Northland Shopping Center (Gone)
Tulsa, OK
Photo courtesy Chris King

Hidden on an overgrown hillside, the weathered Northland Shopping Center marquee outlasted the busy retail destination it once advertised. Rusted, faded and nearly swallowed by vegetation, it became an unexpected find for roadside photographers. You had to look past the weeds to imagine the shopping crowds it once welcomed.

Developed by Max Campbell in the late 1950s near 36th Street North and Peoria Avenue, Northland was among Tulsa’s early large suburban shopping centers. Stores including Froug’s, Woolworth’s, JCPenney and TG&Y drew families for school clothes, household goods and Saturday errands. Before enclosed malls took over, a center like this could cover quite a shopping list.

Northland Shopping Center (Gone)
Tulsa, OK
Photo courtesy Chris King

Storm damage to Froug’s during the 1960s brought one setback, while changing shopping habits created further challenges. By around 1990, Northland had largely ended its run as a traditional retail destination. Community and nonprofit organizations later brought new uses to portions of the property.

The marquee stayed behind through those changes, slowly retreating into the brush. Once designed to attract passing motorists, it eventually required a little searching to find. Even in that condition, the old sign gave visitors a glimpse of Northland’s earlier ambitions.

UPDATE: The deteriorated sign collapsed sometime before 2022 and was later removed. Portions of the former shopping center continue serving the community, but the familiar marquee is gone. Another oversized roadside welcome has become part of Tulsa’s past. 06-26