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UER Forum > Archived US: South > Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions. (Viewed 985 times)
dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
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Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
< on 3/12/2011 9:31 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Alexander Tallchief was an Osage Indian in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Like most of the Osage tribe, they garnered great wealth during the oil boom in Oklahoma in the 1920's and 30's.

Alexander built what was then a mansion, a ten room brick structure on the hill overlooking Fairfax.

A shot of the home in better days. This is not how the home was originally constructed, two additions where added later.





He also designed and owned several other buildings in Fairfax, including the Tall Chief theater, which still stands.

When Alexander's first wife died, he remarried Ruth Mary Porter, a striking woman of Irish and Scottish ancestry. They had three children, a son and two daughters. Maria was born in 1925, her sister in 1927.

Maria and Marjorie spent their childhood playing in the rolling hills near Fairfax. With the prosperity from the oil, their family could afford private schooling, dance, and music lessons, and their mother was determined that her daughters should pursue artistic careers. In 1933, she persuaded her husband to move the family to California so the girls could continue their studies.

Both Maria and Marjorie went on to achieve international status as Ballerinas. Maria is considered America's first prima ballerina.


Maria


Marjorie



Maria danced with the Balanchine Ballet Society in New York from 1947 to 1965, now the New York City Opera. She was also the first American ballerina to dance at the Paris Opera. Her sister Marjorie was the "premiere danseuse etoile" of the Paris Opera Ballet.

In 1981 the sisters founded the Chicago City Ballet. Google has tons of info if you're interested.

A quote about her childhood in Fairfax by Maria,

In many ways, I was a typical Indian girl--shy, docile, introverted. I loved being out doors and spent most of my time wandering around our big front yard where there was an old swing and a garden. I'd also ramble around the grounds of our summer cottage hunting for arrowheads in the grass. Finding one made me shiver with excitement. Mostly, I longed to be in the pasture, running around where the horses were. These inaccessible rolling distances, green and lush in summer, seemed magical to me.


Her father returned home when Maria finished school in California and traveled to New York. He passed away in 1959, and I'm unsure who may have inhabited the home after that. Maria and Marjorie had an older brother Jerry, who may have inhabited it until he passed away in 1999. It's final days are fuzzy. I know it was occupied on and off until about 10 years ago, but is now abandoned.















Main Entrance





The door looks original, minus some of the hardware.







Railing on upper floor.



Sliding doors with cast iron steps.









































Up to the second floor.



At the top of the stairs looking into one of the additions above the garage.



This door had been locked and broken into.



Just a cedar lined closet.













The other addition. Originally just a patio area, it was later enclosed.













The master bedroom.















Back down the stairs.



Back outside to the basement.







Maria and Marjorie's old swing?







The basement was divided into two sections.



























No treasure here.



"The Incinerator" The Krause Iron Works Co. of Cleveland Ohio no longer exists. I couldn't even find a record that it ever had. The street location is now vacant and paved over.



The old Tall Chief theater as it appeared back in the day



..and today. A local alumni group is trying to raise enough funds to restore it.



I'm not sure who actually owns the property, but it appears its days are numbered.





Ruins, the fate of all cities.
pinkmeowcats 


Location: Oklahoma, US
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 1 on 3/13/2011 4:52 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice! It's sad that that mansion had to fall into such disrepair. It could at least be used as a museum or something. I remember learning about this house (and some other OK mansions) in my Oklahoma History class.

dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 2 on 3/14/2011 9:34 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I thought the same thing. The old building would be great for a museum. It's trashed, but structurally still sound. It would probably take something like the Osage Nation, as their isn't any local interest or funds.

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
Wiccan 


Location: Hamilton Ontario
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 3 on 3/14/2011 10:12 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice that you know the history of the place,great find!

emenhiser 


Location: Colbert, GA
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 4 on 3/15/2011 1:24 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
sweet, dude! i really dig the old houses. something about the architecture.

"Wear some golf shoes, otherwise we'll never get out of this place alive. Impossible to walk in this muck. No footing at all." -- Fear and Loathing

The Anti-Paradigm 


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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 5 on 3/15/2011 4:09 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
man, Where do you get all of your facts?! Of the places that I have been i can't find much info anywhere.

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Sargeant Politeness 


Location: Sun City, KS
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 6 on 3/15/2011 5:59 PM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
Very nice explore, and thank you for all of the history behind everything.

dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 7 on 3/16/2011 12:54 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by The Anti-Paradigm
man, Where do you get all of your facts?! Of the places that I have been i can't find much info anywhere.


This one wasn't as bad as some since there were some famous people tied to it. Maria talks about it some in her biography, some came from local people and local historical societies. Strange what you can also find in obits. I hear you on finding info though, there is a similar mansion in the same town I can't find ANYTHING on, though I haven't given up yet.

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
MrsCrow 


Location: Chesapeake, VA
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 8 on 3/18/2011 7:21 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Beautiful set. I always love locations that have random little things left behind undisturbed. A boot here, a shower caddy there, a couple of candlesticks... It just makes you think about the people who lived there and what their lives were like. Really interesting stuff.

cr400 


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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 9 on 3/18/2011 1:56 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
You really post some great stuff.......Thanks for the effort you put into it. It's almost like I got to tag along with you.

You can see a million miles tonite, but you can't get very far.

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bdgr 


Location: Chicago Adjacent
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 10 on 3/19/2011 11:00 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Absolutely fascinating. How people can let something like that go to seed just baffles me. So many people who would kill to have that house when it was first abandoned.

Great work.

adventuremom 






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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 11 on 3/26/2011 11:18 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Really great pics! I noticed a small satellite dish in one exterior pic, so somebody lived there not toooooooooo long ago?

darbycrashin 

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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 12 on 3/26/2011 11:47 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Great post! Nice pictures and interesting story. Thanks!

Those curtains are really ugly..

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dwtaylor999 


Location: Unassigned Lands, Oklahoma
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Re: Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions.
<Reply # 13 on 3/31/2011 5:23 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by adventuremom
Really great pics! I noticed a small satellite dish in one exterior pic, so somebody lived there not toooooooooo long ago?


From what I've gathered, it's been abandoned for about 10 or 11 years.


...and yes, those curtains were hideous... much more scarey than any ghost.

Ruins, the fate of all cities.
UER Forum > Archived US: South > Ballerinas, Indians, and old mansions. (Viewed 985 times)



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