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Below is April 3, 2004 to June 26, 2004.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturday May 29, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 371

The countdown has begun to the 3pm Saturday afternoon and the Music Fest begins! I've had a lot of people tell me they plan on attending. I sure hope the weather cooperates on Saturday afternoon and evening. Everything is a go, and there's going to be a lot of food, music and fun starting around 3pm at the Garden Center. Becky Garrett and Trudy Reasoner will also sing again that night at 8pm at the Tivoli with don bridges and his band. There are four people in don's band. If it rains, we will have the music fest inside the Garden Center at 3pm. Hope to see a lot of you there! Don't forget to bring a lawn chair! Saturday Music Fest "> <----- Click Here

I believe another piece of Ardmore's history has died a natural death. Last Sunday, May 23, 2004 I was passing by the Temple Emeth at Stanley and "E" Street SW and saw a U-Haul trailer backed up to the rear door of the building. I saw 2 or 3 men and the same number of teenage boys carrying everything out of the church, furniture and all, and packing it in the u-haul trailer. I could kick myself in the you-know-what for not stopping and finding out the details. The Jewish church in Ardmore was one of the first places of worship in this town. We learned in the Mailbag of a T&T issue two weeks ago that Ardmore was the first town in Oklahoma to have an established Jewish community in the state. I would imagine one of the most important things that qualified it, was the building of the Temple Emeth. Back in the beginnings of Ardmore the Temple Emeth was at 121 "A" Street NW behind the present day Ardmoreite building.

As I researched Ardmore's history the past few years, it became clear to me that so many homes and properties within a 2 or 3 block area of the Temple Emeth were owned by Jews during the early years of Ardmore's growth because this would place them close to their place of worship. Sometimes when I pass 614 Stanley SW, I think about Ely and Virginia Greenberg and the times I spent listening to them in their jewelry store.

I remember many times how my grandfather Stanley Carmon and I would go to the depot around 4pm and watch the train arrive in the afternoons. While we were at the station, many times my grandfather and I would walk to Greenberg Jewelry and visit. The store at 117 East Main was next door east to Daubes Department Store on Main street. It was always so enjoyable to visit Ely and Virginia Greenberg, they were nicest couple, and even though I was only around 12 or 13 years old, I enjoyed the time I spent in this Jewish store and always looked forward to returning. I remember so well how elegant and refined Mrs Greenberg always dressed and looked. She was so kind to me. I saw on the obituary page where their daughter, Sandra Greenberg, passed away just last December here in Ardmore. <----- Click Here

Maybe a T&T Reader can share their knowledge of the local Temple Emeth, its past and its future. I'm sure one of the reasons for its closing would be declining membership the past few years. I remember reading in the newspaper a few years ago where Ludwig Isenberg tried to continue holding services there, and would guess after his death in March 2003, the decline in members continued. <----- Click Here

Talk about little known towns in Oklahoma and those that no longer exist today, I have a booklet I got from the State titled "Town and Place Locations" that list 4,500 towns in Oklahoma. It is 56 pages in length. Listed are some towns in the oil boom years and are no longer. Some are just ghost towns and have completely vanished from the landscape. The booklet was first published 40 years ago by the Department of Highways. Copies are still available for a $1.50 charge from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Reproduction Branch. Towns are listed by location by legal description i.e. Section, Township and Range, and what county the town is located.

Look here under the 'blue bar' that says Manuals for "Town and Place Location - 1991". <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

A couple of weeks ago we talked about the Zaneis Schools tearing down the old Tearchers Dormitory next door to the school there in Zaneis, Oklahoma. J.B. Means sent me really some good pics of the dormitory. I believe one is of the original dorm before the present building was constructed. The 3rd photo are several views of the inside of the building just before it was torn down. Dont you just love that swing in photo number 2? I can still remember swinging in the swing at my grandparents Carmon on 3rd NE as a kid. Since we didnt have a water cooler or air conditioner til around 1960, that swing was the coolest spot around the place in the hot summertime. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

I appreciate the inquiries by several of you when you saw in The Daily Ardmoreite the other day a relative of mine passed away. Helen Carmon was married to my mother's brother, Pratt Carmon. <----- Click Here

A Reader asked this week when the old locomotive was moved from the Depot to its resting place now in front of the Hardy Murphy Coliseum? I know it was in the 50s? Maybe someone will remember?? <----- Click Here

Boy, thats a pretty bell on that 1108. <----- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"I read the article in the last email of T&T from Doug Brown who mentioned fond memories of Caddo street. I, too, have many memories of that area, and I found it to be as fascinating as a carnival. It seemed to have that air about it as it took a good while to go down the sidewalk from Main to Broadway. I can remember as a good sized boy when my Mom would be downtown and both of us boys would take a notion we would just like to walk back home in NE Ardmore. My Mom would always say, "now whatever you do, don't go down on Caddo on the way home." Well, no sooner said than done that is exactly where we both started out for as it was such a fascinating place for a couple of young boys just passing through. Then we could cut across the Frisco rail yards, and then the Santa Fe, which shortened the walk by several blocks. Yes, those were the days, my friend, those were the days. I also remember the Dinkey. It was the last of Frisco's passenger service out of Ardmore from here to Hope, Arkansas daily except Sunday. There was a second Dinkey which started out at Hope, Arkansas each AM en route to Ardmore, Ok. It usually arrived here around 6PM. The next morning it would leave Ardmore around 9PM, and passengers were promised to be in Hugo, Ok by noon or shortly thereafter. I never did get to ride the Dinkey, but wished a many a time I could have, so such disappointments often went with childhood in the days I grew up."
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"Mr. Bridges, Mr. Frier Rabbit is wondering when could you please turn the wind off. He can't keep his little dug out clean, and the wind broke one of his favorite dishes. Hetoe lays at his "dugout" to try to block the wind from going in. He also stated that he hopes you don't like to eat rabbit." -Frier Rabbit and Hetoe -------------------------------------------------------------------------
[TERRITORY NEWS.] WINFIELD NEWSPAPER UNION, NOVEMBER 8, 1890. The people in the Chickasaw nation go up to Oklahoma for a "time." Ardmore has applied for articles of incorporation as a city, having a population of 3,000. Now that Oklahoma City has a lady barber, Guthrie will probably bob up with a man milliner. The Guthrie Capital is authority for the statement that the old cow trails make good cotton fields. The legislature will have to rustle along if it is going to give El Reno and Norman a chance at the capital. The Norman townsite case is under immediate consideration at Washington and will be decided upon soon. Oklahoma City expects to get coal--as good as any in Pennsylvania--for $4 a ton when the Choctaw is built. About forty teams, containing over 150 persons, passed through Kingfisher on their way to the Chickasaw nation, there to wait until the new country opens for settlement. This is simply an index of those who are daily coming into the territory for the purpose of settling and purchasing Oklahoma farms. There are a good many people who do not like Governor Steele, personally, politically, or otherwise, but they are ready to concede that he is endeavoring to build up Oklahoma as a territory and will do his utmost to bring her in as a state at the earliest possible date. He is also very solicitous for the poor and old soldiers within the limits of the territory. <----- Click Here
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"Had a flash-back when I read the article about the hotel in Davis. When we were very young our Aunt Agnes Smith was trying to carry your cousin Ed and I down the stairs from the Doctor's office on the second floor when she slipped half way down and we all three tumbled down together. Mom and the Doc ran out and he told her that the only thing that saved us from being badly hurt was our very young age - we were both still in diapers. We lived in one of the rooms near the Doc's office before we moved in with Mom's sister Dovie and her husband Bill Williams up at the Mobile station just south of the Buckhorn Cafe. Your Uncle Paul Bridges (our Dad) had already been listed as a MIA in France. A couple of months later is when Ma and Pa Bridges and Mom got the word that Dad was killed in action. Date - this same day May 21, 1945." -Cousin Poss in Korea
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"I read the article titled "Grocery Stores of the Past" on your web page and wondered if you knew of any place I might find information on Grocery stores in Ardmore in the Far Distant Past in 1900-1920. My Grandparents married in 1894 & lived in McMillan, at that time Chickasaw Nation Indian Territory, later OK where their 2 children were born. They stayed in McMillan until early 1900 when they moved to Ardmore and opened what Grandmother called a neighborhood grocery store. I presume the name was "Griffin's Grocery" because their names were Thomas Griffin and Olivia Sumpter Morrison Griffin. Olivia ran the grocery store and Thomas farmed and they later bought other land. Thomas died of a heart attack in February 1909 at the age of 54 and Olivia continued operating the grocery with the help of the 2 children. Later after the children were grown Olivia developed heart problems & was told she must move to a warmer climate. My mother said that "Ringling Railroad bought land from Mama to build a round house and 'Y' to use as a Switching Yard". I've no idea of the street address but in the 1980's an old Ardmore schoolmate of mother's visited her and said a shopping mall was now on the site of their old home. I have an old picture of their home and have copies of some old real estate sales but wondered if I could find any more information about their grocery store in Ardmore. The family moved to South Texas in 1922 and my Grandmother died in 1949 at the ripe old age of 88 and my mother was 96 when she died but they never forgot their days in Ardmore. I would surely appreciate any guidance." -Nell Lewis nlewis@cox-internet.com
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"I have included relatives buried at Pruitt Cemetery. We have the funeral records for each. We know Nora and the infant did have FH Markers; They were listed in a cemetery book as such. BUT, We have not been able to find the mention FH Markers in the cemetery. Any idea on the keeper of burial's sites in the cemetery?" Pruitt Cemetery Marines, Elsie 11 Jan 1903 - 6 Oct 1940 Marines, Infant of Mack and Elsie 4 Oct 1940 - 4 Oct 1940 Marines, Nora 15 Mar 1877 - 24 Feb 1931 Marines, Victor 19 Mar 1862 - 5 Jan 1939 -Bill and Fran Tate ottob@webtv.net
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"The first Hardy Sanitarium was built in 1911, after Dr. Walter Hardy, Frederick P. Von Keller, and Dr. Robert H. Henry established the first hospital above Ramsey's Drug Store on the corner of Caddo Street and Main in 1901. Dr. Hardy expanded his hospital into one of the most modern medical facilities in the country to serve the people of Ardmore and surrounding areas until it gave way to progress and the new Memorial Hospital in 1955. The Hardy Sanitarium was located where the post office is now on southwest corner of B Street and First Street in Ardmore."
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>From ConnectOklanoma Listserver: "Concerning the location of the old Jordan Bus Station, I know the location because my mother owned and ran the little cafe that was in the bus station. It was located where the present antiques shops are on Main St. now, the "Sugar and Spice" and the other one whose name escapes me. Anyway, B. L. Owens Furniture Co. was in that same building for many years. But even before B. L. Owens, was Jordan Bus Co. There was a drive-thru off of Main street that went through the building and the buses came in and unloaded and loaded people inside the building, then the buses exited onto Hinkle and then to Mill St. If you go behind there in the "alley" or Hinkle you will see there is still a driveway area instead of a curb. Anyway, my mother, Ora Spurlock, owned the eating place and was there many years. That's how she raised us after my Dad was killed in a train accident in 1935. I was very young then, but she was still running this when I was older. There were many people traveling during WWII, many servicemen, and it was a VERY busy place. My mother used to bring home someone who was stranded or had an extremely long wait and give them a place to rest. After WWII and more people started getting their own transportation, the bus traffic slowed down and the Jordan Bus Co. was sold. But this was our livelihood for many years. She went very early and worked very long hours. She was assisted by my oldest sister. They were both very good cooks. Just a bit of Ardmore history for you younguns. I'm enjoying all the discussions." -Jerry Almon
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>From the ConnectOklahoma Listserver: Jerry Almon, thanks for sharing the story about your mother Ora Spurlock. I remember her so well. I went to her house in the 200 block of 10th SE in the ambulance so many times when she was sick. She was a remarkable lady. I will never forget her kindness even when she was so sick. Everytime I drive by there even today, I think of her. I never forget people who show faith and strength in times when they are the weakest physically. I remember one afternoon in particular, Cliff Easley was driving the ambulance and I was the attendant that time. Cliff was backing into Mrs Spurlock's driveway with that 1967 Chevrolet Station Wagon, and he told me to watch on my side. There was a very small tree, like half as big as your wrist, that cliff didnt see, he hit it bending it way over. He hollared at me, "I thought you were watching!" I told Cliff, "I thought you could see that tree". LOL Here is a pic of that station wagon. <----- Click Here
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"We have installed a link to your four men hanging webpage & photo. Hope to keep it permanently on our home page. We will also be installing your Web page www.oklahomahistory.net on our "Old West Ticker Express" located at the top of our home page. The ticker is one of our most popular feature." <----- Click Here Gary S. McLelland
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"Windows XP and Windows ME have system restore built in, but Windows 98 does not. However, 98 does have Registry Checker (known as ScanReg). To use it go to dos from windows or restart the computer holding the F8 key. Type scanreg/restore at the C: prompt and a menu will come up with several date options to restore your computer."
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The Daily Ardmoreite June 5, 1910 ESCAPES FROM THE COUNTY JAIL Charles Huffaker a prisoner in the county jail, charged with murder, made his escape Friday night sometime between the hours of nine and ten o'clock. The escape was affected by digging a hole under the wall at the northeast part of the building. It is customary for the deputies to make a round of the premises along about ten o'clock every night to see that all is secure. Last night when Deputy Bishop made the round as usual, he discovered the hole and upon investigation it was found that Huffaker had escaped. No trace of the man has been found so far but the sheriff is exercising every effort to round up the fugitive. Huffaker killed a man in the vicinity of Baum and has been in jail awaiting trial for some time.

August 11, 1925 SAM DAUBE AMONG THE EARLY COWBOYS; WORKED IN THE 70'S Among the early day cowboys of this country is Sam Daube, who, with his family, now is in Baden Baden, Germany. He may not return here in time for the reunion of the men of the 70's which will be held Sept 17 at the Southern Oklahoma State Fair at Ardmore. Mr. Daube was a cowboy. He did not own a ranch until years later when he made enough money to buy lands and cattle and have a ranch of his own. He worked in the cow camps, rode the bucking ponies and took pot luck with the crowds and he and the men who afterward became his partners, Dave Daube, Max and Simon Westheimer, built up a large fortune. These men are to Ardmore largely what the firm of Kemp and Kell always has been to Wichita Falls.

August 12, 1925 Thirty Years Ago: From the files of the Ardmoreite August 12, 1895 According to a report from Gainesville, Jim Brock and Arch Hunter staged a free fight in the rear of popular resort in the Texas city which resulted in both being somewhat worse for wear, beside the added humiliation of arrest and fine which followed their argument. The paper said "they fit an' fit" until they were out of energy and called it a day. Some were skeptical about asphalt as a paving material and in order to demonstrate its merits A.N. Beauchimin announced that he would drive a heavy loaded wagon across a sidewalk he has recently laid for Pennington and Williams. The census of Davis, the little city to the north, had just been completed and showed that exactly 350 people lived there, with 133 school children enrolled in the school. Ten Years Ago: From the files of the Ardmoreite August 12, 1915 Col. Sidney Suggs returned to active management of the Daily Ardmoreite after a year and a half with the state highway commission. Indications of much higher price for crude oil were given by the notification of the Dundee and Samoset companies that they would sell no more crude for 30 cents a barrel. A honeymoon prank, attempts of friends to pull him from a moving train, proved fatal to Arthur Veitch, wealthy young stockman of Mazie. Thirty Years Ago: From the files of the Ardmoreite August 13, 1895 Some Ardmore lawyers went to Gainesville to take depositions and it was reported that they, with Gainesville lawyers staged a "parrot and monkey time" in the office of Davis and Garnett, in which ink wells and paperweights played an important part. No casualties were reported. Charles L. Stowe received notice that he had been appointed United States marshal to succeed his brother, the late L.L. Stowe, and was preparing to take over the duties of that office. He won the place over a long list of worthy candidates. Three men were killed and 10 seriously injured when a boiler exploded near Oakland. But two street fights were recorded 30 years ago today. Both took place in the vicinity of the Whittington building and caused considerable entertainment for a large circle of spectators. No arrests were recorded. J.M. Dillingham of Overbrook reported that his store and the postoffice had been broken into and robbed the night before. He stated that approximately $85 in stamps were missing when he opened up. Marshal Stowe went to investigate. Ten Years Ago--From the files of the Ardmoreite August 13, 1915 Two reels of moving pictures depicting the activities of the Order of Moose are to be shown at the Royal theater. Mayor Mullen issued orders to the effect that boys must cease riding bicycles on the sidewalks. The Ardmoreite announced that the day was "Friday the 13th"

August 16, 1925 The modern way to listen to the engine is to stand at the back of the car and while the motor is idling, hold the sole of the shoe across the end of the exhaust pipe in such a way as nearly to block the escaping gases. There should be even firing. A regular miss will be an indication of spark plug trouble as a general rule. But if the exhaust is "mixin' 'em up," as repair men say, the trouble is more complicated. This often is an indication that the spark is too far advanced.

49ERS READY TO HIT TRAIL FOR MOUNTAIN CAMP Grand assembly of the covered wagon caravan of the Red River council, Boy Scouts of America, will be held Monday morning at the fair grounds and escorted by a detail of scoutmasters, will move north out of the city on the first lap of its 34-day trail through the Arbuckle mountains, leaving Ardmore at 7 o'clock. One hundred and four boys are registered for the camp. This is the largest number of boys ever registered here for the annual camp. Those who are fortunate in being permitted to attend this camp have dreamed dreams of the early days of '49 and the covered wagon trails of the west and this opportunity to make a similar trip comes as one of the biggest adventures of their lives. Boys privileged to make this trip are: Roy Shores, Cortes Stubblefield, Tide Cox, Jr., John Landers, Frank Culwell, Hugh Hawley, James London, Jr., Max Gilstrap, Audry B. Bivens, Lester Gilstrap, Howard Scarboro, Robert Williams, Leslie Hamm, J.W. Dyer, Nevil Rogers, John Hagan, Ludie Cardwell, Elwood Thompson, Forrest Jackson, Harold Wilson, Lee McLaughlin, Joe Cooper, Archer Akers, Olin Denton, Walter Richards, Jack Stone, Ewing London, Stanley Marsh, John Lawrence, Elvis Leeper, Stephen A. Douglas, H.B. Wiles, O.A. Kitterman, Fred Harris, Charles Bennett, Royce Plane, Dorman Dayton, Richard W. Combs, Billie Baker, Edward Shelton, George Robinson, Roland Bishop, Cecil Bonds, Ralph Ledbetter, Ray Brown, Ralph Brown, Duncan Robinson, William Robinson, Everett Aldridge, Wayne Wintin, E.S. Williams, Clifford Burkett, Overton Michael, Neale Phelan, William Brooks, Ray Wofford, Leslie Huddleston, Carl Bennett, Richard Swink, Cecil Thurston, Phillip Brady, Bernard Brady, Leon Goss, Joe McGee, Casey Trussell, Ewell Smith, John Robert Coznell, Higgins Davidson, Elmo Stacy, James Spears, Praether Brown, Horton Willingham, Keith James, Robert F. Scivally, Vernon Carruth, Ealey Brown, Thomas Hall, Elmer Schnelenberger, Robert Adams, Herbert Jacobs, Debs Clayton, William Olsen, Buster Monroe, Willis Choate, Cato Gill, Ben Tom Gill, Tutman Gill, Frank Burris, Arnold Anderson, Mathew Berryhill, Frank Berryhill, Jack Sullivan, Glen Davis, Willie Pritchard, Byron Parkinson, Billie Morgan, Harry Tucker, Leo Sullivan, Louis Duncan, Fred Blockinger, R.C. Howard, and Cecil Adcock. NEW POTATO CHIP FACTORY IS READY After an enforced idleness on account of fire that destroyed the plant, the Ardmore Potato Chip factory will resume business at its former scale Monday morning according to an announcement of Harry Sharkey, manager of the factory, Saturday. Mr. Sharkey states that the new plant has been carefully equipped and better prepared to take care of the constantly growing business than ever before. The new factory was erected on the site of the one recently burned at 22 Fifth Avenue, Southwest.

ARDMORE PUTS HIGH GRADE OF GUNS ON MARKET Sheriffs Marvel at Beauty of Manufacture; First Week of Operations; May Exhibit at Fair. The Hoffman arms factory began work making rifles and shotguns last Monday morning. Although quite considerable was accomplished the first week, yet there is much to be done before the factory can be operated to full capacity, according to men in charge. Within a week to ten days it is expected that everything will be running smoothly and rifles and guns will be ready for the owners bearing the Ardmore factory stamp. During the week just passed the Oklahoma State Sheriffs association held a convention in Ardmore and all the delegates visited the factory and inspected the rifles and shotguns. They were a unit in expressing surprise at the quality of guns turned out by the Hoffman Arms company. The Hoffman Arms company not to be outdone, donated a fine high grade rifle to the winner of the pistol contest. This was won by Deputy Sheriff Stein of McCurtain county.
HEAD OF ANTHONY CHAIN STORE HERE, OPENS ON SEPT. 1 J.D. Armstrong, manager of the new Anthony chain department store to be opened here the first of September, arrived in Ardmore Friday morning to superintend the remodel and furnishing of the building formerly occupied by the Cold Storage company in the Pennington Building on East Main Street. A sales force of some twelve persons will be employed in the store, several of whom are expected to arrive this week.

August 17, 1925 NEW PRINCIPAL ARRIVES F.R. Born, principal of the junior high school, and Mrs. Horn arrived here last week from Bartlesville and are at home in the Poulter apartments. Born succeeds T.Russell Fisher, who has been principal for the past two years.

NEW COLISEUM AT FALL FAIR; GREAT SING BEE The fair board is building a coliseum at the fair grounds this fall and public meetings will be held each day. The coliseum at first may be only a tent provided with chairs and a speakers' stand but some of these days the management hopes to have a real auditorium at the fair in order that big public meetings can be held there. At the coliseum this year there will be community singing every day at 1:30 at which Will Gardner will be the leader. Mr. Gardner is president of the Carter county singing convention and Secretary George Dyer has put the responsibility of the community singing at the fair on his shoulders. Mr. Garner has accepted the work and hopes to do it so well that it will be made a permanent feature of the fair.
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Oklahoma Geological Survey <----- Click Here
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"Butch, My daughter-in-law sent me these. Lots of events going on in Oklahoma City over the Memorial Day weekend. Thought you and your friends or co-workers might find these interesting and they are free. With gas prices out of control, that is a nice thing." <----- Click Here
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"Hey Butch, I ran across this site the other day. It has some good historical pictures of route 66 in Oklahoma. I just thought some of the readers would enjoy it. Great news letter last week." -Scott in Fort Worth, TX <----- Click Here
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"Butch, In T&T May 7 someone asked about a picture of AHS. Irmadene Blankenship's husband built a model of the old high school. I am sure he has a picture of the building."
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We live in possible the greatest country in the world. The world looks at us with its eyes on freedom. Many Americans have laid down their lives in war so we can live in a land of freedom. Please remember those sacrifices on Memorial Day.

