Sand Springs resident John Patrick was going through a storage box of documents when he found an official copy of the Oklahoma Legislature’s 1913 bill appropriating money to build the State Capitol.
“I was kind of shocked,” Patrick said. “At first, I didn’t know exactly what I was looking at until I saw State of Oklahoma, Department of State, and the state seal. My next thought was to immediately go to my dad and find out where this came from.”
Patrick decided to donate the document to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
“I collect historical items and to be honest, my first thought was to get a case for this and just hold on to it. But then I got to thinking more and more that it really needs to go back to the state of Oklahoma. Who knows how many other copies are out there or if there are any other copies archived. For it being 110 years old, even though it’s kind of fragile, it’s in remarkable condition,” Patrick said.
Patrick’s father said the bill belonged to his grandfather, a postmaster and civil war veteran who was committed to early politics in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director Trait Thompson thanked the Patrick family for their donation.
“The Oklahoma Historical Society is grateful to John Patrick for donating an original copy of House Bill 72 from the 1913 extraordinary session of the 4th Legislature. This document contains the signature of Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Harrison dated May 28, 1913, declaring it to be a true copy of the bill. Following the November 5, 1912, election which cemented Oklahoma City’s hold on the capital city, this legislation cleared the way for the state to finally begin construction of its Capitol building. We are happy to be able to preserve this important piece of history in perpetuity in our archives,” Thompson said.
