Pioneer Woman’s Museum? Have you ever heard of Marland Mansion and Grand Home or Woolerac Museum and Wildlife Preserve? You won’t want to miss these unique gems in Oklahoma. We were delighted to make these discoveries during our meandering travels. There is just so much to see, learn and discover.
We continued our wandering trip home from Kansas and found ourselves just about five miles from Pawhuska, where we had already had fun adventures. See So many unique things to see in small town Pawhuska.
Settle Inn RV Park
C. R. 2520
Pawhuska, OK 74056
GPS: 36.6312, -96.3057
We chose the Settle Inn RV park as our home base. It is a small, nicely run RV park located between Ponca City and Woolerac, and that’s where we would spend our next few days, parked among their lovely oak trees.
This RV park is situated on a working cattle ranch! There are less than 30 RV sites, all reasonably priced. The park includes full hookups, cabins for rent, a laundry, playground, and even a couple of storm shelters in case your visit coincides with one of those Oklahoma tornados.
E. W. Marland
This oil legend employed over a third of Ponca City’s population at Marland Oil Company. In 1928, Ernest Whitworth Marland was one of the wealthiest businessmen in the United States.
An informative documentary, High Stakes: The Life & Times of E.W. Marland, is available at the Grand Home and provides the background and history of the Marland family and the Mansion.
HIGH STAKES: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF E.W. MARLAND from Marland Estate on Vimeo.
Marland lost his first fortune in 1907 before he ever traveled to Oklahoma. He discovered oil in Oklahoma, amassed a new fortune, and built and moved into the Grand Home in Ponca City, Oklahoma, with his wife, Mary Virginia Collins.
We found Mr. Marland’s personal family’s story simply captivating. In 1916 the Marland’s adopted Mary Virginia’s niece, Lydie, and nephew George and raised the two as their own.
Marland’s wife, Mary Virginia, died in 1928 after a lengthy illness. Two years later, E.W. Marland had his adopted daughter Lydie’s adoption annulled and married her! The newlyweds then moved into the new Mansion he had built as a wedding gift for Lydie.
Also, in 1928, Marland Oil was acquired by J.P. Morgan in a hostile takeover resulting in Marland’s resignation from the company that same year. He then entered politics serving in the US House of Representatives and then as the 10th Governor of Oklahoma.
Marland could no longer afford his lavish lifestyle or Mansion. The Mansion remained empty for 12 years until he sold it to the Carmelite monks in 1941, the same year he died.
Marland’s Grand Home
1000 East Grand Avenue
Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601
The Marlands’ first Mansion in Ponca City, the historic 22-room Grand Home, was built by architect Solomon Layton for the Marlands in 1916 for $350,000. The Grand Home was known for its beautiful gardens that covered eight acres of land, a total area of five city blocks.
The first indoor swimming pool in Oklahoma, complete with a diving board, is located in the basement of the Grand Home. Unfortunately, the pool is no longer available as part of the home tour. Marland also had a nine-hole golf course built across the street from his Grand Home.
The Grand Home is beautifully decorated, and self-guided tours are available for a small fee. You will find Native American artifacts in the Grand Home, artifacts from the famed 101 Ranch, and a room devoted to the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Marland Mansion
901 Monument Road
Ponca City, Oklahoma 74604
We took a self-guided tour of Marland’s second Mansion but returned later that afternoon to take a guided tour. We were told the guided tour would provide the Marland family history and their personal story. Such a fascinating story! Our terrific and encyclopedic guide, Mark, did not disappoint.
The 55-room Italian Renaissance Mansion, Marland’s “Palace on the Prairie,” cost 5.5 million dollars when constructed in 1928. The Mansion is exquisitely beautiful, tells a fantastic story, and his home is an architectural marvel.
Lydie Marland
Marland and Lydie lived in the Chauffeur’s Cottage on the Mansion property after the Mansion was sold to the Monks. Lydie remained in the Cottage alone for several years. In 1953 she drove away and was not heard of for 22 years!
Lydie’s statue
Lydie’s brother George spent the last four years of his life unsuccessfully searching for Lydie. She finally returned to Ponca City and the Chauffeurs Cottage, now called Lydie’s Cottage, in 1975, where she lived until she died in the late 80s.
George’s statue
The Pioneer Woman Museum
Preserving the legacy of women from all races, creeds and nationalities who have made significant contributions to the history of Oklahoma
The Pioneer Woman Museum
This Ponca City Museum’s most remarkable exhibit is the bronze seventeen-foot high sculpture of “Confident,” the Pioneer Woman Statue standing outside in front of the Museum. The statue was put in place in 1930 and cost $300,000 in 1930.
This sculpture is one of the many philanthropic projects he was responsible for. Marland invited 12 sculptors to contribute small sculptures in tribute to the Pioneer Women in that area. In 1927 about 750,000 voted on the sculptures. Bryant Baker’s sculpture was the easy winner.
Baker’s sculpture was presented in Ponca City at the 41st anniversary of Oklahoma’s first land run, a huge event attended by thousands.
The Pioneer Woman Museum contains exhibits honoring women who have made contributions to Oklahoma’s history through the years.
Woolerac Museum and Wildlife Preserve
1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd.
Bartlesville, OK 74003
This remarkable Museum and Wildlife Preserve located in the Osage Hills of Oklahoma used to be well-known oilman Frank Phillips’ retreat. Today this former retreat boasts a 3,700-acre wildlife preserve with all manner of wildlife.
Wildlife Preserve
As we drove on the winding road that leads to the Museum, we encountered all kinds of wildlife, including bison, water buffalo, ostriches, and llamas.
Mountain Man Camp
The Mountain Man Camp is a replica of an 1840 Fur Trader’s Camp. We learned about tipi construction, and I had an opportunity to shoot a flintlock rifle, which was amazing!
Museum
Also on the property is a significant big deal art Museum containing incredible western art. The Woolaroc monoplane racer is also on display in the Museum.
It is a drive out here, from almost anywhere, so we were happy to find a small snack bar where we purchased a great picnic lunch. This was quite the full-service day trip; we had a great time.
See, you never know what you’ll find out in the big middle of nowhere. You may already be familiar with these sights, but they were all brand new to us, and we enjoyed ourselves very much at each location. There is no end to places we can see as we travel around in our little motorhome.
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