City council to consider naming street after Bartlesville icon Jim Hess Monday
If Bartlesville icon, James Albert “Jim” Hess, could see what honor may be bestowed on him, he’d be humbled as he was never one to seek the limelight but shined his light upon his beloved community.
On Monday, the Bartlesville City Council will consider a request to create an honorary street, “Jim Hess Boulevard” on 5th St. between Shawnee and Delaware avenues near downtown Bartlesville.
David Lee Hess, Jim Hess’s son, started a petition late last year to get the honorary street name for his father’s contributions to the community. He and several helpers spent about 10 days collecting the necessary signatures from residents and local businesses in the area in order to file an application with the City of Bartlesville.
Almost 500 signatures were collected and 100% of the surrounding businesses approved the petition that made its way through various city departments in order to have it presented to the city council for consideration.
The Hess family owned and operated the 5th & Shawnee Liquor store from 1965 until Jim Hess’ death in November 2021 and it seemed the logical place to have the honorary street name, according to David Lee Hess. Linda Hess, Jim’s Hess’ wife of 52 years, who helped run the store along with the adjacent Party-Quik convenience store, passed away in July 2021.
While the street name would be in front of the store, Jim Hess’ legacy and multitude of contributions to the Bartlesville area the primary reason for the request.
“Many people in the community felt that my Dad’s contributions to the city were worthy of the honor,” said David Lee Hess. “I thank the hundreds of Bartians from all over the country who encouraged me to do this.”
Jim Hess, also known as “Mr. Bartlesville”, was involved in all facets of the community and served on numerous committees.
Most notable was his creation of the College High School Alumni Association and Scholarship Fund in 1986, which rewards Bartlesville students with scholarships. So far, the program has helped 140 graduates attend college.
Jim Hess graduated from College High School (now Bartlesville High School) in 1961 and was passionate about promoting education and growth of young people in the community which is evident with his involvement in The Friends of the Bartlesville Library, where he served a two-year president term.
Jim Hess once said in an article, “I’ve had a lot of good ideas that served me, but the difference between a good idea and a great idea is that a great idea helps other people.”
He was known for his passion for all history and served as president of the Washington County Historical Society and the Bartlesville History Museum. He was active in the College High School Alumni Association and helped coordinate reunions.
According to City of Bartlesville officials, there are two existing honorary street names for C.J. “Pete” Silas and Jim Bohnsack.
If approved, a sign bearing Jim Hess’ name will be placed above the existing 5th St. and Shawnee Ave. street sign.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: City council considers naming street after Bartlesville icon Jim Hess
