If you're looking for a certain article I wrote in a past issue of "This & That" you might find it faster by doing a "search" with your browser. With Netscape just click your mouse at the top at EDIT and then FIND and type in the word or words you're looking for. If you use Internet Explorer, just click on EDIT and then FIND ON THIS PAGE to do a search.

Below is June 2, 2005 to 31, 2005.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 23, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 439

Eric Fields is an Ardmoreite and most of you probably never heard the name before? I know I had not, but then I'm not really in to sports that much, especially boxing. Eric made headlines in the sports section of The Daily Ardmoreite on May 29th after defeating the top amateur 201-pound heavyweight fighter in the nation in the 2005 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Little Rock, Arkansas May 24th. We need to watch for this name in the the news, I bet we're going to be seeing the name a lot more in the future. <----- Click Here

County Commissioner Kevin Robinson brought in some delicious yellow plums this week to the office. I cant remember ever eating yellow plums or if I have its been a long time ago. These were the sweetest plums a person could ever want to taste. Kevin got these somewhere up by Springer and shared them with everyone at work. Of course I ate my share. lol <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

I've got some sad news: One of my tomatoes plants I planted upside down three weeks ago, it went to join the big tomato in the sky during a terrible wind storm that came through Ardmore around 1am Friday June 17th. Thankfully I had planted two. Looks like a lot of people are interested in this 'new' way of planting tomatoes upside down conception. My tomato webpage sure been getting lots of Hits. So far, mine plant is doing great! <----- Click Here

Doug Williams wrote in this week showing off his tomatoes. But now wait, this ain't no ordinary tomato, its three grown together! <----- Click Here

I had a request for any info on a school back 75 years ago called Red Top school: "I am trying to locate information about a one-teacher school called Red Top located in northern Carter County just north of Ratliff City." Has anyone any info to pass along?

A Reader has loaned me dozens of old photographs, mostly from the 1950s with Waco Turner in many of them. I'll take the best and most unique and pass them along in a future issue of T&T.

Soap Box: Two Oklahoma children mauled this week by pit bull dogs, one now armless. And then lets not forget the postman this week attacked by a pit bull. I wish those who started the campaign against harmless chickens, will now do something for all Oklahomans, stop the mauling of children and adults, and get pit bulls out of this state.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"My name is Pat Thompson Allen and I am trying to locate information about a one-teacher school called Red Top located in northern Carter County just north of Ratliff City. My mother, Mrs. John Thompson, was the teacher there in 1935-1940 (approximate dates). Would the records from that school be found in the Ardmore County Court House? I am sure county superintendents were in charge of those schools at the time. I was one of the pupils at this school and still remember much about it. I would certainly appreciate any information you could provide and any of your readers who might have attended Red Top during that time period, I would love to hear from them. I shall be eager to receive any info you might have. My email: [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch- This is the Chalk Hills, east of Baum, on which Lone Cedar Cemetery is located. Don't know if this is the one referred to by others or not." [email protected] <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Pray tell what is a "landing net"?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I just wanted to tell you how very much I enjoy your Rambling Reporter notes. I knew this gentlemen back in the late 1940s and 1950s. George Norris was his name, and he and his lovely wife lived on 8th Street Northwest, just off B Street, if my memory serves me right. He was a kind fellow and loved chatting with folks all around the neighborhood and all around town. Many a time he would holler at us to ask what had been going on. The next thing we knew, our names were in his column. Sort of like a gossip column. Neat guy and neat reporting -- A delight to see his efforts reprinted here!" -Mae Cox, Norman, OK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I thought some of you with an interest in the history of the 101 Ranch might like to know that the new season of the Public Broadcasting System's popular series, 'History Detectives' returns to the air for its 2005 season on Monday evening, June 27 at 8 PM CST. Hopefully you can find it on that date and time by tuning in your local PBS TV station. The 101 Ranch Old Timers Association was involved in the production of this nationally televised segment through my involvement along with Keith Barley of Ponca City when we worked with the Lion Television Production Company of New York. We hosted their film crew when they came to the Ponca City area to film a portion of their segment dealing with Geronimo and the 101 Ranch last winter. It appears that segment will be one of three stories presented during their first episode. For more information on the PBS series, 'History Detectives' via the internet, www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/ is their web site or you can simply do a search for 'History Detectives."
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Butch - Could you post our Lost List for the AHS Class of 1965 on your T&T. We thought with your readership you might be able to help find these classmates. Thanks so much!" -Anna Lynn Weichbrodt Lumpkin <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I just discovered your "Our Oklahoma Blog" today and you have some interesting posts. A couple of us here in Western Oklahoma started a blog called "BlogOklahoma.us" just a few days before you started "Our Oklahoma Blog", how funny is that. BlogOklahoma.us is about Oklahoma in the form of a travel/history blog and a historic places database. If you don't mind I would like to place a link to your blog on our site. Please look us over and let us know what you think of it." -Kevin Latham <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Howard (born in Duncan, Oklahoma) has had a long career in Hollywood, beginning with 'Playhouse 90' in 1956. After that he was cast as Opie on 'The Andy Griffith Show.' Up next he played Richie Cunningham on the long-running 'Happy Days. He went on to direct many motion pictures, including 'Parenthood' and 'A Beautiful Mind.' Recently he lent his voice as the Narrator of the sitcom 'Arrested Developmewnt.'
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I am looking for the map it goes back to where it shows the Some of the Ghost towns like Tussy, Glenn, maybe back in 1923, I know where Glenn use to be, which is part of Springer now. I maybe asking the improbable, I don't know who would have one, or where I could get a copy or buy one. Hope this gives you something to go on. Thank you for your time. I have the book (Ghost Towns of Oklahoma) But it does not give much of the Towns in Carter County." <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Just finished reading T&T, and got a kick out of "Oklahoma Hills". Hadn't thought of that song in awhile! Woody Guthrie's son, Arlo, lives 15-20 miles from Pittsfield, MA, where I now live. I see him out shopping now & then."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Mornin Butch, We've been having some beautiful sunrises in Wilson this week." -Ken Updike <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Back in the 40's and later, there was a Chenoweth & Green Music Store on the west side of the Square in Enid, OK. Some of your readers from there can give you more of the specifics. Because of the names, I feel confident the one in Ardmore must have been connected some way. Mr. Chenoweth's daughter, after graduation from the university, went on to become a well-known professional musician on the marimba.

Now here's one for your readers. What stories - true and/or traditional -can you give me about BURNING MOUNTAIN in southern Murray County, OK? A group of retired educators wants to make a trip to this area this fall, so I want to collect any and all information I can about its location, history, accessibility, etc.?

#2. Ditto for the Hunton Quarry north of Dougherty, and the Barnes Pit #1 (Kirby Asphalt Pit) in the Buckhorn Asphalt District?

I hope you'll have a goodly number of answers for me in a forthcoming issue. In the meantime, I may be contacted at [email protected]. Be sure the "T & T Reader" is mentioned in the Subject space, as I do not open mail I don't recognize.

I don't know how you manage to collect, edit, and mail out your Reader twice a week? You must be twins!!! Keep up the good work." -C. Roland Earsom
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vendome Plunge and Dance Pavilion, Sulphur, Okla. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, thank you for your help with finding out more about Homer Moss, shot at Madill. I was contacted by Dennis Lippe, with Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial, Inc. and Marlene Bebo, with the Marshall County Historical Society. Mrs. Bebo was able to provide me with copies of The Madill Record that covered the shooting, Uncle Homer's funeral, and the funeral home records. I will send the info to Mr. Lippe to complete the Memorial's records. As my former Ardmore friend says, "That T&T Website is addictive". -Marice Stephens
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In reference to the e-mail ref Officer Homer Moss in the last issue of This and That, please let your readers and whoever sent that know that Homer Moss' name is engraved on the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial in Oklahoma City. I wish any one who might have information on any fallen Oklahoma Law enforcement officer would contact us about sharing their information. If you would send me what ever attachment might have been attached to this e-mail that had copies of any articles on Officer Moss I would appreciate it. Just because an officer's story is not on our Memorial web site at www.oklemem.com yet does not mean he / she is not honored on the Memorial itself. We are trying to type their stories as fast as we can to honor all our fallen officers. Hopefully, with a little help, we can have Homer Moss and City Marshal J T Pratt added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC next May, if we receive enough information on them. Again any help would be appreciated with articles, pictures and family history of any fallen Oklahoma law enforcement officer for their permanent Memorial resource file. Thank you for your assistance,

Dennis L. Lippe, Chairman
Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial, Inc.
PO Box 10776
Oklahoma City, OK 73140-1776
e-mail: [email protected]
pager: (405) 530-1969
web site: www.oklemem.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The picture I sent was of the class of 1935. Also, the class roster I sent was the same. My brother, Ken was in that class." -Grover Wells <----- Click Here
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here is my tomatoes....... The one on the left is the one that had the cover on the longest.......it was about 8 to 10 inches longer until I recovered the other. The one on the left is flowering and the other is just starting, but here is what is unusual between the two. I think there was 15 days difference. The one on the left is putting out more branches and it seems like the main stock has stopped growing. You can see how the branches are growing up one is higher than the bucket. So I just might have to tie them to the bucket. Most of the pictures that I have seen is the whole plant is growing down. The main branch on both are growing in all sorts of directions. We had a couple of hot days in the low 80's which is hot for this time of year it just went crazy those couple of days, the left one. Both plants were the same height and are the Beef Steak ones. So it has been interesting so far." -Ed Tieman <----- Click Here
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Ardmoreite July 14, 1947
Fort Worth is known as the Panther City. E.B. PUGH says when Fort Worth was a little western trading point that a panther was killed on the main thoroughfare of the city and since that time it has been called Panther city.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Ardmoreite, July 14, 1947
Editor: My father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. HENRY WAGNER and four small children moved to Ardmore from Montague, Texas during the early nineties. My father worked as a pharmacist in Mr. FRAME's drugstore. He also worked for The Daily Ardmoreite prior to 1897. We children often went to the Ardmoreite office to watch the printing of the papers.
I remember Ardmore when it was a small treeless town with cotton wagons stuck wheel deep in the mud. The great fire of Ardmore is one of the vivid memories in my life. I recall as if it were only yesterday the pitiful cries of the burning horses trapped in the blaze. It was such a touching sight to see Dr. WOLVERTON mourning the loss of his beautiful team of horses burned to death in the fire that the hearts of the little children, friends and neighbors were greatly saddened. I attended Hargrove college and thought nothing of walking from town to Hargrove Heights near where we lived.
After having been gone from Southern Oklahoma for a good many years I am again residing in Marietta, where Mrs. Wagner and I operate the Wagner Drugstore. HORACE C. WAGNER, Marietta.

