Here are the notes on the places we tour during our introductions of our service area to others, and ourselves. It is important for people who seek to partner with us, to get a glimpse of our sense of place, to see the big picture even as we do small acts of justice with great love. This is part of our vision, not a complete picture, because each of us here adds to our Vision, each person carries gifts for new partnerships and projects of renewal. It is good for all of us who live here to be able to see beyond our own part of the area too, to see the connectedness of our community, Turley and Far North together, as it is for us to see how we are connected with North Tulsa and it with other areas; we have much to learn, and to teach, one another. This Virtual Tour is a call to come be with us and we will tour with you, or come be with us as you can.
Far Northside Community
Renewal Leadership Conference
The “Getting Worse and
Better At The Same Time” Tour
Guide Notes
Ron Robinson, Executive
Director, A Third Place Community Foundation
1.
The Welcome Table Community Center: Has been a community facility since
a brush arbor built here in 1909 for what became known as Turley United
Methodist Church. A wooden church building in 1910 was later moved to Sperry
for a church there and is now a part of the funeral home there. This red brick
complex was begun in 1925; in 1940 the north bldg. was added and in 1952 the
south bldg was added. There is also an abandoned residence that was the
parsonage. In the mid-60s TUMC moved west to Johnstown Ave. and the Witt
Memorial Indian Methodist Church used the building. In the mid 1980s they
merged with another Indian Methodist Church in Tulsa and the building was sold
to Zion Baptist as church and child care center; in the early 2000s the pastor
was shot and killed in a school parking lot; the building went into foreclosure
and abandoned; they later set up the Zion Plaza on 46th St. A part
time clothing ministry was in the building for a while but it was mostly empty
and used by squatters; it was vandalized just before we purchased it at the end
of December, 2010. The vision for use of the building will develop depending on
the future of our other community projects and possibilities; currently used
for food pantry (mobile food van days four to six times a year too) and legal
aid counseling and pastoral listening, clothing room, crafts room, sewing
circle, Turley Community Studio artspace, library, computer center, community
meetings, office space, and storage; we plan to use the south building for a
community room and a kitchen and may move many current projects into it and
develop remaining space for arts and meditation and classes and offices.
2.
Nearby the Center: Dr. Martin’s clinic, he is a D.O.
who used to have his clinic full time here, is mostly unused except for one
morning a month to see existing patients who live in the area. To the south of
the Center is a house that is currently unoccupied and for sale; we are trying
to negotiate to buy it to complete our ownership of the block and use it as a
house of hospitality for people who are coming to work with us, or for some new
project of ours.
3.
Old Turley MainStreet Business
District and Old Grocery Stores. The rock bldg. at Owasso Ave. and E. 60th Pl. N.
is the old Hamiltons Grocery Store that was operational until the early 1960s.
Around the corner from it was a limestone building that was one of the first
and oldest buildings in Turley until it was gradually falling down and then
cleared out last year after being used as a place for dumping trash; it had
housed the original Cullison’s Grocery. Also in this area on E. 60th
St. was Bussman’s Store, old hotel, hardware, post office, beauty shop,
lumberyard, church. All vacant now. Note constant trash in street alongside
Trail.
4.
Osage Prairie Trail, used to be Midland Valley Train
that ran into the early 90s, now a bike and pedestrian trail from downtown
Tulsa to Skiatook area; some beautiful land but also plagued with stray animal
packs and lack of lighting; also not supposed to be used by motorized vehicles
but little enforcement; we planted wildflowers at one point on the trail; our
plan is to put up signs directing people to turley venues, to also have
lemonade stands for cyclists, to hold a Trail Day where the communities and
neighborhoods along the Trail host cyclists and others to promote the use of
the Trail and advocate for its improvement. On again off again Walking Club to
promote the trail and health. Note the burned out buildings along the trail
here in Old Turley district, all within the past year and a half; only the
church that was burned has been cleared so far.
5.
