So begins the Teepee’s revival

About 30 volunteers gathered Saturday to mow, clear brush, and gather up debris at the long-neglected Teepee Drive-In theater, located on the old Ozark Trail alignment of Route 66 west of Sapulpa, Okla.

A few weeks ago, Florida resident Russell Glenn of Starz Inc. announced he had acquired the property, which screened  its last movie in 1999, and would show films there again by late summer. The Tee Pee was built in 1950.

This was the small sign that greeted volunteers Saturday morning at the Teepee’s gate:

By late morning, much of the crew had removed scrub trees and vines from the back of the Teepee’s screen:

One of the most distasteful jobs was removing trash and ruined Drywall from the small building that housed the concession stand and projection room:

One who wasn’t there was Glenn. A volunteer said Glenn’s daughter was suffering from a lung ailment, and the only doctor’s appointment available for her was that day.

While working there, it was fun to listen to volunteers tell of their memories of the drive-in. A tattoo artist who cleared brush said he’d always wanted to buy the Teepee, but his business took too much of his time and money. One older woman recalled five boys who tried to sneak into the theater in a car’s trunk became stuck inside when its rusty latch malfunctioned. Local firefighters had to get them out.

Getting the Teepee open by late summer will be a tall order. The aforementioned building that houses the projection booth and concession stand is in terrible condition. Volunteers wondered what will be done about mosquitoes, a chronic problem in that floodplain area. They also wondered whether traffic noise from Oklahoma Highway 66 and the nearby Creek County Speedway would interfere with people’s enjoyment of watching films under the stars.

Regardless, enthusiasm seems high to have a chapter of Sapulpa’s past resurrected.

According to the Teepee’s Facebook page, another work day is scheduled for June 16. Good thing, too — it’ll need a lot of volunteer hours before it’s ready for movies again.