This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 25  Issue 1,293   Circulation 5,000      November 4, 2021
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-490-6823

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us,
What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."

A Glimpse Into The Past

The Daily Ardmoreite 1911
A GHOST STORY FROM TURNER FALLS Davis, Oklahoma - The mysterious disappearance of Thomas Howell several years ago and the recent "ghost stories" have brought to light a perplexing question for the farmers seven miles west of here to solve. The great cavern near the farm house of W.N. Moore, where Howell was last seen, is believed to be the rendezvous of one or more "departed spirits" which periodically make their appearance in that locality. Mr. Moore emphatically declares that "spooks" appear and when followed closely return to the cavern.

Matt Wolf, ex-president of the First National Bank, of this city, and one of the wealthiest men in Murray county, stated today that Howell was seen in a big thicket just at the entrance to the cavern and from that day to this his departed spirit can be seen almost any night. He declares that more men have been murdered along Whiskey creek, near the farm house of Mr. Moore, than at any spot in the old Indian Territory, and that the cave is bound to be the home of all such ghosts. He assures the public who are interested in such strange phenomena that they can find the real article there any dark night. It may sound rather "fishy", he says, but they are there just the same.

A party of high school pupils are going to the Moore farm Saturday night to watch for the mysterious visitor and several of the more venturesome boys expect to enter the cave prepared to meet the ghost. George Wilson, one of the party said today that he hoped to meet the ghost face to face and if possible he hoped to capture it, dead or alive. Lanterns and rope ladders will be used by the young men to explore the depths of the great cavern.

August 1968

Tempers flare and ebbed as 150 persons crowded into the Ardmore City commission meeting. Many of those in attendance live within the 13 plus square miles annexed by commissioners last week. Among those annex in a surprise move was Senator Ernest Martin who lives on Springdale Road. "I take issue with the way in which they did it. The reason this action was taken at the time it was, was to offset the move by Dickson, they are about to become incorporated and were about to come all the way back to the Ardmore City Limits."

From my May 1999 T&T:
Last week some Ardmore citizens in the Springdale area were upset at some proposed rezoning of property in their area by the City of Ardmore. My mind flashed back to the late '60s when the city limits ended at "P" street NE/SE. My friend Charlie Bean lived about 200 feet east of the "P" street dividing line between "city" and "county". So, Charlie did not live inside the City Limits at the time. Prior to 1968 or so when the city annexed property on east, Charlie Bean had tried for over 10 years to get on city water (he had a water well). He even told the City he would pay for the 200 feet of water line and all... to connect him to the City water main that rain north and south on "P" Street. The City still said No. Then after he was annexed into the City around 1968, the City told him he had to be on city water and pay a city water bill like everyone else. Charlie said No (and a few other words). hahaha. Charlie Bean is dead now, and I don't know if or when he ever did get on the City water. Interesting how things go. Anyway, you older Ardmoreites will remember Charlie Bean as owning a barber shop on "P" Street SE, just a couple blocks north of Springdale Road.

Still finding people in Oklahoma with unclaimed money. We're now over the $1.6 Million dollars. Sometimes progress is slow locating people or their kin with unclaimed insurance money at the State Treasurers office in OKC but we keep moving forward.

How long has it been since you checked your name or a family member's name? Its easy to do a search at the Oklahoma State Treasurer link below. I think every state in the union has a unclaimed property website through the respective state treasures website.
https://apps.ok.gov/unclaimed/

If you have Facebook, I created a new Page called Southern Oklahoma Unclaimed Insurance Money. The only Post that will go on that page is names and towns of people we are looking for with unclaimed money;

https://www.facebook.com/South-Central-Oklahoma-Unclaimed-Insurance-Money-114246471027358

Q.  Who was governor of Oklahoma between 1906 and 1907 before statehood?
A.   Frank Frantz (May 7, 1872 – March 9, 1941) was an American Rough Rider and politician who served as the seventh and final governor of Oklahoma Territory (1906–07). Frantz ran on the Republican ticket to serve as the first Governor of the State of Oklahoma, but lost the election to Democrat Charles N. Haskell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Frantz

Q.  What is Oklahoma's state grass?
A.  Answer in next week's newsletter

Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....

Mr. Bridges with an S I never forget that, you told me that before, and about Eddie and Virginia Lotz let me tell you that they represented what the City of Ardmore was before and is now , this what I say now is not for been nice, is because they were very nice with everybody and I mean for everybody, I really have them in my heart always. Mr. Bridges with S this is a very nice Editorial and remain me of this Very nice Ardmore that I love so much for the wonderful people it has. -Eernesto Wallerstein in NJ
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Good morning!

I hope this email finds you doing well! I've been reading the articles about the caves around Turner Falls, and have a question about the sink hole that would be located approximately 190 degrees (SSE) from the Falls. It was located in the relatively flat area in the heavy grove of cedars.

Back in the early 80s, my brother and I found the sink hole, which had a steel cable down into it. The best I can remember, is that it had 3 chambers, all with a ceiling of approx. 10 feet or more, and the slope was approximately at 45 degrees. At the bottom of the last chamber, there was a hole. I tried to look down into it, but my brother had to hold my feet to keep me from sliding into it. My flashlight wasn't very strong so I couldn't see anything but blackness when I shined the light down into the hole…but my main fear was sliding into it!

The next weekend or so, there was an article in the paper that a group from OU had found another sink hole just past the Turner Falls property line (to the west of our location) and there was a significant drop with water. Also, because of the water supply and environment, no one would be allowed into the area.

From the articles, I think that may have been part of the Bitter Enders Cave (Wild Woman?), but I have read NOTHING about the sink hole. Do you have any information? -Lance
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Pauls Valley Fly-in, car show, and food court - Nov 6th
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/PaulsValleyFlyIn.jpg
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Below is from This and That newsletter archives of November 5, 2009

And of course one can not go to Cornish without going to see the wishing well on Main Street.  This well has been there before statehood.  Its been filled in with dirt today, to stop kids from throwing cats and dogs into the well.  Shame.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CornishWishingWell.jpg
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I took this pic of the Cornish water well back in 2001.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CornishWell2001.jpg
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Here is a photograph of the Cornish well in 1960, still being used.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CornishWell_1960.jpg
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A reader brought me a turkey foot this week to photograph.  His cousin or someone killed a turkey and gave him a leg to make something out of it.  If you look at it with a little imagination, seems all it needs is some eyes, and a nose painted on the bone, and some big red lips at the end of that bone, and it will get a lot of laughs.  lol
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TurkeyFoot.jpg
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"Walkin' My Cat Named Dog" is a good song. Boy, does it bring back memories."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPZVrmJ2HH8
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'My Home' by Stuart Hamblen 1962

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4upbGYHglE

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges

"Friends Make Life Worth Living"
Ardmore, Oklahoma
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net

Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Oklahoma Bells: http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm's Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
American Flyers Memorial Fund - Administration Webpage
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/crash66.html
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/airbase/
Carter County Government Website
 http://cartercountyok.us

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