1908 — E.W. Marland and
his wife, moved to Ponca City from Pennsylvania. Their
first residence was a three-room apartment in the Arcade
Hotel. Marland had no money, so the hotel manager, Mr. Wiker, extended him credit. A relative of Marland
introduced him to the Miller Brothers. When Marland
visited their ranch, the Millers gave him a tour of the
area. When E.W. saw the old Ponca Indian cemetery on a
hilltop, he was convinced that it was a perfect
geological dome that could produce oil.
The
first sewers in Ponca City were laid.
The Miller
Brothers took their rodeo show on the road throughout
Oklahoma and the surrounding states.
Ponca
City's population was 2,529.
Lester Cann built a
nine-room frame house at the edge of town at Fourteenth
Street and Grand Avenue. The residence was a showplace,
reminiscent of a 19th century farm home.
Louis Barnes, son of Ponca City's founder, B.S. Barnes, owned a grocery store in the 300 block on East Grand. A representative of Kansas City Oil Refinery visited Barnes and offered to sell him a carload of coal oil ... 120 barrels, fifty gallons each. It was inspected and stamped, and would only cost nine cents a gallon, half the standard price. Barnes agreed to buy it, even though 6,000 gallons was more oil than he would ordinarily sell in two years. The oil was to arrive on a Thursday, which was the day both weekly newspapers were printed. Barnes ran a half page ad in each paper, proclaiming "Louie Barnes cuts prices of coal oil, Saturday, to ten cents a gallon. Bring your jugs, bring your kegs, bring your cans, and bring anything that will hold coal oil. And buy all you want for 10 cents a gallon." The farmers came to town with every type of container imaginable. That Saturday was the biggest trade day Barnes ever had. He sold 4,000 gallons of coal oil, and had enough left to supply his store for a year.
1909 — E.W. Marland and the Miller Brothers organized the 101 Ranch Oil Company.
William McFadden met Marland in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and came to the 101 Ranch for his health. He brought a suitcase containing $100,000. He invested in the 101 Oil Company, and became vice president of the company.
Mrs. W.T. Oates, a member of Twentieth Century Club, wrote a letter to Andrew Carnegie, requesting a grant for a new library. Mr. Carnegie delivered a check for $6,500.
J.W.
Lynch was a candidate for mayor and a dominant political
character. His opponent was Jim Sullivan, also a
long-time prominent figure. In public speeches, they
berated each other unmercifully. A story circulated
through the city that Lynch had secured a federal pardon
for a friend, with a large amount of money changing
hands in the deal. On the eve of the election, the two
candidates were having a public debate when Sullivan
asked the crowd, "Do you think that a man who attempted
to bribe the President of the United States should be
the mayor of a fine city like this?" When Sullivan
finished his accusation, Lynch rose to answer him. "The
thing about Sullivan's remark is that it is a lie. I
want you folks to know that I did bribe the President of
the United States." Lynch won the election.