[229][non-primary source needed], Both of the state's flagship research universities have campuses in Tulsa:[citation needed]. [214][215], Tulsa built its first two public schools in 1905. When the Halls discovered that the Creek Nation had fewer restrictions on the activities of white merchants, they moved the store a couple of miles west to what would become First street and erected a more permanent wooden building. ", "Biggest in the U.S.: That Now Describes The First Unitarian Society Of Madison, And In 15 Years It Has Doubled To 1,300 Members", "A Brief History of the Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference", "Tulsa's Temple of the Three Jewels | This Land Press - Made by You and Me", "Tulsa, OK: Best Places to do Business 2006", "Small Business Awards to honor Tulsa area business leaders", "Cap Rates Turning More Investors Onto Tulsa", "Tulsa Today: Average Tulsa Apartment Rents Improve", "Tulsa's Future program announces near-record 907 jobs in January", "American's TUL Maintenance & Engineering Base Sets Goal to Achieve $500 Million in Revenue, Cost Savings By End of 2006", "American Airlines to invest $550 million to improve, expand Tulsa maintenance facility", "Amazon announces Tulsa fulfillment center | Grow Metro Tulsa", "Sculpture dedicated to Cyrus Avery, the 'Father of Route 66'", "Cyrus Avery plaza's construction nearly finished", "It's a big part of our history: City should resurrect 11th Street bridge over Arkansas River, preservationists say", "Sign seeing: Route 66 historical markers were 'a long time coming, "National Register of Historic Places – Oklahoma, Tulsa", "Tulsa Zoo is Crowned King of the Jungle", "December 2005 Revision to Master Plan Proposal", "2005 Tulsa State Fair Stats Preliminary Numbers", "Top 10: American Oktoberfest Destinations", "Weather, crowd holds up until end of Mayfest", "Tulsa-born St. Vincent performed solo at Brady Theater but she's far from alone", "Barbecue 'Oklahoma Tenderloin' hard to find in KC — that's no baloney", "BBQ bologna: Oklahoma's legendary Lebanese steakhouses", "One Hot Dog: How Tulsa Became a Coney Town", "HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH (Tulsa)", "Where, why and how: 5 great chicken-fried steaks at area eateries", "Grape Dumplings Make Unique Dessert with American Indian Influence. [7]. [35][36][37][38], "America's Most Beautiful City": 1940–1960, Pioneer merged with several other telephone companies until the system was renamed. [260], Tulsa has two static displays of antique steam railroad locomotives for free public viewing: the 1917 wood-burning Dierks Forest 207, a Baldwin 2-6-2 Prairie-type located at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds;[261] and, the 1942 oil-burning Frisco Meteor 4500, a Baldwin 4-8-4 Northern-type at the Route 66 Historical Village at 3770 Southwest Blvd. This is now called the Mid-Continent Tower. [203] Plurality voting is used to elect mayors, who serve a term in office of four years. Heavily wooded and with abundant parks and water areas, the city has several prominent hills, such as "Shadow Mountain" and "Turkey Mountain", which create varied terrain, especially in its southern portions. [26], In the early 20th century, Tulsa was home to the "Black Wall Street", one of the most prosperous Black communities in the United States at the time. Though internal transportation is largely dependent on automobiles, the city was ranked in 2005 among the five lowest metropolitan areas for average price of gas at the pump.[243]. In the 3D Universe, Streets were rarely assigned a name. [219] The McFarlin Library at the University of Tulsa is a federal depository library holding over three million items. As to private chartered bus companies, Red Carpet Charters[248] a/k/a Red Carpet Trailways of Tulsa is an independent member of the Trailways Charter Bus Network. White settlers continued to push forward, and in 1892 the land was officially opened and all tribal members were forced to accept individual allocations of land. [15] A nursing school opened at the hospital, and the first class graduated in 1908. [259] But on August 5, 2019, the Stillwater Central opted to instead default under the agreement and pay the contractual $2.8 million in penalties for not establishing the service. The first newspaper in Tulsa, the Indian Republican, began publication in 1893. In the Osage Hills of Northwest Tulsa, the Gilcrease Museum holds the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West. An American Airlines maintenance base at Tulsa International Airport is the city's largest employer and the largest maintenance facility in the world, serving as the airline's global maintenance and engineering headquarters. Lebanese steakhouses were once numerous in the region stretching from Bristow, Oklahoma to Tulsa, but now mostly exist in the Tulsa region. