PAST SPECIAL PROJECTS

Bronze-Colored Park Bench

The Ponca City Leadership Class of 2004 and the Pioneer Woman Museum Advisory Board, with support from the ConocoPhillips Corporation, joined together to improve the visitor experience to the Pioneer Woman Statue.

In an effort to continue beautification of the grounds and to provide a more complete visitor experience, these two groups worked together on a project to install a concrete pad with bench seating and an electric sound post with graphics located near the Pioneer Woman Statue.

This offers visitors a comfortable outdoor seating area and the opportunity to learn more about the history of the statue and the museum.

A unique and beautiful bronze-colored park bench was designed and installed on the site as was the electric sound post.

Video Serices
It began with a conversation at lunch, about how history is a constantly evolving process and how extraordinary things happen to ordinary people everyday-- about those people, especially those women who had stories to tell-- important, inspirational, exciting stories that shouldn’t be lost to the future. Out of that conversation grew a partnership between the Pioneer Woman Museum and the Ponca City Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to record those stories for future generations.

A video interview series was developed, entitled I See No Boundaries. Five Kay County women who had made significant achievements in their personal and/or professional lives were chosen to be interviewed for the first series. The first series was completed and aired on the local television channel KSBN in October 2003. All five interviews are available for viewing daily at the Pioneer Woman Museum and videotapes are available for purchase at the museum.

With the first series a rousing success, the Pioneer Woman Museum and the Northern Oklahoma Historical Association have teamed up in 2004 to film a second series of interviews. This time the series will be available on DVD. Filming took place last month and interviews will be available for viewing in the museum and for purchase in March, National Women’s History Month.

More interviews are planned for the future.

I See No Boundaries

First interview series

Eleanor Hayes—Her career as an educator began in the 1930’s during the depression. She discusses her experiences as a young teacher in the rural Oklahoma schools; the changes she has seen throughout her career, both positive and negative; and shares advice for teachers starting out today.

Louise Abercrombie—A Ponca City journalist and newspaper reporter, she shares her experiences, memorable moments, and advice for future journalists gained during a successful career that has spanned more than 30 years.

Jo Saylors—World-renowned sculptor, she relates her rise to prominence in a field usually closed to women. She discusses her artistic vision and shares stories of the creation of some of her most famous works of art.

Jane Morris—As only the second female pilot hired by United Airlines, she discusses her role as a female in the world of aviation in a time when women pilots were a rarity. She relates the challenges of balancing a demanding career with the responsibilities a wife and mother.

Lillian Taylor—A BFTS Link Instructor during WWII, Secret Service agent, and goodwill ambassador for Oklahoma, she reveals the experiences of a long and varied career. From WWII to the present, she shares the stories of her adventures and her causes.

Second interview series

Marquetta Brown—An educator and writer, she discusses her quest to tell the story of the woman who designed the flag of Oklahoma and the book that resulted. She also talks about her role in the fight to save the Marland Grand Home for the citizens of Ponca City and her plans for the future.

Paula (Dusty) Branstetter—The first woman to fly over the magnetic north pole in a single engine airplane, she relates the story of the family adventure that set three world records and strengthened her faith in God.

Erma Carmack—A pioneer in the field of public health, she relates her experiences in the field of nursing while raising a family and designing and implementing new and innovation programs for the citizens of Kay County.