Our state had a troubled childhood...
Tulsa was a Creek settlement first, then a cowtown, and then a boomtown. By the end of the 1920s we had become a mature city with an established culture and character that still describes much of who we are.
All of these changes happened quickly. Lots of people from lots of places, creating a new culture, a “Tulsa” culture that was distinctly defining of our own city.
By the late 1930s we were recognized as the Oil Capital of the World, and by the 1950s we began the slow process of transitioning to greater economic diversity. Oil finds in other parts of the country were eclipsing Oklahoma’s role in the industry, and by the 1970s we were clearly entering the modern era of our city’s history: we were settling into a new role, but one still not yet fully defined.
What lessons can we learn from our past?
In the articles in this section we look at factors that contributed to the formation of Tulsa's culture. We also examine how our patters of urban living have changed over the years.
Our state had a troubled childhood...
Tulsa was a Creek settlement first, then a cowtown, and then a boomtown. By the end of the 1920s we had become a mature city with an established culture and character that still describes much of who we are.
All of these changes happened quickly. Lots of people from lots of places, creating a new culture, a “Tulsa” culture that was distinctly defining of our own city.