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Below is April 6, 2005 to April 29, 2005.
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April 29, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 431
This week at noontime I stopped at Farmers Market grocery on Mill Street to pick up some bananas so I wouldn't run out and have them ready to make my strawberry/banana smoothies. Wouldn't you know it, the deli had chili dogs for 99 cents. You know me, I couldnt resist (even knowing they are not health food) and I must say, for a buck it sure was great tasting! <----- Click Here
Speaking of eating right and trying to be healthy, no one should know how important that is than I do. From 1975 to 1979 I was in partnership with Joe Pack, we operated Nature's Way Health Food Store at 418 12th NW here in Ardmore. Sometimes I wish we still had the health food store, I learned so much during those 4 years. Since Joe and I worked for the ambulance service, we'd take people's blood pressure for free if they stopped by, and boy did we have a lot of people come in for just that on a weekly basis. We would write the person's blood pressure down on our specially printed business cards and give it to the person for future comparisons. It really worked great, people loved it, and we even told some you should see a doc. Many would tell us the went to the doc and showed them their blood pressures recorded on 2 or 2 dozen cards. If it weren't for holding down an 80 and 90 hour week job at the ambulance service, maybe we would have stayed in it, but those hours were killing me. Now tell me, is that the way to promote health? Here is our business card, it shows where we recorded blood pressure and pulse on them. <----- Click Here
I guess of all the customers and visitors Joe and I had through the health food store during those 4 years, there is one that really stands out in my mind. We had been selling raw goats milk and the city health inspector came in one day and said you can't do that (there was a 50 year old ordinance against selling raw milk in the city limits). So we stopped and it wasnt a week went by and a long haired hippy boy from Gainesville, Florida came in and I told him why we didnt have raw milk anymore. He said, heck, we had the same problem in Gainesville, Florida. What the health food stores did there was label the milk "FOR PET CONSUMPTION ONLY". He said after a person takes it home, if they want to drink it, that's their business. lol. Anyway, that is exactly what we did, and we continued selling raw goat's milk. baaaaaa
Last week I was outside mowing, and looked down on my driveway and there was a little bitty bird egg on the concrete drive, broken. It had just happened within the last few minutes. I wonder if a bird had stolen it and carrying it away? I should have put a penny beside it so you could get an idea of how small this blue egg was.... like maybe 1 inch across. a href=" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos5a/egg042205.jpg "> <----- Click Here
Here is a picture postcard of the 2nd Ward School around 1906. The school was located in the NE part of Ardmore at G Street and MLK Drive where the old Washington School used to be before it was destroyed by fire a few years ago. My grandfather Stanley Carmon was laying brick on the outside of this school when he looked through the window and saw his future wife, Addie Wilson as a student in the school. They were married in 1907. When I was a teenager a lady who lived at F Northeast and 4th by the name of Ella Bone would tell me she sit next to the window and passed the notes back and forth between Stanley and Addie. <----- Click Here
After I told everyone last week about Coffee Professionals in Wilson, Oklahoma making Okie Blend coffee, I forgot to mention their son Dan Jolliff lives in Oklahoma City is builds all kinds of commercial coffee equipment. They sell everything from those big commercial roasters and grinders, to coffee weighing and packaging equipment. Dan Jolliff's company is called Roasters Exchange, at 1530 Main St. Oklahoma City, OK. This Oklahoma company even sells the coffee equipment internationally. Roasters Exchange can be reached at 1-405-232-1223. <----- Click Here
If you want some of that Okie Blend coffee, the address of Coffee Professionals in Wilson, Oklahoma is:
1161 U.S. Highway 70a
Wilson, OK 73463
580-668-3238
<----- Click HereMy 4 month old Cableone internet access is still flaky at times. I can tell on somedays there is a system-wide slow down, and I mean slow. Also a Reader told me she received 3 T&Ts last Friday night. I assure you its on cableone's end... it took an hour for 1,500 emails to go out. When their network is running at peak performance, it takes less than five minutes to spit out 1,500 emails. Sure hope they get it all running smoothly soon.
Firewalls, antivirus programs, and all that stuff is great, we need them. But if you have Windows XP and have not installed Service Pace 2, then your computer and data is very much compromised. If its security you want, and have WinXP, then make sure you've gone to www.microsoft.com and download their SP2. You have WinXP but dont know if you have SP2 installed? There are three way to find out: 1. Open My Computer, click Help, click on About Windows. It will tell in the box. 2. Go to Start/Run, type in "winver" (leave out the quotes) and hit enter. A dialog box will pop up telling you what version of Windows you have. 3. If you can't get the above methods to work there is another option. Go to Start/settings/control panel. Double-click "System" and look under the "General" tab on top. You'll see your Operating System version on the first line and your service pack version on the fourth line.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Butch, I didn't check my email closely enough. My signing at Hastings in Ardmore is this Sat. Apr 30 not Aug 30." -Voncille Shipley, This Raw, Red Land and Land of Sun and Flowers
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"This is the building where old Dr. Hathaway's office was for several decades in Lone Grove. He practiced I believe well into his eighties and died there in his nineties. He delivered me in 1936 and my sister in 1940, and practiced there many years after that." [email protected] <----- Click Here
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"Butch, I have a dumb question, but here goes anyway. You've mentioned in the past couple of T&T's about a ferry on the Red River. What I'm curious about is HOW?? Everytime I've gone over that river (on I-35 or near Wichita Falls) the river is a pretty good distance down from the bridges. How in the world did anyone drive a wagon down those embankments to a ferry and then back up on the other side? Was the river higher in the past? If so, does anyone have photos of it, as I would love to see what it looked like before time & erosion took it's toll on the river. Thanks."
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"Hey, What a great newsletter, and boy, I gotta get up to Turner Falls, that is beautiful. where in Davis is that tamale cafe, I've got to have some of those." -JerryA. Babe's Tamalies is on Main Street just west of the Railroad track on the north side of the street, next to Subway.
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"The Cedar St. Grill here in Duncan is only a few blocks from me so maybe I can get some of the coffee too."
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"Hey Cuz, Send me a couple of packages of that Okie Coffee so I can show it off to all the Texans here in Korea." -Poss (short for possum)
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"Hi Butch, We're still enjoying your T & T out here in Nevada. I have been interested especially in the article and pictures about your Empress Tree. Your article just mentioned that they had seeds, and those blooms are beautiful! Can you start a seedling from those seeds or do you have to have cuttings from the tree? Just interested in knowing. We're going to be back there (hopefully) in October and I would love to bring back a plant or seeds for that tree. Wonder if they would grow well out here in our arid climate? Anyone know? Thanks again for all the great letters and topics. We love it." [email protected]
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"SHHHH..Butch, don't let my tree hear this...I did not order my tree until after I read about yours in the newsletter. Then kept the 4" twig in a pot until it was just over 1 ft tall. Next spring I cut it back even the ground. It grew straight up to about 18 foot last year and got brown things all in the top of it. The picture attached will show what happened with the "brown things" this spring. The small leaves are coming out now all up and down the trunk and hopefully this year it will get some branches. I love these trees and have planted a couple more. Thanks for the update on yours. It is very pretty with the branches." -Sue <----- Click Here
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"Butch, We used to have a whole bunch of those trees on our land here in Virginia. They do grow to be absolutely gigantic, and I learned from an advertisement for them that their pretty lavender blossoms are edible! The blossoms are followed by clusters of seed pods that make a real mess unless you get them up quickly. The pods are used a lot by crafters and in dried floral arrangements. Thought you'd be interested." -Donna Boyd, Culpeper, VA
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"it is an unusual tree Butch, did you study up on your Empress tree before you planted it? I was just curious and looked it up just now. They have some interesting questions." <----- Click Here
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"Duchess of Rose and I watch your Empress tree growing. From the looks of it, what would it look and grow into IF..... you trimmed a few limbs (like 4 or 5) that grow below where the two limbs split off into branches of their own? I don't know that much about Empress trees, BUT.... It seems to me that maybe it would give more of it's growing, developing to the two branches if you cut those limbs below the V of the tree. BUT... what do I know!? probably way off base here! Tell me more about the Empress tree and how it's suppose to grow and look. I'm really interested."
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"I think I like the shape of yours much better..but I am hoping that mine will spread out some this year instead of going straight up. I guess mine did not know that it was too young to bloom..LOL. You will be amazed when yours blooms. They blooms are very large and they smell soooo sweet. My tree was so tall that I couldn't really tell what was up at the top. The brown stuff grew on the top last fall. It sort of reminded me of a clump of dates that I use to see in the palms in California. This stage was not very attractive but when the brown bloomed out this year it was gorgeous."
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"There's also a beautiful Empress tree in the backyard of a house at the corner of McLish and M S.W. The blooms are starting to wind down, but it's been a show-stopper for the last couple of weeks."
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"Here is a picture of the buffalo that was bought by the Leadership Murray County group and painted by the members of the Artists of the Arbuckles at Sulphur. This buffalo was permanently placed in front of the Chamber of Commerce on Monday (April 25). Each side is different and it has many pictures of local scenes, as well as the Oklahoma State flower and bird painted on it. Come up to Sulphur and have a look." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"Butch, I noticed with interest the article regarding the ADM amateur group. I am also a ham WA5HMC and X-Ardmoreite of many years ago. I notice that on Echolink that there is a repeater in Ardmore, but for some reason I cannot connect to it. I guess my interest was instilled by a guy named Bill Moore, chief operator at the Tivoli theatre at the time. While in AHS, Bill taught me the in's and out's of projection operations not only at the Tivoli, but I also served time at the Ritz and Paramount. Anyway enough rambling and needless we south of the Red look forward to, and enjoy your letter." -J. Virgil Harris [email protected]
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"Butch will the man talking about going to the Blue front bar please write to me. Runt (Oather James) Roundtree was my great uncle and I am actually named after him (James). Thanks" -Doug [email protected]
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"i've always been fascinated by strange occurances and growing up in marietta i have heard the many stories surrounding brown springs. my friends and i spent a night on the river near there last summer. we decided it would be fun to scare some of our friends who didn't know the stories, and so we drove to the springs. out of the nine of us, three wouldn't get out of the truck. another two stopped after walking a few hundred yards and would not go any further or turn back. they just stayed there on the path. the three others and myself continued on. i was the only one who did not having a feeling or sense of dread. i felt completely safe until i reached what i have come to call the ghost tree. i just got the feeling that someone was watching me as i passed it. after i had walked about 30 ft, the feeling passed and i didn't feel it again until i had to pass the tree on my way out. as we passed the tree, i felt someone place their hand on my back, like the they were trying to push me along gently. i began to feel more at ease, but the dread was still there. i have been there twice since that night, but have never seen the ghost tree again. however, now both times i have felt the hand on my back from the moment i stepped out of the truck until i got back in and left. call me crazy, but i think that there is at least one good spirit watching over people at the springs."
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"Butch - Get out to Belle Starr's hideout in the Devil's Den State Park north of Tish, and you'll see the Devil's Coffin." -T. E. (Thal) McGinness, Houston, TX. <----- Click Here
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Zoom in on your house then view it from from space! <----- Click Here
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"Butch, As a former Ardmoreite and Healdtonite I always enjoy your stories, photos, and links to things 'Carter County'. In one of your past issues a year or so ago there was a photo of some ladies in Healdton during 'pioneer or Western Days' and wondered if you could help me locate it. It seems I have saved most of your columns but just can't find that one. My Mother is in the picture along with many of her friends. I would love to be able to print it out and take it to you her as she is 88 years old now and I know she would love the memory. Thanks again for a neat newsletter; I know it is a lot of work but I am sure there are many folks such as myself who appreciate the hard work, research, photos, and all the effort you put into each issue. Thanks again for any help you can give me. I especially love all the good places to eat you list." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"I am enclosing a picture of students at Washington School, taken about 1947-48. Does anyone recognize any of the students?" <----- Click Here
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"I am a writer and currently working on my second western novel. I have had little luck finding certain information in my own library or by searching the Internet. In my story, the main characters flee Texas in 1869, by crossing the Red River into the Indian Territory where they followed the Chisholm trail into Kansas. I need to describe the geography of the area, particularly what is now Jefferson County. Were there any towns or settlements along the cattle trail as it existed at this time? Any help anyone can give will be much appreciated. Just send me an email. Thanks." -Kirk in Wisconsin [email protected]
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"Butch, not sure you are familiar with John McCornack's website. His contribution for today has pioneer pictures of Cloud Chief, Oklahoma where he grew up. Here are a couple of the first Washita County Courthouse. Here is his website." http://members.aol.com/JMcCornack/ <----- Click Here
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The Cornish Reasoner, Cornish, Jefferson County, OklahomaFriday, June 10, 1904
Hail Insurance, paid $75 for damaged crops from hail in June to W. T. BARBER.
