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Below is October 6, 2001 to December 29, 2001.
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Saturday December 29, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 245
I received lots e-cards and Season's Greetings this Christmas from so many of you. Many were so beautiful, they were almost like a work of art. But one Season's Greeting I received really caught my attention. It was from Wilton Tifft in Pennsylvania and attached was this magnificent photo. The photo was so breath-taking, I had to email him back and ask for more info about it. The photo was taken in the Ukraine, Wil took it between between 1992 and 1995 he was doing some photographic work in that country. He took the picture looking up into the cupola of a cathedral in Lugans'k, Ukraine. It will always be one of the most remarkable and beautiful photos I've received through the Net. Wilton has a gallery of photos he took during his time in the Ukraine, feel free to visit his website and melt into the beauty and history. Wil also has a photo gallery of Ellis Island memories. http://www.tifft.com
Here is that photo Wil took, I can't put into words, but I know you will see the beauty. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tifft.jpg
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
From The Daily Ardmoreite
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Thursday, December 26, 1935
FLAMES SWEEP LONE GROVE BUSINESS AREA
FIRE WIPES OUT THREE BUILDINGS
General Store, Drugstore, Filling Stations and Physician's Office Destroyed
ARDMORE FIRE FIGHTERS AID
County Commissioner Says Ardmore Firemen Saved Buildings
Fire, originating in Coffey and Richards' store and filling station, destroyed a drug store and a doctor's office early Tuesday at Lone Grove at a loss estimated at between $15,000 and $20,000. Work of Ardmore firemen prevented the blaze from spreading to other business houses and residences on the main street. The loss was partially covered by insurance.
The fire, discovered at 1:30am by A.M. Stringer, county commissioner who lives nearby, was well under way. Before he could reach the scene, Dr. G.W. Hathaway's office next door was ablaze. The doctor's office joined the Heflin & Doss drugstore and filling station, operated by Mr and Mrs O.K Darden. The Darden's residence at the rear and a garage were destroyed. Darden also had a filling station in front of his drugstore.
Mr and Mrs Darden escaped barely in time. A new automobile, driven less then 100 miles was burned. E.W. Coffey and Roy Richards operated a large general store and filling station. Stringer said the blaze apparently originated near the back of the store. Stringer's store and filling station east of the Coffey & Richards' business were saved. Ardmore sent its chemical truck to aid in saving other buildings.
In Dr. Hathaway's office were several hundred dollars' worth of instruments, it was said. Telephone and light service was interrupted for a time. Both telephone and light wires spanned the burning building.
Ardmore Department Helps
"All that prevented other business houses from burning was the splendid work done by the Ardmore fire department", Stringer said. "Lack of wind also was a factor".
This is a footnote to the above story: Before his death, I had the honor of taking Dr Hathaway (1874 - 1973) to the hospital several times in the ambulance. He was in a local nursing home, and remain very alert to the end. We talked about many things. He was a good man. He and Doctor Hobson Veazey would share experiences at the clinic where I took Dr Hathaway for checkups. Dr. Hathaway telling Veazey how things were done way back when. I'll never forget that old man, he lived to be 99 years old. A remarkable man and a remarkable life.
A Reader in Texas sent me a newspaper clipping this week about toothpick holders. The article said toothpick holders are collector's items around the world. This Christmas I gave toothpick holders again to all the courthouse employees. It was just my way of spreading a little Christmas cheer, and showing I appreciate working with the greatest bunch of people I could ever hope for. Ewen when someone calls me to see why their computer won't come on, and I find its just come unplugged from the wall. hahaha We are all like family at the courthouse, especially in times like these. I told them if they hang on to the toothpick holders, who knows, maybe someday they will be worth some bucks! Here is that news clipping from the Reader in Texas. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tptexas.jpg
This is a pic of the wood toothpick holders I had made in Missouri. I still have a few left, not sure what I will do with them. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tphold01.jpg
A Reader sent me some tea called English Breakfast. I have been fixing it each morning with Half and Half. I think it taste better then coffee! http://www.twinings.com/en_us/index.asp
Our little T&T group has gone up to 6,677 minutes during the month of December as of friday night the 28th. With a few days to go, we may still hit 10,000 minutes by midnight December 31st. There has been 9 new T&T readers start using the 4 cents a minute plan this month. And don't forget the company is going up to 4.9 cents a minute Jan 1. But for those of us already using it, we'll stay at 4 cents a minute! So, if you want to get the 4 cents a minute rate next year on your home phone or business phone, make at least one long distance call using the directions at the link below, BEFORE the end of 2001.... you'll be locked in then!!!! http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Butch, What a delight to see some of my handiwork on your website! I'm referring to the photos of the old Cooper Farms. My father, Cecil Lewis, was general manager of Cooper Farms from 1952 for about 10 years. I definitely remember making the shot out at the farm. But the shot downtown showing the processing plant and restaurant might not have been mine. I do remember that Dad wanted some post cards to give away at the restaurant. As for the discussion about when the picture was made, I'm pretty sure it was much later than 1951. If it's the shot I made, it would have been closer to 1956, the first year I was old enough to drive. (Isn't that a major milemarker in everybody's life?!)" -James Lewis Nashville jlewis@wsmv.com
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"Hi Butch.... I read the note from Frances Dunlap, I must have known her sometime back..would like to hear directly at rtranch550@yahoo.com or anyone who might have known me back through the years, 1940's, or '50s.'Course you may not be running a reunion type letter... I remember Dr. Boyd, was a 'pill Dr.' and when my mom got poison ivy he would give her little glass vials of something that smelled like alcohol poured over what looked to be sugar pills. Would cure her almost over-night! He had a Grandfather Rights Doctor's Certificate and was allowed to doctor when most all had to go through the many years of schooling. I think his unusual method of doctoring must have died with him. Get poison ivy here every spring on this little ol' 'ranch' in mid-Missouri and wish I could find the cure that Doctor Boyd offered. Always enjoy your T and T letters. God bless, and may you and your readers have a great Christmas this year!" Bob Taylor
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"My dad used to work for Priddy's back in the 60's he still remembers some of the recipes (he makes the best peminto cheese) I am looking for photos of down town ardmore of a bakery called Solomon's, I believe was the name, my grandfather Earl Johnson was employed there back in the 50's He passed on in 1960." ztrp@brightok.net
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"Hi Butch, Just a quick note to wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas, and a healthy and prosperous New Year. And to thank you for your efforts in sending out T&T each week; it's always very interesting. From an old Sulphur boy (73 yrs old), now in Galt, Calif." -Bob & Billie Elliston
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"BUTCH........ That's me in the white swim suit!!!!!!!!! I forgot to tell you that!!!!!!!" -Danna Goode Rice in Texas
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/snow54a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/snow54b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/snow54c.jpg ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"hey butch, i've been working in the film business in Calgary for the past few years. I graduated from Ardmore High and have a keen interest in our city's history. They just finished a made for television film called the Johnson County War, a confrontation that took place in Wyoming and from which Buck Garrett and Tucker were participants. I'm always amazed that no matter where i am in North America it seems Ardmore is very close by in one form or another. The film should be out soon. Thanks!! oh and by the way they were on the "bad " guys team!!"
http://www.canoe.ca/TelevisionShowsJ/johnsoncountywar.html
http://wyomuseum.state.wy.us/johnson.htm
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I've had so many of you request my History CD, I'm going to continue drawing names from the hopper for a period of time. So, let's draw another two names for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
aone@brightok.net
mcpayne@webtv.net
A couple of days ago I almost had a computer crash. First time in over a year I've had that kind of problem with the hard drive. I think I've got it all fix back, but won't know until I run some more diagnostics on it later. I really thought I might not be able to get out this issue of T&T, but everything worked out.
I appreciate everyone of you, and all the history we share year after year. 2001 is coming to a close, and I'm looking forward to our weekly gatherings in 2002. Like the song by Celine Dion...
"Everywhere I go, all the places that I've been,
Every smile is a new horizon on a land I've never seen,
There are people around the world - different faces different names,
But there's one true emotion that reminds me we're the same.
Let's talk about love, Let's talk about us, Let's talk about life,
Let's talk about trust, Let's talk about love."
Happy New Year everyone...... See you all next year!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
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Saturday December 22, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 244
A couple of you asked me the past week or so if Carter County Undersheriff Pat Battles was the same person who was elected Carter County Assessor. Yes, he is the one and same. I talked to retired Deputy Sheriff Bud Hunt this week and he told me Undersheriff Pat Battles not only picked up those three Thompson Machine Guns in Texarkana, Texas for their department back in 1960, he also picked up a "cold duck" rifle. It was a 30-30 and was purchased for one purpose, to end a hostage situation, should one arise in the county back in those days.
Gary Simmons emailed me a jpeg file this week he put together with several uniform patches worn by the soldiers at the Airpark back in the 1940s and 50s. The photo also shows a formation of B17 Bombers like those used in training at the Airpark, and in which those men died. We'll soon have a memorial in honor of those Americans who gave all. What's going to make this memorial so special and so personal, is thanks to Gary Simmons research, the names of those who died at the airpark during those years, will be listed on the monument. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/b17info.jpg
A friend in Healdton brought by a 1935 Daily Ardmoreite the other day. In my next issue I'll tell about it's headliner, a raging Christmas Eve fire destroying several building in downtown Lone Grove, including a doctor's office.