E.B. PUGH was born Dec. 16, 1851. He is in his 96th year. He drinks cokes every day. He smokes cigars and he take a drink of liquor at Christmas. He brought to this section the Jersey hog. Folks took hold of them so slowly that he became discouraged and sold his stock on hand to W.P. POLAND for $56. He had something like 30 head. Mr. Pugh's one big virtue is industry. He is never idle. Every spot of ground two feet square in his yard is growing something although he is almost 100 years old.
********************************************************
July 17, 1947
ETHEL NISBETT CHILDRESS, whose father was editor of the Daily Ardmoreite many years, has a number of photographic views of the 1895 fire which swept the business district of the city clean.

Dr. W.H. PRETTY is an interesting man to know. In his conversation he talks more about tubes, radio waves, electronics, and other related subjects than he does about bicuspids and molars. He has a Halliocrafter radio set in his home that he is constantly tinkering with and looks forward to the time when he can start doing some "ham" operating. Bill has built a pair of field glasses working out the intricacies of prisms and power and range and the glasses are as good as money can buy. He has a sailboat on Lake Murray that he created with his own hands and now Dr. Pretty has made himself a camera. Talent like this is a rare and priceless gift and undoubtedly a source of pride to the one who processes it.

One of the prettiest flower gardens we have seen this summer is that one owned by Mrs. MOLLIE IRWIN, who lives one block east of the Modern Courts on Highway 77. Mrs. Irwin is 70 years old.
**********************************************************
July 18, 1947
Mrs. ROBERT F. SCIVALLY's father was ROBERT RINER. He came to this section in 1885 and Mrs. Scivally came with him. Riner was a blacksmith at Lone Grove.

SAM G. WOOD, when he was 10 years old, came with his parents from North Carolina. They drove over what was afterward Ardmore on Feb. 20, 1887. They camped with their wagons and teams just south of the TOM CHAMPION place west of town. The Wood family was needed in those pioneer days. There were no doctors and Mr. Wood called on many of the sick and helped them with such remedies as he knew and Mrs. Wood was helpful in maternity cases. She went for miles to be with mothers and aid them in childbirth and she knew how to care for infant children. There could not have been a more useful family in those pioneer days. Wood says SOBE LEWIS owned the south part of Ardmore and BILL WATKINS owned the north side. That was in the days before lands were allotted and all lands were tribal lands. Of the men living here then Wood knows only one man, he is JOHN CRINER, who celebrated his 97th birthday a few days ago. He knows of no other man who was here at the time of his arrival.

JOHN C. WOODS, who lives at Wilson is 77 and he came here from North Carolina about the time the Wood family came. John married a sister of Sam and raised a family and still lives in Wilson.

GEORGE CRINER, who was born here in 1873, is probably Southern Oklahoma's oldest citizen from the standpoint of the years lived here and he probably is entitled to lead the old settlers section of the parade July 24.

Mrs. C.K. DENTON, Kingston, has her brother R.C. TIERCE, of Menard, Texas, visiting her. Tierce is 77 and she is 66. They left Crawford, Miss., in their early years, he going to Texas and she to Indian Territory and they have never seen each other until this visit.
******************************************************
July 25, 1947
Pork is now selling from 49 to 65 cents in Ardmore depending on the cut, but Dr. H.A. HIGGINS, pioneer Ardmore physician, can remember taking pork products at 3 1/2 cents per pound for payment of doctor bills in the early days of the community.
Dr. Higgins, who came to Ardmore in 1890 and how has been in Carter county ever since, recalls riding horseback in 1903 with a pair of physician's saddle bags on the saddle five or six miles on cold, snowy and sleety nights to "deliver babies" in old log cabins by candlelight or an old kerosene lamp without any chimney and no one to help except a neighbor woman or two--and sometimes no one present except the woman and myself"
"Many times the husband was out hunting a neighbor to help me while the baby was born," Dr. Higgins continued. Dr. Higgins is one of the old timers in Ardmore and will be present at the Ardmore 60th birthday party.
"The fee at that time was $10--and if paid at all--was usually paid with corn at 25 cents a bushel, oats at 12 1/2 to 15 cents a bushel, dressed pork at 3 1/2 cents a pound, and everything else in proportion. My old books show that one man at that time owed me a big bill for those times and he delivered some 67 bushels of oats at 15 cents a bushel, 35 bushels of cotton seed at 10 cents a bushel, two hogs at $8, 112 bushels of corn at 25 cents a bushel, 333 pounds of dressed pork at 3 1/2 cents a pound, 100 pounds of flour for $1.50, and $40 in cash, and the man still owes me $96.30."
"The man still owes the $96.30," Dr. Higgins continued, "but I expect he is in Heaven now because he died several years ago, but when I see him in Heaven when I go there, I do not intend to ask him for the money. However, I may ask him if he has any fresh pork to sell at 3 1/2 cents a pound."
"The time I have spoken of was what you hear people call the good old days, although people were really more happy and contented than they are today with all the modern conveniences surrounding them. At this time I am delivering babies for $50 in a well equipped hospital with all modern conveniences, surrounded with well trained graduate nurses to wait upon my every need and to look after the mother and baby.
"And if I should have to take pay in produce as I used to do I would have to pay $2.50 a bushel for corn, two or three dollars a bushel for wheat, $1 a bushel for oats, and 45 cents a pound for dressed pork, and everything else in proportion," Dr Higgins concluded.

Editor: I am writing to you to see if I could get my letter in the paper. I think that I could be called an old timer as my father, mother, sister, brother and I came to Ardmore on Sept. 20, 1906 from Red River county, Texas. My father's name was Z.P. HARGROVE, my mother's was Mrs. ALICE HARGROVE, my sister's was AGNES, my brother's JOHN, and mine was FANNIE. But my father and mother are dead now. There weren't any paved streets when we came to Ardmore or any street cars there either. The only street cars that were there were driven by horses and there was a log cabin where the football park is and there sure has been a big change--in every way since 1906. There used to be several wagon yards on West Main and my uncle, JUAN HILL, used to sell vegetables for CAL THOMAS. Well I don't know if this letter is interesting or not. I have been living in Wilson for nearly 31 years now and I have been married nearly 37 years and have five children and three of them are married and have families of their own. Well I guess that is about all that I know that is interesting to read and it may not be interesting either, so I will close for this time. My address is: Mrs. FANNIE THOMPSON, P.O. Box 273, Wilson, Oklahoma.
********************************************* July 26, 1947
The best breakdown fiddler among all the old timers is J.W. HENRY, who lives at 233 Eleventh avenue northwest. He has played for many a dance when the Washington girls and the Love girls and LOU KING McKINNEY were among the dancers.
Henry arrived in Horseshoe Bend on Red River November 29, 1875. He saw the big fire in Ardmore in 1895. When he was but 12 years old he helped unload 4200 Arkansas steers at Whitesboro, Texas, and helped to drive them across Red River into the Indian Nation. The cattle belonged to BILLY WASHINGTON. Some of them were placed where the Lazy K ranch is now two and a half miles southwest of Marietta, some were brought to his Mud creek ranch and others were driven to Woodford.
In the winter of 1884-5 Henry saw corn sell at 10 cents and 15 cents a bushel. Corn was thrown in great ricks, there were no cribs to hold such a crop. CAPTAIN COUCH fed 2000 head of Texas longhorn steers along Red River on both sides that winter. The winter was desperately cold and many fowls and animals froze to death.
The first locomotive engineer to bring a train into Indian Territory was JIM HOWTON. Henry knew him well. This was a Santa Fe train and the bridge was just north of Gainesville.
As early as in 1888 Henry's father was a deputy sheriff under PAT WARE, the famous old sheriff of Cooke County. Henry has seen them run white citizens out who had not paid their cattle tax and their per capita tax. The Indian militia was used to cut fences and telephone poles and to drive whites from the territory.
This man Henry was here when the ROFF boys were killed and he saw the officers on the trail of the LEE boys who did the killing. JIMMIE CHANCELLOR was on their trail and would have run them down if JIM TAYLOR and HECK THOMAS had not beat him to it. Henry's father was with Chancellor. Chancellor was Mrs. BUCK GARRETT's father.

At a Christmas party some years ago Mrs. FRANK GATES gave guest favors very small cedars not more than one to three inches high. Mrs. LYNCH at 1606 Bixby carefully kept her favor and planted it and cared for it. It is now a cedar probably 15 feet high.

J.C. THOMPSON was one of the early day mayors of Ardmore.

Dr. W.T. GARNER, RUBY STANSELL's father, was an early day mayor of Ardmore.

