On April 22, 1957, the "Arrows to Atoms" two-hundred-foot-tall tower at the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City was dedicated and lighted as part of the state's Semi-Centennial.
The days of the Dust Bowl were then well within the memories of most in the city and state even if most who are alive today will not have a personal recollection of that time. Although Oklahoma City was only on the edge of the Dust Bowl area, it affected us and our city's image greatly.
During the days of the Dust Bowl and drought, badly parched Lake Overholser looked like this, in 1935 (looking north to the US 66 bridge around NW 39th today).
The "Arrows to Atoms" theme avoided the negative images of the 1930s and focused on the city's present and hoped for future.
But, by as late as 1991, the North Canadian River passing south of downtown still looked like this (credit Mark Klett in his Photographing Oklahoma 1889/1991 (Oklahoma City Art Museum 1991):
How could THAT turn into this?
Arrows to Atoms, circa 1957, marked a break with the 1930s Dust Bowl. The city's original (1993) MAPS program would radically change the North Canadian and see a part of it renamed "The Oklahoma River." By the time 2007 rolled around, the city's river hosted its first Olympic trials during the Centennial Regatta.
Now, in December 2011, Oklahoma City is embarking on its 2nd version based of Arrows To Atoms, with an analogous theme, the Formerly Crappy North Canadian River To A Water Olympics Headquarters — the river that needed to be mowed twice a year is now the address of a major water sport U.S. Olympic organization. Steve Lackmeyer wrote the story about this today in the December 13, 2011, Oklahoman:
USA Canoe/Kayak will relocate headquarters to Oklahoma City USA Canoe/Kayak, a member of the United States Olympic Committee, announced Tuesday the relocation of the organization's headquarters to Oklahoma City.
Both USA Canoe/Kayak Chief Executive Officer Joe Jacobi and Mayor Mick Cornett attributed the move to development of the boathouse district along the river and ongoing transformation of the waterway thanks to the original Metropolitan Area Projects. Jacobi said his office, which first opened in Oklahoma City along the Oklahoma River in 2009, will work closely with the city in developing a white water rapids venue included in the 2009 MAPS 3 ballot. The Oklahoma City office will replace Charlotte, N.C. as the organization's national headquarters as the group begins its first ever promotional campaign for paddle sports. "This is a perfect illustration of how MAPS 3 was an attempt to build on the success of the original MAPS," Cornett said. "I don't know what this is going to lead to, but I'm sure there are many opportunities ahead."
Lackmeyer's story at NewsOK was enhanced by this video featuring Joe Jacobi and Mayor Cornett:
The development wasn't just reported locally. Similar Associated Press and other reports were carried by ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CNBC, Washington Post, and, of course, Charlotte, the organization's previous home, among others.
USA Canoe/Kayak Announces Relocation of its Headquarters to Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY – December 13, 2011 USA Canoe/Kayak, the national governing body (NGB) for the Olympic sports of flatwater sprint and whitewater slalom and a member of the United States Olympic Committee, announced today the relocation of its headquarters to the city of Oklahoma City. USA Canoe/Kayak will office with the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, allowing the two organizations to collaborate and build on the inherent synergy of shared values and objectives. A panel consisting of Joe Jacobi, OKCBF Executive Director Mike Knopp, USA Canoe/Kayak Board Chairman Bob Lally, and other leaders in the paddlesports industry will discuss USA Canoe/Kayak’s commitment to the future of paddle sports in America during a live stream broadcast scheduled to air on paddling web sites across the country and around the world. Watch live at oklahomariverevents.org/live-video. A panel consisting of Joe Jacobi, OKCBF Executive Director Mike Knopp, USA Canoe/Kayak Board Chairman Bob Lally, and other leaders in the paddlesports industry will discuss USA Canoe/Kayak’s commitment to the future of paddle sports in America during a live stream broadcast scheduled to air on paddling web sites across the country and around the world. Watch live at oklahomariverevents.org/live-video.