Stan at Pronto Print here in Ardmore was down at the courthouse not long ago, and took a beautiful photo of the courthouse. It is in full color, suitable for framing, 8 1/2 X 11 inches. He only charges $1.50 for each full color photo. If you want a photo, go by and see Stan Daugherty at Pronto Print at 816 12th NW, here in Ardmore, phone 580-223-1612 or send him email at standarty@hotmail.com for more info. If you live out of town and want one of these color photos of the courthouse mailed to you, I know Stan will have to add some postage and handling to the $1.50 charge, so check with Stan for the exact amount. That copper dome and cupola sure looks nice! http://www.prontoprintinc.com/
A Reader mailed me this unique 2002 calendar this week! It's produced by the Waynoka, Oklahoma Historical Society. The calendar has a theme from Waynoka's bygone years and each month features some historical landmark in that town. Let's see, as I fan through the calendar, there is photo of the Waynoka Depot and the Doughboys waiting to board the train, another is of two Santa Fe steam engines at the Waynoka Round House (I see a bell on one!), a 1957 photo of Waynoka Chamber of Commerce members dressed in desert attire including camels at Waynoka's Little Sahara. A 1929 groundbreaking of Oklahoma's first transcontinental airport at Waynoka, a 1910 photo of the J.W. Frawley residence, a 1951 photo of railroaders stopping work to greet Fred Urban and his little son, a photo of the Hess 3 day Ranch Rodeo and Picnic before statehood, a 1910 photo of construction on the Harvey House in Waynoka, a 1913 photo of rodeo promoters Raymond Urban, Fred Dupy, Eddie Webb, and Sam Cohlmia. The month of September has a photo of the 1906 lift off of the lighter than air balloon at Waynoka, a photo of the 1912 broomcorn harvest in downtown Waynoka, a old photo of freight crews unloading boxcars at the freight depot, a 1908 photo of the First Baptist Church in Waynoka with all its members standing out front, some more pics of the Harvey House, and last but not least, a beautiful photo of an old Santa Fe train bell! For more info on ordering this magnificent black and white calendar, visit their website and send them email! http://www.pldi.net/~harpo/
I was talking to a friend this week who had gone to the Canton, Texas flea market located 60 miles east of Dallas. This flea market at Canton, Texas claims to be the largest flea market in the world. This friend of mine was browsing through the 3,000 vendor tables and came upon an unusual item. It was made of clay, and was like a pot within a pot, a small pot inside a larger pot. He couldn't figure out what this pot within a pot was use for, so he started asking around. After asking several dozen vendors, finally an old man at one of the flea market tables said he knew exactly what this strange thing was used for.
The man said back in the early 1900s people would spread their dinner out on a table, maybe even in the front yard or on a picnic, and immediately the ants would start to invade the food. This was especially the case if the owners left the table to go swimming or to take a nap, etc., leaving the food on the table. These "pot within a pot", clay pots were used to keep ants from climbing up the table legs and reaching the foodstuff. The owner would fill the space between the two pots with water, then place the legs of the tables down into the inside dry pot. The water between the two pots would keep the ants from crossing over to the table legs inside the dry pot. Interesting piece of history my friend ran across in Canton, Texas. http://www.cantonfleamarket.com/
For those of us using the 4 cents a minute plan, I have some good news. The company just started a new feature, if any of you tell a friend, and that friend starts using the service, you earn a five dollar credit on your long distance phone bill. That means using any of their plans, you can talk another 125 minutes free for each friend you refer who uses the service! Just go to the link below and check it all out! By the way, since December the 1st (21 days) our little T&T group has talked 5,380 minutes! I believe we're on our way to that 10,000 minute mark by year's end! http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
A GLIMPSE INTO CHRISTMAS PAST
The Daily Ardmoreite
Sunday, December 28, 1919
Ardmore, Oklahoma
BUCK GARRETT HOST TO COUNTY SHUT-INS ON CHRISTMAS DAY
At the county jail, following his usual custom, Sheriff Buck Garrett was host to the prisoners on Christmas Day. And the sheriff lived up to his policy of not doing things by halves and put on a highly appreciated "spread". There was turkey and cranberry sauce and pies and all the "fixings" attendant at a Christmas feast. Besides all the good things at the dinner table, the "shut-ins" received candies, fruits, nuts, tobacco, etc., all of which helped materially to lighten the burden of feeling that they were denied the freedom of the average American citizen.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Hello Butch, I read the article about honey & it reminded me about the honey that I used to buy at the V.F.W. at Gainesville, Texas. It was home grown honey & you could buy it by the quart for $6.00. It came from a man that lives in Marietta by the name of J.J. Hood. Rt. 1 Box 85, phone number 580-276-3230."
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"Hi Butch, What a pleasant surprise to see my grandparents' home in your pictures of Third Avenue, NE. They lived in the house on the Northwest corner of Third and E St. NE. My grandfather did all of Dr. Boyd's yard work. They were very good friends. My grandfather had farmed all his life and when they moved to Ardmore he had to do something to keep busy. You may remember my grandparents, N.J. and Emma Thompson. I am sure you passed their house going to school and back home. They spent a lot of time in their yard and garden. My grandmother died when she was almost 93 years old and had a garden that year. And will you please quit showing pictures of food? I am trying to lose weight and it is hard when I see all that good Mexican food. You had Janice Curtis' name in there twice. Did she eat twice as much food? Don't tell her I asked that question. Tell her I said "Hi." I am still waiting for you to draw my name for the CD. I gave you my friends name and she got one the first week. Now is that fair? No, I am really glad that she got it. She is a great friend and I will hear from her if you print this. I love to tease her. She would really like to see Brown Springs. I keep after her to come up here and we will go down there. We might need you for protection. I doubt that she ever makes it. Glad to see another letter from Bill O'Heran. Even though he did not live in Ardmore as long as I did, he sure knows a lot of history. I remember when he and his wife married. I am sure the letter about the parade in New Orleans was from Lynn Morris. I was thinking about Bob Taylor not long ago. I knew so many of his family. I did not know Johnny Dixon but I heard so much about his art. Everything in your issue seems to bring back a memory of some sort. Even Horntown. I used to drive by Horntown when I was living in Ada. I was always going somewhere and learning new towns. Spent a lot of time in Wilson as a teenager as I had friends there. I still keep in touch with them although all of them have moved elsewhere. Your newsletter has put me in touch with several old friends and a few new ones. Thanks a lot. I enjoy every word of it." Frances Long Dunlap
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"Butch, they sell Razzleberry Pie every day at Marie Callender's Restaurant in Norman, Oklahoma just west of I-35. Good eating!"
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"The Wilson library was the photo mistakingly labeled as the "old Wilson Post Office." The library had a gas meter on the south side of the building and Billie Williamson almost knocked it completely out of the ground back around 1960 when he hit it with his 53 Ford one Saturday night as he was speeding out of town...the library was just up from the 90-DEG turn to the North that folks had to take while heading out to the highway North of town. My family used to live in the "old" post office back in the 50,s. There was a vacant spot where another building used to be on the South side, and then there was the building on corner that became the Wilson Historical Museum. My mother worked at Week's Cafe and carried a Colt .45 for the short walk to work when she worked night shift. Wilson was sort of an oil boom town then, and there was some rough-and-tumble happenings almost every night. The "new" post office was across the street on the corner, next to Balleau's Drug Store, across from what used to be the Ford dealership (I'm pretty sure it was the Ford dealership). Another post office was constructed later on the west side of town; probably in the late 60's. Just past Week's Cafe was Steele's Grocery, Homer & Blackie's barber shop and then the '5 & dime' on the corner."
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"Butch, my husband has a nephew, E. L. Morton, who lives in Ardmore. He has been in the 'honey business' for many, many years. He has his hives in various areas in this vicinity. He supplies some stores around here. The demand is greater than his ability to supply, each year. It is excellent honey. We enjoy your T&T each week. It is very enlightening. It must take much of your time, but it is appreciated and you are making many people happy."
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"BUTCH: JUST A QUICK E-MAIL TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN USING THAT PHONE SERVICE, AND THAT I THINK IT IS WONDERFUL, SO FAR IT HAS SAVED ME TONS OF MONEY. MY LAST PHONE BILL WAS $17.16, AND I USED 429.0 MINUTES. THIS SERVICE HAS SAVED MY POCKETBOOK ALMOST AN EXTRA $90.00 TO $105.00 DOLLARS. I'M HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY. I WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER HIGH PHONE BILL AGAIN, OR USE ANY OTHER SERVICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO THAT WONDERFUL SERVICE. I'M SO SATISFIED THAT I'M GOING TO TELL EVERYONE TO USE THAT SERVICE IF THEY CAN. PLEASE KEEP ME ADVISED BY E-MAIL IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER NEW IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS SERVICE."
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"Thanks for all the good things and memories over the past year. We through your readers got back into Priddys Salad Dressing, through your readers we got some Grapette when we were out there, and we saw a lot of memories and names from the past, even as in last weeks issue where Royce Gauntt was mentioned. He used to stop by my store, Hill Top Grocery, several times a week and pick up some groceries. He was always most pleasant and friendly and enjoyed the brief times he was there. While not a native of Ardmore, I probably spend as much time reading the Ardmoreite almost every day, as if I was born there. So much appreciate your work and your efforts to share things with us and am sure we will be kept busy looking at all the past on the CD."
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"Finally made it up to see the trolley system at El Reno, Okla this weekend.Very nice! It starts near the old Rock Island Depot near the west side of town, works its way around town with a loop around a block on the far end then returns to the Depot. The rails go right down the middle of the cobble stone streets. Just like in the old days! It's a must see. Sure wish Ardmore had their's running again. I'd spend more time down town!"
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"Dear Butch, I remember Mr. Smartt coming in to the office supply store where I worked here in Healdton. This had to be at least 16 years ago. He was doing a genealogical search of his family. He made copy after copy of who knows what; he showed me some of the information he had gathered and I could not make any sense of it, but he knew what he was doing. He had obviously worked very hard and lots of hours gathering pages and pages of family history. I do not know what ever became of his genealogical search, but Mr. Smartt passed away at least 10 years ago. Thanks for This and That! I really enjoy it."
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"My 88 yr. old mom was born in Marietta and grew up in Ardmore, living on C St. I came across your website while searching for something else not even closely related to your website. For whatever reason, I have just printed 82 pages of This & That for her to read. She is really enjoying the memories - what a blessing! Please add her to your newsletters."
