Tulsa County County Seat - Tulsa
Home |Archives  | Cemeteries | History | Lookups | Queries | Resources |Surnames | Obits

"Links to web sites that are not part of the USGenWeb Project are provided for your convenience
and do not imply any endorsement of the web sites or their contents by The USGenWeb Project."

CRYSTAL CITY AMUSEMENT PARK

(Information furnished by Carl of Tulsa Association of Pioneers)

1928- Crystal City amusement park was built." 

Actually The is not quite right. There had been a park there for many years before 1928. The Park Addition Company had been operating a dance hall, concessions, boat rides, and had some entertainment items on the site before 1920. 

In October of 1920 Will T. Davis and I. D. Fleming purchased the park and leased the land from the Park Addition Company. They incorporated the park under the name of the Electric Amusement Park Company. By 1921 the park was opened for business and had a dance hall, "Merry Widow" swing, Parker Merry-go-Round, a "Captive Air Plane" ride, a Circle Wave swing, boating, and swimming, a fun house, and the only miniature train in Oklahoma. They also contracted for an ornamental fence, and the entrance with arches. They also contracted for a large advertising sign consisting of 17 50-foot panels.

In April of 1922 the park signed contracts with the Brodbeck Amusement Co. of Miami Fl. to operate a carousal and Ferris wheel. In May of 1922 they were negotiating with the J. W. Ely Company, Inc for a "Aeroplane Swing." 

The park ran successfully until late 1925 when it ran into financial difficulties and the owners signed over their shares to the bank (First National Bank of Sapulpa) who held their loan. Negotiations were undertaken and announcements were made in May of 1927 by the new owners. The park was refurbished and reopened as Crystal City. The announcement was made in May of 1928 and the park opened its doors later that month.

Again, the park ran successfully for many years. However, in February of 1956 the old bath house burned and the owners announced they would raze the abandoned buildings. Two months later the Casa Loma dance hall burned. The site passed to investors in September of 1958 to build the Crystal City Shopping Center. 

Park company continued to own the underlying land under the park (ground lease) throughout the life of the park(s). Thus it was a reopening of an existing park and not a new park as such. It is a small thing. 

CEG

Tulsa Assoc. of Pioneers


This page was last updated on 03/29/09 .

 

God Bless America

Hosted & © 2024 by

OKGenWeb Tulsa County Coordinator
Tim Connor

OKGenWeb State Coordinator
Linda Simpson
Asst: Mel Owings