"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at.....how many want in.......and how many want to get out." -Tony Blair

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 22, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 370

Next Saturday, May 29th is the big Music Fest! I've received quite a few emails the past few weeks from folks all around and in other states, saying they will attend. I'm looking for a real good turnout and a whole lot of music and fun that afternoon and evening. (If the Hits are an indication, the concert webpage is getting more Hits then any page on my website right now.) Be sure and bring a lawn chair to sit in.... and maybe some sunblocker too. Of course, if it rains we will go inside the Garden Center. There is more parking available behind the Catholic church and behind Lincoln School. I appreciate those of you who have promised to bring sodie pop, goodies, etc or donated money to help with expenses. Hope to see everyone the 29th! An Ardmore Afternoon

In last week's issue we mentioned the passing of Carter county historian Bill Hamm. This week his son Steve Hamm brought me his dad's database records which he had converted over for use in Microsoft Access, both Access 97 Version and Access 2003 Version. I have uploaded the databases to my website and they are now available for download from the Bill Hamm Memorial webpage. There are over 53,000 individuals in the database. I can not imagine the miles and time it took Bill to enter those records, one by one, over the years. Bill Hamm may be gone from this earth, but his work will be here helping people find cemetery records for as long as this world turns. <----- Click Here

If you ever need to convert a letter from English to Spanish, this is a great website to do it. It looks like to me there is no restriction to the page length of the letters it can convert. And you can click on the handy tools... like Copy, Paste, Print, etc. The instant translator is free. <----- Click Here

I received a telephone call this week from a Mrs Bill (William) Wadkins of Artesia, New Mexico. She does not have a computer or the internet, so she had to contact me the old fashioned way via the telephone. It seems her husband's father was a deputy sheriff back in the 40s and she was seeking any information anyone might have on Bill Wadkins Sr. During the time he was reportedly a deputy sheriff for this county, Wadkins was living in County Line, Oklahoma. Thats in far NE Carter county. If anyone has any stories, or info, or remembers Bill Wadkins, please contact Mrs Wadkins at 505-746-6356 in Artesia, NM or send me email and I'll see it gets to her. Her snailmail address is 1102 Runyan Ave, Artesia, NM 88210.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about the Teachers Dormitory was torn down at the Zaneis School in western Carter county. I was hoping someone would send me a pic of it just before it was demolished. I heard there were a lot of people there with cameras that Friday. If you know where a pic is, let me know. Or better yet, send it to me! The teacherage was on the National Registry of Historic Places. I guess they notified the proper agencies before tearing it down??? <----- Click Here

In Internet Explorer, that "GO" button beside the Address field serves no useful purpose, since entering a URL followed by the Enter key accomplishes the same thing. Reclaim space by going to Tools|Internet Options|Advanced tab|Settings menu and uncheck the "Show Go button in Address bar box. The check box is about the 19th one down. Back out with OK. And while your at it, take the check mark out of the box that says. "enable automatic resizing" in the Multimedia Group. To me that is so aggravating to click on on a pic and Windows automatically downsizes the photo.

Yahoo.com has improved their People Search feature that past few days. You can now search the entire U.S. for a person. I put in Butch Bridges and my God, there are two more of me. There should be a law against it. lol. One is in Alabama, and one in Texas. hahaha <----- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"NBC then had the Red Network and the Blue Network. The Red Network was the top dog. Later the Blue Network became the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)."
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"Would like to add another interesting story to T&T about my great grandfather, Louis Charles Slaughter, Ardmore Oklahoma: Louis Charles Slaughter died of a heart attack at his home August 24, 1942, at the age of 86. He was born June 20, 1856, Bonham, Texas and married Annie Thomas in 1878. They had a son Dudley and a daughter Wynnie. Louis lived in the early days at Jimtown in Love County. He made the run into Oklahoma in 1889, homesteaded a farm near Noble, later moving to Ardmore with his family. He first bought the property where Mrs. J. B. Spragins lived, across Broadway from the Sam P. Hale agency, but decided it was too far out and purchased the property at 117 First Avenue southeast where he resided more than 52 years. His daughter, Wynnie, who was Mrs. L. D. Nelms was born there and her son Kenneth Nelms. Louis's wife, Annie passed away in 1935. Louis Slaughter was the fire chief of Ardmore for 10 years and was the first man to draw a pension upon his retirement in the state of Oklahoma. He was known as "Chief." After the great fire of 1895, the citizens of Ardmore got busy to organize a volunteer firefighting force and purchased a horse-drawn, steam powered pumper fire engine, as the first beginnings of today Ardmore Fire Department. Displayed in "Greater Southwest Historical Museum" in Ardmore, is the fire engine, with Louis's name engraved on the stack. His buggy which he rode in was drawn by a white stallion, pictures and other interesting articles are also on display. Louis Slaughter was among the first automobile dealers in Ardmore and first to sell cars on easy payments. Name of dealership was "Slaughter Motor Company," 110 East Main. They sold Maxwell Cars, Maxwell Trucks, Kissel Kars and Trucks in 1918. Louis Slaughter was member of the Methodist Church, Woodmen of the World and was a Mason. He had always owned business property and was one of the substantial men of Ardmore Oklahoma. I would like to thank Ruth Bellamy of Ardmore, for all her hard work, searching for information on my great grandfather Louis Slaughter. She was my "angel." -Marilouis Lovebug3231@aol.com
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"Hey Butch! You just ain't gonna believe this... Medicine Park, Oklahoma has regressed back to the good ole days! I hear tell there is a western gang in town. I saw 'em a few weeks ago for the first time striding down the street with their six guns on, all dressed in cowboy garb. Then they showed back up last weekend to have a shoot out at the General Store. I wasn't able to attend, but I heard there was a little ole lady all dressed up in her 1920 finery sportin' a new hat and purse from Paris. The gang came after her and I could hear her from the other end of town, "You can take my husband, but don't you dare touch my Paris hat and purse!". The gunfire proceed that outburst, and well, I can't rightly say what happened, but it appeared to have been settled for a while. Thank God, no deaths were reported! Now I hear the entire town is getting in on the commotion. Everyone has started dressing the good ole way (you know, hats, long dresses, bonnets, and such) and are supporting the gang in trying to revive the spirit of the town. Next weekend on May 22nd, 3pm (let me just give you the flyer so you can decipher this yourself!) If you need to have a bit of excitement in your life, well this beats churnin' butter any ole day! Ya'll come on out and witness the jail break! It'll be in town center just south of the Old Plantation." <---- Click Here
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"Butch, I was wondering if you knew Nadine Gayler (maiden name Virginia Nadine Garrett) She was married to Reubin Gayler (sometimes they spelled it Gaylor.) Well her family owned a Honky tonk, and I think it might have been named the Tavern.(It's in an old picture) Her brother Rupert wrote home from duty in WWII to Dougherty asking about the H.C. and Granny often talked about the brawls (she said she'd rather watch the fights than dance) I just found your website and though the dates are from 2002 I was hoping you still used this email. Thanks so much, Andrea Afra grand-daughter of Joe and Gaylene Jewell (sooners!) and great-grand daughter of Reubin and Nadine Gaylor." Editors@freepresshouston.com
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"The Band Point Blank was not from Ardmore. Although some members of the group had ties to Ardmore, they were a mid-70's Rock Band out of Texas. My cousin Kim Davis was an original member and one of the founders of the band and his mother was born in Ardmore. The band had a new member that I think was from Ardmore, but I don't recall his name. The first album they released was called Point Blank. The band had the same manager as ZZ-Top. As the music business goes, there was a big rip off of the groups profits from their record sales and they ended up in a long federal court lawsuit and the breakup of the band." -Ken Mills, Ardmore
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"Hi Butch, the name was Innersanctum Mystery, I'm pretty sure. My husband and I loved it and every time we turned it on, his mother left the house." -Wanda
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver:"Jerry, include me in that memory laps, sometimes I can not remember what I got up to do but I can remember exact marble or top's games in the 3rd & 4th grade, who I was playing and the out come. Does anyone remember playing top's, spin them with a string, we used to sharpen the spike and try to split each other's top's. And yoyo's, we used to do some amazing things with yoyo's, but I liked putting an extended string on mine and be upstairs in school and run to the balcony and boink kids on their heads below on the first floor." -Jack
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "The Comet Hut in Dickson was not built until the seventies, by L.D. Cavner. After his death a few years later, I purchased the Comet Hut from his wife. It was located on the old Highway 18, all that is left is the slab."
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "Does anyone remember playing top's, spin them with a string, we used to sharpen the spike and try to split each other's top's. And yoyo's, we used to do some amazing things with yoyo's, but I liked putting an extended string on mine and be upstairs in school and run to the balcony and boink kids on their heads.
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "I remember the tops and now I know who boinked me on the head with the yoyo. We also used to play a game called "Land" or "MumblyPeg" where we would draw a big circle. In those days almost everyone carried a pocket knife and we would throw our knives in the cirlce (one at a time) then draw a straight line across from where the blade stuck. We would continue doing this until there was no place left. I can't remember how we determined who actually won. Maybe some of the other 1950's guys will remember."
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The Daily Ardmoreite August 16, 1925 SHERIFF LONDON AND HIS FORCE HAVE BROKEN UP DESPERATE BAND Rudy Kirk, 24, Arthur Kirk 21, and Dan Kirk, 19, are in the Carter county jail and their pal, Elva Smith, 23, is under arrest at Chandler and Bob Short and a government agent have gone for him. These boys claim that for ten years they have been operating out of Healdton. Rudy Kirk entered the game early and he seems to be bringing his brothers into the net with him. When he was arrested at Verden in Grady county he would have fought if there had been a chance to win. He was at the home of a brother and his wife was with him and his mother was near by, it was said. Kirk on the 28th of May married a girl 16 years of age and the girl wife was with him when the officers took him. Kirk reached for his gun, but Bob Short stood with his gun pointing at him and Kirk knew he did not have a chance to win. He abused the officers who arrested him and said it had been his intention all the time to be taken. The Kirk boys are charged with having stolen a new Studebaker Six in Hutchison, KS, a Ford roadster in Chickasha, a Durant Six in Joplin MO and a Dodge sport model and a Ford sedan. Most of these cars are at Chickasha ready to be restored to their owners. Rudy Kirk is said to be the man who was shot some months ago at Cromwell by Charley Smith. He broke jail at Kiowa KS, he also broke jail at Hobart, OK, at Childress TX he escaped from the officers. Only recently he jumped his bond in McAlester. He will be arranged before Judge Spaulding next Friday in the federal court and charges will also be filed against him in this county by County Attorney Dudley. He often goes by the name of King and wears a handsome Shrine pin. Some of the other members of the gang wear blue lodge Masonic pins. According to the information gathered by Bob Short, who for the past ten days has done nothing but work on this case, Kirk went into a bank at Verden. He was introduced as a brother of his who was a farmer in the community. He mortgaged a crop, received money from the bank and left town. Recently in Chickasha he succeeded in getting a check cashed and used the funds to buy clothing. In Healdton, he used girls it is said, to get his mail and used them in getting mail sent out. It is believed that the Kirk's is the last gang operating in this county and Sheriff London is to be congratulated upon the fine work his office has done and upon the service it has rendered. Further arrests are expected. It is believed that Elva Smith will tell the story of the gang when he is once in the Carter county jail.
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The Daily Ardmoreite July 27, 1910
Ten Cars Peaches Are Being Shipped
Thirty thousand dollars will be derived by Carter county this year from its fruit crop. For the first time in its history, commercial shipments are being made. The crop is of enough importance to induce a buyer to come here and take the crop f.o.b.. Ardmore, which insures the grower a price for his fruit. Felix J. King says close observations have been made as to the quality of the land that produces the best fruit and red clay hills that matures and colors the crop beautifully will be in much greater demand from this time on.
July 31, 1910
If the new states automobile law, effective Monday, has the expected effect, walking in the big town will become less dangerous. Incompetent and reckless chaffeurs, by the operation of the law, are finding themselves minus an occupation, and will have to engage in a "walk" of life less perilous to pedestrians. Drivers of motor vehicles who have ever been convicted of careless or reckless practices, who use alcohol or morphine, or who have any mental or physical information which interferes with the proper management and control of automobiles, are under the ban of the new law.
August 2, 1910
On or about July 18th we will move to Pennington Building on East Main Street, known also as the "Old Bonner Stand", Western Pharmacy, M.M. Johnson, prop.

Notice of Sheriffs Sale
Ardmore National Bank, plaintiff, vs R.W. Dick, defendant Whittington Motel on corner of Main and A Street Southeast, furniture, fixtures and building to satisfy about $13,000 sum.

Advertisement: Whitfield Hotel, Davis, Oklahoma
A three story brick, just overhauled and newly furnished. Most conveniently located hotel in the city. One block east of depot on Main street.
August 4, 1910
J.B. Spragins and his son, Hal, started in their Buick machine yesterday for Denver, Colorado. They had traveled but a few miles out of town when the inner tubes of the machine melted under the excessive heat and they were forced to return. Between here and Springer their machine went down. Mrs. Spragins will make the trip on the railroad and when Mr. Spragins gets his machine back in the city, he will probably decide to take the railroad for his journey.
August 7, 1910
Ed Byrd, while gathering peaches yesterday fell from a tree some distance to the ground. He sustained fractured ribs and painful internal injuries. It is believed that he is not seriously hurt.
En Route to Denver
Hal Spragins and Tom Patton left here yesterday in the Spragins Buick for Denver. They will go by way of Sulphur and were accompanied by Wilson Newman and E.S. Page. At Sulphur, Mr. Spragins and Mr. Patton will be joined by White Frost. The elder Mr. Spragins decided to go on the railroad with Mrs. Spragins.
Plans are being matured to repair the Carnegie Library building and arrange the second floor for the convenience of club meetings and to be used as an assembly room for the high school. An architect has looked over the building and estimated that the needed work can be done for $1500. Arrangements will probably be made by which the city commissioners, the school board and the library board will share in the expense of the work.
August 8, 1910
Sam Woods was in the city today for a short time. He is engaged in thrashing oats in Marshall county and says his crop is turning out about 78 bushels to the acre.
June 10, 1925
Chamber Moves Into New Quarters
Work on the new headquarters for the chamber of commerce is finished and the office equipment is being moved today from the old headquarters on A street northwest to the Von Weise building on West Main street.
June 14, 1925
Chamber of Commerce moved to 230 West Main
FRALEY FILLS FURNITURE ORDER OF 2500 SETS
One of the going industries of Ardmore is the Fraley Toy and Novelty works located on E street, northeast, their specialty being mill work and the manufacture of toys. They have just completed an order for 2500 toy chair and table sets, each set consisting of two chairs and a table requiring a total of 32,500 pieces of specially sawed lumber, 55,000 nails and three gallons of glue to put these sets together. Fraley employs from two to four persons in his plant.
SELLS 160 COPIES OF VOLUME OF POEMS
Elmer Baker, post laureate of Ardmore, who published recently his first volume of poems, has sold 160 copies and 50 copies have been sent to Durant for sale there among the teachers of the state. Baker has not passed out of his teens yet, but he has made more than a local reputation as a poet.
A poem called "Oklahoma" from his pen would do credit to any author and his lines dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Cornelia Washington have touched the hearts of his readers.
CLAUDE PRUITT WANTED HERE IS CAUGHT IN ADA
Ada--Claude Pruitt is held in jail here awaiting return to Ardmore where he is said to have shot a policeman while resisting arrest. Pruitt was arrested here today by officers who had kept him under watch for several days. June 16, 1925
IS DISASTROUS VENTURE FOR MEN WHO SPENT
John Ringling, who is one of the business wizards of the world, once said that asphalt might be made to pay in this country when operated on a small scale, but he said that any attempt to operate mines on a large scale would be met by men who have interests in big asphalt deposits and would render such operation unprofitable. This seems to have been the case in the operations of the Continental Asphalt Company at Dougherty. Back of this company were men such as Robet W. Dick, discoverer of Ardmore and for ten years mayor of the city, Roy Stafford, founder of the Daily Oklahoman and for many years its guiding genius besides other men of more than ordinary ability and powers of leadership.
The company spent large sums of money. It is said that as much as two million dollars in debts were contracted and the company did not or could not make their business pay. Almost 18 months ago a receiver was named for the company and Monday the assets were sold for $350,000 in the city of Sulphur. The new purchaser has made no announcements and said none would be made until the sale has been confirmed by the court.
July 14, 1925
Material for the construction of a $40,000 hospital as an addition to the Oklahoma Confederate Home has begun to arrive at the Hudson-Houston Lumber company. F.E. Watson has the contract on this structure and he plans to begin work within a short time.
Steel has arrived for the construction of the factory for the Hoffman Arms company. The roofing material also is here and the new building will be completed by the first of the month. F.E. Watson is the contractor.
Wicker Bros. are laying the foundation for an additional warehouse which the Ardmore Flour and Feed company is building east of its home on the Rock Island tracks. It will measure 28x60 and will have tracks on both sides.
Work is progressing on the refrigeration plant which Johnson Bros. are building on the Santa Fe tracks one block south of Main Street. The building will be constructed somewhat like the Simpson building the plans calling for large concrete pillars or columns that will rise to the top of the building. A 27 foot concrete mixer has arrived direct from the factory to be used in the construction of this building. It will measure 194x160 and will be two stories high. Teel Snelson is the contractor.
Steel for the construction of the Love & Thurmond garage on A street northwest is expected here within 10 days and the building is making good progress. Teel Snelson has charge of the work.
C.L. Smoyer has completed within the last few days some improvements at the Imperial refinery and a home which he built on A street, northwest for Mr. Sappenfield also has been completed.
Work of rebuilding of the grandstand at the ball park is almost completed. The roof is yet to be put on and a ticket office and store room are under construction. Brief Interviews
George L. Dyer--When you see about ten men leave here Monday for a 350 mile trip to attend a pecan meeting then you will understand the enthusiasm that has put Carter county in the lead in pecan production in the state of Oklahoma.
Dr. J.T. McClure--They tell me the new pews around at the Methodist church are too slick for a man to risk himself taking a nap.
Dr. R.L. Davidson--No use of a fellow trying to make a fool of himself.
Katherine Thomas--I never did have quite as much fun as when we girls stole our way out over the roofs of the buildings on North Washington street.
Dr. John R. Pollock--A national park at Turner Falls would not be a bad thing. The government will take that spot when it understands what a wonderful playground it would make.
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700 Ranch House The first structure in the present townsite of Ardmore was built in 1870 by Alva Buckingham Roff. It was located at what is now the Southwest corner of G street and Second Avenue Southeast, along the west fork of the Anadarche Creek. Two log cabins were connected under a single roof by a "dogtrot" breezeway. With the establishment of the 700 Ranch and the Roff home, Ardmore's history begins. The Roff Ranch continued in operation from 1870 to July 28, 1887, the birthday of present Ardmore. The first Santa Fe train arrived in Ardmore on that date. The railroad cut the ranch in half as it moved from Gainesville, Texas across the state to connect other rail-lines at Purcell, Oklahoma. The house was moved to the Carter County Museum grounds and dedicated on Saturday, April 27, 1991. The historic event climaxed with a fish fry for the public.
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"Hello Butch, It looks like the "Rothwell Town Fair" has dates in June for this year. Do you think the www.radiocarousel.co.uk will be on he air from 5th June thru 12th June this year? -Lee Wages, Ft. Worth,TX. <----- Click Here
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"Hi Butch, I hope someone can check out any report of the murder of my grandfather, Robert William Bridges, in or around Addington or Waurika, Jefferson County, Indian Territory sometime between 1897 and 1903 by Willie Cain, a brother of Drusie Ella Cain, wife of Robert. I have exhausted all other sources I can think of, so how about it? Please see if you can find any information regarding this. I could not find any record of his burial in that area last October when I was in Ardmore. Orene, Jr and I drove out to Waurika and I did come up with info about sale of his 500 acres at Addington 1906-1911 by his younger brother William Joseph Bridges. I think that possibly he actually was killed around Houston, Texas, while visiting his wife's relatives there, but anyway. Thanks, nephew!" -Don Bridges, Sr. California.
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "Many years ago, in the late 30s and early 40s I sold newspapers on the street. I would go down on Caddo and had a lot of good customers. Myrtle Mayhalls 5&10 cent store was one of my regular stops. She bought a paper from me every day. Her home was on the corner of 4th& F st. N E. Next door south was the Round Up. It was run by Bill & Dimple Ford. They ran a pretty good place for a Caddo beer joint. They had a son named Basil. The lived in the back of their beer joint. The only thing that separated there living quarters from the bar was sheets on a wire. Next door to it was a barber shop that had a lady barber, in fact I think she owned it. Got hair cuts their a few times. I got to know a lot of the people on Caddo. Some were drunks and some were the owners. But no one ever bothered me. I think in those days if some one bothered a kid they would make him regret it. I can still remember a policeman that had the Caddo beat. A Mr Sloan. At one time I remember 2 Hotels on Caddo. Across the street was the Frisco Depot. Can any one remember the little train called The Dinkey. I think it went to Durant and back daily. The last beer joint before you got to Main street was the Blue Front Bar. It was owned by a man called Big Jim. I better get off here for now. Im writing a lot of things down and will post some things along. Any one remember Chiaman George that had a cafe under the Knox Hotel? I can." -Doug Brown
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"I just found this on my back doorstep tonight. I think we have new neighbors residing in the thick Vin ca ground cover around our cellar in the back yard since this is the third one I've seen lately. This one is either Paul or Pauline Possum and yes I let him (or her) go back into the ground cover. I'm sure I'll regret it later! Ha! How about those shiny ears?" -Dwane Stevens <----- Click Here
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>From the ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "My uncle's brother "Henry Guess" was killed on Caddo. He was in a bar and the bartender had been dating his wife and I guess he said something to him. The bartender shot him and they said Henry pulled up his shirt and said "look what you did to me" and walked out and sit on the stairs next to the bar and died. I was only 12 at the time but I still remember the call in the middle of the night. The police were calling my dad because all of the family was living in California. My uncle was Bill Guess once a policeman, and deputy sheriff in Ardmore." -Jo Evelyn Barton
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>From the ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "I have been reading several of your e-mails with references to Sooner Foods and Priddy's. My memory is not perfect anymore but I do have very first hand knowledge of both business's. First, my Dad James Howe built Sooner Foods in Sulphur and sometime around 1954 or 55 he was contacted by Joe Taylor to buy the old Joe Taylor store in Ardmore. He bought the Taylor store and then started a very eventful experience in Ardmore. He built the "new" building sometime around 1958 and shortly Mr. Short decided to move Bill and Bar's next door. There were many wonderful people who were employees and customers of both business. In 1959 my ex-husband and I moved to Ardmore to work at Sooners. We were here when the guys drove the tow truck thru the front window and towed the safe off , those guys could have made the stupid crooks TV show today. We were here the terrible night the store was robbed and the policeman was killed. Now for Priddy's--Sometime in the 60's my ex, Eddie Lewis went to work for the Priddy's to start their own state wide distributing Company. They named it Quality Foods Distributing Co. It turned into a very successful business but due to lots of circumstances neither business survived the many changes in the food industry and the oil bust of the 80's. If you want the original chicken salad you have to start by cooking your own fresh chicken. Thelma Priddy, the wife of Woody used to cook chicken once a week. When the business grew too large they started buying precooked chicken and Thelma and Woody were never as happy with the product. The truth is that if Priddy's was still in business making the original recipes the way they started few people could afford to buy it. The manufacturing business was owned by Woody and Fred Priddy. All the Priddy brothers were in the food business in one way or another. Ron Priddy, the son of Thelma & Woody was the last family member to own the plant. He now lives in Dallas. Priddy's was sold several times after 1986 and eventually was closed."
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'Brown Springs At Night' (from the Ardmore Afternoon CD)
1999 by don bridges, songwriter

Huntin' snakes where woods devour the roadway
Leeper Lake down by the Texas line
Set the bait, retreat into the darkness
Death in the park that hist'ry left behind

Drippin' meat chopped open with a hatchet
Evil deeds left scattered on the ground
Take a drink on top of toppled markers
Chickasaw heart screams out without a sound
Their spirits still fight
In Brown Springs at night

In the place where cannibals run rampant
Gettin' late when ghosts begin to rise
Course your fate and hold onto your partner
Doomed if you start to open up your eyes
Down in Brown Springs at night

Chorus....
Brown Springs at night
(The moon is bathed in blood)
Shadows in flight
(They shudder from the sight)
Man dog will bite
(You better bring your Bible)
Down in Brown Springs at night

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 15, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 369

Everything is progressing nicely for the 3 musical concerts to be held in Ardmore on Saturday May 29th. Music Day is only two weeks away, so make your plans to attend if your in the area. A number of you have already emailed me, some from 100s of miles away, and said you plan to be here the 29th. This may be a one and only time for some good fun and music with many friends we've meet here and I hope we as many as possible can take advantage of this time of song and music. One thing I hope, some of you planning to attend will stop and pick up a bag of ice. I know we will need ice for the sodie pops. So let me know if you can bring a bag of ice and I'll put it down on the Donation List. An Ardmore Afternoon

Here is an old 1907 photo Ardmore's old Carnegie Library where Becky Garrett will sing. <--- Click Here

This week another surprise came in the mail. Two CDs with the 1944 Ardmore phone book on them! A T&T reader in Arkansas scanned every page and burned them to CDs. I'll be referring to those CDs often in the months ahead! Friends, they make life worth living!

