The Value of History

Welcome back. From New York City to Los Angeles, from Alder, Montana to Rockport, Texas, I’m always on the lookout for an interesting story but you my friends don’t have to travel thousands of miles to learn about noteworthy people and places because there’s plenty of stories in your city library. Want to learn more about the birth of Philips 66, it’s all there in the book Phillips, the First 66 Years.

Find out how Frank Phillips got lucky with his last dollar, grew the company through the depression years and two world wars, was a pioneer in the aviation industry and guided Phillips to expansion in all corners of the world.

Looking for more Phillips stuff? The Boots Adams Story is another book I frequently pick up as well. Find out where the name Boots came from along with the life story of the man who took over Frank’s job and grew the company into an international giant not only in oil and gas but also chemicals and plastics.

How about the start of the now famous Drummond clan? There’s a book about them too and you’ll enjoy reading about their Scottish history. You’ll learn about both their successes and failures in this book that was written by someone who should know the story, John R. Drummond.  This beautiful leather-bound book is also for sale at the original Drummond family home in Hominy and it is well worth a trip to explore the house.  In Ranching in the Osage by Les Wareheim you will find out more about the Drummonds and many other ranches from that early era. Wareheim’s book also shows how the Texas longhorns which were driven to Kansas and Missouri railheads through Oklahoma during the 1860s changed the Osage countryside. He traces the history of towns that popped up in the Osage over the years and then vanished as well as the lives of men who founded big family ranches some of which are still going today.

If you’re searching for the history of Washington County the Examiner-Enterprise put out a book in 1995 which is full of photos showing early life in the area. Hardships? You bet along with the many accomplishments of the men and women who made the town what it is today. You might want to check it out as well.

Of course, Oklahoma’s Most Notorious Cases Volumes I and II written by Oklahoma City lawyer Kent Frakes are another great read for Oklahoma history buffs. These two books tell the stories of a dozen murders, some like the Roger Wheeler shooting in Tulsa you may remember but others like the Geronimo bank murders you may have never heard of. Kent puts you right in the middle of each crime scene, following every clue to the very end. These are all tragic events but also part of the state’s history. This brings me to you my readers. Do you have an historical photo or artifact laying around your house? Well, you might think about preserving your piece of the past by donating it to the Bartlesville History Museum for display.  They are always looking for interesting items to add to their collection and your donation can make you a part of history too.

    Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road………….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *