Bartlesville, OK

The Merchantile

After a rather stressful day traveling and getting new tire, we were happy to settle in to Riverside RV park. A nice little park, beautifully landscaped; a little oasis in the city. We were happy to sit out under the awning and have coffee in the morning watching the rain.

Aunt Martha & Uncle Les

Danny

We met my precious aunt and uncle and cousin at the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. My uncle is the Oklahoma Balladeer - singing western songs and telling stories. Check it out at:  www.lesgilliam.com. They live in the area. We enjoyed cinnamon rolls - so yummy - and visiting. The bakery upstairs has a large sitting area, where we could visit and not feel hurried. The Mercantile store is nicely laid out                                                            with lots of merchandise!

 In the afternoon Dennis & I went to Woolaroc - the country lodge and museum of Frank Phillips, founder of

Phillips Petroleum. It’s hard to describe the museum as it is too marvelous. Much Indian pottery dated in early A.D. found on the property. Lots of Indian history and paintings.

As you enter the property you are led to a mountain man trapper camp. We had an actual trapper show us through the area with the history of trapping.

We got to throw tomahawks and shoot a muzzle loader rifle! I need to practice a little….  

Entrance to the Frank Phillips museum

 

Cowboy RV!

 The lodge at Woolaroc was Mr. Phillips country home, where he entertained many famous and important people of the day.

The next day we went to his city home. All of the items in the house are original to the house and arranged just as they were when the Phillips lived there. Very good tour guide who shared many stories of the family. Stories: At Christmas Mr. Phillips gave gifts of fruit, candy and a silver dollar to every student in Bartlesville every year. When area churches had trouble meeting their mortgage, he paid off the mortgages. Both he and Mrs. Phillips were big givers and did much to help the community. He started out a barber and by hard work  and not giving up ended up finding oil.

The Bartlesville City Museum showed much about the founding of the community and history of the Indians.

All in all, Bartlesville was a great stop.

This picture was in the Bartlesville Museum.
Taken in WWII.
It is made up entirely of soldiers from the Armed Forces.