2016 saw the closure of one of Tulsa's oldest businesses, Miss Jackson's. But one business that started in Miss Jackson's, Mrs. DeHaven's Flower Shop, is still going strong. When the namesake of Miss Jackson's, Nelle Shields Jackson wanted a shop to provide fresh flowers to Tulsa's elite she turned to her friend Josephine DeHaven. In 1905 Mrs. DeHaven's Flower Shop opened in a corner of the upscale Miss Jackson's. However, customer demand grew so quickly that the flower shop had to relocate to larger locations. In 1932 she moved to the 15th and Boston location where the shop has resided for the past eighty-four years.

Here are a few looks into how the corner of 15th and Boston has changed.

 Railroads were key to the Brady District's (and Tulsa's) growth. Several buildings in the Brady, such as the Ward Building (built in 1909) were used to store goods the Railroads brought to Tulsa. For most of its 107 year history the Ward building was home to several such businesses, including Red Ball, Mac International, Midwestern Electric, and the H.O.W Foundation Body Shop. According to the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture tour guide, the Ward building even had horse stables! 

When I first photographed the building in 2008 it was still covered in beige paint and was no longer in use. But in 2011 a $650,000 renovation started to return the Ward Building to it's former glory. It is now home to Bar 46.

Did you know there used to be a railroad that ran right through the Brady District?
​
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas (KATY) Railroad started in 1865 in Kansas. A few years later it won the sole right to build south through Indian Territory, going all the way down to Texas. In 1902 the railroad ran tracks to Tulsa, which helped to boost local manufacturing. However, when the Keystone Dam was built in 1964 the KATY stopped its east/west service.

​Many of the tracks have been covered but you can still locate them if you know where to look. These before and after pictures show the KATY Railroad tracks that used to run through the Brady, between the building that now is home to Caz’s Pub and Valkyrie and the former Vinson Supply Company.

​While it is hard to imagine the Brady District without Guthrie Green, the park has only been open since 2012. In 2008, the George Kaiser Family Foundation converted the former Central Freight parking lot into an urban town square and helped transform the Brady. Guthrie Green has since become a gathering place for the community, hosting exercise classes, movie nights, food truck festivals, and musical acts such as John Moreland, J.D. McPherson and John Fullbright. The events at the park are free so bring the family and come explore all the Brady Arts District has to offer!

The Tulsa Paper Company building at Brady and Cincinnati was built in 1922 and was in use until 1990. In 2007, the George Kaiser Family Foundation purchased the building after it was vacant for almost 17 years. The former warehouse has become a destination for the arts in Tulsa as it is currently home to the Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education, Philbrook and the Woody Guthrie Center.

Here is a look at the Tulsa Paper Company building through the years:

A few months ago I posted a 'Now and Then' for the former Coney Island. I mentioned that the building that housed Coney Island was once the Downtowner Motor Inn but could not find any images of the motel except for the postcard below.  Today I was looking at some pictures and noticed that behind the Morris Plan Company building was the Downtowner sign! Unfortunately, both the Morris Plan Company building and the Downtowner Motor Inn have been demolished and are parking lots. The Guaranty Abstract building next to Morris Plan is still standing, although it has gone through some cosmetic changes. 

The Art Deco treasure known as Boulder on the Park was built in 1922 as a schoolhouse for Holland Hall. Holland Hall soon outgrew the nine classroom building and left in 1932. Since then Boulder on the Park has housed several other businesses, including KTUL as shown in the picture below. After decades of falling into disrepair the building was renovated in the early 2000's to its former glory and was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 2003.
​   

The Bruce Goff designed Day Building has lived through many of Downtown Tulsa's booms and busts. Opened in 1926, it was originally home to Grant's Lunch and was later replaced by Borden's Cafe. Borden's gave way to arguably the most beloved resident of 514 South Boston, Nelson's Buffeteria. Famous for their home-cooked chicken fried steak, Nelson's was at this location from 1949 to 2004. Since 2008 it has been the home of Mexican restaurant Elote. 

James Andrew Waldrep moved to Tulsa and opened a wholesale confectionary in 1905. His wholesale company had a location on 3rd Street--the building is still there today. 

​