General
Gary interviewed for two podcasts
OKLAHOMA CITY — For two decades, Oklahoma’s most enigmatic figure wrote letters to a Philadelphia-area childhood confidante. The 50 little-known letters were purchased 20 years ago and have been archived at the University of Oklahoma’s Western History Collection. In the Roaring Twenties, Lydie Marland was one of the world’s most talked about women. As a…
Read MoreA Movie about Lydie
The reassembled statue of Lydie Marland and Marland Mansion curator Paul Prather.
Read MoreWhy Was Lydie Marland, 28, Attracted to E.W. Marland, 54?
E.W. was a majority shareholder in Marland Oil, a $100 million company when they married in 1928. Photos show him to be a powerfully built man of medium height. He may have seemed more virile in 1912, when Aunt Virginia brought Lydie, 12, to Ponca City to live with the Marlands. According to 11 Things…
Read MoreThe Night 101 Ranch Died
The 101 Ranch had been losing money, so in the final days of January 1929, George Lee Miller drove four hundred thirty miles and inspected a wellsite south of Lubbock. After a seven-hour return trip, George stopped in Ponca City. His cronies were already at the Arcade Hotel for an evening of booze, pitch and…
Read MoreThe Covid-19 Holiday Diet
I want to be the first to recommend the coronavirus as a holiday weight-loss plan. Since high school (I should have graduated in 1970, but I interrupted my educational career with a stint in the military) I have followed the Elvis Presley Holiday Diet Plan. That means I’ve gained only two pounds a year. Still,…
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