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 991,005 residents in the MSA and 1,251,172 in the CSA. [83], According to the 2010 Census, Tulsa had a population of 391,906 and the racial and ethnic composition was as follows:[2], As of the 2010 census, there were 391,906 people, 163,975 households, and 95,246 families residing in the city, with a population density of 2,033.4 inhabitants per square mile (785.1/km2) There were 185,127 housing units at an average density of 982.3 per square mile (379.2/km2). [120] The museum's expansive collection includes work by a diverse group of artists including Pablo Picasso, Andrew Wyeth, Giovanni Bellini, Domenico di Pace Beccafumi, Willem de Kooning, William Merritt Chase, Auguste Rodin and Georgia O'Keeffe. The Tulsa Urban Renewal Authority was formed in July, 1959. [224] Founded in 1930, the library is known for its collection of Native American works and the original works of Irish author James Joyce. The flood caused the city to relocate the waterworks to Mohawk Park. For most of the 20th century, the city held the nickname "Oil Capital of the World" and played a major role as one of the most important hubs for the American oil industry.[1]. Included in the concrete enclosure was a time capsule with items including an American flag, proclamations from the city government, and more. 2016. A number of concert venues, dance halls, and bars gave rise to the Tulsa Sound but Cain's Ballroom might be the best known. Accessed January 20, 2011. Water then flowed by gravity to consumers in town. They initially selected a site where the railroad crossed what would become Lewis Avenue and pitched a tent for the store there. [119] At the entrance to Oral Roberts University stands a large statue of praying hands, which, at 60 feet (18 m) high, is the largest bronze sculpture in the world. For more information, see. A third body of the government, the city auditor, is elected independently of the city council and mayor to ensure that the auditor can act in an objective manner. "Transforming Tulsa, Starting With a Park", "Tulsa's Gathering Place named the Best New Attraction in the nation", "Time magazine names Gathering Place among 'World's Greatest Places, "12 mind-bending playgrounds around the world--From Tulsa to Tokyo, imaginative spaces for all ages", "Gathering Place named best city park in the country in USA Today poll", "Work on city's new $47 million children's museum set to begin", "Vice President Visits Tulsa: Cheney, Inhofe blast Democrats' plan for Iraq", "Wood concedes race for city auditor to Doerflinger", "39 new Tulsa police officers bring department to full force", "New Tulsa Police Officers Ready To Serve", "Tulsa Housing Projects Symbols of Scandals", "Tenants of Tulsa Complex Fear Thought of Relocating", "(OKC) District's enrollment growth a tale of demographic shifts", "Oral Roberts University Ranked Tops by The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report", "Tulsa, OK Career College – Virginia College", "2006 Top 100 Daily Newspapers in the U.S. by Circulation", "This newspaper has never forgotten the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre - and its fight continues", "Urban Tulsa Weekly, alternative publication, reportedly closes its doors after more than 20 years", "Oklahoma Publicly Funded Transportation Systems", "Pump prices dip below $2 in some states; still up from '04", "Tulsa's Bus Rapid Transit service along Peoria Avenue begins Sunday", "City unveils Bus Rapid Transit stop that 'will open the entire city' from downtown, official says", "Here for the long haul: BNSF Railway investments mirror footprint in Oklahoma", "Tulsa Commuters: Rail, Buss Mass Transit Studied: Take the BA train", "Oklahoma's Eastern Flyer takes first voyage", "After losing bid, Iowa Pacific offers to start regional passenger rail by late May", "Passenger rail between Tulsa and OKC? Many early oil companies chose Tulsa for their home base. John Klein, “Landmark Rises on Route 66,” Tulsa World, November 27, 2018. The city developed on both sides of the prominent Arkansas River, which flows in a wide, sandy-bottomed channel. [119] Each year, a sculpture from a local artist is installed along the Arkansas River trail system, while other sculptures stand at local parks, such as an enlarged version of Cyrus Dallin's Appeal to the Great Spirit sculpture at Woodward Park. In 2007, Tulsa's top-ranked player Arnau Brugués-Davi ranked as high as #1 in the nation and a four time All-American, advanced to the quarterfinals of the singles competition at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship, improving on his 2006 round of sixteen appearances. As of July 2019, the population was 401,190, an increase of 11,129 since the 2010 Census. An EF2 tornado struck Tulsa early on the morning of Sunday, August 6, 2017. In 1930, the population was over 140,000 people, approximately double that of the 1920 census. [59] The area serves as Tulsa's financial and business district, and is the focus of a large initiative to draw tourism, which includes plans to capitalize on the area's historic architecture. While its central and northern sections are generally flat to gently undulating, the Osage Hills extension into the northwestern part of the city further varies the landscape. Washington Irving Park sits near the location. March 10, 2010. Large performing arts complexes include the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, which was designed by World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki, the Cox Business Center, the art deco Expo Square Pavilion, the Mabee Center, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center for Education, and the River Parks Amphitheater and Tulsa's largest venue, the BOK Center. As is typical of temperate zones, weather patterns vary by season with occasional extremes in temperature and rainfall.