Most People Don’t Know The Fascinating History Behind This Beautiful Oklahoma Pond
Oklahoma has so many historical places but not all of them have a fascinating story behind them. Owen Park was the first city park in Tulsa and let’s just say it began with a bang (literally!). Take a look at the bizarre story of how this historic park’s pond came into existence.
In 1904, a man was delivering nitroglycerin to an oil company at West Edison Street and North Quanah Avenue in Tulsa. This powerful explosive was so dangerous that oil companies would only hire men who had no "loved ones" to deliver it.
Back in the early days of the petroleum industry, nitroglycerin was used in torpedos (pictured below) to fracture the surrounding rock at the bottom of an oil well, and it is believed the man accidentally detonated the entire stock. The blast killed the man and everything within a quarter-mile was blown up.
The blast also left a huge crater at the site and a nearby dam helped turn it into Tulsa’s first public swimming pool. The property was sold to the city in 1909 and it became Owen Park - the first municipal park in Tulsa. The swimming hole was eventually closed and turned into a beautiful pond and the neighborhood, still to this day, enjoys the beauty of this feature.
The park is located in the historic Owen Park neighborhood that is now only one of 14 neighborhoods in Tulsa that are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tulsa's oldest surviving house is now located in Owen Park and is another historical place to see when visiting the pond. It was originally located in the 400 block of Cheyenne but was moved to its new location after a fire in 1976.
Take a visit to Owen Park and explore this interesting place. It's located at 560 North Maybelle Avenue in Tulsa and is open 7 days a week, 24-hours a day.
Ashley has lived in Oklahoma for 25 years and is the Oklahoma staff writer for onlyinyourstate.com. When she isn't exploring Oklahoma, she enjoys visiting the beaches of California.