Joe Jacobi, USA Canoe/Kayak CEO: "USA Canoe/Kayak is launching a new era in paddlesports in the United States, with a focus on enabling U.S. athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic, Paralympic and other international competition. With the tremendous momentum taking place at the Oklahoma River – from the National High Performance Center for kayaking and rowing to the MAPS 3 OKC citizen-voted sales tax initiative to fund quality of life projects which include the construction of a whitewater center and race course improvements to the Oklahoma River – Oklahoma City is the ideal location for the epicenter of our efforts and initiatives to grow paddlesports. A central component to USA Canoe/Kayak’s growth is the “Paddle Now!” program, which encourages families across America to explore our nation’s waterways in kayaks, canoes, dragon boats and stand up paddle boards. USA Canoe/Kayak has teamed up with canoe/kayak clubs across the country to promote paddlesports; learn more at usack.org/paddlenow. Jacobi: "This nation has intrinsic ties to waterways – from the days of early explorers and Native Americans who paddled and portaged across the country to today's active adventurers. We truly believe Oklahoma City, a place whose citizens have supported the Oklahoma River and whitewater initiatives, is the place to rekindle our nation’s passion for paddlesports."
Quotes:
Alan Ashley, U.S. Olympic Committee Chief of Sport Performance: "Mike Knopp and his team at the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation have created a model that places elite training in the heart of the community, building synergy between the elite athletes, local youth and adults, and the local business community. We’re hopeful that this approach will help USA Canoe/Kayak continue to build their talent pipeline and develop top athletes to represent Team USA." William Irving, USA Canoe/Kayak National Teams Director: "We couldn’t be more happy to be working even closer with our partners at the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, who are providing our NGB with the ability to better serve our membership through a variety of resources that are focused on high performing athletes. Having our NGB based in Oklahoma City, will make a huge impact on the way in which we serve all of our constituents and infuse our sport with the 'can do' attitude that Oklahoma City exhibits. Looking into the future, once the Whitewater Course is in place, we will have a unique opportunity to bring our two Olympic sports together and for the first time in our sports history and be able to train Sprint and Slalom athletes alongside each other." Kaitlyn McElroy, Sprint Kayaker: "Personally, moving to Oklahoma City to train was by far the right choice for me. The facilities are amazing. The boathouse district has everything you need to train at a high level. All that's really left for you to do is work hard and go fast. Over the past two years there has been an influx of local children becoming involved with paddlesports on the Oklahoma River as well as an increasing number of athletes from all over the country coming to train. I think this creates a unique environment for everyone because you have kids who are just learning the 'tricks of the trade' mingling with world class athletes. I think this gives the kids great role models while keeping the older athletes honest and attached to why they started paddlesports in the first place." Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: "The significance of USA Canoe/Kayak's relocation to Oklahoma City – in what was once known as 'the dust bowl state' – is indicative of the speed of change and positive forward momentum this community is creating. We've built a river that's become not only a health-and-fitness destination for our citizens, but a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site for our nation's aspiring Olympic kayakers and rowers. Becoming the headquarters of a National Governing Board is a testament to how powerful the MAPS initiatives truly are in influencing our ability to recreate and redefine our city."
About OKCBF
The OKC Boathouse Foundation promotes the use and development of the Oklahoma River as a world-class urban aquatic venue and provides access to rowing, kayaking and fitness programs for people of all ages and abilities. OKCBF programs pursue the highest goals of sports and embrace the principles of the Olympic spirit which inspire athletes to work toward personal excellence, embrace the power of teamwork, and practice respect for all people and the environment. To learn more or get involved, call (405) 552-4040 or visit okcbf.org.
About USA Canoe/Kayak
USA Canoe/Kayak is a non-profit membership organization based in Oklahoma City, OK, promoting canoe and kayak racing in the United States. A member of the United States Olympic Committee, USA Canoe/Kayak is the national governing body for the Olympic sports of Flatwater Sprint and Whitewater Slalom and the official U.S. federation of the International Canoe Federation. Other paddling sports sanctioned by USACanoe/Kayak include Marathon, Freestyle, Wildwater, Stand Up Paddleboard, Canoe Polo, Canoe Sailing, Outrigger, and Dragon Boat.
Here's a cool video by US Canoe/Kayak, uploaded by Okc Riversport.org, which nicely showcases the river area and development, with downtown's skyline shown at 0:40 but you got to watch closely ...
Two Former Governors, One Democrat, One Republican, Hope Not
Will the Oklahoma Legislature let this masterpiece-in-progress die, mid-stream, in its tracks? In the above video produced by the Chickasaw Nation and published a couple of days ago, two former governors, one Democrat (Brad Henry) and one Republican (Frank Keating), say NO, that would be a wrong course to follow.
But, with the changing of the guard in Oklahoma State Legislature during the past several years from democrats to republicans, governmental sponsorship of projects relating to culture and the arts have had an increasingly hard row to hoe.
Nothing demonstrates this difficulty more vividly than the earlier-promised partial state funding of the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum (AICCM) in Oklahoma City. Notwithstanding the support of current Republican Governor Mary Fallin, in spring 2011 the controlling committee members of the Oklahoma Legislature's House & Senate refused to allow further funding to even come to a vote. Overall, funding is from multiple sources which I'll explain later.
But, without the state legislature doing what it earlier committed to do, is the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum doomed? David F. Allen expressed his thoughts at OkcTalk.com. About himself, David says,
I was born and raised in South Oklahoma City, graduated from the University of Oklahoma with Bachelor of Architecture. I am currently living in SW Houston. However, Oklahoma and to be more exact, Oklahoma City has always been home to me.
About the above video and the project, David wrote,
That was a very well done video, and it captured several key things that will (I hope) 1. Raise awareness of how significant a facility this really is. 2. Showcases its integral nature in relation to the Downtown renaissance. 3. Address the fact that there is a real economic as well as intangible cost that will be realized simply by failing to complete a project that has this type of visibility and unique cultural significance, paid for with immense public investment. Failing to complete this sends the unintended message of instability could very well give developers pause before pushing forward serious plans in the area. 4. Completion of the project allows for the continued momentum in the growth and development taking place downtown.
It was nice to see many of our leaders of the past who recognize the intense detrimental impacts of this project being left to flounder in the shadows of downtown. There is no hiding this place, it is right down the river from the Oklahoma River rowing courses and will be a source of national and international exposure for good (if completed) or ill (if not) The landform and striking architecture of the buildings will draw attention unto itself, so there will be no way for OKC or Oklahoma in general to hide this unfinished project. So we may as well realize that the unfinished project could cost us far more in losses due to the negative PR that we will get, for the negative perceptions that will be reinforced or taken away from this if not completed, such as: That we do not value our history, that we can't live up to what we have been advertising, issues of race and the list goes on and on ... the biggest issue is that we will not be able to control the way the rest of America or the world for that matter, will take this and run with it.
This project IS critical to get completed because we are too far along for us not to! We have used it as a feather in hats in many of our chamber videos that have been at major development conferences (and anywhere else we can get them played) showcasing Oklahoma and its capital city. Even the cost of shuttering it for a while and then at some future point dusting off the plans and completing, will cost far more as there will be significant cost increases anytime you demobilize the site and then have to start back up, plus the costs of labor and materials and on and on and on ...
The decision to build this facility was made long ago and there is nothing that can undo that, those dollars are spent. The costs of not completing it are incalculable, even from a fiscal responsibility standpoint. If you ordered dinner at a nice restaurant and your date has eaten half of hers already, and you then realize that you do not have the money, you have to work out a way to pay it, or be prepared to wash the dishes. But one thing is for certain, even if you begrudgingly wash the dishes, yes you have met the obligation, but the date that you were hoping to go well is over. Feel free to insert developers, corporate relocation candidates, or large group events/meetings seeking a venue, etc. into the role of the date in the analogy.)
You can be assured that there are many very key people who are keeping an eye on our state and city with interest, watching for us to support our claims of being world class or waiting for us to falter. The fact that we have run into budget issues on the project does not doom nor define us, however how we respond to the challenges that face us do. So do we just try and brush this one under the rug and wait until some casino decides to pony up the money for the land and facility and then become the laughingstock of the nation? Or do we work to identify a viable solution to deliver a promise that was begun a long time ago and let the expense finally mature to the point that it can begin having a positive economic impact in our area. There is no doubt that this will become every bit, if not more renowned than the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
It is my hope that in years to come we will recognize this moment for what it is, a pivotal one that had lasting and unimaginable economic impacts on our city.
The rowing venue is one of Oklahoma's most currently relevant venues for increasing international exposure for something (other than the Thunder.) of permanence and place. When there are significant races being held here, the network camera crews will be looking for shots to showcase its location and this is immediately adjacent to the course!!!! Even in Europe there is a familiarity with the plight and issues of the Native Americans on this continent. You cannot buy this type of public advertising that will be a boon to tourism in our city and state.
