Purcell Travel Guide

Like many Main Street preservations throughout the country, you can still detect the old despite the modern varnish. Along Purcell's Main Street, there is not a single original date on any of the facades, nor is there a name of a single original proprietor chiseled into the stone above the front entrances. In some cases however, such as this masonic building, you can see emblems of the order above the awning and modern advertisements for yet another antiques shop along a struggling historic district.

The offices of Montgomery and Montgomery occupy an interesting building near the heart of Purcell's historic Main Street. Unlike the common red brick facades that line the heart of downtown in many Oklahoma communities, this particular building is a wooden construction whose distinction is obvious at a glance. Parking along Main Street is easy and free. A short walk along wooden and brick structures will transport you "back to the day," especially under so many consecutive balconies.

The historic Canadian Theater retains its original facade on the elliptical Main Streen in downtown Purcell, but its function is no longer tied to the theater. Instead of advertising the latest movie, or the last feature that was shown here, the marquee entices visitors to its wares, or for those with limited time, it features its own website. Claiming reasonable prices for antiques in fine condition, the buyer must always beware, and be the final judge in every sale.

Oklahoma City lies roughly thirty miles north of Purcell. The zoo, the state capitol building, the downtown renovation project, the historic districts, the wealth of museums and theaters, the Oklahoma City National Memorial, and all the other outlets befitting a large city are within a half-hour's drive of this small county seat of some 6,000 souls.

South of the University of Oklahoma campus and just minutes north of Purcell above the "Canadian River" is the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History. Some of the largest dinosaur bones ever discovered are on display here, as well as early Oklahoma prehistorical cultures and other displays. Admission fees are charged.

Favorite thing: This photo along East Main gives a fair idea of the rest of street, the historic heart of Purcell. At left is a red brick building from the territorial era, now a shop of some sort. In the center is a modern revitalization of an old Main Street building called the "Old Oklahoma Territory Store," established in 1995. Its wooden facade and wooden portico seems authentic enough, especially when jammed against another red brick facade. The only thing missing in this shot is the original horse hitch, which at one time would have been a key fixture along this oval.

Fondest memory: The downtown Main Street is on an ellipse. Parking is possible against any curb and even in the center of the street, along somewhat of a "traffic free" island. Like many small towns, it is possible for the tourist to traipse out into the middle of the street to gather ornaments for his album almost without watching for any traffic. Though Purcell is home to thousands, you'd never know it by walking along Main Street alone.