We’ve come a long way in a hundred years. Back then, the District had dirt in the streets. But now – HEY! – there is STILL dirt in the streets!
The price of progress…
Lots of construction activity at the Rose today. Pouring a new sidewalk on the side of my neighbor, the Main Street Tavern. They’ve been hit doubly-hard, since the work was just wrapping up in the front. The gang is still welcoming folks inside, those who have successfully run the hardhat gauntlet.
Back in the days of the dirt street on Main, it was bank tellers doing the welcoming in that building instead of a hostess and servers. It was called First State Bank and was chartered in 1902. Recall, this was pre-statehood and Broken Arrow was in its infancy. (You can only imagine the wooden diapers.)
At that same time, the Katy railroad planned to run a spur from its north-south line and was granting town-sites where the tracks would run. The Arkansas Valley Town Site Company grabbed up three locations and company secretary William S. Fears picked the name Broken Arrow for an area he selected 18 miles southeast of Tulsa.
Oh, the festivities when that first brick was laid for the building that would become the Main Street Tavern only a short century later! “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” exclaimed Mr. Fears, as he raised his glass of stout and straightened his party hat. (Just kidding about that part. History should be fun, too.)
The rail line was finished in 1903, running right through Broken Arrow. Maybe you’ve stopped for it once or twice. The tracks are still there under the auspices of the Union Pacific railroad.
The bank was located north of the tracks and later changed its name to Citizens National Bank. At statehood, there were about fourteen-hundred hardy souls who called Broken Arrow home. Most worked their farms and came to Main Street to visit the mercantile and the bank. As it turned out, the little community didn’t need three banks at the time.
Citizens was sold to First National Bank and AVB (then called Arkansas Valley State Bank), with the two institutions guaranteeing the deposits of those folks who had entrusted their savings to the struggling bank. It was a time of public spirit, compromise, neighborly involvement, caring, and Rooster Day parades. (We still have the parade, at any rate.) No one lost a nickel.
Not even when First National was held up in 1934. Mr F.S. Hurd was standing at the teller counter when a couple of shifty-looking fellows burst in bearing pistols. One of them called out, “Take it easy boys! Here is where we get you!”
Mr. Hurd – a bank officer – reached down for his own firearm and addressed the overall-wearing-robbers (part of the Oshkosh b’ Gosh gang, I believe). “I don’t believe you will!” replied Mr. Hurd, just before blasting one of the bearded bad-guys.
The gunman fell to the ground. His companion – as well as Mr. Hurd – decided that was a pretty good place to be. They dropped to the floor, too. So, for a time the bank was quiet (except for the excited breathing of the wounded man), while each plotted a plan of action from the vantage point of the floor-tiles. Finally, the second robber helped the first man to his feet. They looked around the bank, shuffled out the door to a waiting car, and drove away.
“Up your nose with a rubber hose,” called Mr. Hurd after them. (Kidding again.)
You can see in the image that somebody made off with the pointy thing on top of the building, but the rest of the structure is rock-solid and revitalized, thanks to a civic-minded citizen and an investment in preservation.
The heavy equipment will be gone soon, just like the horse and buggies in the old-time image. Then, we’ll raise our glass of stout and call out the familiar toast…
(You didn’t think I would go there again, did you?)
Come visit!
McHuston
Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main, Broken Arrow, OK!
