JENKS

    þ   Jenks is immediately across the river as you come over the ridge on 101st Street.  

To get to the Arkansas River, the tourists turned west at some point. It could have been as early as 101st and as late as 71st. Probably it was somewhere in between. The most beautiful route, one with all the beauty of natural Oklahoma vegetation and all the beauty of Tulsa neighborhoods is 101st Street. Just before the Arkansas River, 101st travels over an elevated ridge at Jamestown and offers an immediate view of the river in all its 21st Century glory. It was over just such a ridge that Irving traveled in 1832 and overtook the Rangers. Today it is pulsing with 21st Century life. The opening up of the Arkansas River to development, the new Creek Turnpike, the power plant, the NatureWorks bronzes, and flourishing Jenks are all within you sight as you come down toward the river. In 1832, the sight from the elevated ridge was pulsing with the romance of the frontier. They camped

It was a wild bandit, or Robin Hood, scene. In a beautiful open forest, traversed by a running stream, were booths of bark and branches, and tents of blankets, temporary shelters from the recent rain . . . (Rangers) were cooking at large fires made at the feet of trees; some were stretching and dressing deer skins; some were shooting at a mark, and some lying about on the grass. Venison jerked, and hung on frames, was drying over the embers in one place; In another lay carcasses recently brought in by the hunters . . . horses were grazing here and there among the thickets. WI 47 48

The young Count loved the future Tulsa .

. . the main troop of Rangers camped in a superb spot. Large, beautiful trees shaded a little valley covered with abundant vegetation, reeds, and horse-bean plants, which made an excellent pasture for our horses. A stream supplied us with rather clear water, a rare and precious gift in this country. CP 49 50 Later the party went out on a bee hunt making Tulsa the Honey Camp. The party was headed by a veteran bee-hunter, a tall lank fellow in homespun garb . . . a straw hat shaped not unlike a beehive . . . We . . . traced the honey-laden bees to their hive, in the hollow trunk of a blasted oak . . . bee-hunters now plied their axes vigorously . . . down came the tree with a tremendous crash, bursting open . . . all the hoarded treasures of the commonwealth . . . the party now fell to, with spoon and hunting-knife, to scoop out the flakes of honey-comb . . . WI 51, 52

When the rangers and their guests left the honey tree, a quantity of honey was left behind in the hollow. Irving wanted to know what would happen to the tree.

It will be cleared off by varmint . . . bears, and skunks, and racoons, and ‘possoms . . . bears is the knowingest varmint for finding out a bee-tree . . . They’ll gnaw for days together at the trunk till they make a hole big enough to get in their paws, and then they’ll haul out honey . . . bees and all. WI 53, 54

Commissioner Ellsworth had something to say about the bees. They were “good natured” at the end because of the smoke.

. . . a small fire was made . . . the bees poured out upon us, in great numbers but we stood still, and did not show fight, and they soon became “good natured”. . . HLE 30

 

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