OTTO DULANEY represents the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance company of St. Paul, Minnesota which paid the $75 to W. T. BARKER.
JUDGE TOWNSEND has appointed a new medical board for the Chickasaw Nation, as follows: DR. J. C. MCNEES of Ardmore; DR. E. C. CHIVERS of Mannsville; DR. W. L. PETER of Chickasha. The board organized by electing DR. MCNEES president and DR. CHIVERS secretary.
Attorney General KNOX designated Chickasha as the official residence for JOSEPH T. DICKERSON, the newly appointed judge for the Southern District.
R. A. JONES, successor to C. R. JONES, Ardmore: I carry the best line of cheap oak bedstids in the Indian Territory.
Methodist, preaching first Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and at night at the school house. W. R. BROCK, pastor.
Cumberland Presbyterian, preaching every second Sunday in each month at 11:00 a.m. at the school house. By W. C. HOGAN
Masonic--Cornish Lodge No. 64, A. & a& A. M. meets Saturday nights on or before the full moon at Masonic Hall in Cornish. J. L. MCKASSOWN, W. M.; W. A. WILSON, secretary
Order of the Eastern Star meet Saturday afternoon at 2:00 on or before the full moon each month at Masonic Hall. MRS. LULA JACKSON, worthy matron; MISS ROSE MCMURTRY, secretary.
A jury in the Federal Court at Ardmore, the other day, awarded MRS. B. H. COLBERT and BEN H. COLBERT, jr. $3,808, the value placed on 69 acres of land recently condemned by the town of Tishomingo for waterwork purposes. The land is just outside the town on Pennington River.
R. O. DULANEY, notary public, office at Bratcher, Dulaney, & Co. Hardware Store at Cornish.
S. O. TAYLOR, M. D., office in the EARLES new building at Cornish.
W. A. WILSON, M. D., physician and surgeon at Cornish
Do you Like Music? I am prepared to teach music in all its branches from the A B C music to counter point, and there is not a living rational person in the town of Cornish that may not be greatly benefited by availing themselves of the opportunities now afforded them. Harmony and musical composition a specialty. Short Hand. I am prepared to teach the Byrne system of short hand, the shortest, simplest and easiest learned. HOGAN's Normal Music School. W. C. HOGAN, principal. Dixie, term July 18 to August 9, 1904. WILL MARTIN, president, DR. J. J. BENSON, secretary, both of Dixie. Cornish, term August 11 to September 2, 1904. R. D. MEANS, president; OTTO DULANEY, secretary, both of Cornish.
Western Hotel. This hotel is thoroughly equipped and it affords the very best of accommodations. Plenty to eat, plenty of room. We own and control the only livery stable in Cornish where teams will be carefully taken care of. JAMES EDWARDS, manager.
Died
On June 7, MR. FARMER, who lives three or miles east of Hewitt, was killed and his son was also killed. He was about 75 years of age, an invalid for a long time and his son had been helpless from birth. Mr. Farmer leaves a wife and some grown children. He was a brother-in-law of W. R. CARTER, of our town.Local Items
A. A. ROBERTSON, the dentist, cannot be in Cornish June 2 and 3, as expected on account of the illness of the office man.
Cotton choppers wanted two miles west of Simon at $1 per day and board. P. W. WALKER at Simon.
The RANDOL brothers, farmers four miles north, were in town Thursday. J. H. MORRIS was in town this morning. H. B. FARMER, warm friend of the Reasoner, stopped by our office and paid his subscription for another year. WILLIE BARNARD, our good neighbor, renewed.
FRED and DAVIE JONES, old pupils of PROF. HARRIS and wife, stopped and called at our office Thursday. These Jones boys are fine young men and it pleases us to see young people becoming noble men and women.
J. T. EASON has a new baby girl at his home. She arrived last Wednesday night. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Ardmoreite, April 2, 1946. Rambling Reporter
The rich and the aged get flowers from the garden of Miss MARIE STUART SMITH. Miss Smith has in full bloom at this time some marvelous azaleas. She is doing pioneer work in growing them here. She says they grow as far north as Virginia. Another unusual plant in Miss Smith's garden is the bush wisteria.Some very beautiful wisteria vines can be seen at Carter seminary and at the COLQUITT SYKES home. Also at the homes of MIKE GORMAN and RAYMOND SHINE and Dr. J.J. BOYD has one also.
Another very lovely plant here is the camelia in the FARISS garden. The camelia is just about through blooming for this season but Mrs. Fariss has one bloom that measure across about six inches in her ice box.
ARTHUR ROLLER has started a nursery on U.S. highway 70 west of town. Roller works with OG&E. His father is helping him. The father is JOHN S. ROLLER who for 20 years was with the Foote nursery at Durant and who gives a part of each day now to the Coffman nursery and floral place.
In one flock of geese that passed over Ardmore Monday traveling from SE to NW there must have been 200 fowls.
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The Daily Ardmoreite, May 26, 1946
ROY ROGERS, ace cowboy star of Republic pictures and one of the biggest box office movie actors in the movie business, will head a company of 65 actors and technicians which will make a western movie in the Arbuckle mountain country, with Dougherty as the central point of action. The company will arrive in Southern Oklahoma on June 9. Rogers will come to the location on June 7, according to BILL LYKINS, owner of the Flying L Ranch, located between Sulpher and Davis. Lykins said the picture is to deal with the developement of Herefords and that much of it will be filmed on his and ROY TURNER's ranches. Ten rooms have been reserved at Hotel Ardmore for members of the organization. Their stay will be indefinite, but probably not more than a week to 10 days. Included in the cast to support Rogers will be DALE EVANS, and GABBY HAYES, both popular with western movie fans. Some of the company will be housed on the ranches of Lykins and Turner, others will have cabins at Cedarvale. The title of the picture, it is said, will be "Home in Oklahoma." Rogers is slated to play the role of a country editor, who publishes a newspaper in a town called "Hereford Heaven"--which will be stage name of Dougherty. Included in the special events in the picture will be a sequence starring the Flying L Ranch quartet.
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The Daily Ardmoreite
April 2, 1946
Chickasha--It doesn't take much imagination to know that Chickasha derived its name from Chickasaw, the Indian tribe--but there are a number of interesting factors in the name. First Chickasha was named by the Rock Island, when the westward expanding railroad crossed the Washita river, its further most rail reaching the point at which the town of Chickasha is located. Second, Chickasha was one of the few towns on the Rock Island road which at that time was given the name of a tribe in this territory. Most of the railroad points were named for northern Indian tribes. Third, commonly the name Chickasha is interpreted as meaning "rebel", but here's the full story: There is an Indian legend that powerful Indian tribes were migrating from the setting to the rising sun, in obedience to instructions from the great spirit, and prophets. Every night a pole was set up and the next morning the journey was resumed in the direction in which the pole was leaning. After a long journey they came to a country abounding in game, fish, and fruit, and here the pole remained erect. A council was called and the majority decided that this was the promised land, but one of the leaders of the clans took issue with the council circle, declaring "all those who believe the promised land is farther toward the rising sun, follow me." His entire clan gathered around him, where upon the warriors of the tribe took up their spears, tomahawks, and bows and arrows, and prepared to force obedience to the decision of the council, but the principal chief of the tribe arose, and stretching his hands above his head, with palms out, exclaimed, "Hamonockma, ikia, ahhiska Chickasha!" translated, this Indian sentence means, "Halt, follow them not, they are rebels". Time and tribal usage developed the word "Chickasaw" in reference to the tribe from which Chickasha derives its name. The Rock Island railroad extended to Chickasha in 1892 and when the line reached this point, and temporarily stopped, tents were pitched, businesses began to be opened, and the building of the town was underway. Chickasha started out as a tent town and it's one of several towns in Oklahoma that has never claimed to boom. The first buildings began to go up that year. There was no "opening" for Chickasha. The original townsite was on land owned by JAMES L. SPEED and his Indian wife. The land was obtained under "possessor rights" a term to become familiar in early Chickasha history. The main street of Chickasha was bult on land which once was a creekbed. There, business buildings were constructed on stilts, and during rainy seasons, oldtimers tell stories of parking their boats under the store buildings. Despite the fact that Chickasha isn't a boom town, the "Queen of the Washita" has had a colorful history. Oldtimers recall the ratification of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations of the now famous Atoka Agreement on August 24, 1894, which gave citizens "possessory right" in purchasing one business lot and one residence lot on which the citizens had made improvements. Soil conservation maps reveal the approximate route of a branch of the CHISHOLM trail just to the east of Chickasha, and there are stories concerning at least two gun battles between Grady citizens and Texas cattlemen. One of these battles was near what is now the Amber community. AL JENNINGS, of late California trail fame, was well known in the Chickasha area and at Shanoan Springs Park the museum is the old wooden jail in which Jennings was held after his arrest in this area. Chickasha's first paper, now the Chickasha Daily Express, was founded by W.R. ORME, the first issue being published probably on June 2, 1892.
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The "Chicken Dance" oom-pah song was composed by a Swiss accordion (Handharmonika) player Werner Thomas from Davos, Switzerland in 1950s. The name of the orignal song was Der Ententanz (The Duck Dance). Since 1963 he played it in restaurants, people used to dance to the tune, and by the end of 1970s it was played all over the world. On some recorded releases of the music Werner Thomas is listed as the composer, while on others other authors are listed, e.g., as "Thomas/Rendall/Hose", probably including the authors of the particular arrangement. Since then the song has become known under numerous other "birdie" names, including "Vogeltanz" (Bird Dance), "Dance de Canards", "Chicken Dance" and "Dance Little Bird". Over 140 versions of it are recorded worldwide, including Walt Disney Records, together making over 40,000,000 records. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here See everyone next time!
Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
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April 26, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 430
My T&T Readers never cease to amaze me. When I mentioned Okie Blend coffee in last week's newsletter, Coffee Professionals' phone was ringing the first thing Monday morning, calls from across the country. I just never know where my T&T reaches. Another Reader brought me a package of that special blend coffee, so now I can learn first hand what is making the Texans go crazy over this brew. Susanne Jolliff, one of the owners of Coffee Professionals in Wilson, Oklahoma, sent me a list of places in Oklahoma where people can buy Okie Blend Coffee.
Ardmore- EZ Shop 205 Q Southwest
EZ Shop-901 Wallace St.
J.R.'s #2-1500 14th NE
Carnegie- Super C Mart 110 E. Main St.
Cement- Cement Gas-N-Go 101 E. 1st
Duncan- Cedar St. Grill 1001 Cedar St.
Marlow- Lakeside Grocery
Elgin- Bruces Super-Stop HWY 277 & Dave
Fletcher- Trent Drug & Tag Agency
Holdenville- Wakely's 325 Broadway of America
Doc's #2 1020 N. HenekleyKingston- Super C Mart
Lindsay- Super C Mart
Lone Grove- Taliaferro's Grocery Hwy 70 West
Maysville- Super C Mart
Norman- Alemedia's Market 7200 E. Alemedia
Trails Golf Club 3200 S. Berry Rd.Davis- Original Fried Pies off I-35
Tradin' Post Turner Falls ParkOklahoma City- Roasters Exchange- 1530 W. Main St.