Ardmore's first mayor was JOHN L. GALT.

With reverence, Ardmore pioneers call the list of names of the early Ardmore bar. HENRY FURMAN, STILLWELL H. RUSSELL, W.B. JOHNSON, A.C. CRUCE, THOMAS NORMAN, H.C. POTTERF, LUTE HERBERT, J.C. THOMPSON, and LEX EDDLEMAN.

W.S. WOLVERTON and family arrived in Ardmore from Tennessee in 1893, which was 54 years ago. At the present time there are only two members of this family left--FONNIE R. WOLVERTON and MARVIN S. WOLVERTON. These two men have resided here continuously and they have reared families here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================================

"You say Tomatos ..and I say TomatoEs"

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 16, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 438

Our Oklahoma Blog is starting to come alive. There have been some great messages posted the past week, including one by Joe Leonard of Gainesville, Texas. Here is the post Joe added to Our Oklahoma Blog: "Amelia Earhart, noted aviatrix, was the first woman to fly the Atlantic in June, 1928, and in July 1937 disappeared in the Pacific Ocean while on a highly publicized world flight attempt. Not many folks know that she landed briefly on June 17, 1931 in Gainesville,Texas while on a flight from Dallas to Tulsa and while looking for the Ardmore, Oklahoma airport. After refueling and visiting briefly with local residents she took off and indicated that her next stop might be Pauls Valley or Shawnee, Oklahoma. It is not known whether she made one of these stops on that date, but if anyone has such information it would be interesting to read about the details. There may have been some local newspaper report."

Joe Leonard can be contacted at [email protected] If you havnt already, check out Our Oklahoma Blog. Go ahead, register, log in, and start Posting! <----- Click Here

A Reader sent in the pic below, he didn't know what year it was taken. I see the names Jim Bramlett, Harold Parker, Sid Gilstrap and some others. Maybe someone can tell is the year? <----- Click Here

Carter County Sheriff Harvey Burkhart now has the jail's current inmates (with pics) listed on the sheriff's webpage. Just click on the Button "Current Inmates". We are still tweaking it, so bear with us. <----- Click Here

Within the past week my upside down tomatoes plants have put on several blooms! <----- Click Here

I havent said much lately about my long distance service. But it is going great, and getting better all the time. Starting this month people in Ardmore can now make calls for 1.9 cents a minute using 798-4424 for their local access number to Tel3 Long distance! No more using the toll free 888 number! That means people with Tel3 long distance just pick up the phone, call 798-4424 to get on Tel3 service. Then call anywhere in the US or Canada for 1.9 cents a minute! Check it all out at: <----- Click Here

Life Size Darth Vader of Lego Blocks - over 20,000 blocks! Does anyone know what a life size Darth Vader made of Lego Blocks would be worth, and where to sell it? Maybe someone on here knows a Stars Wars collector who might want to bid on it? I might sell it on ebay of no one is interested here.

If you don't have a virus checker on your computer, you can go to microsoft.com and for a free year subscription to the eTrust Antivirus program. Microsoft has partnered with eTrust to provide this 1 year subscription free. I've installed the program and its really works great. It is not a memory hungry program like Norton antivirus. Check it all out at the link below. <----- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Butch- I'm following your upside-down planter project with great interest & thought you may be interested in my experiment. My regular garden tomato row soil has become so plagued with disease (wilt & blight) that this is the last year for quite awhile that I'll plant there. I figured that I'd try some hanging plants to see how they'd do, my trials with pots have failed miserably. I got one Topsy Turvy planter & planted a Goliath in it May 6th & at the same time planted a Big Beef in a bag of topsoil just to see what it would do. The Big Beef grew so well, I decided to find a way to hang it where there was full sun all day. I just bought a cheap landing net, drilled a hole in the handle & hung it on a clothesline pole. This plant is now far & away my biggest, healthiest plant (in-ground or hanging). The upside-down plant is also doing well (both have 4 tomatoes on) but the stem on the bagged plant is much thicker & the plant seems much more robust. I don't know if this is due to the plant being more vigorous growing up toward the sun versus growing down (with the help of gravity!) in the Topsy Turvy but I'm leaning toward planting most of my plants that way next season. I also experimented with planting mediums - there's spagnum moss only in the upside-down planter & a mix of moss & potting soil in the middle bag (a mature Husky Red that I just planted last weekend, it matures in 65 days so it should do well this late). There's no disease on any of them, while the in-ground plants are starting to yellow already. Didn't mean to take up your time but I thought I'd share my project results so far, I'll keep tabs on your updates. If you'd like I can send you pics later in the season when "the jury is in" on which ones do the best. Thanks for your time & good luck - we all need a bit of that growing tomatoes!" -Steve in Anderson, IN <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is my first year of trying the upside down tomatoes...... I planted two, one each in five gallon buckets. I had them hanging in one area then moved them to another area so they could get more sun, but this is what happened. I had wrapped them with black cloth, but when I moved them one of the covers fell off and I didn't replace it until almost 3 weeks later. What I did see is the one that was still covered had grown all most 10 inches longer. A friend did the same but did not cover the container as I did his is much shorter than the one the cover fell off. I used clothspins to hold the black material on.

I just drape/wrap a black cloth which was one of me black tee shirts. This will hold in the heat much longer after the sun goes down. As you know they love the heat. If you plant is blooming or as soon as it puts on about 3 blooms break of one off not snip off the leaves. The plant will think it is under attack and will set up a self defence system. Exactly what that does I don't know. I learned this from an old tomato friend. He said that he has never seen a bug at all on any of his plants.

Also this is for next year... Put in the bucket about half way down a whole egg they like sulfur. Plant/bury at least 30% of the stock it will make a stronger stock. If you have the area/place go to the store and buy the tall iron shepards hooks the double one so you can grow them in the sun. They need at least 50% sun." -Ed Tieman
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"do you know of an old old school early 1900's located in Love county at Overbrook ,Oklahoma it was named something like Cross Hill School? Would like some information about this school if you can find any." [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch I have attached a photo and list of names to the Moran school. What can you tell us about it---Should the Historical society not have a copy please subit this one with Marsha Galvan of Houston having the ownership of it. I have told her of your T&T paper and she would like to have it. I am attaching a photo of the school and the names of the students that year. I must tell you this is going to create a stir among the Blalocks and Davis's-----Some of my 80 year old cousins have parents in the first grade there----I hope they can put the person to the name. Also the photo may need some photo adjusting to get a good photo." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Commercial Club .... Marlow, Okla. 1910. <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Oklahoma's Historic House Museums:
An Endangered Resource
Thursday, June 23 - 5:30pm
Overholser Mansion
405 NW 15th Street, Oklahoma City
Kathy Dickson, the Director of Museums for the Oklahoma Historical Society will discuss the importance of Oklahoma's House Museums, and the role they play as an educational, recreational and economic development tool. Free and Open to the Public.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The latest earthquake (Sunday) reminds me of a neat desktop screen application called Xearth. Originally written for unix x-windows, it has also been "converted" for use with Windows and Macs. Like the name implies, it displays a map of the earth in either a sphere, cylinder, or Mercator projection. You can set the point of view; looking at the earth from the sun, in orbit above a fixed point, or in orbit where you choose how fast and what angle you go around. You can turn off or on city labels, or edit which ones you want (or add your own). If you have an always-on internet connection, you can turn on earthquake notification - a yellow circle appears to mark the location of recent quakes. The bigger the circle, the bigger the quake. Like all good windows programs, you can set how often the program updates so it doesn't slow your machine down. For more info, or to download a copy for windows, go to http://hewgill.com/xearth/ . You can do a google search for the Mac and unix "flavors"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Butch, I thought you or some of the news letter readers could possibly use this or find it interesting as I did. Thanks for all you do. Watch those burgers, i'm wearing one around my waist now LOL. Jack in Missouri <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, Can you ask if anyone has information on Uriah Walker? he was my Great-grandfather, and a country western lyricist back in the 1930's through late 1940's.... I would like to know if anyone has information on him? He lived in Tulsa for a while, then had moved to new Mexico where he lived out his days until he died about 20 + years ago." [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Butch, I had to make a run to Camp Simpson to pick up some supplies for last week's Cub Scout Day Camp. To get to Simpson, you turn north off of Hwy 7 onto Deadman Springs Road. I was just wondering how this road got its name. In case some are wondering, Simpson is northeast of Tishomingo near Bromide. If anyone knows about the road's name, I'd like to hear the story."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I saw your request about Homer Moss, I have attached a file of the paper that tells about his death and obituary. I also have included a couple of links that will take you to the story by clicking the links. Homer Moss was killed in the line of duty but he is not listed on the Law Officers Memorial, I am in the process of getting him acknowledged and listed. He was born in 1872 and is buried in the Woodbury Forest Cemetery in Madill. An earlier police Chief of Madill J.T. Pratt was also killed and he also has not been acknowledged by the memorial." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch I am a Bourland descendant.I didn't know George but I knew of Him.I was a 5th generation when I was born and have a photo with My G>G Grandmother Francis Emaline Bourland. Wife of Henry W. Bourland. We have Patties book and it is great. The book has more names than any place We have found and We have been digging up bones on Our family's for years. Our research has our computer. just about overloaded with family names [Bridges is 1 of them]." -DeWayne Erwin
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch, I noticed that you said George, Jr. was Chickasaw. He had no indian blood. His parents were George W. and Juliette Brown, grandparents were George W. and Mary M. Brown. George and Juliette were 2nd cousins. George W. [1] died before George [2] was born, and his mother died shortly afterwards. George and is brother Sid Bourland were brought to Okla. by Chickasaw Bill Bourland, and raised by their Aunt, Amanda Brown Love. I grew up with Sid Bourland and knew George, Jr."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Buck Garrett And The Wyoming Johnson County War
Researched by Donald E. Smith [email protected]

Not many Carter County people know much of our famous Buck Garrett's Carter County Sheriff's early life. But as a young man living in north Texas he joined a group of men that were called for a price to go to Wyoming and help the big ranchers to clear the range of small ranchers who were some times helping them self's to cattle from the larger ranchers stock. The ranchers had gone to southern Oklahoma and Northern Texas to recruited twenty five men to form a vigilante group known as the invaders. The group gathered in Cheyenne and took a train to Casper and continued north by horse back. They planed to proceed secretly to Johnson County. Supposedly, they carried a list of suspects they planed on killing. Nate Champion and Nick Ray were only two of seventy names on the Regulators list. At the K.C. cabin they encountered Nate Champion and Nick Ray and a length standoff that involved setting fire to the cabin, insured. During lulls Chapman keep a log in an old notebook, later printed by a Chicago Herald reporter. The log book read. Me and Nick was getting breakfast when the attack took place. Two men were with us, Bill Jones and another man. The old man went after water and did not come back. His friend went to see what was the matter and did not come back. Nick started out and to look out, and I said that I thought there was some one in the stable and would not let them come back.

