ARCADIA, Okla. – The Arcadia Round Barn, located just south of U.S. Route 66 in eastern Oklahoma County, has stood for more than 125 years, surviving periods of neglect, structural failure and restoration.
Built by hand in 1898
Construction began in 1898 after William Harrison “Big Bill” Odor and his wife, Myra Eva Odor, settled on 320 acres near the Deep Fork River. Odor designed and built the barn himself, creating a round structure about 60 feet in diameter and 43 feet tall on a foundation made of local red Permian rock.
To form the curved walls and roof, Odor and his workers soaked green bur oak boards in water until they could be bent into place. Family accounts say Odor climbed more than 40 feet to secure the first roof rafters when others declined to do so.
The barn was used to store hay, grain and livestock, but it also served as a community gathering space. After workers persuaded Odor to install a hardwood floor in the loft, the barn hosted dances that drew people from across the area.
Why the barn is round
According to Odor’s son, Ralph Odor, the circular design was intended to better withstand tornadoes, based on the belief that wind would move around the structure rather than through it. While round barns were once promoted as “cyclone-proof,” historians note there is no scientific evidence that the design offers greater storm protection.
From farmland to Route 66
In 1902, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad crossed Odor’s land, helping establish the town of Arcadia. A dirt road built nearby in 1914 later became State Highway 7 and was designated U.S. Route 66 in 1926…