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"There is a picture of Tom Cooper Farms when it was where the Dept of Human Resources is now (next door on one side to the new McDonald's and the other side used to be the Neustadt Building. I think).......Anyway...the caption says 1951 but isn't that a 1956 Ford parked in front along with some '55/'56 Chevys and maybe an Oldsmobile about a 1954? My reason for asking? I think that '56 Ford was my boyfriend's (now my husband), the Olds was one of my best friends, and one of the Chevys was another of my best friends. Just curious!!"
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cooper52.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cooperfm.jpg
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"Hi Butch, I just had to add to the old phone numbers. When I was little living with my grandmother in the country at Frederick, Ok. we had one of the old crank phones. It was hanging on the wall, so high that my little 4'11" grandmother had to stand on a stool to reach it. That phone number will always be in my memory. 8513-F-13. The ring was one long and 3 shorts. I have no idea how many were on the same line but I know you could never get on the phone without a half dozen or so getting on and just entering the conversation with you. If you were calling someone on your line, all you had to do was crank the handle for the correct number of rings. When we first moved to Vinita in 1942, you could not get a phone unless you were in a certain position that required one. My dad worked for the railroad so we got a phone. The number was 916-J, then changed to 916-W. After the war when there were more phones available, we finally got a "private" line and our number was 916. Of course we had the "operators" that we had to go thru. My mother kept this same 916 number until the phone company went to dial. Most people got to keep the last 3 digits of their phone number, but for some reason mother's was changed to 256-2116. We never did understand why. Hope you have great holidays. God Bless."
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"CD received in Ohio this morning and just wanted to thank you again, and again wish you a great holiday season!" Bob & Virginia Farrington.
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Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
drmdc@ntws.net
janellake@aol.com
I want to thank everyone for all the beautiful Christmas e-cards, phone calls, and even gifts under the tree, I've received that past couple of weeks! The weatherman says Ardmore probably will not see a white Christmas this year. But in 1954 it was another story. Ex-Ardmoreite Danna Goode Rice emailed me three photos taken of her and her friend, Eddie Lou Powell Hunsinger, that year when the snow was deep. The two were challenged by a DJ at KVSO radio (when the station was located on North Washington) to pose for some pics in the 8 inch deep snow with only a bathing suit on!. These pics were taken way out 12th NW, about where the old Cooper Farms was located. This all happened in 1954 during the Christmas Break at Ardmore High School. Send Danna some email and tell her they must have been crazy to get out in that snow like that. hahahaha. By the way, that's Danna in the white bathing suit. Her email address is.... DR8322@aol.com
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/snow54a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/snow54b.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/snow54c.jpg
!!!!!!!!!MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Saturday December 15, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 243
I was at the grocery store last week looking for some honey. I remembered how many years people in this are of Oklahoma I knew bought honey that was produced in Healdton, Oklahoma by Mr. Smartt. I havent seen Mr. Smartt's honey on the shelves in several years. Maybe someone how there knows a little history on this excellent Carter county honey and it's owner. I even wish for a photo of him, he was the Honey King around here, maybe someone can come up with a photo and more info!
The only local honey I found on the grocery shelves in Ardmore was Floyd Cranmore Honey, 9255 Fillmore Road South, Coleman, Oklahoma 73432 Ph: 580-443-5627. Since that is the nearest honey I could find produced in this area, I bought a 64oz (4 lbs.) glass jar at a price of $6.29 each. Old timers say we need to use local honey if we can find it, because of it's medicinal properties and ability to combat local allergies and stuff. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cranhon2.jpg
A Reader brought by an aerial photo taken in January 1975 of the area near 3rd and "A" Street Northeast here in Ardmore. In the southeast corner of that location is where the old Cashway Lumber Company was operated by a friend of mine by the name of Freeman Baker (1909-1996). Freeman and I did a lot of singing together back in the 60s in the church choir. We always sat next to each other, him on the end. He sang Tenor and what I sang was anybody's guess. hahaha. And on very special occasions, his daughter Mary Francis Baker would sing, like on Easter or Christmas. And when she sang, and reached those high notes, I thought the window panes were going to crack. She had a tremendous singing voice, guess she took that after her dad Freeman Baker.
Some of the businesses that are in this 1975 aerial photo besides Cashway Lumber Company are: Grady Hobson Family Store, Fiber Reduction, Floyd Vanderburg Barber Shop, and his dad's grocery store, Vanderburg Grocery. The Vanderburgs lived across the street north from the "big swimming pool". A.D. Wilkerson's Printer was located in 1975 at 313 "A" NE. On the southwest corner of 3rd and "A" street NE was a filling station. Back around 1965, for a short period of time, it was ran by my friend Otis Ivey. He'd let me park my motorcycle I rode to high school behind the gas station. Ardmore Plumbing was at a different location back in 1975 then it is now. It was between the railroad tracks on the south side of 3rd at 300 3rd NE. My grandfather who owned Carmon Lumber Company would stop in there regularly to pick up plumbing supplies to sell in the lumber yard. Ardmore Plumbing also had another warehouse and office across the street north from the one on the side side of 3rd. I see in the photo the old Hudson-Huston Lumber Yard on 3rd NE too. A person can just barely see my long time friend, Betty Brown's House of Health in the foreground. She was Ardmore's Number One expert on vitamins and herbs!
One thing I notice in the photo is that no chain link fence is around the "big swimming pool" at 3rd NE and "F" street in 1975. For some reason that detail escapes me. Also the building where Ritter Bicycle Repair was located is gone. Oh, and let's not forget Dr. J.J. Boyd's old office at "F" and 2nd Northeast.
Here are those aerials. I broke the large photo up into four parts to make viewing the details easier. You will see a couple of dozen people walking at various spots along 3rd NE. What that tells me is it was about 3:15pm when the photo was taken, those are high school students walking home. Freeman Baker's grandson, Jim Baker and owner of the photo, told me the kids would stop in at his grandfather's lumber yard for cold water on hot days. In the first smaller photo I have marked the locations I've mentioned above by number.
1. "Big Swimming Pool" (Community Swimming Pool)
2. Dr. J.J. Boyd's Office (sugar pill doctor)
3. Fiber Reduction Company
4. Ardmore Plumbing and across the street north is their 2nd warehouse/office (4b)
5. Hudson-Houston Lumber Yard Number 2
6. Cashway Lumber Company
7. Otis Ivey's old service station
8. Vanderburg Grocery and Barber Shop
9. Joe Brown Company
10. Betty Brown's House of Health
11. Grady Hobson's Family Store
12. Vanderburg's old home place on 3rd NE
13. A.D. Wilkinson Printer
14. Ardmore Electric
15. Ritter Bicycle Repair Shop (a vacant lot)
Here's the map, I hope I got the locations correct. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bakermap.jpg
This is the same photo but without the "mapping'. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/baker5f.jpg
The following is photo broken up into four parts showing more detail. The next one is of the "big swimming pool".
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/baker5a.jpg
The next one is of Hudson-Huston Lumber Yard Number 2.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/baker5b.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/baker5c.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/baker5d.jpg
And this is a close up Cashway Lumber Company. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/baker5e.jpg
I want to thank Jim Baker from sharing that 1975 photo. If any of you remember Cashway Lumber Company and his grandfather Freeman Baker, send Jim some email! baker1@arbuckleonline.com
Healdton, Oklahoma now has an official website. Some great info, check it out! http://www.healdton.org/
In Hughes County, Oklahoma just 7 miles east of Holdenville is Horntown, Oklahoma. A friend took this pic of that town's fire department not too long ago. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/horntown.jpg Another T&T Reader has set up a Website just for Horntown, Oklahoma including a link to Moss School's webpages and Alumni information! http://www.horntown.com
One of Ardmore's finest DJs and long time radio professionals recently set up his own website. He's Al Hamilton, AKA "Adequate Al". His website will list bookings and promotions! http://www.showtimeardmore.com
Doug Williams, Chief of the Ardmore Airpark Fire Department, has been holding out on me it looks like, as I found out by accident. I was out by his house this week and looked on his front porch, and lo and below, there was a little bell. Not a big bell, but a nice little bell! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dougbel2.jpg
Another Reader gave me a pic of this Marietta, Oklahoma bell this week. The bell is at Badger McBride residence, 508 Mayall Street, in Marietta, Oklahoma. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mcbrideb.jpg
This week I noticed a good looking bell mounted on a post in the yard of the first or second house south of Greenville, Oklahoma's school (north of Marietta). I'll get a pic of it soon!
Speaking of bells, a Reader sent me this cartoon about a man who swallowed a bell. hahaha http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bellring.jpg
This week the workers in the Annex Building next to the courthouse here in Ardmore had a little Christmas Party with a Mexican food theme! Boy, I want to tell you there was food galore, being fixed and brought by those attending. And it looks like this year more employees participated in this get together then last Christmas. Let's see, who was there... Phyllis Russell, Michelle Bray, James and Donna Lindsey, Mina Howard, Helen McReynolds, Joyce Harris, Janice Curtis, Jennifer Tyler, Kevin McIntire, Gary Watson, Kathy Speaks, Denise Minke, Janice Curtis, Gerri Ballard, Rosanne Newton, Stacey Goodson, and Teresa Woehst, and then yours truly. Here's a couple of pics of all that delicious Mexican style food! We all had lots of fun and fellowship at noon Thursday and I think everyone ate to much!
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/comm12a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/comm12b.jpg
Last week's T&T had a major bobble in it. I said a certain photo was of the "old Wilson, Oklahoma Post Office", when actually it was the old Wilson Library building. It is the same building that was converted into a Sheriff's Department satellite office and arsonist soon afterwards set it ablaze destroying the building. The sheriff still has a satellite office in Wilson, but in a new building. Here is that photo again of the no longer existent old Wilson library. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wilsonli.jpg
I havn't said much lately about the progress on get a memorial stone erected at the Airpark in memory of those who died during training at the airbase. I talked to Mrs Wilson at Lone Grove Wednesday, and she said the stone is ready to be picked up at Mill Creek, Oklahoma. Her son will pick it up after the First of January. We have almost $1,800 in donations! http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/pledgepd.txt
I'm glad some of you wrote this week telling me how much you've saved in long distance calls using the 4 cents a minute Plan. I knew I was right, and one email in the Mailbag really confirms it! Since December 1st our T&T group has totaled over 3,450 minutes in long distance calling! I still believe we will hit 10,000 minutes by the end of the month! http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"It's the difference in our water. In some area's Cain's is better ie South Central OK. Here, Lipton is better. Luzianne has a different taste all around."