Nick is shot but not dead. He is awful sick. I must go and wait on him. It is now about two hours since the first shot. Nick is still alive. Boys there are bullets coming like hail. They are shooting from the stable and river and back of the house. Nick is dead, he died about 9 o'clock. I see smoke down by the stable. I think they have fired it. I don't thin they intend to let me get away this time. Boys I feel pretty lonesome just now. I wish there was some one herewith me where we could watch all sides at once.

About three o'clock Champion notes in the log that two men had passed by and were fired on. "I see lots of men come out on horses and take after them." Unknown to Champion the men passing by were Oscar Hite "Jack Flagg and his stepson. Flag was a neighbor, and one had ridden round up on the old Bar C ranch before it had went broke. Flangg and his stepson made good his escape and proceeded to Buffalo to raise the alarm. With the word out Sheriff was able to raise a posse of over 100 men, all of whom were deputized by Sheriff Angus. The armed men rode out to the invaders. They met at the TA ranch where the battle continued with Champion writing, "I here them splitting wood. I guess they are going to fire the house tonight. I think I will make a break when night comes. The regulators took a wagon loaded with flammables and shoved into the cabin. Chapman final message was "The house is all afire. Good by boys, if I never see you again." Nathan D. Champion. Champion dashed to the door of the cabin and was hit in the leg by a shot. Then another hit Champion and the regulators kept firing. Ultimately there were more than 24 bullets in Champion. After several days of fighting with those who had came to assist Champion, Federal troops rode out of Fort McKinney to rescue the invaders. The invaders surrendered them self's to the Army, which took them in to custody and transferred them to Cheyenne. The Texas contingent was released on bail and quickly disappeared. Political power insured and the invaders would never come to trial for the murders. Nothing appears to happen that could qualify as justice.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Ardmoreite, June 2, 1922
Ten Years Ago
---GUY H. SIGLER announces as a candidate for the office of county attorney.
---Last evening in the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.F. TAYLOR, Miss ALMA E. TAYLOR was married to Mr. FRANK W. KEARNES. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. MURPHY of the South Ardmore Baptist Church.
---Miss WINNIE SLAUGHTER, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.C. SLAUGHTER, will be married today at her home to Mr. NELMS of St. Louis.
---DOW BRAZIEL, chief of police issues warning against fast automobile driving about the streets of Ardmore.
---The BERT H. GALLOP Stock company opened an engagement at the Airdome.
---Sheriff BUCK GARRETT, accompanied by Dr. BOOTH, Deputy FRED WILLIAMS and Assistant Prosecutor BLEAKMORE, have gone to Pooleville, the scene of the shooting of R.G. HARMON.
---W.G. DOAK of Lawton, OK, vice president of the wholesale grocery establishment of that city, was in Ardmore this week as the guest of his father, A.V. DOAK, and his sister, Mrs. E.M.WOOTEN.
---C.H. LEWIS, superintendent of the Ringling road, left last night for Kansas City and points in the middle west.
---Mr. and Mrs. J.D. MOFFATT have gone to the Pacific coast to spend the summer.
***************************************************
July 4, 1947
--A.R. WILSON is widening his business horizon at Wynnewood where he has been a druggist for 25 years. He has added to his business properties the Eskridge hotel of three stories. Wilson not only bought the hotel but he is going to be active in its management. He has possession now and has already begun to add to the hostelry's capacity by adding more rooms. But Wilson is not in any way quitting the drug business, his store will move on as it always has. ---The Eskridge hotel of Wynnewood houses the local bus station of which W.F. ROSE, formerly of Ardmore, is in charge.
*******************************************************
July 6, 1947
---Speaking of the cleverness of SHIRLEY JOHNSON of Wilson, someone said BILLEE ZACH BOLES in Ardmore is of the same type. Or rather Shirley is typed like Billee Zach, because Shirley is just 16 and is younger than Billee. Some days ago when a bus loaded with business and professional women drove to the club's cabin in the hills Billee Zach had her accordion with her and she could accompany the girls in any song they wanted to sing. Billee Zach knew every song, she never missed a note, she was ready every minute to provide her part of the program.
---Mrs. L.H. GRIFFIN at 111 C street southwest has lived in her pretty brick home for nearly a half century. She and her husband, LEE GRIFFIN, came here from Gainesville. He came as an official of the flouring mill. Mrs. Griffin's father, Mr. WHALEY, established the mill and was its head all his life. Mr. Griffin retired from the active mill work some years ago but he went right to the farm and kept just as busy as when he was a mill man. There never was a finer family than the Griffin family.
---AL JENNINGS is in command at Healdton and no town ever had a better leader. But if he were to step out of the picture, Mrs. JOSIE LOWE would move on and stay at the head of the column in Southern Oklahoma. Mrs. Lowe picked up the lines when her husband passed and she has been driving ever since. She has a big farm and she manages it. She is a leader in her community and the folks like her and like the way she does things and they follow.
---Mrs. JOSIE LOWE at Healdton and Mrs. BOOTS LINDLEY are friends. Their lives touch every few days and that program has lasted an ordinary life time. These two women are the salt of the earth type. Mrs. Lindley's sons have marvelous war records.
---PAULINE ANDERSON wants a bell, a big bell, such as farmers use. WALTER GANT has one at his horse ranch he bought from an abandoned school district he might loan to the lake camp. Also LOU KING McKINNEY has one of these bells out in her yard. It was at the Lou King school and when the school district was done away with Lou fell heir to the bell. She might pass it to the camp at Lake Murray. LEIGHTON PEDDY will put it up and will have his men look after it.
*********************************************
July 8, 1947
---GENE McLAIN sold three head of cattle and put $500 in the bank. A panic hit this country following the first world war and a bunch of 14 head of cattle sold for $85. There you have the two extremes.
---How Marietta Got Its Name
Marietta landed with its Christian cognomen in 1886, Indian Territory then, sunny Oklahoma now, this way: Just south of town appears a life size grade on the Sante Fe railroad about one-half mile in length, built by J.R. SMITH, contractor, known then as "Main Line Smith." One morning the crew appeared for work and on close observance, discovered a dead tramp, who seemingly died from cold and exposure. Tightly clinched in his right hand was a photograph of a beautiful lady. Enscribed at the bottom was the name "Marietta." Hence the name was coined by CHARLEY LIDDELL, a Chickasaw Indian, who was one of the early settlers.
The above may sound like a fairy story, but is facts, from my point of viiew and I was here when it happened. I landed in what is now Ardmore on Dec. 4, 1880 and went to work for BILL WASHINGTON on the 700 ranch. I am the last old timer that I know of left and have been paralyzed and in the Confederate hospital since 1944. J.R. HUTCHINS (Uncle Bob), Confederate Hospital, Ardmore, Oklahoma.
-----JOHNNY TAYLOR who owns a couple of sections of Woodford grass lands stocked with good cattle grew up at Woodford the son of Dr. and Mrs. DOW TAYLOR. Johnny liked to smoke cigarettes when he was a kid and that doctor daddy of his would not allow it. So Johnny hid behind the barn to smoke and he hired the other kids not to tell on him by giving them grapevines to smoke.
***********************************************************
July 13, 1947
---I, the "Rambling Reporter," visited with JACK UNDERWOOD, president of the flouring mill, Saturday morning and as I sat there these lines came to me: "Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance, self-control, diligence, strength of will, content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know." These words were written by CHARLES KINGSLEY. Underwood is one of the men in this town who grew up to work and to work hard and he has all the virtues that Kingsley refers to.
---After Mrs. R.B. GILBERT had visited Ardmore and had returned to the spa where her husband is being treated for a recent illness, she writes back to Mrs. JOHN H. CARLOCK and makes the request that she be kept up with Ardmore news. She fell in love with the business district and was enchanted by the scenes in Caddo street. Especially did she want to be kept abreast with the happenings on Caddo street. Mrs. Gilbert expresses the temper of the old timer in her love for Caddo street. It has intrigued the people here all through the years. It was Ardmore's first business street, it marked Ardmore's first business section. The great fire which put the city in ashes in 1895 (April 19) started on that street. Today that street is filled with farm wagons bearing things for the market. In wending her way through the congested farm wagons a few days ago a woman remarked that Caddo should be called Market street. If the city commissioners were to give the people the green light on Market street they would certainly go.
***********************************************
July 20, 1947
More City Old Timers Listed
1881--E.E. GRAHAM, LES McKINNEY
1882--W.G. McBRIDE
1883--J.S. COLLINS
1884--Mrs. DELLA DOKE, SAM ROBERTSON
1885--H.J. CAVNER, T.P. SHOCKLEY
1886--Mrs. B.C. FORBES
1887--IDA SCALES CHANDLER, Mrs. JEFF CRADDOCK, Mrs. J.S. COLLINS, MOLLIE PRUITT, A.J. PRUITT, E.E. WALLING, JIM WATKINS, BUD WATKINS, M. WISDOM, ROBERT WATKINS 1888--PERRY ELLIOTT, FRANK FRENSLEY, Mrs. N.E. MARTIN, Mrs. LES McKINNEY, Mrs. W.E. McLAMORE
1889--MINNIE PURVINE ELLIOTT, ARTHUS JONES, JOHN GARNAND, B.O. PETTIJOHN, LILLIE WATSON,
1890--Mrs. CHARLES D. CARTER, EARL CORNISH, Mrs. FRANK FLOYD, Mrs. ALLIE GIBSON, HENRY C. GREEN, FRANK HARRIS, TOM HARRIS, Mrs. H.C. MORRIS, WILLIE J. SMITH, Mrs. G.W. WELLS, Miss JEWELL WHITINGTON
1891--BRICE SCIVALLY
1892--N.E. MARTIN, Mrs. LUCY TODD
1893--Mrs. EARL CORNISH, GUS A MULLER
1894--Mrs. R.L. HUNTER, Mrs. WILLIE J. SMITH, NOBLE STONE
1895-- FAY BURNITT BAKER, B.F. BERRY, Mrs. B.F. BERRY, Mrs. P.P. KEARNEY, E.B. PUGH, TOM WILKES
1896--Mrs. J.C. WHITEHURST
1897--F.S. BECKHAM, J.E. COWAN, E.E. DENTON
****************
The first child born in Ardmore was FRANK FRENSLEY, deputy county clerk of Stephens county. He plans to be on hand for the city's 60th birthday party, July 28. Frensley was born in Ardmore March 18, 1888 on the site of the Hudson-Houston Lumber Company, and is a cousin of J.A. FRENSLEY and TOM FRENSLEY of this city and a nephew of Mrs. NANNIE HOLDEN, 709 Third avenue northwest. He has attended two of Ardmore's birthday celebrations, the golden jubilee anniversary in 1937, and a previous one. His home is in Duncan.
********************
GEORGE CRINER, in 1873 was born at old Thackerville which is about four miles north of the present town of Thackerville. His father is JOHN CRINER who celebrated a few days ago his 97th birthday. His father is a quarter-breed Chickasaw. His allotment was in the Criner hills southwest of Ardmore near Brock. The place was bought from JOHNNY HAYS who put in the first store at Lone Grove. Criner moved to the Criner hills place in 1876. The house was built of pine lumber hauled across the Red river in wagons and the lumber was entirely free from knots. Criner lived at the Brock place from 1876 to 1898. The springs on this Criner place are among the very best in all this section. The only spring that surpasses it for production is at Byrd's mill at Ada. John Criner makes his home at the home of CHARLES CRINER.
*********************
July 22, 1947
--SAM D. CREEL of Healdton came from Parker county, Texas, into the Indian Territory in 1887. He is a member of a fine pioneer family.
--The DULANEY'S, the LITTLE'S, the NEWMAN'S, the GEORGE TYSON'S, the CORNISH'S, were some of the pioneer families about Ringling.
---Mrs. ZELMA HUDGENS, teacher in the city schools of Hugo is in Ardmore visiting her sister, Mrs. CLAUD C. BIARD.
---W.G. McBRIDE in the year 1882 moved from Missouri to Indian Territory. He lived on lands taken up under JOHN CRINER, an Indian. McBride was born July 5, 1872, he came from Selby county, Missouri. He will ride in the pioneer section of the parade July 24 and he has one of the prettiest spotted mares in all the country to ride. McBride resides at 1104 Fourth avenue northeast.
***************************
Sulphur VFW Post to Erect Building
Local post 1327 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, has leveled the ground at the building site just north of civic center in the heart of Sulphur and will soon begin construction of a recreation hall out of a barracks purchased at a surplus property sale at the Ardmore army air base. ERNEST BARRY is commander of 1327 and BRUCE FRAZIER is post quartermaster
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================================