Welcome Table Community
KitchenGardenPark
and 40plus Fruit Tree Orchard Area: Miracle Among the Ruins project. A block of
abandoned houses and trashed properties on top of scenic overlook hill, in
midst of other abandoned and rundown or soon to be rundown houses and overgrown
weedy properties (the kind that has been lately attracting arsonists). An
example of effective three-legs of stool foundation for anti-poverty project:
local grassroots effort, and supported by nonprofits (a third place community
foundation, indian health care resources food for life grant, Tulsa community
gardening association also, Tallgrass Resource and Conservation District grant
support, National Fruit Tree planting association, Up With Trees, local
churches and Texas church on mission trip) and by government (federal stimulous
funds through county and INCOG for removal of abandoned properties, part of
some 25 removed recently in the unincorporated Turley area; also support from
OU Tulsa graduate social work, graduate design studio, OSU Extension) and by
private companies (local Freedom Bank sponsored grant from Federal Home Loan
Bank Program, and orchard grant and work support by Edy’s Fruit Bars). Waiting
to find out if we won a Tom’s of Maine Grant for next phase of construction of
KitchenShelterPavillion and rainwater collection system; also currently
applying for federal ArtsSpace grant to turn it into a community art location. Hope
to get new chickens to replace ones stolen; to build Stage and Deck, and
complete veggie playhouse huts and garden art for kids, signage art, chainsaw
art, new welcoming Table at entrance. Besides families in area having garden
beds, we also have share beds, and produce healthy food for use in our Food
Pantry. A bridge location serving both city of Tulsa and old Turley residents
who share low income status and issue of abandoned houses; increasing
multi-ethnic neighborhoods on both sides but still weighted African American on
city side and White and American Indian on county side; growing Hispanic
presence in both.
6.
Home-Made Trail, Native Prairie Land.
Residents have made
own trail to connect Suburban Hills edition to the west with the business
district to the east, and used to use it for children to go to Cherokee School
and back home; push shopping carts. No lighting. No sidewalks anywhere as you
walk to grocery store and businesses and community center, etc. The land to the
north of the trail by the cedar trees is a currently wonderful native plants
area when not mowed; we would like to gain ownership of it to use as an
educational area and rest area for those who use the home-made trail, and for
an addition to the park usage; we began our demonstration community gardening
in this site thanks to partnership with the Methodist church. Their building is
a wonderful 1960s era structure; they partner with us on special Garden Days;
they have space to be used for new outreach programs.
7.
61st St. and
Frankfort; one side is city and one side of 61st is county; this
is a constant illegal dump site; note recently burned abandoned house, one of
several lately. Usually since the owners are not local and don’t carry
insurance, the houses sit burned and as hazards for years. To the north loop: beautiful view of Turley Hill, the rural edge of
proposed city of turley boundaries.
8.
Suburban Hills: City of Tulsa, 60s development was
predominantly white during school segregation days. Blend of well kept
properties alongside and running into abandoned houses. 58th St.
sample.
9.
In The Lighthouse School Area:
Correctional Facility, Turley Residential Center, pre-release private owned facility
for women. Meeting space can be used by community. Interested in a garden on
site. In past women have worked on litter clean up days. Small commercial strip uninviting appeal. Lighthouse Charter
School, TPS sponsored, private arts-infused currently in first year here, K-4 adding
one grade each year is the plan, in building that was Horace Greeley Elementary
School that was closed this past summer. In our immediate Turley area now where
there was Cherokee and Greeley, and before that Cherokee and Morse elementary,
the public default elementary school is now Gilcrease Elementary which was
originally a junior high. We had done the landscaping at Greeley and supported
with monthly pizza lunches for student of the month celebrations; partnering
now with The Lighthouse and looking for ways to deepen it. Somee 65 former
Greeley students remained at The Lighthouse; interested in finding out the
current zipcodes of current students.
10. Northgate addition: Another late 60s developed addition, predominantly white during school
segregation days. Notice where green space has been opened up with abandoned
houses torn down; the prominence of abandoned houses still in some sections.
Boulder Ave. and Elwood as examples.
11. Vining Park, city
park historically neglected and under-equipped and has recently begun
improvements, and awarded recent community development block grants.
12. Turley Hill 66th St., Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd becomes Cincinnati Ave. again
at this point northward; encourage people to drive past on it around the hill,
beautiful area but also illegal dump areas and animals dumped; a small rural
housing along OakCliff Drive west of Cincinnati Ave. You can take 76th
St. and wind back to Peoria Ave. or go to 86th St. and take direct
street back to Peoria Ave. We will stay on 66th St. views of
downtown, also of dumping. Back to Peoria Ave. Most houses in this area are on
bigger lots or small acreages until you get back closer to Peoria. The hill is
undeveloped, no utilities, have heard hard to get water wells, some have lived
off the grid at very top; a quarry now uses the top of the hill for a dump.
