The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-31
Depression of 1927
Turned Into Progress


OKMUDGEE, Dec. Starting
1922 with the handicap that the
business and financial depression OF
1921 brought to every community in
Oklahoma. Okmulgee city and
county. sustained by the great and
varied resources OF the community.
turned depression into progression.
and the year closes with prosperity
re-established and development pro-
ceeding in all OF the various indus
trial, commercial and civic circles
of the county.
New high records for production
were established in several indus
tries, 100000 worth OF new
hard-surface roads were built with
in the county. a new high record for
oil production in a f2-mon.h period
was made In the Okmulgee oil dis
trict OF which Okmulgee is the CEN
ter and business capital, home build
ing featured the year in Henryetta
and Okmulgee, and civic and educa.
tional endeavor regained the mo-
mentum that was lost during the
depressing days of the last few
months of 1921.
Production OF oil Is the principal
Industry in Okmulgee and in the
year 1922 the Okmulgee district
which includes considerable terri
tory outside of Okmulgee county.
produced 1S,399.321 barrels. a new
high record for all time in this dis
triCt. Income to producers and land
owners exceeded $35,000,O00 during
the year. New pipelines costing ap-
proXiuStely S250,0O0 were built in
the district during the year and ad-
ditions and improvements costing
$1,000,000 were installed at the
five oil reflneries at Okmulgee, the
Waite Phillips company and the EN-
pire Refineries Unc.) each spending
about 100000 on betterments at
their Okmulgee plants.
The 1929 building program
included the building of bardsur-
face roads from Okmuigee north to
Beggs, a distance OF 16 miles; from
O k IN u & g o east to Morris, Z
miles, and from Okmulgee south to
Henryetta, IA miles. All OF this work
has been completed with the excep-
tion of six-mile stretch between
Okmulgee and Schulter, the contract
for which is let and the money and
materials available.
After nearly a year OF shutdowns
caused by market conditions, the
y idES- ithlIE AllO uSNlNb lIb EfNtAlN'
largest in Okmulgee, was restored TO
n full production basis early in the
year and three of Okmulgee's big
plans are now running full blast.
Another big Okmulgee county in
dpstry that is faS getting back to
normal after n year of inactivity Is
the coat mining business, centered
about Henryetta in the southern part
of the county. The coal miners
strike on April i, 1921, shut down
every mine in the county, but prac-
tically all OF the mines were re-
opened in the fall OF 1922 and there
are $500 men now employed in the
40 mines of this county. The aver
age production of the county when
the mines run on a normal basis is
about four million tons per year.
Building permits in Okmulgee In
1922 totaled $1,225,775, and large
part of this sum went into handsome
homes. A new city library costing
S35, 900 was built and is to be opened
early in January: additions costing
100000 were made at the city hos
pital and a new hospital for negroes
costing $4,000 was also built and
equipped. A tract of land containing
80 acres was bought by a group Of
public-spirited citizens and 20 acres
of this was turned over to tho city
for park purposes free of cost.
Basing their predictions for the
future on the records OF the past,
leaders in every line Of endeavor IN
OkmAlgee county and in Okmulgee' 5
trade territory look forward into
1923 and the years to come with
every confidence In the continued
growth and prosperity of the entire
community. 1t Is certain that the
natural resources Of the Okmulgee
community have been barely
scratched and that their develop
ment will take many decades. TIC
| that task Okmulgeeans will devote
| themselves during 1928.