"The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it." -Alan Saporta

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 10, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 437

I received an interesting phone call this week from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The lady on the other end of the line was Patricia Adkins-Rochette. Pat has done an extensive study and research on the Bourlands of Love county. Her compilation is nearly 1,000 pages, so you can imagine the about of historical info to be found within its pages. When I was a young man I had the opportunity of meeting George Bourland of Overbrook, Oklahoma several times. He was one of the most interesting Chickasaw Indians I have had the enjoyment of listening to. We will be talking more about this book of the Bourlands in the weeks ahead.

In Patricia Rochette's Own Words:
"My web site, www.bourlandcivilwar.com, describes Bourland in North Texas and Indian Territory During the Civil War: Fort Cobb, Fort Arbuckle & the Wichita Mountains, 998 pages including four indexes: one is a 122-page Name Index. Attached is a copy of my brochure.

About 70% of my 998-page study is from handwritten records and about 90% is from contemporaneous sources. It addresses the Civil War era between Oklahoma City & Dallas and Texarkana & Childress, Texas. I have transcribed 225 militia listings and the militia correspondence of 34 counties of North Texas in order to interpret the Bourland Papers -- about 200 Civil War era documents, 43 of which are not in the Official Record, but should be. Topics that I have addressed extensively are: the Brush Battalion; Quantrill in North Texas; gruesome details of four Comanche-Kiowa Indian raids into North Texas including the 1864 Battle of Elm Creek; 1862 Tonkawa Massacre in Anadarko, I.T.; Camp Napoleon Meeting attended by 5,000 to 7,000 Indians plus J.W. Throckmorton in now Grady County, OK; and the Confederate treaties with the tribes of Indian Territory, especially the Reserve Tribes of the Leased Lands. Starvation in Indian Territory among all of the tribes is a central theme of my book.
Patricia Adkins-Rochette, 918-250-5040
7312 South Garnett Road, #318
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
<----- Click Here <----- Click Here

In the Mailbag below someone mentions the Chalk Hills out north of Mannsville, Oklahoma near Greasy Bend. Now that brings up an interesting area according to what I heard while talking to someone at Walmart last week. I hope there is a Reader that will tell us much more about those "chalk hills". What's out there that's still left in a historical way? Why is it called Chalk Hills? Does anyone have a picture? I know there is a lot more than meets the eye here, when it c comes to Chalk Hills.

I received an email this week from Iowa from the great granddaughter of H.A. Stanley of Ardmore. I guess what people think of first when they hear the name is Stanley street SW in whose honor the street was named. The following was taken from the Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers Book of 1983.

Henry A. and Lela (Parker) Stanley Henry Austin Stanley, son of George Austin Stanley Sallie Celina Grigsby, was born August 22, 1874 near Corsicana, Texas. The eldest of three children, his mother died August 5, 1882. August 19, 1889, his father remarried and had 3 more sons. In Navarro County, Henry Austin Stanley attended the district school until he was 18, when he began teaching. He entered the University of Tezas in 1900, continuing there for three years. In 1903 he was hired as principal of the Ardmore High School. Teaching English in the Ardmore High School that year was Lela Gertrude Park. The daughter of James Thomas Park and Pernacy Pickens, she was born September 2, 1877, in Jacksonville, Texas. She had graduated in 1899 from Sam Houston Normal Institute in Huntsville, Texas and in 1903 from Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1905 he became Superintendent of Madill Schools. He was in Ottawa, Kansas in 1906 where he must have obtained his law degree from Ottawa College. In January 1907 he entered the law profession and located at Marietta, Oklahoma where his rise in the profession was steady and sure. In September 1908 he married Lela Gertrude Park at her mother's home in Jacksonville. Their first son, Henry Park Stanley, was born at Marietta, but only lived about 6 weeks, passing away August 18, 1909.

In 1910 Henry Austin Stanley ran for County Attorney of Love County, we elected and took office January 9, 1911. On March 24 of that same ear, their first daughter, Lela Jane (Mrs Richard W. Norman), was born. In 1912 he ran for re-election but I an not sure that he won. However, during his term of office he was generally successful in is prosecutions, and during the year 1911, ten men were sent to the state penitentiary from Love County. Violators of the prohibition law ere the source of most of the criminal prosecutions in the county court and he was successful in convicting most of the old offenders and driving them out of the bootlegging business.

In Marietta, Henry and Lela became the parents of 3 more daughters: Sarah Virginia (Mrs. Phillip R. Monical), born February 6, 1914; Pernecia Carol (Mrs John A. Leet), born October 19, 1915; Mary Kathryn (Mrs J.R. Williams), born October 16, 1916. They moved back to Ardmore in 1917 where Henry became Police Judge of the Ardmore City Court, Lela returned to teaching in the Third Ward, Lincoln School. A son, Richard Austin Stanley was born February 24, 1919.

Lela established a private school in the home at 1023 Stanley Boulevard which grew as it became known for quality education. At its height, her school encompassed kindergarden through seventh grade. Lela taught until she was 88 years old, twice moving her school to smaller locations, the last being 121 K Street NW.

Henry Austin Stanley ran for County Attorney of Carter County in (I think) 1952 and was elected to that office. When he won the Democratic Part nomination, he wrote announcing that he had been elected.

