Vol. 41, No. 1 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 January 2010 Duncan to host Annual Meeting in April 2010 Annual Membership Meeting Chair Ken 10:30. To the extent possible, programs Rainbolt has announced that members will relate to the theme for the Annual should mark April 28, 29, and 30 on the Meeting, “Old Cultures in a New Land: A calendar for the 2010 Annual Meeting. The Sense of Community in Oklahoma.” Many host city, Durant, is the capital of the interesting presentations are scheduled. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and the area At 12:15 p.m. the Annual Membership is rich in history and culture. The OHS Luncheon will be held. Historian Dr. Paul staff and committee members will work Andrew Hutton, professor of history at the closely with representatives of the Choctaw University of New Mexico, will speak. Nation, Durant city government and cham- Hutton also is known for appearances on ber of commerce, and Southeastern State The History Channel on various historical University in organizing activities. subjects. After lunch comes a brief board Festivities begin on Wednesday, April meeting and an annual membership meet- 28, as members will be able to check into ing. Attendees should have time later that their lodgings and pick up registration afternoon to visit local historical attrac- packets for the three-day meeting. The So- tions. Members may also sign up for dinner ciety’s Board of Directors will meet at 1:30 and an evening of entertainment at the p.m. on Wednesday, and members may Performing Arts Center on the campus of register from 3 to 5 p.m. The board meeting Southeastern State University. and registration will be held in the Choc- The presentations on Friday, April 30, taw Conference Center, located within the take place at 8:30 and 10:30. At 12:15 p.m. Choctaw Casino Resort at 3702 Choctaw the OHS Annual Awards Luncheon will be Abraham Lincoln (Richard Kline) held Road in Durant. A reception is planned for held. A variety of awards will be presented, araptaudienceattheHistoryCenter Wednesday evening in a suite in the ele- and individuals will be inducted into the on November 19. Five hundred at- gant, new Choctaw Tower Hotel that is part Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame. The tended. (B. Siemens photo). of the resort. The event will recognize the luncheon will conclude the 2009 Annual Choctaw Nation, Durant city government, Meeting. the Durant Chamber of Commerce, and Conference hotels will be the Choctaw Southeastern State University for their his- Tower and the Choctaw Inn, both within Missed your December torical roles in the development of Durant the Choctaw Casino Resort. These hotels issue of Mistletoe Leaves? and southeastern Oklahoma. and one additional hotel will offer conven- Letusknow.We’llmailyouone Registration continues at 8 a.m. on tion room rates. Members are responsible right away! Thursday, April 29, at the Choctaw Confer- for making their own reservations. More Call Membership at 405/522-5242 ence Center, site of all the presentations details will be released in a future issue of or send an e-mail to and luncheons. Program sessions begin at Mistletoe Leaves. <[email protected]> 8:30 a.m., and a second round begins at George M. Murrell Home receives donation of important family items Within the past few months the Murrell never-before-exhibited painting of George Home at Park Hill received numerous do- Murrell. Other items included a portrait of nations from Mrs. L. A. Messenger, who is George’s sister, Rosanna (Murrell) Claytor, the great-granddaughter of George and an 1880s Bible analysis, which belonged to Amanda Murrell. Mrs. Messenger gra- Amanda Murrell, two family photos, and a ciously donated a portrait of Lewis Ross broach that the Murrell staff believes may (father of Minerva and Amanda Murrell have belonged to Amanda Murrell or Mary and brother to Chief John Ross). The Jane Ross. painting is believed to have been done in Mrs. Messenger has also donated several the 1830s by Ralph Earle II (1788–1837). items belonging to George and Amanda’s The Lewis Ross portrait now hangs in the daughter, Fannie (Murrell) Alexander, in- sitting room of the Murrell Home and is a cluding two chairs, a ladle, a cake server, fitting accompaniment to the portrait of his and two portraits of her as a toddler. Sev- wife, Fanny Holt Ross. eral of the items are already on display in The donation also included a watch fob, the home, and others will be viewable in a marble statue, an oversized floor candle- the near future. The items are a special stick, and two ornate mahogany dressing and valuable addition to the exhibits in the screens that all belonged to George Murrell historic home. as well as a miniature portrait locket with a While the Mayo and Skirvin sank to that lowly state, another sign of change was New Members, November emerging in Oklahoma. It was called historic *Indicates