A 1910 fish-eye view of Main looking West (at left) & Broadway looking North (at right) from a southeast perspective. At the left are (left to right) Colcord (under construction), American National and State National Bank (under constrution; later, the Hales Building). On Broadway, the white Pioneer Building is in the background. The light building in the foreground is probably the Bass & Harbour Building and it appears that the picture was been taken from the roof of the Herskowitz Building built in 1910.

1917 BIRDS EYE VIEW Taken in 1917 from the old Santa Fe depot, my best guesses are as follows:

In the background, 11 o'clock - Colcord; 1 o'clock: American National (smaller); 2 o'clock, State National/Hales (taller and in the far background); and, above the "Doc and Bill" sign, Herskowitz. This view is similar to the 1920s birdseye postacard, but this one presents a more distinct image.

BAUM BUILDING The Baum Building was built in 1910 at Northwest corner of Grand (now Sheridan) and Robinson and is no longer standing. In the right picture, the American National Building, built a year earlier, is in the background.

MAIN STREET LOOKING WEST IN 1910 The STATE NATIONAL BUILDING under construction at the Northwest corner of Robinson & Main dominates the center. In 1915, it became the HALES BUILDING and was an Urban Renewal victim in 1970's. The 5 story LEE OFFICE BUILDING built in 1907 (later to become the Oil & Gas Building) is immediately in front of the State National Building, on the Northeast corner of Robinson & Main. The AMERICAN NATIONALBUILDING (grayish-white) is at the left side of the picture.

LEE HUCKINS HOTEL The Lee Hotel was built in 1900 at 22 N Broadway at the Southeast corner of Main & Broadway. In 1908, it was totally destroyed by fire but was rebuilt in 1908-09 as the Lee Huckins Hotel with its Annex to the right (South). At some point in time, the hotel began using the name, "Huckins". The Campbell Building (see below) is not yet present. The hotel was razed in the early 1970s. Mid-America Tower (Devon) currently occupies the same space.

LEE HUCKINS HOTEL Huckins Hotel lobby. Spitoons for all!

MAIN STREET This view looks East along Main from Hudson to Harvey. Left: State National Bank/Hales is the taller brown building in the background, center-left. Right: Far background, Huckins; nearer and center-right, American National (white); Mellons (far right - see below).

OKLAHOMAN The new Daily Oklahoman building was built in 1910 at NW 4th & Broadway. The building still stands and, today, is a part of the much newer YMCA facility, to the East of this building. To see the "current" map image, click here. To see the 1896 Oklahoman building, click here.

MAJESTIC BUILDING The Majestic Building was built around 1907-1910 (I think) on the Northwest corner of Main & Harvey. Its relative location is shown in the next image.

MAIN & HARVEY This looks South on Harvey, showing the Majestic in the right foreground. South of the Majestic are Mellon's and Goodholm Building, and, on the left, the Security Building. This image is from The Vanished Spendor (Vol II), written and assembled by Jim Edwards, Mitchell Oliphant (Abalache Book Shop Publishing Co, Okc, 1983).

ROBINSON Looking North on Robinson from Grand (now Sheridan). On the Left: the Colcord Building in foreground, and State National Bank (later, Hales Building) is in background. On the Right: the Baum Building is in foreground, and American National Building is in background.

SKIRVIN HOTEL The Skirvin was built at the Northeast corner of Park Avenue & Broadway by Bill Skirvin. The original plans called for 6 stories, but, according to Skirvin's daughter, Pearl Mesta, the archetect persuaded Mr. Skirvin to expand it to 10 stores. In 1911, the original 10-story 2-wing structure was completed.

See Bob Blackburn's excellent article. Also, see the complete Skirvin collection.

SKIRVIN HOTEL LOBBY The 1911 Skirvin Hotel Lobby - lots of wood and tile. Unlike the Lee Huckins lobby (above), if spitoons were present, they are not visible in this postcard! See Bob Blackburn's excellent article. Also, see the complete Skirvin collection.

HIGH SCHOOL The 1910 "High School" is between NW 7th & 8th Streets facing Robinson. Later, it became Central High School. In 1984 it became One Bell Central, Southwestern Bell's Oklahoma headquarters. In late 2005, it will become the headquarters of Oklahoma Farmers Mutual Insurance Company.

GRAND/SHERIDAN Looking East on Grand Avenue (Grand Avenue is now Sheridan). Located on the Northwest corner of Grand (now Sheridan) and Robinson, the Colcord Building dominates the center; the Baum Building is next; and the Herskowitz Building (brown) is in the background.

STRIKE! The 1911 streetcar strike, related to union recognition, saw Oklahoma City invaded by ruffians. The strike lasted 2-3 months. A related strike picture is a few pics below on this page.

COLCORD BUILDING At the Northwest corner of Grand (Sheridan) and Robinson, construction was finished in 1910. A small piece of the Baum Building is to the right (East). The Colcord is presently being refitted to become a boutique hotel. See this link and this one showing the  elegant lobby and floorplans. And, for a nice review of this building and its original owner, see his great-grandson's web page.

OVERHOLSER OPERA HOUSE The Overholser Opera House was built in 1903 at 217 W. Grand and such notables as Sarah Bernhardt and Lillian Russell performed there. New owners acquired the building in 1917 and rebuilt it to become the Orpheum Theatre. This image shows its location (at the right) relative to the 1910 Colcord.