I was surfing around a couple of days ago and found a freeware program that takes your genealogy program's data and compiles it into a webpage format ready for uploading to a website. By the way, nearly everyone has a webspace along with your internet connect, you just need to put something there for browsing. Anyway, I was amazed how easy it was to take the Gedcom file created from my Family Tree Maker program, and import it into the freeware GedHTree program. I have 135 family names in my Family Tree Maker program, and here is how GedHTree took that data and created a webpage automatically in a few minutes. <--- Click Here

If you don't have a genealogy program your using, entering your kinfolks information in, I would recommend the free program Personal Ancestral File (PAF) by the Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City. It is a good starting place, to get your feet wet in the world of genealogy recording! <--- Click Here

This is a link to GedHTree's website and their free program for download. <--- Click Here

Ardmore lost a true historian this week. Bill Hamm had many accolades but one of his works will be here for many generations. Its his work on the cemetery records for this county and several surrounding counties in which Mr. Hamm worked recording information and placing in the Carter County cemeteries databases. <--- Click Here

These is a link to Bill Hamm's burial records on Genweb. <--- Click Here

Here is a December 2003 photo of Bill Hamm. His historical work is going to be missed by many. <--- Click Here

Ardmore Main Street Produce Market will be open again starting May 15th. The new location will be at 310 West Main in the parking lot of BankFirst. The market will be open Wednesdays and Saturdays starting at 7am. I'm going saturday to see if they have any real Vidalia sweet onions from Georgia! And remember, if they were not grown in those 20 counties in Georgia, they are not sweet Vidalia onions! <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

Last week Carter County Commissioner Bill McLaughlin dedicated a new bridge over a low water crossing on Refinery Road in honor of commissioner Joe McReynolds who died in office last Fall. The bridge is also in memory of two teens who lost their lives at this low water crossing about a year ago in an accident. The location is almost 3 miles north of Veterans Blvd on Refinery Road. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

We have a new resident at Ardmore's Central Park. A buffalo so to speak. a href=" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos4a/CentralParkBuffalo4a.jpg "> <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

The Carter County commissioners agenda is now posted every Friday morning on the County Government website under the Commissioners button. Just click on the 'Commissioners button' and then the 'Agenda button'. <--- Click Here

THE YEAR 1904

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the US., and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.

Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."

Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two of 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores. According to one pharmacist, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"The Ardmore H.S. class of 1974 is in the planning stages of a 30th reunion for this summer. Anyone who went to school at any time with this class is welcome to come. We are looking for addresses. They can send their info to me, Lori Davis Ledbetter." tuufus@brightok.net
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"Does anyone know what happened to the lions that were on display at the old Ardmore High School front steps?"
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"Hi Butch, Recently i flew back from California to attend the Dickson School reunion. Needless to say it was great. I saw the (kids) i went to school with from 1936 until 1943 when i moved to California. The old school looks a little different as i'm sure i do. Had a great time reacquainting with my school buddies of 61 years ago. Think we've changed a little. Also saw the old Tivoli theater where i used to see movies for 35 cents. Saw the old Fox theater was closed. Only cost a dime to see movies then. Remember when Berwyn was changed to Gene Autry. Had a big parade where Gene Autry rode his horse Champion. Ardmore has changed a lot since then but still has very friendly people.Lots of memories there. Take care . Really enjoy your very interesting articles every week." orieant@aol.com
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"The creaking door was the trademark of The Inner Sanctum. The show was on the Blue Network from 1941 thru 1954, and is listed in the Radio Hall of Fame." <--- Click Here
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"Butch, a reader ask for the name of the radio show that began and ended with the "creaking door". It was called "Inner Sanctum". The spelling may not be right. It scared me to death as a young kid." -Sam Williams, Denton, Texas
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"Butch, I think the name of the 40's radio show was "Inner Sanctum". That creaking door used to scare me to death!" -Melba
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"but re: the fella asking about radio show that talked about 'the shadow' it WAS called "The Shadow" and the punch line was "Only the Shadow Knows for Sure". sure still enjoy T&T." 'nita
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"Some of the readers may be interested in this new book written by Phillip Swatek about the lynching of four men in Ada, Oklahoma. This website tells all about it." <--- Click Here
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"Butch, In the early 80's (if I remember correctly), there was a band based in Ardmore called Point Blank. They released at least two albums. One was "On a Roll" and I can't remember the name of the other. Anyway, if any T&T readers know where I can get recordings from the band, I would appreciate it if they would contact me at VaunG@aol.com
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"Bridge On the River Kwai (1957) with William Holden and Alec Guinness was playing when the Tivoli Theater burned in September 1958."
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"I have heard the Colverts sold all but 6-7 acres of the land, and 2 Colvert sisters now live in the old homeplace. The new owner of the sold property has been clearing it for possible sale or development. I think the house should be put on the National Registry of Historical Places. It is a beautiful place."
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"Hi Butch, I've never been accused of being a compooter whiz, but thanks to you and some of your kind readers willing to share info, By Golly I'm getting purty dern good. Special thanks to the person who gave a website to download the "Magnifier" program. It really works, and is very helpful." -Bob E.
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Ardmoreite July 15, 1910 WALK DOWN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT REVEALS THE PROGRESS OF ARDMORE Say, it doesn't matter what the knocker or the census man or anybody else may say, but old Ardmore is growing into a newer, greater Ardmore every day. Oh the census man is going to talk right for we have knowledge from the bird and that need not arouse your political suspicions either. But just take your wife and gather your orphan children about you and go for a stroll along Ardmore's business district. What a change the years and not so many of them either have wrought. Over on the south side you are entertained for several minutes with a front and furniture display at A.C. Youngs that would excite the pride of cosmopolitan. It is not mere money getting or a place of business here but an effort to charm and a commercial home cozy and enticing for salesmen and buyer. Then on we go, but halt! There is another vision of the "home beautiful" breaking in upon the children and we stop to admire the 20th century front of the Chickasaw Furniture people.
It is summer, and we can't stay on the south side all the time, and then a heavenly prospect woes. It is Ringers and "she is a peach--speaking in volapuk. Say you talk about Ok City being a good thing. There is nothing up that way that surpasses Ringers. If every old blue-nose or tight-wad in Ardmore could be roped and rushed into Ringers once a day, there would be optimism in the city that would land it in the buzzing, hustling column so quick and so strong that it would make Ardmore a city set on a hill whose commercial light could not be hid. Try it. Do you buy bread? If you never tried it, see how the process goes in one of the prettiest bread houses in Oklahoma right here in Ardmore. Hold on, just wait until Solomon gets that hundred globe tungsten chandelier set on fire and those genial clerks all set right behind those polished counters, and the $3,500 fountain and then enter. You will think you have slipped through the pearly gates. And Solomon will tell you it pays. Pays in cash, in smiling customers and in his own feelings. Say, that last is something that is worth a great deal, isn't it?
But little Mollie has slipped down the street and you hear her cry, "Oh mamma, come here." Now "here" to Mollie is in front of Hotchkiss' show window. Such spangles, cut glass, fine china and all as tastefully arranged as though the public paid Hotch for the window show business. Well, now, since you come to think about it, the public does that very thing or Hotch would not do it. But before we know "mama" has picked out an exquisitely carved piece of Libey and given hints about a birthday she is going to have and this modern show window has gotten in its work. "Gee, I wish they would clear the streets of lumber and stuff?" little John shouts, as he runs into some timber where the old First National used to be and where the new, mightier and more beautiful First National is going to be, because of those same timbers. As you peek about you see that Ardmore is growing, growing in the faith, in power and beauty which ever attends true growth. It is all right to loan and borrow money--but a fellow wants to throttle that "old lady of threadneedle street" because she set a pace for cob-webs and dingy corners that it has taken the wisdom and culture of centuries to overcome. Come down--you big braggart cities of this or any other state and make a deposit in the First National when it gets in its new home and you will know Ardmore is one of the best.
Then there is the Ardmore Drug Co., with big open spaces, a great inviting fountain spouting Olympian nectar all the time when properly approached. You want to go in and put your family in comfortable chairs just sitting round there everywhere and never leave it. But you have a home and must return.
Out of mere habit, though begotten by the realization, that when you take a trip along Main you always lose something if you do not see Madden's you drop down and there it is again. No, not as old, old, but as of new. You talk about mysterious powers, but there is no greater divinity on earth that a good carpenter with some saws and planes and the painter right after him. Madden's proves it. There is one of the most inviting fronts of a great business in the state and all because of faith followed by hammers, chisels, saws, paint and things.
Keep on this hallelujah chorus? No, I must stop. The town is growing Ardmore has plenty of just such evidences that we are rich. Rich in natural resources, rich in opportunities and she is growing richer in men. We are almost moved to end this poem with a gush from the old poem, "God give us men. Men, a time like this demands." But we shall resist. We shall come down or up the street again.
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ARDMORE HIGH SCHOOL In 1921, Ardmore High School, by a division into Junior High School and Senior High School, became even larger and greater than before. This seeming paradox is accounted for by the fact that while the ninth grade was taken from the Senior High School to form the upper grade of the Jr. High School, there was added to the total high school enrollment of the city, the seventh and eighth grades, which previously had been assigned to the intermediate schools of the city. The total enrollment in the jr. and sr. high was 1200 with 35 teachers. The buildings and grounds occupy a block in the heart of the city, making access to them equally easy for everyone. Both buildings were thoroughly equipped to care for the pupils with the most modern and approved standards. Every facility for study, recitations, laboratory work, music, expression, etc., was provided. Each building had a large gymnasium adequately cared for the athletic and physical needs of the students. The curricula of the schools differed considerably that they may meet carefully the widely different needs of the boy or girl just entering the adolescent age and the boy or girl entering into manhood or womanhood. The Junior High School was designed very largely as a finding school. The children were introduced to a wide variety of subjects and given the opportunity to learn which of many lines was best suited to their own particular talents and needs. The Senior High School was designed to act as a finishing school for those who were about to enter the field or business or other training schools, colleges or universities.
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"Do you know of any good Real Estate agents that can hook me up with a decent place between Dickson south to Lake Murray, Tater Hill ( my family homestead ) ??All my Holley cousins live along there somewher's or another. Lookin at about $150 K for about 10 fenced acres and a pretty decent house for Me and the Mrs. Anyone get in touch with me please. Keep up the good work and thanks Butch." -Kirk Holley Smith kirksmith@earthlink.net
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Ardmoreite, August 8, 1910 - School Districts May Own Sites Will be Allowed to Purchase Tribal Lands if Application is Made Now School Districts in Carter county that desire to purchase land for a site not exceeding two acres may make such purchases from the tribal lands through the union Indian agency at Muskogee.
August 9, 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Earl and children, Robert Earl Jr., Edwin and Charles are visiting Judge and Mrs. John Hinkle. Mrs. Earl is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hinkle.
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Ardmoreite August 7, 1910 - Advertisement, Nobby Summer Dresses for Madden's Monday Special. We have just received by express, two lots of Lawn and Batiste dresses (Pictures show lovely floor length dresses with gathered skirts) $1.98 and $2.98 Madden's The Coolest Store in Town
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"You may want to check out this site:" <--- Click Here
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"I am not sure when Dr. H.A. Higgins started mixing the formula for Higgins Cure All but my dad says only one pharmacy at a time was allowed to compound it after Dr. Higgins stopped doing it himself. I think Martin's drug was the first, then Clarence Fedler and finally T&M Pharmacy took over many years ago. I think it still costs $2 for a 2 ounce bottle. My dad buys it by the pint or quart so they usually have to make up a batch when he wants it. He uses it for sore throat, sun burn, chest colds and just to rub into a leg he injured while working at Tyler and Simpson in 1947. He and my grandparents put about a quarter tsp on their tongues when they'd get that itchy feeling in their throats. It states it is only to be used externally but my grandad was 80 and my grandmother was 92 when they passed away. My dad is 86 so I guess it is pretty safe. Since I have diabetes I rub it on the bottom of my feet and on my legs. It sure makes them feel better. You can taste it when you put it on the bottom of your feet. I don't know how it works but I know it does." -Jerry
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"I read about stories of Ardmore on T&T and enjoyed reading them. I have a story about Louis Charles Slaughter, who was fire chief for 10 years in the yrs of 1900 and his picture, buggy, first fire engine with his name engraved on it. They are displayed in the museum, there in Ardmore. He was my great grandfather." -Marilouis Lovebug3231@aol.com
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'Under New Construction' by don bridges, songwriter

The signs beside the highway try to warn us of the dangers up ahead,
But its too late to turn back, we can't change the choices of the lives we've led,
We'll drive until tomorrow, no one knows what trouble lies around the bend,
We only know the love we share still means too much to say we've reached the end.

The detours in the road today, don't have to signify destruction,
Be patient during this delay, our love is under new construction.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 8, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 368

Plans are still moving forward for the Ardmore Afternoon concerts by don bridges and his band members being here the 29th. Plus we've added some sweetner to the pot. Country and Western singer Becky Black Garrett of McKinney, Texas will be here that afternoon around 3pm at the Garden Center. Becky along with her friend Trudy of Ardmore will get everyone to toe tapping and in the mood for more good music that evening at the Tivoli. Becky is originally from Ringling, her parents still live there, and I've updated the webpage with her bio and photo. I hope manyof you are making plans to attend all the events on Saturday the 29th. It will be a lot of fun and music for everyone who makes both shows! And dont forget 'mister don' has a Children's Concert at 2pm at the Tivoli. So let's get those youngins there for some fun too! An Ardmore Afternoon

I think a most of the subscribers to the ConnectOklahoma listserver gained 10 pounds this week. We had a lot of great posts about old times, including a lot of mention about those food dishes that only parents and grandparents could fix the right way. Boy, I remember my mother's red velvet cake, she made me one for my birthday every year.

My friend and fellow history buff in Healdton, Kenneth Eck, sent me a pic of the old Dundee School bell this week. Its a beauty of a bell. Here is Kenneth's email: "Butch here is a picture of a bell I know you will be interested in. This is the original bell from the Dundee School. There has not been a school there since the last class graduated in 1964. At the recent Dundee Reunion Banquet they had this outside the door of the Healdton Middle School Gym where they had the banquet, and hardly anyone could resist ringing the bell. It now is resting down at the Healdton Oil Museum, and I guess it will stay there except for the reunion times when I know they would like to take it right back to the gym." Thanks Kenneth for sending this piece of history, I know its going to bring back some memories for some! <--- Click Here

There was an interesting email come in this week to the Oklahoma Listserver from x-Ardmoreite Mark Coe now of Norman. Mark's grandfather owned Coe Grocery on "C" SE years ago. He sent in a file with a lot of Ardmore history, in chronological order. Some good reading! <--- Click Here

I never cease to be amazed sometimes at the friendships that develop through just an email. Many months ago John Trusty in Joliet, IL emailed me asking for more info on the 1966 airplane crash at the Ardmore Airpark. Then one day he found me an old brass key like opens the old jail cells in the Annex Building next door to the courthouse. I have that brass key hanging on the wall. This week a surprise package arrives from John, and in it is a cigarette lighter with the Folger Adams Security Company of Joliet, IL logo on it. On the back side is a picture of a jail cell key. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

I hope none of you got that nasty sasser virus that came out a few days ago. If you get it, you will know it real fast. The minute you connect to the internet, your computer will reboot. So you cant stay online long enough to go to a website and download anything to fix it. The only thing you can do is download the needed files/programs from another computer with a CD burner. Burn them to CD and take the CD to the infected computer. I recommend downloading stinger from McAfee's website and using that to get the virus off the computer. You will find a link to it on my virus help webpage. <--- Click Here

I am now the proud owner of an original 1910 color map of Oklahoma. Its kinda neat to look at the towns that no longer exist. Since it is so large, I had to scan the map in 2 halves. The files are nearly a meg so give them a little while to download. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

We have a new association for the preservation of lawman and outlaw history in Oklahoma! Its name is the Oklahoma Outlaws Lawmen History of Oklahoma. I'm familiar with most of its board of directors and especially the driving force behind its formation, Herman Kirkwood of Oklahoma City. We have talked about Herman several times in past issues here and he has always been a great help to me when I need historical info on some outlaw or lawman from bygone days. I would encourage any of you dyed-in-the-wool history buffs (or newcombers wanting to learn more) to join with me in becoming a member. OKLHO will be coming out with their first Association Journal the middle of this month. I can't wait to get my hands of that very first issue! You can visit the association's website, still in the making at the link below, or email Molly Stehno of Shawnee for more info and an application. Her email is mshoop@sbcglobal.net <--- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

The Seminole Producer, April 13, 2004, Seminole, Oklahoma: "Positively identified as Mrs Bessie Mooney the blonde woman arrested by county officers three miles east of Seminole was taken to Ardmore to answer felony charges according to reports made by Shawnee officials. Complete information concerning the charges Mrs. Mooney will face was not known but it is believed that she will be subjected to questioning about the escape of her husband, Hubert Mooney, car thief, who sawed his way out of the Ardmore Jail. Information furnished by Pottawatomie county officials led to the organization of a posse headed by Bob Short and Chris Whitson when it was learned that the woman was on her way to this city from Wewoka. The carloads of officers heavily armed spotted the car on the highway and forced it to the side of the road. Mrs. Mooney, with three companions, two men and a girl, were brought to Seminole and held pending the arrival of Sheriff W.A. Roberts and P.G. Blain, county evidence men, Shawnee."
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"Butch, Do you have a photo of the old Ardmore High School, from back in the 40's, or at least when it was still being used??? My mother went to AHS in the 40's, and my sister is doing a memory book for Mom, who died in 2002. Need a pic of the AHS, back when it WAS AHS." teematt@cableone.net
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"Hi Butch, Here is a web page to download a magnifying glass. I use it to view thumbnail pictures since they are small and hard to make out just what the picture is. Sure helps when looking at thumbnails on Webshots." <--- Click Here
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"The world is indeed small! I also grew up knowing the Lucero's. I went to Shamrock Drive In owned by Hob and his brother Dave. The were the main stay of the teenagers and kept a lot of the out of trouble and those that were they helped get out of and stay out of trouble. It was the kind of Drive-In you drove around honked at your friends, they had the best Hamburgers ever eaten. Hob and Dave Lucero went to school with my Mother.After they retired Hob went to Springer, NM and taught at the Boys School there." -Rae Jean Miles bigreds23@cableone.net
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"Butch, My husband (we're from Granite/Willow originally) thinks statues (on the ends of the bridge between Granite and Lone Wolf, Oklahoma) may have ended up in a little veterans memorial next to the First Baptist Church in Granite on Main Street." -Judy Bowman, Foster, OK
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"Here is a site that deals with children living in boxcars in Oklahoma and other places." <--- Click Here
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"Golly Butch: You've revived some more memories for this "use-to-be" theatre owner/manager (and all around 'flunky') with the inclusion of the articles below:

Healdton-- The final detail of installing talking pictures in the Thompson theater at Healdton has been completed and the first performance given Tuesday afternoon. Good crowds have been in attendance throughout the week, beginning with a packed house on Tuesday night. William Haines in "The Duke Steps Out" as first picture talkie proved a very popular number.

THOMPSON BOYS RINGLING THEATRE Thompson Bros. operators of theatres in Healdton and Wilson have closed a deal whereby they purchase Ringling Theatre which they will operate. The Ringling Theater is closed until new sound equipment is installed and the theatre building overhauled with new seats and other equipment installed. The Thompsons are successful theatre operators and will give Ringling a good amusement house with the best programs that the patronage will afford.

