The park soon fell into disrepair, crumbling from neglect and weather. Davis died in January 1990, followed by his wife Zelta in 2001. Chief Wolf-Robe Hunt once ran the Arrowood Trading post across the highway from the Blue Whale attraction.īy 1988, the Davises were not able to continue managing the attraction, so they closed it to the public.
BLUE WHALE OF CATOOSA FULL
The attraction also featured Hugh's brother-in-law, Indian Chief Wolf-Robe Hunt, a full blooded Acoma Indian, who was famous in his own right for his Indian paintings and as a highly skilled silversmith. Davis continued to add to the roadside attraction until it eventually included The Fun and Swim Blue Whale and the A.R.K. Originally calling it Nature's Acres, Mr. And "K2C" folks continue to love and visit their big blue friend that smiles over their town come rain or shine.Former Animal Reptile Kingdom attraction next to the Blue Whale
BLUE WHALE OF CATOOSA FREE
Visitors are still welcome, free of charge. And the ARK may be torn down soon to prevent any injuries or accidents there.īut "Fins of the Whale" hope to eventually have Blue's status changed to Oklahoma National Historical Landmark. Kids may not splash in the swimming hole anymore - liability issues brought a stop to that. Within the past 10 years, Hampton Inn volunteers cleaned the area up even more, and today Blue has regained some of his former glory. And little by little, travelers on State Highway 66 started stopping again. He and volunteers painted the whale, cleared the grounds of weeds and cleaned up the water. So, in 1995, work began to bring Blue back to life. "Dad had passed away, and we knew that he would not like the idea of people tearing up the place that he had worked so hard on," Blaine Davis said. Nature took over, grass and weeds grew "armpit high," and vandals began wrecking what the Davises had built. In 1988, his parents saw an opportunity to close up shop and shut down the old swimming hole.Īfter that, it quickly fell into disrepair. "When that happened and the kids didn't have to associate with those other kids, then the interest started falling off," Blaine Davis said. The Blue Whale was a popular destination for Catoosa kids until the mid '80s, when backyard pools started becoming more common. It took two years, 126 bags of concrete mix, 19,400 pounds of crushed stone, $3,000 in materials and at least that in sweat equity before the whale finally was dedicated to Zelta Davis as her 34th wedding anniversary gift. One handful of concrete at a time, Hugh Davis constructed his labor of love. So, when Hugh Davis began work on the whale, the kids in town knew it would be something grand. Hugh Davis loved nothing more than kids and animals, Blaine Davis said. "So, it was nothing to have a houseful of animals all the time." "He would bring all the sick animals that needed attention home, and mom would baby them back to health," Blaine Davis recalls. Hugh Davis had retired from the Tulsa Zoo. What used to be a dock for diving and sunning has half-fallen into the pond and is cordoned off.īut Blue is still a great Oklahoma story that Blue's caretaker, Blaine Davis, tells anyone who wants to hear it.ĭavis is the son of Hugh Davis, who built Blue in the early 1970s as a sort of anniversary gift for his wife, Zelta Davis. The lifeguard tower in the pond still stands, but it's unmanned. Nature Acres is shut down and boarded up. The ARK is swallowed up with weeds, and the wood it's built with is splintered and rotted. Today, Blue still smiles broadly, but what he sees isn't what it used to be. "And there weren't, because there were so many kids in there, a snake wouldn't even think to come close."īut kids don't swim there anymore. "My mother wouldn't let me because she was terrified of snakes, and she was afraid there were snakes there," she said. Now the chairman of the committee working to preserve the whale, she remembers being 10 years old and jealously watching friends frolicking in the coveted swimming hole. Alligator Ranch later became a kiddie zoo called Nature Acres.įor locals such as Jennifer Edwards, a day spent with Blue was a great day.
Alongside Blue's pond, there used to be an ARK (Animal Reptile Kingdom) and Alligator Ranch, where kids could have a birthday party and buy snacks.