The YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City is marking its 125th anniversary today.
Three men—Gen. F.L. Cramer, Angelo C. Scott and Henry DeWorfe—opened the Oklahoma City chapter of the YMCA on May 14, 1889. At the time, the city was just three weeks old.
"The founders knew there would be young men coming to the city from rural areas to find work, and they wanted to ensure that there would be a safe place for them to go," Mike Grady, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, told the Oklahoman.
The Oklahoma City newspaper has published a timeline of events in the Y's history, including details of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which heavily damaged the Y's central branch and injured children in the child development center.
The YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City has 12 branches and more than 20 program sites. The newest branch is the Mitch Park YMCA in Edmond, OK, which opened this year.
The Y is selling a hardback book titled "Cornerstone, The YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, 125 Years" to commemorate the anniversary.