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1929 - Marland Oil Co. and Continental
Oil Co. entered into a plan of reorganization.
The two companies merged under the name Continental Oil Company,
better known as Conoco. The new company's logo incorporated the
Marland red triangle and the Conoco name.
Continental Oil Company took over the Marland Industrial Institute, and
the complex became known as the Quah-Ta-See-Da Club, providing
additional facilities for Ponca City's newest golf course at the Rock
Cliff Country Club.
Lew Wentz sold his oil holdings just before the stock market crash in
October.
The City Commission agreed that the city would not hire employees over
50 years of age until those persons passed a rigid physical examination.
Ponca City started construction on an airport, one of the earliest
municipal airports in the country. Mayor Mulroy was responsible for
getting permission from the U.S. Post Office to secure an airmail stop
for Ponca City.
Talking movies were here to stay, and the Poncan Theatre was wired for
sound.
Polo playing began in the spring. It had become the elite thing to do in
Ponca City to be part of the "horsey set." Ponca City's polo fields of
Bermuda grass were noted to be most easy on the ponies' legs. There were
stables in many areas on the east side of town, with trainers and grooms
working the horses, a tower for grain storage, a tack room and a feed
room, and sometimes a blacksmith shop.
Bill Vanselous, owner of the Big V Ranch, began experimenting with types
of corn that resisted drought. He developed a white corn that was
particularly adapted to western Oklahoma. In 1929, the Big V produced
50,000 bushels of white corn, and it was soon in demand all over the
country.
The Royalty Building was constructed at Fourth Street and Grand Avenue.
John Duncan Forsyth, architect for the Marland Mansion, designed the
mission-style structure.
The two-story building had a retail business on the main level and
office space on second floor for Marland.
Sunday, Oct. 29, opened the foxhunting season, and it continued through
Dec. 29. The farmers in this area made their land available for the
hunters. Marland had imported red foxes from Pennsylvania into Oklahoma,
as they were not indigenous to this area. The foxes had a tendency to
raid the farmers' chicken houses, but Marland saw to it that all claims
were paid promptly.
On June 16, Mayor Mose Shire resigned his position as mayor. Six days
later, a mass meeting of over 75 businessmen nominated H.F. Harter to
serve as mayor for the balance of Shire's term.
Mayor H.F. Harter presided at the dedication of the new Ponca City
Airport, with a reported 30,000 people in attendance. The celebration
included a 300-mile air race from Ponca City to Tulsa and onto Wichita,
then back to Ponca City.
The city had a contract with Continental Oil to construct individual
hangars and then lease them to employees of the oil company.
The Nickles Machine Company opened a new building on South First Street. |
NOTE:
This site is provided by the Ponca City Publishing