Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma, USA. As of the revised 2004 census report, the city had a total population of 387,807, with 930,842 in the greater metro area. It is the county seat of Tulsa County.

History

The city now known as Tulsa was first settled by the Lockapoka Creek Tribe between 1828 and 1836. Driven from their native Alabama by the forced removal of Native Americans from the Southeast, the Lockapokas established a new home at a site near present-day Cheyenne Avenue and 18th Street. Under a large oak tree, now called Council Oak, they rekindled their ceremonial fire. The settlement was referred to as "Tulasi," a Creek Indian word meaning "old town" and in the 1890s, a trading post in the village became a post office under the name "Tulsey Town."

Related Topics:
Lockapoka Creek Tribe - 1828 - 1836 - Alabama - Native Americans - Oak - Tree - Council Oak - Creek Indian - 1890s - Post office

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Tulsa was formerly part of Indian Territory, which was created as part of the relocation of Eastern tribes such as the Creeks, and also the Seminole, Cherokee, Quapaw, Seneca, and Shawnee tribes. These Native American tribes moved into the region after the passage of the Indian Removal Act (1830), when they were forced to surrender their lands east of the Mississippi to the Federal Government in exchange for land in Indian Territory. Each of the larger tribes was given extensive land holdings, individual governments were formed, and tribal members began new lives as farmers, trappers, and ranchers. The majority of these Indian settlers (including the numerous Creek and Cherokee settlers) came from the Southern states and brought with them a culture reminiscent of the Old South. During the Civil War, they largely favored the Confederacy.

Related Topics:
Indian Territory - Creeks - Seminole - Cherokee - Quapaw - Seneca - Shawnee - Native American - Indian Removal Act - 1830 - Mississippi - Federal Government - Tribes - Farmers - Trappers - Ranchers

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However, throughout the 19th century, the tribes were made to accept a number of treaties that further reduced the size of their lands and introduced new tribes into Indian Territory. White settlers continued to push forward, railroads moved into the territory, and in 1892, the land was officially opened and all tribal members were forced to accept individual allocations of land. Much of Tulsa is located in the Creek Nation, with parts located in the Cherokee Nation and Osage Nation.

Related Topics:
19th century - Treaties - Indian Territory - White - Railroad - 1892 - Creek - Cherokee - Osage

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In 1882, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (the "Frisco") extended its line to Tulsa to serve the cattle business, the city's first industry.

Related Topics:
1882 - St. Louis and San Francisco Railway - Cattle

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Tulsa changed from a small Indian town to a boomtown with the discovery of oil in 1901 at Red Fork, a small community southwest of Tulsa. Wildcatters and investors flooded into the city and the town began to take shape. Neighborhoods were established in Tulsa on the north side of the Arkansas River, away from the drilling sites, and began to spread out from downtown Tulsa in all directions. In 1904, Tulsans constructed a bridge across the river, allowing oil field workers, supplies, food and equipment to cross the river, reaffirming Tulsa's position as the center of the oil field.

Related Topics:
Boomtown - Oil - 1901 - Red Fork - Wildcatter - Arkansas River - 1904

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In 1905, the Glenn Pool oil field was discovered. This strike created such a large supply of crude oil that it forced Tulsans to develop storage tanks for the excess oil and gas and, later, pipelines. It also laid the foundation for Tulsa to become a leader in many businesses related to oil and gas, in addition to being the physical center of the growing petroleum industry. Eventually, Glenn Pool established Oklahoma as one of the leading petroleum producing regions in the United States. Many early oil companies chose Tulsa for their home base. By the time Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907, Tulsa had a population of 7298. By 1920 the population boomed to 72,000. Many of these new residents came from Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York. When a second surge of oil discoveries occurred between 1915 and 1930, the city was well-established as the "Oil Capital of the World."

Related Topics:
1905 - Glenn Pool - Storage tanks - Oil - Gas - Pipeline - Petroleum - Oklahoma - United States - Statehood - 1907 - 1920 - 1915 - 1930

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Another community that flourished in Tulsa during the oil boom was Greenwood. It was the largest and wealthiest of Oklahoma black communities and was known nationally as "Black Wall Street". The neighborhood was a hotbed of jazz and blues in the 1920s. 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.

Related Topics:
Greenwood - Black - Black Wall Street - Jazz - Blues - 1920s - 1927 - Count Basie

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The early 1900s were filled with achievements fitting for a young city in a growing nation, but this period was not without tragedy.

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In 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot occurred, one of the nation's worst acts of racial violence. Thirty-five blocks of businesses and residences were burned in the Greenwood District of north Tulsa and as many as 300 persons were left dead, a large majority of whom were black. The Oklahoma State Legislature passed laws in 2001 aimed at revitalizing Greenwood, setting up a scholarship fund for college-bound descendants of riot victims and appropriating $2 million for a riot memorial. Greenwood has never fully recovered, but two blocks of the old neighborhood have been restored and are part of the Greenwood Historical District.

Related Topics:
1921 - Tulsa Race Riot - Greenwood District - State Legislature - 2001 - Scholarship

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Following the "Oil Bust" of 1982-84 the title of "Oil Capital of the World" was relinquished to Houston. City leaders worked to diversify the city away from a largely petroleum-based economy, luring blue collar factory jobs as well as Internet and telecommunications firms to Tulsa during the 1990s. Showing that petroleum is still an important part of Tulsa's economy, an abundant supply of natural gas also helped the recovery. Especially since World War II, the aerospace industry has also been an important part of the Tulsa economy. The American Airlines maintenance facility in Tulsa and other aviation-related businesses employ many Tulsans.

Related Topics:
Houston - Blue collar - Internet - Telecommunications - 1990s - Natural gas - World War II - Aerospace - Industry - American Airlines - Aviation

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Important families and people in the history of Tulsa include the Perryman Family, the Phillips family (Waite Phillips and Frank Phillips were founders of Phillips Petroleum), J. Paul Getty, William G. Skelly, the Warren family, the Murphy family, the LaFortune Family, the Bartlett family, Thomas Gilcrease and Charles Page.

Related Topics:
Perryman Family - Waite Phillips - Frank Phillips - Phillips Petroleum - J. Paul Getty - William G. Skelly - Thomas Gilcrease - Charles Page

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