E.W. Marland had made a fortune in the West Virginia and Pennsylvania
areas, but lost it all in the panic of 1907.
He came to Oklahoma in 1908 and started drilling for oil at the 101 Ranch.
Marland did not strike oil until June, 1911. E.W. kept his promise
to the owners of the Arcade Hotel and finally paid his bill in
full.
Marland's Grand Home was started in
1914 and completed in 1916. It came with a central vacuuming system, automatic dish washer, attached three
car garage and the first indoor swimming pool built in Oklahoma.
When E.W. and Virginia moved into
the new home, their adopted children, George and Lydie, who were Virginia's blood niece and
nephew, moved in with them.
At the time the Marlands lived in the Grand Home, E.W.'s net worth, not
including his oil company, was 30 million dollars. In 1925 E.W. started building what
came to be known as the
Marland Mansion.
Virginia passed away at the Grand Home in
June, 1926, never seeing the mansion finished.
In 1928, after the completion of the
Mansion, E.W. took Lydie east to
Pennsylvania, had the adoption set aside and married her.