Charlies Last Stand 4415 SW. 3rdSlaughterville- Neighbor's Grocery 2001 Slaughterville
Velma- T.P. Totum
E&S Oil Co. Convenience storeWilson- Coffee Professionals 1161 US HWY 70 A
Super C Mart 202 E. Main St
Scotta's 2000 HWY 70Now wouldn't it be grand if Winstar Casino at Thackerville, and the other casinos along the Red River was pouring Okie Blend coffee for those all those Texans when they arrive on Oklahoma soil. They would be caught- hook, line and sinker! <----- Click Here
Speaking of coffee, I ordered me one of those coffee gizmos that lets a person make just one cup of coffee. The gizmo's inventor, Barrie Lee Johnson, of Maine is one smart lady, to come up with such a needed gadget and make in available at a price people can afford. At just $5 each, which includes postage, that is a pretty good deal to any Okie. a href=" http://www.CoffeeGizmo.com "> Coffee Gizmo
Here are some pics taken at Turner Falls on April 23rd. There is nearly always a constant stream of tourist and sightseers stopping out the Lookout to look down on that magnificent falls. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Several of those in our HAM Radio group went to Babe's Tamalies in Davis last Saturday for lunch. She started the business as a drive-through in 1986 and then turned it into a sit down eatery in 1990. Babe sure puts out some good mexican food. I ordered her special of day, and it all cost less than $5 including the drink. Her tamalies are just like Pick's Tamalies when it was located on Highway 77 at the south edge of Davis. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Here is an interesting piece of history, it mentions the Devils Coffin and a search on the internet turned up nothing for me. Maybe someone has heard of this landmark? I would think it was located in the Tishomingo area? <----- Click Here
A Reader told me about a full grown Empress tree at 3rd SW and H Street. It is loaded with flowers and seed pods. I learned that my 3 year old Empress is not old enough to have seeds or blooms. Its "still a juvenile". <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Many of you have been following the rapid growth of my Empress tree the past 3 years. It is not putting out leaves, which will eventually be 18 inches across. Here is a pic I took this week when the leaves are still small but growing. <----- Click Here
My rose bush has blooming early this year. It is usually around Mothers Day that my rose bush blooms. I didnt notice until I downloaded the pic, but there is fly on the rose. a href=" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos5a/rose042405.jpg "> <----- Click Here
I talked last week about letting things slip by me. A Reader brought it to my attention this week that Ardmore PD officer Bobby Rudisill is not listed on the state or Washington DC memorials. He was killed in the line of duty in 1960. <----- Click Here
I've changed the view a little on my outside cam, it now points at the Ladies Garden Center building (old Carnegie Library). When it rains I cover it since its not waterproof. So if we have inclement weather, the camera might be unavailable to view. <----- Click Here
Now that we one the subject of cameras, a Reader sent in an email this week (see Mailbag below) suggesting we might try to put up some an internet camera and e suggested a good place for one is right down on Main Street so people can login and see the downtown area. I would suggest put one on top of the Colston Building. But then we'd have to have a good friend at the Colston Building who will provide the broadband internet access, and this is still depends on if we could come up with enough donations to pay for the camera. We are looking at about $1,000 for a Pan, Tilt, Zoom camera that will do the job. If anyone has any suggestions for comments, let me know. I can start a webpage on the Camera Project to keep everyone informed on progress, etc.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"I was reading with keen interest the story of the american flyers crash in ardmore. was curious about the following: history of american flyers. was it associated with the flying school. was it a subsidiary of that? how did mr. pigman come to own an airline? was american flyers airlines a charter only or a commercial passenger airline? how many passenger planes did they have? were there more electra's? did they own it or lease it / them? why was reed pigman piloting the plane? it seems odd the owner would also pilot? was this a contract military charter? did they have military charters regularly? does anyone have any photo's of the crash scene? anyone have a photo of the plane prior to the crash? i would like to hear from any survivor or their family. thanks!" [email protected]
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"Butch, I don't see any mention that Friday the 22nd is the 116th anniversary of the Run of 1889, which opened the Unassigned Lands to settlement on April 22, 1889. My ancestors settled on the land where Quail Springs Malls sits now and in the Independence Community southeast of Norman. (I understand that James Garner is from Independence, too.)" -Cindy
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"Hastings in Ardmore will host a signing for me Aug. 30 at 2 p.m. I hope you can drop by. I'll be there for a couple hours at least. These books make great Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts, especially for someone who grew up in Carter Co. Anyone that can't come to the signing can email me for information." -Voncille Shipley [email protected]
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"Butch -----I thought you might like this photo of my great aunt with her two wagons hooked together in the one photo. Her dad, My great grand dad is buried at Comanche. She is buried at Tulsa. The land looks more like Comanche and I have blown up the photo and she appears really young, so suspect around Comanche. What do you think? I suspect around 1904 was when the photo's were taken." -Taylor Crowe <----- Click Here
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"Butch, The post from JRM below brings back memories about the Willis ferry. My Great Grandfather John Shelley worked running a ferry near Willis where the Willis bridge now crosses Lake Texoma. He was very young at the time which would have been around 1897 or so.You probably remember John Shelley he was and Ardmore police officer during the 1940's an 1950's. In the later years of his career he walked the night beat downtown. I remember seeing him walking on Main st and Caddo swinging his billyclub. John worked with Officers Lem England and John Smithers among others. If you or anyone else has any information about John Shelley please email me. Thanks." [email protected]
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"You can get the Okie Blend coffee from Wilson at the EZ Shop convenience store at Chickasaw Blvd and Wallace NW (old Hilltop Grocery) near Walmart in Ardmore."
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"hello Mr. Bridges, recently there was an article in your pages that referred to the ferry located at the riverside and Delaware communities. the ferry that Mr. Swadlenak purchased was the one that originally belonged to my great-grandfather and then to his son who was doc Elliott. my great-grandfather got the ferry from Mr. Tuck. I would like to know if maybe some of your readers might know if some of Mr. Swadlenaks' family might have some of the history about the ferry that they would be willing to share with me. I know very little about my great-grandfather other than the fact that he did own the ferry at one time. his name was Raborn Elliott and he was supposed to have been one of the people that was killed while operating the ferry. I have searched for information to prove or disprove this but to no avail. I also know that he was suppose to have died sometime in 1904 while operating the ferry, but that too is all I know about his death. if anyone has some information on this i would greatly appreciate the help. i really like the articles that you put in your pages and i look forward to each and every one that i get each week. Thank you." -betty daniels [email protected]
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"Butch here is a beaver dam at Hennipen, Oklahoma. Works pretty good." -Doug Williams <----- Click Here
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"Now all we have to do is find some of that Priddys stuff and we'll all be set! Just an added thought-if all of the people who share in this great "family" would send in a buck you'd have enough money to put a couple of cameras around where you think they would do best. You may not like this idea and will understand if you do not. Sure would be a good investment!"
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Help I have been looking for a banjo ever since my cousin played on Deliverance. (-: Can anyone tell me anything about this banjo I bought at the trade days today. I cannot make out who makes it but the date has Est. 1958 is on it. Also anyone know what it would be worth. I thought I would learn how to play it this afternoon." -Doug Williams [email protected] <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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Pavilion Springs, Sulphur, OK. 1904
a href=" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos5a/PavilionSprings1904.jpg "> <----- Click Here
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"Thanks for the informative and fun newsletters! An article appeared in your Jan 05 edition. Just wondering if you randomly located this or if was submitted, and if you could share with me who submitted? The State Herald, Ardmore, Indian Territory, October 31, 1895- A Boy Killed. Thursday evening, deputy marshal Covington brought to Ardmore Abe Ross, aged about 18 or 13 years, who lives near Rayville..charged with murder... Abe Ross was my grandfather, and we are somewhat familiar with the story but wonder if we might have a long lost relative or friend who might have more family history to share." Durham, NC
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=========================================================================Coffee Song by Frank Sinatra
Way down among Brazilians
Coffee beans grow by the billions
So they've got to find those extra cups to fill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil
You can't get cherry soda'Cause they've got to fill that quota
And the way things are I'll bet they never will
They've got a zillion tons of coffee in Brazil
No tea or tomato juice
You'll see no potato juice
The planters down in Santos all say no no no
The politician's daughter
Was accused of drinking water
And was fined a great big fifty dollar bill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil
You date a girl and find out later
She smells just like a percolator
Her perfume was made right on the grill
Why they could percolate the ocean in Brazil
And when their ham and eggs need savor
Coffee ketchup gives 'em flavor
Coffee pickles way outsell the dill
Why they put coffee in the coffee in Brazil
So your lead to the local color
Serving coffee with a cruller
Dunking doesn't take a lot of skill
They've got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil
See everyone next time!
Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 21, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 429
I was reading though my Oklahoma Outlaws Lawmen History Association (OKOLHA) Journal this month, and there on the front page was a photo of John Lung (1882-1922). Why this name caught my attention was back in the early 1990s I stumbled on to John Lung's name in the newspaper archives. Lung was killed in the line of duty and his death was not yet recognized by the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington DC. I wanted to do something, so I did a search on the internet and found about 15 people with the last name Lung listed in Oklahoma. I started calling them one by one, until finally a man I called in Oklahoma City said he was the son of officer John Lung. He sent me some pictures and clippings and asked me to do whatever I could to help get his father on that memorial in DC. I wrote the Memorial in DC a letter and before not too many months had passed by, John Lung Jr of Oklahoma City called me one evening, said he wanted to thank me for helping get his father's name on the DC memorial. He had received a letter from the Washington DC Memorial stating his dad's name had been added to the other officers on the Wall of Honor. It is times like that that makes all this worth it. I tried to call John Lung Jr this week, but the number "is no longer in service". Maybe someone can find out where he is, and how he's doing. I lives or lived at 3624 NW 47th St in OKC.
The following is from the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial Website:
John O Lung, Deputy Sheriff
Okmulgee County Sheriffs Office
On Friday night, September 15, 1922, Deputy Lung recognized Earl Pomeroy in a car with another man and woman as it entered the Continental Garage in Sapulpa. Pomeroy was a suspect in a business burglary Deputy Lung was investigating. As Deputy Lung and Sapulpa Chief of Police Ralph Morey entered the darkened garage they were fired upon by one of the men. Deputy Lung was struck in the left side, the bullet piercing his heart and right lung. Chief Morey was unharmed. Deputy Lung was placed in a car to be taken to the hospital but the car wrecked only two blocks away. Lung was transferred to another car but was dead on arrival at the hospital. Earl Pomeroy and the other man escaped and were never apprehended but the woman, Doris Stanley was arrested near the scene. His wife and five children survived Deputy Lung. <----- Click HereI still have the same IP from cableone.net so my color camera is still up and running in front of my house. If they change it before the next T&T and you cant see it, you can always go to my website, there is a link to the cam right near the top. Also since I dont have a weatherproof case for it, I dont have it up if it looks like rain. <----- Click Here
April 22nd marks the anniversary date of the worst plane crash in Oklahoma's history. It happened just NE of the Ardmore Airpark in 1966. It was a sad event that will always be remembered by the people in this area. This week Jim Morris of Durant sandblasted inscriptions on three picnic table seats at the memorial site. Jim Morris Monuments did an excellent job considering it is difficult to sandblast lettering into concrete and make each letter's outline smooth as you would normally see when done on granite markers. But Jim did a great job on these, and he really doesn't do concrete, but he made an exception here, and it is really appreciate, he's a true craftsman and artisan. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Here are the inscriptions:
=================================
In Memory of
Lemuel W. Wills, II
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Pvt Mitchell Scott Lindenberg
Flushing, NY
He dared to dream
You are forever in our hearts
Your loving sisters Shelly, Cookie and Cindy
And Family
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Dyana Duncan Ross
Always remember
Forever loved
By
Peter and Sidny Ross
Parents
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<----- Click HereDid you know there is now something for Texans to come to Oklahoma for besides gambling? lol. And I heard they are getting it by the tons. Actually they are getting it in 13 ounce packages.... its coffee! Its called Okie Blend Coffee and its made right over in western Carter county at Wilson, Oklahoma by Coffee Professionals (580-668-3238). I heard those Texans are going crazy over it! I got to taste a cup of it at the Assessors Office this week, and its really great tasting coffee! Now if I just had a friend in Wilson to bring me a package of it, or if I just had a friend. lol <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Speaking of the courthouse, James Lindsey, head of maintenance, saw this most awesome moth on the wall of the Annex Building. When I told me about it, I had to take a pic of it. Beautiful. <----- Click Here
A Reader sent me some pics he took while landing his plane the other day. I just hope he didnt take his hands off the steering wheel. lol. But these are really some neat photos. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Some of you will remember my $7 Paulownia Empress Tree I planted in June 2003 when it was only about a foot tall and how in one year it grew as tall as my house. Here's a pic when it was a month old. <----- Click Here
This is that same tree a year later when its nearly 15 feet tall. <----- Click Here
And this week I took a pic of it, its starting to grow those leaves, those leaves that reach 15 inches across. It sure is a strangely formed tree, its limbs. <----- Click Here
Sometimes something will slip by me, and that happened about five years ago when a Reader sent me pics of the bell at Cross Point Methodist Camp in southern Marshall county. This is an email I received this week, I wanted to pass this along to everyone, and let you all know I have put it on my bell webpage. Here is the email:
"Dear Sir: You have missed the rather nice bell at the Crosspoint United Methodist Camp South of Kingston in Marshall County."
