Tulsa History

The city of Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma and the seat of Tulsa County. Despite its status as the "Oil Capital of the World," the city has always made a conscious effort to keep its wells and derricks in the background so it can maintain its cultured, cosmopolitan image. This agenda was made clear as early as 1901, when Tulsa lured the oil men away from Beaumont, Texas by inviting to come make their homes "[w]here there are good churches, stores, and banks, and where our ordinances prevent the desolation of our homes and property by oil wells." (Oil Man: The Story of Frank Phillips and the Birth of Phillips Petroleum, Michael Wallis)

In 1834, the Lochapoka Muscogee natives moved into the region after being driven from their home in Alabama. They established their settlement at the foot of the Ozark Mountains, near the Arkansas River, and named it Tulasi ("old town" in the Muscogee language). In 1846, Lewis Perryman (who was part Muscogee) built a log cabin in the area and established trade with the natives. Over the next couple of decades, the community gradually grew into a trading post and cattle town known as Tulsey Town. Many residents fled the area during the Civil War, but its growth resumed in the Reconstruction period. When the first post office opened in 1879, the town's name was officially changed to Tulsa.

In 1901, the discover of oil south of the Arkansas River brought investors and wildcatters to Tulsa. The river provided a natural barrier between the oil fields and the rapidly growing city, which continued to spread to the north. By 1907, the year that Oklahoma achieved statehood, Tulsa was firmly established as the "Oil Capital of the World." During the 1920s, the downtown area gave rise to many beautiful, modern buildings constructed by the oil companies to serve as their headquarters. Stately mansions sprang up all through the residential neighborhoods. A number of cultural institutions, including the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and Theatre Tulsa, were founded during this time. In 1932, wealthy oil magnate Waite Phillips donated Philbrook, his Baroque Italian mansion, for use as a museum. By the 1950s, Tulsa's opulence and culture had earned it the title "America's Most Beautiful City."

In 1942, Douglas Aircraft built a massive plant in Tulsa to manufacture bombers. This gave rise to Tulsa's aviation and aerospace industry, which blossomed after World War II. American Airlines and Rockwell International constructed maintenance bases in Tulsa, and SABRE moved its reservation center there from New York. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa, which opened in 1970, linked the city's waterways to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico and created a healthy shipping industry.

Education also plays a major role in Tulsa's economy; the city is home to Oklahoma State University – Tulsa (OSU), University of Tulsa, and Oral Roberts University.

Attractions to visitors of Tulsa include the city zoo and various museums. The 78-acre Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum is the third largest municipal park in the U.S. and home to more than 1500 animals and 436 species. The zoo's Robert J. LaFortune North American Living Museum showcases live animals and plants in four North American regional habitats. The Living Museum also houses a simulated earthquake and cave, as well as a 20,000-gallon shark aquarium. The Gilcrease Museum, also known as "The Museum of the Americas" is home to the world's largest collection of art of the American West and includes more than 3000,000 artifacts in its anthropology collection, as well as an archival collection of more than 100,000 items dating from 1494, including copies of the Declaration of Independence a letter written by Thomas Jefferson on July 1st, 1776. The museum also has 23 acres of themed gardens from four time periods of the American West.