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"Hello Butch, Really enjoy your e-newsletters. Since you may have some readers with connections to the Horntown, OK & Moss Public School area, would you mind putting a link to my website in your next edition. You were going to do this earlier and then Sept. 11th. happened. That changed a lot of plans didn't it? Thanks again for all your hard word on the e-newsletters and all the extras you put in each week." http://www.horntown.com
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"Butch, my Dad owned the Sooner Foods store when it was robbed and Bobby Rudisill was shot and killed. One of the interesting inside stories was that Mr. Red the nightwatchman heard something in the back of the store and unlocked the front door and ran onto North Washington St. street to stop a police car driving by, he then went back and locked himself back in and continued working. When my Dad asked him why he didn't call the police he responded that he hadn't learned to use the new dial phones yet. Before Sulphur went Dial the store numbers were 74 and 69 and our home phone was 474. I have to say Hi to Bill Uhles and let him try to remember who I am by what I have written. I owe him that. He used to be a big tease."
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"Hi Butch! Enjoy your weekly 'epistles!' every Saturday and the history and happenings that you dig up! It all brings back memories. I recall during the early days of WW11 our family all going down to the train station and 'seeing off' my uncle, Johnny Dixon to war. Johnny had left his mark in the art world at O.U. and around the Ardmore area. There is still a Johnny Dixon award for talented artists from what I understand. Johnny went off to war and never came back,alive, his head severed in Germany by a shell as they were marching along. His brother, Andrew came back, I guess in 1945 or '46, and bought $600 in Christmas trees for resale. I remember him standing down on main street selling those trees in the cold, and they only brought about $600 total. The man he had bought them from misrepresented the total. Such a waste on both counts. Johnny was a fine artist, and Andy had a brilliant mind, even if he was 'taken' on the tree deal. His son later helped IBM develop the computer. Our family lost people in all three services , the army, navy and the air force who never made it back. But their memory lives on, as does our freedom!" Bob Taylor, RT Ranch, in the heart of Missouri.
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"Hey Butch, Tell you reader who wrote: ""Hey Butch, You might pass on to your reader that has the book on Lloyd Noble, if it is an original it is worth about twenty thousand dollars, maybe more."" that the book I have has only one publishing date, dust cover and it was part of the "Oklahoma Trackmaker Series." Copyright 1995 Oklahoma Heritage Association. LIbrary of Congress Number 95-71323. Manufactured in the United States of America for the Oklahoma Heritage Association, Oklahoma City. ISBN: 0-8646-090-6. Would they like to be my agent? Ha!Ha!"
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"On another note, I wrote to Candace who asked about cemeteries under Lake Murray. My grandpa, Gilbert Melvin Morris (1901-1972), said there were not any cemeteries under water unless they were private family plots. He and his dad, Robert Walker Morris (1872-1934), free ranged cattle through the area that is now Lake Murray. My uncle, Brance Clinton Massey (1903-2000), also verified this many times. His dad (my gr-grandpa), Salvy Jackson Massey, gave the land the Legate cemetery is on. My dad's triple second cousin, Lowell Keeton (1917-), still living in Ardmore on Springdale Road, says he never knew or heard of a cemetery under Lake Murray."
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"We had a wonderful Pearl Harbor Day parade here in New Orleans today. 12 of the living 59 national medal of honor winners from WWII rode in the parade. What an experience to see, They also dedicated and opened the second phase, Pacific Theatre of Operations, of our National D-Day Museum. This was the started by historian Stephen Ambrose (biographer of Eisenhower and Lewis and Clark) with assistance from Steven Speilberg and Tom Hanks. We are real fortunate to have such a living memorial. Keep up the good work and congratulations on your Christmas tree."
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"Butch, I really enjoyed seeing the picture of Hotel Ardmore. I worked at Grissom's Drug Store in the SE corner of the building in 1946. Later, my mother worked in the coffee shop in the NE corner. Also, I don't know why I have never told you about a bell at Hickory Hill Baptist Church at Fittstown. It is an Indian church North and West of Fittstown. Drive north of Fittstown about 1 1/2 miles and you will see a sign that says Hickory Hill Baptist Church. Just follow the road."
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"Hi Butch, I always love your weekly e-mails; but the tea discussion hit home as well as the discussion on telephones, old and new. When I lived in Oklahoma, I thought there was nothing but iced tea until I baby sat for a lady who taught me to enjoy hot tea. Now, no one better think of taking my tea away. I live about 75 miles from a gourmet shop and when I have to cross the Bridge, I always buy one or another of the flavors. I like several kinds. On the telephones; I wish they could expand our lines or something; as I have to dial l-area code-208 or 64l- and then the four digits JUST FOR MY NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR!! At least all of our lines are underground. My daughter 35 miles away does not have to use all the numbers for anyone in her whole town. Keep up the good work "
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"Butch, My grandmother wrote her telephone number along with their friends numbers in her Bible. They are 4 digits ex: 9515 F 4 etc. Sure would be nice if we could get any additional info in researching from these numbers. Thanks for All your help!"
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"Butch, I could not resist giving you a little Oklahoma history after seeing all of the e-mails about old telephone numbers. The telephone company for the Gene Autry area was the Hardy Telephone company owned and operated by Noble & Lena Hardy. I have the original files they used at the time they sold the business in 1956. They used 3 by 5 cards kept in a small metal box as there permanent records of who had service(the persons name), the billing address, telephone number, the installation date, and the rate charged. As an example my folks had two numbers, one for our general store and one for home. Our phones were installed on June 2, 1947. Our billing rate was $3.50 for the store and $2.75 for our home. There was a rate increase on April 20,1954 and the rates went up too $4.00 and $3.00. (Party lines cost $2.75 and had numbers like J-2 ) Our phone number was 54-2(2 rings) for the store and 54-3(3 rings) for our home. To show you how uncomplicated things were in those days our Post Office box number was 54. Now for the rest of the story. In 1956 the Air Force Base was planning to build 750 homes on the west side of Gene Autry starting in September 1956 and to be completed 14 months later. They required dial telephone service. I have a letter dated April 23, 1954 from a Major Craig, Asst Adjutant at Langley Air Force Base Virginia to Royce Gauntt (of then Lone Grove) detailing the needs of the Air Force for telephone service in the Gene Autry area and requesting their capabilities. The Air Force expected 95% of the residents in the housing units to want telephone service. They also expected the need for 20% to be single-party lines, 60% to be two-party service and 20% to be four-party service. With this need Noble and Lena decided at there age they did not want to borrow money from the REA and put in the new service. Thus enters Royce Gauntt. He decided to purchase the telephone company and made a deal with the Hardy's. As everyone knows the deal for the housing fell through and the base decided to close shortly thereafter. Royce and Noble cancelled the contract and then made another deal for the same price ($10,000) but as part of the deal Noble agreed to stay on for a while and run the operations for which he received $1.50 per hour and $.06 per mile for his truck. The new telephone company became know as the Chickasaw Telephone Company. While it was not part of the deal Royce Gauntt never charged Noble & Lena for a telephone call anywhere for as long as they lived. He was a good person. It is interesting to look at the billing cards and remember all the great people who lived around Gene Autry in those days. Life was certainly different in the days when you could just pick up your phone and crank the handle and when Lena Hardy ( who was the switchboard operator) answered just say "Miss Lena do you know where my Mother is?" and she would tell you, and ring the location "IF" they had a phone........Hope you enjoyed. Richard Haney PS If anyone is interested in what someone paid for service or the number or even if they had service just drop me an e-mail and I will check for them." HaneyRJ@prodigy.net
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"In regard to the telephone numbers; my dad ,Orval Wood, worked for the telephone company in Healdton and our number was 7. I remember going through the office as a kid and seeing the operators working. Marie Keplinger was the chief operator at the time. I have one of the old oscillating fans that used to blow on them to rotate the air as they didn't have air conditioning. My dad is in the V.A. in Ardmore now as mom passed away this year so any visitors out that way please stop in and say hello to him." McK530@aol.com
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"Hi Butch, You'll probably get bunches of e-mails about this, but the building you named as a "post office", wasn't. It was the old public library bldng. Not long after the library system moved into its new bldng on main street, this facility was in use by the sheriff's dept as an auxiliary office. Its was burned one night due to arson. Obviously a protest against the sheriff having an office here in Wilson. There is a new building in that location now, and it is still in use by Carter County Sheriff's Office, as well as local police."
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"Butch: I believe that the picture that you posted of the Old post office in Wilson is actually the old library. I spent many summers checking out books and going to story hour on Saturday mornings. I'm pretty sure that the old post office was up town. My grandparents would let me walk up there and get their mail out of those cute little boxes. Then I'd make the rounds to my grandfather's barbershop, then to the drugstore for a corny dog and a vanilla phosphate, the dime store and then I'd stop over to Dude's Dinner and say hi. Then beat it back down to my grandparent's house and to get a little more money and walk across the street to the snow cone stand next door to the library. You're newsletters sure do take me down memory lane. Have blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year."
