Lewis Haines (Lew) Wentz - Ponca City
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 36° 42.208 W 097° 04.791
14S E 671517 N 4063695
Lewis Wentz was a remarkable man and a driving force behind the growth of this area.
Waymark Code: WMWE91
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 08/22/2017
Views: 5
There are no end to the online resources highlighting this man. Born poor n 1872, unable to afford a college education, opportunity knocked on his door and he gained employment with an oil magnate in Oklahoma, John McCaskey. And, as they say, "the rest is history." His endeavors gave him opportunity to grow in the company and in the oil business, and eventually, he became a partner, and later bought out the company and started his own oil company. He was a major factor in the Three Sands Oil development in the 1920s, and was listed among the top seven richest men in the U.S. All this is amazing and great. But, what he is equally known for is his generosity and caring for people.
He was nicknamed "Daddy Longlegs" because of his love for children, and personally saw that every child in Ponca City had shoes, coats and Christmas presents. He set up a foundation for his philanthropic work, and sponsored student scholarships at two large Oklahoma universities, which are active today. He supported various endeavors to better his fellow man.
This monument is a gray granite block sitting in a shrub garden on the sidewalk on the southeast corner of 4th and Grand in downtown Ponca City, in front of the Kay County Courthouse. The monument has an engraved picture of Wentz and the following words:
Lewis Haines (Lew) Wentz
1872 - 1949
Philanthropist
Oil Man
Donor Wentz Camp & Pool - Builder Oklahoma
Society for Crippled Children - Established
Student Loan Fund University of Oklahoma and
Oklahoma State University
"He always gave"
His later years were spent living in the Arcade Hotel, which he owned. He passed away there on June 9, 1949 and is buried in the local I.O.O.F. Cemetery.