A tempest heightened by a strong gust of wind and a tumbled-down brick wall on Father’s Day, June 2023, has radically changed the future of the O’Brien-Bridwell building, located on the southwest corner of Cherokee Avenue and W. Will Rogers Boulevard in Claremore, Oklahoma’s historic downtown business district. The result of this calamity was an unforeseen sale of the building and its current restoration by Vines Properties Inc. and Piotter Construction. In its 11-decades-old existence, if these walls could talk, this business structure would have countless colorful stories to tell.
As early as 1896, a large one-story framed building stood at the southwest corner of 3rd Street (aka Will Rogers Boulevard) and Cherokee Avenue, (Block 113, Lot 9 & 10). Visible in the iconic 1906 F.L. Stone panoramic photograph of downtown Claremore, this clapboard building according to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Claremore, Indian Territory, housed a Grocery (1898), Sample Room (1901), Furniture and Second-hand store (1903), and a Restaurant and Meat store (1907).[i] But soon after Oklahoma statehood a permanent brick building, the one that still stands today at 401 West Will Rogers Boulevard, was built.
In August 1910, the Claremore Messenger announced, E.W. O’Brien, of Oklahoma City, “purchased the fifty-foot lot of C.A. Warner, located on the corner of Third and Cherokee. He will move the frame buildings off and erect a nice modern two-story business block. The deal was negotiated through James Scott.”[ii]
“C.A. and Hattie M. Warner to E.W. O’Brien, lot 10 and 23 feet lot 9 blk. 113, Claremore, $7,250.”[iii]
That September, Mr. O’Brien, made “arrangements for the moving of the old buildings off the lot preparatory to building a brick business house.”[iv]
The Claremore Progress reported in October, “The brick buildings now under construction in the city are moving on nicely; the laying of brick has begun on the new O’Brien building while the brick work on the new Ward building (now Boarding House Books) is more than half completed.”[v]
The O’Brien Building stood squarely on its corner lot. Divided by a decoratively designed arched brick street side stairway entrance that led to the second floor; this building contained two expansive, narrow business rooms on the ground floor. Customers entered the stores through front entrances facing Third Street. The building had copper pipes and artistically designed ceilings made of pressed tin tiles. The detailed brick edifice boasted a fancy parapet across the roofline with large glass storefront windows on both first and second levels in front and along the Cherokee Avenue side. In an era when the use of electric lights was in its infancy, the natural light of the large windows was an asset to business owners.
It was not till January 1911, that R.S. Saunders was able to move his store into “the corner room of the new O’Brien building.”[vi] That month, Judge Archibald Bonds and J.I. Howard moved their new law partnership into a “handsome suite of rooms in the O’Brien building.”[vii]
The Rogers County News enthused, “Large O’Brien Block Fast Nearing Completion – At the corner of Third Street and Cherokee Avenue stands one of the most imposing and substantially built brick blocks in Claremore. It is the new O’Brien block, which occupies ground space of 50×100 feet, and stands two stories high. This pretty business block, when entirely completed, will cost the owner, E.W. O’Brien, very near $20,000. The plans were drawn so as to make this one of the best lighted business blocks in the city. The two lower apartments are very spacious and stylishly finished. R.S. Saunders’ store already occupies the east corner and the west corner will soon be ready to receive the goods of E.E. North’s New York Store. Mr. North is having some expensive furniture installed, preparing to make his new store one of the best of its class in Oklahoma.”[viii]
Later that month, E.E. North announced, “We Move Feby. 1 – Having contracted for the center store room in the O’Brien Block we will on Tuesday Jany 31st, close our present store to allow us time to move and get comfortably settled into our new home. This will probably require ten days. You can help us move by taking advantage of the following bargains: 30 per ct. off on Wall Paper, 1/3 off on English China. Reduction on fish and globes. We have a big stock of Valentines which we desire to dispose of before we move. N.Y. 5 and 10c Store.[ix]
E.E. North was elated with his store’s opening in its new location in the O’Brien block that February. “At the opening of the New York 5 and 10c store in the new O’Brien block… proprietor, E.E. North, looked more happy and pleased than even a boy with his first pair of suspenders or pair of long pants. Well so he may! For ten days, Mr. North and Miss North his able assistant, with a corps of lady clerks, have been busy as bees planning a big stock of pretty novelties and staple goods upon the… shelves and in the several handsome display cases. When the hundreds of visitors on Friday responded to the invitations to the opening they found… a world of pretty articles to look upon. Each visitor was presented a souvenir.”[x]
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Claremore, Oklahoma, June 1911, Sheet 4, verifies a “5 & 10c” store in the west half and a “Ladies Furnishings” store in the east store space of the O’Brien building. A small iron clad, detached “Cobbler” building was located in the backyard.