Local legend: The Turley Viking Runestone. At 66th and Peoria on
north side is where the former Smith’s grocery store was located, and also the
original site of National Bank of Turley which is now Freedom Bank with branch
in Skiatook too, around the corner.
13. Peoria 66th to 76th St. Corridor: local restaurant King Taco, great
tamales, was site of historic drive-in burger joints in our area; where the
bldg. is with Sheriff sale banner was a series of restaurants and was original
Lions Club bldg. when that civic group was active. Currently Odd Fellows only
civic group or lodge left and many of its members now live outside Turley; it
is located on Quincy behind the Cullisons store area but we won’t go by it
today; although they are partners and do monthly breakfasts and dinners. Most businesses are automobile related and
biggest is Salvage; some environmental complaints both for smell in past and
also for pushing salvaged materials over into the trail area; at first when
trail was put in they were also victims of thefts by people using the trails.
Salvages often patrolled by sheriff’s working on catching copper thieves and
others with stolen vehicles. Salvage also provides source of income for
residents who get main income from scrapping, Will go past old Star Café
abandoned building where Star Sign pole is out front; mix of residential homes
along here too. The Daylight Donuts is popular remaining gathering spot for
morning visits. We did a beautification on the corner of the donut store with
beautiful flowers but a water project disrupted it; need to re-do it. We also
had done a beautification project in a planter out front where King Taco is
now; also need to re-do it with the new owners. And we had done a
beautification project on the Turley sign across from Donut Store area but it
was mowed over though sign improvement we did here and at other turley sign
near 56th st. with small grant from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. More
can still be done on these.
14. Golden Hills addition. 75th St. sample from Peoria to Victor. Note again the blend
of well kept homes struggling alongside abandoned burned overgrown and trashed
out properties some also occupied. As throughout our area, we also have mobile
population, also high percentage of registered sex offenders who locate here
because restrictions elsewhere prevent them especially now with the closing of
Cherokee School. Along Victor back to 66th
St. in Golden Hills you will pass the vacant land to the east of Victor
where the Samuel Morse Elementary School was once, all pre-fab buildings,
closed in 1965; was used as a dump site by TPS until this past year when
original owners purchased it back for grazing. Also pass the Rodeo Grounds and
the old Community Center building (round top roof falling in) and where oil
pumpers are now used to be little league diamonds just north of the rodeo
grounds, some evidence remains)
15. 66th to Lewis Ave. New business Crown Hill Funeral Home has gone in where
Cornerstone Church was; a halfway house was proposed for that site but resident
opposition defeated it; funeral home has been welcomed by community; they also
own the Crown Hill cemetery, a historic African American cemetery located just
east of Highway 75 on 66th St. To the south is city owned property
for water and sewer (much of turley, east of Peoria, uses Tulsa Sewer; it buys
water from Tulsa but has private nonprofit company that manages the water
distribution); Creek subsidiary from Delaware and Bird Creek that cuts through
Turley and ends up in new fishing lake by the trail off 56th st. At
the intersection of 66th and Lewis, a busy one where people coming
from Highway 75 come into our area, we have taken over its management because
it was neglected overgrown and trash-strewn with periodic poisoning to kill
grass; we are working to develop it with planting, paths for those crossing,
and welcome sign).
16. O’Brien Park and Recreation Center, Park Meadows Mobile Home Community. County park partner, the recreation
center constructed in mid 1960s, hosts community meetings, classes, gym,
walking trail, golf course, sports facility, recently rebirth of a north Tulsa
youth baseball and softball program after years of not having one local so that
the facilities were mostly used by people outside the community; this was
facilitated by the removal of several shelters that served local residents in
order to put in golf course, but now a few more shelters in the works. We
support the citizens advisory board there and are also members of Oklahoma
Recreation and Parks Society. A great resource but limited by access to many
residents without convenient transportation. Has a pool but budget cutbacks
threaten it; need to have one year-round for health of residents who take water
aerobics etc but this year problems cut it back to just a few weeks use; often
pattern of cutting back service then saying not enough usage to keep it open
(same as in post office recently closed); we support the park with pool parties
for local residents and this summer helped it to have biggest turnout for one
event of any pools in county parks. Mobile Home Park needs tornado shelter;
there is not one anywhere in our area; Obrien Center is an evacuation site now
but it is not a shelter.