Henry Austin Stanley died March 2, 1958 in Ardmore and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Marietta. Had he lived an additional six months, Henry and Lela would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September (the date), he said it was the last Monday. When told that the last Monday comes on different dates each year, he said that did not matter, "If you want to celebrate our anniversary, its the fourth Monday!" In 1908, the last or fourth Monday was September 28, so I suppose that is the date.

Lela Gertrude Park Stanley died at a local nursing home in Ardmore August 25, 1971, a few days before her 94th birthday. She was buried beside her husband and infant son in Lakeview Cemetery at Marietta. -complied in 1981 by Stanley R. Williams from information from: Mary Kathryn Stanley Williams; Sarah Virginia Stanley Monical; Richard Austin Stanley; Pernecia Carol Stanley Leet; Leta Jane Stanley Norman; Sue Stanley; newspaper clippings from The Daily Ardmoreite and the newspaper of Marietta.

I think I received a ton of emails on the question last week about impetigo. I was not able to answer every email, but I appreciate all of you who wrote in. This is one of those emails: "Butch, anyone who has ever had impetigo will not forget the word or even want to hear it. My first week of school I came in contact with someone who had it. My mother discovered those nasty little sores and took me to the doctor (Dr. Lyman Veasey) and they started treating it by applying "silver nitrate" and it really burns. Each day for about a week she had to remove the scab that the medicine had made and reapply. It turns black and you look like you have a really nasty disease but eventually the impetigo goes away but the black from the silver nitrate has to grow off. Bad memories. I'm sure they have a better way to treat it now but it was highly contagious. It made you sick at first, fever and chills."

Additional note: in 1903 The Stanley's lived at 1023 Stanley SW and the Ardmore High School was just 4 blocks east of there at Stanley and G street SW. <----- Click Here

Today, this is the house at 1023 Stanley SW. I dont know if it was the same one the Stanley's lived in or not, but it very well could be. <----- Click Here

A Reader ask if there is anyone in the Ardmore area that can "re-weave" those cane chair seats of long ago. I did do a search on google and ebay and found plenty of cane chair repair kits available for the do-it-yourselfer. I found the following place as an excellent free resources website on recaning furniture information and supplies. But still, they are looking for someone in south central Oklahoma to re-cane their chairs. Let me know of anyone? <----- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"According to a geologist friend of mine, those are limestone rocks. The holes are caused by water that has dripped on them for a good many years, perhaps hundreds of years or more." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch- I work at The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa (formerly the Fenster Museum of Jewish Art), and am researching the history of the Jewish people in Oklahoma for a possible exhibition, and came across your great website. I was scanning through "This and That" and saw your concern over Temple Emeth being packed up. It's sad but true, Temple Emeth did close, but I am pretty sure you saw a couple of people from our Museum giving the Temple furnishings a ride to their new home. We have a model synagogue in our new location in Tulsa using many of the items that came from Temple Emeth. It is quite stunning, and rest assured that all of the items, as well as some archival material from the Temple, are being well taken care of and preserved here. I invite you (and your Readers) to come visit a bit of history any time at all, I look forward to meeting other history buffs in Oklahoma! Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Suzy Smith, Registrar
The Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art
2021 East 71st Street
Tulsa, OK 74136
918-492-1818
<----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you know Empress Trees are a traditional and preferred source of charcoal used in Japanese and Chinese fireworks? It's called paulownia charcoal. Here's a web site promoting other uses." <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I was wondering if you could help me locate some information about my relatives. I'm curious about two men in particular. They're both my Great-Grandfathers, just from different lines of my family. The first man is Henry Austin Stanley. He was the Principal of Ardmore High School in 1903, Superintendent of Madill schools in 1905, Police Judge for the Ardmore City Court in 1917, and was elected County Attorney for Carter County in 1952. His wife, Lela Gertrude (Park) Stanley (my Great-Grandmother), ran a school for kindergarten-aged children in her home at 1023 Stanley Avenue. <

The second man is Thomas Norman, Sr. He was an attorney in Ardmore in the very early 1900's. I think he died in either 1917 or 1918, when he was in his 50's, from the flu. His wife was Hetty Elizabeth (Wilhelm) Norman, my Great-Grandmother.

If you know where I might be able to find more information on them, please let me know. Thank you." -Tiffany Cochran, Iowa [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reprinted in the This & That" News - March 2004:
The Daily Ardmoreite, March 11, 1904
E.B. Luke's Music Store Moved Two Doors East of Gas Office on West Main Street Hargrove College Opening Hargrove College opened September 7th. A very nice crowd of visitors from the city was present. New pupils have been enrolled every day since the opening. Pupils are being classified and the work being organized and starting nicely. We are pleased to offer superior advantages to pupils in piano, voice, and elocution as well as literary work. A Greater Hargrove College should be the cry. J.M. Gross, President
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Bell on church in Jennings, Oklahoma (Pawnee county). I don't know the name of the church yet but will get it on the next trip." <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Johnston County Historical and Genealogy Society of Tishomingo has published a history book called The Washita Farm also knows as The Chapman Farm. The book cost 20 bucks and five bucks for postage." Johnston County Historical Society, P.O. Box 804, Tishomingo, OK 73460."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Butch, I am amazed at the old newspaper stories that you find to pass on. Maybe you can help me. My great-grandmother had a brother, Homer Moss. He died April 25, 1935, after being shot working as a constable in Madill. Do you have a way to get the timely newspaper stories that must have been published? Other than the names of his two wives, that is all I know of him. I barely remember his being at family gatherings. Thank you for any assistance." -Marice Simmons Stephens [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"i was wanting to ask if i could put a photo in one of your t&ts' to see if someone might recognize the person in it. the picture is of a relative of my family on my moms side and no one seems to know who this person is. i thought because your t&ts' go to several places maybe someone might recognize the person and be able to tell me who it is." [email protected] <----- Click Here
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"There are gardeners in the membership who might be interested in this notice: The Central Oklahoma Cactus and Succulent Society will be having their annual show and sale June 25, 2005, Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm and June 26, 2005, Sunday, 10:00am to 5:00pm at the Will Rogers Garden Center, 3400 NW 36th St., Oklahoma City, Ok. For more information contact Joyce Hochtritt." [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I have either forgotten or just didn't even know to begin with about Mr. E.B Luke making pianos. I do know a bit about the two Luke brothers who ran the store for many years during the time I grew up and on into my earlier adult years. One brother was more into sports and home furnishings, and one was still more into the music idea of a store hence the store had many items which could be found in a sporting goods store, a home appliance store, and a music store all under one roof. When I was a child, my mother would often take me to Luke's to select a record. We could go into a room, and play the record to see if we truly wanted to buy it. They had several rooms where people could play records. Anything they did not have, they would gladly order it for you be it an organ, piano, record, sheet music, etc. I will never forget the new Christmas song, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer being played via speakers out on the sidewalk when that song became popular in I think 1947. I even remember the small reindeer out on the sidewalk in front of the store with the red light bulb for its nose much like the riding horses so many grocery stores used to have out in front I find the serial # interesting on the picture of the piano, and if E. B. Luke made pianos, I just wonder how many did he make and how were the serial #'s derived?

I have seen signs where they sold Kimball pianos, and I know for a fact that many years back even the time before and after statehood, they sold Estey reed organs (pump organs) and maybe Estey pianos. I know of several families who told about their folks purchasing an Estey reed organ from Lukes, and I remember one old-timer who died in the mid 1960's telling about Lukes peddling organs and pianos throughout the county, and her Dad bought an Estey organ for her when they lived at Overbrook, Ok. She took the organ with her after her marriage. Later when she, her husband, and some of their children lived at Mannsville, Ok, they came home after visiting for a few days, and found their house completely burned to the ground. She said the organ was greatly missed as some of children had learned to play some and chord play.

