WESTERN FLAIR: Owner of Workman's talks family, store history, decision to sell

Sara Serrano, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·4 min read

Jan. 7—Expressing great appreciation for the community over the past five decades, the owner of a historic local business says the decision to sell the property has been a personal one.

Angela Workman Cook is the third-generation owner of Workman's Department Store.

"My grandfather [Robert Lee 'Bob' Workman] built it, and then my dad [Charles Lee 'Chuck' Workman] took over and the early '90s. And then when my dad passed away five years ago in 2017, I purchased the business and continued," said Workman Cook.

Workman's is a retail store for men, women, and children.

"We specialize in Western, casual, and work wear," said Workman Cook.

The Workman's building was constructed in 1968 and has been a fixture in downtown Tahlequah for almost 56 years. Many locals go nowhere else to buy cowboy boots, hats and belts, and even moccasins.

"There used to actually be a gas station that sat here, and my grandfather worked at the gas station and put himself through college at [Northeastern State University]," said Workman Cook. "Once he graduated college, he was a school teacher and then he moved to Alaska."

Workman Cook said Bob was teaching in Alaska when he got involved in construction.

"Then he decided he was gonna come back to Oklahoma and he bought the gas station," she said. "He had a contract for JCPenney to build the building, but before it was completed, JCPenney backed out of the contract. So, never doing retail before, he just decided, 'Well, let's try it.'"

Workman Cook said the original store comprised just the first room of the current one.

"Eventually, my grandfather bought the building where we now have our Women's Boutique," she said. "It used to be a bar, and they bought that building and joined them together. Then in 1982 or '83, he built the upstairs."

Workman Cook is the youngest of three children.

"My oldest sister's name is Jeannie and she works for Cherokee Nation," she said. "Then my middle sister, her name is Latosha, and she works for [Tahlequah Public Works Authority]. At one point in our lives, we've all [worked] here."

Workman Cook said all kinds of customers come into the store, along with people from other countries.

"Just this morning [Jan. 6], we had a guy in who had never been in Tahlequah before, and he was excited just walking around downtown, looking at all the businesses," she said.

Workman's was recently listed on the market, a personal decision Workman Cook said she made after a year of thought and prayer.

"Retail is always been my passion and my love and what I've wanted to do, but I feel like it's just not something I'm in love with anymore," she said. "This building is so beautiful and so big that I feel like it needs somebody or something that will love it the way I did and the way my family has for so many years."

Workman Cook said there is no big reason for the sale, other than what she feels is best for her and her family at this time. Although unsure of what's she going to do after selling the department store, Workman Cook feels like there's something different out there for her.

"I really feel like regardless of what I do, I still want to be involved in our community," she said. "That's been a big deal for our family. As you know, we do as much for the community as we can, and I would definitely love to still be able to help, give, donate and do stuff like that regardless."

Workman Cook said she doesn't have an stipulations for potential buyers.

"I feel like if they buy it, it's their building to do with as they wish," she said. "My only hope is that whatever it brings that they keep in mind the history and characteristics of downtown, the building, and our family."

Workman Cook would love the property to be used for something great for the community.

"I do want to say, for my family, we've been here for almost 56 years and we truly appreciate the community and the people who have shopped here or came in — just giving us a chance all these years to be a part of the community, town, and everything," she said. "We do appreciate all the greatness that it's given to our family."