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"Hi Butch: Just read your T&T and the picture of the old post office in Wilson is in fact the Old Library that is gone. The Wilson Historical Museum would sure like to have a picture of the Old Post Office of the 1940"s, so far no one has come up with one. Enjoy your newsletter." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wilsonli.jpg
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"Butch: I believe that the picture that you posted of the Old post office in Wilson is actually the old library. I spent many summers checking out books and going to story hour on Saturday mornings. I'm pretty sure that the old post office was up town. My grandparents would let me walk up there and get their mail out of those cute little boxes. Then I'd make the rounds to my grandfather's barbershop, then to the drugstore for a corny dog and a vanilla phosphate, the dime store and then I'd stop over to Dude's Dinner and say hi. Then beat it back down to my grandparent's house and to get a little more money and walk across the street to the snow cone stand next door to the library. You're newsletters sure do take me down memory lane. Have blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year." Jana Jackson McDonald
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"Hi, Butch! For all who are interested in the Razzleberry Pie...I went to several links via dogpile.com and came up with four that seemed to indicate that razzleberry is a combination of blackberries and raspberries."
http://www.rebeccasgarden.com/recipes/items/c8traz11.html
http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/razzleberrypie.html
http://www.myfatherskitchen.com/
http://www.myfatherskitchen.com/
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"My name is LCDR Todd R Eveland serving in the US Navy and I am searching for Marilyn and or Moyett Whalen. Marilyn Whalen married Ed Perry and lived in Iowa Falls, TX. There is a phone number, email and address but no one answers. I am seeking medical information for my two daughters Katherine (5 years) and Keegan (11 months). Any information, no matter how trivial, could led to me finding them and I would be eternally grateful. I can be contacted by email tkevelnd@visi.net or by phone 757-357-0172. Calls in the evening are best and I will accept collect calls "in regards to Marilyn." My home address is 34 Days Point Rd, Smithfield, VA 23430.
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"Hi Butch: Yes,there is a razzleberry dessert. My wife collects recipes from all over the world and has over a million. She did a search and found the following URL. It will probably tell most people more than they ever wanted to know about razzleberry.
http://www.google.com/search?q=Razzleberry+Pie&btnG=Google+Search
By the way, thanks for the photo of the 1st Baptist Church in Ardmore taken in 1940. My wife, Pat Paschall (Bert & Mabel Paschall's daughter) and I were married in that church June 1, 1950. We thoroughly enjoy T&T." -Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas.
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"Okay, Butch...I may be slow on the uptake, but now I'm convinced. What was the number and special code for the 4 cents a minute long distance thing? I'm ready to join the minions who are reaping the benefits of cheap phone calls." http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
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"Hi Butch, Thank you so much for the 101-5335 number, this is the lowest phone bill I have had in twenty years. $128.39 It has really saved me money. Keep up the good work I really appreciate it." http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
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"I understand the train that travelled from Ardmore to Durant was called the DINKY during the late thirties. My wife recalls taking it in 1940 to hear Eleanor Roosevelt speak at the University in Durant.It was long gone when I arrived in 1949.In 1949 the hamburger Inn was still on the west side of Washington street next to the post office. The Bowling Alley was located on "A" street between Main and Broadway, it burned in 1950." Bill O'Heran
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Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
bobf327631@aol.com
crenan@swbell.net
"Let There Be Peace On Earth"
By Jill Jackson and Sy Miller - 1955"Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me;
Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father, brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my bother in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now.
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow;
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Saturday December 8, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 242
This year I will have no reason not to have the Christmas spirit. I came home one evening and on my doorstep was a surprise! Someone placed on my doorstep a box with a five foot tree, lights and ornaments inside. I know I've had the Bah Humbug some years, but I never knew it was that serious. hahaha. But whoever left that tree just brings out what I've said before, "Friends make life worth living." We all should try more to share the Christmas spirit this year, this year more then ever. And whoever you are, thank you for the Christmas tree!
Those five tea tasters in England finished their testing and sent me the results:
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"Butch, here are the results what I call very close from 5 testers voting on teas 1 to 3, with a 1 being the best."
.....................Tea 1................Tea 2...................Tea 3
Taster 1............. 3................... 1...................... 2
Taster 2............. 3................... 1...................... 2
Taster 3............. 3................... 1...................... 2
Taster 4............. 3................... 1...................... 2
Taster 5............. 2................... 1...................... 3
"Tea 1 Very bland wishy washy no taste tasted like hot water with milk. Tea 2 Best flavour by far good pure taste of tea, flavoursome we would all buy this. Tea 3 Good flavour, unusual taste almost scented not as strong in flavour, but pleasant. Now then any time you want volunteers for Wine tasting dont hesitate to ask, just send the wine and we will oblige you. hahaha."
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Now to put tea brands to those numbers above. Tea 1 is Lipton, Tea 2 is Cains's Tea and Tea 3 is Luzianne Tea. So you can readily see, Cain's was voted Number 1 by all five testers in England. But Cain's Tea in the Poll on my website has Lipton Tea in First Place and Cain's in Last Place. The results are just the opposite. Now why would voters on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean see these three teas so differently? Another mystery to figure out. hahaha. Here is the Poll and how the teas fair on this side of the Big Pond.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/thepolls.htmlThis week my cousin on Korea, the son of Paul Bridges (my uncle) who was killed in WWII, sent me photos of the area in France where his father was killed in action. These pics were taken by a friend there in France. Here is the email my cousin received from his friend in France:
"Attached is the first of seven Reipertswiller, France photos I've scanned for you. The photos were taken during various trips to the area in 1986-89, or so. I'll send them one at a time. This photo is a view of Reipertwiller and hills north of it, taken from the castle in Lichtenberg. The hilltop breaking the skyline to the right center is Hill 401. The hilltop breaking the skyline on the right edge of the photo is Hill 400 (L and C Companies). The skyline between those two hills is Hill 420 (K and G Companies). Between Hills 400 and 420 is a "saddle". I Company occupied the saddle and part of Hill 420."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw2a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw3a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw4a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw5a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw6a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw7a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rw8a.jpg
Here is a closeup of my Uncle's name inscribed on the new Memorial down on Main Street here in Ardmore. My cousin was only a few months old when his dad died in action in France. He asked for this photo to help heal a void and create a connection. Here you are Cuz. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/paulmem2.jpg
Carter County Government had something to be proud of in Ardmore's Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 1st. Out of what looked like to me a million floats, the sheriffs office won First Place with their Christmas float!
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/sher01a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/sher01b.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/sher01c.jpg
Last week I talked about the Number One historian in Healdton, Oklahoma, namely Kenneth Eck. Kenneth has shared much history and many photos in past issues of my T&T, not to mention the times he wrote about my T&T articles in his weekly column in the Healdton Herald. But leave it to me, I made a mistake last week, giving the wrong email address for Kenneth. If you have any connection to Healdton, and would like to share some history with Kenneth send him email. Or even if you don't have a connection to Healdton, Oklahoma, wish Kenneth a happy Holiday season, he's like me, loves to get email! Here is Kenneth's email address: lorraine@texhoma.net
A Reader told me this week there is a nice large bell at the Brock Baptist Church in Brock, Oklahoma, that's south of Lone Grove. And to think I didn't even know about that bell! I've got to make a trip to Brock with my digital camera, get a photo and share it with everyone!
Here is a photo of the old Wilson, Oklahoma library that is now only a memory. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wilsonli.jpg
Here is a couple more pics Jim Hill and his sister Fay shared with me. This one is the First Baptist Church here in Ardmore in 1940. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/1stbap40.jpg
And this one is an old photo of the Hotel Ardmore. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardhotb.jpg
Bill Uhles is retired from the post office in Sulphur and spends his time learning more about computers than a lot of guys half his age. Sometimes I call him when I need some "expert advice" or if I'm in Sulphur I stop by his house. Mr. Richey, my Refrigeration and Heating instructor at the VoTech back in 1967 told me "an expert" is the guy from out of town. hahaha. Anyway, Bill sent me a pic of his grandson and the wild boar he shot. That is one brave kid, those wild boars will kill you! Here is Bill Uhles email addy, send him some email and tell him that grandson is living dangerously! seaweed@cableone.net http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/uhles3.jpg
There has been a lot of email about old telephone systems the past few weeks. Not too many years ago, when I was a teen we had a company at the airpark called Stromberg-Carlson. They made telephones. Remember them? Here is a link to some pics of the Stromberg-Carlson telephones. http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/3201/old_phones.htm
Saturday morning December 15th is pickup day for those of us participating in the Heartland Share Program here in Ardmore. If you haven't checked out this program in your area, you're missing some good food. Here is the menu for December, and I see tapioca on the list! Yum Yum Yum!!!! http://www.heartlandshare.com/monthlymenu.html
Those of you who are in the 4 cents a minute plan, are going to be glad you activated this service before December 31st. Because on January 1st the rate will go up to 4.9 cents per minute. But those of us already using the Plan are locked in and will still get our long distance at 4 cents a minute next year! As of today, Friday evening the 7th, all our talking totaled 1,720 minutes in Long distance calls since December 1st. I'm predicting we will hit 10,000 minutes by December 31st! Thanks to everyone who is making this possible! Guess I'll call my Cuz at the Army hospital in south Korea, it's only .10 cents a minute anytime. http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
And thanks to all of you who are using the 4 cents a minute plan, and asked for your History CD! I hope I've got one to all who asked, and haven't let anyone slip by.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Hey Butch Love Saturdays HA! HA! cause I know what to look forward to in my E-mail, Thanks and keep up the good work! That lady that told you not to cover your turbines up in the winter is RIGHT it is the worst time to cover them, and you should never cover them. During the winter there is moisture building up there on account of the heat from your rooms below colliding with the cold in your attic, and the turbines help keep it dried out if you cover them it can't dry and it will start to rot every thing up there, so DON'T cover them. If you think you are losing heat through your roof have some more insulation blown up there."
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"Butch, Thank you so much for the "T&T Photo and History CD". It arrived yesterday in good condition and I have enjoyed looking at it and am sure I will many times in the future. Thanks again for all you do and I hope you have a blessed holiday season."
