(FREE) Ponca City Main Street’s Time Frame App : Linking the Present with the Past

Story by Chelsea McConnell | Staff Writer

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Ponca City Main Street (PCMS) is at it again – enhancing the way we interact with our downtown by linking what we see in the present day to our community’s rich and unique history. In honor of National Preservation Month, PCMS will launch their Time Frame App in May.

The Time Frame app is a historical tour app that will allow users to take a self-guided tour of our downtown. The app will lead users on a route highlighting various properties downtown. At each of the destinations, users will be able to hold up their mobile device to see historic photos of the location layered over the present-day view. The app will use GPS and be able to give specific instructions on where to stand, how far to walk to the next location, and the like. Users will find themselves across the street from the property, so they are able to view the entire building or space. They will then hold up their device and be transported back in time. All locations on the tour will feature multiple historic photos. These photos give insight to the history of the buildings and the history of our community. They are a glimpse into what life was like in downtown Ponca City over the years. Photos range from approximately 1895-1970.

In total, the app will feature 15 locations within our downtown. Users will get to experience over 90 historic photos, each taking them back to a special moment in our community’s past. At each location, the user will be treated to an audio description of the building read by PCMS’s current Board President Jeff MacKinnon. Description details include information on the architectural style of the property, significant historical facts, and observations about notable changes throughout time.

You don’t have to be a history buff to appreciate the things you’ll learn using the app. You’ll see the property where greats like Will Rogers and Duke Ellington performed and the location where historic figures like William Taft and Theodore Roosevelt stayed. You’ll see the space that was a hub for millionaires in the 1920s. The app features historic parade shots with elephants marching down Grand Avenue. Properties showcased feature a variety of architectural styles including Spanish Colonial, Classical Revival, Italianate Revival and more. You’ll see photos of a property that was built in one location and moved to another and even the locations of properties that, sadly, no longer exist.

According to Ponca City Main Street Director Maci Graves, “The Time Frame app is a historical tour app that is used to encourage historic preservation and highlight the heritage of our community using the latest advances in augmented reality. This project encourages tourism to our community and shows our appreciation for the rich heritage of Ponca City.” There are currently ten Oklahoma communities featured on the Time Frame app. PCMS partnered with Ponca City Tourism and our local TSET branch to bring this project to fruition.

Ponca City Main Street works in four broad areas designated by Main Street America called the Four Points. The Four Points are represented by PCMS’s four committees. Committee members work diligently to carry out the program’s Mission and Vision through the countless projects they do each year. The Time Frame project has been spearheaded by the Economic Vitality Committee, led by Board Member Lori Henderson. Lori is incredibly passionate about our community’s history and our downtown. For years, Lori’s passion has fueled her service on the Main Street Board and Committees.

The Time Frame App project is just one of the exciting things Main Street has been working on recently. Committees are always busy pursuing new projects and ideas. If you are passionate about our community’s historic downtown, contact Main Street to get involved today. Volunteers have a huge impact on the program and new insight is always needed and appreciated. Any and all community members are invited to serve on Committees. Because committees have no term limits, they are a great entry point to getting more involved in our community.

For more information on this project, any other Main Street project, or getting involved with the program, reach out to PCMS today. You can reach the PCMS office at (580) 763-8082, visit them in person at 400 E. Central Ave. in Suite 201G, or find them on social media. The Time Frame app can be found in the Apple Store or on Google Play.

Featured Properties:

City Hall, 516 E. Grand Ave.

Goodyear Time Building, 420 E. Grand Ave.

Marland Building, 324 E. Grand Ave.

Masonic Building, 222 E. Grand Ave.

Farmers National Bank, 122 E. Grand Ave.

Union Bus Station, 201 N. 2nd St.

Jens Marie Hotel, 109 N. 2nd St.

Poncan Theatre, 104 E. Grand Ave.

Arcade Hotel, 104 W. Grand Ave.

Orville Savage Motor Company, 200 W. Grand Ave.

Kress Building, location 1, 105 E. Grand Ave.

Kress Building, location 2, 105 E. Grand Ave.

Souligny Donahoe Building, 121 E. Grand Ave.

Pabst Building, 201 E. Grand Ave.

Paris Furniture Building, 409 E. Grand Ave.

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