(PCM+)Facts Coupled with Inspiration:

Author Annie Vanhoose Brings a Voice to Lydie Marland

The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.

“If what I say resonates with you, it’s merely because we’re branches of the same tree.”

~ William Butler Yeats, Poet and Author

Have you ever had a bit of history, a story, that just would not leave your mind? That is exactly what happened for Annie Vanhoose in regard to historical figure Lydie Marland. Annie was born in Ponca City but moved to Nashville with her family when she was two. However, she still spent time visiting the area due to extended family who lived in Ponca City and Blackwell. After 20 years in Nashville, Annie moved back to Ponca City in 2017 to be closer to her grandparents, and soon her parents restarted their family business, Bargain Barn. Her grandfather, David Hall, had founded the business, the local TV station and worked as a reporter. He told his granddaughter about trying to interview Lydie Marland in her later years, and Annie’s imagination was sparked.

After a visit to Marland Mansion, her interest was piqued even more, and she wrote about the Marlands in college creative writing classes. Vanhoose says, “That’s really where The Black Gold Heiress was born, in those early impressions and wondering what it must have been like.”