forums
new posts
donate
UER Store
events
location db
db map
search
members
faq
terms of service
privacy policy
register
login




UER Forum > Archived US: South > Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City (Viewed 973 times)
ypsiexplorer 


Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
< on 9/19/2009 8:08 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I just recently moved to Oklahoma City from the Detroit area and so I've been looking for stuff to explore. Having not lived here long I've been trying to get a feel for the UrbEx scene here before exploring anything very big. A lot of locations in Detroit are pretty open and I haven't seen many "easy access" places here yet, but I did find one site that's kinda interesting and is really easy to access. It's the U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in OKC.

153188.jpg (47 kb, 800x157)
click to view


I have done some digging and found very little on this curious abandonment… which only adds to the intrigue.

Among the things that I do know are the year that it was built, 1989, and the fact that it featured a 10-foot tall bronze sculpture which was donated by a man named John Bianchi. Interestingly, the U.S. Marshals website has an entire page devoted to the “Frontier Marshall” but it contains no mention of the park in which the sculpture was originally planned to be displayed in.

I also found during my research that the land that the memorial park sits on was deeded over to the U.S. Marshals Foundation by the Oklahoma City Economic Development Foundation. According to an article from the Journal Record it was originally announced as a 6.5 million dollar project that would be funded by the U.S. Marshals Foundation. The sculpture and the memorial park were to be created in 1989 in celebration of the bicentennial of the U.S. Marshals.

The current state of the memorial park is a sad one. A circle drive is right off of the main road across from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage museum. It has a center landscape feature that looks like it had a flagpole at one time. The main structure of the road sign is there but all of the sign parts have been removed. From the circle drive it’s hard to tell where the memorial itself is but when you peer into the trees and overgrowth on the north side of the drive you see two large concrete structures with a gate between. This is the path to the memorial. From there an overgrown path leads to a clearing with the large concrete oval that you see in the pictures. For some reason the oval now has a bunch of tree limbs that have been dragged onto it. From there another overgrown path leads to the memorial.

The memorial is shaped like a star as you can see from Google Maps http://maps.google...0.003986&t=h&z=18 . The five points of the star each have two concrete walls in the center that, I’m guessing, at one point featured the names of the Marshals who had died in the line of duty. As you can see from the pictures, this is the most interesting area. There are remnants of what looks to be granite slabs that covered the star area. Most of the pieces seem to be missing.

It seems very odd that a memorial to fallen public servants would fall into such bad disrepair and become abandoned after only two decades. I’d really like to know what happened to this memorial and so I think I’ll do some searching next time I’m at the library. Am I missing something here? Did the foundation abandon the memorial? Did vandals rob the thing of all of its valuables? What happened to what once was such a great memorial?


153262.jpg (125 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153261.jpg (105 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153260.jpg (102 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153259.jpg (118 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153258.jpg (95 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153257.jpg (136 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153256.jpg (90 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153255.jpg (110 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153254.jpg (107 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153253.jpg (47 kb, 450x600)
click to view


153252.jpg (34 kb, 450x600)
click to view


153251.jpg (117 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153250.jpg (111 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153249.jpg (107 kb, 800x600)
click to view


153248.jpg (68 kb, 450x600)
click to view


153247.jpg (142 kb, 800x600)
click to view



Happiedaze 


Location: Galveston Area, TX
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Yahoo! IM | 
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 1 on 9/20/2009 2:30 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wow! You're right.. this is very sad and I'm so curious as to why it's abandoned now myself.

I think you did an awesome job researching! This is what I come on UER see, so thanks for doing it. I just read the whole thing twice.

The branches are creepy. They almost look like tiny trees that might have been planted and later cut down or something? Did you see any tree stumps? Also I'm wondering if any of the explorers local to that area might know more?





'Our plans are all laid out,
take all these unmarked roads,
we blaze the trails to places no one goes, yeah!' -Rise Against
trenchcoat astrologer 


Location: Florida
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 2 on 9/20/2009 4:51 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
This is very sad, I am very curious as to why abandon a great memorial. Thanks for the story and pics, I look forward to hearing more.

WarBird69 


Location: Eastern TN
Gender: Male


Atomic Bird of War

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 3 on 9/20/2009 5:07 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wow, that is amazing. Stuff like this boggles the mind....why a memorial would be left abandoned.

When twilight draws near, when you are pushed to the very limits of your soul, when it seems that all you have left are the dead remnants of the fabric of your life:
-- BELIEVE
ypsiexplorer 


Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 4 on 9/20/2009 3:55 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Happiedaze
The branches are creepy. They almost look like tiny trees that might have been planted and later cut down or something? Did you see any tree stumps? Also I'm wondering if any of the explorers local to that area might know more?


Hmm... good question. I didn't notice any stumps around the area. I should have checked for that and I also should have checked if the grass was cut. It's hard to tell in the pictures. It's also interesting to note that the tree branches don't appear on the Google maps aerial view, so it must be somewhat recent.

Jonsered 


Location: Back in New Mexico where I belong
Gender: Male


Dressed for a scarecrow ball.........

Send Private Message | Send Email | Yahoo! IM | AIM Message
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 5 on 9/20/2009 4:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Bianchi was a leather goods manufacturer, such as pistol holsters and the like, and is very popular with police. Doesn't surprise me that he would have donated the sculpture.

Interesting spot.

I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.

