Pieces of the former Interurban Railway — recently removed and preserved during street repairs on Delaware Avenue — will soon find permanent homes in two Bartlesville parks.
At the recommendation of the Bartlesville Park Board, the City Council approved the installation of exhibits at Robinwood Park and Pathfinder Parkway.
Community Development Director Larry Curtis said the city will install one commemorative exhibit at Robinwood, just to the northeast of the parking lot along Silver Lake Road, which runs very close to a portion of the historic Interurban route. A separate exhibit will be located along Pathfinder south of Frank Phillips Boulevard and just west of the Caney River, where remaining portions of the Interurban bridge can still be seen.
City staff were able to preserve a nearly 75-foot curved section of the Interurban, which operated more than 100 years ago on 10.1 miles of track connecting Dewey, Tuxedo, Bartlesville and the three smelters southwest of town. Also preserved were hundreds of Buffalo Brick pavers.
No timeline for the project has yet been determined. Design details will be finalized by city staff in the coming months. Funds for the project are anticipated to be covered under the city’s current FY 23-24 budget.