About Tulsa's Riverview Neighborhood Association

Creek Stickball Park of the midtown Tulsa Riverview Neighborhood Association

My neighborhood, the Riverview Neighborhood Association, is home to a recent Oklahoma Centennial project, a sculpture in Creek Stickball Park. Located at 18th & Cheyenne in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the sculpture features three Native American youths playing stickball – a traditional game with ceremonial significance in the Native American Culture.

The statue in Creek Stickball Park was made possible through a $250,000 donation from the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission. Besides the sculpture, this provided park amenities including wrought iron fencing, new sidewalks, landscaping, irrigation and benches.

Dedicated in December 2008, the park is located directly across the street from the Creek Council Oak Park. The sculpture in the Stickball Park was created by Talala-based sculptor Sandra Van Zandt. Her work is detailed and magnificent – please drop by to enjoy our new beautiful park.

Creek Stickball Park of the midtown Tulsa Riverview Neighborhood Association

A-ne-jo-di, or Stickball, is a Creek game played around a
single 5-10 meter pole, topped with a
brightly painted animal skull, and a blue painted ring 60 cm toward the top. Points are scored by hitting the pole
above the blue ring, or better yet, hitting the skull atop the pole with a small ball. The players use sticks
that resemble a smaller version of ones used in LaCrosse. Games are played to four points.

Visit Lori's blog for more information about the Riverview Neighborhood and its many parks, mansion & hidden treasures.

About the author: Lori Cain is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors, serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, Owasso, Jenks, Sand Springs and Broken Arrow. Please visit Lori’s web site, www.LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Visit Lori's blog to learn more about Tulsa's neighborhoods, community, events and real estate!

Historic Riverview Neighborhood in Tulsa - My husband and I live in the home in which he was born and has lived the past 54 years -- at 19th and Cheyenne in the Riverview Neighborhood – our actual subdivision is Buena Vista.

Our Riverview neighborhood consists of four historic districts: Carton Place, Buena Vista, Stone Breaker Heights and Riverview. We recently were accepted in the National Register of Historic Places, and now display a lovely plaque on our front porch, reading, “THIS PROPERTY LIES WITHIN THE HISTORIC BUENA VISTA PARK DISTRICT OF RIVERVIEW and HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR – PLATTED 1908. Our home was built in 1915 and is one of the few with Spanish-style architecture.

Tulsa has fourteen historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places which showcase the variety and appeal of Tulsa’s residential architecture and historical neighborhood development. Our National Register Districts are some of the most sought-after places to live in Tulsa.

Historic Riverview Neighborhood in Tulsa is a Historic Tulsa Neighborhood featuring diverse architecture, the Council Oak Tree, Route 66, Tulsa Riverparks, McBirney Mansion, Dresser Mansion, Spotlight Theater, Ambassador Hotel and Sophian Plaza. The Riverview neighborhood derived its name from the Riverview Elementary Public School that was located at 512 W 12th. The school was demolished in 1975.

• Architecture - The Riverview neighborhood boasts some excellent examples of Craftsman Style bungalows (in abundance), Art Deco, Greek Revival, Colonial Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Neo Classical, Prairie, Eclectic Prairie, Mediterranean, Spanish Eclectic and Queen Anne styles.
• Living Choices - Riverview also has myriad apartment and condominium choices for those looking for Uptown living, a river view, quite neighborhood or spectacular downtown views: Liberty Towers, The Olympian, University Club Tower, and historic the Sophian Plaza to name just a few.
• Entertainment - Riverview includes the SOBO district located at 18th and Boston famous for its vibrant night life. Clubs include Rehab Lounge, 1740, Sax and Mercury.
• Local Restaurants - Dalessandro's and Boston's and local coffee house Doubleshots. Also visit the Chalkboard restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel in Uptown at 14th and Main. Local Parks Veterans' Park at 21st and Boulder has soccer fields, baseball diamonds, play equipment and splash pad. Many events are held in the large park each year.
• Council Oak/Stickball Park located at 18th and Cheyenne is the home of the historic council oak of the Lochapoka indigenous peoples filled with plantings native to Tulsa. Riverparks along the banks of the Arkansas River has miles of running, walking and biking trails.

