Soooo..... you know all about the Marland Mansion and it's history and scandal, well you would know...if you have been reading our blogs of course. But did you know that you can go see the "original" Marland house on Grand also?? This was the home... the real home of Mary Virginia Marland. She was the first wife of E.W. Marland and the aunt/adopted mother of Lydie Marland. A little confused about that one... ya, well...us too.
Mary Virginia Marland was with her husband E.W. when he made and lost his first million and then followed him to the Oklahoma plains. Living in the Arcade Hotel, she made friends with the women in Ponca City where she was well loved. George and Lydie Roberts, her blood niece and nephew, came to Ponca City in 1912 to stay with her and E.W.. After E.W. hit his first oil well, they moved from the Arcade Hotel to a home on North 6th Street while E.W. had the Marland's Grand Home built. When the Marland's moved into it, they had adopted George and Lydie. Virginia mothered them and their many friends. She was outgoing and enjoyed charity work. In 1920 she had a bout with cancer and it was felt she had been cured, but that would not be the case. Virginia became secluded and was no longer outgoing. E.W. had an air conditioning unit for one room put in the home on Grand for her comfort. She was ill for about a year and on June 7, 1926 she passed away from pneumonia. All Ponca City businesses closed the day of her funeral for two hours out of respect for her. It was estimated that 1,500 Ponca Citians attended her public funeral. Three cars were required to carry all the flowers to her final resting place at the Ponca City I.O.O.F. Mausoleum.
Mary Virginia died before the Mansion was built, so the home on Grand is more about her and her life as the First Lady of Ponca City.
Even though this little ditty of 22 rooms doesn't come close to size of the Marland Mansion, it is still nothing to gawk at...
Foxes were not native to Oklahoma, they were imported by Marland for the sport of Fox Hunting. The painting in the library depicts the famous sport that E.W. loved. This was a gift from Mary Virginia to her husband. This picture was special not only because E.W. was in it, but also their adopted son George and Lydie who Mary Viginia truly loved. The staircase in the foyer leads to upper floors of the home and show no signs of support. They are called free flowing stairs, quite beautiful. To our left were two large sliding french doors, and we were taken aback by the white marble fire place. The wood floors and lovely shade of color on the walls make you believe you have traveled back in time.
This photo was in a frame in the living room... It is Mrs. Collins (Mary Virginia's mother), Mary Virginia, George, Lydie, E.W. and an unidentified friend. I find this so interesting considering that one day that little girl (his adopted daughter, Lydie Marland) will become E.W.'s second wife... a little unnerving actually.
The Sun Parlor was a fun and inviting place that the Marland family enjoyed and entertained in...
Beautiful glass doors opened up from the sun room to a patio that led to four city blocks of formal gardens that are no longer there.
Although the furniture is not original to the Marland family home on Grand, it was donated from the Paris Family who lived in the house later, I can't imagine it being any more beautiful.
You can see in this picture of Mary Virginia's closet, in the background was the air conditioner that E.W. had installed for her during her time with cancer. One of the first to ever be installed in homes in Oklahoma.
We looked at the bedrooms on the second floor and then went down the beautiful wooden stair cases to the basement and were stunned to see an indoor swimming pool.
The Indian and 101 Ranch Museums are located in the rooms that were used by the Marland family as Recreation rooms... They included an original billiards table that was cemented to the floor, a bar, two fire places, and an area to play cards and games.
artifacts of the famous Miller Ranch, the 101 Ranch... If you have never been to the initial sight of the 101 Ranch outside of Ponca City, then you must go there. It is so amazing and sad to see the ruins of the where the original white house sat.
The 101 Ranch is located 7 miles southwest of Ponca City. The ranch was founded by George W. Miller and then passed the ranch on to his sons after his death. It was an amazing place and definitely a treasure of the past.
The 101 Ranch was a real working farm and ranch, but earned most of its notoriety from the Wild West shows that it staged. Their show business career began in 1905 when the Millers invited the members of the National Editorial Association to Bliss, Oklahoma, and entertained them with a large exhibition, which they called "Oklahoma's Gala Day." The event showcased the skills of their ranch hands and American Indians, including the famous Apache Geronimo, who killed a bison from the front seat of a car. The show also featured Lucille Mulhall, George Elser, and Bill Pickett. The affair's success led the Millers to take the enterprise on the road. It toured seasonally beginning in 1907. The show had a hiatus from 1916 to 1925, initiated by World War I, before it mobilized again and ran until 1931. In 1924 the production again performed in Bliss for the National Editors' Association. The brothers took the show throughout the United States and worldwide, traveling to Mexico, Canada, Europe, and South America. In 1914 the cowboys and Indians performed for King George V and Queen Mary of England. In Mexico Bill Pickett aroused the ire of bullfighters and the crowd by trying to bulldog one of their famed prize bulls.Several entertainers who continued their careers in the fledgling motion picture industry had connections with the 101. They included Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Jack Hoxie, Mabel Normand, and Buck Jones. The Millers leased equipment and loaned employees to the Bison 101 Film Company, which produced Western films in California. The road show continued and recruited stars such as boxing champion Jess Willard. In 1916 the production combined with Buffalo Bill Cody and toured as "Buffalo Bill (Himself) and 101 Ranch Wild West Combined gave audiences an amazing show!
Not long after Mary Virginia passed away the Marland Mansion was finished and E.W. along with his adopted son George and now young wife Lydie moved in and more history was had...
So we finished up our peek in to the Marland house on Grand.....and the Three BrOKe teachers were off again.... stay tuned and go see Oklahoma... We are rich with history and proud of it!!!
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