DEVON CENTENNIAL OKLAHOMA RIVER PARADE. 2007 marks the 4th Annual Devon Oklahoma River Parade, this year moved up a bit to coincide with Oklahoma's Centennial Week. For some background, see the Oklahoman'sNovember 16 article and the November 18 article, the latter being excerpted below:
Parade lights way to future By Michael Kimball Staff Writer
As a former mayor of Oklahoma City and a man well-known to local residents, Ron Norick has plenty of reasons to look back with fondness on his city's past.
But sitting on the deck of Devon Discovery, about an hour before the boat was christened Saturday as part of the Devon Energy Centennial River Parade, all Norick wanted to talk about was the future.
"Just because it's the end of Oklahoma's first century, that doesn't mean we're going to stop working hard going into the next century,” Norick said.
Norick and other organizers of the boat parade feel as if their event embodies Oklahoma City's transition into a dynamic regional power.
River of change
The parade began after dark following fireworks and other entertainment organized for thousands of spectators.
It followed a route down the Oklahoma River, which is a focal point for urban renewal efforts taking place over the next decade in the same spirit that yielded Bricktown.
Over the next several years, as part of the "core to shore” plan, the city intends to combine public and private funds to reinvigorate the area between the Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway and the river.
"The public dollar was put in with MAPS and MAPS for Kids, but now the private dollars are coming in,” said Norick, now serving as chairman of the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority. "It's because of the corporations who say, ‘Yeah, we want to be a part of it.' And they write us a check. ... Corporations that are competing in the marketplace are willing to come together for the sake of making the city better.” * * * A city to ‘be proud of'
Of the hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators, perhaps no one exemplified what Norick hopes for the future of Oklahoma City more than Dan and Jackie Whygle. City residents for the past 11 years, they said they've never known Oklahoma City to be anything other than the vibrant, cosmopolitan city it is now.
"There's been a lot of change, and obviously I think it's for the good,” Jackie Whygle said. "I think this is the nicest part of the city, and it's exciting all of the changes that are still out there.”
It's that kind of attitude that Norick hopes will continue to dominate the minds of Oklahoma City residents in the state's second century.
"This is a city that people want to live in, and a city people already here can be proud of,” Norick said. "I'm just happy I'm a part of it.”
Indeed! Without the bold and risky leadership that Mayor Ron Norick provided with 1993 M.A.P.S. initiative, none of this (and much more) would have been happening 14 years later!
A very nice video clip featuring former Mayor Norick and others and much better pics than those I took is at the Oklahoman's website ... credit the pic below from that video to Sarah Phipps of the Oklahoman ...
The pics that I took from the north side of SW 15th, north of Wiley Post Park, follow ... as always, click on a pic for a larger image.
Looking West, The Sun Sets Behind The Walker Bridge
Looking Southwest At Wiley Post Park
The Weather Was Good — Very Little Wind
At Last, The Sun Sets
And It Is Finally Dark
A Beacon North of SW 15th Marks The Spot
And The Fireworks Begin Click the "Play" button to watch the fireworks
I've not gotten my night picture-taking skills down very well so these images are blurry ... but ... best that I can do ... pictures are not in order and I didn't get them all ...
A Parade of 24 Lighted Boats Begins Oklahoma's 101st year
The Devon Discovery, 1st of 3 new water taxis which will hold 49 passengers, led the parade. Covered in about 18,000 lights and topped with a bow, it is Devon's gift to Oklahoma City. In the spring, the Discovery & 2 other cruisers will move from Meridian and I-40 to near the Chesapeake boathouse.
I don't know what this caterpillar is, but it was the largest entry.
It was a busy week in Oklahoma City and it was impossible to take everything in. I've already made my 2 posts about Sunday's Oklahoma Centennial Parade, but I'd be remiss not to make a post about another great event, the Oklahoma Centennial Regatta on the Oklahoma River on October 11-14, 2007.
By way of background, see this blog article from last year. But, in 2007, it would be even more. This AP article by Jeff Latzke which appeared in USA Today and other venues tells the story:
From Dust Bowl to River City: Oklahoma City becoming a hot spot for rowing
By Jeff Latzke, AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — Mike Knopp spent enough time walking through weeds and biking through a dried-up drainage ditch to come to a startling conclusion: What a perfect spot for a rowing course.