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"Butch---As always, enjoyed reading this mornings T&T. Loved hearing the stories about the old telephone with numbers like l or 2. My grandmother Daniels lived in Coyle,OK and her number was ll--I remember when they changed to three or four numbers and Grandma complained that she would never be able to remember that "long" number. Coyle still had an operator in the l940's--on occasion, she would break in a call with a message that your mother was trying to call you or that you had left the lights on in your car. It was a very personal phone service. A friend called once from New York and laughed because the operator said"She isnt home----when I look out the window I can see her car parked in front of the drugstore."--I realize Coyle was not in southern OK but I bet there were operators just like that in the southern part of the state.--keep up the impressive work of spreading the news about OK. Those of us who are transplanted to other states really enjoy your T & T." sammie binkley
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"I enjoyed reading about the telephone numbers that used to be around. Back in the mid to late 50's when I was growing up in Davis, our telephone number was very simple, 16 and nothing more. As more telephones (dial) were placed in the homes, we eventually became 316. It stayed that way until 1959 just before I graduated from High School and it was changed again - just can't remember the number. Guess when you were a kid it was easier to remember the small numbers rather than the larger ones. I have fond memories of those days and the home we grew up in - it has a heart shaped rock above the front door (natural). Have a photo of it somewhere and once it is located, I will send you to can put into the T&T."
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"Hi Butch! Just to drop you a line from Dallas, Tx to let you know we only got ice the last couple days and no snow. My mother lives in Creek County Okla. and says she got 4 inches of snow! That's one thing I miss, the snow! Anyway, I am writing about your tea poll. CAIN'S tea is the best!! I don't like hot tea, but give me mine cold with sugar and I'll be there til the jug is dry!! My mother sends me CAIN'S tea by mail as Texas doesn't have it--Texans would love it! I just received her care shipment of 6 boxes-so I should be set for a couple of months!Take care and I enjoy your news!!"
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"Butch; I am hoping that readers of This and That can lend some information to the cemetery that Lake Murray covered. I understand that some families had their relatives moved to cemeteries of their choice, but where were the others taken? I know this one is a long shot, but where do you suspect records of these removals would be kept? Also, does anyone know the name of this cemetery?" Candace Gregory firegrl@sierratel.com
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"Hi Butch: I know of two cemeteries at Lake Murray. Porter and Harris. There are only two graves at Harris, infants; and Porter is an Indian Cemetery on the west side of Lake Murray. I have never heard of any graves being moved from the area of the Lake itself."
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"I laughed and laughed when I saw that poor little Christmas tree in the Commissioners office...... (~.. ~) that reminds me of when my parents first got married and lived way out in nowhere near Dalhart, Texas in 1929. She said they were living in a dugout and about my father working on a large ranch. She said the nearest neighbor was 15-miles away and she wanted a Christmas tree. She shared how searching for dried cow chips to use for fire wood, she found a tumbleweed for her Christmas tree. She managed to get some paper and cut out strips and used flour paste to loop together, plus strung popcorn with a needle and thread for her decorations. She would probably have loved to have found or had someone present her with a limb such as the girls at the Courthouse received. Keep up your information on the tea testing. My mother thought there wasn't any tea that measured up to Lipton's and that is what she wanted all her life. I remember and even have some of the tall glasses Lipton put out with their tea, many years ago. When I lived in Alaska in 1961-63, hot tea was the thing.....My oldest son and I still love our hot tea. Recently when ill with pneumonia, I really enjoyed my numerous cups of hot Lipton's Peach Tea."
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"Butch, the past few T&T's have mentioned when our telephones went from "operated assisted" to dial-up. The main memory I have is that the phone company sent reps to the area schools and taught us how to use the dial phone. They explained about a dial tone, how to dial and what a "busy" signal sounded like. I was attending school at Washington Elem. in Ardmore and remember that several of the children were allowed to come up on the stage in the auditorium, where we were being instructed, and actually got to dial a phone. I thought that was so neat and that those kids were just about the luckiest ones I knew. I guess the phone company thought that if they taught the children how to use the new dial system, that the parents would learn from them. I remember my mom being a little scared of using it - afraid she'd dial the wrong number, so I (for a long while) was her designated dialer, if I was at home. I remember the first time I dialed a number for her. I thought it gave me a busy signal, so I hung up...was actually a little shook up about it. It really hadn't been a busy signal, but a "ring" through, but I didn't know the distinction of the different sounds at that time. Somehow, the person I dialed figured out we had called and called back a short time later. We might have been the only people who ever called them or something...haha. Anyway, I still remember our old phone number - 1937J. We had a 4-party line and used to listen in on other people's conversation. We didn't have TV until I was in the 4th grade so I guess that gave us some entertainment. A person didn't discuss things that were meant to be kept secret, if they had a party line...too risky. Then we got a straight line and had just 4 numbers, but they were different numbers than from our party line. Our phone number prefix, as you have mentioned, was CA3 (I believe the CA stood for Capital). My sister lived in South TX and hers was RA3-4078. Can't believe I still remember all of those numbers. Anyway, just walking down memory lane a bit here, and wanted to thank you for triggering those memories of a more-relaxed, easier going time in my life. I don't think we even locked our doors at night back then. Have to do that in the daytime now. Again, thanks, Butch, for all the time you spend on T&T."
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"Hi Butch, Just thought I would say thanks for the 101-5335 long distance number. I just got my first bill with the charges. There were some SWB charges on there and thought I would show you what I saved. The SWB charges for 125 minutes was $12.50. Using the 101-5335, I talked a total of 137 minutes that cost $5.48. That is 12 minutes more than SWB and $7.02 less charge. Just thought you would like to know. Have a good week. God Bless."
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Butch, we switched to your 101-5335 Plan a couple of weeks ago and so far it's working great. We had the $31 flat rate plan with SWB and dropped it, now we're really saving money. I put stickers on all our phones with the 101-5335 number on them so we wouldn't forget to dial it first. Please put our name in for the History CD. Thanks for all your hard work, we really enjoy the newsletter and all the helpful tips like the 4 cent a minute phone plan."
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"Hi Butch!!! I am really enjoying T&T weekly and also the long distance service for four cents a minute. Works great!!! for me. Please send me one of your CD's and also I have a sister in Mustang who wants to get on your T&T Mailing list. I keep telling her about all these things and she says "How can I get in on this?". Getting her signed up on T&T will make her a good Christmas Present."
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"I have some more train pics for you. I've attached a couple (large photos). I just hope these are not repeats, I've forgotten which ones I have sent you before. Thanks again." Dwayne Stevens
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dwane12a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dwane12b.jpg
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"In regard to your statement about the British tea and coffee preferences. As a tea lover I'd like to respond. I would say that close to 100% find the idea of iced tea disgusting, but I beg to differ with your statement that the British don't like coffee. I lived a year in London and have visited back and forth with British friends since. My own assessment would be that while the 60+ crowd may still prefer tea, most younger Brits do like coffee, drink it often, brew a decent cup and in many cases don't care for tea at all. In fact, at the school where I taught there, we had a mid morning coffee break daily. It will be interesting to see how the Brits respond to your test, because in my own experience I would say that the three brands you sent aren't at all like the blends most drink in the UK."
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"Butch: Here is a picture of a bell that I shot for you. It is located at the old First Mennonite Church in Geary, Oklahoma. I was passing through there yesterday and saw the bell and thought I would use my brand new digital camera and snap a photo for you. The bell is mounted on a brick structure in front of the church. The Mennonite community has died out there in Geary and the old church building now belongs to the city of Geary. There is a bronze plaque on the base of the bell stating that the bell was installed in the church in 1898. It is a large bell.I would estimate the diameter at the mouth of the bell to be close to 3 feet. I am sending a picture of the plaque. There is an antique store in the building now."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/gearyba.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/gearybc.jpg
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In 1843 Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" and he did it in six weeks. We've all seen it on TV, it's enjoyed by every generation. It's been filmed over 200 times! I remember in the film Bob Cratchet's son, Tiny Tim, talking about eating razzleberry pudding. I thought it was a made up pudding, but this week I found out there really is such a dessert! Does anyone know what razzleberry pudding was made from? Has anyone ate razzleberry pudding?
http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/carol.htmLet's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
edgarw@prodigy.net
albeckye@swbell.net
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~Saturday December 1, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 241
I received another surprise letter in the mail this week. It was addressed to Butch Bridges, Doctor of Information. hahaha. The letter was from a fellow historian and friend in Healdton, Oklahoma, Kenneth Eck, who probably knows as much about Healdton, Oklahoma history as anybody around! If you want to know anything about Healdton history, send Kenneth email at lorraine@texhoma.net. Anyway, inside this envelope Kenneth had some photos of this nice bell south of Healdton. The bell is owned by George Featherston and he's got another bell, but it is in storage, and Mr. Featherston can't get to it right now. Kenneth said he'd try to get a pic of that bell too someday. But for now here are the photos Kenneth took last week of this fine Healdton bell!
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/geobella.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/geobellb.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/geobellc.jpg
I've seen a lot of Christmas trees in my lifetime, but the one we have at the county commissioners office has more character then any tree I can remember. Let me back up here just a wee bit and tell you how this unusual tree came about: The secretaries at the county commissioners office wanted to have a Christmas tree. Friday morning Commissioner Joe McReynolds drove up and James Lindsey, courthouse maintenance, noticed a branch from a pine tree caught up under the bumper of Joe's truck. James removed the limb and took it to Michelle and Phyllis in the office and said, "Here's you a Christmas tree"! Well, those two girls used their imaginations, performed a miracle on this pine tree branch and here is the results! If you're in the area drop by the Carter County Commissioners office for a look-see! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cctree01.jpg
We've had a lot of cold and ice and snow here in Oklahoma this week. And I've been drinking more hot tea. There are still some of us dyed-in-the-wool hot tea drinkers around. Even though 99% of the people in this country prefer coffee, in England it's a different story. The British don't drink coffee, not even ice tea, only hot tea. So I thought it would be interesting to see what the British think of 3 popular teas in this country. I mailed the tea to a group of discriminating tea testers I've assembled in the UK just for that purpose, to taste test these 3 teas. I took the tea bags out of the boxes, put them in 3 different baggies, and numbered the bags 1, 2 and 3, so the taste testers have no idea which tea is which. The teas I've mailed to England for testing are Cain's Tea, Lipton Tea, and Luzianne Tea. I hope to have the results of this tea test in next week's T&T! By the way, these panel of tea testers in England have promised not to let the December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party play any part in their considerations. hahaha http://people.ne.mediaone.net/franklopes/tea.htm
I've set up a Poll with these 3 teas available for your vote right now. I remember which tea was the only tea my mother would buy. So cast your vote, let's see which tea rates Number 1 with T&T readers. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/thepolls.html
Oh, and I searched around for a whistling tea kettle and found me a nice stainless still one, so I'm ready for the cold winter and sipping on some hot tea!
