A patio of approximately 500 donated pavers is located at the Veteran's Plaza war memorial at the corner of 4th and Grand. This war memorial honors those veterans from Kay County who gave their lives in the service of their country.

Businesses, organizations and individuals in the Ponca City gave generously so that this Plaza could be built. Names of those businesses and organizations are engraved on granite plaques on the west side of this Plaza. But this was a community project, and everyday citizens dug deep to make this dream a reality.

Louis Haines Wentz came to Ponca City in January 1911 to manage oil for John G. McCaskey. One of Wentz' wishes in creating the community space was that recreational groups of young people would have a place to gather. In 1925, construction began on Wentz camp followed by construction of the swimming pool in 1928. The pool was completed and first opened to the public in August 1930. Still intact are the original locker rooms and pool maintenance equipment, like the sand filtration system. Wentz' made other contributions to the community that we still benefit from today. HE gave a $25,000 donation for the Pioneer Woman Statue. He purchased Lake Ponca and the land it touches and donated it to The City of Ponca City. Wentz gave scholarships to the first Kiowa students to attend the University of Oklahoma's art school. In 1936, Wentz and Gordon Matzene, a European photographer and art dealer, contributed an Asian collection of 758 objects to the University of Oklahoma, enabling them to establish the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. 

The Wentz Pool is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 1-7pm. The facility can also be rented out for use by the public. The grounds overlook Lake Ponca, a gift to our community from Wentz. To find more information, please visit. Wentz Camp and Pool | Ponca City, OK (poncacityok.gov)