Just curious if anyone knows the history of the area and that lot in particular. Has Broadway always been split wide around a building or was the street altered when the firehouse was built?

That split is actually around both the fire station and Winans Park (just to the south).

The land was the homestead of Capt. John F. Winans dating back to the land run; he donated it for a park as the city grew up around him in the early 1900's.

The park used to have tennis courts and a wading pool. The fire station was first built in 1951, then rebuilt in 1993.

Read more here:

http://blog.newsok.com/archivist/2011/08/30/park-was-named-for-early-resident-john-f-winans/

Thanks to you both!

It's sad that the city removed all the great park facilities from Winans. It was a central focus for children in the neighborhood during my youth (1950's).

It's sad that the city removed all the great park facilities from Winans. It was a central focus for children in the neighborhood during my youth (1950's).

The city had no choice in removing all of the wading pools. (health issue).

The city had no choice in removing all of the wading pools. (health issue).

How many kids died or became seriously ill wading in it? Why couldn't they have saved the tennis courts? Sounds more like political correctness to me.

How many kids died or became seriously ill wading in it? Why couldn't they have saved the tennis courts? Sounds more like political correctness to me.

The State Health department ordered the wading pools removed. The tennis courts were in disrepair, their removal was advertised and not one complaint was recorded before or after said removal.

I wonder if this would be a good location (south of the fire station) for some of the urban basketball courts people on this site have been talking about. 23rd St. is coming around so foot traffic might pick up close by. Plus, if any of you are familiar with the Fabrice Muamba incident, there are trained emergency response people with defibrillators just yards away.