Building home to Sapulpa Herald for more than 100 years torn down

SAPULPA, Okla. — Demolition started on the building that had been home to the Sapulpa Herald for more than 100 years.

Sapulpa Mayor Craig Henderson says crews spent Monday taking down decking and wooden shingles, then Tuesday the big machinery came in to do the real demo work.

The demolition is part of the city’s plan for an alleyway redesign as part of the Downtown Master Plan funded by the 2020 GO Bond that passed in January last year. The redevelopment will turn the alley between Park and Water Streets into an outdoor seating and dining area.

Demolition of building home to Sapulpa Herald for more than 100 years

But before the city takes a step into the future, we wanted to take a look at the past history of the building.

Rachel Whitney, a curator for the Sapulpa Historical Museum, wrote that the building at 16 South Park Street was home to The Sapulpa Light in 1896 just before Sapulpa became a city. Ownership of the paper changed hands a couple times but it wasn’t until 1914 that the Sapulpa Light changed to the name known today, Sapulpa Herald.

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The Oklahoma Historical Society says the paper was so aggressive on crime, that in May 1915 someone planted dynamite at the building destroying the printing press and damaging the building but not stopping newspaper production.

As the town grew, address numbers shifted so while city records show 16 S. Park belonged to diners, barbers and a shoe store throughout the ‘20s and ‘30s the Herald never moved buildings. It wasn’t until 1936 that the Sapulpa Historical Museum says the address realigned again.

In 1946 the building caught fire but again the newspaper kept on.

The saying “if these walls could talk” seems like an easy fit for this building, home to years and years of story telling. The Sapulpa Herald will move to a new home, yet to be announced.

After 126 years, more than a dozen owners, two fires and a handful of name changes it seems fair to say this week’s demolition is an end to an era but definitely not the end to the Sapulpa Herald.