Rose, Suzanne and the Golden Driller, Tulsa, OK
Some people admire the Golden Driller for his powerful physique. “He’s a hunk!” my older sister Suzanne exclaimed when she drove us across town to see him. For others, the Golden Driller is a towering tribute to men who worked the oil fields. For Oklahoma, he is the state monument.
He is a sight to behold. Standing 76 feet tall in front of the Tulsa Expo Center, he rests his right hand on the top of an oil derrick, which had been moved from a depleted oil field in Seminole, Oklahoma. To get an unobstructed look at him, you need to get up close, which makes him seem all the more imposing.
An inscription at the base of the statue reads, “The Golden Driller, a symbol of the International Petroleum Exposition. Dedicated to the men of the petroleum industry who by their vision and daring have created from God’s abundance a better life for mankind.”
The Golden Driller – a hunk of a tribute to oilmen.
That gives Lady Liberty a run for her money as far as
statues are concerned.
Ah, Lady Liberty would tower over the Golden Driller. She stands 151 feet high.
Hi Rose,
I cannot believe that as many times as I was in Tulsa in the 1990s I never saw this site! How long has it been up? It’s good to hear you are doing so well. I am so happy that you are pursuing “the” dream and sharing your escapades with us.
Just this past Thursday, as I watched the sun rise over the Atlantic in beautiful Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, I realized how many sunrises I have seen but never “seen” as the truest poetry in motion that they are. The colors, the sounds and the smells of a sunrise, particularly over the ocean, is a thing to behold. The name for your home on wheels struck me, too. How lovely!
I wish you well and look forward to staying in touch!
Hugs -
N
I checked and according to answers.com, the Golden Driller was permanently installed in front of the Tulsa Expo Center for the 1966 International Petroleum Exposition.
Great photo! He reminds me of the giant Midas Muffler Men scattered along America’s highways, many of which have had their muffler’s stolen & identities disguised.