Well, I dug in my back issues, and sure enough, there they were.... two pics of that bell at Crosspoint south of Kingston, OK. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
Hi Ya, Butch, The article of the The Red River Ferries history reminded me of my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Dozier, who taught at Robert E. Lee elementary school at Gainesville, Texas. At the beginning of the school year, in September 1940, I first met Mrs. Dozier, my fifth grade teacher. I was about 10 years old. Her age at that time? I don't know but on the first day of school she asked me was the name of my mother Zedna Gore? I replied that she was my mother. Mrs. Dozier stated to me that she had taught my mother in the same grade and room in which we were seated. That was 20 years earlier. My mother was age 30 at that time. A few days later Mrs. Dozier related to us school children that as a young girl she and her parents had made a visit from Gainesville to a town located in Oklahoma using the Red River crossing. She said there was no bridge at that time and that all crossings from Texas to and from Oklahoma were at a low water crossing of the Red River near the present day bridge located about 7 miles north of Gainesville. On their return from Oklahoma she said that a group of Indians, I think she said were Comanches, spotted their wagon and began chasing them. She said that she and her parents barely made it to the Red River crossing and across to the river to safety. Then she laughingly ended her story by saying, "If we had not been able to make the river crossing, I would not be here to tell you my story." -Elmer G. West
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"Does anyone know if there was ever a low water crossing south of Willis, Ok. My understanding is there was a ferry there. Does any of you know just what was there before the lake came along?" -JRM
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The old timers name was Lon Cheaves. He was a Constable in Mannsville. I never heard anybody say too much about him either good or bad. This was in fact in the early 50's.Lon drove a 1936 Chev. 4 dr. Gry in color. He carried a 38-40 Single Action Colt. My Aunt had a business in Mannsville is the reason I know all this. Lon was always friendly to us and never acted out of the way. My aunt left Mannsvile in 1950 and we never heard any more from Lon. In the early 60's I was working for Ardmore P.D. and we received a call to the Blue Front Bar, owned by a man named Runt Roundtree. He advised he had an old man in the bar carrying a gun. My partner and I went to the bar and there was Lon Cheaves sitting at the far end of the bar with that old 38-40 stuck in his pants in the hollow of his back. I spoke to him and visited a minute, told Runt who he was and decided we didn't want to remove the weapon from that OLD RETIRED L.E.OFFICER"
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"Butch, I believe the man that Singleterry was talking about in This and That Vol 9 Issue 428 to be Lon Cheeves. He is listed in the 1930 Johnston county Census. He was quite a character and was, at one time, the Mayor of Mannsville. I lived in Mannsville from birth until 1953 and knew him quite well." -Jim Calloway
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"Butch- Priddy's products have been mentioned more than once over the past year. These product containers might bring back a few mouth-watering memories. The Priddy name was embossed on the bottom of the container on some of the products but not on others that I had access to." [email protected] <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"Hey, Butch: I see the cars passing by on Blue Net,but can't tell who is inside. When do you plan to put on the street shows at night? You already have the stage." -Joe Leonard
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"Butch, we really love your newsletter and fantastic wealth of info on history, so we want you around for a long time. That is why I'm going to go out on a limb and say, you eat horribly!!! Oh, I know all those burgers and chili and BBQ are great, but they are going to kill you way to soon if you keep eating them all the time. All that high cholesterol animal fat is a killer. I know how it is being a bachelor and not wanting to cook, but like I said, we'd like to see you stay around a while. Enjoy those fatty foods as a once in a while treat instead of all the time-- okay!?!?!?"
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"Butch, I have been enjoying your newsletters these past few days and noticed your mention of the murder of our Sheriff, Frank E. Smith and his deputy, George Beck by the Casey Gang in 1902. You can find some newspaper articles about the murder, plus the shooting of deputy U.S. Marshall James 'Jim' Bourland in 1906. They are on the Caddo county rootswebsite. If you check out our website you will also find a photo of Frank Smith's tombstone, plus one of the house where they were murdered. Appreciate all your hard work." -Sandy <----- Click Here
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"I stumbled upon your website about the crash in ardmore on April 22, 1966. I actually never knew anything about it... I grew up in Gainesville TX. I was saddened and shocked to learn this was apparently a military shuttle of soldiers or somesuch...what a tragedy. On the site of airline disasters it lists the cause of the crash "pilot became ill"...what really happened, do you know? Now I'm curious. Is the wreckage still around there? <----- Click Here
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"It was Winthrop Rockefeller former governor of Arkansas, and not Nelson Rockefeller, who bought the ole Turner Ranch (near Scullin, OK), back in the 1960s."
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The Daily Ardmoreite, August 1, 1900
Kioski's opera house was well filled with people last night to witness the Old Fiddlers' Contest, given for the benefit of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. While the number of fiddlers present was much smaller than expected, still there were enough to make the contest interesting and the entertainment was very much enjoyed by all who attended. The various numbers of the program were liberally applauded as were also the awards of prizes to successful contestants. The first prize was five dollars in gold for the best fiddler in attendance and the judges gave this to L.P. SMITH of Ardmore. The second prize in this contest was awarded to A.L. DRENNAN of Province and consisted of two silver dollars. The oldest fiddler was P.C. POWAR of Davis and he received a $4 pair of pants from J.A. MADDEN. Then came the contests en particular pieces and abilities. The first of these was the best rendition of "Arkansas Traveler," without patting the foot. Whiteman Bros., offered a 50 pound sack of flour as a prize and the judges awarded this to "Uncle" TOM NOLEN. There were only four entries in the next contest, which was for the best of the four, all playing different tunes at the same time without laughing. For this performance Madden, Sykes, & Co., offered a hat, which will be worn by E.T. RUE. A.J. DOUGLAS, the handsome fiddler, was given an umbrella by Westheimer & Daube, while Sass & Crawford gave a fine shirt to B.F. TAYLOR as the ugliest fiddler. In the contest for a ham offered by J.N. MORGAN for the best song with banjo or fiddle accompaniment O.P. WALLING was the successful contestant. There were no left handed fiddlers present, so the shoes offered by Y.B. LINN were awarded to P.C. POWAR of Davis on an impromptu contest. J.B. ROBINSON received a comb and brush from E.J. RAMSEY.
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The Ardmore Brick company, under the management of LEE CATHEY, is turning out some excellent brick. They have just finished burning their first kiln of pressed brick under the new management and experts pronounce the product the best ever turned out in Ardmore. They now have 185,000 of this burning ready for market.
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ALLISON EVERETT of Leon is in the city today. TOM J. WHITE of Mannsville is in the city today. MAX HEYMAN of Gainesville is in the city today. JOHN L. SIMPSON is here from Gainesville. Mrs. BASSETT returned to Denison this morning. J.S. DILLINGHAM of the Oakland News was here today. J.C. GRAHAM went to Gainesville today on business. Dr. A.J. WOLVERTON went to Marietta last night on business. S.T. BLEDSOE went to Fort Worth this morning on business. Misses KATE MURPHY and DIXIE DURFEE have returned from a week's visit in Sulphur. Little Miss MATTIE CHOATE is here from Marietta on a visit to her brother, EDGAR. Mrs. T.C. RICHTER has returned home after an extended visit with her parents in Gainesville. Mrs. J.W. BLASSINGAME of Van Alstyne, TX, is in the city visiting her cousin, Mrs. R.W. DICK. SIG SIMON left last night for New York and other eastern points to purchase a stock of fall and winter goods. Mrs. J.A. MADDEN and children left this morning on an extended visit to relatives and friends in Nashville, TN. Mrs. JOE MOODY was here today from Gainesville enroute to Woodford to join her husband, who has located at that place. Misses CLELLA STUART and IVA WHEAT and Messrs. FRANK BONNER and STANLEY BRUCE have returned from a visit to Pauls Valley. Misses CARRIE and RUTH JOHNSON have gone to Tishomingo on an extended visit to their uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. S.A. LONG.
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The Duncan Banner
May 15, 1915
News reached here Friday night of a shooting at Ringling that afternoon in which FRANK and CHARLEY STOTTS, cashier and book-keeper, respectively, of the First State Bank, had shot two brothers. The Stotts brothers formerly resided at Loco and were among the best citizens of the county. Sunday's Ardmorite gave the following account of the shooting: Friday afternoon a shooting affray occurred at Ringling and as a result one man is dead and another is at the Hardy sanitarium in this city where very little hope is advanced for his recovery. According to a report from Ringling yesterday morning the two men, GEORGE and TOM MYERS, entered the First State Bank at Ringling and began an argument with the Stotts brothers, cashier and bookkeeper of the bank. It is alleged that the two Myers were drinking and proceeded to argue with the cashier over a settlement involving a couple of dollars. The cashier advised them to go away and return when they were sober and the matter would be settled. They departed and returned later when the trouble was renewed, with the result that the Stotts brothers began shooting, with fatal results. George Myers, the oldest of the two brothers died at the Hardy sanitarium Friday night, where the two boys were brought for treatment, and Tom, the younger brother, died yesterday afternoon about two o'clock. Yesterday morning he made a statement to County Attorney HARDY and Sheriff GARRETT in which he said that there was no hard feeling between his brother and himself, and the Stotts brothers, and he did not know why they were shot. It is reported that both boys were unarmed while, on the other hand, it is stated that when they entered the bank the second time, George, the elder brother reached as if to draw a gun when the shooting began. The preliminary hearing will probably be had as soon as fate of the younger brother is ascertained.
