Circle Cinema and the Sapulpa Historical Society & Museum invite you to a FREE event on Friday August 15th in commemoration of Victory in Japan day and remembering Sapulpan Thomas Blakemore, Jr. who played a pivotal role in Japanese WWII negotiations.
The event will begin at 6pm with a special display in the lobby on Blakemore, courtesy of the Sapulpa Historical Society & Museum and Circle board member Joe Adwon. The photos and information in the exhibit will provide insight into Blakemore’s life from his roots in Sapulpa, to his time at Cambridge and Tokyo Imperial University, his role as legal officer under General MacArthur in WWII, and his work in growing Japanese and US relations after the war.
At 7pm, guests will move into the theater to view historical documentary films on the war in the Pacific leading up to Japan surrendering on August 15, 1945 and the signing of the surrender document to officially end WWII on September 2, 1945. The films contain archival footage and narration from many of the battles and events leading to the end of the war, with a runtime of about 2hrs.
The special exhibit on Thomas Blakemore will be viewable in the Circle prior to the commemorative event, beginning on August 2 and will remain on display throughout the month of August.
About the exhibit: Little could be found on the Blakemores in Sapulpa history, unless you knew where to look. If the family name is remembered at all locally, it’s due more to Thomas Blakemore, Sr., a longtime municipal judge and civic leader for 50 years in Sapulpa. However, the family legacy did not end there. Thomas Blakemore, Jr. would leave his mark on not only Oklahoma history but international history. Long after Blakemore, Jr. passing, newly discovered documents and histories were found and donated to the Sapulpa Historical Museum.
Over the last few years, the Sapulpa Historical Museum has had the privilege to learn more about Blakemore, Jr. and his wife, Frances, by examining the documents, letters, art pamphlets, pictures, and articles. The items are still being cataloged, identified, and studied for research purposes. The Sapulpa Historical Museum and Circle Cinema wished to align their passion for research, documentaries, World War II, and Oklahoma history in this collaboration. On display are eight panels featuring Thomas Lester Blakemore, Jr. and Frances Lee Wisner Baker Blakemore. Of these eight panels, five discuss Blakemore, Jr.’s journey becoming a lawyer and contributor to Japanese law after World War II. The last three panels feature Frances and her passion for Japanese culture and art. Together these panels highlight the unique experience these two individuals have on Oklahoma and world history.
About the Sapulpa Historical Museum: “The best kept secret in Oklahoma” phrase can describe both the Sapulpa Historical Museum and the legacy of Thomas Lester Blakemore, Jr. A few people may recognize the name, but many do not realize the importance and the uniqueness of our stories. The Sapulpa Historical Society began in 1968. At first, we didn’t have a museum building, but that changed when we were given an old building that once held the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). This building has a long and interesting past. It was built in 1910 and was first called the Lee Hotel. The first floor had shops like a piano store, a jewelry shop, a newspaper stand, and a Maytag appliance store. The second floor was for hotel rooms, and the third floor had a ballroom and even a business college. After the hotel closed, the shops stayed open, and in 1922, the YWCA moved into the second floor. They were there until 1968, when the building was donated to the Historical Society. We spent many years fixing it up and collecting old items, and finally in the 1975, we opened the Sapulpa Historical Museum.
Today, the museum covers all three floors of the building. We’ve also added nearby places like the Waite Phillips-Barnsdall Filling Station and the Fire Museum. Every building shares a piece of Sapulpa’s past. Inside, old hotel rooms and dorms have been turned into museum exhibits and offices. We’ve made a small town inside the museum, showing what Sapulpa looked like many years ago. You can visit a blacksmith shop, sheriff’s office, general store, church, and even a model of the Frisco Railroad shops from the early 1900s.
We now have displays for local authors, artists, and a pop-culture connection to our town. We have conducted years of research into our Women’s History and African-American History. We are still expanding today with relearning the Yuchi history by connecting with the Yuchi Language Project and reaching out to many other organizations that can guide us on this research. The museum has expanded its knowledge and shares its newest stories.
In the Sapulpa Historical Museum, we dedicate our exhibits on the cultural, personal, and business side of Sapulpa history; the Filling Station is dedicated for the significance of vehicles, gasoline, oil, and travel has had on the town; and the Fire Museum highlights the importance the first responders and their stories.
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