Marland Building

Marland Building. . , When the Marland Building was completed in 1923 it was a welcomed addition to a city which was running out of retail and office space. Ponca City had blossomed after the discovery of the Three Sands and Burbank oil fields. New merchants and business people were scrambling for places to locate. Since the Masonic lodge and office buildings would not be built for another 1½ years and the Community building had not been enlarged yet, business space was at a premium. E.W. Marland, president of Marland Oil Company and well known philanthropist, responded to this need. , Although called the Marland Building, the company never had offices here. The lower floor was originally leased to Higdon Florists and Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store. The second story was divided into nine offices. These were rented to a variety of small oil companies, real estate and insurance businesses, and doctor's offices. In later years some offices were converted into apartments. , Higdon Florists faced Grand Avenue. The business was two storefronts wide and two deep. A formal opening was held on the evening of March 30, 1923. The newspaper reported that an orchestra was present and that during intermission the music was provided by a large variety of parakeets and canaries which the store sold. Higdon's also featured a six-foot cement fish pond stocked with goldfish as well as an elaborate array of flowers and greenery. In the early 1940s the florists moved to their own building and this store was divided into two. , On Feb. 8, 1923, Piggly Wiggly held its grand opening and offered a free souvenir to every visitor. The grocery store faced Fourth Street and utilized the remainder of the street level retail space. Piggly Wiggly utilized a new system of self service. Instead of a clerk handing items over the counter, the customer was given a basket and allowed to choose their own groceries. This cut down on the number of employees needed and the savings were passed on to the consumer. In 1929 the Royalty Building was completed and Piggly Wiggly moved diagonally across the street. , The emblem at the top of the Fourth Street facade is thought to be a variation of the triangular Marland Oil Company logo. The emblem overlooked the Marland Service Station which was located where the Post Office is now. , In the late 1940s the Donahoe family purchased the Marland building. The Donahoes were large real estate investors and at one time owned the Ponca City Milling Company.