The only thing missing was water.
That same spot, now a controlled waterway stretching along the southern edge of downtown Oklahoma City, will host an exhibition event this week featuring Olympic-caliber rowers from around the world.
Only a few years ago, the river existed only in Knopp's imagination.
"I spent some time essentially in the weeds. It was not a part of town or not an area that a lot of people ventured out in and actually looked at it," Knopp said.
"For years, even before the project, you could see this straight stretch of land that had rocks on the side, and occasionally when it would rain, there would be a lot of rain and it would sort of fill up and you could see, gosh this could be something some day."
Once upon a time, the river had been a reality, perhaps too much so. Flowing a little too close to downtown, the river flooded several times in the 1930s, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was called in during the 1950s to create a new path a little farther south.
That resulted in the riverbed sitting dry for decades until a tax increase in the late 1990s spurred a series of projects including the construction of a new ballpark for the city's Triple-A baseball franchise, the Ford Center that temporarily housed the NBA's New Orleans Hornets for the past two seasons and the river revitalization.
Less than three years after the river was dedicated, Oklahoma City is quickly becoming a hub for Olympic-style water sports. Beyond the USA Rowing World Challenge this week, the Oklahoma River has been chosen to host the Olympic trials for canoeing and kayaking next spring.
"We have gone from the Dust Bowl to the River City," said Pat Downes, economic development director for the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority. "We have gone from mowing to rowing on the river, and all in a very short period of time."
Oklahoma City's ascension in the rowing world has been so quick because of that old real estate adage: location, location, location.
The course is just south of downtown and the city's Bricktown entertainment district, making it friendly for spectators, sponsors and the media. Unlike in Europe, where elite rowers and kayakers can routinely find crowds of 30,000 or more fans at world-class events, there are relatively few urban settings in the United States that can provide the same atmosphere.
"Anywhere that our athletes go where there's more people, more excitement, more enthusiasm, that's better," said David Yarborough, executive director of the U.S. association for canoeing and kayaking.
In only its third year, the Head of the Oklahoma Regatta hosted by Oklahoma City University drew 30,000 spectators last year and will be a part of the festivities this weekend, interspersed with exhibitions featuring teams from the U.S., Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Switzerland and Moldova.
Not bad, considering Knopp called rowing "a sport that was foreign to most people in Oklahoma City" only a few years ago.
Before envisioning the river project's rowing potential, Knopp had become resigned to the belief the sport wouldn't be a major part of his life after his family moved from Maryland to Oklahoma during his senior year of high school.
He was able to continue pursuing the sport, which he started admiring while watching the U.S. Naval Academy team practice, on a club team at Oklahoma State and then on the side while he went through law school at the University of Oklahoma. After he got his law degree, he got involved in the small rowing club in Oklahoma City that met at Lake Overholser.
Knopp and his wife worked to grow the sport with the help of a volunteer base that kept increasing, and eventually his vision of the dry riverbed as a rowing venue flourished - with the help of a timely rainfall.
The night before a groundbreaking for the first of three dams that would make the river a reality, Knopp remembers there being "a big rain" and, in it, an opportunity to let officials share his vision.
"We had enough water at that groundbreaking, so we assembled enough people to put several boats on the water and when they broke ground for that first dam, there was rowing going on back and forth," Knopp said. "I think we sold a lot of people on that concept."
Chesapeake Energy Corp., an Oklahoma City-based natural gas producer, joined with other donors to back a $3.5 million boathouse designed to look like a rowing shell floating on the river when viewed from above.
To Knopp, that was the turning point for what had been a low-budget, volunteer-based effort to support rowing in the city.
"It really sent a message to the rowing community that we're serious, that we have a lot of great ideas and support and it's really allowed us to do a lot of things - to expand the sport beyond where we ever thought we could go this soon," Knopp said.
Additional boathouses are in the works for three university programs, including the one Knopp now coaches at Oklahoma City University, and there's also a proposal to build a whitewater paddling course nearby.
Beyond that, the river is central to a redevelopment project for the downtown area that's expected to draw about $3 billion in investment to revitalize a neglected area between the river and a section of Interstate 40 that's being realigned to run farther south.
