Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of Oklahoma state, first settled on April 22, 1889. After the Settlement, the population of the town doubled between 1890 and 1900. The city was initially developed as a distribution point for crops and cattle; large stockyards were built, which attracted people and jobs from other states. Meatpacking plants were established, and when the railroads arrived in the city, it doubled the trade. The first oil well in Oklahoma City was discovered in 1928, which significantly accelerated and expanded the economy, and at one time, about 1,400 wells were producing oil within the city limits. World War II brought several industries, Air Force base and the city became a significant hub in the national Interstate Highway System. In the 1970s, Patience Latting was elected as the first female mayor of Oklahoma City.
Here below are some interesting historical photos of old Oklahoma City form the early 20th century that shows street scenes, architecture, cityscapes, streetcars, and everyday life of people.
![Manley Creasson [Creason], 914 West Sixth Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 15, 1917](https://www.bygonely.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Oklahoma_City_historical_photos_18.jpg)
Absolutely amazing. I always pay attention to the backgrounds to see if I can find where its at. You catch glimpses what what used to be. It’s a real shame we tore down half OKC in the 80s including historical buildings.
The Baum building was one of my favorites, along with the Biltmore Hotel and the Colcord Mansion
OKC has a war on homeless people when most of their parents and grandparents lived in homeless encampments.
What is this war on OKC’s homeless that you’re speaking about?
There was a proposed ordinance that classified any use of fabric, cardboard or other materials for living accommodations as a homeless encampment and the ordinance also would have criminalized encampments as well. Luckily it didn’t pass but a city council that even proposes something like that isn’t trying hard enough to help. Also the lack of mental health facilities is so bad we got investigated by the feds. There’s a list…
Made panhandling in the median illegal, but was thankfully shot down in court.
People hate the truth about their government.
Most is a stretch. I’m 42 and I don’t know anyone whose parents were homeless and I’d be surprised if any grandparents were.
Well, you’re 42. That’s all that needs to be said.
lol no it’s not. People my age are the ones making laws. Plus my grandparents are the age of the kids in those pictures.
Well, if your grandparents didn’t tell you they were homeless then I’m sure they never were. I’m sure most grandparents love to tell their grandkids they were homeless. I’m sure it’s something the parents and grandparents of your friends immediately wanted to share with you because they were so proud and quick to embarrass their family. Maybe, just maybe, you don’t know everything about every Oklahoman family. Maybe, just maybe, these pics are of a time that Americans weren’t proud of what they had to do to survive…
I’m not arguing that there weren’t homeless or there’s no war. You saying most implies that of the 185,000 people in okc in 1930 that 93,000 were homeless. Maybe you have a problem with hyperbole and maybe you aren’t as smart as you think.
Of the 800,000 Oklahomans, 300,000 were unemployed and a good portion of those lost their homes. I got that from the Oklahoma historical society. Not just a random thought, the difference between intelligence and thinking you know what you’re talking about is research. Knowledge, have a good day Mr Curator of Oklahoma History.
Genuinely curious if half these photos are created by AI. Not since Dorothea Lang have I seen portraits from early 1900s Oklahoma that are so crisp, so clear and have no obvious fading, damage or writing on the images. Doesn’t seem real. Or someone preserved all these negatives perfectly for more than a century.
LOL they are real.