Historic Riverview Neighborhood in Tulsa – highlights within our neighborhood include:

• Stickball Park: Tulsa officials dedicated a new piece of artwork Friday in the Creek Stickball Park, located at 1800 S. Cheyenne Ave., directly across from the Creek Council Oak Park. The sculpture, a gift to the city from the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration Commission, was created by Talala-based sculptor Sandra Van Zandt and features three American Indian youths playing stickball, a traditional game with ceremonial significance in American Indian culture. The commission's $250,000 donation not only included the sculpture but also wrought iron fencing, new sidewalks, landscaping, irrigation and benches. Source: Tulsa World.
• Creek Council Oak Park: The Creek Council Tree, a mature burr oak, marks the traditional "busk ground" chosen in 1836 by the Lochapoka clan of Creek Indians. In late 1834, they had begun their involuntary migration from Alabama under the control of the U.S. Government. It was a slow and painful trek; of the original group of 630, 161 died in route. Their 1836 arrival was marked with a solemn and traditional ceremony. A "busk" site was chosen on a low hill overlooking the Arkansas River. Here, according to their traditions, they deposited ashes brought over the trail from their last fires in Alabama. The Tulsa-Lochapoka, a political division of the Creek Nation, established their "town." As late as 1896, the Lochapoka gathered here for ceremonies, feasts, and games. The site was probably not used by the Indians after the turn of the century. Gradually it became a solid residential area for the growing city of Tulsa. The Creek Council Tree itself, however, survived. The oak, standing in its small, well-landscaped city park, serves as a meaningful memorial to the proud Indian tribe that brought law and order to a new homeland nearly 156 years ago. The Creek Council Tree was placed under Historic Preservation Zoning in January of 1992. The Creek Council Tree was listed in the National Register on September 29, 1976.
• McBirney Mansion: The McBirney Mansion is both central and serene—a private retreat located in the heart of Uptown Tulsa, on a crest overlooking the Arkansas River. Guests are treated to a rare blend of luxury and ease. It is a majestic, gothic style Tudor mansion situated on three acres of lush grounds and stone pathways that lead to spring-fed ponds. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Mansion was built in 1927 and introduces our guests to the pleasure of living, if only for a night, in a landmark Tulsa estate.
• Dresser Mansion: The Dresser Mansion was built in 1919 for Carl and Pauline Dresser. Albert Joseph Bodker, architect of New York's first Waldorf Astoria, was commissioned to design the Dresser home in the Italian Renaissance style. At the same time Carl and Pauline hired the interior-design firm, Charles of London, to decorate their new home. This was a first for Tulsa. During construction, the couple traveled Europe amassing an important collection of antique furniture, art, tapestries, silver and rugs for their new home. Today, the Dresser mansion is virtually unchanged from the early days. Much of the woodwork, including beamed and coffered ceilings, is made from trees felled with special permission from the private forest of King George V. finished by Italian artisans to resemble unfilled travertine marble. Floors throughout are made from Tennessee oak, while the sun room, breakfast room and library are paved with colorful, handmade Italian tiles. Large, cast stone fireplace mantels, along with hand wrought iron railings, and leaded glass windows found in Austria contribute to an opulent, yet intimate interior. http://www .dressermansion.com/index2.html
• Route 66: No other city anywhere in the world has the Route 66 assets we have. We have the Father of Route 66. We have more than 20 miles and 80 years of Route 66 history. And we have The Bridge over the Arkansas that linked the development of the East with the horizons of the West. The art deco span that connected a continent. No other city has the chance to do what we can do: protect the old road we cherish so much by giving younger generations their own experiences on Tulsa’s Route 66.
  
• River Parks: Spread along miles of the Arkansas River, as it flows through Tulsa, River Parks provides some of the metropolitan area's finest outdoor recreation. More than 26 miles of asphalt-surfaced recreation trails weave past picnic areas, playgrounds, fountains and sculptures. The park's landscape ranges from manicured lawns to the rugged terrain of the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area. Recreation in River Parks includes fishing, rowing, kayaking, disc golf, hiking, bicycling and horseback riding.
  
• Spotlight Theater: Here, “The Drunkard and The Olio,” the longest running play in America, is presented every Saturday night throughout the year. Other August 2009 performances include the Wizard of Oz and Oliver Twist.
  

To see homes for sale in Riverview, Maple Ridge, Terwilleger Heights and other areas of midtown Tulsa, visit Chinowth & Cohen Realtors’ web site. To learn more about Tulsa community events and neighborhoods, visit my personal site, www.LoriCain.com. Please call me if you are shopping for a home in midtown Tulsa -- I LIVE here! 918-852-5036!