City planners hope the river will attract people to live in new residential areas that would be built as part of the plan.
"It's kind of the last thing people would've thought to do in Oklahoma City a few years ago," Knopp said. "But it's sort of ironic that people would want to come here because of our water."
And, even if the weather was windy, a success it was! See this article at World Rowing.com and this one at USOplympicTeam.com. An October 15, 2007, Oklahoman article by Darnell Mayberry querried, "Will OKC become a hub for rowing?" and answered the question with a "Yes, it seems that is so" sort of answer. He quoted Dave Gomez, a New Yorker:
"The nice thing about it is, first of all everybody's incredibly friendly,” said Dave Gomez, a representative of Concept 2, the Vermont-based company that constructed most of the event's oars.
"The venue is really nice. You'll find that lots of people are kind of finicky and will complain about the wind. But the bottom line is there's nothing else on the river. It can be a nice place to be as far as winter training and that sort of thing.”
Gomez, who lives in Lake Placid, N.Y., said a big factor in determining whether Oklahoma City could be a training site for elite rowers is how expensive lodging would be. But Gomez said even the city's living arrangements are ideal, with the amount of hotel space in the immediate downtown area.
Gomez also noted the level of corporate support he saw during the four-day event, adding that rowing events should continue to flourish with strong backing.
"This will be a real big event really fast,” Gomez said of the Oklahoma Regatta Festival. "The way that the organizing committee is doing stuff is just top notch. They're putting a lot of effort in making it a venue that people want to come to.”
I didn't have as much time as I'd like to attend the events last week but did manage to get downtown on Saturdy night to take a few pics. The following pics don't show the rowers well, but they do show the new LED lights on the Byers bridge, some views of the north side of the river, and some rower silhouettes.
Vantage Point. My wife and I didn't feel like parking and walking that much so I did some exploring ... went south on Robinson to a point near the skateboard park, went east to Central, came north on Central and then wove my way underneath the Byers bridge, across the multiple railroad tracks shown in the pic below, and wound up at the pedestrian trail on the south side of the river. Here's a rough map which shows where the pics in this post were taken:
Byers Bridge LED Lights. Byers Bridge has been decorated with some new LED lights which have changing colors to dramatize the Oklahoma River area near where the rowers were based.
Click on an image for a larger view.
Looking North and East Along The River. I naturally didn't think to bring my tripod, but some of these turned out fairly well.
Cropped Views of the Above Picture
This one shows the Kerr-McGee Centennial Bell Tower
The Rowers. Unfortunately, without good lighting and at a distance, it was hard to get any pics of the rowers other than silhouettes. So, that's all I can offer ...
Olympic Banner. On the south side of the river, an Olympic banner which is not allowed to be used in very many places was planted into the ground. Of course, I was located at its backside but the light bled through ...
Flipping the Pic To Make It Readable
Time To Leave. We didn't stay long and after the above pics were taken we decided to leave. From the initial image at the top of this article, you may have noticed that we had to cross multiple railroad tracks to get to our vantage point ... and just as we were ready to leave, a train pulled in, and stopped! Yikes! Fortunately, after about 15 minutes or so, it moved along and we left. Coming home, I got this nice shot of downtown from Southwest 15th Street looking north ... the top of my car served well as a make-shift tripod!
In just a few hours, on the next day, Sunday, we would attend the Centennial Parade!
Operation Scissortail - Our Latest Book!
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[image: devon book cover]
We are very happy to announce the release of our latest book, "Operation
Scissortail," a narative history of the construction o...
Saturday in the Park..on a 113 degree day
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For those who don't know, there is a reason I've gone very quiet at such a
pivotal moment for Downtown OKC. I accepted a position in Cleveland, Ohio
and I...
On April 22, 1957, the "Arrows to Atoms" two-hundred-foot-tall tower at the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City was dedicated and lighted as part of the state's Semi-Centennial.
The days of the Dust Bowl were then well within the memories of most in the city and state even if most who are alive today will not have a personal recollection of that time. Although Oklahoma City was only on the edge of the Dust Bowl area, it affected us and our city's image greatly.
During the days of the Dust Bowl and drought, badly parched Lake Overholser looked like this, in 1935 (looking north to the US 66 bridge around NW 39th today).
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