My first job in a movie theatre was "changing the marquee and the 1-sheets [paper advertising]" in a Thompson Theatre at Britton, Oklahoma in the late '40s. I "graduated" to work in the concessions stand and to ticket-taker before moving into the projection booth (working at both the "B" house across the street, and the Ritz. I taught both of my brothers to be projectionists. When I was 16, my 11 year-old brother Allan was working part-time as projectionist at the Britton Theatre (totally illegal these days because of child-labor laws and the dangers involved with machinery and electricity). Glenn Thompson was president of the corporation which then had its offices on "film row" in Ok. City. During the war while he was away (fighting for our freedoms), his wife had run the company. When I went to work at the Ritz in Britton, they had theatres in 8 towns which included: Healdton, Wilson, Atoka, Tonkawa, Britton, and if my memory is correct; Wewoka, Lindsay, & Ringling. His sons, Richard (Dick), Tommy, and (suddenly I cannot remember the youngest one's name, He may have been John, Jr.) were all in the business as managers in the small towns. When I last talked to Dick Thompson, he was owner/manager of the cable TV system in Lindsay. Ed Asher was the manager who hired me, but eventually he moved on to another position and was replaced by Homer Lee "Pug" Hawkins from Atoka. He'd started his career with the Atoka theatres and then (as I recall) managed them, and later the Healdton and Wilson theatres (both towns at the same time, and including the drive-in theatre at the Healdton / Wilson "Y"). "Pug" and his wife Mary moved to Britton (she was a secretary somewhere) where he managed the theatres until the early '50s when he was offered an opportunity to return to his hometown of Atoka. Mary had severe headaches and was diagnosed with cancer of the brain. She passed away shortly after surgery. I visited with "Pug" shortly thereafter while I was on leave from the Airforce (I was a projectionist there too during off-duty hours, for the extra money). After my discharge, I immediately bought my first small-town theatre (in Newburg, Mo.) and became the youngest independent theatre owner in America. I stayed in the business for 30 years!" RoyKendrick@oklahomahistory.net
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"Very nice! Now if only he'd photographed the side with the maker's inscription on it... . On the other hand, the style and date suggest fairly strongly that it came from Meneely/Troy. (Joe Connors uses "MT" to represent that foundry, so it's a nice coincidence that such a bell is found in Montana.) It looks to be close to 48" in diameter, judging by the paving stones below it, and of course it's made of bronze. However, my transcript of the records of the Meneely/Troy foundry doesn't show any bell ever shipped to Helena, and no bell that large ever shipped to anywhere in Montana. So either my guess is wrong, or the foundry records are wrong. Do you suppose you could persuade Kirk to take a photo of the other side of the bell? Or at least to tell us what it says? Thanks!" -Carl Zimmerman, St Louis, MO <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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"Moore/Lang Residence. This early Victorian structure located at 626 Stanley was built in 1903 by W.R. Moore. It is characterized by materials of differing colors and textures, decorative bands highlighting arches and corners, white stone and pressed brick. The upstairs hallway is oval, with six bedrooms opening into it. The home still looks much like it did when it was built, except for the roof which was removed early on by a fire. Afterward, the widow's walk, the tower and several of the tall chimneys were not replaced. Also missing is the large coach house and two cottages which formerly stood on the back side of the big lot. Mrs. W.R. ( Nettie) Moore was interested in raising cultural level of Ardmore; thus, she regularly had the City Orchestra play concerts from the home's large front porch. J.B. and Elton Pratt purchased the home in 1945 and proceeded to carefully restore the deteriorating property. The Robert C. Langs' acquired the Moore house in 1966. They have discovered secret rooms, hidden stained glass windows and fireplaces, hand carved woodwork and copper sinks within the home."
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The Daily Ardmoreite June 6, 1910 Biggest show on earth, HO-KO-DO Vaundefille company, near the Elks building, corner of Broadway and Washington streets. Admission 10 cents to everybody.
June 7, 1910 Disastrous Fire Sweeps East Scott City; No Plans to Rebuild No plans are under way for the rebuilding of East Scott City district which was swept by a disastrous fire early Friday in which the property loss is estimated at approximately $26,875 with insurance amounting to $8100. Seven building were burned and three leveled to stop the spread of the flames. The greatest loss was the dry good store, "Said's Leader Store" which is estimated at $17,000, and on which the insurance was carried. Other building in the path of the flames were Phipps and Gassaway's empty grocery store building, $1400 loss, :Dad: Duncan's newsstand and restaurant, $2000, J.J. Eaves pool hall, $2000; the Vestile grocery store $1500 loss for stock and building; a meat market and grocery store from which some stock was saved, loss on building and stock $1500; an ice house, $750; a second hand store owned by Phipps and Gassaway, $500, and a barber shop owned by Gus McDonald, $500. The fire of unknown origin was discovered Friday morning at 3 o'clock by Mr. Suttle in Said's store, burning in the front end. The alarm was given by piston shots and by 4:00 was under control. Buildings were torn down by a team of horses to stop the spread of the flames.
June 8, 1910 Granite Quarry Sold--Tishomingo A deal was consummated today whereby the Paris granite quarry with all the machinery and appliances has been transferred to M.J. Gill of Ardmore. The consideration was $15,000. Mr. Gill has taken charge and put a force of men to work getting out stone for the Gill Construction company, of which Mr. Gill is the head, has the contract from the government for the erection of a new $15,000 post office building in Oklahoma City, also the contract for the erection of the Carter County Court House, which is to cost $123,000 and has bids pending on a large number of other public buildings.
June 22, 1910 Laying of the Corner Stone---The pretty ceremonies of the laying of the corner stone according to the ritual of the Masonic Grand Lodge will be carried out Friday afternoon at 2:30. Hon. A. Eddleman who will be Grand Master of Oklahoma next year, will be acting Grand Master for this occasion.
June 23, 1910 Contents of Cornerstone The following is a list of material which will be deposited in a sealed case in the corner stone of the Confederate Home tomorrow: The Holy Bible, USA and Confederate Flags, folded, The Oklahoma constitution, A roll of state officials, Copy of Confederate Home house bill #41, List of trustees of the Confederate Home, New Charter of the city of Ardmore and its officers, List of County officers, Many rolls and rosters of Posts, Camps and Clubs, Many lists of churches and pastors, Chickasaw Telephone Directory, Photos of Mrs. Lula Hailey Walcott, who donated the land, President Jefferson Davis, General W.L. Cabel, Maj.Gen. Wm. Taylor, and Mrs. W.T. Culberson., A poem by Father Ryan "The Sword of Lee", the F.C.V. official badge, Copy of the invitation to take part in the laying of the corner stone on June 24, 1910 and copies of The Daily Ardmoreite and the Ardmore Statesman. June 29, 1910
Building Progressing Nicely The work on the Confederate Home is progressing nicely and the building has already begun to take on the appearance of a building, the work on the basement, foundation and practically for the first story, has been completed. The east of front side of the building is being made of white brick and stone trimmings and is very attractive; the other part of the building will be of ordinary brick. Excess Fare Illegal After July 20 it will be illegal for any railroad in Oklahoma charging more than 2 cents per mile for the transportation of passengers to collect any excess charge for cash fares. Under this order the man who boards a train without a ticket pays the same fare as the man who has one.
July 1, 1910 The people who are interested in the proposed high school building would like to see the school board get busy with the sale of the bonds and build the new $100,000 building. The city schools are badly crowded. The log cabin at the park being built by the Woodmen is about finished. Both the W.O.W. and the M.W.A. will have headquarters at the park July 4 and 5.
July 2, 1910 Sulphurites See Sights High in the heavens, brilliantly lighted and traveling at a terrific speed, an airship passed over Platt National Park last night at 9 o'clock. The aerial navigator was traveling due west. Many entered automobiles and pursued the route of the airship, but it quickly left the speeding autos far behind and passed from view over the Arbuckle mountains fifteen miles away. The airship was so high that only its lights could be seen, but the hum of its motors could be distinctly heard. The swift passage of the airship with its brilliant lights and humming motors attracted more attention in this city than Haley's comet ever did. The two protractors meetings lost their audiences and the shows, dance pavilions, bowling alleys, and other amusement features their crowds. Even the merry bathers left the natatorium and rushed out up in the streets in their bathing suits to see and hear the aerial navigator in its passage over the National Park.
July 8, 1910 M.J. Gill construction company has workmen now dressing the granite from their granite beds at Tishomingo and the material will be beautiful when placed in the building.
July 10, 1910 For the first time in the history of Carter county an organized effort has been made to ship fruit out of here to the markets. The Fruit Growers Association have placed an order for 15,000 crates which will arrive this week. Among those that have fruit to ship are J.S. Mullen, W.P. Poland, Walter Colbert, Dr. Walker Hardy, Felix J. King and Apple & Franklin.
July 12, 1910 Judge T.N.Robnett, former United States commissioner, was in the city today from Davis. He says the mining industry in the mountains near Davis is proving a success and a large number of men are now engaged in taking out zinc.
July 15, 1910 Ada---This city was thrown in a fervor of excitement Wednesday night when Chief of Police George Culver deliberately pulled his revolver and shot himself in the head in the presence of a fair sized crowd at the Airdome theater on Main Street. The exact reason for his rash act cannot be learned. The dead man remarked to several just before the shooting that he was going to kill himself, but all thought he was just joking. Just before the fatal shot was fired, Culver was seen at the ticket window talking with the ticket seller. His wife was seen to approach and say something to him, and then Culver jerked out his gun, placing it behind the ear, and fired a bullet through the skull. He died in a few minutes. Mr. Culver was a young man and came here several years ago, from Grayson county, Texas. He was one of the officers who went to Fort Worth, Texas and brought back Jim Miller, who later was hanged here by a mob.
July 22, 1910 Work has began at the fire department this morning to make the changes in the building to make room for the new equipment expected to arrive the early part of next week. A combination hose and ladder wagon to be used with horses is expected to arrive Monday and the automobile combination hose and chemical wagon will arrive the latter part of next month.
July 1, 1931 Construction of the new 4,000,000 candlepower airplane beacon light on top of Timbered hill, near Turner Falls, 18 miles North of here, has been started by government airways engineers. It is to be completed by July 15.
July 8, 1931 Cedarvale to Open Saturday---one of Southern Oklahoma's newest and most modern amusement parks, in the Arbuckle mountains on Honey creek south of Davis, is to be opened to the public Saturday. Crews are putting finishing touches on the park today. Water for the immense new swimming pool is to be turned in tonight. The park is owned by Fred R. Ellis, C.C. Lynch and Bob Gardenhire, all of Ardmore. The men have built a large dam and have leveled the creek bed to make one of the largest pools in this part of the state. The pool is 1400 feet long and varies in depth. Practically the entire lake will be shady throughout the day. Workmen today were completing erecting a 40 foot steel tower for diving boards. In addition other boards have been built in around the pool shore and piers made of rocks have been set in the pool for resting places. An immense tower in the center of the pool is being wired with 10 flood lights to illuminate the entire lake in both directions. Bath houses contain 64 dressing rooms, all equipped with private entrances. Both men's and women's dressing rooms will contain showers. Another feature of the park which is being developed by the operators, is the opening of summer cottage sites near the pool. The Ardmore men have purchased 60 acres and plan to develop lots for summer homes. A roadways system is being constructed and finishing touches put on this part of the work. A number of cottages are to be constructed during the summer. A filling station and a complete tourist camp is to be erected later.
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"Several years ago I had a long article about Clemscot. I don't recall if I gave it to my Dad or not. At that time he was telling me about the horse races was the big thing there on Saturday nights. They would just go out and catch a horse, anybody's horse, and race it, then take it and turn it lose again. The article had a lot of information in it. Wish I could get my hands on it again."
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"Hello Butch, I haven't written in several years, but in Friday's newsletter a few early hotels were mentioned. My Great Grandmother operated the Jordan Hotel-Dixie Hotel-Babes Rooms and would like to know if anyone has information especially photos of any of these hotels. I have as the address, 12 1/2 A Street Northeast in Ardmore.Her name was Susie Jordan. Dates, (1925-1948) I would appreciate any help." -Marsha Schott from California wonderwoman44@hotmail.com
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"Butch, in the 40s there was a Radio Show that began/ended with a creaking door. Do you know the name of that show? If not, could you ask your readers. Maybe it was "The shadow knows" or something like that?"
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"Butch, I really enjoyed the information about the Colvert Residence. I would like to know about the Colvert home as it stands today. Who owns it? Is it lived in? What is happening to the land to the west of the house? Is that part of the Colvert property? I hope the house dosen't get torn down as businesses build up around it."
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"Hi Butch: I was looking up an obituary in the Daily Ardmoreite for a lady, and came across the following. Thought that how Jimtown got it's name might be of interest to you and your readers." -Anna Marie Wilson Lone Grove

The Daily Ardmoreite - March 20, 1924 James H. Rector, Pioneer of Old Chickasaw Nation, Died Tuesday Old Chickasaw Nation lost one of it's pioneer citizens Tuesday night when James H. RECTOR died at his home in Healdton. Mr. Rector was at the age of 77, although he was a very young man when the war between the states broke out yet he joined the cause of the Confederacy and was one of Quantrell's men.

It was 50 years ago that Jim Rector left Springfield, Mo., and settled at Jimtown in Love County. Jimtown is located about 20 miles west of the town of Marietta, on the banks of Red River. It is located in a deep sandy belt of country and is rather uninviting, still there must have been a charm to that section for the reason that it attracted some of the best blood in this country.

The town took it's name from the men who moved there whose first names were Jim, according to Frank S. HYDEN of this city, who is one of the first settlers of this country. These men were Jim Rector whose body now awaits burial in Healdton; Jim RYAN, who afterwards became one of the best known physicians and surgeons in Oklahoma and is now a practitioner in Oklahoma City where he has gained both wealth and fame, and Jim LITTLE who is one of the most friendly spirits in the west and who is today engaged in the hardware business in Lexington, Oklahoma.

Not only did Jimtown attract these men but it attracted Whitt Hyden, father of our own Frank Hyden and Louis SLAUGHTER, who for ten years was fire chief of Ardmore and who organized and still owns the Slaughter Motor Company together with his son-in-law, L.D.NELMS.

The body will be held in hopes of gathering the children before the funeral is held. The oldest son of the family, Otis RECTOR is in the oil fields at Tonkawa and another son, Arthur, is in the oil fields of Texas, and efforts are being made to locate both of these men. There are two daughters in the family, both of whom are at Healdton awaiting the arrival of the boys of the family.

Deceased is survived by his widow and two sons, Otis and Arthur and two daughters, Mrs. Carl PURCELL of Ardmore and Miss Margaret Rector who resides at home. At the last report from Healdton the boys had not been located."
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "Mark your site is really good, enjoyed it a lot. Okay Bill you got me online now. The Means drive in is now Baldwins, and I had racked my brains trying to remember Jays drive in. It is now Rabe's used cars and has been for a long time. Also trying to remember what the name of the one on 70 east, just around the curve from Bill & Barbs was. It was also a liquor store, after the drive inn closed. When in H.S. we used to stop at the old Bill & Barbs on out on 70 east, I guess where Toi's is now. They had the great big burgers. We stopped there after all of our Basket Ball games. My gosh what a lot of memories." -Karla
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>From ConnectOklahoma Listserver: "Butch, I just read the note from Doug Brown about the old swimming pool at Whittington Park. I also remember the pool and we were in elementary school and would take the school bus from Wilson to Ardmore for swimming lessons at the Pool. Wow, that was a long time ago, probably 1949 to 1951 or some where along there. I haven't thought about that place in a long time. I later moved to Ardmore with my parents in the 6th grade and grew up there." -Randall (Randy) Ramsey
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"New Remembrance Memorial Park guestbook entry yesterday from a lady in San Jose, Calif. and was a neighbor to Richard Griego (one of the men killed in the 1966 Ardmore aircrash. Don't know if you saw it or not." <--- Click Here
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"I bought an old "yearbook" from an estate sale in Lawton, OK back in l982. The annual belonged to a former Kid Key College (Sherman, TX) student, Edwina Nall. The book is dated 1927 and is in excellent condition. It is a delightful collection of rich photographs and a fascinating chronicle of the times." -Lawton, OK
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"Mom wrote this for Mother's Day in 1961. Thanks again for your great website. You give so many so much joy!" -Helen Tweed, Texas

"The Closing of the Day"

When the sun goes down
And evening comes
And I kneel down to pray
I always remember Mother
For its the closing of the day

She didn't say good-bye to me
I didn't see her go
But there were many left behind
A few of whom I know
Who loved her, Oh so dearly
For her sweet and happy way
For knowing her was loving her
She was so kind and gay

When she left I was so young
I wish I had been older
Oh there were times, I do remember
Such as crying on her shoulder

But I seem to remember most of all
The naughty things I'd say
I hope I always made amends
At the closing of the day

She left five little girls behind
Who longed for her dear face
Tho there were many who were kind
None could ever take her place

This was all so long ago
Her little girls are grown
Many years have passed since then
And they've families of their own

How she would have loved to share
Their joys and their sorrows
She would have guided with such care
All of their tomorrows

So within my heart I've built a shrine
There to always stay
Where I can spend a few moments with her
Every closing of the day

-Phoebe Tweed 1961

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 1, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 367

Its May 1st and the music man himself and his band members will be arriving in Ardmore in four weeks. My cousin don bridges will be holding 2 concerts at the Tivoli on Main Street here in Ardmore on Saturday May 29th. I have a webpage that tells all about the concerts and also the T&T Get Together that afternoon. The T&T Friends Get Together will be at the Garden Center on Stanley Street SW (not at Central Park as originally planned). An Ardmore Afternoon

We are going to need some help with the Get Together at the Garden Center, so if you can help, let me know by email. I'll being posting updates on the webpage above as the days go by.

This is a pic of the old Simpson Building at West Main and A Street. <--- Click Here

Here is a picture postcard of the old Westward Motel that was located just south of the present day Walmart on North Commerce. <--- Click Here

In Ardmore at 912 South Commerce is the Chief Motel. Its still there today, but here is a picture of it in its younger days, I'd say the 50s. I could sure tell some stories about the Westward and the Chief Motels and some runs I made to them in the 70s when I worked for the ambulance. <--- Click Here

This is an old badge from Ardmore, Indian Territory days from before statehood. <--- Click Here
<--- Click Here

Got a snailmail this week from John Trusty in Joliet, IL. He mailed me a pic of the booking sheet for John Dillinger. It was not real clear, so the scan I did is a somewhat blurry. <--- Click Here

Remember the old mimeograph machine that used the thick gooey black ink? I still have a hand crank mimeograph machine in my garage including unused cans of ink. In 1975 I used it to run of 1,200 newsletter each month for the Oklahoma EMT Association. It was work and messing, but fun too. Use those green waxy type stencils, typed them up on an old manual typewriter. Boy, those were the good old days. lol <--- Click Here

Remember those different things other in school would make out of paper, by folding it into all kinds of contorsions? Here is a website that lets you print out some neat paper toys. <--- Click Here

Seems like with every passing week I get more questionable emails with a possible virus inside, almost always a file attachment. The past few weeks it averages 20 in a 24 hour period. I hate to think how many it could be without my ospam catching many of the suspect emails. <--- Click Here

TENEMENT HOUSE, noun, a large building divided into apartments, usually in a poor area of a city. A rundown, low-rental apartment building whose facilities and maintenance barely meet minimum standards.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"My fellow play-writers; Mike Jones, Carl Clark and Janita Black and I are very excited about getting our first play entered in competition and also having it presented locally! (We're still in shock!) I hope when it is performed on the Goddard Stage at Ardmore, you'll all come to watch! My best to you all. To read an article in the Daily Ardmoreite about our first stage play, "The Buttermilk Conspiracy" go to to the link below." -Louise (Lou) Harper, luharper@direcway.com <--- Click Here
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"Here is a site for the City of Ardmore C-130A Hercules Lockheed Aircraft" <--- Click Here
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"And let's not forget: Flash Gordon, Poncho and Cisco, The Green Hornet, The Phatom, "THE SHADOW", Red Rider and Little Beaver, Lash Larue, The Durango Kid, The Marx Brothers, and the list goes on and on." -Your cousin Poss in Korea
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"Does anyone know what happened to the statues (iron, I think) on the ends of the bridge between Granite and Lone Wolf, Oklahoma? They built a new bridge there but I don't know what happened to the statues of soldier boys that were on the ends of the bridge."
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"These are excerpts taken from the "Ordinances of the City of Healdton, Healdton, Oklahoma" dated February 26, 1923. One day each year the Boy Scout troop would take over "administration" of the City. We used these ordinances to enforce so as to raise funds for operation of the scout troop. Most of the townspeople went along with our enforcement of many of the laws that were archaic, but valid at the time of their promulgation. We as Boy Scouts had a great time and looked forward to the event each year." -Tommie <--- Click Here
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"Colvert Residence: On August 3, 1908, Maude Moore sold a six acre tract on the crest of a hill to B.M. Bynum who built the three-story residence that remains today as the Colvert home. Cabinetry signed by its builder is dated 1909 therefore it is presumed that the structure was completed in 1909 or early 1910. The home was equipped with the latest piping so that chandeliers could be lighted by gas from a single source rather than by individual oil burning fixtures. Down spouts from the roof drains were arranged so that rain water could be stored in a large cistern below the floor of the basement which was the laundry room. There were three large wash basins made of slate and could be filled with the soft rain water by use of a water driven pump system. A laundry chute from the upper floors let linens be delivered directly to the laundry room. Adjoining was a large room used for hanging out the wash on rainy days or for use as an ironing room. Thick walls and high ceilings (taller than 10 feet) plus the southerly breezes kept the interior at comfortable temperatures during the hot Oklahoma summer days long before air conditioning. Raymond G. Colvert was deeded the property on April 10, 1926. In the ensuing years to 1936 purchase of adjoining parcels increased the property to 220 acres. Mr. Colvert pursued development and operation of the property with vigor. Extensive landscaping, gardening, and renovations were soon accomplished. In the 1930's to accommodate a growing family of four children around 1750 square feet of the basement area was converted into a billiard and game room. The attic area which covers the entire house was converted into a large living space with cedar lined storage closets and also a full bath was added. A large horse barn with a hay loft was also constructed. Later a new garage and a storage room were added on the property. A circular drive to accommodate the automobile traffic was another addition. Presently the house consists of fifteen rooms with three and one-half baths with, of course, the well known beautiful surrounding porches." <--- Click Here
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"Friends, I've added a few more photos of our Big Canyon Spring 2004 Photo Session to the following link." -Dwane Stevens <--- Click Here
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"The annual ten-day festival here in San Antonio known as Fiesta concludes today. Last night as I watched the Fiesta Flambeau parade, one of the largest night-time parades in the U. S., I was greeted with a pleasant surprise. There among the 150 entrants was the Dickson High School Band! Great job they did, too. Many thanks, young people. I hope you enjoyed your visit." -Elizabeth Dyer
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"Butch - fyi about the salt mines - they are still working salt mines, mining the majority of the U.S.'s supply of salt, as well as serving as a document repository. Learjet [airplane manufacturer owned by Bombardier] keeps all of its records there as well - it's quite a site - the only method of getting to the documents [or the salt] is with a bucket-rigged elevator - quite a ride."
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"The Woodmen of the World (WOW) was a fraternal insurance organization and had lodges scattered throughout the United States. They held regular meetings (encampments), had uniforms, state and national officers, held conventions both state and national , and published a fairly large national newspaper. I'm sure most people have seen the large elaborate WOW monuments in old cemeteries. Like other fraternal organizations they had numerous symbols if the order such as ceremonial axes, buckles, watchfobs, state and national encampment pins and badges, etc. For local info the Garvin County history book has several pages of pictures and info on a large encampment in the area. Other information is probably available from various state historical societies." <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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"Butch, in the T&T of 3-19-04, you had an article on the 1923 schools of Carter County. The school of Crinerville has a picture of three men as an inset. Could you tell me where I may purchase a copy of the picture? The three gentlemen are my relatives, Boone Bingham, Fred Rudd and Willie Wiggins. They were school board members at Crinerville. Any information would really be appreciated. Just keep up the good historical views from Ardmore and the Southern Oklahoma area." ooglee@centurytel.net <--- Click Here
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"I was searching for info on the 1909 Ada lynching, and discovered your web site. I grew up a couple of miles south of Francis. John Williamson---we called him 'Little John', because he had an older relative who was also John---was our nearest neighbor. He lived about a quarter of a mile south of us. Even though I grew up on the late 30's and into the early 50's, the hanging was still a subject of discussion on occasion. It was common knowledge among neighbors and acquaintances that there was one subject Little John did not like to talk about---that was the lynching. I had heard that Miller used Little John's horse, but I didn't realize just how close Little John came to getting strung up too. Little John and another neighbor who lived about a quarter mile north were both moonshiners. Both occasionally would get caught and spend ninety days or six months in jail. My closest buddy was Don Kaiser, now retired in Ada after a major league baseball career and about twenty years as Pontotoc County sheriff. Don's dad was sheriff when we were young, and he was usually the one who would catch Little John. It wasn't easy, because some county officials would usually tip off Little John or the other moonshiner when Don's dad filed paperwork to go on a search for their stills. Over the years, I did hear a bit of history from an old timer that linked Miller to another hired killing---that of Sheriff Pat Garrett near Organ, New Mexico. Many references list a guy named Brazil as Garrett's killer, but there were some who thought it may have been Miller. One of those was the father of a close friend of mine in Las Cruces NM. His last name was Lucero, and his family had for years ranched what is now White Sands Missile Range. In the late 1950's, while I worked at the missile range, one of my favorite hangouts was a Las Cruces drive-in restaurant owned by the Lucero brothers, one of whom was Hob Lucero, a close friend of mine. Hob's father was at that time near eighty, and he spent a lot of time at the restaurant. We all called him Grandaddy Lucero. We spent many hours over coffee listening to his stories of the lawless days of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Upon Garrett's death, grandaddy Lucero looked after Garrett's ranch property until the estate was settled. Garrett's so called goat ranch was just north of Hgwy 70 against the east slope of the San Andre Mountains, near Organ Pass, overlooking what is now the missile range. Grandaddy Lucero later became County Sheriff and was very knowledgeable of some of the unsavory characters who drifted throughout the southwest during his youth. He knew of the Ada lynching, and told us that Miller had been in the area near the time of Garrett's killing. He thought there were some similarities in the way both Garrett and Bobbit were killed. He said that Miller liked to waylay people along deserted roads and trails. So much for my rambling. I will continue reading your web site. I find that the older I get, the more I am interested in history. One of my brothers, Gene Caton has lived and taught in Lone Grove for years, and I have some other acquaintances in Ardmore. Perhaps we can get together for coffee the next time I am back that way." -Doyle Caton, Albuquerque, NM dlc8n@msn.com
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"Wonder if Eva Geronimo is buried in the Apache cemetery (Ft Sill, OK) near her father?"
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"Hi Butch, during the Depression, 1929, my Dad was out of work and my mother worked at a boardinghouse 6 days a week for 50 cents a day and one meal. The rest of her salary went for what ever they could buy. They lived in a boxcar down in the railyard, as did a lot of other people who were out of work etc. I am unsure how long they lived there, but I do know that a tornado came thru and destroyed their boxcar and others, so they had to find other housing. Is there any way that I could find stories about these boxcar people??? I do know that my parents had twin daughters, and I do not know what happened to them-whether they were given up for adoption or if they died. They were born late 1929 or 1930. Their story died with my parents." -Juanita wja4032@hotmail.com
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"Butch, Here's a couple of pictures of the old bell in Helena, MT ( state capitol ). I know you like bells, but sorry these are not Oklahoma ones. Thought you would enjoy anyway." -Kirk Holley Smith, Hamilton, MT <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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The Daily Ardmoreite, May 10, 1910 Mr. Crowder is here prospecting in copper mines that have been discovered near the home of Mrs. Belle Wright. Mr Knighting is also here prospecting.