The county court had previously been held in the second floor of the G.W. Eaton Building (now Sailor Antiques on the northeast corner of W. Will Rogers Boulevard and Missouri Avenue) since the building’s creation for Wilson’s Hardware store in 1902. When judges T.L. Brown and H. Tom Kight announced they would designate the “O’Brien Building as the place in which they would hold the courts of the county, this brought out quite an argument in which G.W. Eaton and others seemed to be somewhat interested, and after much debate upon the matter Judge Kight agreed to hold court in the Eaton building for six days; that being the time limit of the old contract in which Mr. Eaton was to be notified in case the commissioners should see fit to terminate their contract with him.”[xi]
In February many county officers moved to “Transact Business in the New O’Brien Block.” The Rogers County News reported, “Last Saturday was moving day for many of the county officers having offices in the Eaton block, part of which has been used as a court house since 1902. The officers to take up new quarters were Sheriff Sanders and Judge Kight; they now are settled in pleasant rooms in the new O’Brien block. County Attorney Elliott had contracted for office rooms in the new block almost before its completion. One story is sent out for the reason of this move at this time as follows. The county’s lease of the second story of the Eaton block expired about the tenth of March this year, and to get possession of his building at that time, G.W. Eaton served the usual thirty-day notice to vacate. Mr. Eaton would, after that date, look to the officers individually for his rent money. The county judge and the sheriff thought it best to move into the O’Brien block while a few rooms were vacant. One of the heavy safes was also moved up into the new block.”[xii]
Conveniently, a number of attorneys moved their law offices into the O’Brien building. When attorneys Ezzard and Holtzendorff moved into their new offices in the O’Brien Building it was said they had “one of the best equipped law offices in this part of the state.”[xiii]
Later that year, Blackford & Braden set up offices in the O’Brien Building as did Edgar Anderson Attorney at Law.[xiv]
But change was in the winter air that cold, crisp February of 1912 when the announcement was made, “O’Brien Building Sold. W.L. Swager Tuesday sold the O’Brien building corner of Third and Cherokee to J.M. Bidwell, of Wagoner, the consideration being $18,000 cash. Mr. Bridwell is one of the wealthy men of Wagoner county and may decide to locate in Claremore permanently. He will be back in the city next week and may purchase a home at that time. We understand Mr. O’Brien will go to Mexico to make his future home.”[xv] But Bridwell did not move his family to Claremore just yet.
“E.W. O’Brien to Ida K. Bridwell, lot 10 and part lot 9 block 113 $18,000.”[xvi]
That year, John Quincy Adams “moved his law office from the Eaton building into the O’Brian building at the corner of Third and Cherokee. This is probably the best location for a law office in the city.”[xvii]
Tragically, a fire caught hold of the O’Brien building in October 1912. The Claremore Progress reported, “Fire broke out in the second story of the O’Brien building on Main street about 7:45 Wednesday evening. The fire department responded promptly and what would have proven a disastrous fire, but for prompt work, was prevented. The fire originated in the room occupied as an office by E.C. Alberty. All the furniture in the room destroyed, a hole burned in the ceiling overhead and in the floor of the second story. Mr. Alberty’s loss is probably $50.00 and repairs to the building will probably cost as much. R.S. Saunders probably was the heaviest sufferer; his loss resulting from water which was used in getting the flames under control.”[xviii] This was the second fire R.S. Saunders had suffered while in business in Claremore.
The April 29, 1907, downtown fire destroyed two buildings on the southwest end of Claremore. Saunders’ stock of merchandise was much “destroyed by getting crumpled up and dirty, etc. not necessarily injuring the goods in any way, but greatly reducing their selling value.”[xix]
After the fire, Mrs. N. Skinner opened her new studio and exchange “in rooms 10, 11 and 12 in the O’Brien building over the New York Store, (and) prepared to do all kinds of china painting,” advertising, “Your liberal patronage of this china class is solicited. Opening all day Friday and Saturday.”[xx]
When Judge Tom Kight and Richard H. Wills formed a law partnership in 1913, the new firm opened offices in the O’Brien building[xxi] as did loan officer “Lee Settle, Room 2, O’Brien Bldg.”[xxii]
J.G. Waldrop, Physician and Surgeon opened his practice in the “O’Brien Building, Rooms 12 – 16” in 1915. [xxiii]
January 1917, E.H. Sanders filed an application requesting a license to open a billiard and pool establishment known as the Liberty Billiard and Pool Hall in the O’Brien building. J.A. Bell filed for a license to operate a billiard parlor known as the Mission Billiard hall in the same.[xxiv]
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Claremore, Oklahoma, June 1916, Sheet 3, documents a “Billiards” hall in the west side and a “Gro(cery)” store in the east space of the O’Brien building.
As an act of patriotic duty during the first World War, 1918, “The Home Service Section of the Rogers County chapter of the Red Cross… opened headquarters in W.H. Bassman’s office in the O’Brien building.”[xxv] It was here that the Red Cross helped enlisted men understand their commitment and aided them on their way.
In January 1919, The Claremore Progress announced, “J.M. Bridwell, who has considerable property in Claremore, sold his farm in Wagoner county last Monday and we trust Mr. Bridwell will move to Claremore. The sale was made thru the Long Land Co. of this city.”[xxvi] By 1921, the O’Brien building would thereafter be referred to as the Bridwell building in the news.
