Sorry, double post.
An article I just read says that the securing of the first packing plant, Morris was one of the major events for Capitol Hill. I guess much of the peoples, trades and businesses grew to the south and the Capitol Hill area.
It also states that the Morris co. was to receive a "bonus" of $300,000 before they would move here. City leaders "found" the money............
I think it's been established that packing town was not part of Capitol Hill (it wasn't even part of any city until the modern era) so rather than developing that topic here please start another thread for that. That said, see Doug Dawgz Blog: Stockyards City.
I've got the Welge book; it's not bad at all and has some nice images and a fairly good section on Capitol Hill. This book was mentioned in the "What IS Capitol Hill" thread. Some of his photos really push the envelope is as to Capitol Hill ... like Oklahoma City Community College. South Town, sure; Capitol Hill, no way.
I have noticed in some of the older pictures and such Commerce Street is sometimes listed as West Commerce. I think the Beacon has West Commerce listed as its address on the building. I have never heard it called anything but Commerce. Have you found this to be true and if so is it the correct from to address the street name?
I have never heard this:
Harrington platted the 160-acre tract near the old Santa Fe Trail and staked out individual lots for sale. His purpose, said Harrington, was to give "sober and industrious mechanics an opportunity to secure homes."
Are they speaking of the historic Santa Fe Trail? Or the Santa Fe Railroad?
Sounds like you're quoting from Jana Hausburg's article at the Metropolitan Library Center: Oklahoma Images (press F5 after clicking the link if the article doesn't load). While interesting, there are at least a few errors in her article ... and you've caught one of them. The "old Santa Fe Trail" which she mentioned didn't come close to Oklahoma City, or Oklahoma, for that matter, except for the Panhandle in one of its iterations.
You are probably aware of this Doug, but for those who don't know the Walker and Robinson Underpass are going to be demolished to make room for the new I40 pathway.
My parents used to honk while going under, I honked for my kids while going under and now my grand kids want me to honk when going under these railroad tracks. You used to be able to see trolley car tracks in the inside lanes of the passes. I think part of the rails system of the Union Station Depot is coming out as well.
Progress is bypassing people like us away............
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At one time, there were Electric trolley Cars in the OKC Area. I remember as a small kid there were some trolley's in downtown but I don't remember any of them being in Capitol Hill. Those could very well be the electrical contacts that the trolley's used. If it's not gone, check around S.W. ninth and Walker there were some trolley tracks there. gotta go out of town tomorrow but will look for them Tuesday....those are about to disappear with the new I-40 exchange.
You would think they were railroad tracks but no, they were trolley tracks.
You are correct. Forgot those. The street cars were electric.
This question was raised on another thread but the above fits in within as well.
The question was why is S.W.25 divided between Blackwelder and Agnew?
Any divided streets in "inner Okc" was divided so that street cars could pass each other.
S. Shields/ S. Harvey from S.W. 29Th to S.W. 44Th/
There are more in the northern part of the city but I don't know the stop and start loctions. N.W.13th Western to ?
SW 25th between Blackwelder & Agnew was part of a trolley route to/from Packingtown.
A trolley map appears in When Oklahoma Took the Trolley by Allison Chandler and Stephen D. Maquire (Interurbans 1980), shown below (except that I've added color coding):
One problem with any trolley map is that not all parts of the overall route were in place at any one particular time. When the Capitol Hill/Packingtown route was added, or when it ended, I don't know. But, it did not exist in 1910.
A nice map and lengthy article appeared in the March 20, 1910, Oklahoman which showed the then existing and proposed routes for the then existing trolley company lines.
The map appears below but it's pretty hard if not impossible to make out everything in this view of the map -- but the map is handy (to the extent that it is accurate) in showing the development of Capitol Hill at this point in time:
For most of the above map, segments can be copied and then pasted together to form a single image, although that is not possible for the very bottom of the map. If you want to see the map reconstituted as just described, click here.
The part of the reconstituted map which embraces Capitol Hill and nearby environs is shown below ... I've added color coding for the routes which appear to me to be Oklahoma Railway Co. routes (orangy-red) and Citizens Traction Co. (Patterson) lines (green):
I may have gotten something wrong, though ... it is hard to read with certainty even in the reconstituted map. Comparing Allison Chandler and Stephen D. Maquires' When Oklahoma Took The Trolley book with the 1910 Oklahoman map it is evident that (1) the Capitol Hill/Packingtown link did not exist in 1910, but (2) the Citizen's Traction Company line along the east side of Capitol Hill did, even though it was much more extensive than shown in the book's map.
About the Oklahoma Traction Co. line for the Capitol Hill area, the accompanying article says, "The Oklahoma Interurban Traction company has a present terminus at Hudson and Grand avenues and extends through South Oklahoma, Ekroat and Schilling's addition into Capitol Hill on South Robinson Avenue. This line has been in operation for the past five years and has three cars in service over about four and one-half miles of track."
You can read the lengthy article which accompanies the above 1910 trolley map and which states the status and projections of the two trolley lines by clicking this link.
All trolley service in Oklahoma City ended in 1947.
At one time there was a movement to get a railway station in Capitol Hill. Santa Fe, KATY......................
I wonder if the Interurban put an end to that?
Did Capitol Hill want a station for passenger or freight service? Both?
It badly wanted a Santa Fe depot of some kind. City leaders (at least by the time that H.C. Schillng) was mayor) tried for years for that to happen, saying that Capitol Hill (then a town) was the largest town on the route not to have a depot. I'm not aware of other RRs being sought out for one, but then, I'm just a Capitol Hill beginner.
The former Yale theater is now for sale.
what about capital hill general hospital i never see any pics of it
At the last Coit's meeting a question was brought up about the radio station broadcasting from Capitol Hill. My sources (Mom & Dad) tell me it was KLPR but are unsure the exact location. They seem to think it was 134 Commerce or 2600 S. Robinson. Mom said they would allow people in to listen to live guests: Wanda Jackson, Jude & Jody and so on.
Anybody know the true location?
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