May 11, 1910 BLUE AND GRAY ELIMINATE STRIFE Without solicitation the Union soldier contributes to building fund of home. Almost a half a century has eliminated all the feelings of strife and bitterness that was caused by the civil war and now the men who wore the blue and fought under the stars and stripes to preserve the union are bosom friends with the men who wore the gray and fought under the stars and bars. At the time each were sincere in their belief and fought as only Americans can for their respective sides. But for many years after the conflict there existed between them that feeling that they were right and the bitterness against the opposite side. But with years the feeling has passed and the remaining few who have not answered the last roll call have learned to understand each other and are friends, each interested in the others welfare, another example of this was proved today when Fred L. Schoeppe a Union soldier, who spent four years in the Union army came to Judge Jno. L. Galt, who fought under the stars and bars and gave him ten dollars for the building committee of the Confederate Home in the city. Fortune has smiled favorably upon Mr. Schoeppe in the last few years and he is comfortably situated for his declining years, he allotted the lands on the Washita where the rock crushing plants are now located and what at that time looked like worthless mountain lands has proven a veritable gold mine for him, but he had a thought for others and thought of the boys in gray who had undergone the hardships of the conflict and were not in favorable circumstances in their old days and came and gave his part to help them pass their few remaining days in comfort.

May 24, 1910 A Summer Resort Sulphur--J.D. Ramsey received today a car of steel and non-sinkable motor launches and row boats for his big bathing, pleasure and fishing lakes in the northern part of the city. He received with the shipment a number of miniature war ships and forts for the bluffs along the lakes with which he will fight over again the battle of Santiago. Two hundred bathing suits came in with the shipment. The lakes get their water supply from a mammoth artesian well on a high bluff two hundred feet above the lake dams. The water power from this two hundred feet fall will be utilized and used in electric lighting the grounds and for other purposes.

May 31, 1910 HELD ON ROBBERY CHARGE Snyder, OK, May 30--M.C. Hancock, formerly proprietor of Snyder hotel, arrested at Moffat, Colorado has been returned to Snyder to face a charge of robbing Louis Albright, an aged corn doctor, of $7,000, the complaint alleging that the robbery took place in the Hancock's hotel on the night of February 22, 1909. Eccentric, saving, somewhat a hermit, Albright had amassed the nucleus of what he believed to be a fortune, but afraid of banks, he converted all his savings into currency as rapidly as it came in and carried the money about him in a leather belt. The night of February 22, last year, he was slugged in the dark, beaten and relieved of his money. Hancock soon sold his hotel and removed to Colorado and, it is said, started a bank

April 7, 1929 Carroll Mabry is charged with larceny of 31 chickens in a complaint filed against him by the county attorney's office Saturday. Mabry is alleged to have taken the birds from L.S. Moore, who lives south of Wilson.

Healdton-- The final detail of installing talking pictures in the Thompson theater at Healdton has been completed and the first performance given Tuesday afternoon. Good crowds have been in attendance throughout the week, beginning with a packed house on Tuesday night. William Haines in "The Duke Steps Out" as first picture talkie proved a very popular number.

April 9, 1929 >From the files of April 9, 1919 Ardmore was sending out invitations to neighboring cities and towns particularly those along the Indian Trail highway east of Carter county, to send delegations to join with the Ardmore party in an automobile trip to the National Good Roads convention at Mineral Wells on April 14-19.

January 8, 1931 Massads advertisement Justin Boots $12.95 Red Wing Work Boots $4.95 Mens John B Stetson hats $6.95 & $7.85 Healdton Herald January 15, 1931 Windsor Hotel Under New Management Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Martin who built and operated the New Windsor hotel until its sale about a year ago have returned from New Mexico and will manage this popular hostelry for the present or possibly permanent.

January 22, 1931 LUMBER YARD SAFE IS BLOWN AND ROBBED Safe crackers entered the office of the Merrick and Boyd Lumber yard late last night and blew the company safe and escaped with about $140.00 in cash and checks. The discovery was made when the office was opened early this morning. Nothing else in the office was disturbed. Sheriff Elmer Byrd was called early and in company with Mr. Carson, finger print expert, came out and investigated the robbery. A number of photographs were taken and it is expected that some definite information of the party or parties will be gained from the information gathered. Mr. Homer, manager of the yard, called the officers as soon as the robbery was discovered.

THOMPSON BOYS RINGLING THEATRE Thompson Bros. operators of theatres in Healdton and Wilson have closed a deal whereby they purchase Ringling Theatre which they will operate. The Ringling Theater is closed until new sound equipment is installed and the theatre building overhauled with new seats and other equipment installed. The Thompsons are successful theatre operators and will give Ringling a good amusement house with the best programs that the patronage will afford.

Arrested-Charged with Car Theft Grenville Wisdom was arrested by Constable Joe Lewis on complaint of Mr. Barber living south of Wirt who charges Wisdom with attempt to take his car from in front of a residence at Wirt on Saturday. Wisdom is now in jail at Ardmore awaiting preliminary hearing. Canning Demonstration Mrs. Church, home demonstration agent of Carter County, will be in Healdton Monday at which time a canning demonstration of meat will be held at the fire station.

C.P. Hall Store at Wilson Burns Fire of undetermined origin destroyed the C.P. Hall Furniture company store at Wilson early Monday morning. Bob Hall, manager of the store, attempted to direct activities to save some of the $10,000 stock but was forced to desist by the fierceness of the blaze on the interior and the heavy pall of smoke. Plans to rebuild are said to be in the offing. The Hall company has had a store in Wilson since 1915. Several years ago the store was burned and a heavy loss entailed.

Will Rogers Coming To Ardmore Soon Will Rogers the nationally known humorists, an Oklahoma product, comes to Oklahoma for a weeks engagement the first week in February and will appear in Ardmore at Convention Hall on the evening of Tuesday February 3rd. Rogers comes in the interest of charity making some dozen appearances in the state. All proceeds from each performance goes for charity and will be distributed equally to cities and country alike. He is paying his own expenses personally on the trips and the towns in which he appears furnish the place of holding the meetings free of any expense, thus every dollar received on admissions will go to charity work. February 12, 1931 You might not think travelers would leave their false teeth in trains, but it is a common occurrence.

February 26, 1931 Milk Prices Reduced Owing to the downward trend of Dairy feed prices we will sell Mid Way Dairy Sweet milk for 12 1/2 cents a quart. Midway Dairy Healdton, Oklahoma

May 12, 1931 Johnson Opening With Big Sale The Robert Johnson Dry Goods store recently moved here from Wirt and will have a formal opening Saturday morning, March 14th.

Ray Pence Attends Dallas Fire School Ray Pence, chief of the Healdton Fire Department, was in Dallas from Monday until Thursday of this week where he was an instructor in a three day fire school.

Nov. 8, 1931 Davis Faces Electric Chair For Murder. Colquitt Davis 20 year old Amarillo, TX youth, who went to trial in district court at Ardmore on Friday was found guilty by the jury reporting Sunday following close of the trial late Saturday night, of the murder of Deputy Sheriff Con Kiersey. The shooting took place at the Sinclair camp two miles west of Healdton on Dec. 10th, when Kiersey and a fellow officer attempted to question Davis and a brother regarding a stolen car they were driving. The jury failed to agree on the punishment, life imprisonment or death by the electric chair, and left the punishment up to District Judge Asa Walden who presided at the trial. After deliberating for three days Judge Walden on Wednesday announced that he would assume the death penalty against Davis. Counsel for Davis has given notice of an appeal to the criminal court of appeals.
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"Three months before she was born, Rosetta Wills was already making headlines. "Unborn Child Reunites Wills and His Bride," read the Tulsa World on April 3, 1940. The bride, the former Mary Louise Parker, was Bob Wills' fourth; the child, the soon-to-be Rosetta Wills, his second." <--- Click Here
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"Friends, just thought I would share a few photos of what I found today. I just finished up a railroad photography project with some rail friends and finally got a chance to check out another lead on old powerhouse oil field equipment. This one is an operating open gear system with an old (fairbanks morse?) engine running it. It only operates two wells but has an unusual type of roller set up on each rod line near the powerhouse. At least I have never seen this before. As you can tell from the photos the powerhouse is in sad shape but at least the thing is still operating. Gotta get back and shoot some video." -Dwane Stevens onmp@juno.com <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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"The name W.A. Baker is listed in Roster of Quantrill Guerrillas, most of them became outlaws or Sheriffs, the web site is:" <--- Click Here -------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you realize yesterday (April 22nd) was the 38th anniversary of the 1966 AFA plane crash? I would like to see us maybe do some type of memorial service or dedication for the 40th anniversary. What do you think? We have 2 years to come up with something."
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"Hi fellow Okies. Heres an old picture I found that might be of interest to some of you long time Ardmore residents. Its a picture (not good quality) of the pool that was at Whittington Park. Its looking east from the shallow end. The bath house was directly behind where the picture was made and the skating rink was over the bath house. I may be the only one old enough to remember this. Any way this is where I learn to swim and dive. Thanks." -Doug Brown <--- Click Here
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"The Daily Ardmoreite July 7, 1910, FEDERAL JAIL NOW BELONGS TO COUNTY The federal jail in Ardmore is the property of Carter county. The board of county commissioners today issued a warrant for $650 on the contingent fund of the county made payable to the United States Marshal of the Eastern District of Oklahoma and have done their part toward acquiring the jail. Under an act passed by the last congress the jail of this county was given to the federal government when the county pays a sum equal to the cost of the care of federal prisoners from statehood up to the passage of the act and when the legislature passes a bill requiring county officers to care for federal prisoners to those jails. The expense to the county has been $650 and the board of county commissioners passed a resolution of thanks to the Hon. Grant Victor, United States marshal and to Hon. Charles D. Carter for the interest they took in Carter county in the matter of the transfer of the jail property and also for the federal building bill which gives the county a building which will cost $150,000."
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"How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" -Dr. Seuss

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday April 24, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 366

There have been several emails this week through the ConnectOklahoma Listserver about old radio programs. On the internet these are called OTR programs for Old Time Radio. Before tv came along folks would sit around and listen to the radio, not just the music and newscasts, but to programs like Abbott and Costello, Amos and Andy, Laurel and Hardy, Fire Chief, Mr. District Attorney, Benny Goodman and many more radio entertainers, before the television. I found one website that list many of them and the year the program first aired. There are a dozens of old radio programs for free downloading in Real Player format for listening. You can Right-Click and Save them to hard drive for later listening. If you want to hear one of the programs, just select the one you want to hear, click GO and then Streaming. Or save it to your hard drive for listening to later. I really like listening to the Railroad Tunes! You will need RealOne Player installed on your computer to hear the radio programs. Plus most of the programs are over 3 megs in size, so its takes time to download on the slow dial-up modems. I warn you, this can be addictive! <--- Click Here

Another website with some great OTR programs to listen to. The files are mp3 format so you dont need RealPlayer on your computer. If you get hooked, dont blame me. lol <--- Click Here

A few months ago we talked about Mel and Mary Lou Mierow helping archive some the courthouse records to microfilm for the LDS church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mel and Mary have been here for nearly a year, and will be leaving to go back to their home state Minnesota about mid May. Last week they were telling me about going to Missouri and "working in the salt mines". This caught my attention and so I had to know more. Come to find out the LDS church has rented vaults for storing records deep in the ground near Hutchinson, Kansas in salt mines. These huge caverns are 54 stories below ground. The Mierows told me how many Hollywood film studios, government offices, museums, and corporations have rent the various size vaults for safe keeping of their old films, records, and irreplaceable documents, etc. Here is a photo of the Meirows I took last February working at their table in the annex building. <--- Click Here

Website and info on the Underground Vaults & Storage, Inc. in Kansas. <--- Click Here

This is a salt crystal from the mine the Mierows brought back to Ardmore. <--- Click Here

In last week's T&T there was mention of the hatchet and and a horseshoe that was embedded into the concrete of Rock Creek Bridge in Sulphur (1909). This is the bridge on Highway 7 in the middle of town. A Reader called me this week to say those historical items are now on display in the historical museum at Sulphur. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

If you were in the Ardmore area last Saturday (April 17th) and didn't make it to Earthday in downtown Ardmore, you missed out on a bunch of fun. There were booths and exhibits all over the Main Street area near Central Park. Here is a couple of pics I snapped. Those clogging Clicky Chicks were fun to watch, they even let the crowd get in to a little clogging sometimes! In the photo from left to right is, Jocelyn Markley, Sandy Lackey, Pat Lane, and Donna Jackson. Sandy is the groups instructor. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

For those of you who have not signed up for the free ConnectOklahoma Listserver, you've been missing some great memory sharing, experience telling, old time down home letter writing in the way of modern day emails this week. The Listserver has had a flurry of messages posted from all around the country. Since the Listserver is pretty much automated, Sweetpea has not had to do much of anything, except monitor all those emails coming in. Sweetpea is still monitoring all the emails, so keep them clean and follow the rules, everyone is having such a good time remembering when. I mentioned a long time ago, the Listserver is a very powerful communication tool, lets use it. Below are just 3 sample emails of the many emails this week that came via the Listserver:

"You folks may not believe this but when I was still a youngster one of our neighbor farm families bought a radio and invited all around one evening to visit and listen to the radio. The first radio program I ever heard was the second Joe Lewis - Max Smelling heavyweight prize fight. Hows that for going back? Afterward we finally got a radio which had to have an outside aerial (antenna) run from the radio to a high post some ways from the house. It also used an automobile battery for power. Some of the programs I remember are: Mr. District Attorney, Lum and Abner, Amos and Andy, The Shadow, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, The Chuckwagon gang...Inspirational songs. Some of you may remember the country singer and guitar player Lou Childre. He came on about time I was getting home from school. Kids could write and ask him to dedicate a song to them. Oh! by the way he played an Hawaii steel guitar - what we now call a Dobro. We received, at night, the highest powered station at that time from Del Rio, Texas. The station transmitted a whole 10,000 watts. The transmitter was actually located in Mexico because of restrictions in the U.S. on output power. We would get a noon day program called "The Man On The Street" all the way from Wichita Falls, TX. Wow! They would do interviews of folks along the street outside the station."

"I am an old timer from Oklahoma lived there until I was 8 years old Hope I am not considered an intruder I did have grandparents that lived in Ardmore see picture and other kin all over the state. I lived on west 2nd street in Oklahoma City (last I saw of it it was whole section of condemned homes scheduled to be torn down, must have been in late 70's) We lived not far from the ford plant the red brick building that was just like the one in about every state and my Grandfather worked there. I lived with my Grandparents and I remember the Model T Touring car that my Grand parents had and the trip we took in it to West Texas to see my Grandmothers sister. My sister and I sat in the back seat and the car was so loaded with blankets and bedding and the Running boards were also loaded with cans of Gasoline and Water.I remember when we were leaving Oklahoma city and out on the open highway (2 lanes) we went past the stock yards had to hold my nose all the way past them. (are they still there?) (I am much older that most of you who are writing,I am talking in the late 20's) At night my Grandfather would pull the car over to the side of the road and then my grandmother would lay the blankets out on the prairie and we would bed down for the night. I remember one night my sister and I were fast asleep when my Grandmother started shaking us to get us to wake up. She told us to hurry and get up and get into the car (must have been 3 am or so) because she hears a rattle snake and a screech owl both at the same time and that was a bad omen. Was in middle of night but we were traveling down the highway all alone as we did not see any other car for many miles. We watched the sun come up and wasn't long after that that it started to rain. now the back seat of a model T Ford is not a good place to be when it is raining. all the water came in and my sister and I were soaked. My Grandfather pulled the car over and got out the Icing Ising (spelling ) glass curtains and put them on. But Oklahoma rain does not last long sometimes and wasn't long before the sun was out again and he was removing the curtains. For meals we ate the sandwiches and fruit and cake that my Grandmother has packed in shoe boxes. One more fun thing about the Model T Ford when you came to a small creek the model T went right through it and was great going over small stumps etc.car sat high up. Later in my life I had 3 sons all of them in their teens restored Model T's or Model A cars. our whole family belonged to Model T club and had great fun traveling all over with the club. and like days of old if you were a good member you slept under your car at night members who stayed in Motels were sort of looked down on by the more serious members. I realize the dust bowl was considered to be in the 30's but in the late 20's there was a big problem with Sand blowing and when it was windy my grandmother would wet those big red, or blue bandanas and tie them over our nose and mouth so we would not be breathing sand that was in the wind. It was my job to dust all the furniture (most of it was oak and pretty dark in color as is what oak furniture does, gets dark with age.) there was no such thing as keeping it dusted and I remember we were always cleaning up the little mountain of sand that blew through the big old fashioned key hole and fell to the floor in a little mound. and when traveling out in to the country side you could often see the bones of cattle that had died from lack of food and water. It was 1928 when I left and with the depression following the Dust Bowl it was 1950 before I could spare the time and money to go back to visit my Family that had stayed in Oklahoma. Coming into Oklahoma I could look down and see beautiful Lake Hefner (spelling) and green trees and I could not believe it was the same state I had left. The people who stayed did a wonderful job of rebuilding a state. they learned to make man made lakes and how to use the land correctly and they truly did make it a beautiful place. I feel a little like an intruder,because most of you are talking your life in the 50.(I think) so what I am writing is a history less for most of you. my grandparents were intruders in the Indian Territory before 1907 I really was born in Oklahoma and had lot of family there and still consider it my home state.Have so enjoyed all your letters about your early days in the cities of Oklahoma . I lived in Oklahoma city with my maternal grandparents it was my paternal Grandparents who lived in Ardmore and have a picture of them will send along." -Joan

"Park's Drug was at 620 W. Main Street. It was operated by Henry Parks. His associate pharmacist was Bedford Bates. I worked the soda fountain and ran deliveries in 1962 and 1963 along with Bill Whitehurst and John Boryk. Billie Jo Hobbs and Pat Riley worked as sales clerks after school and on Saturdays. Mr. Parks was a real kind gentleman and really good to us high school kids employed by the store. The drug store is now Kerr Reavis and is operated by David Reavis, son of Maynard Reavis that operated in the olden days as Reavis Drug downtown". -Dennis Medrick, AHS Class of 1963 <--- Click Here

I mentioned last week that a heartless person removed one of the trash barrels at Remembrance Memorial Park at Gene Autry. Here is a pic of one barrel that's left. Keep your eyes peeled, I'm sure there is one in a yard somewhere that doesn't belong there. <--- Click Here

The last few weeks we've talked several times about the delicious grapefruit that grows in the Rio Grand Valley of south Texas. This week Ardmoreite Buddy Bellamy just came from 'the valley' and brought me a bag of ruby reds he hand picked himself since he has been down there doing some work. Needless to say they are delicious. And Buddy didnt even charge me for the bag of grapefruit, but with gasoline being sky high, had he, those would have been the highest priced grapefruit I ever ate. Its not everyday a guy gets grapefruit hand delivered from 600 miles away! Thanks Buddy.

Joyce Harris works in the local Election Board office. Her grandson, Matt Harris is a Junior at Dickson Schools and an exceptional artist. Here is a graphite drawing he recently created. I wish I had talent like Matt's, I know Joyce is very proud of him. <--- Click Here

Dup Detector finds duplicate and near duplicate images/photos by opening and reading image pixel data. Large collections and large image file sizes can slow Dup Detector but it works well running in the background. Large image collections often are filled with duplicate images under different names. Use Dup Detector to clean them. DupDetector reads 9 image file types from a folder or its subfolders or from an image list. <--- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Dear Mr. Bridges, about the person who think that Pete Rose played in Ardmore in the late forties it looks that is not possible, Peter Edward Rose was born in April 14 1941 and he played for the Reds Minor league team in Geneva, NY and in Tampa, FL. and also he played for the class B team in Macon, Georgia. Maybe was another Pete Rose, but not the one who played for the Reds in the Major League." -Ernie W. Klein Mewa1723@aol.com
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"It is that time of year again. I went to school at Meadowbrook all the way from first grade. Our Reunion is always the night before Mother's Day and held at Lake Murray Lodge. I don't know how many of our people are connected with this Site but I would like to say if there are any, that I keep up a Meadowbrook Website at MyFamily.com and would love to see more people participate in it. It is free to all people connected in any way to that school. If there is anyone out there who doesn't know about it, if they will contact me at NellsN2@sbcglobal I will get them signed in. Thanks." -Nellie Combe
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"Have you hear of the free program called K9 Spam Blocker?" <--- Click Here
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"Frederick, Oklahoma. The city of Frederick was established by combining the two cities of Gosnell and Hazel in 1902. Named after the only son of an important BE&SW official, Jacob C. Blarhorn, it became the county seat for Tillman County in 1907. The BE&SW built the first depot in 1901. Here is the main street looking east 95 years later." <--- Click Here
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"Hello Butch, I just found this old photo of me in front of Ardmore's Postal Telegraph office. It was located on "A" street NW just north of the old 1st National Bank bldg. The Western Union was across the street on the west side. This photo was made in late 30s." -Lee Wages, Fort Worth, TX <--- Click Here
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The Daily Ardmoreite May 26, 1910 SOME CENSUS RECORDS Fort Smith AR., May 23--Government census men are reporting all sorts of strange experiences, but the information given out by an enumerator from Little River county, AR, perhaps surpasses all records for Col. Teddy Roosevelt's doctrine. Three women in this county are mothers of fifty-six children, according to the official report. Mrs. Abraham Butler, 34 years old, is the mother of fifteen children; Mrs. Laura Rundles, 44 years old, is the mother of twenty-four children, and Maggie Howard, married nineteen years, is the mother of seventeen children.

IN MARVELOUS OKLAHOMA In the late '80's Oklahoma was "No Man's Land". In 1890 her population was sixty thousand. In 1910, one and one-half million. There were 129 newspapers published in the territory fourteen years ago, today there are more than six hundred.

