Midwest City Recollections

[Lauri101]

These pictures are awesome!

I saw one aerial shot that, when enlarged, showed the beginning framing of my house!

White chipmunk, the poster of the pictures above, also has more of a 1946 brochure advertising "The Model City".

I first visited Midwest City in 1970 and lived in MWC from 1973-1976 before going off to see the world in the Air Force. I remember so many of the buildings and businesses that are now long gone, even though my memories don't go back to the beginning.

Thank you, woodyrr, for finding these pics!

[bombermwc]

That slideshow was absolutely amazing. What an amazing find!!!!

It's so "50's Nuclear Family"!!!!!

If you look closely, you can see some of the buildings are still around, like the old gas station on Air Depot near the RSC entrance....it's an auto body shop.

I went to East Side and had always heard about how the northeast corner of the school used to be the whole thing, but couldn't ever picture it being that way. NOW I'VE SEEN IT!!!!!

And Fleetwood...where did you go wrong? In the pictures they are so new and orderly looking. Who would have guessed that in such a short time, they would deteriorate so badly. I was sooooo glad when they finally tore thoe apartments down. It's so crazy to see the arial shots with all that empty land. And if you ever wondered why Atkinson was such a big name...these pictures definitely show you why.

All i can really say is, WOW!

[soonerfaithful]

It was so interesting to see those buildings in their heyday instead of years later. My grandfather was stationed at Tinker three different times during his career. The first time was around 5 years after MWC was born. My mom hit all 3 schools. Eastside, Jarman and MCHS. I can't wait to hear what she can tell me about those pictures.
One question. The Midwest Grocery Market is the at the old building by Eastside? I remember walking over there once a week after school to get my fix. Candy necklaces and the candy cigarettes. My kids refuse to step foot in that place now.

[woodyrr]

. . .One question. The Midwest Grocery Market is the at the old building by Eastside? . . .

I drove by there this morning while running errands and that is the same building. There has been a nondescript two story addition built on the south end and the little dormer on the front is completely hidden from the front by the current sign.

[Bostonfan]

Great pics! A dumb question though. When they refer to downtown, where exactly is that?

[woodyrr]

Great pics! A dumb question though. When they refer to downtown, where exactly is that?

SE 29th and Mid-America Blvd.

[woodyrr]

Those pictures are full of interesting and unusual details.

In this one of the reception area of the original City Hall, I find it amusing that across the divider between the waiting and reception areas there is an assortment of household accoutrements beginning on the left with a “P” trap for a sink drain, some type of dusting brush or something, a soap dish, and a gate valve. On the other side of the swinging door, a mixing valve, and something that I don’t recognize. Below that, nailed to a board, appears to be plastic bathroom accessories such as a clear toilet paper holder, soap dishes and maybe a towel bar. I suspect that city government takes itself far too seriously nowadays to do something like that.

MWC city hall 1940s-50s on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This picture caught my eye because of the “cosmic tower” in the background. I remember seeing that and, while there might have been more than one, my memory tells me that it says ”Ridgecrest Heights” on the band around the circumference and that it was located in the vacant lot along the east side of Air Depot between W. Blueridge and NE 10th St.

MWC 25th Year sign on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This aerial shot is very interesting. A few of the many things that I notice is that Jet Dr. extends from SE 15th St. south to just past Peach St. and stops. Now it connects with Reed Pl. and continues on to Foster Pl. On the east side of Jet Dr. between Peach St. and Reed Pl., the last residential lot before Reed Pl. was vacant. While the residences were being cleared from the downtown redevelopment area a foundation was laid on that lot and one of the houses, possibly one removed from Boeing Dr., was relocated there. I see that if Foster Pl. connected between Sandra Dr. and Air Depot, it was by an unpaved section.

Interesting as well is on Sandra Dr. between Askew Dr. and what will be Eddie Dr. there are two breaks in the curb with aprons on the west side of the street. The one closer to Askew Dr., will become W. Mitchell Dr. but the second apron was never connected to anything. If one drives along Sandra, Dr., the apron is still there and serves as an unusual driveway for a residence.

I grew up on that part of Sandra Dr. and so the short eastward extension of Procter Pl. from Sandra Dr. as well as the southeasterly angled section of street from the intersection of Sandra Dr. and Askew Dr. wasn’t so much a curiosity, but the way things were. Now I wonder what the city planners had in mind.

The westbound lanes of Adair Blvd. used to be called Canyon Rd. At the western end was either a landfill or transfer station for municipal solid waste. All I remember is that the garbage trucks were constantly traveling that road. In the same location there was also a sewerage treatment plant replete with an open air “merry go round” thing that rotated over a large round enclosure dribbling water or something on the sewerage waste contained therein. There appears to be a blob on the picture located about where the Rose State College parking lot just west of the little addition of duplexes along Peppertree Ln. is currently located, that might be the plant.

Flickr Photo Download: Arial of Tinker and MWC 1950

[rondvu]

I remember the intersection of E. Reno and N. Midwest Blvd. On the southwest corner where Carls Jr. sits was a fruit stand that sold watermelons. There were huge cotton wood trees behind the makeshift building. Sambo's was on the NW corner along with Arlans. Arlans had a pet shop that had a black Myna bird that would screech at the shoppers "I bite I bite" I bought my 1st and only pair of Klackers in side the vestibule. and Humpty Dumptywas to the north which later became Griders. Wasn't there a furniture store there for a short time? I belive there was a Mobile service station on the SE corner that used to stack tires out front that was wrapped in brightly colored foil. The city hall complex was under construction.

