13 The Sand Springs Home: Home Sweet Home To My Maternal Grandparents

 

Maternal Grandparents Leonard Nolen and Elizabeth Moore

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 

Week 13 March 24, 2025

Prompt: Home Sweet Home 

Charles Page, Founder Sand Springs Home

Charles Page, a Tulsa oilman and philanthropist, had a vision—a dream of building a true home for widows and orphans. That dream became the Sand Springs Home and Widow’s Colony, and it was quite literally Home Sweet Home to my maternal grandparents, Leonard Nolen and Elizabeth Moore.

To bring his vision to life, Mr. Page enlisted the help of Captain Breeding of the Salvation Army. The very first to come under their care were Leonard, his younger brother Robert Luther, and their mother, Mattie, who was suffering from tuberculosis. Their first shelter was nothing more than a collection of tents.

They were soon joined by three more boys—Mattie’s stepsons from her second marriage to a Mr. Jones. That small community was the beginning of what would become a haven for hundreds.

Tragically, Mattie died on Christmas Day, 1908. Leonard and Robert remained in the care of Mr. Page, becoming part of the growing dream. They would spend the rest of their childhood in the Sand Springs Home for Children.

By June 1909, the tent settlement had transformed into a small village of cottages. The population had grown to 25 children, especially after Mr. Page took in twenty-one orphans from the bankrupt Cross and Anchor Orphanage in Tulsa.

The first large home completed in 1910

In 1910, my grandmother Elizabeth Moore, just five years old, arrived at the Home with her twin brother William and younger sister Anna. Their widowed mother could no longer care for them, and the Home became their refuge. By the end of 1910, the Home housed 60 children. 

Elizabeth Moore in front of Charles Page's right shoulder.
Anna Moore 3rd from left, front row.

Incorporated in 1912, the Sand Springs Home welcomed both orphans and children whose families were unable to care for them. Adoption was not permitted—Page was determined to keep siblings together. He avoided the word “orphanage” altogether. To him, this was a home, and all the children were family.

 

In 1916, construction began on a four-story brick dormitory. Delayed by World War I supply shortages, the dorm was completed in 1918. It was both elegant and functional, featuring large oil paintings, numerous fireplaces, a library, and even a bowling alley. It served generations of children until 1991.

The children affectionately called Charles Page “Daddy Page,” and he referred to them as his kids. Each Sunday, he hosted a family dinner at the Home. He believed deeply in giving the children opportunities to thrive: they played sports, formed orchestras, and had access to excellent teachers, equipment, and even a house matron and housekeeper.

They didn’t just live at the Home—they worked there, earned their own money, and when they turned 18, they had a choice: attend college at the Home’s expense or use their savings to forge their own path.

To ensure the Home’s future, Charles Page created a trust managed by five trustees appointed by the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of Oklahoma. Though he was not a Mason himself, he believed they would honor his personal creed: “Think Right.”

In a full-circle moment, Leonard Nolen and Elizabeth Moore were married at the Home on Charles Page’s birthday, June 2, 1924, at twelve noon “under the clock” during the annual Homecoming Celebration. They were the first couple raised in the Sand Springs Home to marry.

Closing Reflection

For Leonard and Elizabeth, the Sand Springs Home was more than a place to live—it was the foundation of their lives. It gave them shelter in a time of loss, structure in the midst of uncertainty, and ultimately, a family in every sense of the word. Their story reminds us that home is not always defined by walls or who raises you, but by the love, care, and opportunity found within a community.

Charles Page’s vision gave generations of children a place to belong. For my grandparents, and many others, it truly was a Home Sweet Home—not just in name, but in spirit.