Delmar Garden
By Larry Johnson

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Delmar Garden was the premiere playground for Oklahoma City in the first decade of the Twentieth Century. Located on the north side of the North Canadian River at Noble (now SW 3rd) and S Western, Delmar Garden was built by Greek immigrant John Sinopoulo in 1902. Sinopoulo came from St. Louis and fashioned Delmar Garden after a park of the same name there. The recreation spot featured a dance pavillion, outdoor dining, a horse racing track, a beer garden, theatre and amusement rides.

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Famous performers include Lon Chaney, Buster Keaton, and boxer John L. Sullivan. While not a true "trolley park" like Belle Isle would be, Delmar Garden had a close relationship with the street car system and thousands of riders visited the park every year. Delmar Garden eventually fell victim to prohibition after statehood in 1907 and the capricious North Candian River, which flooded the area regularly, and closed in 1910. The Public Market now stands on part of the original Delmar porperty.