The Active Historian

Hey, Friend! Welcome back to another post. Today, I want to show you the historic Wells Fargo Livery Stable in Oklahoma City because it is thought to be the oldest building still standing in Bricktown. Let’s get started!

History

By the early 1900s, Oklahoma City was becoming a successful city on the plains which led to several new buildings being constructed.

In April 1905, J.A. Doss of the Wells Fargo Express Company purchased lots in Military Park with the intention of building immediately. They built a brick barn on the northwest corner of Main Street (present-day Reno) and Walnut near the viaduct. This barn was to cost $5,000 and the two lots cost $1,800. J.M. Spain negotiated the sale.

The brick walls are 18 inches and could have played a role in the building’s longevity. By 1917, Wells Fargo had moved out of the building and discontinued their Overland Express Operations in OKC. This didn’t mean an end for this building though!

From 1918-1954, the American Railway Express Co. owned the historic stables.

In 1981, the Wells Fargo & Co. Stable Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2006, the building was purchased by a group of investors for $1.15 million. The building was renovated and has since housed multiple bars and restaurants.

Currently, the building is occupied by Whiskey Chicks, a cocktail kitchen, which opened in 2011. I have not been inside the building so I have no idea what it is like. The historic marker on the outside of the building is what caught my eye as I was walking down the sidewalk one day which prompted this post!

Historic Marker Transcription

“Wells Fargo & Company built this livery stable in 1906 on land originally a part of the United States Military Reservation, where soldiers camped to disperse “Sooners” entering the territory illegally prior to the run of 1889. However, the city of Oklahoma City and several different individuals had owned the land before it was purchased by Wells Fargo. This stable, with 18 inch solid brick walls, was completed in 1906 and was used by Wells Fargo until the discontinuation of its Overland Express operation in 1917. From 1918 until 1954 the building was owned by Wells Fargo’s successors, The American Railway Express Company.”

Visit

115 E. Reno Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Sources

Primary Sources

Newspapers

“Real Estate and Building.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), April 9, 1905.

“Happenings About Town.” The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), October 25, 1905.

“To Build $5,000 Barn.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), October 25, 1905.

“Building and Realty News.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), October 28, 1905.

“Wells-Fargo to Build.” The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), November 15, 1905.

“Cattle and Stock.” The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), October 26, 1917.

“History sells: Wells Fargo building bought for $1.15 million.” The Journal Record (Oklahoma City, OK), June 9, 2006.

Brianna Bailey. “These Walls: Wells Fargo & Co. Livery Stable building.” The Journal Record (Oklahoma City, OK), September 30, 2011.

Richard Mize. “Wells Fargo could raise the bar in Oklahoma City.” The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), September 20, 2014.