17. GreenPark Tulsa, Vann Industrial, 61st St. An industrial park where tax
incentives and property incentives are used to try to attract businesses to
locating in our area; free land for certain number of employees, though most
employees don’t come from our area but drive in and out to work from other
locations, just as our residents to get jobs with companies have to get back
and forth to them outside of our area. They are expanding by soon acquiring the
old VFW building that recently closed and has been abandoned. Even after VFW
closed property was used for Turkey Shoot events. Boyer Hill on Utica and about 59th, high point, scenic
but also constant illegal dump site, especially bad on road going back to Vann
and when trying to entice businesses to the GreenPark.
18. 56th St. to Highway 75 area. We will
go along on the southside, or city of Tulsa side of the Street the Newsome Community Farms and North Tulsa
Farmers Market and other sustainable projects, a partner of ours, two story
green-colored house with hoop house and gardens and orchard and a compostable
toilet demonstration built by Architects without borders. Near Highway 75 is
the new city SkatePark. East of 75
is the new city Soccer Complex.
Vision 2025 funding. At both 56th and 66th Street
entrances and exits to Highway 75 we did roadside
wildflower planting with the state transportation dept; they have since
closed that program they did with the state native plant society and matching
funds from us, but by not mowing they allow it to be naturally seeded and look
nice. To the north on the county side is the Turley Trash Mountain, a landfill that has grown from nothing in
the past 15 or so years to becoming one of the highest landmarks of the area;
it is currently shut down for environmental reasons as it was polluting into
Bird Creek. Has burned for months at stretches in the past. With its closing,
for good reasons, also came increase in illegal dump activity. We have held
Turley CleanUp Litter Pick Up days where we have worked on cleaning up illegal
dump sites; need to again; also need way to constantly bring to attention of
county highway dept because they are getting good at response for dumping of
all kinds of materials one will find, including dead animal dumping. Notice
there is no Turley sign on Highway 75 directing traffic to it from 56th
and 66th St. as there is for Owasso and Sperry; on old Highway 75
there was one but it was removed and the state has refused to put one up for
Turley now; took three years to get the small Turley designated green sign at
56th St. and Peoria.
19. 46th and Lewis corner of our service area. Quick Trip busy place. Go west to
Victor turn north and go into Berry Park
neighborhood where Monroe School and Penn School area also. Monroe was jr high
then closed then used by both TPS for adult education and GED classes and
testing and by Margaret Hudson program for educating unwed moms, and now is
used by Pre-K to 1 dual immersion Hispanic and English classes plan to add a
year each year and by middle school demonstration school, both current small
enrollments; also community and parent outreach programs for the area housed
there. Penn is elementary. Sarah’s
Residential Living and 53rd St. stretch of abandoned houses.
Sarah’s is innovative nonprofit taking abandoned houses and fixing them up to
be used for small homes for seniors who do not need intensive care but watching
and helping companions.
20. Back to 46th St. and past the original St. Jude’s Catholic
Church site and where Neighbor for Neighbor started, the Dan Allan Boulevard. West past old Suburban Acres Shopping
Center that is now Zion Plaza with
some child care and other uses also still much empty, pass Suburban Acres Library community asset and partner, past Louisa May
Alcott school which was abandoned in
2011, past good burger joints, past the Dream
Center operated by Victory Christian Church located on southside; many
programs within it; we have some overlap with its service area. Carriage Trails addition: many
abandoned houses, also will go by one resident’s house where nicely gardened
and with an open space behind her where house was removed she has expanded
beautification for community enjoyment.
21. Chamberlain Recreation Center, addition. Notice difference in house and lot
size and improvements from just across MLK Blvd where we came in Carriage
Trails. Also as you get away from this area into Valley View more abandoned
houses again. Take 53rd back to MLK Blvd. Across is Bunche Early Education Center which
used to house Houston Elementary which was closed in 2011.
22. 56th St. Corridor to Peoria beginning
with Gilcrease, now elementary
school, a community school model year round school,especially noteworthy the
new Tulsa Health Dept North Regional
Wellness Center with a Primary Care Medical Clinic also from OSU-Tulsa, partnering with us. It has
community kitchen, plans for community garden, classes, has clinics, offices.
Empty church building caught up in dispute over community development block
grants. Abandoned Post elementary School closed many years ago but was used
until recently by YWCA and by Health Dept, now vacant again. New Greater Grace
church, with its own school and community programs sponsored.
