Tulsa, Okla.

This city may be more than OK when it comes to supporting the arts. It had Waite Phillips, who deeded his in-town villa, Philbrook, to the city as a museum in 1938. It can also boast another philanthropic self-made oilman, Thomas Gilcrease (1890-1962), who was part Indian (one-eighth Creek). As a young man he received a land allotment (given to tribe members) of 160 acres south of Tulsa, which he planned to farm. Whoops: 1905 marked the start of the Oklahoma oil boom. No more farming. Having made the mistake...