Oklahoma History Center Audio Tour

Crossroads of Commerce is an exploration of Oklahoma’s economic development divided into five time periods marked by large TV screens with a brief introduction by an Oklahoman. The stories in this exhibit highlight some of Oklahoma’s greatest entrepreneurs and how the companies they built continue to sustain our state.

The objects in this case illustrate what would have been found in a Wichita grass house before contact with French traders. The toy bird figures hanging from the twisted branch are made of corn cobs with small feathers attached to the sides and end. They would have been hung from the rafters inside a grass house. Grass houses were common to Wichita culture between 1750 and 1820 and were constructed of cedar poles and tall grass bundles that rose to a smoke ring at the top of the structure. Because of their location, the corn cob birds would move as heat rose from a central hearth. They were also hung from cradleboards. According to Wichita history, the gift of corn was bestowed to the tribe by the spirits of the first man and woman—Morning Star and Moon.

Sylvan Goldman introduced the first shopping cart in 1937 at his Humpty Dumpty supermarket chain in Oklahoma City. Goldman based his design on a wooden folding chair. He later manufactured the carts at the Folding Carrier Corporation. The invention did not catch on immediately. After hiring models to push his new invention around his store and demonstrate its utility, his folding-style shopping carts became extremely popular.

Next to the original shopping cart is the first parking meter, also invented by an Oklahoman, Carl C. Magee, who served as Chair of the Traffic Committee for the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. The world’s first parking meter, Park-O-Meter No. 1, was installed on the southeast corner of First Street and Robinson Avenue in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935. This invention helped to solve parking congestion, create revenue for the city, and stimulate growth downtown. People who worked downtown were taking up prime parking locations in front of retail stores; the parking meter encouraged those workers to park elsewhere, giving shoppers access to better parking. In 1913 there had been an estimated 3,000 cars in Oklahoma, and by 1930 there were 500,000, most of which were registered within Oklahoma County! Did you know that the charge for parking was only five cents per hour in 1935?

The development of highways, including Route 66, that passed through Oklahoma, presented an opportunity for businesses to draw in travelers. Sonic Drive-In was opened by Troy Smith in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1953, but was originally called the Top Hat Drive-In. Just a year after opening, he added the intercom system, a shelter for the cars, and carhops on roller skates to deliver food directly to the customer in their vehicle. Each customer received a mint with their order, a tradition to remind customers that they were “worth a mint.”

The unusual pants you see here list the names of the members of the Board of Directors of Sonic, Inc., in 1973. The jacket was worn by Sonic carhops in the 1970s.

Just to the left of the Sonic Drive-In exhibit, you will learn about pioneering cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Nazih Zuhdi who made Oklahoma his home and performed the first heart bypass surgery in Oklahoma on January 8, 1959.

In this exhibit area you will see an artificial bypass heart; it is the only surviving example of its type in the world. In 1963 and 1964, Baptist Hospital supported the work of Dr. Zuhdi and his team in the development of a ground-breaking mechanical bypass heart. Engineer and colleague retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander Clark Richie, worked closely with Dr. Zuhdi in developing the engineering aspects of this successful bypass heart, now known as the Zuhdi-Richie Bypass Heart.

Oklahomans found many ways to succeed in their quest for consumers. One way included enticing customers through radio and TV. The Kilgen Organ is one example.

This organ was installed in 1936 in the new studios of WKY Radio located in the Skirvin Tower building in downtown Oklahoma City. The cost of the organ in 1936 was $33,000, which would be more than $600,000 today! One of WKY’s most popular broadcasts aired every night at 10:45 p.m. and featured organist Ken Wright. His first radio performance was on April 13, 1936.

This model is the Kilgen Opus 5281 theatre-style pipe organ. It was manufactured by the George Kilgen and Sons Company of Saint Louis in 1935. While they come from the same roots, the theatre organ is quite different from a church or classical organ. Theatre organs were used in the 1920s and 1930s to accompany silent movies with effects for comedy and drama. Theatre organs are generally louder, and their pipes sound like musical instruments, such as trumpets and saxophones, with special effects like drums, bells, and whistles. If available, you can hear just a few of the sounds the organ can make by using the interactive next to the organ.

The Oklahoma Historical Society partnered with the American Organ Institute at the University of Oklahoma to restore the organ and create four concerts annually.

To most Oklahoma City kids of the 1960s, Woody the Birthday Horse was the most famous horse in the state. Children celebrating their birthday on the Circle 4 Ranch show were given a special seat on Woody’s back. Circle 4 Ranch was an afterschool children’s program on Oklahoma City’s WKY-TV in the 1950s and 1960s. Twenty-five children per day attended the weekday show, which was so popular that parents had to book a reservation a year and a half in advance!

This exhibit is just a small example of all of the wonderful, innovative Made in Oklahoma items produced by the people of our state. Two of our favorites include the Pente game and the prosthesis.

Pente, which is Greek meaning “five,” is an original adaptation of three popular games and was created by Hideaway Pizza employee and Oklahoma State University student Gary Gabrel. Gabrel began his own marketing company that sold several million sets of the game. He sold Pente to Parker Brothers in 1984.

Near the game, you will see a below-knee prosthesis that was made by Scott Sabolich Prosthetics and Research. The composite spring in this prosthetic foot provides optimal shock absorption that reduces impact, thus enhancing control and comfort for the wearer. The top of the prosthesis is customizable to reflect the personality of the user. This model features a world map with a star over Oklahoma with rays extending to Sabolich service locations. Sabolich is known for the motto “Rebuilding lives one person at a time.” As a leader in prosthetics, 40 percent of its clients travel great distances to pursue their prosthetic care at the Oklahoma facility.