I’m Ron Enderland. I was born in Miami, Oklahoma, at Miami Baptist Hospital, a long time ago. I moved out of town at age eight, but Miami is still my hometown, and it always will be. It’s had its ups and downs, financially speaking, but it’s on an upturn now. Still, I want to remember it as it was, and many agree with that sentiment. Thus, I’ve created this site, loaded with photos and history of the place.
The information here is nearly all documented from city guides, from the Miami News-Record, from other well-researched historical sources. Where personal recollection or tradition is involved, this is pointed out. Thus, my confidence in the accuracy of what you find here.
It has a searchable database of businesses over the years. I’m estimating that it has 85-90% of Miami’s businesses between its birth and 1968, and I’m still adding the missing ones. It’s mostly the result of researching the Miami News-Record, and I only have access to papers up to 1968 at this point. But still, it has over 3,000 businesses listed, and can be a fine asset for helping you to track down who was located where and when.
Also, check out Miami’s Postcard Past. This section has a bunch of postcards which open up in good-sized resolution. And for your pleasure, you can get full-sized scans of five Main Street postcards, suitable for desktop wallpaper or for printing.
Check out virtual tours of North Main, South Main, and Central. Also, visit the lost businesses of East and West A Streets. We also have a growing listing of other significant business buildings, and a page devoted to urban exploration. Plus, a page with downloadable historical resources. And check out Miami’s history, briefly.
View of Miami looking north from the First National Bank building, 1966. Used with permission.
Recent articles:
- The Pierce Pennant Tavern
- The Ozark Trails Association and Miami
- A Brief History of Riverview Park
- The Ottawa County Fair
- Ottawa County’s Oldest Resident
Take a virtual historical tour of Miami
North Main
South Main
Central
East and West A
Most Recent Additions to Business Database
| Business Name | Business Address | Date First Seen There | Business Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonna's | 31 N Main | 1920 | Retail | Dress shop/beauty parlor. Miami Record-Herald |
| Hotel Miami | 29 N Main | 1918 | Hotel | Grand opening June 4, 1918 |
| Hadley Drug Co. | 1 N main | 1912 | Retail | 1927 city pamphlet. O.C. Hadley purchased Palace Drug from T.J. Copeland on or about March 20, 1912. |
| Bennett 66 Service | 335 S Main | 1940 | Filling Station | Present day address is 331. From Billie E Bennett Guilfoyle: My Dad William “Bill”Bennett had the station for a few years until he left for the war in 1942 and at that time my Grandfather William “Will” Bennett Sr took it over for him to run till my Dad returned. When my Dad returned 4 years later my Grandfather continued running the station until his death in 1967 at age 82. He loved his customers and many remembered how they would sometimes pump their own gas and even go in and write down their gas on a ticket then pay Granddad when they got paid., very different times. It was a Phillips 66 station from at least 1955 to 1967. I was to young to remember the 1940s & I don’t ever remember it being any other brand My Granddad was a barber by trade when he married my Grandmother in 1912 and the shop was in the old Miami Hotel building on North Main and sold Ford cars , Model A. When Will Rogers was to appear at the Coleman Theater in the 1930s , Rogers pilot , Wiley Post , had engine problems while on the way to the Miami Airport. He put down that Sat morning in a field toward Afton Granddad that morning was taking a new Ford to try to sell to a customer and saw a plane go down in the field and went to help. He ended up driving Will back to Miami to the Coleman. My Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Dad and half of Miami were at the Coleman to see Will Rogers show when Granddad pulls out front and drops off Will Rogers and then heads right back to meet his car customer. All the town dignitaries were waiting at the airport to meet Will Rogers . Apparently my Grandfather was added to Will Rogers show. He told how he was zoomed into town at top speeds and the ride was scarier than the plane problems. My Grandfather always told that he had to hurry to get a car sold. It was tough times in the 30s . He sold that car that day too. At my Grandfather’s funeral at the sanctuary of First Christian Church , his friends and very loyal customers filled the church to remember this wonderful man. Memories from Billie , his loving Granddaughter |
| E.E. Simpson Meat Market | 18 S Main | 1921 | Grocery/Market | Herald Record. Was sold that year. |
Random Images from Our Library:
Full-Sized Postcard Views of Main Street
North Main, 1965
South Main, 1959
South Main, 1955
Looking north on Main, 1940’s
North Main, 1925
Other Local Historical Resources
Cardin Kids – A Comprehensive History of NE Oklahoma
Ottawa County, Oklahoma, Vintage Photographs from Yesteryear
Dobson Museum – Ottawa County Historical Society
Literally Letty (much Miami history)
Miami Flight 1955 (a wonderful film)
1951 Flyover of the Great Flood
Special thanks to the Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Dobson Museum, and to John Schehrer for providing many historical photographs!
Copyright notice: some of these images are in the public domain. Some have been contributed by others for use on the site, with the understanding that saving internet images is trivial. That being said, if you’d like to use any of the site graphics, my permission is required. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT 2021.