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The Duncan Banner
May 15, 1915
Norman, OK--Evidently believing that the man would be decreed insane and never forced to expiate his crime, a mob of a dozen masked white men presumably from Noble, early Sunday morning took Dr. B.E. WARD, slayer of his wife from the Cleveland county jail and hanged him to a tree two miles south of Norman. The man was strung up, not more than two feet from the ground, and permitted to strangle. No shots were fired and no disturbance was made. Two hours later his dead body was found by Sheriff CLAUD PICKARD. The mob had disappeared and Sunday night there was no clues to the identities of its members. Ward had been practicing his profession at Noble for three years. His death by mob violence followed a crime declared never before equaled in the state for cold bloodedness and brutality. He killed his wife at their home in Noble at 8 o'clock last Tuesday night while neighbors were breaking through locked doors in answer to the woman's screams for help. They found the man bending over his wife giving her the second of two stabs in the heart with a six-inch knife used by surgeons. Their 7 months-old child was lying nearby. He was overcome by the rescue party and hurried by the sheriff to the county jail at Norman to avoid all possibility of mob violence. All thought of an attempt at summary punishment had been given over by sheriff Claud Pickard, when he kept a special guard over Dr. Ward at the county jail for three days and nothing happened. Thus it was that there was no one at the jail but the jailer when the party, in three automobiles called at 1:30 Sunday morning and worked a clever ruse to get the prisoner. "This is Leslie with a prisoner," the leader of the party shouted to Jailer H.C. COTTRELL, rattling the door. W.A. LESLIE is a deputy sheriff at Noble. The jailer was aroused from sleep, put on his trousers containing his keys and opened the door for the men to enter. As they came through the door two of them seized the jailer, handcuffed him and took his keys. The physician was found in a cell, tied and thrown into a waiting automobile. The jailer was placed in another and driven two miles south of town where the keys to the handcuffs were placed in his pocket, and he was ordered to walk back to Norman. The night agent at the Santa Fe removed the shackles when the jailer got back to the station half an hour later. Sheriff Packard was aroused immediately and set off with two deputies south of town. They found the physician hanging to a small elm tree with his feet swinging not two feet from the ground, but dead for at least two hours from strangulation. There was no bruise or other mark on the body. Last Tuesday night, Dr. B.E. Ward stabbed his wife to death while he was in a drunken frenzy. All day Tuesday he had been under the influence of liquor, growing gradually worse until about 8 o'clock Sheriff Pickard at Norman was notified that Ward's condition warranted the man's being placed in jail. Before Sheriff Pickard arrived in Norman, Ward locked himself and Mrs. Ward in a room of the Ward home. Mrs. Ward could be heard calling for help and Ward could be heard telling his wife that if anyone broke down the door to the room he would kill her and them. Neighbors finally broke open the door and when they entered the room they saw Ward sitting on the prostate body of his wife. In one hand he held a surgeon's knife which he sunk into the body of his wife before the neighbors could interfere. The knife blade was six inches in length. Dr. Ward stabbed his wife twice, the blade penetrating the heart at one stab and going just beneath the heart at the other. Neighbors grappled with Ward and two of them were slightly cut by the frenzied physician before he was finally overpowered. Ward was about 40 years old.
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"Butch, Another great "This and That". The pictures of the badges prompted me to remind your readers that the State of Oklahoma is building a beautiful new Oklahoma Historical Society Building just northeast of the Capitol in Oklahoma City. The bottom floor will be the Oklahoma History Museum. The west end of the museum will be the History of Law Enforcement in Oklahoma. The museum is looking for old badges, uniforms or any other item used by law enforcement in years gone by. We would ask if if any one has any item pretaining to an officer who died in the line of duty in Oklahoma that the item be donated to the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial (O.L.E.M.). We will then "loan" the item to the new Oklahoma History Museum. We ask this so that in the future should we build a Memorial museum or the state does not need the items any more they will remain with the Memorial organization. If any one has any items or questions they may contact us at [email protected] Please visit our web site." <----- Click Here Dennis L. Lippe, Chairman Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial, Inc.
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"I stands all I can stands, I cant stands no more." -Popeye
<----- Click HereSee everyone next time!
Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
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April 14, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 428
I receive a call every now and then from an Ardmore history buff. Ardmoreite Stephen Harris is a collector extraordinaire, and hope to get with him someday and take some pics of his most interesting collection pieces. This week Stephen sent me a pic of an Ardmore Police badge, and what makes it so interesting is it says Marshal on it, yet it has the 1907 Seal of Oklahoma in the center. He and I are wondering if Ardmore had a City Marshal back in 1907, even tho there was an Ardmore police chief and had been for several years. Maybe someone knows the answer. <----- Click Here
Here is another beautiful badge Stephen owns, an Ardmore PD badge.... No 16. <----- Click Here
I love to get surprises in the mail, and this week I received a couple I wanted to share. Don Gwynne down at Arlington, Texas sent me a CD with a couple dozen old photos from Ardmore back in the early 1900s. I'll get the best ones out and share them in the weeks ahead.
Also I received a good ole handwritten letter this week all the way from Overbrook, Oklahoma via the post office. Overbrook is about ten miles south of Ardmore on Highway 77 at the Carter county/Love county line. Albert Cullum wrote in telling where the old Equal Rights School was located. He remembers passing by it many times years ago. Most of you will recall we talked about the Equal Rights School a couple of weeks ago, and a Reader wrote in wondering where the school was located. Grover Wells called me this week and he knew too exactly where this piece of history was located years ago. Its about 3/4 miles west of Highway 77 north of Ardmore on the old Pruitt Road. The old school was located just right after you go under I-35 and the road curves back to the north. About the only thing left of the Equal Rights School is the cellar. This is a photo of the Equal Rights school back in 1923. <----- Click Here
I bought a color camera about 2 years ago, and really havnt done anything with it until this week. I hooked it up on the front of my house, and pointed it toward Stanley Street using a service called BlueNet. It seems to work ok... the only limitation, is only 20 people can log in at one time to take a look-see. I am using my cableone IP address, and that will change every week or two (its a dynamic IP). This is all just an experiment..... see how it goes. Also, its kinda neat to look at it a night, when I have the camera switched to gray scale, and see all the headlights passing along Stanley Street. Let me know what you think. By the way, BlueNet uses a very small viewer program to see the streaming video. When you first go to the link below, you will be asked to accept the download of the viewer, answer Yes, and in a couple of minutes you will be seeing the live streaming video. <----- Click Here
I will also keep a link to the camera near the top of my website and keep the IP address current so you can go there and click to the webcame.
Have you heard of Camp Doniphan in Oklahoma? Do fret, neither have I until this week when a Reader in Texas brought it to my attention. It was located at Ft Sill (Lawton). <----- Click Here
Last week I forget to mention/show this building next to that humongus treehouse east of Ardmore. The unique thing about this building is it has a sod roof, several inches thick. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Here is an interesting article sent to me in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader see view it. It is about the murder of U.S. Marshal R.W. Cathey of Pauls Valley. It even speaks about the infamous defense attorney Moman Pruiett along with his pic. The article was published in last Sunday's Pauls Valley Democrat. <----- Click Here
Got my tax return filed this week.... electronically. This makes my 5th year I've filed online, and I've had no problems. I used the Oklahoma Tax Commissions Website to do my taxes. Time is quickly running out if you dont have yours in yet! <----- Click Here
On my webpage for virus help, I listed Panda's free online antivirus scanning. I had not been to their website in a couple of months, and when I did click on over that way this week, I found they have greatly improved it. They not only do a free scan for 90,000 viruses, they have just added a new feature, scanning for spyware! Now that's the way it should be, a one stop shop to check for viruses and spyware! <----- Click Here
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Hello, Butch, Since you had interviewed Mrs. Charlene Gilliam of Ardmore sometime back, I think some of your Readers would like to hear her at the Sulphur Museum next Monday evening, April 18th. Our meetings start at 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of each month and are open to everyone who is interested in the history of Murray County, OK. Her talk at this meeting will deal with FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE VISITED SULPHUR. Among these will probably be Charles N. Haskell, first governor of OK, who called the old Artesian Hotel his "Summer White House"; Roy J. Turner, OK Governor who owned a large cattle ranch east of Sulphur near Scullin; Winthrop Rockefeller, governor of AR, who bought Turner's ranch; Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, stars in the movie HOME IN OKLAHOMA, which was filmed on a ranch near Dougherty, Carrie Nation, representative of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, widely known as the "hatchet lady", who visited many saloons to preach about the wages of drink, and to use her hatchet on the bars and chairs, etc.
The Arbuckle Historical Society Museum is located at 402 West Muskogee in Sulphur. It was formerly the old City Hall occupied by the police and fire departments 24/7 from 1917 until 1999, when they moved into the new City Complex and this building was leased to the Society."
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"While everyone is talking about Gene Autry I will put in my two cents. My first date was to see Gene in Mexicalli Rose. My two sons slept on twin beds from Gene's ranch. When they sold the ranch Hardy Murphy bought the bedroom suit and gave it to his half brother, Jack Williams. Jack kept the bachelor chest and sold the twin beds to Hurmon for our boys. I bought western style curtains and bedspreads for their room and we kept the beds until we sold the house. Sold them to the man who bought the house." -Fran
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FROM WEBSITE: In 1934, Mr. Herbert Yates, who owns Republic Studios, was looking for a singing cowboy to put in pictures. He chose me. I came out here to Hollywood that year, and have been here ever since. In that time I've made 52 pictures, and in 1940 Mr. Wrigley put me on the air for Doublemint Gum. My program is called Melody Ranch, and you can hear it on Sunday afternoons. I also have a rodeo now, which I hope you like. We call it the Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo. Soon after it started, a town in Oklahoma, near where I was born, and where I keep the rodeo during the winter, changed its name from Berwny, to Gene Autry, Oklahoma. This was one of the finest tributes I've ever had, and I'll always be proud of it. The thing that struck me about Gene Autry, Oklahoma, is that we're might lucky to be living in a country where they change the map to honor a cowboy -- instead of to satisfy the greed of a dictator. Thank you and I'll be seeing you. -Your Pal, GENE AUTRY http://www.larryposs.com/index_gene_autry.htm
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"Hi Butch, I enjoyed your Indian article being that I am 1/64 Cherokee. I used to see an Indian at the Oklahoma state fair by the name of woogie watchataker, He is a fine artist and also performed in the Indian ceremonies. I don't know if he is still alive or not. I thought I would mention him because I just love that name.Does anyone remember an old man in Mannsville, Oklahoma who still wore his Colt pistol when he was going around town. He claimed to be a retired police officer and had made a lot of enemies and therefore would go armed the rest of his life. This was in the mid to late 50's. I was driving a truck at that time and went through Mannsville and saw him a lot but never knew his name." -James Singleterry
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"Mr. Bridges thank you for getting me in touch with Mr. Haney and Mr. Williams. They have been really helpful to me. My great granddad William Chalk Whisenhunt was a U.S. Marshall. He and my granddad Karl Whisenhunt are from Gene Autry. I was hoping one of your readers might know something about William. He and Karl were in the Berwyn Band there is a picture of them up in the museum. Thank you." -Penni [email protected]
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"Butch, I think I've told you this story before. Being the last County Surveyor for Carter County, I came into the Clerk's Office one morning in 1978. The clock that had hung on the clerk's office for a number of years had fallen and broken. The clock had been given by Mr. Peden of Peden's Jewelry Shop, but the glass had broken and couldn't be fixed so I told Florence Gregory Jones who had thrown the clock into the trash that I would fix the clock and hang it back up for her. So I went to the Light Gallery on North Washington and ordered the glass which is on the clock today. However I modified it to give me, Mike Carr, a little advertisement as County Surveyor. And that is the story of the clock. I have replaced the fluorescent bulb 3 or 4 times in the last 25 years, the 2nd had was lost along the way which I replaced with a bent paper clip, but it still keeps good time, thanks to Mr. Peden." -Michael D. Carr
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"Butch, Mr. Peden was an ardent Baptist and had attended First Baptist Church for many years. Mr. Peden always bought a brand new black Cadillac from McCulloh Motors every year, except one. He came to church one Sunday driving a black Oldsmobile 98. It seems that Mr. McCulloh was out of the black Cadillac's when he went to trade, but assured Mr. Peden that the Oldsmobile was pretty much the same quality automobile. He came out from church that Sunday and the Oldsmobile had a flat tire. The next Sunday he drove to church in a new black Cadillac. The minister of music at that time for the church was John McGuckin. John asked Mr. Peden if he hadn't liked the Oldsmobile. Mr. Peden told him that he just didn't trust that car." -Michael D. Carr
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"Butch, I am forwarding this message from my son. You might be interested in following the link to abandoned airports. I thought of you as the old Ardmore Airport near Springer is listed with some history. History of the old original Wiley Post airport at May Ave and Britton road in Okc. might also be of interest. Keep up the good work with T&T. I always look forward to getting it." -Roy Miller, OKC <----- Click Here
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"My mother was born in 1915. When she and her family crossed the Red River in a covered wagon, they forded the river without a ferry. Mother recalls how scared she was of quick sand. I enjoy your stories and reading about folks from way back when." <----- Click Here
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William Hull's, Groceries & Hardware Store .... Pauls Valley, Ok. <----- Click Here
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My email Inbox with cableone has seemed to settle down the past week or two. I appreciate everyone's patience, sometimes it takes me a day or two to get back to you. Some I answer in my newsletter's Mailbag. But whatever the case, your emails are important to me, so keep them coming. If nothing else drop me a line and tell me everything is going on in your neck of the woods.
