First Capital Trolley Historical Tour – Guthrie, Oklahoma
2013.12.19
The First Capital Trolley bus runs a historical tour through Guthrie, starting on even hours of the day. Our tour lasted about an hour. A recorded audio guide points out various historic buildings and homes and gives a little history about each one. Many of the featured houses were owned by founding fathers or prominent businessmen, but some are humble cottages and bungalows.
Philip Heilman owned the Guthrie Tent Awning and Harness Company. Fearful of tornados, he instructed architect Joseph Foucart to build his house with local red sandstone and brick. The ground floor walls are reportedly sixteen inches thick.
The home on the left was built in 1901 for Ned Cheadle, who owned the Guthrie Steam Bottling Works. The Masonic Home for Children opened in 1923, with later additions. It is now a wedding venue.
F. E. Houghton founded Cotton Oil Company, and had this home built in 1907 for his family (which included a dozen children). Judge Frank Dale, chief justice of the Oklahoma Territorial Supreme Court, had a home built in 1902 which included a ballroom on the top floor.
Territorial Museum