Tulsa, Oklahoma

===20th century===
[[File:Cains Ballroom Sign.jpg|thumb|upright|Cain's Ballroom came to be known as the "Carnegie Hall of Western Swing"<ref name="Cain's Ballroom">{{cite news | date=March 25, 2007 | url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/itemsofinterest/centennial/centennial_storypage.asp?ID=070321_1_CE13_spanc63544| title=Cain's Ballroom – A Music Icon: Venue is a landmark for Western swing, punk fans | first=Matt | last=Elliott | publisher=[[Tulsa World]] | access-date=April 20, 2007}}</ref> in the early 20th century.]]
In 1925, Tulsa businessman [[Cyrus Avery]], known as the "Father of [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]],"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG02/carney/avery.html | title=The Father of Route 66 | publisher=[[University of Virginia]] | access-date=April 20, 2007}}</ref> began his campaign to create a road linking [[Chicago]] to [[Los Angeles]] by establishing the [[U.S. Highway 66 Association]] in Tulsa, earning the city the nickname the "Birthplace of Route 66".<ref>{{cite web| title = Birthplace of Route 66: Tulsa, OK| url = http://www.citydictionary.com/OK/Tulsa/Birthplace-of-Route-66/5485/| date = Jun 22, 2009| access-date = July 28, 2010| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120724132504/http://www.citydictionary.com/OK/Tulsa/Birthplace-of-Route-66/5485/| archive-date = July 24, 2012| url-status = dead| df = mdy-all}}</ref> Once completed, U.S. Route 66 took an important role in Tulsa's development as the city served as a popular rest stop for travelers, who were greeted by Route 66 icons such as the Meadow Gold Sign and the [[Blue Whale of Catoosa]]. During this period, [[Bob Wills]] and his group, [[The Texas Playboys]], began their long performing stint at a small ballroom in downtown Tulsa. In 1935, [[Cain's Ballroom]] became the base for the group,<ref name="Cain's Ballroom" /> which is largely credited for creating [[Western swing|Western Swing]] music. The venue continued to attract famous musicians through its history, and is still in operation today.<ref name="Cain's Ballroom" />

For the rest of the mid-20th century, the city had a master plan to construct parks, churches, museums, rose gardens, improved infrastructure, and increased national advertising.<ref name="Tulsa History" /> The [[Spavinaw Water Project|Spavinaw Dam]], built during this era to accommodate the city's water needs, was considered one of the largest public works projects of the era.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tulsaweb.com/tulhist.htm |title=Tulsa's History |publisher=Tulsa Web |access-date=May 7, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221234623/http://www.tulsaweb.com/tulhist.htm |archive-date=February 21, 2007 }}</ref>

A national recession greatly affected the city's economy in 1982, as areas of Texas and Oklahoma heavily dependent on oil suffered the [[1980s oil glut|freefall in gas prices]] due to a glut, and a mass exodus of oil industries.<ref name="Oil Bust">{{cite web | date=January 23, 2006 | url=http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/Oklahoma_Oil_Gas_Briefing_January_2006_0302061746.pdf | title=Oil and Gas Briefing | publisher=Oklahoma Department of Commerce | access-date=April 27, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614044129/http://staging.okcommerce.gov/test1/dmdocuments/Oklahoma_Oil_Gas_Briefing_January_2006_0302061746.pdf | archive-date=June 14, 2007 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Tulsa, heavily dependent on the oil industry, was one of the hardest-hit cities by the fall of oil prices.<ref name="Oil Bust" /> By 1992, the state's economy had fully recovered,<ref name="Oil Bust" /> but leaders worked to expand into sectors unrelated to oil and energy.