Happiedaze 


Location: Galveston Area, TX
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Yahoo! IM | 
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 6 on 9/20/2009 4:33 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by ypsiexplorer


Hmm... good question. I didn't notice any stumps around the area. I should have checked for that and I also should have checked if the grass was cut. It's hard to tell in the pictures. It's also interesting to note that the tree branches don't appear on the Google maps aerial view, so it must be somewhat recent.


Or maybe since it's a star, (Which is way cool looking at from Google maps) someone was using it as a place to thank the Nature Gods for all the good gifts... you know, maybe some kind of ... people... that worship that sort of way. (Man, it's hard word things sometimes so that you don't offend anyone.)

'Our plans are all laid out,
take all these unmarked roads,
we blaze the trails to places no one goes, yeah!' -Rise Against
ypsiexplorer 


Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 7 on 9/20/2009 5:31 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Happiedaze
Or maybe since it's a star, (Which is way cool looking at from Google maps) someone was using it as a place to thank the Nature Gods for all the good gifts... you know, maybe some kind of ... people... that worship that sort of way. (Man, it's hard word things sometimes so that you don't offend anyone.)


Good point... can anyone lend some insight into this? I know we have a pretty diverse population here on UER.

/-/ooligan 


Location: Las Vegas area
Gender: Male


When in danger, when in doubt, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 8 on 9/21/2009 3:27 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Call the local USMS Field Office in OKC & ask them what the deal is with the place. They should know.

You might have the makings of a nice little freelance article for the local newspaper.


There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.
Mr_Fiend 


Location: Tulsa, OK
Gender: Male


Infiltration Expert...

Send Private Message | Send Email | 
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 9 on 9/21/2009 1:33 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
You can check the local library for records, even ask for help, they know how to find information for you. Or you go online and look up older newspaper articles. I know the Tulsa world has older archived articles online, its been helpful to me about finding out info on places.

https://abandonedo...bout/the-aok-team/
NoOne 


Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 10 on 9/25/2009 7:11 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Here you can see the statue.
http://www.usmarsh...rontier/index.html

looks like in 92 it was still unfinished and the US marshall foundation was having funding issues.
http://nl.newsbank..._trackval=GooglePM


[last edit 9/25/2009 7:18 PM by NoOne - edited 1 times]

CaryW 


Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 11 on 9/25/2009 8:49 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Ok, this interested me and instead of working I started Googling also.

I think the statue is being displayed across the street at the Cowboy Museum until the new Marshals Museum can be built in Ft Smith.

This newspaper article was from 1994.

http://news.google...sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5135,1808513

The proposals for the new museum mention the Frontier Marshal statue.

"All the arms meet at the lobby in the center, where a proposed frontier marshal statue would stand under a skylight before the main galleries. The space around the statue would be flexible-use space for exhibit introductions."


edit..I sent the sculptor an email asking where the statue is now.
[last edit 9/25/2009 10:33 PM by CaryW - edited 1 times]

Sargeant Politeness 


Location: Sun City, KS
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 12 on 10/3/2009 3:12 AM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
I would go to some of those houses in the area and ask if they know anything about the park. Tell them you are doing some research on it and see what they say. I am from KS, and I know how people are out there in the plains, they watch everything. So if some of those locals were there when it was being built, they watched it all happen.

great find/story!

AggiePhil 


Location: College Station, TX
Gender: Male


Texas Aggie

Send Private Message | Send Email | AIM Message | 
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 13 on 12/28/2009 2:12 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I know it's only been a couple months, but did you ever find out anything? Surely the local USMS field office would be able to do some research and get back to you? As a LEO myself, I would be embarrassed to have a memorial to officers in my backyard that had been left to rot.

Happiedaze 


Location: Galveston Area, TX
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Yahoo! IM | 
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 14 on 12/28/2009 3:08 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I think making a phone call to the local news station might help as well. Our news here does a segment where you can call in about things that make you angry.. I could see someone calling in about such a special place gone down hill and defaced like it's trash when it wouldn't have taken much to maintain it. I can't believe the city would let it go like that. So... maybe the local news can do a story on it.

'Our plans are all laid out,
take all these unmarked roads,
we blaze the trails to places no one goes, yeah!' -Rise Against
AggiePhil 


Location: College Station, TX
Gender: Male


Texas Aggie

Send Private Message | Send Email | AIM Message | 
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 15 on 12/28/2009 11:17 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Your thread and photos made me so curious that I couldn't help but do a little research of my own. But unfortunately, I couldn't really get a whole lot of information.

What I *think* happened was that they started to build the memorial but ran out of money before finishing it.

I even called and spoke to a man who works across the street at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and he said that over the years, he's had all kinds of people ask him about what it is. He said that he learned more from me on the phone about it than he's ever known himself. LOL!

So, unless we can find something talking about or showing it in use as an actual memorial, my money is going to be on it fizzling out before ever actually getting off the ground. Kinda sad really.

I do like the idea of turning a local news station onto the story. That way we can be sure to get the REAL answer, and we obviously aren't the only ones who are curious--the guy I talked to confirmed that even the locals don't know what the hell it is! Oh, and talk about government money (or even donated money) up in smoke!

Jaysun 


Location: New Braunfels
Gender: Male


TX Backroad Hunter

Send Private Message | Send Email | Facebook
Re: Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City
<Reply # 16 on 1/1/2010 11:52 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Somebody is still mowing that place somewhat so the they probably throw all the sticks on the concrete before they mow the place maybe?

UER Forum > Archived US: South > Abandoned U.S. Marshals Memorial Park in Oklahoma City (Viewed 973 times)



All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 125 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 737033807 pages have been generated.