When George H. Shafer purchased the American Café of S.P. Blakley located in the O’Brien building in 1920, he remodeled the space and changed the café’s name to The Sanitary Waffle House.[xxvii] The Claremore Progress declared, G.H. Shafer “has one of the nicest eating houses in the city and is a town booster. He is heartily in favor of anything that will make the burg grow.”[xxviii]
Then, Gust Leekos “purchased the Sanitary Waffle House from George Shafer and took charge.”[xxix] A newspaper advertisem*nt stated, “Sanitary Waffle House Everything Good to Eat.”[xxx]
Shockingly, “The high wind and accompanying rain,” of July 1920, “blew two window lights out of the E.E. North sample room next door to the Sanitary Waffle House and also blew the top off of an automobile.”[xxxi] Luckily, this time, window lights were all that were blown about by a Claremore windstorm. Has history repeated itself? The fate of the O’Brien-Bridwell building was about to change.
By Christa Rice, Claremore History Explorer
Click here to read the all new, “Claremore’s O’Brien-Bridwell Building – Winds of Change, Part 2.”
(The preceding story is an updated version of “Claremore’s O’Brien Building – A Squeaky Clean History,” posted in November 2022.)
Sources: Unless otherwise noted, newspapers are sourced through The Gateway to Oklahoma History,https://gateway.okhistory.org; creditingOklahoma Historical Society.
[i] Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, IT, Jan 1894. Sheet 2. 1-story framed “S. Not Finished.”
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, IT, June 1896. Sheet 2. 1-story framed “Vac. S.” with front porch.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, IT, Nov 1898. Sheet 2. 1-story framed “Gro.” with front porch.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, IT, April 1901. Sheet 2. 1-story framed “Sample Rm.” with front porch.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, IT, Sep 1903. Sheet 3. 1-story framed “Furne & 2d Hand S.” with front porch
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, IT, July 1907. Sheet 4. 1-story framed “Rest. Meat (IR. CL).” With no front porch.
Sanborn Insurance Map Claremore, Oklahoma, June 1916. Sheet 3. 2-story, brick, iron clad 2nd west wall with breezeway. Central front stairway. Water, Billiards west. Gro. To the east. Auto & Vac iron cl. Additions to the rear. Bakery to the west.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, OK, Dec 1925 Sheet 3. 2-story brick “Garage, Capacity 15 Cars, Wood Floor. Lights: Electric. Heat: Stove. (west).” S (east). Rear Repair Shop (rear).
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, Oklahoma, January 1933. Sheet 3. 2-story brick “Store. Rooming 2nd”.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Claremore, Oklahoma, January 1933. Sheet 3. 2-story brick “Store. Rooming 2nd”. Porch in front of 403, to the east side of 401.
[ii] Claremore Messenger. (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 48, Ed. 1 Friday, August 19, 1910.
[iii] Claremore Messenger. (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, August 26, 1910.
Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 29, Ed. 1 Friday, August 26, 1910.
[iv]Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 30, Ed. 1 Friday, September 2, 1910.
[v] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 36, Ed. 1 Friday, October 21, 1910.
[vi] Claremore Messenger. (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 7, Ed. 1 Friday, January 6, 1911.
[vii] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 49, Ed. 1 Friday, January 6, 191.
[viii] Larner, J. H.The Rogers County News (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 45, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 12, 1910.
[ix] Larner, J. H.The Rogers County News (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 26, 1911.
[x] Larner, J. H.The Rogers County News (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 16, 1911.
[xi] Claremore Messenger. (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 7, Ed. 1 Friday, January 13, 1911.
[xii] Larner, J. H.The Rogers County News (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 52, Ed. 2 Thursday, February 2, 1911.
[xiii] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 19, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, February 3, 1911.
[xiv] Harper, William R.Rogers County Leader. (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 83, Ed. 1 Friday, October 6, 1911.
[xv] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 20, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, February 16, 1912.
[xvi] Claremore Messenger. (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 17, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, March 8, 1912.
[xvii] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 20, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, March 8, 1912.
[xviii] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 20, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, October 25, 1912.
[xix] Smith, Clark.The Claremore Messenger. (Claremore, Indian Terr.), Vol. 13, No. 19, Ed. 1 Friday, May 3, 1907.
[xx] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 20, No. 46, Ed. 1 Friday, December 13, 1912.
[xxi] Ross, Ayres K.Rogers County Leader. And Rogers County News (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 45, Ed. 1 Friday, January 10, 1913.
[xxii] Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 21, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, February 28, 1913.
[xxiii] Kates, W. C.Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 11, 1915.
[xxiv] Kates, W. C.Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 24, No. 52, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 25, 1917.
[xxv] Kates, W. C.The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 30, 1918.
[xxvi] Kates, W. C.The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 27, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 23, 1919.
[xxvii] Claremore Messenger (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, March 12, 1920.
[xxviii] Kates, W. C.The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 28, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 15, 1920.
[xxix] Kates, W. C.The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 16, 1920.
[xxx] Kates, W. C.The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 30, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 21, 1922.
[xxxi] Kates, W. C.The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 22, 1920.
Author: Christa Rice
HistorianView all posts by Christa Rice