The United States remains the last best hope for a mankind plagued by tyranny and deprivation. America is no stronger than its people - and that means you and me. Well, I believe in you, and I believe that if we work together then one day we will say, ``We fought the good fight. We finished the race We kept the faith.'' And to our children and our children's children we can say, 'We did all that could be done in the brief time that was given to us here on earth.' -Ronald Reagan
See everyone next time!
Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
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April 8, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 427
I never ceased to be amazed at my T&T Readers that share so much history from bygone days. Especially the old timers still around that remembers so much from those days, and are not only still alive today to tell the story, they even have email! Some I got emails that I cant put in my T&T, emails that are meant for my eyes only. Maybe someday when I'm 80 or 90 years old, and the principal players are gone, maybe I can share some of the interesting tales passed along to me in confidence. But today I'm going to tell a story as it was told to me, but I'll leave the players anonymous at the request of the teller.
This week one of those 80 or so year old T&T Readers called me to tell, as Paul Harvey would say, "and now the rest of the story". A couple of weeks ago I spoke about my dislike about the man Gene Autry, because of his he seemed to show no appreciation years later for the townspeople re-naming Berwyn to Gene Autry, Oklahoma in 1941. But as you are about to read, he may have had a reason not to not make Gene Autry, Oklahoma a benefactor of his fame and fortune. And really, it was not a reflection of the people of Gene Autry, no, the people only knew there was some kind of cover-up. The man who probably played a key part in this injustice lived in Wilson, Oklahoma. Anyway, here goes the rest of the story:
This man in Wilson, Oklahoma followed the rodeo circuit and would run across Gene Autry from time to time. This man was not an actor or singer or wealthy man, but he did make it to Madison Square Garden in NYC showing his talents. He was a famous calf roper and bull dogger.
When this man would run into Gene Autry he would tell him how wonderful it was on the sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains and that he should consider buying a spread here, and living out the cowboy life he so much loved. One day Gene Autry would finally say yes, and he bought the land just NW of Berwyn. Gene Autry even hired this man from Wilson as foreman of the his ranch, over all the workers and property. Gene Autry built the most beautiful barns, and brought in truck load after truck load of his famous horses to keep on the property. Gene Autry brought dozens of saddles and rodeo items he'd won and been honored with from movies to keep at the property on display. Gene Autry employed dozens of men to work the ranch, and had round the clock guards to protect all his possessions. One day, and this would have been right after Berwyn was renamed Gene Autry, while Gene Autry was out west making a movie, all his horses and saddles and prized rodeo possessions disappeared from the ranch.
But to Gene Autry's dismay, no one was ever arrested for the theft. The townspeople knew it had to be an inside job, since it would take a long time, and many trucks to move all those horses and saddles and all off the property. Since Gene Autry was away making movies, the incident just feel by the wayside. And in no time that man from Wilson, who really owned very little, would soon buy a beautiful piece of property on the east edge of Ardmore. Speculation and rumors were flying, but nothing was ever done, and this man originally from Wilson, Oklahoma would become a prominent and powerful man.
So, maybe Gene Autry had his reasons for 'never looking back' as I stated in my newsletter two weeks ago. He could not understand why nothing was ever done, why no one was arrested, why, after he put Gene Autry, Oklahoma on the map back in 1941, no one would help him when he needed help. The experience left a bad taste in Gene Autry's mouth for Oklahoma that probably lasted until the day he died.
In weeks and months gone by I have been sharing some of my favorite places to eat. A few weeks ago a T&T Reader told me about a convenience store in Lone Grove that puts out a great roast beef sandwich. This week I happened to be at Lone Grove and got to eat one of those sandwiches. But to call it a sandwich is an understatement. It is a manwich. Loaded with delicious roast beef, swiss cheese, and all between two slices of wheat bread. The place I'm talking about is The Grove Mart on North Meridian just north of the Lone Grove High School on the east side of the road. When you look at the picture below, and think you'll have to look far in wide to find a better roast beef sandwich for the money in this county. <----- Click Here
The owners of the Grove Mart are Kay and Kenny Brown. If you stop by around noontime, you find Kenny using that commercial slicer to slice that roast beef right before your eyes, so you know its fresh. Kay is right next to him finishing up the sand. So if you out that way, stop by and try their $2.25 roast beef sandwich (they have others meats too) and I guarantee you, you want be disappointed! <----- Click Here
We talked about the Deese community northwest of Ardmore a couple of weeks ago. Here is a pic of the Deese school in 1923. <----- Click Here
When I was a teenager and lived with my grandparents Stanley and Addie Carmon on 3rd NE at their lumber yard, I built a pretty big tree house on the east side of the house. Of course I had access to plenty of lumber. lol. But a T&T Reader sent me a pic this week of a tree house east of Ardmore on Mockingbird Road that beats mine all to pieces. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Here is the directions to the tree house that were given to me: "go to the flashing red lights on Hiway 70, I went by the Hardy Murphy Coliseum. Go left at the lights (on Highway 70) to Hoxbar Road. It is about 5 miles to that road. Turn north there - and go to Mockingbird, probably about 1 1/2 to 2 miles (the road north ends at the top of the hill and turns to the Right/East onto Mockingbird). After you turn there and just before you get to the bottom of the hill, this 'tree house' is on the left!"
After sending out my T&T Wednesday evening, within 2 hours a Reader in Kansas called me and said he had a Window 98 Upgrade he'll never use since he bought a new computer with Windows XP. You all never cease to amaze me..... I'm humbled and proud at the same time.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Butch, I spent a many a night on a roll a way bed in front of the fire place in the living room of that old Gene Autry house... The rock buildings on the property were Show barns... and a Tack Barn... It was where they stored the equipment that was used in the shows.... and things. When my grandfather was foreman on the ranch there I love to play in the barns. I would play horse show and horse sales... because my Papaw told me that was what they were for... I had never seen a barn with a cement floor before but one of them had one... It was the only one that I could play in and not get in trouble... My Grandma was scared I would get snake bit....I got in so much trouble for running off and going into the one with the dirt floor... Boy those pic's bring back memories...I lost a little Tupperware bowl with my favorite necklace in it in the barn with the dirt floor one time and was looking for it when my mom found me...Let's just say I never got to look for it again... and I remembered not to go there... after that.... "Grandma's are easier to get away with stuff with than moms". lol."
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"Butch, When I was in high school at Gene Autry in the 60's there were two classmates of mine that lived in the west barn on the old Gene Autry ranch. There was a three bedroom house in the north west corner of the barn. Their name was Barney and Nancy but I cannot remember their last names. (Help) Their dad worked on the ranch. And as I am a life long citizen of Gene Autry I wish people would just leave the name alone for it has brought us a notoriety that few cities have. When I was asked where I was from everybody knew the name." -Doug
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"Thank you, Mr.Bridges for your letter, in your last E'Mail, Volume 9 Issue 426 of April 6, there is somebody that talk about Tom Mc Vay that he recently died, there was a Mc Vay who played for the Seminole of The Sooner State League, he was a pitcher and I have some records that said he played for that team in 1951 and in less than 10 games, I don't know if is the same McVay , but if is him I probably met him or saw him play. If is him or not, I am very sorry that he died, he probably was about 75 , same age that I am. well that is Mr. Bridges and thanks again." -Ernie
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"Mr. Butch Bridges, I just was looking at the picture where they show the theatre in Main Street and showing The Prentiss with Ann Sheridan, but next to the theatre I can see The Jewelry of Mr.and Mrs Peden, a beautiful store. I visit this place a lot of times, I used lo live about 4 blocks from there when I played baseball in Ardmore in the fifties. I just want to tell you and the people of Ardmore about Mr. and Mrs. Peden. At the time they have a son in the Air Force that was in Korea, they invited me and my friend Joe Nodar to live in their house during the baseball season, the house they had was one of the most beautiful I ever saw in my life, they had furniture from the era of Edison and from China, a big Father clock in the stairs that get you to the bedrooms and everything there was out of this World, But above all, these people were so nice and I don't know how to explain, so beautiful and so open that let me an impression that I always keep it in my heart. I know they gone, but in my book they still here for always. That is the Ardmore Oklahoma that I knew and that I never forget. Every people that I met in this beautiful town were so nice and so warm that made me write this to Thanks Ardmore. Thanks Mr. Bridges to listen to me and let me express my sentiments." -Ernie
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"Hi Butch. If my memory serves me correctly Cashman Truck co. sold Farmall Tractors and other Farmall farming equip. until the early to mid 50,s. Stolfa Bros. Were the dealers for J I Case Tractors as well as new Holland hay bailers and other farm machinery. They were located where Big Five is currently located. I don't remember them selling John deer tractors however they could have for a short time."
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"Butch, I have a school picture that I believe was taken in the early 1900's. I have been told the name of the school is Equal Right School. I have reason to believe it is located in the Ardmore or perhaps the Woodford Oklahoma area. Any one know the location of this school and its history?"
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"I enjoyed the pictures of the 16th Annual Texas Indian Market and Southwest Showcase held at Arlington, Texas. Having been born at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1930 and living in the state for about 12 years before migrating to California in 1944, I had the pleasure of encountering several people of Indian heritage. I met many Indians of fine caliber during my residence in Oklahoma but these two tales of encounter stand out prominently.The first Indian I met and observed was in 1939 when I lived at Helena, Oklahoma. He made his living blowing up car inner tubes using only his lungs. He advertised himself as the man with the world's strongest lungs. A group of us children ranging in age from 9 to 12 gathered in the school auditorium to see him demonstrate his ability to blow up an auto inner tube that had been cut making two ends. Frankly, none of kids believed the Indian man had the capability to perform such a feat. The man appeared on stage in full Indian chief clothing. He was announced as Chief So and So. To demonstrate his feat, he grasped one of the inner tube with his right hand, and blew air from his lungs into the open end that he had placed at his mouth. After inhaling deeply he blew the air from his lungs into the inner tube. Each time he exhaled the tube became larger until finally it reached the size of a number one wash tub. When it reached that size, his stage aid penetrated the inner tube bubble with a sharp nail. The bubble popped loudly scaring us children. After it burst he told us that he was able to blow up the inner tube because he had never smoked in his life. I am sure that the feat affected some children never to smoke.
The second Indian I met was the Cherokee wife of a white farmer, Mr. Daniels. He and she were members of the First Assembly of God Church at Fletcher,Oklahoma, which my grandfather Elmer Gore pastured. One Sunday in the spring of 1942 the couple invited us to dinner at their house located in the country. We were served an excellent dinner by Mrs. Daniels. During the dinner my grandfather noticed that Mrs. Daniels ate only one type of food at a time. He curiously asked her, "Sister Daniels, why do you eat only one type of food at a time?" She stopped eating, put down her fork, looked straight into the eyes of my grandfather and seriously replied, "Indians only eat one type of food at a time, Brother Gore. Then she returned to her eating dinner one type of food at a time." -Elmer G. West
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"Butch, that brick chili sure looked good. I haven't seen anyone sell those since I moved from Oklahoma. Don't think these "Arkies" know what it is. Wonder if there's anyway that Ernie could ship it. HA!! I stopped in at Ernie's Meat Market on South Washington last week and picked up a brick of chili. Boy, it was absolutely delicious!!"