23. The Far North Main Street Corridor and Vision. 46th to 66th
North Peoria Ave. Go
up to 46th and Peoria into space of Generation for Destiny (mostly
unused, see same dispute over federal funds). By Walgreens, which recently
purchased MedX which is closing as we will see in McLain Village. Between here
and 66th St. on North Peoria is a corridor of businesses that once
connected McLain High School and Cherokee School (elementary and junior high).
Imagine it now with continuous redbud trees and planters as beautification to
tie it together as one again, attractive to business serving the neighborhoods
again, and walkable and bikeable small communities given the transportation
problems with cars that residents face and with public transportation bus line
to the full area, and with the proximity of the Prairie Trail bike path
nearby). Signs marking this as a special neighbhood area ala Brady Heights etc,
sculpture and entrance, better and consistent bus stops. And the development of
a Far North Peoria Economic Development Association acting as a kind of chamber
of commerce. Highlighted by McLain (now a 7-12 grade school and both struggling
but with great success stories, and a new foundation and renewed alumni
association support, with greenhouse and other programs underway and new
statewide focus). Note abandonment of Northridge Shopping Center, where movie
theater once was just north of McLain, and just a few shops and child care in
it now, and also the demise of the McLain Village Shopping Center, with MedX
soon to close; only shops are on southside, but include great carryout
restaurant Heart and Soul. This project could help spur development and
community pride as outlined also in PlanIt Tulsa project. Note stand alone
abandoned commercial structures along this stretch; for years rundown abandoned
Wilshire Bar and adjacent building were right across from McLain but finally
got them torn down. Vacant church building where Northside Christian Church
originally was and with sign out front we have been thinking of partnering to
take over and beautify; At 56th and Peoria note old Bussman Corner
house that is abandoned and overgrown and an entrance visible for the turley
community; auto places across the street have improved some in not being too
junky; Note recent burned building across from Cherokee School; we wonder how
long it will be open to kids and others like that?; Ruby D’s great consignment
shop; busy Turley Tag Agency, smaller businesses, formerly vacant businesses on
east side (feed store and old fire dept building) have recently been auctioned
and should see some use again soon. Water Dept. building. The used appliance
business is community sorepoint as its junky appearance used to be on both
sides of the Peoria but now just on one side; and when not open the junky front
is more visible than when refrigerators block it, but often appliances spill
over near Creek. Current Feed Store and Cullison’s as family owned independent
hardware store one of community’s treasured assets and community supporters.
Simple Simons pizza is only carryout but community supporter. Warehouse Market
is biggest sales tax revenue potential, and spot where most people intersect.
Gas station also 24 hour busy; across from it is another blight and hazard
building that has been unsecured abandoned with glass and more for years;
closed restaurant that was the local eating place; Shorty’s great burger joint
with new spaces now in its new place for more sit-down eating. Laundramat and
Funeral Business and a new business going in, a flower shop, where post office
was located for about 30 plus years before it was shut down last year
(mailboxes left but service is reduced to two sites either northside station on
Apache fourplus miles away or Sperry same distance north). The corridor would
end with the Bank on one side and the commercial center and Bobby Cooper’s sign
shop residence on the other.
24. The Turley Center Vision (where Cherokee School currently is) One of the anchors for this economic
development and community renewal corridor would be to put into the community
again the Cherokee School which was originally Turley Schools site from 1908,
with high school built in 1920. In mid-30s the high school and independent
district was closed and merged with Tulsa Schools; high school students went to
Central and then later in 1959 to McLain; the junior high was closed in 1965;
the elementary was closed in 2011. We have a chance to purchase it for very low
price compared to its estimated appraised value, as a local community nonprofit
venture only, and we would like to see it become a Far North one-stop shop for wide
variety of non profit services, a Healthy Food Hub, a place for community meals
daily for both over 60 and under 18 (none anymore in our area), for an
inter-tribal Indian Event Center for pow-wows and programs indoors and
outdoors, for a business incubator for food oriented small businesses like
Mobile Healthy Food Trucks and caterers, and possible City of Turley City Hall
if incorporation were to happen, a renewed Turley area historical society
display as used to be in when it was a school, commemorating its history as a
school. Many possibilities for sharing the building and properties include art studio space, office space for county depts like Sheriff's substation, and for adult education center with G.E.D. classes, job skills, life skills, and more, including such ventures as aquaponics or other "green ventures."