renewed membership at a higher level preservation. Fellow Historic preservation had long ago started *Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lester, Los Angeles, CA with individuals who cared about important Director’s Associate buildings, places, and events, but it was not Mr. and Mrs. William Matthews, Bartlesville Column really a movement until personal interest Mike Neal, Tulsa turned into public policy. Following the Governor and Mrs. David L. Walters, Oklahoma City signs of historic preservation as public policy Friend can be traced to the big bang of 1966, the *Rita Benischek, Oklahoma City passage of the Historic Preservation Act by Alain Buthion, Oklahoma City Congress. Mr. and Mrs. John Camp III, Lubbock, TX By Bob L. Blackburn *Mr. and Mrs. Jason Carter, Tulsa In Oklahoma the movement learned to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Chadwell, Oklahoma City Executive Director walk in the mid-1970s, survived adoles- *Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Decker, Edmond cence in the 1980s, and blossomed in the Dallas Ferguson, Tulsa *Mr. and Mrs. J. Leland Gourley, Oklahoma City Historians look for signs. 1990s. Signs of that progression can be Harold Hackler, Duncan We look for signs that times were chang- traced to people like Howard Meredith, Mr. and Mrs. John Hudson, Edmond ing and the reasons they were changing. Melvena Heisch, and the pioneers of the George Kravis, Tulsa We look for signs that individual men and Main Street Program and to places like Carol Magness, Oklahoma City Florence Mills, Cushing women were taking advantage of opportu- Honey Springs Battlefield, Guthrie, Heritage *Ruby Petty, Oklahoma City nities or coping with challenges. We look Hills Neighborhood, and Route 66. Frank Pharoah, Pryor for signs that guide us on the quest we call A new sign of progress and change was Katherine Smith, Stillwater Barbara Thompson, Holly, CO history. added in 2006 when the Oklahoma Legisla- Gordan Williams III, Norman Last week I saw an important sign of ture created a twenty percent tax credit that Mary Ziegler, Placentia, CA change and personal impact that someday mirrored the federal tax credit for the certi- Family will be in the history books. It was the fied rehabilitation of historic buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Ron Atchley, Oklahoma City Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Backward, Salina grand opening of the rehabilitated Mayo Since then, more that twenty-five buildings Mr. and Mrs. George Beard, Skiatook Hotel. have been preserved due in part to the finan- Mr. and Mrs. Bill Belknap, Stillwater The Mayo, like the Skirvin in Oklahoma cial incentive of that tax credit. Included in Mr. and Mrs. Danny Blakley, Douglas Mr. and Mrs. Bill Boettger, Oklahoma City City, was a victim of the historic shift from the list are the Skirvin and Mayo hotels. Karan Boland, Oklahoma City railroad transportation to travel by auto- To me, the Skirvin and Mayo projects are Robert Bookout, Tulsa mobile compounded by the decline of inner signs that we have reached a tipping point in Michael Brooks-Jimenez, Oklahoma City Kennedy Brown, Ada cities in the 1960s and 1970s. The fate of historic preservation. These two monuments Carolyn Bural, Elmore City the grand old hotels was a sign of changing in brick may be symbols of urban decline Linda Burley, Davis, CA times. and changing travel habits. More impor- Jeanie Caldwell, Oklahoma City Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cardot, Enid Although both hotels were kept on life tantly, they are symbols of rebirth and a new Mr. and Mrs. Don Carpenter, Ada support until the early 1980s, Oklahoma’s beginning, a place in time where the past Carroll Carter, Oklahoma City second Great Depression was the final nail meets the future. Connie Cline and Frank Dinkler, Hennessey in their coffins. Both were shuttered. The Yes, historians look for signs. The Mayo Mr. and Mrs. Michael Coats, Tulsa Mr. and Mrs. Billy Colliver, Edmond MayowasguttedwhiletheSkirvinwasleft and Skirvin hotels are shining brightly. Louise Cook, Woodward standing because nobody would under- Mr. and Mrs. Richard Creech, Edmond write the cost of demolition. The toothless Denny Cresap, Afton Michael Croy, Piedmont giants were signs of the hard times. Mr. and Mrs. Shane Danels, Edmond Mr. and Mrs. Tim Darr, Seminole Gary Dart, Norman Mr. and Mrs. Jose del Pozo, Del Mar, CA Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Delhotal, Oklahoma City Development News Mr. and Mrs. Jon Denton, Mustang Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Duck, Sapulpa By Paul F. Lambert Mr. and Mrs. Justin Edwards, Yukon Our Annual Giving Campaign for Fiscal *Doris Ellis, Del City Year 2010 (ending June 30, 2010) is under Thomas Fedor, Oklahoma City Cont’d. on pp. 6–7 way. This year we are giving all of our dues-paying members the opportunity to Oklahoma Historical Society Editor: Dr.