[70]. In accordance with the mayor-council form of government, the Tulsa City Council and the office of the Mayor coordinate in city government operations. [250] Its operations contribute over $3.2 million to the economy annually. [24] The plaque above the burial stated the car was to be excavated in 2007 to celebrate Oklahoma's centennial. In the years after the Civil War and around the turn of the century, the area along the Arkansas River that is now Tulsa was periodically home to or visited by a series of colorful outlaws, including the legendary Wild Bunch, the Dalton Gang, and Little Britches. The prize-winning Oklahoma Joe's was founded by Oklahoman Joe Davidson, who mastered his craft at Tulsa's T-Town BBQ Cook-Off. 8 in the U.S. for cities of the future. In 1942, Douglas Aircraft built its mile-long Air Force Plant No. In 1879, the first official use of the name “Tulsa” appeared on a U.S. Post Office operating out of the Perryman Ranch headquarters near present-day 41st Street and Trenton Avenue. Accessed February 21, 2011. It created Lake Spavinaw, which was fed by Spavinaw Creek, a perennial stream that drained 400 square miles (1,000 km2) of Ozark Mountain foothills. [172], Two Tulsa universities compete at the NCAA Division I level: the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles. [225] The Tulsa City County Library's Downtown branch was massively renovated and opened to the public on Saturday, October 1, 2016. [22] The area around Tulsa was also settled by members of the other so-called "Five Civilized Tribes" who had been relocated to Oklahoma from the Southern United States. [251][252], Freight railways bisect the city in every direction; the state's chief freight rail transporter is BNSF, which operates the Cherokee Rail Yard in Tulsa, which includes a freight terminal, diesel shop and hump yard for railcar sorting. [223] The library is active in the community, holding events and programs at most branches, including free computer classes, children's storytimes, business and job assistance, and scholarly databases with information on a variety of topics. Tulsa has diversified to capitalize on its status as a regional hub with substantial innovation assets. [citation needed], Tulsa has 15 institutions of higher education, including two private universities: the University of Tulsa, a school founded in 1894, and Oral Roberts University, a school founded by evangelist Oral Roberts in 1963. The first black-owned newspaper was the Tulsa Star, which ceased publication when its office burned during the Tulsa race massacre. Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma is the Tulsa area's original public, undergraduate-focused, four-year university. The majority of the American Indians (including the numerous Creek and Cherokee settlers) came from the Southern states. Sylvester Morris, built a house in the early 1880s that now stands in Tulsa's Owen Park. [55] Tulsa also has the third-, and fourth-tallest buildings in the state, including the Cityplex Tower, which is located in South Tulsa across from Oral Roberts University, far from downtown. [20] Confined mainly to the segregated Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, the riot was responsible for wiping out nearly all the prosperity and success that Black Wall Street had achieved to that time, although some of the residential neighborhood was rebuilt within a few years and flourished until the 1960s. Since 1969, public displays of artwork in Tulsa have been funded by one percent of its annual city budget. [250] The Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust also manages the Okmulgee Regional Airport in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, further to the south of Tulsa. A master plan for the city that resulted in the creation of numerous parks, along with such attractions as its oil mansions, beautiful churches, museums and rose gardens, led to Tulsa being dubbed "America's Most Beautiful City" in the 1950s. [34] The Green is situated near the Woody Guthrie Center, a museum and archives focusing on the Oklahoma native and the power of the creative process; the Philbrook Museum's downtown annex, focusing on the museum's modern and Native American art collections; and the University of Tulsa's Henry Zarrow Center for Art & Education, all of which opened in 2013. The Prairie School was very influential in Tulsa: Barry Byrne designed Tulsa's Christ the King Church and, in 1927, Frank Lloyd Wright's midtown Tulsa residential project Westhope was completed. [28] This time, the car was encased in a specially-constructed plastic box, which was then entombed in an above-ground concrete vault. The scene in Greenwood was so hot that story has it that in 1927 while on tour, Count Basie heard a dance band in a club in Greenwood and decided to focus on jazz. Therefore, Tulsa built a pumping plant in 1904 to deliver water from the Arkansas River to a standpipe atop a hill north of downtown. Total cost is estimated at $350 Million, and is funded by private and corporate donations, including $200 Million from the Kaiser Family Foundation.