A Reader sent me a jpeg of this most beautiful bell! I want it so bad I can taste it! It's in a little town over by Hugo, Oklahoma called Bennington, Oklahoma at the Presbyterian Church. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bennbell.jpg
Ernest Martin sent me a couple of photos he took on the construction of the new dome for the Capitol building in Oklahoma City. Ernest took this pic on November 25, 2001.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/capdome2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/capdome3.jpg
Last week I told about Jim Hill (Springer, OK) and his sister Fay (from Ohio) stopping by and sharing some old photos they had of southern Oklahoma. Jim and Fay grew up at Woodford, Oklahoma near Mountain Lake in northern Carter county. Here's a pic of Woodford school. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/woodsch23.jpg
I'll start with three photos of the 1915 explosion here in Ardmore Jim and Fay shared. These files are very large, takes time to load, so be patient. Some have four pics in one file.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/p1915a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/p1915b.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/p1915c.jpg
If you want to share some Woodford school memories, are some stories, and all with Jim and Fay, you can email them at jimhill@brightok.net
This week there was a large article in the newspaper on things to do to winterize your home. I"ve also seen this same info come across the tv screen lately. But in all that info there was not one mention about what to do about the turbines on top of a house. I have two, and each winter I put a trash bag over them. I've been up on top when the wind was blowing hard from the north and the hot air was just being sucked out of my roof. But one lady told me this week she has been told not to put covers over the turbines. So, what is the answer? Does anyone out there know?
About a month ago my dog, well she's not really my dog, but my neighbors, but since she spends as much time at my house as theirs, I call her "my dog"? hahaha. Anyway a month ago she had a "hot spot" on her tail end, and licked it so much it was raw. I tried everything, and everything I put on the sore, she'd lick it off. Finally I decided to try some Noxzema Skin Cream and guess what? She didn't lick that awful tasting stuff but once. hahaha. And I can report the sore has completely healed up! Here's a pic of this 12 year old darling I call Sweet Pea!
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mydog2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mydog800.jpg
A couple of weeks ago I spoke about our post office employees here in Ardmore having a group photo taken on the east side of the Post Office. I'm really proud of these girls and guys, because moving the volume of mail as they do takes a lot of effort. And now with the possibility of some kind of deadly germ being purposely put in those letters which they might have to handle, I admire them all the more. These employees are everyday people, just like you and me, just trying to do their job. So next time your in line at the service window, and it seems like forever to get those stamps, stop and think a minute, and say a good word. And as far as that group photo taken a couple of weeks ago, thanks to a friend in Lone Grove, here it is! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardusps.jpg
And as a added bonus and dejavu, he sent me a group photo they took in 1987 of all the Ardmore post office crew! Boy, that brought back some memories! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardusp87.jpg
The Director of the Ardmore Airpark Fire Department has been busy this week working on a website. Doug Williams is in the very beginnings of building the website, so please be patient. He has temporarily setup the website at the following URL. Let Doug know your comments and suggestions! http://www.geocities.com/ColoradoNoMore/
Speaking of fire departments, ex-Ardmoreite Bob Marion, now living in Goldsby, Oklahoma, has a photo gallery of Oklahoma fire stations he is building and would appreciate any photos you might have to share. http://www.brightok.net/~bmarion
I talked to my friends in Australia this week, Steve and Sonya Moran, to see how they are doing on the northern coast of the Down Under. I meet Steve and Sonya about 1995 when they were visiting Oklahoma, looking into breeding police dogs. Steve trains police dogs in Australia for law enforcement agencies. Steve told me he broke his leg a while back, and it has really been giving him problems. After several operations, he hopes it is on the mend now. He and his wife even want to make a trip back to Oklahoma soon! BTW, my calls to the Down Under are only 9 cents a minute using the 4 cents a minute Plan!
Hundreds of you have asked for my History CD, even offering to pay for it. I wish I could just have about 500 or 1,000 made up, and send one to everyone of you! But until my ship comes in, I guess that idea will have to wait. hahaha. But here is what I will do to show my appreciation to those of you who are using my four cents a minute long distance plan (or any of the other 3 plans). If you are using my 105-5335 Plan I'll send you a free History CD, just send me email and let me know! Remember, you don't have to switch long distance carriers either. By the way, our little T&T group of friends has talked over 6,700 minutes using the Plan for the month of November! If you've used my long distance Plan and want a History CD, just send me an email (include your phone number so I can verify it) and I'll get one to you! If you haven't tried this great way to make long distance calls anywhere in the U.S. 24/7 at 4 cents a minute, but plan to do so, let me know when you make that first call, and I'll send you one of my History CDs! http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
Three Shot, One Killed, Two Wounded, Alleged Result of Family Row Saturday April 13, 1918 - The Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore, Oklahoma
W.B. Bentley, a carpenter, who lived at 315 Fourth avenue northwest, was shot about 10 o'clock last night at his home and died at 3 o'clock this morning at the Hardy Sanitarium. His wife and her daughter by a former marriage, Mrs. Leonard Brown, are in the sanitarium seriously wounded.
A call cam to the police station about 10 o'clock last night and Officers Johnson and Fenley responded. They found Bentley at the corner of Fourth avenue and C street northwest, he having walked there, a distance of a block, after being shot. At the house they found Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Brown both wounded. All the parties were taken to the sanitarium.
Dr. Walter Hardy said this morning that Bentley was shot in the abdomen four times there being 15 punctures in the intestines. His left arm had been broken by a bullet. Across his breast there was a scalping wound and one entering the side and penetrating the left flank.
Mrs. Bentley's left arm was broken and she was also shot in the right hip the bullet entering the abdominal cavity. Mrs. Brown's left arm was broken by a bullet and one passed through her right knee cap.
Information leading to the cause of the shooting is meager, as the parties were alone in their home at the time. The husband of Mrs. Brown, Leonard Brown, is with the army in France and she has been staying with her mother and stepfather. It is alleged that she did all the shooting. As the police gathered the story, there was a family row in progress when the young woman secured a gun which her stepfather attempted to take from her, that he knocked her down and was wrestling with her on the floor for possession of the gun when the shooting occurred. The weapon was a .32 automatic pistol containing nine bullets and Doctor Hardy said could have been no misses as he found where very one of the nine bullets had struck either the body of Bentley, Mrs. Bentley or Mrs. Brown. The shots the young woman inflicted upon herself were presumed to be accidental. The body of Bentley was taken to the undertaking rooms of Brown & Bridgman.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"I remember when Ardmore changed to dial telephone service. As I recall it the changeover was around Christmas time in 1959. The telephone company took the previous year and gradually came to every house and changed all the telephones out to ones that had dials on them. On the set day (I think it was a weekend) at midnight the change over was made. I remember some people thought it would be fun to be on a telephone call during the change over. I also remember some people didn't like the dial system as they thought they were getting less personal service. Little did they know what was coming. I still have my Ardmore High School "Tiger Handbook" for the school year 1959-1960. This little book lists all the students and faculty with their address and phone numbers. That year the book had to list the old operator assisted numbers for the fall and the new CApitol - 3 numbers for the dial system in the Spring. If a person had a private line "called straight line" they just had four numbers under the old system. Like 1772 and the new number became CA 3-1772 but if a person had a party line the old number had a letter after it. Ours was 3328-J and the other party on the line was 3328-W. The party line numbers were totally changed under dial. Ours became CA-3-3123 from 3328-J. Under the new dial numbers it was not possible to see who had a party line and who had a private line."
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"Butch, While I am thinking about it, I wonder if many recall when there used to be telephone party lines. One would crank a couple of times to reach central, and ask the operator to ring so and so. One long ring was for one person; one short ring for another; two long rings for a third; and two short rings for yet another. People had to listen for their respective ring to answer the phone. Sometimes, nosy neighbors would pick up the phone when the ring was not for them and get in on the private conversations of others. Ah, those were the good old days!"
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"Oklahoma High School, later Central High School, later One Bell Central, was between 7th and 8th on Robinson. It does not extend to 9th Street."
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"Butch, To the reader who is inquiring about a man called "Two Gun Highnote"--I have not ran across that name, but one similar, and it may be the fellow the reader is referring to. The man was a deputy U.S. Marshal. His name was Highnight. Here is some info I submitted some time ago to the OK Gen Web folks: W. R. "Dick" HIGHNIGHT U. S. Deputy Marshal Carter Co. Indian Territory & Carter County Pioneers; page 235. Hope this helps. Also hope you and all your readers have a wonderful Christmas and an even better New Year." Steve Riner
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"Hey Butch, I am sending two references on Herman Douthit. They are found in the book IMAGINATION AND ABILITY, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LLOYD NOBLE, by Odie B. Faulk, Laura E. Faulk and Sally M. Gray; Published for the Oklahoma Heritage Association by Western Heritage Books, Oklahoma City, 1995. I don't have permission to reproduce. The first reference to Douthit is on page 199 which lists him as Derrickman. On page 220, mentions his death on 13 November 1943 with full military honors in Surrey. After the war, he was reinterred to the American Military Cemetery and Memorial near Cambridge. This is an interesting local history book. It mentions many of the early oilfields of western Carter County. Many local personalities, including, Florence (Mrs. Harry) Revelle. I think there is a tree planted in her memory on the southside of the courthouse. My sister, Danna Hitt, gave me this copy on my last visit to Ardmore. I highly recommend it. Keep up the good work." Harold in New Orleans
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"Hi Butch, I have the book "The Secret of Sherwood Forest" Oil production in England during World War II, written by Guy H. Woodward and Grace Steele Woodward. The person who inquired about Sherwood Forest might check at the Library to see if they have a copy or contact the librarian at the Noble Foundation, I believe his name is Patrick Brennan. I am sure they have a copy out there. It is very interesting and unbelievable how they did their work in hiding. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and time off."