Does anyone who reads this T&T remember any information about the Chenoweth and Green Music Store which was in business in the mid 1950's down on East Main Street near Daubes? I remember they sold organs and pianos, and after researching some old city directories, I learned their brand of instruments were by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. I am wondering if anyone remembers buying an instrument from them, and as far as I know they were a full line music store."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I assume you are referring to Mill Creek Dam? I don't have any pics, you must have my email mixed up with someone else. Although having grown up in the Mannsville-Greasy Bend area I have been to that dam many times when I was a kid with my mother or grandparents. The man's name who lived at the entrance was Earl Brasier (or Brazier) they used to charge a small fee to pass through their gate, I think maybe 25 cents per car. We used to go over there and catch bass, crappie and perch and later after Lake Texoma was stocked with sand bass they would travel up the Washita into Mill Creek and get stranded at the dam and in deep holes in the creek. Someone had written that this was located on the old Daube Ranch however I believe it was on Fred Chapman's land. There was a 640 acre Alfalfa meadow commonly known as the "Nelson Place" adjoing to the east running almost to the highway. As a teenager I worked there in the hay in the summer and have encountered more than a few snakes there.When hauling hay there we were warned to roll every bale over and check for snakes hanging out before we picked it up. It is located at the foot of some "chalk hills" fit for very little other than rattlesnakes and the creek and river bottoms were a breeding ground for copperheads and water moccasins."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Daily Ardmoreite, July 16, 1947
***Mrs. J.P. McCOY, Healdton, delved into the family album and came out with a photograph which shows her husband's father, Dr. C.H. McCOY, with a group of early day citizens in the I.O.O.F. at Ardmore when the lodge was young. Dr. McCoy came here in 1888 by way of Texas where he migrated from the old plantation in Georgia. He was a pioneer physician and practiced in Ardmore for many years along with the late Dr. J.F. SON, Dr. JOHN PETERMAN, and Dr. T.S. BOOTH. Dr. McCoy died in Texas City, Texas, after leaving here. His son married the former Miss LUCY BENTON, a sister of CLAUD BENTON. Among the other old timers picked out in the picture were W.B. FRAME, JULIUS KAHN, SIDNEY SUGGS, Dr. W.T. GARTNER, TOM ROBERTS, BOB HUTCHINS, ALBERT RENNIE, JOHN PUTTS, BERT FOSTER, and J.W.M. HARPER, livery stable man, in whose stable the fire started that wiped out Ardmore in 1895. In the picture with the bewhiskered, and mustached fraternal leaders are two unidentified young women. The men are wearing headgear ranging from the derby and cowboy type to the tall silk hat.
**********************************************
The Daily Ardmoreite, July 27, 1947
***Mr. and Mrs. EARL LaROCHE are moving here from Norman to work with the Bell Telephone company.
***Madison Square Garden never had a better show that FLORENCE RANDOLPH put on for Ardmore Thursday night.
***SCOTTA and BETTY THOMPSON are attractive and skilled horsewomen and they looked good in the parade.
***Mrs. C.F. RIDGEWAY's parents came to this section in 1878 from Whitesboro, TX. S.M. THOMPSON was her father. He died in 1911. Eight children were born to the Thompson family at Keller in Carter county. Mrs. Ridgeway was Ruby Thompson. She will be mixing with the pioneers on Ardmore's 60th birthday Monday. Another member of the family, GERTRUDE THOMPSON TEEL, will be here for the birthday party.
***Dr. WALTER HARDY was the angel of the parade, someone remarked.
***HARDY MURPHY had all the glamour of a western star as he rode Little Joe from the Goddard ranch, a famous quarter horse.
***Dr. O.L. BOUNDS practiced medicine at Graham. When the town of Wilson was founded he moved to it and built a drug store. He is still in business and no country ever had a more worthy citizen.
***Dr. W.A. DARLING is the Dr. Walter Hardy of Wilson. He has practiced medicine there many years. He worked at Hewitt before he moved to Wilson. Wilson could not do without him.
***BRICE SCIVALLY lives at Wilson and he keeps up with Ardmore and knows every step it has ever taken. Ardmore listens when Brice Scivally speaks.
***Cowboys wear Stetson hats and they never wear straws, said one of the old timers.
***BILL ABBOTT is ill in Oklahoma City.
***It looks good to see the DAUBE's have a section in the parade. They brought to town about 15 head of ranch horses to use.
***It looked good to see so many children in the parade. That means children are growing up with the thought they are going to remain on the farm. There is no better business than farm life. Often one in town makes more money but more often it breaks down health and destroys happiness. Farming and ranching build fine, happy, useful, profitable lives.
***Among these old timers we never have said anything about the churches. Rev. J.C. SCIVALLY founded the Methodist church in Ardmore. SCIVALLY MURPHEY of Murphey Machine Shops, is a namesake of his.
****BILL WOODY and HELEN and PAUL are here from San Angelo. Bill began working on this paper in his kid years and grew up with the paper. He does newspaper work now.
***BILL FISHER is now in Shreveport, he grew up with this paper. Bill is making good progress.
***JOHN T. SPEARS came to Carter county December 31, 1895, with his parents from Cooke county Texas near Dexter and has resided in what is now Carter county ever since. He says he would not know how it would feel to live anywhere else. John was a very small child when his parents moved from Texas, but came to Ardmore with his father when the water well was in the middle of the street in front of the Daube's store and he remembers very well when he came to town with his father one day seeing a black man hanged at the back of the Carter county jail. He also remembers the cold Friday in 1898.
***MORE OLD TIMERS NAMES RELEASED
Additional names on the Daily Ardmoreite list of "old timers" --persons who came to Ardmore prior to 1897, were released Saturday. These with those previously reported will be honored guests at the 60th birthday of Ardmore celebration Monday evening at the civic auditorium. They are invited to join their fellow pioneers at Central park for a visit ahead of the program proper at the auditorium. The list includes:
1880--IRA A. CALDWELL, ANNIE CANTERBERRY
1882--TOM HARRIS, O.M. MINTER, T.F. OVERSTREET
1887--BEN SCOTT Sr.
1889--J.F. MADDOX, ANDY M. MOYSE
1890--B.C. CROSS, Mrs. E. M. GOFF, Mrs. G. MORRIS
1891--J.R. COX
1893--Mrs. MARY D. WELLS
1894--JAMES A BIVENS
1895--Mrs. G.W. WELLS
1896--S.W. NICHOLS
*******************************************************
***We moved in a wagon from Missouri to no man's land in the north end of the panhandle in the fall of 1886. We were there two years and it never rained. One day slabs of ice fell. The sun was shining brightly and no cloud was to be seen. We moved to a tie camp near Coalgate and from there near Ardmore, living at 14 C street southwest. When this Indian Territory became a state all the whistles blew and all the bells rung for the state of Oklahoma. I am 77 years old now. Mrs. WESLEY K. HAVELY 708 Second northeast.
*************************************************
***J.R. COX Sr. was 80 years old last March, came to Ardmore from Bosque county, Texas in 1891. Until he retired he was in the general merchandise and cattle business. He is a native of Tennessee, and served as postmaster at Hoxbar for 29 years, until it was discontinued as a post office and placed on the star route. He now makes his home with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. L.L. PARISH, 800 Douglas Boulevard.
**********************************************
***ROY VINES made his start in the motor business when GUY HARRIS came to Ardmore and established the Buick agency. That was in 1919. Harris has been wise to stick to one agency, he is still Ardmore's Buick dealer.
***The tallest flower stalk in America is the Maguey tree in Mrs. WILLIS CHOATE's yard in Marietta. The blooms are 20 feet above the ground. On this tree clusters of 25 pink buds to each cluster and these pink buds opened into yellow flowers. The tree grew 20 years before it ever bloomed.
*****FRED E. TUCKER is at Masonic park in Colorado.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================================

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you're young at heart
For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you're young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on it's way

Don't you know that it's worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are it's much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you'll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart

-Frank Sinatra

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana> PO Box 11 Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

June 2, 2005 - Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 436

Steve Sanders hails from Braggs, Oklahoma. Braggs is just 11 miles SE of Muskogee next to Camp Gruber, an 87 square mile Oklahoma National Guard training center. And lets not forget Greenleaf State Park at Braggs, if your a bird watcher, I've heard this is the place to be. Anyway, Steve visits Ardmore from time to time doing some accountant work at the courthouse, as he does for a number courthouses around the state. Last week Steve was telling me about the First Annual Iron Mountain Pioneer Day celebration coming June 25 at Bragg. The past will come alive in a rip-roaring, fun filled, evening of events with live music, food, games, contests, and more! The fun will start downtown Braggs at 3pm and last until 7pm. But, hold on to your hats the evening isnt over! Some of the best cowboys around will be put to the challenge in a Open Rodeo at 8pm. So come and step into the past, it will be a great time for the whole family. Tables spaces for Crafters are available. For more information call Alicia Beasley at 918-487-5952 or 918-487-2090 or Talena Bishop at 918-487-7038. Remember, that's Saturday, June 25th!

I been hearing and reading about blogs on the internet for a long time. But I really didnt know too much about them, and since blogs are the buzzword on the net nowadays, I decided to give it a try. Plus some urging from a Reader in Seattle, Washington prodded me into action. lol. Anyway, I've set up "Our Oklahoma Blog" and its ready for posts! You can Read posts without registering, but to make a Comment to a message, registering is required. And you'll have to give me a little time to upgrade your security level so you can create a new message. So why not check it out and join in the fun.... we can use this Blog as a very powerful tool in sharing Oklahoma history and other pieces of information related to the state. Come on, signup, and lets get blogging! <----- Click Here

A couple of weeks ago I told about the the idea of planting tomatos upsided down. We'll I had to try it myself, so I have two planted upside down now. And since I dont have a green thumb, who knows what will happen. <----- Click Here

I received an interesting email last week from Dale Keith Roberts in Texas. Attached to the email were some real historical photos.... photos of a piano he now owns made by Lukes Music Company. Keith was wondering if anyone knows anything about the pianos made by Edward Luke, or other history information on the company. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

I got some great news this week! County and Western singer Becky Garrett of McKinney, Texas accepted my request for her to put to music Cecil Crosby's 1939 song "My Arbuckle Mountain Home". If any of you heard Becky sing here at Ardmore in May 2004, you know she'll do a fantastic job! Becky is originally from Ringling, and her parents still live at Ringling. Becky is the granddaughter of Orene Bridges, here in Ardmore. Here is Becky's own words: "I am originally from Ringling, Oklahoma but currently live in McKinney, Texas. I have been singing as a hobby for 15 years earning a vocal scholarship to college, traveling with a showchoir, singing at North Texas Oprys and events, and teaching vocal performance to eager young children. I am married to a wonderful husband, Patrick, and we have a beautiful 2 year old daughter named Hannah who already puts on a great show." Anyway, I know Cecil Crosby is going to be proud, knowing after 66 years his song has come back to live for everyone's enjoyment thanks to Becky Garrett. When its ready, you'll hear about it right here, so stay tuned! <----- Click Here

Last week we mentioned those mystery rocks at a residence near Wilson, Oklahoma. Several of you wrote in telling where the rocks might have came from and the pics one Reader sent in, looks just like the ones in Wilson. Here are the rocks in Wilson again. (More in the mailbag below.) <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

I was at the Ardmore Airpark over the long Memorial Day weekend and took some pics of the memorial site. So many have given so much so we can enjoy the freedoms we have in this country. <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

Ardmoreite Ann Randolph was going through some old newspaper clippings her dad had saved back in the 30s and found one that talked about the "Night of Horror" in the newspaper. In the Muskogee Weekly Phoenix of Muskogee, Oklahoma issue of November 24, 1894 it reported the train robbery at Blackstone Switch (Wybark, Oklahoma) that would start Uncle Bud Ledbetter on a road of a peace officer's career. The Cook gang of outlaws side tracked the train on November 18, 1894 carrying around $75,000 in cash, and that's when a horrific gun fight lasting nearly 2 hours between Uncle Bud Ledbetter and the outlaws. Uncle Bud served as deputy marshal under two U.S. Marshals, retiring from law enforcement in 1928. He also served two different terms as Sheriff of Muskogee county. On the front page of the Muskogee Daily Phoenix newspaper dated December 16, 1934 it was reported of Uncle Bud's passing away quietly on a farm 7 miles SE of Muskogee along with photos of Uncle Bud Ledbetter. Wybark, Oklahoma does not appear on the Oklahoma maps of today, but it was located at Section 6 Township 15N Range 19E in Muskogee county (north of Muskogee). <----- Click Here <----- Click Here

I got to thinking the other day about a word I havnt heard in years. And I searched on google.com and didnt find anything. But then maybe I dont know who to spell it. The word is enphantigo and I only vaguely know what it is. I even looked at dictionary.com and didnt find this word. Can anyone tell us more?

