The End of An Era
Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa is no more.
As of the stroke of midnight Sunday night, June 24th, control of the ten acres on which Bell’s has sat for over 50 years at the Tulsa Fairgrounds has reverted back to Tulsa County along with everything left behind by Bell’s.
In the impossible scramble to remove an entire amusement park in only a few short months the Bell family, their employees and friends made a valiant effort and by in large succeeded. But their efforts were not totally successful.
The Bell family estimates that it will cost about $5 million to replace what they couldn’t or didn’t have time to move from the fairgrounds before the deadline.
The recent rainy weather which turned much of the 10 acres into a mud bath made an extremely difficult, dangerous and heartbreaking task an impossibility for mere mortals facing an unrealistic deadline imposed by a county so intent on catering to an Arabian horse show that it would destroy its oldest and best paying fairgrounds tenant.
That a Tulsa landmark such as Bell’s would be destroyed in order to create a parking lot for a horse show is not only a foolish abuse of government power it is cause to flush from county government each and every official, either elected or appointed, that were involved in this travesty.
Long after the three year run of the Arabian horse show has come and gone there will be a big empty spot in Tulsa. One formerly occupied by a Tulsa landmark. A locally owned family business that not only provided jobs for thousands of Tulsa teens over its long life but one which provide countless hours of pleasure, excitement and entertainment to millions.
Was it worth destroying Bell’s Amusement Park for a parking lot for a horse show?
The answer is simple.
Not only NO, but HELL NO!
