human figures, hands connected, heads tilting down as if gazing on those who pass below. Above the awning the ornate terracotta decoration continues consisting of more human figures, scrollwork, flowers, and a pair of shield wielding lions. These are all classic art deco designs whi...

Grocery stores in the neighborhood

As information is gathered on the small local grocers that dotted our neighborhood this post will be updated over time. These are the known groceries over time in and near the neighborhood. The ad below from 1928 helped me identify some of the neighborhood groceries, including the flat roofed store fronts that are still standing in the neighborhood on Atlanta Avenue and Delaware Place. Tulsa World 1928 1137 S Atlanta Avenue: Graham Market Owned by Harrison "Harry" Canfield Graham was a Tulsa grocery operator for 18 years. In 1930, Graham and his wife, Cora, and four of their six children lived in the neighborhood at 1336 S. Gary Place. Their home was a craftsman bungalow with a stately red brick front porch. Following his death in 1938 he was interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa. Cora lived until 1975. She was 99 years old. Tulsa Tribune December 1938 Tulsa Tribune 1934 ad that mentions Graham Market Google Maps ...

The Renaissance Neighborhood History Project

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