WOOLAROC

'Woolaroc' is located in the Osage Hills of Northeastern Oklahoma Oklahoma State Highway 123 about 19 km (12 miles) southwest of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and 72 km (45 miles) north of Tulsa, Oklahoma., Woolaroc was established in 1925 as the ranch retreat of oilman Frank Phillips. The ranch is a 1500 hectare (3700 acre) wildlife preserve, home to many species of native and exotic wildlife, such as buffalo, elk and longhorn cattle. Woolaroc is also a museum with a collection of western art and artifacts, American Indian material, and one of the largest collections of Colt firearms in the world. Woolaroc features a nature trail and two living history areas inviting you to experience the natural environment of Woolaroc, the life in a pre-Civil War 1840’s mountain man camp and an early-day oil lease.
The name WOOLAROC is derived from three words – the woods, lakes and rocks that make up the beautiful Osage Hills of northeast Oklahoma where Woolaroc is located. The name was originally intended for the rustic Lodge ranch house, but it was so unique that it soon became the name for the entire Frank Phillips ranch.
Woolaroc Museum is owned and operated by the The Frank Phillips Foundation, Inc. that was founded in 1937 by oilman Frank Phillips and his wife Jane Phillips with the primary purpose of providing educational support for the employees of Phillips Petroleum Company (now ConocoPhillips) and their families.

Contents

The Pioneer Woman Miniatures

Admission

References

External link

The Pioneer Woman Miniatures

In 1928, E. W. Marland, founder of Marland Oil Company (later to become Conoco) and at that time one of the wealthiest men in the world, commissioned twelve miniature 3-foot sculptures that were submitted by US and international sculptors as models for the Pioneer Woman statue. Marland paid each sculptor $10,000 for his submission. The miniatures traveled to twelve cites where they were viewed by 750,000 people who cast votes for their favorite.
The winning statue was produced by British-born American sculptor Bryant Baker and was unveiled in a public ceremony on April 22, 1930 when forty thousand guests came to hear Will Rogers pay tribute to Oklahoma's pioneers. The Pioneer Woman Statue, located in Ponca City, is 27 feet high and weighs 12,000 pounds.
After financial reverses that included the loss of his company Marland Oil Company, E. W. Marland wrote a letter to his friend Frank Phillips on March 11, 1940: "My financial condition compells [sic] me to sell objects of art, tapestries, bronzes, rugs, and paintings acquired by me in more prosperous years. I will sell at a price approximately 25 per cent of their cost to me... And will consider it a kindness if you will come yourself or send someone to look them over with the object of buying anything you fancy."^[1]
Phillips sent art expert Gordon Matzene to inspect the bronzes and began bargaining with Marland for their purchase. In the end Phillips offered Marland $500 for each of the twelve miniatures. Matzene declared that the purchase was a wonderful bargain and the miniatures were removed from Ponca City along with other statues and artwork to became part of Phillips' collection at Woolaroc where they are on display.

Admission

The admission fee is $8 for guests from ages 12 through 64, $6 for ages 65 and older, and free for children aged 11 and below. Woolaroc is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Wednesday through Sunday and is closed during Monday and Tuesday.

References

1. ''Frank's Fancy: Frank Phillips' Woolaroc'' by Gale Morgan Kane, published 2001 by Oklahoma Heritage Association, page 147

External link

★ Official Site