Born 16 December 1881 in Jefferson, AL
Death 20 October 1968 in Tulsa, Oklahoma @ age 86
Occupation = Barber, Pumper - Oil Lease. Owner Rainbow Dance Hall
Married =
Nancy (THORNTON) Murphree B - 11 Feb 1898 in AR
Son = Lewell H. (Bud) Murphree
B - 5 July 1906 in OK D - May 1982 in Owasso, OK @ age 75
Dau = Willie Mae Murphree
* Lewell H. (Bud) MURPHREE
Married = Florence Hazel Murphree B - 21 Mar 1910 D - 18 Jan 1998 in Owasso, OK
Son = Jack B - 1929 in Turley, OK D - 10 May 2007 in Highland, TX
Son = Pat
It was during the depression years and jobs were hard to find. He had very little trouble hiring a group of able bodied men in the area who were looking for work. But shortly before completion of the pavilion, he began to run out of money to pay the workers. When he informed them, they agreed to work on credit until the pavilion was opened and he could then afford to pay them. Every day, Charlie's wife Nancy, cooked a wash tub of soup and served them lunch until the building was completed.
When the construction was completed, the dance hall was named
During the next few years, The Rainbow Inn became widely known by residents throughout Northeastern Oklahoma. Bob Wills played his first engagement in Tulsa County there. (center>Below is a photo of Bob Wills and his western swing band
Of course, the photo above was not taken on the night of his first engagement at the Turley Rainbow Inn Dance Hall. That photo was probably taken in the middle 1940's.
Nancy worked selling the tickets and Charlie took tickets at the door. He also managed the overall operation of the Hall. He always had a compassion for anyone who was broke. He used to let many of the local residents in, (who were broke), in exchange for keeping up the coal stoves or do other small chores.
Bud Murphree,(Charley & Nancy's son), was a constable at the time with the Sheriffs Department, ane he worked as the bouncer. Bud's wife Hazel, worked in the check room. She kept their son Jack in a basket in the cloak room when she couldn't get a baby sitter. It was all pretty much a family operation.
In 1931, the Murphree two-story home burned to the ground. They never knew the cause of the fire. They converted their 2 car garage to a small residence, which was built on to throughout the years as they could afford it. There they lived the remainder of their lives.
There was one occasion in about 1933, a well dressed man came to see my Bud, and they visited about 20 minutes. Jack was only about 4 years old, and seldom had seen a man dressed in a suit .. and the man really got Jack's attention when upon leaving, handed him a dollar bill and said "Go buy yourself some candy." Bud told Jack some years later that the man was Pretty Boy Floyd. So the Rainbow Inn had people from all walks of life pass through it's doors.
Another time, a "B" Western Movie was filmed at the Rainbow Inn. There were several bales of hay on the inside. The star was Jack Hoxie. He was a popular western movie star at the time. One day, after they had filmed a fight scene, little Jack was surprised that everone was apologizing to each other when the fight scene was over. He had never seen anyone apologize after a fight at any of the dances.
Another regular event at the Rainbow was boxing matches. They were held there every month for 2 or 3 years in the late 1930's. The Rainbow Inn was also used as a polling place during elections. Even after the Dance Hall was converted to a skating rink in 1934 or 35, it was used as a polling place for a few more years.
About 1947, Charlie & Hazel's son, Bud & his wife Hazel assumed the management of the skating rink, and converted the snack bar area to include the sale of some groceries. They later built a new cement block grocery store on the front and south end of the skating rink and it doubled as a snack bar for the rink. It remained a skating rink until the middle 1950's. Although it had several different managers during that time. The last to manage the rink was Earnie and Pearl (Anderson) Cavely. (Pearl was born and raised in Turley). The last to rent the front area of the rink was for a Shoe Repair Shop.
When the skating rink finally closed. Then the grocery store part was converted into a coin-o-matic laundry. During the years between 1926 and 1955, the old "Rainbow Inn" was a dance hall, a skating rink, a root beer stand, an auction house, shoe repair shop, and a laundry, and a used furniture store. Also, at one time on the property,there was a miniature golf course, and a public swimming pool.
The public swimming pool was located on the South side of the rink. I was not open to the public but for a few years before it was closed by the health department. There were no sewer system in Turley at that time and there was a drainage problem. Charlie fenced it off and stocked it with fish. Many years after he retired ... he and his friends could be seen out there fishing.
For those who are into genealogy I'll give you a breakdown dealing with the family of those men who are in the above photo.
Of course, you already have the one on Charlie Murphree.
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The first one is:
Frank Bruce Johnson was born 20 November 1896 at Dixie, I.T., Oklahoma. Died on 2 April 1985 at Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma.
Fathers name was Alex Johnson
Mothers name was Virginia Dixon
Frank was the only child born to Alex and Virginia.
Frank married Vesta Dilahah Jacklson. She was born 24 March 1900 at Woolsey, I.T., Oklahoma.
They had 3 children:
Daughter -Jeanne LaNette Johnson, Born 4 May 1924 at Petrolia, Clay County, Texas.
Daughter -Virginia Lou Johnson, Born 15 June 1927 at Santa Fe, Stephens County, Oklahoma.
Son - Died shortly after birth.
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Next is
Calvin (Cal) Leonard Crum, Born 28 October 1895 in Kansas. Died on 31 March 1975 at Santa Clara, California
Fathers name was Henry Downs Crum, born 21 February 1855 at Austin, Minnesota.
Mothers name was Jeannette Sutherland, born 3 July 1855 at Netawaka, Jackson County, Kansas.
No record of any children.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Last is:
Tom E.Netherton, Birth date 27 February 1896, in Oklahoma, died January 1984, Tulsa, 74107. Ref: 441-16-6825.
Wife's name: Malissa (maiden name unknown).
They had one daughter ... Aleene Netherton, age 12 according to 1930 census record.
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When the rink was torn down, much of the lumber was donated to a route salesman who worked for the Pepsi Cola Company, to build a home and cabin on Grand Lake. Charlie, (who loved to fish), had an open invitation to use the Cabin on his fishing trips during his senior years. Charlie Murphee passed away in 1968, at the age of 86.
He left a lot of memories and lived a full and complete life. As a young man, he moved here from Murphreesboro, Tennessee, a town his ancestors settled. During his lifetime, he was a barber, a school teacher, a refinery worker, a country carpenter, and served many years on the Turley Water Board, where he installed and repaired water lines and read meters, as well as managing and overseeing the variety of facilities at the Rainbow Inn location.
The preceeding story was told by Charlie & Nancy Murphree's Grandson, Jack, (photo seen below). Jack stated remembered his grandfather say: "If you want anything in this life, you have to work for it".
"I shall never forget him .. he was pretty much been a role model for me throughout life."
Jack Murphree was born and raised in Turley. Most remember him as being a fixture of the old skating rink. The photo above shows him at his retirement as Fire Chief of the Tulsa Fire Department.
Following are some of the photos donated to the Turley Historical Society by Jack Murphree.
- 1939. Sent to Turley Log by Phil Billingslea.