[woodyrr]

I remember the intersection of E. Reno and N. Midwest Blvd.

<snip> I don't remember that area as well as others close to home, but I vaguely remember "Sambo's"

I borrowed three of the historical pictures and paired them with three that I took. When Locke Supply and Evelyn's Flowers get their signs installed and / or when a tenant moves into what was Tubb Rexall Drugs, I'll go back and get some more interesting pictures.

As for the Downtown shots, I have a picture that I took to juxtapose with the picture taken in the 1980s, but unfortunately, to get a picture from the exact same place, I would have to have stood someplace in the Starbucks.

[Lauri101]

Very cool comparison shots, woody!

[woodyrr]

I tried some more "then and now" pictures, but I'm finding out that it is very hard to exactly duplicate the pictures. In both of these shots, I would have had to stand in the middle of the street in order to get the angles right and 2009 Midwest City is too busy for that. When the weather is warmer, I might try the downtown shot again standing on the south side of 29th using a longer lens, however, I think that the Starbucks will be in the way.

[Lauri101]

They are both good shots!
Especially since the water tower will be coming down soon - the opportunity is ripe!
(Sigh - history is lost for the sake of commerce once again)

[Saberman]

The place were Heritage Park Mall is was a field and the old original Pebble house was on the south east end, had bike trails all through the property.

On the east end of Crest Foods on Reno was Dottie's Flowers, across the street was the Hill Top Dairy. Going the the movies at the Sky Train Theater at the downtown shopping center, 29th & Mid America. Langstons at the uptown shopping center, 15th and Key Blvd, that was the only place to buy your Levis.

The Jolly Cone on Ar Depot was the original cruse through, McDonalds came later. Going to Across the Street Restaurant after football games.

[woodyrr]

Speaking of the water tower, I didn't have time to prepare this one last night.

At the risk of being accused of being an unfaithful Bomber, I have to say that I prefer the checkerboard paint job. I also prefer it without all of the antennas, but since I am a cell phone user, I'll keep my hypocritical trap shut about that.

I may be imagining this and someone who knows for sure can correct me, but: The last time that the Midwest City water tower was painted in the checkerboard scheme, the city actually wanted to paint it in another scheme, but the FAA rule was that water towers near an airport had to be checkerboard, so that's what they did. It wasn't but a year or two later that the rule was changed because it was then that Tinker painted the twin water towers along SE 29th St. like they are now.

Like I said, I don't remember why I think that or where I got that idea, but I'm sticking to the story until someone says it's wrong.

[bombermwc]

Makes sense...makes it stand out against the sky...although I think that it was a pretty stupid rule. I would imagine that's why the old gold was chosen for the top of the tower though. That way it's still a contrast and has a better chance of being seen at night.

Not that any flying object has any business being where that water tower is at any time....

[woodyrr]

This would be better if I had a picture from this angle with Conrad-Marr and Smith Hardware. The vertical line in the middle picture is where I had to combine two pictures taken on the same day.

A time machine would really be helpful.

[woodyrr]

I found another of my pictures taken from very close to the same place, toward the same direction, and featuring a similar subject as one of the historical pictures.

[so1rfan]

Nice work woodyrr.

[woodyrr]

I don't have many slides of Midwest City, but I did find this one from about 1984 to compare with one taken today.

In retrospect, I regret that I didn't take nearly as many slides of Midwest City as I have with the Digital SLR, but Kodachrome 64 Slide film was an expensive hassle to buy and an expensive hassle to have processed.

[gen70]

Does anyone remember the SkyTrain Drive-In restaurant? I'am not sure of location but, I remember when you ordered food it came to the car on a kind of trolley thing.

[bombermwc]

Wasn't that the place across from the little Crest? Or am I thinking of something else?

[woodyrr]

I don't remember a Sky Train Restaurant. The only thing of that nature that I remember was just west of SE 15th and Sunnylane Rd. in Del City. It was called Burger Train and tracks radiated out from a round central building and the food traversed between the building and the cars via a conveyance that could be described as a locomotive if very wide latitude in interpretation was granted.

I have tried to post a link to an aerial of the building on Google Maps, but I don't know if it is going to work. It is the building with the half round awning to the west of the marker:

del city, OK - Google Maps

I went by the location today and it is currently B&G Auto Sales. Could that have been it?

The "greasy spoon" across to the north from Crest was just a drive up "Dairy Queen" type of place any time that I ate there.

[gen70]

It was the Burger Train. Don't know where I came up with Sky Train. The last time I was there was 1969.

[Redskin 70]

It was the Burger Train. Don't know where I came up with Sky Train. The last time I was there was 1969.

And I have a picture of the Burger Train in operation and a night shot and with kids cruising the place................nay body wanna see???????????????????

[woodyrr]

And I have a picture of the Burger Train in operation and a night shot and with kids cruising the place................nay body wanna see???????????????????

Sure. That would be great!