Ponca City, OKla

[warsawdaddy]

What's the news on the Marlan Mansion.In the 20's,it had 55 rms and a bunch of tunnels and secret rooms.He smuggled booze in from Canada during Prohibition.People said there were a lot of parties and always a large amount(50,000) cash lying around.Banks weren't trusted in those days and rumors of buried money.The booze was brought in by the lake and then thru a tunnel to underground storage rooms.Is there access to these grounds?or close proximity?Does the State own it now?

 

[Gypsy Heart]

http://www.sunbirds.com/lacquer/readings/1122

http://www.wiemanniron.com/stairrails/stairrails-32_983.htm

Marland had gained control of at least one tenth of the world's oil, while more than third of Ponca City's population were employed by the Marland Oil Company.
The mansion took three years to complete, but Virginia never lived to see it's final completion in 1928, dying after a long illness.

The same year the mansion was finished, Marland and his adopted daughter, Lydie, traveled in his private railway coach to Flourtown, Pennsylvania where he had her adoption annulled and subsequently married her. So the girl who was once his niece by marriage, and then his daughter, became his wife and the new "first lady" of Marland Estate Mansion.
But by 1941, Marland was forced to sell his beloved home for $66,000 to the Carmelite Fathers, a mansion, which had cost $5.5 million dollars to build. "E.W." Marland died six months later.

Lydie Marland lived of and on for the next 46 years in the chauffeurs cottage. In 1953, she made a dramatic exit from Ponca City, disappearing and presumed dead, for 22 years. The Saturday Evening Post, in a September 22, 1958 issue, chronicled the fascinating Marlan story and the mysterious disappearance of Lydie Marland. The article, stated. "She drove away in a rattletrap 1948 green car that bleached clouds of black smoke. The belongings piled up on the rear seat of the car Included six framed oil paintings, measuring from three inches to perhaps three by four feet, which she planed to s

Lydie dramatically reappeared in 1975, destitute and rags, and lived as a recluse in the chauffeur's house with a white Persian cat as her only companion, until her death in 1987.

The Marland Estate Mansion is now national Historic Landmark and was featured by the Arts and Entertainment channel in their series entitled America's Castles.

 

[warsawdaddy]

Thanks,Gypsy.Those walls must hold some facinating tales!

 

[Kentucky Kache]

Thanks,Gypsy.Those walls must hold some facinating tales!

And, maybe some treasure

 

[stoney56]

Yes, there are tunnels running from one filled in lake boathouse to the mansion itself. But there's no money stashed anywhere. He did enjoy a rich lifestyle and there are wallsafes in the house. He did trust banks more than he did McFadden although they were partners in many ventures, including the big oilfield that I've posted in the past called Three Sands. He also had another home here in Ponca City that contains several museums. It's known as the Grand Home and at one point the side yard was about 5-6 blocks long. The front had a polo field and further north and east was an oil field which after it closed and was cleaned up became the land that the Pioneer Woman is setting on as well as the Mansion itself.
The Marland Mansion is now owned by the City of Ponca and is used for various functions including the annual Octoberfest. Lake Whitemarsh has been drained and dredged this last fall, our club has permission to hunt these grounds even though it is on the National Landmark registry.
E.W. was also fond of polo and fox hunting, bringing in foxes for said hunts since they are not native here. We occasionally still see a few of them running around the refinery area (kind of a mascot per se.) He also built homes in the area for good friends and trusted employees. While Governor, he was also responsible for setting up an oil well on the State Capital grounds.

For those interested in more reading, here's a link with a number of other subsequent links at the side and bottom.

http://www.marlandmansion.com/Pages/tgrounds.html

 

[HotRodder]

My wife was born in Ponca and I (we) have been through Marland. Quite I site and would have been fun to MD on the grounds. To this day we have some mineral (oil) rights on some land that we owned there. Keep looking for the big check in the mail LOL

 

[stoney56]

HotRodder, keep your fingers crossed. They have reopened a couple of field sites around here with new technology, maybe you'll be able to splurge on an extra tank or two of gas.

BTW, did she graduate here?

 

[Timberwolf]

http://www.sunbirds.com/lacquer/readings/1122

Lydie dramatically reappeared in 1975, destitute and rags, and lived as a recluse in the chauffeur's house with a white Persian cat as her only companion, until her death in 1987.

Gypsyheart,

In 1981 I would see Lydie when she would come into T.G.&.Y., where I worked.
Her appearence was that of a baglady. Many layers of clothes, clean but tattered.
I never really got the chance to talk to her, but she would pass by the music department where I would be playing music, and she would coment on how loud it was, so I would turn it down for her.

Tom

 

[Burdie]

I have gone through the mansion three times. When some one stole the gold plated shower head they cut down on access to all of the rooms. I always thought the main floor was cold and not homey. Hey Stoney did you ever find that pile of dirt?
Burdie

 

[stoney56]

I have gone through the mansion three times. When some one stole the gold plated shower head they cut down on access to all of the rooms. I always thought the main floor was cold and not homey. Hey Stoney did you ever find that pile of dirt?
Burdie

Sure did Burdie. The problem is the City locks up that area after hours and by the time I get off, it's too late.
It's probably the reason I found a 1927 wheatie and a 1924 D merc in the Library flower bed. The city uses the pile on different fill projects.