May 30, 1910 STOCKED THE WRONG LAKE It's an ill wind that blows nobody good, is what a good many of the wise ones are thinking, who are interested in the project of having the city lake stocked with fish of a desirable variety. Last week the government officials came here for the purpose of depositing 20,000 young and lively black bass in what is known as the Rod and Gun Club lake, but through some mistake, which has not fully been explained, they got the wrong "steer" and instead of placing the fish in the lake they were intended for, deposited them in the city lake where they are now, and where they will, in all probability remain unless they are caught one by one as they glide to and fro in the waters of their new home. The boys who are interested in the city lake are chuckling to themselves while the other fellows will probably have to apply for a new deal in order to obtain from the government a supply of the game youngsters to stock the waters of their private fishing grounds. It is expected before many moons, black bass will be quite plentiful in the city lake, as a consequence of this little error.

Tussy May 23, 1910 W.D. Upchurch has sold out his interest in the gin and saw mill to B.R. Peddycoat. Berry and Peddycoat are now sawing some fine lumber. Everything new. H.L. Tussy, an old timer, is figuring on putting 10 acres in fruit. C.O. Rayburn our mail carrier, has gone to Pauls Valley today and W.T. Patton is carrying the mail instead.

STORM AT WHEELER The storm which visited Carter county Saturday night did not forget New Wheeler where Martin's store was blown in two. This store was a long building and was recently moved to its present location from Sneed.

Woodford Dr. Dow Taylor went to Ardmore yesterday.

May 3, 1925 SIRENS ON POLICE CARS; LOOK OUT Chief of Police, Jess Kirby will install sirens on all police cars and when they are heard coming down the streets it is a sign that trouble is ahead and they are asking for the right of way. The police cars have been delayed on many occasions, the chief says, by people who are driving along leisurely and fail to recognize the police bus. He wants them to get out of the way in the future and will give them no excuse to misunderstand who is behind them when they hear the screech of that peace disturber.

May 8, 1925 GETS LIFE FOR WIFE MURDER Sulphur--A verdict of life imprisonment in the state penitentiary was given W.R. Newman by a jury in the district court Wednesday night, following his trial on a charge of murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Newman's wife in their home in Davis last Thanksgiving day. Newman's only comment following the verdict was "They didn't beat me out of much" He is over 60 years old, and his wife was above 50. Newman is alleged to have shot his wife to death in a fit of anger. District court convened in Sulphur Monday, May 4, with Judge A.C. Barrett, of Pauls Valley presiding. The May term will be cut short owing to a lack of funds. Whiskey cases are scheduled for hearing at the term and there is a number of them.
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"Butch, Can you put an article in next week's T&T asking for more info about the Gypsy Cemetary? Also if anyone knows any of the history behind the Ponca City Theater (including any rumors/ghost stories for both)? I am doing historical background work on it for possible documentation." caitorrie@hotmail.com
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"I just have to get in on this. I love those foods to this day. I remember the little ditty "Cornbread, buttermilk and good old turnip greens" We cooked on a wood stove until 1950, mother did her canning on that old stove too. She raised a big garden and had fruit trees and grapes and berries. She made everything, even hominy, chow chow, catsup etc. I don't think anything cooks fried potatoes better than a wood stove!" -Nellie Combe
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"Hickory school is between Roff and Millcreek (Murray County), just north of the "Scullin Y" to local people." -John Lashbrook <--- Click Here
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"Hello Butch, This says that Hickory School District was in Murray County and Sulphur School District wanted to annex it.in 1968." <--- Click Here
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"Was just at a wedding at that Presbyterian church where they had the bells re-worked. The church was beautiful and so were the bells. They rang the largest bell several times after the wedding. Beautiful tone!!!"
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"Reading the information on lodges caused me to ask if any of your readers remember Woodmen of the World? In my research around Davis, we have some found records of meetings and picnics circa 1910 or so. I wrote the headquarters of the organization a few years back and they said they didn't keep any of the old records and weren't any help. It appears that this was an insurance company, but also a social organization of some sort. I am hoping one of your readers can enlighten me on what kind of things this group may have done around 1910 or so around Davis?"
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"While your looking in some of those old news clippings and come across a murder back in Aug. 16, 1924 in Tillman Co. about a Lover's Triangle Killing or Grace Jones murder. That is only if you come across it, I would like to know, please, sir. I found out that it was a big a-do back then and made a lot of front pages."
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"Mr. Bridges, I think the pictures you took of Turner Falls are just gorgeous. Thank you for sharing them with us. The older I grow, the more I appreciate being raised in Ardmore. Thanks again." <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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"Butch, RE: The person looking for Hazel, Oklahoma and their great-grandparents' graves. There was a Hazel in far western Seminole county and the county map shows a cemetery just off hwy 9A, apx. 10 miles south of Maud. It is about 5 miles west of hwy 99. Oklahoma Ghost Towns lists Hazel at 25, 7N, 5E. The county map can be viewed at <--- Click Here
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"My first ride in an airplane (Lockheed 12A) was to Gene Autry sometime between WWII and the new Air Base. The pilot was Ben F. Scott who was taught to fly by Authur Oakley. Oakley was taught by one of the Wright brothers. Some of us (David Handley, Bill Bow, David Scovill, Carol Bearden, to name a few) spent some of our Civil Air Patrol days going and coming from Ardmore AFB in the mid-fifties. My father worked at the base before it closed 31 March 59. Question: Where is the "City of Ardmore" now, and what kind of an airplane is it?" -gary heart gary@gheart.net
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"Does anyone know not to get old photos of Ravia and Tishomingo? I"ve been trying so hard, can't get anywhere, around 1900s. I heard Ravia was a real town with motels and banks. I'd love to get old photos, I was born there." Gramaverna@sbcglobal.net
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"I remember all of the old ones, you mentioned. One of my favorite show to remember and this will show you that I'm probably older than all of you, was: Mr. District Attorney - champion of the people, defender of truth, guardian of our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness da-ta-da." -Tomi in Dallas <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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Thanks everyone for all the emails, stories, photos, life's experiences, and friendships that are brought together right here every weekend through this little newsletter. It is all appreciated more then we will every know by so many. I try to answer every email, but sometimes one slips by me, but it is not intentional that I dont get to write back. Keep the good times coming and I hope a lot of us can meet face to face Saturday May 29h when my cousin comes to Ardmore for his two concerts. Central Park is still a go for that afternoon, unless someone has a better idea. Just me me know.

"The buyer needs a hundred eyes, the seller but one." -George Herbert (1593-1633) <--- Click Here

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday April 17, 2004 T&T Weekly - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 365

Ardmore's first Masonic Temple was established in 1889 just two years after Ardmore was founded. That first building was located on 'A' Street SE, just south of Main, behind the old Echols Storage Building. It was destroyed by a fire. The 2nd meeting place was in the 100 block of West Main, and it was destroyed by the great fire of 1895. The 3rd Masons meeting place was the 3rd story of the old First National Bank building at Main and North Washington. It too had a fire, and even though the 3rd floor was remodeled, it never was satisfactory. In the 1920s the Masons took on the ambitious building of the now Ardmoreite Building at West Broadway and B Street NW. In 1943 it was all over as far as this beautiful big building was concerned for the Masons, they lost it due to debt problems. They then moved into the old Von Weise Building on C Street SW. It would remain their home until the completion of the new fire proof Masonic Temple at Cherry Street and North Commerce. Construction began in 1958 on this final home and the debt free $183,000 building was completed in October 1966.

Speaking of lodges, another kind of state lodge first had its beginning right here in Ardmore. Lake Murray Lodge was one of six self-liquidating bonds financed lodges for the State of Oklahoma and creator of this idea was Mr. Fred A. Chapman, a local rancher, oil man, and one time state senator. Mr. Chapman first proposed the Lake Murray Lodge back in the 1940s to then Governor Roy J. Turner. Mr. Chapman's idea was instantly accepted.

Paradise Alley was mentioned a lot on the police radio in the 60s and 70s when Caddo was active with local winos and other shady characters. I made a lot of runs to Paradise Alley in the 1970s when I worked on the ambulance, it was not a safe place to hang out. You will read in the Mailbag below where this alley that runs behind the old Daube building was even called Paradise Alley in 1910. What an interesting tidbit of history. I wish the Main Street Authority would place historical signs at the corners denoting this piece of Ardmore history. Since it would only take 3 of those brown street signs, I know there are enough of us T&T Readers to pay for them. But then someone would probably steal one for their uniqueness. Four years ago County Commissioner Dale Ott donated three 55 gallon steel barrels to be used as trash containers for Remembrance Memorial Park at the airpark. The barrels were used when the American Flyers Memorial was dedicated in memory of that terrible 1966 plane crash. I painted the barrels green with the park's name in white letters on the sides. Someone with no respect for that memorial park or those 82 people who died in that plane crash, stole one the barrels within the past few weeks. A sad situation I tell you, almost like stealing from the dead. But that incident does not come close to the sadness of a theft in Del City, Oklahoma a few years ago. The parents of American Flyers stewardess Dyana Duncan had placed a nearly life size statue of an angel in memory of Dyana at her burial spot in Del City. It stood there in her honor for 20 years, but then some heartless person stole it from the cemetery. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

Here are a couple of pics sent to me of Prices Falls in the Arbuckle Mts near Davis, Oklahoma. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

Here is a pic of a bell I took last week at Sandusky's Welding Shop in Davis, Oklahoma. <--- Click Here

This is a pic of an old Hardie water wagon in Davis, Oklahoma on Highway 77 North. It looks like the same wagon that was auctioned off a couple of years ago at the Brady Ranch north of Ardmore. It is a shame that whoever owns this piece of history just leaves it out in the elements. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

These are photos I took of Turner Falls on Easter Day.... the falls are beautiful in Spring. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

Someone sent me two pics of Hickory School, but they never said where the school was located. So your guess is good as mine unless someone tells us more. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

Its pretty bad when someone sends you a piece of history, and you save the pic, but delete the info that came with it. lol. Anyway, this is a piece of Sulphur's history the email said, where the controversy of where the exact location of Sulphur would be, between these two families. The disagreement was worked out between them and they really did 'bury the hatchet' in Sulphur. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

Here is a picture postcard of Ardmore's Union Station depot back around 1915. <--- Click Here

This is a postcard photograph of the old Carnegie Library at Stanley and "E" Southwest in Ardmore. Probably taken around 1907. <--- Click Here

I been testing out a free anti-spam program. Its called Spam Nullifier. It guess it works ok, but in my opinion it doesn't beat the Ospam I now use that's mentioned on my 'Simple Guide to a Virus Free Computer' webpage. The Ospam system is simple to use and uncluttered. <--- Click Here>/a> <--- Click Here

Here is another free anti-spam program mentioned by a Reader in the Mailbag below. He said he was getting excellent results from using it. I ran it, but like the SpamNullifier its fairly complicated and takes time to learn how to use it. But it works in the battle against spam. <--- Click Here

Someone wrote in to the mailbag this week doubting if the email last week about Pete Rose playing ball here in Ardmore in the 40s could be correct. I (we) have not been able to find anything to prove that. Even Pete Rose's biography on his website makes no mention of this.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Oh! Butch, I am so excited about what was written in your T&T column today about the Ardmore Rosebuds. I have told my story to several people who all told me I was crazy and that I dreamed what "I" knew I knew! I knew the name was the Rosebuds and I knew that Pete Rose was the player I had met. He seemed like such a nice young man and was scared to death. I had to take his medical history and ask him some very personal questions. I was only about 19 and I was so embarrassed. I had to take history on almost the whole team. Just recently I mentioned the ball team to an older gentleman in our neighborhood and he told me he remembered a team here but no Pete Rose. That was when I decided to see what would be said to a note to you for the T&T. At least I know I am not losing my mind or getting "old timers". Ha! Ha! I have told my kids all their lives that Pete Rose played ball here and that I met him personally and talked with him several times! I had almost began to believe that it wasn't true! Thank you."
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"The only guy that played for the Redbuds that made the pros that I know of was Pete Ward, who played for several years for the Chicago White Sox. I played semipro in Jay, Oklahoma for many years with a couple of guys who pitched for the Redbuds named Claude Dougherty and Virgil Stump. Boy, were they ever good pitchers-- don't know why they didn't make the pros."
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"im looking to the whereabouts of hazel, oklahoma. i know its off highway 99 its dont exist any more but my great grandparents are buried there."
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"Hay Butch, Good job as always!! Thought I would change the negative of the hanging for you, you sure can see lots more in and about it like this now! Sure where lots of people looking on." <--- Click Here
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"In regards to the Jalisco, Mexico article: My grandmother,Alma Biles Carlton, who was born in l904in Indian Territory talked about her dad took the mule team and kids and loaded on the train and went to Jal, New Mexico to homestead but couldn't make it and came back to Madill." -Pat Wood McKee
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"Hi Butch, Got Don's CD and I really loved it! I think some of the SOWG members and I will attend his concert. My new address is luharper@direcway.com I sure don't want to miss my T&T's." -Lou Harper, TwinOaks Publishing Company <--- Click Here
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"Hey Butch, Long time since I wrote in, but had to respond about the Year Books at Dickson. I graduated in 1964 and we didn't have year books then. What we did have is a picture board, with all the Seniors pictures on it. I scanned mine today and sent it to a friend in ConnectOklahoma group. If they can find people with those picture boards that is one way to see what people were in that class. Still enjoying the reading and links I find on here." -Karla
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"Butch I saw where some one was commenting about the yearbook for Dickson in 1966. There was no yearbook at that time however I do have a copy of the group who graduated for 1966 and 1964 and hoping to get one for 1965 and 1967. If anyone is interested in getting a copy via email please contact me at azfop5@msn.com and I would be happy to send one to them. If anyone with a good digital camera (Butch) were to go out to Dickson all of the photos are posted on the walls. I would even pay for the film? Ha Ha! Also I saw where Mary Cochran, Mrs. Moore and Mr. Jordan were listed! Mrs. Cochran and Mr. Jordan were my teachers and I believe Mrs. Moore's husband was the Superintendent. If they are reading this I just wanted to say THANK YOU!" -Mike Pennington azfop5@msn.com
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"Butch; I am very curious, as to why, I never see anything relating to Davis OK in any of your renderings. U know I love reading your stories and reportings and sightings. You are very informative, but, how 'bout writing 'bout Davis, some of the times. Nothing personal, just believe in spreading the wealth around. I noticed that you have a picture of Turner Falls on the webpage, and through the years I have seen Sulphur try to claim the falls, and Ardmore try to claim the falls; but, in reality it belongs to Davis. I really love reading your writings, and you are very good at it. This was a very unique idea of yours to do this, I for one appreciate what you do."
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"Butch, this picture is of a man named West, few years back, the State of Oklahoma gave a big celebration because proved him innocent, he was married to Marie Antoinette Venable, my grand mother's sister. The ranch they owned here in Texas still is in their decendants family. I'm sending this to my cousin Carol, she went to the celebration, it lasted all day. Governor there, the whole bit." -PHAS
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"Hi Butch, re the negative - if you paste your picture into IrfanView of some other photo editor, and then convert it using "negative" it turns the negative into a positive image. (Did that make sense?) It's an interesting photo from a historical perspective, but it's tragic that four lives could be ended in such a summary manner."
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"Smug mug update of our train trip to Ft Worth from Paul's Valley. For those who have never seen our family album this is a link to the travel photos." -Doug Williams <--- Click Here
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"Butch, The reason the negative is larger is that in 1909 there were probably using a box camera, (Brownie camera). They didn't have 35 mm cameras that have the smaller negatives. I have a glass negative that my grandfather used to take a picture of his homestead. Go to www.kodak.com and at their search site put in 1900. That should take you to the Brownie Camera and a very interesting story of Ansel Adams, the famous black and white photographer. That should answer any questions on negative sizes. We have the book of Ansel Adams' pictures and his life in case you are interested. Ed also has the screen saver of Adams' pictures."
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"I found this webpage of the four men hanging." http://www.rootsweb.com/~okmurray/stories/4_men_hanging.htm
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"An oil well is located in Dr. Teague's front yard in Healdton, Oklahoma." <--- Click Here
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"I really enjoyed Sonny McClanahan's story about his first driving lesson. He is quite a writer, has a wonderful way of portraying things so that we can visualize them. GOOD JOB SONNY!" -Nellie Combe
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"Hello Butch and T&T. The Davis, Oklahoma High School Class of 1954 is having their 50th reunion May 7 & 8 2004 in Davis, OK. We are looking for one of our classmates, his name is Mickey Cops. If anyone has any information as to where we might be able to contact him please let me know at this e-mail address." joedblack@juno.com
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"This is probably a 5x7 sheet film made with a old studio type camera. I believe I would know if I could see it. This is probably the original photo that all the Post Cards were made from."
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Ardmoreite May 8, 1910 Wears Medal: Willard Bleakmore is the proudest fisherman in the city. He caught Friday night at the Chickasaw Lake the biggest bass of the season and took the gold medal from Dr. Abernethy, who has carried it for some time. The bass weighed more than five pounds.

May 10, 1910 ENUMERATOR HAD TO SIT ON FLOOR Woman Refused To Tell Her Age--Is Arrested and Held For Action Of Federal Jury San Antonio, TX-- Miss Annie Hunnam of this city is in the toils of the law and faces an indictment by the Federal grand jury--all because she insisted that Mrs. Ida Easton, a census enumerator, should sit on the floor while using a chair to fill out the blank that was to contain her census data. The enumerator requested the use of a table for her work, but was told that a chair would be good enough for her and that the floor was the proper place to sit on for one as inquisitive as she. Pursuant to her conception of duty, Mrs. Easton did as directed and all went well until Miss Hunnam was asked the number of years she had seen. This intimate detail the latter though nobody's business. The result has been that Nat M. Washer, the census supervisor, had the woman arrested and that the United States commissioner is holding her for the action of the Federal grand jury.

May 16, 1910 Stetson and Panama Hats, $1.00 Your Stetson and Panamas cleaned, reblocked and retrimmed as nice as new, $1.00 JOHNSON the Hatter Opposite the Court House

May Build a New Block: The rumor is current that the Holder block on the north side of Main street between A and B streets is likely to be sold to the Cross Mercantile company, a concern that is quite well known through the southwest as they are now conducting several large establishments at different places. In event of their purchase of same, they will immediately proceed to erect a fine new structure on the site and conduct one of their branch department stores therein. This will be a great addition to not only the mercantile interests of the city, but a fine accession to the architectural progress of the town which indicates the faith that men of large business interests have in the future of Ardmore.

To Whom It May Concern I am no longer interested in what is known as the Rogers Barn on Caddo St., and from now on can be found at 225 E. Street, Southeast. I am always in the market to buy horses and mules. Phone 607 W.H. ROGERS

Colbert Indians vs. Ardmore Blue at Loretta Park this afternoon.

Central Livery Barn: When you want a first class single rig or a road team phone 35 WILL FORD, Manager

Phone Your Electric Troubles to RITTER BROS. No. 806. We have expert electricians in our employe and can do your work right and can do it quickly. Throw your troubles on our shoulders.

May 17, 1910 NOTICE ARKANSAS TRAVELERS All natives of Arkansas who are interested in the coming union picnic and want to see their state well represented in the same are requested to meet at the city hall on Sunday May 22 at 1:30 for the purpose of perfecting the organization and making other arrangements for the picnic. JOHN HINKLE, C.L. BYRNE, J.E. HAMILTON, CLAY MERRILL, S.A. APPLE, W.M. HILLIS, MRS. T.N. COLEMAN, MRS. J.R. ADAMS, and others

Baum: The bridge across Washita river at the rock crossing is complete now.

Sylvan: The farmers had a big wolf hunt last Tuesday. One wolf was killed and three of the largest grey wolves ever seen here were found just north of Oil Springs. They fought the dogs so fiercely that they let the wolves get away.

Only the intermarried citizens are in favor of William Murray for governor.

May 18, 1910: A Fire Brings Back Vivid Memories Friday morning the fire department was called out to quench a fire which had received a good start in a building owned by R. Hardy in the block on A street near Paradise Alley, northeast. the department soon had the blaze under control and it was finally extinguished after about $250 damage had been done, all fully covered by insurance. The origin of the fire is thought to have been incendiary, as the building was empty and no rubbish of any description was lying around which would have accidentally caught.

One of the interesting features of this fire is the fact that it started in the same block that the fire started about fifteen years ago which proved one of the most disastrous conflagrations in the history of the city, and resulted in a large portion of the business section being destroyed.

Old timers around the fire department are indulging in reminiscences concerning that event aroused by the proximity of this blaze to the one which proved of such serious consequences to the city in the long ago. The city had no fire protection at that time and the fire had full swing, being only retarded by the feeble efforts of the citizens who with buckets and such water as was available, sought to control the impending disaster, which efforts were wholly futile. The ease with which the present fire was handled and subdued at a time of day when under other circumstances it would have undoubtedly gained great headway, proves conclusively the practicability of a good department with the accessories of modern methods in water supply.

May 19, 1910: WHY NOT HAVE RURAL ROUTES. One of the things that the people of Ardmore should turn their serious attention to, one that has been too long delayed and one that will be of material benefit to the business interests of the town, is the establishment of rural routes for the post office system out of this city. With a population in the rural districts fully equal to the requirements of the government, with roads that are perfectly adequate to the convenient and speedy delivery of rural mail there is no reason that Ardmore is not entitled to the privilege of such a system.

DR. HYDE: Evidence of the weakness of man's defense when attempting to conceal the truth, is exemplified in the terrible tangle in which Dr. Hyde, the convicted prisoner of the Swope family found himself, in reference to the purchase of cyanide, which was the immediate cause of his conviction by the jury. When a criminal starts on a career of such a crime as that alleged to have been perpetrated by the Kansas City physician, he is bound by the eternal laws of justice to leave such traces of his crime as eventually bring about his undoing.

MOVING FIGHT PICTURES: Battling Nelson and Ad Wolgast Fight at Crystal Theater Tonight. The original reproduction, showing how the battle was fought for the light-weight supremacy of the world, 1910. This fight is pronounced by press and public throughout the country as the greatest battle ever witnessed. Sensational and realistic. Each round and every scene fully explained. At the Crystal Theater one night only, Thursday, May 19.

