From our archives: See what life in Oklahoma City looked like in the early 1970s
We combed through our archives to find our best photos of Oklahoma City in the early 1970s. See how things have changed, and what remains the same. On July 4, 1970, a crowd gathered at the dedication of Stars and Stripes Park and Eisenhower Plaza at Lake Hefner. This photo was published the next day on Page 1 of The Sunday Oklahoman. Other Independence Day celebrations included a downtown parade and a Stars & Stripes Show at State Fair Arena. The city also had a colorful crowd of people participating in the park dedication. The Baum Building was among downtown’s most ornate structures and still in use in 1971 when it was demolished. The National Finals Rodeo, which once drew thousands to Oklahoma City every year, was later moved to Las Vegas in 1984. The Huckins Hotel, built in 1909, was the first building in Oklahoma City to be demolished using controlled explosives in 1971. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now a federal holiday, will be observed on Monday.
Published : 12 months ago by Jana Hayes in Lifestyle
From our archives: See what life in Oklahoma City looked like in the early 1970s
On July 4, 1970, a colorful crowd participates in the dedication of Stars and Stripes Park and Eisenhower Plaza at Lake Hefner. This photo was published the next day on Page 1 of The Sunday Oklahoman. An accompanying story told of the park dedication, as well as other Independence Day celebrations in Oklahoma City, including a downtown parade and a Stars and Stripes Show at State Fair Arena. Featured at the show were comedian Red Skelton, singer Anita Bryant and Apollo 13 commander Capt. James Lovell. [AL MCLAUGHLIN, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES] The Oklahoman
Mathilda and her baby get a cool spray of refreshing water in August 1970 at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Mathilda was just a baby herself when she arrived at Oklahoma City's Lincoln Park Zoo on Dec. 24, 1953. She gained early fame after Gayla Peevey's hit song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," was used to bolster schoolchildren's fundraising efforts to bring the hippo from New York to Oklahoma City. Mathilda's own baby weighed 35 pounds when it was born on Nov. 12, 1969, becoming the first hippopotamus born at the Oklahoma City Zoo. This photo was published Aug. 5, 1970, in The Daily Oklahoman. GEORGE TAPSCOTT/THE OKLAHOMAN FILE
Students from Northeast High School sing at an observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday in 1970. Fifty years ago, there was not an official proclamation for Martin Luther King Day in Oklahoma City. However, an unofficial proclamation issued by A.L. Dowell, a Ward 7 councilman for Oklahoma City, was read during the ceremony at Calvary Baptist Church. Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, now a federal holiday, will be observed on Monday. [BOB ALBRIGHT/THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES] The Oklahoman
The Baum Building was among downtown’s most ornate structures and still in use in 1971 when this photo was taken by The Oklahoman. The building was targeted for clearance by the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority for clearance and was demolished in 1973. The site is now part of Century Center Mall. Oklahoman Archives Photo BOB ALBRIGHT - OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES BOB ALBRIGHT
The National Finals Rodeo, which drew thousands to Oklahoma City every year, devastated locals when it was moved in 1984 to Las Vegas. The rodeo started at the Jim Norick Arena at State Fair Park, as shown in this 1971 photo, and later grew into the much larger Myriad arena downtown. STAFF
The Huckins Hotel, built in 1909, collapses into dust and rubble in the summer of 1971. The landmark was the first building in Oklahoma City to be demolished using controlled explosives. Its removal was part of Oklahoma City's urban renewal efforts. BOB ALBRIGHT/THE OKLAHOMAN FILE
Crane operators attempt to set a B-47 onto posts at the Oklahoma State Fair on Aug. 21, 1971. The landing didn't go as planned when a smaller crane holding the tail section malfunctioned, sending the back of the plane plummeting 20 feet to the ground. No one was injured and the bomber was only slightly damaged, according to reports. The plane eventually was successfully maneuvered onto concrete pillars. After being on display for 35 years, it was removed in 2006 during renovations and given by the military to the city of Palmdale, California. DAVE PATE/THE OKLAHOMAN FILE
An image of the General Motors Assembly Plant, from The Oklahoman Archives. GM BRAND was placed on a large Oklahoma map at Friday's ground-breaking ceremony for the new General Motors automobile assembly plant to symbolize the new partnership between the state and GM. Wielding the king-size branding iron are, left to right, Richard C. Gerstenberg, GM board chairman; Gov. David Hall; Frank Lynch, county commissioner; Mayor Patience Latting; Edward H. Cook, Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce president, and B.C. Carter, manager of the new GM plant. The Oklahoman