Marland Grand Home History

1910-1920

The Marland Grand Home located at 1000 E. Grand Ave. in Ponca City was the first large mansion estate of oil magnet, E.W. Marland, from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Marland came to Oklahoma in 1908 seeking his second fortune in oil. He had already acquired one fortune while only a young man in the hills of West Virginia, but unfortunately lost his earnings in the Bank Panic of 1907. Although educated as an attorney, oil was in Marland’s blood. He joined with the Miller Brothers of the famous 101 Ranch and the Ponca Indians to obtain new leases. Marland and the Millers created the 101 Ranch Drilling Company in 1911 which transformed into Marland Oil in 1916.

Home

The Marland Grand Home was completed as a residence in 1916 and cost approximately $350,000 to build. In today’s standards the amount would be equal to over $3.5 million. Highly acclaimed architect, Solomon Andrew (S.A.) Layton, was hired to draw up the site plans. Layton also designed the Oklahoma State Capitol Building in Oklahoma City. The 22-room Ponca City home was created in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. It boasted 16,500 square feet with an indoor swimming pool, central vacuum system, dishwasher and air conditioning. All unheard of for their time in the plains of Oklahoma.

Gardens and Golf

After touring Europe many times Marland acquired a great love of English and French gardens. He, himself, was of English decent and very much a British gentleman in heart and manner. With the help of Japanese gardener, Henry Hatashita, Marland planned for four square blocks of lovely formal gardens at his new residence which would stretch eastward from the home to what is now known as 14th Street/HW 177. Marland also constructed a 9-hole, 60 acre golf course for the community to use free of charge. The course was located across the street to the north of the home. An entourage of 30 gardeners tended the course on a regular basis, as well as the estate’s formal gardens to the east and vegetable gardens to the south.

Miller Brothers and the 101 Ranch

The basement was the original recreation area of the home. It included three large rooms of adjoining space for relaxing, playing cards and pocket billiards. The far west room contained the billiards table and bar. An indoor, underground swimming pool with diving board and dressing room was also connected to the indoor recreation area. Presently the basement holds memorabilia and artifacts of the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show owned by Marland’s partners in oil exploration, the Miller Brothers. Three collections have now been brought together for exhibit by the 101 Old Timers Association, the 101 Collectors Association, and the City of Ponca City. The exhibit displays hundreds of mementos reflecting the days of the active ranch and touring show. Vintage film footage plays continuously so visitors can learn about the ranch which was a self-sustaining city in and of its self.

The basement also houses an exhibit of an archaeological dig funded by Marland in 1926. The Arkansas River dig site unearthed artifacts of an ancient Wichita encampment and meat processing center. The effort was guided by Dr. Thoburn of the University of Oklahoma with one-third of the items found going to the Chilocco Indian School, one-third to the University of Oklahoma and one-third kept by Marland to start and Indian Museum in Ponca City.

Family

The years between 1916 and 1920 saw great growth at Marland Oil. EW and Mary Virginia Marland, his wife of 13 years, were childless. Mrs. Marland had a sister in Pennsylvania who had four children and had just taken on two more abandoned orphans of a relative who had died. It was decided, as was common practice of the day, that the two oldest children belonging to the sister would come to live with the Marlands to share expenses. In 1916 after a series of long-term visits, George (18) and Lydie (16) Roberts were formally adopted into the Marland Family. They moved into the new home which was completed in December of the same year just in time for Christmas holiday. George most probably stayed in an upper floor guest room while at home from college and Lydie had her own bedroom with hand-painted
walls depicting several sporting activities in which a teen age girl could participate.

Mary Virginia's Illness

Unfortunately, as E.W. Marland was rising in business, his wife of 13 years, Mary Virginia, was becoming increasing more ill. History suggests that her condition was most likely some form of cancer, although no permanent records of proof had been found. During this time Marland purchased another home in the Kansas City Plaza District to allow Mary Virginia to be closer to her doctor, Dr. Abraham Sophian, a renowned Kansas City doctor of the day. Mrs. Marland traveled back and forth to Kansas City from her the Ponca City home. She spent many months in Kansas City between 1917 and about 1925 for her “treatments”. Her bedroom at the Ponca City residence was the northeast, second floor, corner room which was complete with her own private bath. In 1919 air-conditioning was installed for this one room only to aid in her comfort.

End of the Decade

By the 1920s Marland had amassed over $100,000,000 profit in Marland Oil. In today’s terms he had become a billionaire. He was now poised to help the community grow into a fine city of its day introducing the English sports of polo and fox hunting for the public to enjoy. He expanded his beautiful gardens at the estate, helped create a public parks system in the city, constructed an athletic field and dressing rooms for the community, and was giving annually to numerous charitable causes. Marland was quoted as saying “I spent money like water on my people and my town. They flourished and they blossomed like a rose!”