The location was set high on the hillside covered with trees, and the numerous little rivers all around it regularly brought in slow-moving bands of ground-hugging fog. The roadsters arrived via country roads. Then, later, as Route 66 snaked past, and even later, where the hurried Interstate traffic could see it waiting to provide them with a good time in its most recent guise as an eatery,
This famous place was in the countryside northeast of the Capitol when it initially started doing business. Directions were given rather of an address, as in the following example from a 1930 advertisement: “3 blocks north of the State Capitol and 4 blocks east of 63rd.” The names “63rd and Edmond Hwy” or “1226 NE 63rd” are used in later advertisements.
The area was known as the “Lincoln Tavern,” run by Mrs. Mitchell in May 1928, and was referred to as a “speakeasy” in the 1920s. In the summer of 1929, it was referred to as “English Tavern,” and in the following spring, it was identified as “Oak Cliff” and offered meals and Sunday dinners. Many local, county, and state leaders in Oklahoma in the 1920s were known to turn their backs on the prohibition problem. There were many issues to resolve in the area, including gangsters, the expansion of the KKK, and a population surge.
“Mitchell’s Oak Cliff Night Club” can be traced in ads to 1930 in Oklahoma City. Like many early nightclubs in the city, they were often in refurbished residences (such as the Abe Hale Night Club). In 1930, ads stated it was ‘newly redecorated throughout, but it is not clear when the establishment started or if there was something there even earlier.
Later news articles would say the establishment’s history was The Silver Club (1935–1937), The Oak Cliff Club (1937–1939), and The Kentucky Club (1939–). The dates appear to be slightly off for the club’s occupancy. The Oak Cliff Club, commonly referred to as “Mitchell’s Oak Cliff Night Club” (W. or E. Mitchell, a former policeman from Arkansas who came to Oklahoma in 1924) was found in newspaper ads as early as the spring of 1930. Midway through the decade, their partners, the Murphys, sued over a dispute over the sale of beer. The Murphys opposed it, but the Mitchells supported it, and Jessie Murphy alleged Mitchell was a hard drinker. The court sided, however, with the Mitchells. The owners were in a serious accident in 1937 that might have sparked an early retirement.
The “Kentucky Club” had its grand opening on October 28, 1938. In 1961, with the construction of a new motel complex nearby, the place became “The Ramada Club.” It was apparently still under the same management as the previous years, under Tony Marneres at that time. Then there is another stretch of it being “The Kentucky Club,” hawked as fine dining in posh surroundings. In 1981, it became “The County Line” and was noted for its BBQ and more casual family-style dining.
In the early years, it was noted for its racing stable theme with thirteen small dining booths. Every year, the Kentucky Derby winner’s name would be placed on one of the booths. There were tales of tables that rotated below the floor to hide gaming surfaces, hidden holes in the floor to stash booze or winnings, and signal bells in the booths for police raids. While some denied these, others, even some who had the opportunity to examine the underside of the old floors, indicated some odd construction features.
Overall, despite its self-promotion as a fine dining and dancing club with an emphasis on good food at various times, it had a shady past. It had a long history of being associated with gambling, illegal booze, and shady ladies. Most place these stories in the 1920s and 1930s. There does seem to be evidence of flaunted local laws on gambling and drinking, despite its label as a swank dancing and dining spot.
During the 1950s, it was raided more than once, along with dozens of other similar joints, in irregular law enforcement sweeps. Since it was ‘out in the country, just off Route 66 as it angled into Oklahoma City, and an attractive place for those willing to break the law to gamble or drink, anything may be possible.
The servant’s quarters of the Oak Cliff were where the decapitated body of the wife of employee Will Jackson was found in April of 1938. The wife was 42 and had been a servant in the home of Lytles of Larchmont Lane. An early ad from 1930 showed an “Aunt Jemima” style depiction of an “Aunt Willie” who served good cooking at “Oklahoma’s most exclusive nightclub” in December of 1930. Was this Mrs. Jackson?
The original house then burned in 1945, and a neon sign was cited as a possible cause in a lawsuit by then-owner Tony Marneres. The extent of the damage is unclear, and later stories do not jibe as to the extent of the damage to the original house. Over time, the original house of the club had been added to and several small motel-like quarters added for house staff. These gave rise to tales of a brothel and other nefarious activities over time. When they were added is unclear, but the 1938 murder does indicate there were servants quarters there then, and this adds some support to those other tales.
The rebuilt establishment became the Ramada Club and then once more the Kentucky Club until just before 1981, when one of its more notable incarnations emerged as “The County Line” (1981–200?).
However, the time line is a little less clear about some of the early forms of the club. One item was found for 1934 referring to something called “Silver Club” and saying they were ‘formerly Mitchell’s Oak Cliff” Why the ownership interruption occurred is not clear, but given the timing of the lawsuit and then the road accident that broke Mitchell’s neck, the time may have been ripe to sell out. A date of 1935 to 1938 for occupation by “The Silver Club” at the location may be accurate. There is a reference to a “Silver Dollar Club” in 1938 when Floyd “Jelly Clark of Texas was stabbed, but it was located at NW 50th and May.” So it is probably not the same club.
Over the years, many paranormal teams have investigated the location. Cold spots, EVPs, and numerous other observations were made (including some by this author) that added to the lore of the haunted reputation of the locale.
For at least eighty-three years, there has been an epicenter of lively activity perched on the hillside above the road. A beacon of good food, music, a nip or two, and the ability to toss the dice in a game of chance.
What other secrets might this ‘most exclusive nightclub reveal? We will let you know.
This location was one that definitely gave the promised ‘kicks’ on the historic Route 66 to passing motorists and thrill-seeking locals.
