Bristow in Creek County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)

Roland Hotel

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 10, 2024

1. Roland Hotel Marker

Inscription. Dedicated October 25, 1923
———
Built by
A.A. Rollestone — C.L. Freeland
Pioneer Bristow Oil Men
———
Dedication ceremony broadcast
over pioneer radio station
KFJK
on one of Oklahoma’s first
radio stations
———
This hotel building was the
home of radio station
KVOO
founded by Edwin H. Rollestone

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Communications • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is October 25, 1923.

Location. 35° 49.978′ N, 96° 23.524′ W. Marker is in Bristow, Oklahoma, in Creek County. It is on West 6th Avenue just west of Main Street (Old U.S. 66), on the right when traveling west. The marker is mounted at eye-level, directly on the subject building, near the center of the south/front facade. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 West 6th Avenue, Bristow OK 74010, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Muscogee Nation

and in Greater Tulsa.

It is also in the American South,

specifically on the prairies,

and on the Southern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bristow Concrete Walk (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bristow Pioneers Plaza (about 500 feet away); FRISCO Train Depot (about 700 feet away); Bristow Memories (about 700 feet away); Creek Masonic Lodge (approx. ¼ mile away); The Julius Rosenwald Fund / Creek County Rosenwald Schools (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Klingensmith Park Amphitheater (approx. half a mile away); 45th Infantry (Thunderbird) Division (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bristow.

Also see . . .
1. Roland Building turns 100 (bristownews.com).

(October 31, 2023) Excerpt: Oil was booming and the city needed a hotel. A hotel committee was formed and capital was secured. All four banks of the city were on board with the project as well as H.J. Goetzke, Harry Ekdahl, C.L. Freeland, A.A. Rollestone and E.H. Rollestone — each of these interests sharing equally
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 10, 2024

2. Roland Hotel Marker
The marker is mounted at eye-level between storefronts, near the center of the front façade.
in the financing of the building.
The 3-story fireproof hotel had 75 rooms on the upper floors with space for businesses and offices on the ground floor. It boasted a coffee shop, dining room, banquet hall, ballroom, barber shop and cigar stand. Through the years it housed the Chamber of Commerce, Petroleum Club, The Record newspaper, photography studios, grocery store, pharmacy, insurance, land and oil companies, dance studios, beauty shops and many others. The Rotary, Jaycees, Lions, Elks, B&PW, Boy Scouts and numerous other groups held meetings there. Governors, congressmen, movie stars and sports stars as well as businessmen and Route 66 travelers all graced the Roland.

(Submitted on December 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Oklahoma Radio History (Oklahoma Historical Society).

(By Bill Moore) Excerpt: Communication businesses, such as local newspapers and telephone companies, began a rapid pace of radio station start-ups in 1922 all around Oklahoma. KFRU went on the air in January 1925 from studios in Bristow. Owned by oil millionaire E. H. Rollestone, the station thrived by broadcasting
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 10, 2024

3. Roland Hotel Building (southwest elevation)
live, local talent. Crowds gathered to watch through the studio's numerous windows. In 1926 the call letters KVOO were assigned to the station as it improved its plant and added studios in Tulsa. KVOO officially moved to Tulsa in January 1927 and was purchased by Tulsa oilman William G. Skelly in June 1928.

(Submitted on December 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 172 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.