Jack Emerson has been busy clearing off a lot of hillside behind his house on Wade Wells Drive and opened up a nearly two-acre section of land next to 11th Street.
The project is a continuation of his desire to improve communities. Some years ago he took an old general store at Boynton and renovated it adding seven offices and even a two bedroom apartment.That was followed up in Gotebo when he bought the former Ford Garage and cleaned it up.
By far though was the work put into the old Nunn Hotel at Stuart. Built in 1899, the hotel had been closed for many years when Emerson and his wife Shirley took ownership. They spent nearly three years, “and our kids’ inheritance” putting it back into shape for use as an antique shop and hotel. One of the highlights of the hotel was a room that had seen Depression-era gangster Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd spend the night.
After the renovation, the Nunn Hotel became a popular place for parties and visitors. It got a big boost when the business was featured in a three-page spread in Southern Living magazine.
Shirley operated an antique business there along with jewelry made from broken china cups and saucers.
Emerson eventually sold the establishment back to descendants of the original owner after his wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Several years later she succumbed to the disease leaving him with a lot of time on his hands.
The 84-year-old Emerson grew up in the Seminole oil patch and had been working in that industry most of his life. “I got some of that oil on me as a kid and I still can’t wash it off.”
Bragging about being raised in a house owned by the oil company and playing on the rigs as a kid, he says he eventually got involved in buying, operating and selling oil leases throughout the United States.
After moving to Henryetta about three years ago, Emerson first bought a house and land west of town. The desire to make the land even better saw him busy from daylight to dark clearing out brush and rocks. That was later sold then he purchased his present home on Wade Wells Drive.
“There’s something about Henryetta,” he said. “It was a booming city at one time with the coal mines.”
He almost bought the Earl Wells home but changed his mind after deciding it was, “too much house for me.” That led him to buying the house and land owned by Donald Laughlin.
Looking out from his back porch, he decided it was time to clean up the undergrowth and that turned into an ongoing project.
Emerson then bought a couple of lots on the east side of 11th street and had them surveyed. There is a house that was purchased and he has plans to renovate it then sell it but the cleared land is going to remain for public use.
“I want to make this a park for senior citizens.”
Most any day motorists going up or down the hill can see the former oil man busy with his shovels and rakes making part of Henryetta just a little nicer. 