At the end of March I told everyone we had 99,950 Hits to the OklahomaHistory.net website. The next month, April, there were 85,000 Hits. But at the end of May we passed a milestone.... over 100,000 Hits! I can hardly believe it. And I owe it all to you people. Thanks for enjoying history right along with me. It is appreciated by many. <----- Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Your T&T issue struck another chord with the bit on Randolph Bottom. Responses from T. Spivey and others are your most credible information sources and reflect a majority of Randolph Bottom stories crossing my desk during a stint with the Madill newspaper. Stories surfaced shortly after my arrival and improved with age. Among the first was RB was the place where all the political candidates went after losing an election. And those rattlesnake stories are very real. Eddie Brown grew with an adventurous streak -- he hunted those critters (bringing only the best specimens by the paper to have pictures taken). About rural schools, Marshall County had 43 school districts at one time. It was part of the school-every-five-mile state plan to make at least a basic education (8th grade) possible for everyone. The late Jay Payne of Kingston knew the name and location of every one of the county school districts. Mr. Payne was a career teacher/administrator and could tell great stories about the county education system. Thoroughly enjoyable Butch."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch, I remember the general area where that old dam is running across Millcreek. Years ago I hiked in from the north side of the Mannsville bridge area and climbed up the mountain and walked across it. It's a rattelsnake infested area so be careful as you walk in there. The Dam part is running across Millcreek on what was the old Fred Chapman ranch. It's on the minning company land now (they bought that 20,000+ acre ranch). We had hiked up north of the Dam once and found a lot of bones on our way up the creek to the old dodson home place. Wasn't sure what had collected all those bones in that location, but the first though was mountain lions as we had seen them before in the area. So be careful and watch out for the snakes and any hungry mountain lions lol."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch, I can give you directions to the Mill Creek Dam though I have not been to it in years. About two or three miles east or Ravia on the highway just before the highway makes a bend south to Washita bridge there is dirt road going to the west. On this road about a mile is the bridge that crosses Mill Creek, creek. Do not cross the bridge but take the again dirt road going North. Private property there, and the dam is about mile north. Quite a structure to have been constructed in those days. By the way fishing was once good around there. If you have problems locating it let me know for I do not give very good directions, I feel. Where you turn North to the Dam if you cross the bridge that crosses Mill Creek that road continues on to Norton Bend and Mannsville. Thanks for History and Memories." -Troy Seedig
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch: On getting silted out of existence, that's exactly what happened to one of the best honey holes for crappie on Lake Texoma several years ago when silt accumulated and eliminated the channel or a resort called Butcher Pen, near Bee, on the Washita River in Johnston County. One of the Tulsa District engineers caused a small stir back in the 70s when he told people Texoma would silt itself out of existence within 50 years"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Cecil Crosby is in the picture on the music cover. Cecil Crosby was a guard at the prison at Granite Oklahoma." -Grover Wells <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Butch those rocks look like the limestone rocks that I have on My property. Our land joins the Corp land on Briar Creek. All around the rim of the hill where it drops off in the valley are those rocks. Some are weird shapes with holes all in them.I gave a uncle that one was about 3 ft, wide and 5 ft. long and 6 in.thick to put in His yard in Cow town. As He was setting it up someone stopped and offered Him$150 for it. The rock gets to be a solid layer as you get back from the rim of the hill.A big rock crusher is just south of Me. Its is 4 1/2 miles North of Willis Bridge on 377 HWY. Shay Cut Off Road goes East and a gravel road goes West, it has a little green man with a bow sign, turn West here 6/10 of a mile. I have those rocks very small to the size of a truck. The rocks are white until the moss grows on them. The road to Powell , in 1890, went off the hill where we built our house and you can still see the road where they moved the rocks to make the road." -DeWayne <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, The mystery rocks mentioned in your last T&T may have come from Bromide, Oklahoma..I haven't been to Bromide in about 30 years but I have seen rocks that looked like the pictures on a hill near the old Dolese quarry at Bromide. They look like they have big wormholes in them. They are scattered all over the hill and are all sizes from fist size to as large as a washtub." -Roy Miller, Okc
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, there also was a community to the far east of Madill and Kingston called Aylesworth that had a cemetery that was moved. This past weekend I visited that area where the Derricks are in the water and the water is way down. I walked as far out as I could. There were a couple of square cement blocks in the water and I did see some round sections that were stacked at one time, probably part of an old well or cistern but now they are laying down." -Jayson Pruitt Dallas/Madill [email protected] <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here <----- Click Here
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, You missed out on one of my favorite things at Catfish Corner, the french fries!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch old friend, We still enjoy your T&T, I think the town in the flood picture is Pauls Valley. If so, the flooded street is hiway 77k When the Washita River got out of banks, it backed Rush Creek up and flooded Pauls Valley many time in 20's, 30's and 40's. They eventually built a dike high enough to hold Rush Creek out of downtown P.V. Keep up the good work." -Bill Uhles <----- Click Here
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Al says it looks like Davis towards the tracks....can u blow up the words on the store???"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I know you are a very busy guy with This & That and you do not know how much people from our area appreciated all that you do. I am a history buff just like you and my dad, and being away from our part of the world you loose touch with a lot of these things. I have known you for a long time and have the greatest respect for you and the challenges you face with all of the information that is forwarded to you. I want to thank you for placing the 1000 photos for us to browse through. I have looked at every one of them. Thanks Again. Again I know how busy you are, but as you and I discussed before about the photos pertaining to my family, I would like to be able to access some of those. You have written many articles about my Father, Ernest Martin, and Grandfather and have listed many photos. I have gone back and read most of these articles and as you know I am very proud of both of them. In your September 2003 it was stated that there were 25 photos. In Oct, Nov, Dec, 2004 you have some photos of my Grandfathers Drug Store and some bottles. In Oct., 1998 you have some other photos listed. I know there are a lot of these photos and would like to be able to access them, if there is any way to do this. I would like to have all of this for personal reason as well as to be able to show this history to people around me. This is not something that I want to slip away from me. Thanks again for all of your hard work and efforts my good friend." -Larry Martin, Florida
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I have been looking at the OklahomaHistory web sight, and was trying to find a site that might list the early pioneers. My Grandparents were a part of the first land rush, and the first white people to settle in what is now the panhandle of Oklahoma, the homestead still stands North and West of Keyes, Oklahoma. I was told by my grandparents that before Keys came about that their was a small town called Willa Bar of which is now the burial site of many of my family members, and other that have lived in the community. Doing family research I found that I have two Indian tribes in my background. One being the Choctaw tribe, on my Fathers side, and the other I cannot recall, it is on my Mothers Side. My father, Raymond Alton McCrea, was born in the Oklahoma territory (1904). My Mother was born in what is now Cimarron County, on the homestead, in a dugout. She was the youngest of three children, Margaret Ruth St. John she was born in 1911. I'm the youngest of three children I was born in Roswell, New Mexico in 1948. I have an older brother who was born in 1939, and a sister who was born in 1941. I would appreciate any information that you may find on the early pioneers or a website I can go to. Again thank You." -Roxie L. McCrea (Heins) [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Butch these pictures are awesome. I wish you could see if she could scan them a little bigger or something so we could see more." -Jayson Pruitt, Madill/Dallas [email protected] http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos5a/RandolphSchool1946.jpg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================

'Oklahoma Hills' -Words and music by Jack Guthrie and Woody Guthrie

Many months have come and gone,
Since I wandered from my home,
In those Oklahoma Hills where I was born.
Many a page of life has turned,
Many a lesson I have learned,
Yet I feel like in those hills I still belong.

'Way down yonder in the Indian nation
I rode my pony on the reservation,
In the Oklahoma Hills where I was born.
Way down yonder in the Indian nation,
A cowboy's life is my occupation,
In the Oklahoma Hills where I born.'

But as I sit here today,
Many miles I am away,
From the place I rode my pony through the draw,
Where the oak and blackjack trees,
Kiss the playful prairie breeze,
In those Oklahoma Hills where I was born.

Now as I turn life a page,
To the land of the great Osage,
In those Oklahoma Hills where I was born,
Where the black oil rolls and flows,
And the snow white cotton grows,
In those Oklahoma Hills where I was born."

"Oklahoma Hills" was written by Woody Guthrie, on February 23, 1940. Woody moved with his parents to Oklahoma, settling in Okemah, during the 'great depression.

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~