[33]. The Tulsa race massacre (known alternatively as the Tulsa race riot, the Greenwood Massacre, the Black Wall Street Massacre, the Tulsa pogrom, or the Tulsa Massacre) took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked black residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, … [107], During a national recession from 2001 to 2003, the city lost 28,000 jobs. The Lochapoka continued to use the site as late as 1896 for ceremonies, feasts and games. The company has received two feature articles in Dance Magazine during the past seven years, which has been featured in the New York Times, Pointe Magazine and Dance Europe among others. By 1920 the population boomed to over 72,000. Most, but not all, of the private schools have religious affiliations with various Christian, Jewish[220] or Muslim[221] denominations. Tulsa was still a small town near the banks of the Arkansas River in 1901 when its first oil well, named Sue Bland No. The building was substantially expanded in 1933, covering the west side of Boulder Avenue between Second and Third Streets. [7] After W. Tate Brady and many other prominent Tulsa businessmen signed the city charter in 1898,[8] the newly incorporated city government took over the school and made it the first public school. [102] In response, a development initiative, Vision 2025, promised to incite economic growth and recreate lost jobs. With remnants of the Holocaust and artifacts relevant to Judaism in Oklahoma, the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art preserves the largest collection of Judaica in the Southwestern and South-Central United States. Of 163,975 households, 27% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. By this time the area was known as 'Tulsey Town' and had grown to be a trading post and cattle town. South, East, and Midtown Tulsa are home to a number of the ranch and Mid-Century Modern homes that reflect Tulsa's prosperous post-war period. The reconstruction period after the war contributed to the growth of the area; in 1879 the first post office opened on a ranch belonging to one of Lewis' sons, Josiah Chouteau Perryman, southeast of town. Most routes go through one or both of the stations, facilitating the commute to work and events in Downtown or Midtown. The new school was a three-story cream colored brick building with a dome. [19] People from Tulsa are called "Tulsans". In 1905, the Glenn Pool oil field was discovered. Tulsa annexed the town of Dawson on July 7, 1949, adding 3,500 residents and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) of area.[5]. Bates, Michael D. "The Control Freaks' Squeeze Play. The paper was acquired by the Tulsa World that year. Accessed May 15, 2011, http://riverprojectstulsa.info/index.php/the-arkansas-river-corridor-master-plan, http://agatheringplacefortulsa.com/get-the-facts/, http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/george-kaiser-foundation-makes-record-donation-to-river-parks-for/article_d1865fb1-003c-5414-9fb7-eaf86857f4ca.html, NWS Damage Survey for 8/6/17 Tornado Event, "Three Tornadoes Struck Green Country Early Sunday", "NWS confirms EF-2 tornado damage in midtown Tulsa", "Rare August tornado sends 30 to hospital in Tulsa; no deaths", Timeline of Tulsa, Oklahoma § Bibliography. The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 – also known as the 1921 Race Riot, the Tulsa Race War, or the Greenwood Riot – was one of the nation's worst acts of racial violence and large-scale civil disorder. The 16-story Cosden Building was constructed in 1918, and is considered the first skyscraper in Tulsa. The water was high in silt, salt and gypsum. Philbrook also maintains a satellite campus in downtown Tulsa. [5], Tulsa was the first major Oklahoma city to begin an urban renewal program. Tulsa annexed the community of Red Fork across the Arkansas River in 1927. Five young children and a 24-year-old man were shot and killed early Tuesday at their home in Muskogee.The children’s mother also was shot, and she’s now fighting for her life at a Tulsa hospital.According to police, they received a call around 1:30 a.m. about a shooting at a home on Indiana Street. ONEOK bought the naming rights for $10 million for the next 25 years. Riverfield Country Day School is non-sectarian. It is informally known as "Green Country", a longstanding name adopted by the state's official tourism designation for all of northeastern Oklahoma (its usage concerning the Tulsa Metropolitan Area can be traced to the early part of the 20th century). [201] Groundbreaking on the anchor project for phase two, Discovery Lab, occurred in February 2020. "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, " Accessed September 30, 2010. In particular, the middle of the 20th century brought a wealth of modern architecture to Tulsa. McFarlin. In the HD Universe, due to the increased level of detail, almost every street has a name, whichis useful forestablishing locations. Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 45th-most populous city in the United States.. Tulsa was settled between 1828 and 1836 by the Lochapoka Band of Creek Native American tribe. Tulsa is home to the famous Southern Hills Country Club, which is one of only two courses that have hosted seven men's major championships: three U.S. [18] In 2012, Tulsa was ranked among the top 50 best cities in the United States by BusinessWeek. Accessed August 24, 2011.". [173][174] The Tulsa football team has played in 16 bowl games, including the Sugar Bowl (twice) and the Orange Bowl. June 24, 2007. About 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line. [154] These restaurants were founded by Syrian and Lebanese families who immigrated to Oklahoma before statehood. [253] Other Class I transporters are Union Pacific Railroad, and Kansas City Southern Railway (via a short-line switch on the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad). [211] North Tulsa has the highest crime rate in the city with public housing projects being the most heavily affected areas. An official report later claimed that 23 Black and 16 white citizens were killed, but other estimates suggest as many as 300 people died, most of them Black. Eventually, Glenn Pool established Oklahoma as one of the leading petroleum producing regions in the United States. This school, the forerunner of the University of Tulsa, became the start of higher education in Tulsa. In 1920, the school merged with a proposed McFarlin College to become the University of Tulsa (abbreviated as TU). 1917 saw the construction of the Federal Building that contained both the main post office and courtrooms of United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. [56] One of the area's unique architectural complexes, Oral Roberts University, is built in a Post-Modern Futuristic style, incorporating bright gold structures with sharp, jetting edges and clear geometric shapes. James M. Hall and three other men bought the property with their own funds and held the title until the city could reimburse them. [245] Tulsa debuted its first bus rapid transit line, Aero on Peoria Avenue, in November 2019. City leaders worked to diversify the city away from a largely petroleum-based economy, bringing blue collar factory jobs as well as Internet and telecommunications firms to Tulsa during the 1990s, and enhancing the already important aviation industry. Another Catholic high school, Cascia Hall Preparatory School, is administered by Augustinians. "This race is super fast as riders weave through crowded streets lined with cheering spectators, live music, and tons of vendors". [255] Long-distance passenger rail transportation serves Tulsa only through Greyhound bus lines, which provide bus connections to nearby cities with Amtrak stations. A building boom in Tulsa in the early 20th century coincided with the rise of art deco architecture in the United States. Most commuters use the highway system in Tulsa to get to and from work. It was the last high-rise Art Deco office building constructed in the downtown area. Property damage was estimated at $1.8 million. [39], In 2003, the "Vision 2025" program was approved by voters, to enhance and revitalize Tulsa's infrastructure and tourism industry. The second surge of oil discoveries occurred between 1915 and 1930, and firmly established Tulsa as the "Oil Capital of the World". C. W. Kerr arrived in Tulsa as the first permanent Christian minister. Website "Downstream Today: Tulsa Refinery." [158] Many of these restaurants sell Greek food, either year round or at Tulsa's annual Greek Holiday, sponsored by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (which dates to 1925). The race has since accommodated "over two hundred race rigs, bleachers for thousands of people and an ever-growing trade show". [129] In addition, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos, and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers. [34] Tulsa, heavily dependent on the oil industry, was one of the hardest-hit cities by the fall of oil prices. The new school was a three-story cream colored brick building with a dome. TU also manages the famous Gilcrease Museum in northwest Tulsa and hosts the Alexandre Hogue Gallery on its main campus. [6] It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 991,005 residents in the MSA and 1,251,172 in the CSA. Buses stop at specific stops such as Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, CityPlex Towers, Cox Communications, the various medical facilities in Tulsa, and many shopping destinations, hotels, and schools. In 1846, Lewis Perryman built a log cabin trading post near what is now 33rd Street and South Rockford Avenue. East of Highway 169 and north of 61st street, a diverse racial makeup marks the eastern portions of the city, with large Asian and Mexican communities and much of the city's manufacturing industry.