TO THE PATRONS OF THE POPULAR THEATORIUM A great many of my patrons and friends have spoken to me in regard to the prize fight pictures to be shown at the Crystal Theatre. Now I desire to state, I have nothing to do with same, as prize fight pictures do not appeal to my high-class patronage. Being in Ardmore the past three years every one knows the success the Theatorium has attained by adhering to strictly highclass "Life Portrayals" and "Pictured Melodies." LEROY BICKEL "The Moving Picture Man" Ardmore, Oklahoma

I MAKE A SPECIALTY OF CURING NERVOUS DISEASES NO DRUGS Dr. Howard Cox Chiropractor Phone 499 Noble Bldg.
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"Re the Jalisco thing... I recently read Seabiscuit... what a good read it was, too!!! Having lent it to a good friend who lives in another state, I can't refer to it, but there was a place in Mexico, and as I recall it WAS Jalisco, where everybody went to races and had all KINDS of good times. BIG fun town (not so much my idea of fun, but a lot of people seemed to think so at the time!). It was near the beginning of the book where this was all mentioned. Primitive race tracks, but lots and lots of tourists. I've never been drawn to horseracing, but must tell you what a well-crafted, interesting, historical work Seabiscuit is...it's well worth reading, and not at all a waste of time to pick up at the library to read long after the Jalisco information is acquired."
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"What size is the negative? Also, does it have a small notch or notches in its edge at one corner (on the short side)? If it's 4x5 or 5x7 and has the notch, it's undoubtedly "cut film" from a studio or press camera such as a Graflex or Speed Graphic. Other possible cut-film sizes include 2.5x3.5 and 3.25x4.25 inches, and 9x12 cm. All cut film comes on a much thicker base than that used for roll film and film packs. Since the photo dates from 1909 I'd guess that it was from a Graflex, probably 5x7 inches, or a studio/view camera that the photographer lugged out to the scene. The Graflex was quite popular among press photographers in that era. The Speed Graphic didn't come along until much later but used the same sort of film. As for how it came into her grandfather's possession I can't even venture a guess." -Jim Kyle
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"I'm using PopFile as my spam filter and have been for about a year now. It has to be trained initially, so that it learns how to distinguish between spam and valid messages, but my copy is now better than 99.6% accurate (although it did tag the challenge as being spam itself). It's currently catching about 80 messages a day for me." http://www.webattack.com/get/popfile.html
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"Does anyone know when Ardmore's Birthday is? I know it's in July and there was always a celebration until a few years ago. Does anyone know the date? Thanks"
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I have not said in a long time how much I appreciate all of you who helps keep this little home grown newsletter going week after week. Not a week goes by that I don't receive requests from someone around the country wanting to be added to the mailing list. T&T is transmitted each week to over 1,400 email addresses and I have no doubt that in a day or two with people Forwarding the newsletter, it reaches several thousand people. Whether its that man who fixes the sewer chokes for the City of Ardmore, or the Chairman of the Board of the largest corporation in Carter county, myself and everyone who enjoys and learns from the newsletter appreciates those of you who make it possible. I tell people its really not my newsletter, it belongs to the Readers. If something were to happen to me, I hope someone will continue collecting and sharing the never ending supply of wonderful history, stories, and photos that goes into homes each weekend via email. I pray the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob blesses all of you, as much as He has blessed me the past 8 years by just being a part of all this. I will close this week's issue by saying:

"Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door."

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday April 10, 2004 T&T Weekly Vol 8 Issue 364

I've some interesting emails this week for a lady in Atlanta, GA. Her grandfather lived in Healdton when he was alive, and she has a negative that he had in his possession. Not a modern day ordinary negative, but a much older, unusual negative. This negative is thicker then the negatives of today (if you can even get negatives). So you ask what is this negative of? Its the 1909 hanging of the four men that took place at Ada, Oklahoma. She has no idea how her grandfather came in possession of this negative, so there is much to learn here. Maybe some of you will tell about these thicker negatives and an assumption of how someone could come into possession of such a piece of history. <--- Click Here <--- Larger Pic

The "grapefruit lady" came by the courthouse this week and let me know the grapefruits were Star Ruby and not Ruby Reds as I said in a T&T two weeks ago. I am surprised that some of you didn't catch the mistake. I bought another 6 grapefruit from her, you sure can't get these in the local grocery stores. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

The Ardmore Mainstreet Authority has placed a couple more plaques on Main Street. This one is about the old Noble Brothers Hardware at 128 West Main in Ardmore. <--- Click Here

And here's a plaque about Bankers National Bank at West Main and A Street SW. <--- Click Here <--- Click Here

We have added a couple of more places this week where the 1936 Lake Murray movie has been add. The Tecumseh, Oklahoma public library, Perry, Oklahoma public library, and the Oklahoma Historical Society in OKC, have received the VHS tape free of charge! Click Here

My cousin Don Bridges said the contracts have all been signed and the two May 29th concerts in Ardmore are right on schedule! We are still planning a "T&T Get To Gather" that saturday afternoon at Central Park, hope to see a lot of you there, and at the concerts! If any if you've visited Don's website, you know he stays real busy with all his concerts. He said over 100 people showed up on a rainy Tuesday night last week to attend his CD release concerts in Washington DC. Here is an email I received from Don this week: "Hi, Butch! Please share with your readers that my CD, "An Ardmore Afternoon," is now available online through CD Baby. People can listen to 2-minute sound clips of all 13 songs and even write their own review of the CD. Thanks!" -don bridges <--- Click Here

Brickmasons have been busy this week at Ardmore's Episcopal Church building a new sign. One lady said the rocks come from a state up north and are hard to find. Maybe someone will tell us from what and where the rocks came? Click Here

SOAPBOX: In October 2002 we talked about in Oilton, Oklahoma (25 miles east of Stillwater, Oklahoma) 75 year old Della Mae Parker was attacked by three pit bull dogs as she went for her daily walk. Her right foot was severely mauled by the pit bulls and she will never regain full use of her foot. This week I heard on OKC news where a postman was mauled in the face as he tried to delivery mail to an Oklahoma City resident. All across the nation I hear on the news where these pit bull dogs are attacking men, women and children and other animals, even resulting in deaths of the victims. During my 14 years on the ambulance, I was attacked several times by dogs. I just think God they were not pit bull dogs. One dog even jumped up and bit me in the side at a house I was trying to reach to give medical aid. Then another time I remember trying to get a lady in a bedroom in the NW. And its not just Ardmore's crack houses and the like where these vicious dogs are living. This dog was at a well known family's home and the dog wouldn't let anyone, not even her husband, come near her (she was unconscious in her bed). Finally her husband took a blanket, snuck up, threw the blanket over the dog and wrapped him up. Back in those days there were few, if any, pit bull dogs to deal with. Different story today.

And here's a pic that appeared this week in The Daily Ardmoreite of 'yours truly'. <--- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"My name is Melody Amsel-Arieli, of Maaleh Adumim, as small town just outside of Jerusalem, in Israel. I am researching Jake, Celia, and Pauline AMSELS -- who lived in Durant, OK from c1900. Jake and Celia left Durant in 1914 -- immediately after the murder of their daughter Pauline, age 14. I am especially searching for *the PAULINE AMSEL MURDER FILE of the Burns Detective Agency (1914-1915) where might it be archived? might it be in someone's attic? in a private collection? in a library, historical society? * medical, coroner's, and/or police records of PAULINE AMSEL'S murder, November 11, 1914. * an Ardmore newspaper account of this murder I would be most grateful or any help you can offer. Thanks. -Melody melodya@bezeqint.net
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"March 21, 1928 The Daily Ardmoreite. Carter County Money Spent in California. Los Angeles, CA, S.F. Haney, former treasurer of Carter county, Oklahoma, embezzled nearly $150,000 from the county funds, and then invested $125,000 of this amount in the promotion project of Edward G. Lewis; Atascadero promoter now being tried before Federal Judge McCormick on a mail fraud charge. This testimony was brought out yesterday when Lewis was placed on cross examination by Assistant United States Attorneys Ames Peterson and J.E. Simpson."
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The Daily Ardmoreite, April 20, 1910 Mark Twain is Growing Weaker Redding, Conn.--April 20--The condition of Samuel L. Clemens, "Mark Twain" who is seriously ill at his home here, suffering from nervous trouble, was reported today as having rested quietly last night, but to have grown weaker.

WORK BEGINS ON THE COURT HOUSE Work began today on the $125,000 court house for Carter county. A force of about thirty men this morning began laying off the ground and clearing the lot of the trees and rubbish that was left where the old church building was wrecked. Contractor Gill, who will erect the building, stated that work would be carried right on until the building is finished. The contract specifies that the work shall begin on the first of May and the building be finished by January 1, 1911. Mr. Gill states that if the conditions are favorable the work will be finished in due time.

The work on the quarry from which the granite will be secured has already begun and the first shipment will be received in a few days. The quarry is located near Tishomingo and the granite is said to be as fine a grade as there is on earth, and there is an inexhaustible supply of it around Tishomingo. The quarry is being worked by Mr. Gill, and will he says supply his demands for years to come. The first story of the court house will be built of granite and the balance will be of the Bedford stone which will be shipped here from the quarry near Bedford, Indiana.

The interior of the building will be of reinforced concrete and will be absolutely fire-proof. Vaults will be built in the office of each official, with a capacity to care for all the county's valuable papers. The building will be equipped with every convenience. A modern heating plant will be located in the basement, wash rooms and toilets will be installed on each floor and electricity will be used for lighting.

When finished Carter county's court house will probably be the equal of any in the state.

April 22, 1910 Mark Twain Dead, End Not Unexpected Redding, Conn--April 22--Samuel Clemens, (Mark Twain) died at his home here last night of angile pectoris. From 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon until death he was unconscious. Relatives and a few close friends of the noted humorist surrounded the bed when death came.

April 22, 1910 Buy Site For Central Park The park board at its meeting yesterday, voted to purchase the Lee property on West Main street to be used for a central park. The price of the lot is $9,000. This does not include the buildings located there on. The work on removing the buildings will begin at once and when this is completed, work on the park will begin. This property is one of the most desirable places in the city for a park. It is centrally located, covers the entire block and is a very rich grade of soil which will insure a good growth of anything that may be planted there.

There will soon be a number of parks in the city. Work has already begun on the park that will be put in by the Rock Island Railroad, and the Ardmore Booster Girls' club and the Santa Fe are now considering a park on the plot of ground just south of the union depot. Work will likely begin on that in the next few days. This plot of ground is small, but a very attractive park could be put in there. The lot is probably thirty feet in width and extends across the length of the yards. With these completed and the city's park on the Lee property, Ardmore will have three parks on Main street.

April 25, 1910 BRIDGE WORK PROGRESSING All Streams in the County Will Soon Have Substantial Bridges A lot of the heavy bridge timber that has been on the grounds in the rear of the court house is being moved today to Hickory creek a few miles south of Ardmore where a steel bridge is being erected.

The Carter county bridges with the exception of the Loor and a few other parts, are made of steel and will last practically always. A number of contractors are now at work putting bridges across a number of streams throughout the county and in a few months every stream that can not be forded at all seasons of the year will be bridged. The foundation for all the bridges being built in the country are large steel pillars, these will be filled with concrete, which makes a foundation that will last for all time to come.

August 29, 1910, Geronimo Daughter, Lawton, OK--August 28: Eva Geronimo, the beautiful 18 year old daughter of old Geronimo, deceased chief of the Apaches, is rapidly declining in health until she is almost a skeleton from complications of diseases. She is confined to her bed in the Fort Sill Military hospital, where she is held a prisoner of war. Her recovery is little expected.
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"Could you tell me if the Muskogee area or around there has WWII POW camp museums? Why I want to know was because.... A ladies father was part of the 46th division in WWII and after his tour of duty in Africa, Italy and France then was stationed at Camp Gruber German POW camp. They thought they may visit if they could locate a museum concerning WWII POW camps around the Muskogee area. Do you know of anything like this? Thank you in advance." -Linda Wagner, paristimes@earthlink.net
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"I was told that the man who donated the land for this first jail in Dougherty, Oklahoma was the first to spend a night in it for being a "public drunk"....What an interesting town; full of beautiful souls." <--- Click Here
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June 8, 1899 The Daily Ardmoreite. Blood Flows in Arkansas. Fayetteville, Arkansas, June 7-A courier has just reached here from Strickland, an interior village 10 miles south. He states that in a difficulty there today two men were killed instantly and the other fatally stabbed. James Herrick shot John Hinkle with a shotgun; Hinkle returned fire and both men fell dead on the floor. A younger brother of Herrick then assaulted a brother of Hinkle with a club and in return was stabbed so seriously that he cannot live through the night. The men were all associated with in the live stock business and the trouble resulted from the settlement of some joint transaction. The surviving Hinkle is under arrest. The two murdered men have families."
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"If you're in the vicinity of Norman in early May you might enjoy visiting the Annual Outdoor Indian Market on May 1st and 2nd. Native American artists will be displaying and selling their work in jewelry, basketry, beadwork, paintings/sculpture and furniture. Performances by Indian singers and dancers will feature traditional songs and routines. Hours are 11-6 each day and admission is free. Location is the Jacobson House Native Art Center, 609 Chautauqua Ave. (405-366-1667)." -Elizabeth Dyer <---- Click Here
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REMINDER: (This photo session is open to anyone interested in Railroad Photography and is conducted in one of the most scenic areas of Oklahoma along the Washita River through the Arbuckle Mountains. Our group consists of Professional and Semiprofessional Photographers, Authors and plain folks as myself that enjoy rail photography and visiting with others of like interests. It's also a good opportunity for me to see the real pros in action!) The 2004 Big Canyon Spring Photo Session is the weekend of April 24th and 25th, Saturday and Sunday. Weather could go either way but I'll be there regardless. Gates will open at 7:00am but you can come and go as you please, don't worry about being late. Dolese Employees will be there to assist us and to make sure only our group members have entry. Gates are normally locked. If anyone needs a map with directions let me know and I'll e-mail one. (Also see my webshots link at the end of this message to download maps and photos of the area)." -Dwane Stevens onmp@juno.com <---- Click Here
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"When I was a child my grandparents and their siblings referred to the houses that were built with a roof that came to a point, with the four sides of the roofs being equilateral triangles, as Texas roofs. example: "You go to the house in Cheek with the 'Texas Roof' and turn West." Most of these houses, if not all of them, had a sheet metal roof when I was a kid. When I asked I was told they were called Texas roofs because that is the was they build houses in Texas. And that they were sturdy houses that stood up to tornadoes really well. And with the big attic they were cooler in the summer. Indeed I have seen many of these roofs throughout Oklahoma and Texas, especially between Wichita Falls and Lubbock, Texas. One in particular that has fascinated me near Guthrie, it was a home when I first saw it as a child and then abandoned, then used to store hay, then rehabilitated and was a home again. Still looking very good. Hope this helps in some way." -Anne
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"Butch, re: the Ardmore ballplayers (first letter today) They were here in 1955 because they lived in a boarding house next to the old high school where the auditorium was built later. When we were on the third floor of the high school (possibly Muncy Reese's history class), the guys would yell at the girls in class! I knew some of them..... Jack Krol (was from Chicago), a Curt someone (from Missouri). I have a picture of some of them somewhere. Maybe I'll be able to find it. Also, my grandmothers and my mom and dad had Home Comfort ranges for many years."
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"To the reader wanting the name of the baseball team in Ardmore in the later fifties. The name of the team was the Ardmore Rosebuds--- how embarrassing, I thought---- They were a farm team that relocated here from Victoria, TX. Several players from the league did go on to the majors: Steve Barber was one. He played for Paris, TX, I believe, and was terribly cute to my way of thinking. I had one date with him, and I am sure that he wouldn't remember me from Adam. However, I married a New York guy who was a Yankees fan. We went to see a Yankee/Orioles game in the summer of '66. We had great seats on the first base line---just six rows up. Mickey Mantle, who was playing first base then and the favorite of my husband's, was visiting with Barber right in front of us. My husband tried to get me to speak, but I was just too embarrassed. Mantle hit one of his last homers in that game. Another player who made it to the majors was Chris Cannizaro. I believe he may have played for Ardmore. Fond memories of the years when baseball really mattered to Ardmore---- before too much air conditioning and TV." -katie kurtz
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"I was born and raised at 521 Boundary NW in a two story brick house. I still remember lying in my bed and listening to the ball game being played at the bush league ballpark to the East of our house. I could see the lights from my bedroom window and hear the cheers of the crowd when someone hit a homer. Your article brought back some wonderful memories." -Dale Gant
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"Father took me out for a driving lesson one time.for about fifteen minutes and decided that he was too nervous for such an undertaking. After that, he hired a man in our town to teach me how to drive since Driver's Ed was not taught in the public schools at that time. Anyway, Father hired a man to teach me how to drive and one Saturday morning a Kaiser.or was it a Fraiser? automobile stopped in front of our apartment and the driver came knocking on the door. Are you ready to drive? Uh, yeah, sure. And that's how I met and became friends with Garvin Emberling. Garvin was just back from the war and had spent his mustering-out pay on a Fraiser.or was it a Kaiser? . automobile. Sleek, streamlined, exotic, the car had all the bells and whistles afforded an automobile in 1952. The seats were plush and moved back and forth with the touch of a button. Elegance on wheels. We drove out to the Jake L. Hamon oil lease just south of town, near the gravel pit, where I was to have my first lesson in Garvin's elegant standard shift Kaiser/Fraiser. The gear shift was on the wheel and first gear was easy.second gear caused some ripping noises until I learned that it was straight down from first. no lifting of the handle. just straight down. Second gear under control, I got third gear in a snap. Reverse was cause for some grinding, ripping sounds for awhile.but I finally got it.and we were ready to traverse the winding, rutted gravel roads of the lease. Garvin wiped his face with a big neatly folded white handkerchief, sat rigidly in the passenger seat, and said those wonderful words: Ok, kid, let 'er rip. And off we went like a bat out of hell tearing down the lease roads, negotiating the ruts and gravel paths around and between oil pumping stations. An occasional jackrabbit, used to slower moving traffic or none at all, was caught in the path of my not-too-sure steering and had to jump and run in startled indignation. "We've got all day, kid. You don't have to go quite so fast." And Garvin of the baleful eyes, wiped his face again with the now crumpled and sweatsoaked handkerchief. I finally got the hang of the gas pedal, called the "foot feed" by those in the know, and relaxed into a calmer driving stance. Garvin, feeling that I had at last gained control of the rudest elements of propeling an automobile from here to there, slid down in the seat beside me, felt under the seat with his free hand.the other hand holding the soggy handkerchief in a wadded ball .and brought out a pint of Old Turkey sippin' whiskey which he sipped for the rest of the day. "Well, let's take 'er on home." His words were just the least bit slurred and he couldn't have been more relaxed with his head on the upholstered arm rest of the cardoor. "Are you sure? I've never driven on the street before." "You can do it, kid." And he never even raised his head, just took another sip, and waved me onward. I cautiously nosed the K/F across the cattleguard that separated the lease from the highway and gently proding the footfeed with my toe, headed homeward. We made the trip, less than a mile, back to town and I expertly parked in front of our apartment. I was so excited, so happy, so pleased with myself that I didn't mind walking to the curb. "See ya next Saturday, kid." With that, my driving instructor, once again behind the wheel, drove away, weaving down the street and out of view. To this day I remember my first driving lesson with Garvin Emberling. He was the first person I ever knew who had white knuckles." -Sonny McClanahan
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"And it's been a wild ride for an East Texas angler who was recently thrust into the public spotlight when he landed the world's biggest blue catfish." <--- Los Altos United Methodist Church <--- Davenport Church <--- Davenport Jail <--- Methodist Church at Half Moon Bay
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"Butch, someone in the mailbag wanted a copy of the Dickson '66 yearbook. I have seen copies of Dickson paperback yearbooks from the 1940's, but when I started teaching there in 1968, there was no yearbook. In 1970, Dickson began yearbooks again, this time with a hardbound issue that was labeled "Vol. 1". We had a yearbook every year, and when I retired in 2001, the yearbook was labeled "Vol. 31". Therefore, I don't believe there was a published yearbook in 1966, but as I said, I came in 1968 and am not positive. The person might contact Mary Cochran, Betty Moore, or W.C. Jordan... all three live in Ardmore and were on the faculty in 1966."
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Ardmoreite, April 1, 1904, Advertisements John K. Randolph, Attorney-at-Law, Office upstairs, Cruce & Johnson Building, Ardmore James M. Addle, Attorney-at-Law, Office second stairway west of First National Bank Geo. I. Jordan, Attorney-at-Law and Land Agent, Wynnewood, I.T. James H. Mathers, Lawyer, Noble Building, Ardmore, I.T. Bingham & Apple, Attorneys at Law, Tishomingo, I.T. J.S. Morris C.S. Morris Physicians and Surgeons, Upstairs, P.O. Building, Ardmore L.B. Sutherland, Physician and Surgeon, Upstairs in Post Office Block, Ardmore Dr. Robert H. Henry, Physician and Surgeon Office with Dr. Von Keller over Bonner and Bonner's Drug Store Dr. J. W. Smith, Physician and Surgeon, Office in Gorman Building, Office phone 6--3 rings Dr. Humphrey, Specialist, Office over Hotchkiss' jewelry store, Ardmore W.M. Anderson, Veterinary Surgeon, (T.L. Smith's Stable) W. M. Chancellor, Physician and Surgeon, Office with Ardmore Drug Co. Walter Hardy, J.C. McNees, Physicians and Surgeons, Office over Ramsey's drug store corner Main and Caddo streets Dr. W.S. Bechtol, Dentist, Office over Hamilton's Shoe Store Dr. A.E. Adams, Dentist, Office over Randol's store, Ardmore J.B. White, Architect and Superintendent, Office in Wheeler Building, Ardmore Dr. Wm. S. Pennell, Dentist, Office with Drs. Moore & Vaden, Noble Building Hot Tamales & Chili, Burl Hicks, Next door to E.B. Pugh Chas. Flemming, Does all kinds of carpet work & general house cleaning Globe Hotel, M.A. Rice, Propr. J. Goldstein, The Tailor, 313 West Main St. Ike Hobbs, Successor to Hobbs & Bandy, Blacksmith & practical horseshoer, Carriage, Wagon & Plow Work, Moved to Brick Building on Broadway For Easter, Fine Clothing, Stylish Hats, White & Fancy Vests, George Ash, 133 East Main, Ardmore Easter Novelties, F.J. Ramsey, Druggist, Main and Caddo Streets

April 3, 1904, Oil Near the Park, Great Excitement Among South Ardmore Citizens--Lots High It has been known for a great many years in Ardmore that the wells in the south part of town are highly impregnated with oil and some of them unless the water being continually drawn out would become too strong with oil that it was impossible to use it for domestic purposes. We are told that great excitement prevails in South Ardmore on account of the increased amount of oil they find in their wells. Some of the citizens are holding their lots at fabulous prices in anticipation

September 26, 1910 Mules to Panama Duncan, Oklahoma Sept 25--During the Boer war Missouri mules won a world-renowned reputation in helping the Britons defeat Oom Paul, now comes the Oklahoma mule and contributes his help in the construction of the Panama canal. Mule buyers from the Fort Worth market today shipped from Duncan, twenty six head of Oklahoma mules, purchased in Stephens county, to Fort Worth and from there the animals will be sent via Galveston direct to Panama. The buyers paid $3,640 for the carload, or $140 per head for the animals.

Healdton Herald December 11, 1930 ONE DEAD ONE WOUNDED IN BUN BATTLE Con Kiersey, deputy sheriff of Carter County is dead and Vernon Cason, under sheriff, is in the hospital at Ardmore with wounds in his stomach from a gun battle with two desperate characters at the Sinclair camp near Wirt late Wednesday afternoon. Kiersey and Cason had come out to Wirt on a tip that the two men were driving a stolen auto and after stopping at Wirt to inquire about the men, drove up to the Sinclair camp where they were located at the resident of Lon Jones.

Kiersey entered a house where the men who are known as A.T. and Clarence Davis, brothers of Amarillo, TX, were and was immediately covered with guns and disarmed. Cason who had remained outside hearing the trouble inside entered from the rear and when he entered the shooting started. Cason hit one of the brothers, the shot taking effect in his arms as flesh wounds. Kiersey was shot through the throat and died at about three o'clock Thursday morning at the hospital in Ardmore where he and Cason who was shot in the stomach were rushed. Cason is reported as only having flesh wounds and is resting well.

The Davis brothers after shooting down the officers disarmed them and took Kierseys Chrysler car and drove away and later reports state that they stopped at Ringling where they had the wounds treated before proceeding. The car driven by the Davis men was left and in this car was found several suit cases full of property evidently stolen somewhere. Bill Townsend, deputy sheriff went to the rescue of the wounded officers as soon as notified and arranged for their removal to the hospital and immediately got in touch with officers in adjoining counties in an attempt to apprehend the assassins. Two women who had come here with the Davis men were arrested and carried to Ardmore and held for questioning.

