Bartlesville, OK

 

Why would anyone plan to stop in Bartlesville, Oklahoma?  I can imagine a number of folks asking that question.  Well, it was on the way to somewhere else, though we don’t know where that is at the moment. Another reason was to visit the Woolaroc Museum.  It came well recommended.  As things would have it, it is closed on Mondays. 

Since we had already checked into our park for the night, we looked for something else to pass the afternoon.  That led us to the Phillips Petroleum Company Museum.  Bartlesville and Phillips grew up together. 

It was a fascinating place.  Remember these guys?

The ones that pumped this, at these prices,

                        

and gave you one of these as a gift?

Phillips was also very involved in aviation, and sponsored Wiley Post in his attempts to break the altitude record, which he did in the skies over Bartlesville.

 

The museum covered every aspect of the petroleum business during the past 70 or 80 years.  The Phillips brothers were the men behind another American success story.  The company they created employed thousands, and also created thousands of patents that improved our lives.  They were even the creators of the Slinky toy and played a major part in the creation of the Hula Hoop.

 

Sure, it was the Corporate view.  But it was still interesting and fun to view a part of Corporate America that doesn’t exist anymore.  Employees large and small were thought of as part of the family, and they were proud to be a Phillips employee.  Two of their retirees were todays hosts.

 

 

Bartlesville is also home to the only sky scraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that was actually constructed.  The Price Tower stands alone just a block from downtown.

 

It’s also home to these buffalo.  Thought they were interesting.  Scattered all over town.

 

 

Just an afternoon in Bartlesville………jc