MAIN STREET Judging by the position of the Masonic/Tradesmen's building (the "camera" point appearing to be a block East of that building's "turret"), that means that this is probably true: Left, from the foreground and moving back: Huckins Hotel, Bank of Commerce (3 story), American National (gray, tallest in the background).

Right, from the mid-foreground and moving back: Masonic / Tradesmen's building (with the turret) and in the background, State National Bank/Hales Building.

BROADWAY Looking South on Broadway, probably 1919, from a little North of Northwest 2nd (Kerr). At left, the light colored 4 story building is the Bristol Hotel, followed by the Skirvin, the Insurance Building and the Huckins. The Culbertson Building is in the center "jog" and furthest away.

At right, the light colored building at a distance is the Medical Arts Building, and, in the foreground, the 4 story Wright Building (formerly India Temple) is seen.

BRISTOL HOTEL Originally, this was the Hotel Threadgill built in the early 1900s at 300 North Broadway, 2 blocks North of the Skirvin. Although the automobile images have been redrawn and the reference to the Skirvin Tower places THIS postcard in the 1930's, an otherwise identical "source" postcard is dated around 1913. Hence, I'm placing this postcard in the 1910 decade, with that understanding. The Bristol survived until the 1960s or 1970s.

See its 1930's stationery.

STATE NATIONAL & OTHERS Left: The State National Bank was built in 1910 at 201 West Main at the Northwest corner of Main & Robinson. In 1915, it would become the Hales Building.

Right: Looking Northeast across Broadway, between Grand & Main, Left to right, the Huckins Annex, Campbell Building & Wells Fargo.

BROADWAY & GRAND Looking Northeast from intersection of Grand (now Sheridan) and Broadway. None of the buildings in this block exist today. Left to right in the dominant block: Huckins Hotel (white) and Annex (red); Campbell Building (white); Wells Fargo (short red); Herskowitz Building built in 1910 & razed in 1970 (at corner); (cont...)

(... cont) to its right (East) are the Lawrence Hotel (short red) and Kingkade Hotel (light color). The Herskowitz Building is in the present location of the Renaissance Hotel; the Huckins Hotel is present location of Mid-America Tower.

HERSKOWITZ & KINGKADE Herskowitz. Built in 1910 at the Northeast corner of Grand & Broadway, the Herskowitz Building was built in 1910 and was razed in 1970. The Kingkade Hotel, 19 W Grand, is at the far right. Kingkade. The Kingkade Hotel, 19 W. Grand, around 1915. It survived at least into the mid-1950s - I've not yet figured out when it was razed. See its 1930's hotel stationary.

PATTERSON BUILDING The 1910 Patterson Building, 320 W Main, is said to be the last home of Kerr's Department Store. This view looks at the East side of the building. To the extent that the image suggests that a street was located there, that would seem to be incorrect. Click here for more detail about the location.

GOODHOLM BUILDING The Goodholm Building, at the Northeast Corner of Grand & Harvey, was used as a retail department store. It would later be renamed to be the Baltimore Building. See the 1911 "Strike Over" picture, below, for an actual image ... look for the words, "Baltimore Building". That's all I've learned about this building so far.

THE TERMINAL BUILDING WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? According to this article at the Okc Metropolitan Library System  (you may need to click your refresh button at the target to get the article to load), the building survived into the mid-1960s. Built in 1910 at 311-317 W. Grand (between Harvey & Hudson), it was the passenger & freight terminal for the local rail system, as well as having office space.

I was NOT able to identify the above building in any birds eye, aerial or other photos or drawings. Very troubling! Well ... see the next 3 pictures, and you'll learn why!

MELLON'S DEPARTMENT STORE Mellon's Department Store was built before 1910 at the Southwest corner of Main & Harvey. Later, it would be the home of Rothschild's. Notice the sign in the sky above the building in the above artist's rendering. Eventually, comparing images, that sign was the key to unlocking the reason that I could not find an image like the Terminal Building, prior picture, anywhere in any other images. Read on ...

TERMINAL UNDER CONSTRUCTION During its construction, this image looks to the Northeast from Grand. Notice the sign in the background, but read it in the mirror ...it says "Mellon's"! That sign, and the Mellon Building in the background, fixes the location of the Terminal Building...

STRIKE OVER, TERMINAL STANDS UP! The 1911 streetcar strike, discussed above, ended after two or three months and general celebration ensued. This picture is described in Terry L. Griffith's Images of America, Oklahoma City, Statehood to 1930, p. 78, as follows: "Celebrations. Colcord invited Sheriff Jack Spain and Epworth University (Oklahoma City University) President, Dr. Bradford, to ride in the lead car. This photo shows the Terminal Building on Grand. The strike was over. (Griffith Archives.)"

Sooooo ... the 1st image of the Terminal Building is a complete fiction! The REAL Terminal Building, shown in the background in this photograph, is about 1/3 the size of the first image, above. It took me longer to figure this out than I'm willing to admit)!

1912 POST OFFICE & FEDERAL COURT The building was completed in 1912 at the Northeast corner of Harvey & Northwest 3rd Street (now McGee). In 1919, the 2nd building doubled the size of the facities.This building would double in size in 1919, below.

1919 POST OFFICE & FEDERAL COURT The 1919 expansion extended the building to span Harvey to Robinson on NW 3rd Street (now McGee). It would expand again  in 1932. See the NW 3rd Street Post Office Collection. For a brief building history, see  the official link's description.

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