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"Hi Butch, Haven't submitted anything to T&T for some time, and would just like to let you know that I still read nearly every word of each issue. I especially favor the old news clips from the good old days regarding the lawmen and dirty rotten scoundrels. So far I haven't seen any of my ancestors names listed---from either group. Phew!!! The pics of the Indian Festival were outstanding. We attended the Hoop Dancers Championship in Phoenix two years ago, and those dancers are absolutely amazing." -Bob E.
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Butch, could you post an announcement about the 30th Class Reunion of Ardmore High School class of 1975? Hoping that some of your readers might belong to that class or know someone and can pass on the information. I don't have the list of folks they have not contact info on, but it was a fairly long list. Just trying to help out. Thanks. Kathi (Pritchard) George, class of '75 AHS.Ardmore High School Class of 1975 30th Reunion: June 24, 2005 Casual Get Together (7:00 p.m.??) Oak Hall School 2815 Mt. Washington Ardmore, OK 73401 June 25, 2005 Golf Tournament @ Lakeview Golf Course Cost: $25.00 Contact organizer: David Ruth ([email protected])
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Kathi George
U of A Women's Athletics
Fayetteville, Arkansas
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"Hi Butch, we found the Billy The Kid Museum and his grave in Ft Sumner, NM. I dont think it is the same one in your newsletter. We enjoyed it so much we went twice. It is south of Tumcumcari. We also found his grave in Hico, Texas. Or so they say. I also agree with you on Gene Autry. My wife was born there, she still calls it Berwyn. When I was a kid at his rodeo at the coliseum he was riding out and fell of old Champ. I watched him crawl out to his car behind the chutes and turn up a bottle of whiskey. This we before they bput a top on the arena. I never went to any more of his movies."
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1903 The second city of Sulphur Springs began to build and prosper south of the Reservation. The Sulphur Railroad company built a spur from Scullin to the east bank of Rock Creek (near the present day Sulphur Municipal Complex.) The Frisco Company took over the operation in 1904. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"Never lose your trust, do not be defeated, do not be discouraged, do not cut yourselves off from the roots from which we had our origins." -Pope John Paul II, Krakow, Poland, June 10, 1979
See everyone next time! Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
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April 6, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 426
Last weekend I attended the 16th Annual Texas Indian Market and Southwest Showcase at the Arlington, Texas Convention Center. It was an interesting experience to say the least. If you have never attended such a Native American expo, you are missing out on an experience thats hard to put into words. There were many performers and artist at the show. But there is much more there than just the performances. If you have any Indian ancestors in your bloodline (my great grandmother was part Choctaw Indian from Alabama) its not hard to feel that power and spirit of nature and God that only the Native American people of this country knew in a time long ago and still knows today. I will never forget my experience at the Arlington Convention Center last weekend. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
I really liked the group from Anadarko, Oklahoma.... well known Indian dance group under the direction of Tom Mauchahty-Ware. Teaches Native American culture through dance and speaking.
I even talked with country and western singer Holly Dunn who had a booth at the Convention Center. Holly was manning her booth where she had her artwork on display. Most of you will remember her song "Daddy's Hands" that catapulted her to stardoom in the late 80s. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
Speaking of my American Indian bloodline, my great grandmother, Ida Murphree (1874-1965) had a sister named Fannie Murphree (1878-1970) who lived in Ada. She told me when I was a wee teen in the early 60s that we had 'blue blood' running in our veins from our French connection when they lived in Alabama in Murphree's Valley. So, there is the English, French, German, Choctaw that I know of. Here's a picture of Murphree's Valley in Alabama, such a beautiful place, I'd love to visit there someday. The second pic is the Murphree Cabin that is still in the valley at Palisade Park, Alabama. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
I had a mistake in last weeks T&T concerning the 1940s house and barns of Gene Autry. The two rock buildings are both barns. The white house Gene Autry lived in is just a little south of the two barns. One old timer from Madill told me the barns were already on the property before Gene Autry bought the land. So, I really don't understand what that could mean. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
I stopped in at Ernie's Meat Market on South Washington last week and picked up a brick of chili. Boy, it was absolutely delicious!! <----- Click Here
If anyone has a Window 98 Upgrade CD, I'm needing one to upgrade a Windows 95 Laptop. Send me an email if you have one you dont use anymore.
The past two weeks I have been testing and comparing the newly released Microsoft AntiSpyware software to Spybot and Adaware and other programs. Microsoft wins HANDSDOWN. To get rid of and keep of spyware, install Microsoft's free beta AntiSpyware! www.microsoft.com
Monday night April 4th my cableone.net internet service went down. It was a wide spread failure and not just my computer. The service was finally back up and running today. Also if you send me an email last weekend and it bounced back to you, please resend.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Plans are being made for the annual Berwyn School Reunion at Gene Autry. The reunion will be held at the old school house in Gene Autry. This school is now the Gene Autry Museum. Not only will people have a chance to visit with old friends but they will have the opportunity to tour this great Museum. The reunion will be held on the Fourth of July week end, Saturday, July 2, 2005. Although every class is included, this year the classes of 1955 and 1956 will be honored. We are attempting to locate everyone who ever attended school there, lived there or was a friend of those who lived there and would like to attend the reunion. Invitations will soon be mailed out. If anyone would like to be placed on this invitation list please let me know and you will be notified of all details. You can contact me at [email protected]. I will be looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you at our reunion." -Sandra Clydean (Haney) Tedford
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"Hello Butch I have a picture of the old Concord Indian school. I have been told anyway it was an indian school at one time. My great great grandmother Ida Mae Holt is one of the kids in the picture." -Steven Eaves <----- Click Here
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"Butch, yesterday there was an obituary in the Daily Oklahoman for Tom McVay. He was a football and track coach for many years, the last two were spent coaching at Dickson in 1977-79. It also stated that he played semi-pro baseball for the Sherman-Denison Twins and the Ardmore Indians. Since there has been a lot of discussion about the Ardmore teams I thought someone might remember him."
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"In the picture of the Johnson County invaders. (See Johnson County Wyoming War) It includes Buck Garrett And also a J.A. Garrett. Do you know if they were brothers or kinfolks. Do you have any thing on G. A. Gerrett. He appears in the Picture of the Johnson County Invaders when they were captured in the Johnson County Wyoming. War. Our Buck Garrett was also in the picture. Please let me know if you have any information." -Donald Smith [email protected]
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Hay Butch, Grate T&T so far LOL I just got to the weeds so far and had to send you this url for weeds! The first one is Dallas Grass, you can use Roundup on it, you will kill all the grass with it, but it will grow back in time, it is a hardy weed to kill out !! or you can dig it up if you don't have too many of them? also at this url you should find the other weed there too, I don't know the name of it off hand but its not to big a worry it is not too invasive and hardly noticeable after the other grass gets up a little. On the Dallas grass there are other stuff that will work too but you may and will have to hit it a couple of times at usually around a 7 day interval to knock it plumb out. Also a bottle of Ortho weed begone from WalMart works pretty good, but keep it way out from under any trees! it will leach into the ground to the roots and could kill it! MSMA is another one I use a lot of its safer under trees, there are so many defrant things to use, I go to Agra Products over on P Street or over to Lowes and see what they have at the time "LAUGH" hope this helped? and keep up the good work!" <----- Click Here
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"Butch, what you probably heard from the Methodist Church was a recording of a bird in distress. It is supposed to keep the pigeons away."
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"Hi Butch, Just for your info- the house on the ranch is not rock that is still on the ranch. The house that still stands is a board house with a rock fireplace and is about to fall in. The 2 big barns are still standing but the roofs are falling in. We feel the same way as you do about him and the way he did the town or how he didn't do the town. We have heard there are alot of people that didn't like him." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"Hi Butch, I looked at your weeds and can't say that i have a name for them...but i can tell you where to get the name. If you take a sample to the county ag extension office they should be able to identify them for you and tell you how to get rid of them. I continue to enjoy your newsletter as i have done since 1997, and am forever grateful for your help with Walter Tate's headstone and memorial. Thanks so much." -Linda
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"Butch- As for your questions regarding the weeds in your yard, the first one is Dallis grass [sp?], I believe - not sure about the second one. The best method for taking care of weeds is the organic method - you can spray 10% vinegar or spread corn gluten meal - both are natural herbicides and the corn gluten meal, when applied timely, acts like a pre-emergent. You can get more information on this, as well as the weeds, by going to www.dirtdoctor.com - it's website dedicated to organic maintenance of yards, pastures, etc. and is written by Dallas-based horticulturalist Howard Garrett - a good friend of my husband's and mine. If you use "weed n' feed" products, all you're doing is poisoning your lawn and the underground water system. We maintain our 5 acres here in Dallas [near White Rock Lake] with organic products - it's nice to know I'm not poisoning the ground or my animals [4 horses, 3 dogs, 2 cats and countless wild birds]. By the way, you can also find out the actual name of these weeds on Howard's website. Thanks for your newsletter." <----- Click Here
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"Butch, I can't really tell without seeing the rest of the plant, but that leaf that looks like a fern could be a leaf from a buttercup." <----- Click Here
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Hi Butch, Just wanted everyone know about a very impressive art show the Cameron Graduating Art Seniors are having this weekend. There are ten students showing some very controversial pieces, ones that will make you break open the pocketbook 'cause ya gotta have it! Having been in the art field for over 40 years, I recognize good art when I see it, and let me tell you Butch, these ten students have a future in art! This work is not only fabulous, it's affordable! One of our very own students and also the President of the Cameron University Art Guild, Alex Pena, just won 1st place in the Marketfest art show this past weekend!. Yes, the piece will be displayed for all to see! I, myself have an Indian theme in almost all my work. including 4 ceramic Indian masks. This may be the most diversified show I've displayed in. Okay, now that I've wet your whistle, here's the skinny on where, when and what... The Great Plains Museum 601 N.W. Ferris Lawton, OK (between 2nd and Ft. Sill Blvd) Catered Reception 6PM this Saturday night (April 9th) Come and meet the artists! If you miss the reception, the art will be hanging until the following Saturday but, you'll miss the fun! Hope to see everyone there! -Joy Willingham
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"This was caught today march 31 at Lake Texoma." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"Hi! Butch! The Billy the Kid museum is in Lincoln, NM, about 35 miles from Ruidoso. They have a yearly play there in August. The jail and courthouse where he escaped can be visited and if one is REALLY curious, they can drive toward Capitan, NM about 10 miles from OLD Lincoln town and the cave where he hid is fenced in and landmarked. If one is traveling out there it is really neat to go to the there!" -Pam <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
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"I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy reading your articles. I grew up east of Ardmore living near Mary Niblack School, in the house on the grounds at one time. We also lived near Red Everett's store and I was a playmate of their youngest daughter; spending many a night in their home. They were wonderful people. I have wondered if some people are confusing Mary Niblack School west and north of Red Everett's with the old Smyrna School which was east and north of the store. I believe it consolidated with Dickson Schools sometime around 1945-46. I attended the one room school for a very short time. My older brothers and uncles went to school there."
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"I didn't know what malware was until I did a Google search on it. For those who don't know, it's short for MALicious softWARE."
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"Re: that downtown parade in 1947. Can anyone remember when Cashman Truck Co. sold Farmall tractors? Or when Stolfa Bros. Hardware sold haybalers and other farm equipment? I'm told that Stolfa's once was a dealer for John Deere tractors. I know there was an Allis-Chalmers dealer on South Commerce near where the former livestock sale barn was."
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The Daily Ardmoreite, January 2, 1905
McComb, OK--Both Constables MITCHELL and YANDELL were held to the Grand Jury yesterday charged with killing Justice of the Peace GINN here last Monday.