December 18, 1930 Healdton Herald ONE BANDIT KILLED AND ONE HELD Of the two brother bandits who shot and killed Con Kiersey, and wounded Vernon Cason, deputy sheriffs of Carter County at the Sinclair camp near Wirt on Wednesday afternoon of last week. D.L. Davis is dead from wounds received in an exchange of shots with police at Wichita, Kansas, on Friday afternoon and the other , Colquitt Davis surrendered to officers at Hereford, Texas on Monday afternoon when found on foot, cold and hungry, three miles from Hereford.

---After the shootout---Driving to Ringling they stopped long enough to get wounds sustained in the hands of D.I. Davis who was hit by Cason after being shot, dressed. Apparently they drove from Ringling back to Amarillo where on Thursday night they robbed a grocery store or two, and then drove to Kansas and on Friday afternoon went to a doctors office in Wichita to get the wounds dressed again. Not giving the doctor a satisfactory answer for the cause of their wound he called the police and a detective called at the doctors office and arresting them left for headquarters, but on leaving the building one of the Davis men drew his gun and covered the detective and forced him to proceed first downstairs until he was able to bolt thru an open door and call help. The Davis men were followed to a garage where their car was parked and as they attempted to drive away a battle followed when D.I. was shot and Colquitt and the Indian companion known as "Cherokee Joe" escaped.

From Wichita, Colquit made his way back to near Hereford where he was arrested late Monday afternoon. He is wanted at Amarillo on a murder charge and various burglary charges as well as here in Oklahoma.
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"Butch and Kenneth, all the interesting stuff you have been coming up with from the old Ardmoreite newspapers and the home remedies etc. reminded me of an old handbill I've had for many years. It was for something called Electric Bitters, and was for a variety of ailments, sort of a "snake oil" remedy I guess. I've attached a scan of it. I've also attached scans of the front and back of an old post card that is post marked Pike, Ind. T. and Keller, Ind. T. (for Indian Territory). The date on the back with the hand written message looks like August 30, 97. However the post marked dates on the front are hard to read but don't seem to correspond. It does say "Forwarded" so maybe this has something to do with the discrepancy. Maybe some of your readers can figure it out. The other scans are of the front and last page of an old 8 page Religious Hand Bill titled "Salvation Free" by Arthur E Main and published by "The American Sabbath Tract Society" and dated 1891. I found these three items in an old bible I think back in the early 1960's or late 1950's. My Grandad was tearing down an old house at 125 East Shell St. in Healdton then. He wanted to clear it out to move my grandparents house into Healdton on that lot. At the time they were living at Wirt, Okla. just SE of Dukes Grocery Store on the road that is now called "No Man's Road." I was helping my Grandad to tear down the old house and we found the old bible stashed in the house and he gave it to me. He also found an old Atwater Kent upright console radio which he also gave to me but unfortunately I didn't keep it. I've wished a hundred times I had kept it as it was in good shape at the time. My Grandad was O. A. "Ferg" Pearson and I spent as much time with him and my Grandmother, Ethel (Finley) Pearson as I could. They were so much fun to be with and have lots of good memories of those days. There is a photograph of my Grandad O.A. Pearson along with Clyde Henson, O.T. Jennings, Grace Eck Johnson, Larry Eakin and an unidentified person in The Bank of Healdton in 1926 which appears in the publication "Indian Territory And Carter County, Oklahoma, Pioneers (Including Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation,) Vol I 1840-1926," Copyright 1983. Grace Eck Johnson is Kenneth Eck's sister. (Correct me if I'm wrong about that Kenneth) Boy, all that sure brings back lots of memories." -Carl Dwane Stevens <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here <--- Click Here
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"Hi Butch, I saw the mention of the Marietta telephone operator reminded me of a time I called Marietta to talk to a friend and the operator told me he has gone to Dallas and not expected back until the next evening. I think I must have asked the operator for his number for her to answer that way. Can't say how many year ago but the cookie factory was in operation then." -Gene South
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"Butch, the guy that asked about the Ardmore baseball league I believe they were a farm team that belonged to the St Louis Cards and their name was the Ardmore Redbuds. The player was Pete Rose."
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"Hello Butch, Thanks for always getting my couriosity going with something from your "This and That". :) Last week you wrote about a brief news item from the April 12, 1904 Ardmore paper in regards to several local citizens purchasing lots in Jalisco, Mexico. I find that interesting and am curious as to the what, why and how of that; given the year,1904, and why folks from Oklahoma would be interested in a place so far away, especially Mexico? Jalisco is a state of Mexico, mid-way down of the country and on the Pacific Ocean side. I wonder where in Jalisco, they bought property? Having studied a great deal of Latin American history while living on the Mexico borders of the U.S., I find it not common, especially in 1904, for Anglos (caucasion people of non-Latino descent) to purchase land and or be in Mexico. In 1904 the political situation of Mexico was unsure and about 9 years later the revolution broke out, with Pancho Villa riding lead. I did a little checking and have included a Jalisco web site. The web site expresses what is current of the area. Perhaps you, other local Ardmoreites or some Readers have more information about this group of Ardmore people, their investment interest in Mexico and the turn out for them in 1904? Looking forward to hearing some other's theories." -Lillian, Medicine Park, OK <--- Click Here
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"Butch, I did a search on all the past issue's, I know I read one about a family in the late 1800's that was traveling thru and a man was burying his wife, man's name was Brumley, the only Brumley I found so far is My gr gr gr uncle Henry Brumley, I don't know if you can help me but I would like to have the article on these subjects. Help thanks again."
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"Wonder..... is the seed of knowledge." -Francis Bacon 1561-1626 Click Here

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday April 3, 2004 T&T Weekly Vol 8 Issue 363

Most of the time all this technology we have at our fingertips works pretty good. But last Wednesday evening I had much of my T&T typed in my Aureate Groupmail program, and Whamo, I had to reboot for some unreason. I lost about half what I had typed in. So the past couple of evenings I been trying to reconstruct what I typed in, but I'm sure I've left some items out. lol

I saw on OKC news this week where someone was trying to open a 3rd business establishment on the east side of Lake Hefner by the lighthouse. I wonder how many people knows Lake Hefner was named after Ardmoreite Robert F. Hefner and former mayor before Mr. Hefner moved to OKC.

This is a little before my time, but its all about those wax cylinders used for recording sound starting around 1888. You can even listen to some! I listened to Helen Twix sing "The Little Bird On Nellie's Hat" from a 1907 recording. She only recorded two 6 minute wax cylinders for Edison. Click Here

Speaking of recordings, I used a reel-to-reel recorder back in 1965 to record a few minutes of conversation with my great grandmother, Ida Murphree Miller, when she lay on her death bed at the old Ardmore Adventist Hospital. My mother's voice is on it too. I transferred it to cassette tape a few years ago. I wouldn't take anything for that recorded memory.

Ardmoreite Doyle Williams (now living in Ft Worth) came through again with his recording equipment. Doyle mailed me a VHS tape this week he took of Ardmore's old wooden 5th Ave Northeast Viaduct when it was ablaze back on July 4, 1964. We will have to workon getting this nearly 4 minute VHS recording the area libraries. Click Here

We added a few more libraries where people can find the 1936 film of the building of Lake Murray and other places in southern Oklahoma. The VHS tape is now in the Marlow Public Library, the Pauls Valley Public Library, and the McAlester Public Library. Click Here

A T&T Reader emailed me this week asking how that Paulownia Empress (Dragon) Tree I planted in my front yard last year was doing. Here is a pic of it last summer. Click Here Click Here

This week that Empress Tree starting sprouting leaves, but its far from 10 feet as promised in the ads. But it is beautiful and will have those big leaves again this year! Click Here

If your not a subscriber to my ConnectOklahoma Listserver, you've been missing some great messages being posted this week. Here is just one example:

"Mother was calm and patient as a driving instructor but Dad was quick tempered and I got flustered. But moving around the pasture and on a short stretch of country road was not the whole driving world so I was quick to sign up for driving class at Ardmore High my junior year in '47. My driving group had 3 boys, me and the instructor. Those guys made my life miserable... criticizing and/or jeering at everything I did. Then came test day...two of the guys flunked the written and the other flunked driving. I scored 100% on written and 94% on driving. Last laugh. After that I did a lot of driving. Mother and Dad were happy to delegate to me most of the family errands and the chauffeuring of my younger brothers. On our cross country trips I had the bulk of the time at the wheel. Shortly after signing on to my first teaching job after college, I bought my first car - a '49 Plymouth convertible. It was black with those tires that had so much white on them. It needed a new top so I had it outfitted in black-and-white hound's-tooth check. Oh, wow! I was convinced that was the snazziest car in all of Oklahoma. Since then I've had quite a few other "favorites" and many miles on the road and tons of memories. Some pictures, too. I do think we paid more attention to our driving in those old cars - we had to - what with the footwork on the clutch and shifting gears and hand signals." -Elizabeth Dyer Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Does anyone remember the baseball team here in Ardmore around 56-58? I would like to know the name and if anyone has any pictures from then. There was one player who went on to be major league, but I don't think he was from Ardmore. He may have been on a team that came here to play the Ardmore team."
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"Hello Butch, Today I had Dr. appointment which is FRIDAY , March 25, 2004. Notice the day of week. I am thinking of planting a few seeds so I checked the Ladys Birthday Almanac which has been used for years and years for the correct date. I was really surprised to find the date of March 28,2004 to be Friday, today!! Thinking Just maybe a senior moment had hit me I went to my calendar on the wall to be sure. Sure enough today is the 25th. Now I wonder how many people will not notice and plant their crops on the wrong days. I will always wonder how this happened. LOL." -Hazel Letterman, Madill
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"I'm looking for people who have old heirloom garden seeds to sell or trade. I'm interested in seeds that have been historically grown here in southern Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation - old family heirlooms, Native American heirlooms, etc. I think that our gardens are an important part of our heritage and wish to help preserve that heritage." -Judy Bowman, Tabletop Homestead Click Here tabletophomestead@earthlink.net
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"Butch, I recognized a girl in the 1942 picture that Jim Rozzell sent to you. She is in the second row from the bottom, facing the picture she is the third girl from the left seated in front of the girl in white standing behind her. She has long hair and her head is tilted. She was a member of the band and her name was Wanda Wilburn. She is now deceased." Click Here
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The Daily Ardmoreite April 4, 1904: H.W. Martin and wife of Quanah, TX are in the city looking for a location. Mr. Martin is an old attorney and the territory as a field of litigation, has attracted him. He is an old friend of Judge Gait's. Judge Hosea Townsend, C.O. Bunn, William Hutchinson, A.C. Cruce, H. H. Brown, W. F. Bowman, and others left yesterday for Ryan where court opens today. Deputy J.B. Jones and wife came in yesterday from Healdton. Mrs. Jones is visiting her relatives.

Special to the Ardmoreite Duncan Bank Suspends: Duncan, I.T., April 1, The Merchants and Planters bank of this place went into temporary suspension last Friday on account of a conspiracy of certain creditors of the bank. A scare was started which resulted in a run on the bank with the above result. Arrangements are on loof to pacify the depositors and allay the temporary embarrassment which if accomplished in time will insure the re-opening of the bank at once.

Shooting at Lawton: Colonel Hawkins of That Place Mortally Wounded by L.T. Russell Lawton, I.T., April 4--A pistol duel as a result of a grudge originating in a quarrel over the city election last year, augmented by a difference of opinion in the coming election, occurred here this morning at 10 a.m. between L.T. Russell and Colonel Hawkins. Both parties fired two or three shots, two of them took effect in the body of Hawkins and he is not expected to live through the day. Russell escaped uninjured and is now under arrest. Both men were good citizens and stood high in the estimation of the public. Russell is the proprietor of the Lawton Democrat.

Marietta: Miss Mollie Knight, the telephone operator, is sick today.

Loco: T.J. Clark, Jim Leftwich, O.Y. Galloway, W. A Rader, Sam Duncan, and R.H. Roberson have all gone to Ryan to attend the opening of court there today. The miners at the asphalt mine north of here are on a strike for higher wages.

Kingston: Work on the new M.E. church is progressing nicely.

Madill: Miss Sallie Young, former teacher of Ardmore is a music teacher of this place now. The Rock hotel opened up Saturday night with a grand ball and bright prospect. The hotel is under the manager of the Carter House at this place, and is a handsomely furnished two-story, twenty-room house on Main street between the Frisco depot and the square.

Woodville: A big saw mill has been installed near here which is a great help to the neighborhood. Childs Pitiful Condition Footsore and weary, penniless and friendless, a 14 year old, Rosa Boice, daughter of Joe Boice of Wapanucka, stepped off the incoming Choctaw train last Saturday afternoon. She was a stranger here and seemed to be at a loss to know what to do or where to go. "Upon inquiry it was learned that she was en-route to her brother's house sixteen miles west of Ardmore. J.T. Wyont having a team told the young girl he would carry her out and it being early they started without delay. While they were going out she told Mr. Wyont the following story of her disappearance from her fathers home. I lived with my father and step mother 4 miles from Wapanucka. My step-mother treated me so cruelly that I finally determined to leave home and go to my brother Rowe, who lives 16 miles west of Ardmore. Accordingly last Saturday, March 26, I ran away from home and got only as far as Wapanucka when I was carried back home and there they chained me in the corn crib to keep me from getting away again. They fed me, but I slept on the hay. I remained there until Thurs. night (March 31) when I slipped the chain from my wrists and made my escape again. I walked all night and until Friday afternoon when some kind people took me in and fed me. This was near Milburn, more than 15 miles from my father's house. Saturday morning I struck out then got on the train about noon (must have been Tishomingo), where I got on the train. The man with the cap on came to me and when I told him I had no money he said he would have to put me off. Two kind gentlemen paid my fare and I came to Ardmore. I don't know how I would get out to my brother's" Arriving at her brother's house she found a welcoming hand from both him and his wife.

Advertisements: For Easter Sunday--- Y.B. Lynn, The Shoe Man Gwyn & Graham--- Fire Insurance companies--- W.M. Gwyn and R.G. Graham

April 8, 1904. An Egg Freak: Mrs. Dick Archer sent the Ardmoreite an egg this morning the like of which we have not seen before. The egg was about the size of a turkey egg, but was the product of an ordinary chicken. Mrs. Archer broke the egg this morning for breakfast and it had the natural yoke and white, as other eggs, but in addition had a small egg in the center with the regular shell on and was about the size of a bantam egg. We took the liberty of breaking the small egg and found it to be a perfect egg with yolk and white inside. Now, suppose Mrs. Archer had set the egg and the old hen had hatched out a chicken within a chicken and both had lived and- well- Siamese chickens, of course, Jake.

Real Estate Transfers R.W. Dick has sold to J.M. Baird lot No. 6 in block 370 of Ardmore for the sum of $434.35 W.G. Rawls has sold to D.W. Butcher a wedge-shaped block, No 235 for $200

We have the celebrated Crescent bicycles, ladies and gentlemen's styles, for sale and for rent--G.W. Ritter & Son

April 11, 1904 Judge John Hinkle came in last night from Ryan and left again today for Tishomingo. J.W. Mayes, United States jailer at Pauls Valley was in the city yesterday. Mrs. Ham Foster of Cisco, TX is in the city the guest of Dr. and Mrs. R.H. henry, 314 D street N.W.

Miss Wimona Klomann, head nurse at the Ardmore Sanitarium, leaves this afternoon for Cincinnati, where she will visit friends and relatives.

April 12, 1904 Carnegie Library Donations To the Public, Mr. Andrew Carnegie has generously tendered to Ardmore 3i5,000 (sic) for the erection of a public library. The size for this beneficial institution has been a most asked question for months. Its immediate erection is obviously to public good. Its proper location is necessarily a matter of paramount importance. Its early completion is evidently a municipal advantage.

It has been suggested by the city council that the library be constructed on the present Methodist parsonage site, this being the most centrally and conveniently located lot available. The price of this property is $1,500 a very reasonable price, but an amount the city does not possess in its general fund that can be expended in this wish. Therefore, a demand must be made upon the people to raise the amount.

The undersigned are an especially appointed committee of the city council to solicit funds to purchase the site. We must have the library, even if it is placed upon the city wedge-shaped lot in the southwest part of town (Stanley & 'E' SW), a matter of last resort because of its remote location from the business center. When this committee calls upon you for funds we sincerely trust that your appreciation of the library's inestimable public good will be the motive actuation you to give liberally toward the purchase of the lot. J. S. Mullen, C.F. Fraley, R.W. Randol, J.S. McCharen, Committee

Racine Road Wagons, Racine Run-a-bouts, Vellie Buggies, For Sale only by Noble Bros.

Special Floating Bath Soap Sale Wall's Floating Bath Soap, SIX LARGE BARS FOR 25 CENTS Walls Drug Store

The following citizens of Ardmore have purchased lots in Jalisco, Mexico: J.B. Smart, Prater and Baum, J.B. Harrell, I.M. Hobbs, Jr., J.N. Shinholser, G.W. Ritter, J.A. Sanders, and a number of others whose names have not been turned in.

John Thomas, one of the best known Indians in the Chickasaw nation and who from his height and erect form has received the sobriquet of the "Sycamore of the Washita" was a visitor in the city today from his farm at Baum.

The Contract Let For some time past the citizens of Berwyn have been thinking of putting in a bank in their town and finally it was resolved that they must have it. The decided to call it the First National Bank of Berwyn, and it was capitalized at $25,000. The bank was organized by G.W. Young, Wm. F. Warren, F.W. Fisher, Chas. Bobnke, H.S. Suggs and C.W. Henderson.

They advertised for bids to construct a bank building. J.B. White of White & Myall, architects, having drawn plans and specifications for the building, yesterday the contract was let to Tom Harris of Ardmore to construct the building.

The building will be of stone, 40x80 feet, two-story and W.P. Jewell of Ardmore has been awarded the contract to do the stone work.

Stolen--$50 Reward-- Stolen, Sunday night, April 19, from Cheek, one pale sorrel horse, flax mane and tail, about 16 hands high, 7 years old, branded W on left shoulder and C on left jaw. Also one bay horse and a half-worn saddle. I will pay $50 reward for horses and thief. W.C. Hensley, Cheek, I.T.

September 14, 1910 Gypsy Burial Ground Ponca City, OK Sept. 13--The body of Raymond Bryer, aged 11 years, who died at Carlisle, AR on Monday of this week was brought here for burial. The parents of the boy are members of the Gypsy tribe which maintains headquarters at this place. The tribe owns a burial plot here, and no matter how far away a member may be when he dies, the body is always brought here for burial. The tribe is a large one, and the burial ground here already contains a large number of graves."
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"Thought you would like this, it was taken in Dermsdorf, Germany, the occasion is a new bell for the church. This was in 1923." Click Here
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Ardmoreite April 4, 1904 There is nothing perfect in this world, not even a perfect failure The man who says he has never told a lie has just added another to his list. Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. Use charity with all; be ever generous in thought and deed--help others along life's thorny pass. It often happens that the richer a man becomes the less he is worth.

April 3, 1904 United States Patent James Benjamin Jones, son of A.J.Jones of Atlee, has received letters of United States patent dated March 11, 1904, in an improved washboard. This board has many features to recommend it to the housekeeper. It is designed to clean clothesbetter, quicker and easier and at the same time protect the garments from wear.

Eye on Territory J.W. Walters of Wyoming, Ill., is in the city on a prospecting tour through the Territory. Mr. Walters has been here before and has been a reader of the Ardmoreite for two years. He says the Territory offers the finest opportunities of any section of the United States.
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"Butch: In one of your weekly newsletters a few months ago you mentioned a good Spam blocker. At the time I did not make note as I was not having a problem, but that is past history. I now get about 25 to 30 unwanted e-mails daily. Would you please send me the name of the website." -------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Does anyone know where I might find a 1966 Dickson High School yearbook for sale?"
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"Here is some of the collection of old Ardmore items my wife Louise has gathered over the years. She has some quite rare pieces. I dont know how many items she has, but its a bunch. Any way Ill post some close up pictures later and may be you will remember them. Thanks" -Doug Brown Click Here
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"I have had several people ask me for pictures of the "Home Comfort Range" that is in my 1934 Home Comfort Cookbook. So... I have recently scanned pictures of various models in the Home Comfort Cookbook and put them on my NW OkieLegacy Webshots Album for those you might be interested inlearning a little about the Wrought Iron Range Company of St. Louis, Missouri and see photos of the ranges. They evolved in 1864 from the "Farmer" cook stove is what my information says. My cookbook goes with the "Model CB range." Anyone out there have any old, workable Home Comfort Ranges.... or stories... or history of the Wrought Iron Range Co. and Home Comfort Ranges? I guess (from reading the cookbook and what I can find online) the ranges weren't sold in stores, but by traveling salesmen who carried small replicas of the ranges." -Linda NW Okie Click Here
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Hi Butch~~~to Ernie that is wondering about Mary Ann Austin. She married Bob Crews, who was appointed to West Point. Grantham and Jean Jackson of Ardmore are some relatives that could probably help you with some information about them. I wonder if Ernie remembers the Lamb family that lived across the street from the Pedens. My grandfather was WG Lamb and I remember some of the Ardmore ball players staying with the Pedens." -Linda Lamb Smith, Tulsa
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"Mr. Bridges, Thank you so much for sending our library a copy of the 16mm film (converted to video) showing the WPA and CCC work done during the Depression Years. My husband and I viewed this film and were delighted to see the different places we are familiar with. The film is now available for our patrons for checkout and I will mention it in my weekly newspaper column so others will be aware of it." Julia Embree, Library Director, Nora Sparks Warren Library Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
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"I drove out to lake murray on the backside yesterday at lunch. Can you believe I got lost. I had not gone that way in about 15 years, seems the irontop is no longer there and they have renamed all the roads. I ended up driving 35 miles instead of the two it should have been. Tho I did find this beautiful tree. Hope you all have a wonderful day. This looks like it is going to be a great one." Click Here
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"Butch, Mom wanted you to have one of her poems for Easter." Blessings. -Helen Tweed, TX

By Phoebe Tweed, 1964
Born 1915 at 315 'F' St SW

HER PRAYERFUL TEARS

HE WALKED UP THE HILL SO SLOW
HIS BURDEN HARD TO BEAR
SHE WALKED BESIDE HIM, HEAD BOWED LOW,
HER EVERY TEAR A PRAYER

HER PRAYERFUL TEARS WERE NOT IN VAIN
FOR AS SHE LOOKED ABOVE
UPON HIS FACE SHE SAW NOT PAIN,
BUT EVERLASTING LOVE

SHE HEARD HIM SOFTLY WHISPER LOW,
DEAR MOTHER, DO NOT CRY
IT IS FOR THEM I SUFFER SO
IT IS FOR THEM I DIE

YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO ME
FOR THEY MEAN MUCH TO YOU
NOW WITH MY DEATH
I'LL SET THEM FREE
THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO

THEY TOOK HIM THEN AND NAILED HIM THERE,
UPON THAT CROSS SO DEAR
HER SON, OUR LORD, PUT IN HER CARE
SHE KNEW THE END WAS NEAR

THEN FROM ON HIGH A VOICE SAID
"MY DEAR THE TIME IS HERE
I'VE COME TO TAKE HIM HOME WITH ME
YOU'VE NOTHING MORE TO FEAR"

HIS SUFFERING NOW IS OVER
HIS EARTHLY LIVING IS THROUGH
AND SOON, HE WILL SHARE THIS HEAVENLY THRONE
WITH ME AND YOU SHALL TOO

THEN AS SHE KNELT BENEATH HIM THERE
GOD SOOTHED AWAY HER FEARS
BY ANSWERING HER TEARFUL PRAYERS
HE DRIED HER PRAYERFUL TEARS

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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