E. W. Marland

Explore the History of the Marland Family . . .

Ernest Whitworth "E.W." Marland (1874 - 1941)

The Early Years

E.W. Marland was born May 8, 1874 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied to be an attorney, graduating from University of Michigan Law School at the age of nineteen. Marland’s years in a law

firm led him to an interest in geology and a career in the oil industry. He prospered in the oil business, making his first fortune in the oil fields of West Virginia, only to lose it all in the panic of 1907. In 1908, Marland came to Oklahoma with not much more than belief in himself and a letter of credit. Mr. and Mrs. Marland made their home at the Arcade Hotel, and E.W. set out to explore for oil. (Right: Virginia Marland)

First Oil

The first gusher of Oklahoma oil came in for Marland in 1911, on land he had leased from a Ponca Indian. Soon after, he discovered two more wells and then it seemed he found oil everywhere he looked. By 1922, E.W. Marland controlled one tenth of the world’s oil reserves, and more than a third of the city’s population were employed by Marland Oil Company.

Marland's First Mansion

E.W. and Virginia Marland built a lovely house at Tenth and Grand, near the downtown area. That house had 22 rooms,

but what it became known for was the eight acres of formal, terraced gardens. It was acclaimed to be the most beautiful collection of shrubs, flowers, and foliage this side of the Mississippi.

Marland Family

Mr. and Mrs. Marland had no children of their own so they invited two of her sister’s children to come from Pennsylvania for a visit, and they stayed. The nephew, George, and the niece, Lydie, shared in the wealth of their aunt and uncle, being sent to the finest private schools and enjoying lavish parties with their friends in the home on Grand Avenue. Eventually, E.W. and Virginia adopted George and Lydie. (Pictured here clockwise from left - George Roberts Marland, Mrs. Sam Collins - Virginia's mother, Virginia Marland, Neighbor, E.W. Marland, and Lydie Roberts Marland.)

	The Marland Family		Pioneer Woman Statue
	Fox Hunts and Polo		Mansion Ownership
	The Marland Family Statues