Left: Pawhuska, Okla., doubles its population size daily with tourists eager to visit Ree Drummond’s Mercantile. Photo by Laura Araujo
Right: Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond, food-writer, best-selling cookbook author and Food Network personality, has been involved in every aspect of creating the Mercantile. Courtesy photo
of Mexican chili powder. The Cowboy Coffee is a dark roast with steamed milk and sarsaparilla, topped with espresso and smoked sea salt.
A General Store makes up the other half of the main fl oor. Each item available for purchase was hand picked by Ree Drummond to give guests a genuine experience of how shopping would have been in years past. The fun, colorful collection includes housewares, kitchen items, fabric, rustic home decor, books, Drummond’s own line of jeans, jewelry and more. While downstairs is fast-paced, the second story of the Mercantile has a more relaxed feel. A full commercial bakery, the dream of Ladd Drummond, features baked goods made from scratch daily— everything from pastries, muffi ns and scones to pies, brownies and cookies. Comfortable seating and scenic views of downtown Pawhuska make the upper level a great place to take a break. An old-time candy bar of apothecary jars fi lled with colorful taffy, jellybeans and rock candy is a sweet way to conclude a Mercantile visit.
In addition to being an enjoyable destination, the Mercantile has brought new life to a rural Oklahoma town that experienced its boom in the 1920s. Joni Nash, executive director of the Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce, says as many as 14,000 to 16,000 guests visit town on a holiday weekend. “The dynamics of the community have changed. If you walked into a restaurant on October 30, you knew everyone there,” Nash says. “But when the Mercantile opened, it transformed the town overnight. Now when you walk into a restaurant, you don’t know anyone.” However, citizens have welcomed this renewal. The Mercantile has provided more than 190 new jobs to the local economy. And the Osage County business has been good to their employees, paying them median wages for Tulsa County. According to Nash, other Pawhuska merchants have put the shine on their own businesses and additional renovation projects are taking place downtown.
One local businessman who is enthusiastic about the progress is Bruce Carter. He is a silversmith and the owner of Tallgrass Art Gallery, which features Western, Wildlife and Native American Art and Crafts by more than 40 Oklahoma artists. Carter says the Mercantile has provided Pawhuska with an op- portunity that doesn’t come every day. “Ree has been amazing. She hasn’t made it all about herself. She has been supportive of the entire town,” he says. “It’s a springboard to get us where we need to be as a rural community.” When it comes to the lines, he says it’s well worth the wait to visit the Mercantile (though he likes to stop in early for a cinnamon roll). The employees are well trained and the food is top-notch. He adds that members of the Drummond family are frequently found walking in the lines, making conversation with their guests. “They’re part of this community,” he concludes.
PLAN A VISIT
Whether you’re planning a family getaway or a girls’ week- end, there’s lots to do in Osage County. The Pioneer Woman Mercantile is located at 532 Kihekah
Avenue, Pawhuska, OK 74056 Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday – Thursday; 7 a.m. to 8
p.m., Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday. Visit the Mercantile on the web at:
www.themercantile.com. According to Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce Executive
Director Joni Nash, there is steady traffi c at the Mercantile Monday through Wednesday. Thursday through Saturday draw bigger crowds to town, especially when the weather is pleas- ant and during holiday weekends. Various locally owned Bed & Breakfast and motel accommo- dations are ready to host out-of-town guests. “There are some very unique and quaint places to stay that
are very well done,” Nash says. “As far as planning an over- night visit, we love to help.” For more information on Pawhuska, call the Chamber of
Commerce at 918-287-1208 or check the list of accommoda- tions on their website:
www.pawhuskachamber.com. Nash also recommends a visit to the nearby Tallgrass Prairie
Preserve, the Woloroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with stained-glass windows predating WWI, and Pawhuska’s swinging bridge.
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