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December 3, 1908
Ardmore, OK--Two hundred citizens today signed a petition that was presented to District Judge RUSSELL asking that a special grand jury be empanelled to investigate the cause of the FOOSHEE shooting last night, and to inquire diligently into all violations of the prohibition and anti-gambling laws. A mass meeting was held at the Masonic hall this morning and a law and order league formed with W.F. WARREN president and S.H. BUTLER secretary. The organization will employ detectives to search for evidence of law violations.
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June 12, 1911
SMITH, a deputy sheriff of Seminole, was killed after he had killed one black man and wounded another in a battle at a all black picnic just north of the little town of Seminole Saturday afternoon, according to meager reports which have reached here Saturday night. According to the report Smith was trying to arrest one of the men for carrying a concealed weapon, and he drew a gun on the officer, who had been deputized to preserve the peace during the picnic. When the weapon flashed others drew their guns and knives and a general fight followed. (Smith's first name is smeared ink but could possibly be Riley)
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June 13, 1911
Marietta, OK--The second death from a feud, left from the days when southern Oklahoma was a borderland, came Saturday afternoon. CHARLES LIDDELL, about 20 years old, shot and killed GEORGE HANCOCK, 50 years old. Nine years ago Hancock shot and killed Liddell's father also name Charles, at Thackerville, in this county. Liddell has been arrested and a preliminary hearing probably will be granted him early next week. Sheriff A.J. DAVIS made the arrest. Whether the boy has lived with the intention of getting vengeance for the death of his father, or whether his action was caused by sudden anger he refuses to say, but the circumstances lead to the belief that he had determined to take a life for the life of his father. Liddell was standing in a livery stable on a side street with a rifle near him, when Hancock appeared, walking toward the stable. Liddell picked up his rifle and calmly waited until Hancock was about twenty-five yards from him, then stepped into the street and throwing up his rifle, started firing. He fired four shots, three of which took effect. Two of the three would have proved fatal. After killing Hancock he made no attempt to escape, but submitted to arrest and went to jail with Sheriff Davis. After the shooting it was learned that Hancock was unarmed at the time. He made no attempt to escape, but stood calmly facing the boy awaiting the shot which would bring death. Liddell had not been drinking at all during the day and the two men had not spoken for more than ten years, since Liddell was a boy about ten. Hancock has one brother who lives at Thackerville, but it is not considered likely that there will be further trouble in case Liddell should be released from jail. Liddell is from Texas.
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Sept 27, 1912
Marlow, OK--The business men of Marlow declared today a legal holiday, so far as business was concerned. Every business house in town was closed all day and every man and boy old enough went out and worked all day on the roads leading into Marlow. All roads leading into Marlow will be put in better condition than they have ever been since statehood.
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The Daily Ardmoreite, September 30, 1906
Good old times, says the San Antonio Light, are a delusion and a snare, and the man who sighs for them has little conception of what they were. Return to them, would you? Then rise on a cold morning and wash at the pump, pull on a pair of rawhide boots that rival a tin can in stiffness, pull on a woolen shirt over your back and sit down to a bare meal with your three legged stool dancing around on a split slab floor, eat corn pone and bacon for a steady diet and labor fourteen hours out of twenty-four. Go without a daily paper, a fly screen, a mosquito bar, a spring mattress, a kerosene lamp, geehaw your oxen to market and sit on the floor of an ox cart as you wind your way to church or a frolic. Parch corn and peas for coffee and sassafras for tea and see how you like it. The old days are looked backward too affectionately, says the Galveston News, because they were the days of our youth, of bounding blood and supple joints, the days of hope and the days of love and laughter and song. The days of the present will be the good old days of the coming generation and will be regarded by our successors as rather crude in customs and harsh in many ways, yet withal not to be despised. The progressives of our age are the mossbacks of later eras. Fifty years hence we will be accounted as slow and ?(unreadable) as we now regard those of half a century ago.
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The Duncan Banner, May 15, 1915
Oklahoma City--Oklahoma people are becoming interested in the history of their state, and while the state has only been such a little over seven years, and the territory was organized only twenty-six years ago, it is discovered that there is some history connected with Oklahoma that has the dignity of year. Prof. J.B. THOBURN of the State University has been gathering data about Oklahoma. He has definitely established the facts as to the first white settlement in the Territory, and its date. The present town of Salina, in Mayes County, is the site of the settlement. It was made in 1796--120 years ago by members of the CHOTEAU family of St. Louis. It was a trading post at that time and the Choteaus made money buying furs from the Osage Indians, who were induced to remove, or rather expand, their activities from the Osage River to the Neosho and Grand and Vendigris Rivers, farther south. An association has been organized in Salina to build a monument on the site of the original trading post of the Choteau people. The association has interested a number of persons in the plan and the work of gathering funds for the enterprise has begun. The Midland Valley Railroad runs through the old town that was founded by the traders. A little park opposite the depot at Salina contains the only remains of the post, a few stones that served as the foundation of the principal building. In his researches as to the history of Oklahoma and the early settlers of the Territory, Mr. Thoburn has made some interesting discoveries as to sources of information. For one thing, he has found that the Historical Society of the State of Wisconsin has better and more authentic data about the pioneers of most of the states than those states.
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February 26, 1915
Cornish, OK--is now a town on wheels and is being moved one mile north to the new oil town, Ringling. The town of Cornish has existed for several decades and until the Ringling railroad was built west from Ardmore was an "inland town." With the development of the Healdton oil fields the town of Ringling was laid out on the Ringling road one mile north of Cornish. The town of Cornish was unable to compete with the new town, and Cornish merchants decided to move their stores and dwelling houses to Ringling. Within a short time the town of Cornish will be but a memory.
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The Daily Ardmoreite, November 29, 1910
Muskogee--The iron safe containing $16,000, which disappeared from the sub-station of the Wells-Fargo Express company here some time Saturday night, was found today by two boys who were playing in a yard. It was hidden under an old porch. The safe was taken to the police station and then to the express office, where it was opened in the presence of Superintendent A.T. PAYNE of Oklahoma City. All the money was in the safe and not a penny was missing. F.C. GIVENS, acting agent of the Midland Valley Railroad company; O.C. SENSBAUGH, a messenger of the express company, and W.H. KELSEY, a driver, who were arrested in connection with the case were today arraigned before a justice of the peace and pleaded not guilty. Another arrest was made this afternoon. All of the men protest their innocence. The Evening News Ada, I.T. June 21, 1907 Intelligence reached the U.S. Marshal's office at Ada Thursday night of a killing at Mill Creek late in the afternoon. It was reported that M.L. MOORE shot and killed BUD ENGLISH in Waco Jim's pool hall. The tragedy is said to have grown out of an old grudge. It seems that Moore while city marshal of Mill Creek arrested English several times on whiskey charges, and that the utmost ill felling existed between the two. Moore, formerly city marshal in Mill Creek, was a candidate for sheriff in the recent primary in Johnson county. English was a notorious character in this country. Several years ago he was under indictment in the U.S. court at Ada for killing BILL CAIN, a deputy U.S. Marshal, 13 or 14 years ago. The case, among the first docketed in the Ada court, was dismissed for want of jurisdiction. Moore was taken in Tishomingo where his case will be triable.
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December 5, 1908
Muskogee--JAMES BURROWS, a farmer residing several miles east of Muskogee, is the proud owner of a freak pig that he values highly. The pig is one of a litter of seven and is normal in every way except that just above its eyes are two well developed horns. The pig is now several weeks old and the horns have grown at least an inch.
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Wichita Daily Times, Wichita Falls, Texas
May 22, 1922 Ardmore, Okla.--Funeral arrangements for BUD BALLEW, slain gun fighter and the man who acted as personal bodyguard to CLARA SMITH HAMON, will not be made until after arrival of his wife here early Sunday, it was said tonight. Mrs. Ballew was not located at Nash, Oklahoma, until today to be told of the death of her husband at Wichita Falls, Texas, at the hands of Chief of Police McCORMICK. She at once caught a train for home, declining an offer from Dr. WALTER HARDY of the same airplane which brought Ballew's body home from the scene of his last encounter. Ardmore was alive today and tonight as it had not been since the shooting of JAKE HAMON and CLARA SMITH's trial. Hundreds viewed the body of the slain "Laughing Chevelair"of the southwest as it lay on a bier in the same undertaking parlor that had the body of Hamon. Ballew's death was tonight declared to mark the passing of the "old order" of gun fighters. Crowds that gathered, discussing the shooting, recalled the long line of men famous along the Texas-Oklahoma border for their efficiency with six-guns. The shooting of TOMMY GREENWOOD, gentlemen gambler and gunfighter which tied-up traffic on the streets of Ardmore all one day in 1914 was recalled. Greenwood died "shooting it out" with DEW BRAZILE, another border character, who in turn, a year later fell mortally wounded in the California Cafe before splitting fire from guns in the bands of Bud Ballew and LES SIGLER. Ballew was then chief deputy sheriff and Sigler chief of police. Les Sigler is also gone in the trail of tragedy. A few months following a trial and acquittal he went to Fort Worth where in company with a woman whose identity was never learned he paid the penalty of being too slow on the trigger and was "burned down" by a man said to have been BOB BRAZILE, brother of Dew. Then Bud Ballew, with 11 notches on his gun, went to death before a man with a quicker draw. BUCK GARRETT, Ballew's former chief, and closest personal friend tonight took Ballew's death philosophically, bitterly as "just one of those things that come some time or other in every man's life." "Ballew was shot in the back." Garrett declared. "He never had a chance, but perhaps it had come his time to die." "Bud saved my life on several occasions. I wish I could have been present to save his. The memory of Bud Ballew will always be a tender one to me."
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May 22, 1922
Fort Worth--Two men who shot City Marshal ELLIS of Parrel, OK, late Saturday night and escaped, are being sought here today by police. Warning that the pair was headed here was received this morning from officers. Ellis had arrested the men on a charge of automobile theft and was transporting them to Waurika to jail. He was driving his automobile. One of the prisoners held him while the other wrestled his revolver from him, shot him and fled. The marshal was found late in the night in his automobile. He has a chance to recover.
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June 7, 1922
Bartlesville, OK --Night Marshal WILLIAM B. LOCKETT was shot and killed early today in a gun fight with four men who he found attempting to break into a store at Orchelata near here. About 20 shots were exchanged. Posses with bloodhounds are scouring that vicinity for the slayers.
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May 21, 1923
Duncan, OK--E.H. RHYNE, former sheriff of Stephens county was shot and probably fatally wounded in the courthouse here today by BOB CALMES, a barber. It was the second time Calmes had attacked Rhyne. When shot today the former officer was walking with crutches as a result of the first shooting, which occurred on the streets her December 5 last. Rhyne had just entered the courthouse and started to ascend the stairs leading up from the first floor corridor when Calmes, who was apparently standing on the landing above, fired six shots, three of which took effect. District court was in session in the building and the pistol reports brought an immediate crowd. Rhyne was found in the courthouse yard apparently dying. His discarded crutches lay at the foot of the stairs. Calmes went to the sheriff's office and surrendered. The gun which he turned over to the officer held six empty shells. Rhyne's gun was found untouched in its holster. Calmes was on bond as a result of the first shooting. He was placed in jail after the shooting today. He has not indicated the motive for either attack. Rhyne went out of office January 1, last.
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Duncan, OK --E.H. RHYNE, former sheriff of Stephens county, who was shot three times by Bob Calmes, a barber, here today, died a few hours later at a hospital.
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"Rhyne, Ellis and Bill Cain are not listed on the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial site." <----- Click Here
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At the end of March, we only lacked 50 Hits going over the 100,000 mark for the month. It is all so humbling for me to think back to March 1997 when my first few issues finally reached 50 people. I just couldnt imagine it going higher. Today my T&T goes to several thousand a week. I owed it all to you my Readers, who week in and week out, let me come into your home. Thank you. <----- Click Here
And I want to thank those of you who have helped keep my website online by using my long distance. On May 1st $100 will be due for the webhosting and 1 gig of storage. <----- Click Here
All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth. -Aristotle
See everyone next time!
Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