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"Butch, I grew up in Tulsa so i can tell you what the LU prefix was. It was Luther. Our old phone number was LU5-8424."
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"Hi Butch, You are on this about as much as me. I was sitting here tonight after decorating for x-mas outside when the T&T came in. That is the highlight of my Friday evenings. Have you noticed that there was not much on the Death of President Kennedy yesterday. I did not see one thing or hear anything on it. I always look because he was killed on my birthday then to have Halloween on the same day is rare. Just wondering."
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"Hello-- thank you so much for the cd. My brother was so excited because he got to deliver it!!! We had 32 here for Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a wonderful time for all of us. Beautiful day, too. Friends and family do make life worth living. Thank you again, and one of these days we will meet you. Have a wonderful weekend."
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"Butch, what you are calling Cisco Hill south of town going east to Lake Murray, we called Thrill Hill in the 50s."
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"I received an email this week inquiring the location of the old Cisco school house. Butch, I believe it must have been about 1982, Patty Norton told in her Tales, Trails, and Footprints column about Cisco School and included an early day picture of the school. Told about how the school came to be and some of its early history. Lots of people were in the picture, including a man believed to have been Breckenridge Hammond, the teacher. I have a copy of the article, but can't seem to find it right now. Patty had interviewed Henry Cisco, the son (or grandson) of the Cisco for whom the school was named."
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"Butch, my kind friend, Just wanted you to know I love the poem about how emotion that is still the same among people are a like. So very true as I traveled in 30 countries and lived in some. Love is the true emotion every one needs in there life to be fulfilled or life has no true meaning. People always remember your attitude and how you treat others with loving ways."
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"The girls said they say an old Algebra Book at Brown Springs... that is our assignment for the meeting tonight... How the Algebra Book Got There..... I don't know if anyone told you that Brown Springs always looks mowed and cared for... A man who lives in Muenster Texas comes up and keeps it all in ship shape, moving and cleaning out the drainage pipe, etc. I forget his name or why he comes would be a great story for your history books."
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"Hi Butch, Re: your reader asking about Cochran's hardware in Marietta. You probably know by now, there is still a Cochrans hardware, and the last 2 digits of their phone number is the same 2 digits from pre dial phones. Their present phone nbr. is 580-276-3095 Keep it up, Butch."
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"As I look out my window all I can see is ice everywhere. The tree limbs, bereft of leaves, hang heavy with ice almost touching the ground. The dead, yellow grass, sparkles with ice crystals from the tiny spot of sun that breaks through the clouds. You can almost "see" the crunching sound the grass would make if you walked across it. But, there is a little Chickadee perched on the window sill pecking on the glass as if asking to come in out of the cold. Two Cardinals sit on top of the bird feeders, their feathers fluffed out against the cold, and their bright red color a stark contrast to the bland winter yellows & grays. A small deer, barely tall enough to reach, eats from our deer feeder, then drifts down the side of the creek to drink of the icy water. Out of the corner of my eye I catch a squirrel jumping from limb to limb in the pecan tree searching for one last nut to store away for the winter, I suppose. So, even though it's too cold and slick to go outside, God's wonder is still before me, if I just take the time to look."
--
Robert M. (Bob) Lantrip
ironsides@brightok.net
http://www.brightok.net/~ironsides
Initiated, Passed, Raised - 1968
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"HEY BUTCH, DO YOU SUPPOSE ANY OF YOUR READERS MIGHT KNOW WHERE THIS STORE WAS LOCATED AND WHEN?? IT WAS IN MY MOTHER'S PICTURES. I CAN'T IDENTIFY ANYONE. MY MOM'S FAMILY WAS FROM AROUND ARDMORE, LANE, MANNSVILLE, MARSDEN, ATOKA AND SURROUNDING AREAS FROM ABOUT 1876 -1920 . WILLINGHAM, BOGLE, WILSON FAMILIES." MINNIE LOU WATSON WHITTINGTON kenco@pldi.net http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/watson5.jpg
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On 9-11 the United States received a surprise attack on its people. On December 7, 1941 another surprise attack was unleashed on the United States that pushed this country into the World War. That attack 60 years ago this week would be the beginning of 4 years of war that would cost the lives of 500,000 Americans. Let me repeat that: in those four years 500,000 Americans lost their lives fighting to preserve the freedom we enjoy here in the United States. I can't even visualize in my mind 500,000 people. I hope we all will take a moment on December the 7th and remember those Americans who gave all.... "December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy".
Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ttcda.jpgHere are the two winners of a history CD this week!
suermk@aol.com
jamiet@brightok.net
"Life goes short & man grows old
Summer's gone & the wind turns coldWhere are you going, my sonny, my own?
Turn around & you're 2, turn around & you're 4
Turn around, you're a young man going out of the door
Where are you going, my little one, little one?
Pigtails & petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around & you're tiny, turn around & you're grown
Turn around, you're a young wife with babes of your own
Where have they gone, our little ones, little ones?
Where have they gone, our children, our own?
Turn around & they're young, turn around & they're old
Turn around & they've gone, & we've no one to hold"
--Dick and Dee Dee 1964
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dickdee.jpg
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
My History Hotline
Toll Free 1-866-459-8626
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Saturday November 25, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 240
In last Thursday's Daily Ardmoreite there was a photo of the Sheriff Harvey Burkhart placing one of three Thompson Submachine Guns in the Military Memorial Museum here in Ardmore. Since no one remembers just how the sheriff's office came about owning these three 1921 model machine guns, the Sheriff asked me to do a little research on those machineguns. I called several people and finally my friend Ralph Richards put me on to a name. Ralph was a deputy sheriff back in the 70s and suggested I call another retired deputy sheriff, Bud Hunt. Bud Hunt was a deputy sheriff for Gerald Cobb back in 1959, and remained a deputy about 14 years. Before signing on as deputy sheriff, Bud was the police chief of Healdton. Gerald Cobb was sheriff from 1959 to 1963, and it was during his term of office deputys first wore uniforms. Before Gerald Cobb became sheriff, deputys wore plain street clothes.
Some of you will remember the name Bud Hunt, associating it was the shooting at the old Mulkey Hotel here back in 1972. I had just been an ambulance driver for a couple of years when that call came in. Bud Hunt and Robert Denney had placed a man under arrest at the Mulkey. Bud Hunt was placing the man in the patrol car when the prisoner grabbed Bud's revolver from his holster. When Robert Denney saw what was about to happen, Robert drew his firearm and fired. The man died later in the hospital. Anyway, here is the story about the submachineguns as told to me by Bud Hunt.
The 3 Thompson Machineguns were bought about 1959 or 1960 right after Cobb became sheriff. Cobb sent undersheriff Pat Battles down to Texarkana, Texas to pick up the guns at the Red River Arsenal there in that town. The Red River Arsenal commenced operations under that name in 1945. The sheriffs office purchased the machineguns for riot control at a price of about $20 each. The interesting thing about these 3 machineguns was that one of them was used by Deputy Pete Fair at the big shootout that took place at Sooner Food Store on North Washington back in December 1960. Pete Fair was the only deputy there who had one of the Thompson submachineguns during that shootout, in which Ardmore police office Bobby Rudisill died. After Rudisill was shot trying to enter the back of the store, officers fired hundreds of rounds of machinegun, carbine, and pistol rounds into the building where the three burglars were holed up. Here is the complete story on this 1960 shooting incident. http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/rudisill.html
Here is the photo The Daily Ardmoreite had in the paper Thursday with Sheriff Burkhart presenting the machinegun to David Capps with the Military Memorial Museum. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/thomp01.jpg
Those of you interested in the shooting at the Mulkey Hotel in 1972, here is the text. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/textfiles/venable.txt
If you want to read the complete story about the 1960 shootout at Sooner Foods at 1213 North Washington where one of those Thompson Machineguns were used by Deputy Pete Fair, here is the story. http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/rudisill.html
A couple of weeks ago the new Oilpatch War Memorial was dedicated on Main Street here in Ardmore just east of Central Park. It's a beautiful recognition to those from Carter county who gave their lives during all wars. As I looked at the memorial stone, I saw my uncle's name, Paul Bridges, and I saw my friend Donald Brightman's name, and others I knew. They died so I can live in a free land.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardmem1.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardmem2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardmem3.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardmem4.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardmem5.jpg
I received an email this week inquiring the location of the old Cisco school house. I didn't know the location, but there an email in this issue's Mailbag that tells. When I read Cisco Road, my mind flashed back to the 60s when I was a teen and several of us daring kids in my neighborhood would "jump the hump" on Cisco Road and the railroad tracks. It's been greatly leveled since the 60s, but back in those days there was a big hump at the railroad crossing, so if a dare devil went over it at 60 miles an hour or faster, the car would go airborne. Not to say that I did it. hahaha. Cisco Road is south of Ardmore, starts at Highway 77 and runs east to the Lake Murray property.
A T&T Reader from Ohio was in Springer this week visiting her brother. They came by to see me and she had some great photos from the 1940s and before of the Ardmore area! I just got them scanned and will share them next week!
A friend of mine who lives southwest of Pauls Valley installed a new wood burning stove at his house a couple weeks ago. The unusual thing about this installation was the 1/4 inch thick, 8 inch oil field pipe he used on the outside of his house. It is set in a 44 inch deep hole of concrete and 32 inch diameter. He bought the pipe from Riverside Steel in Pauls Valley, and the stove is a beautiful Dutchwest. You can bet the farm a tornado won't blow this pipe over! Here are some photos of this one of a kind heater pipe.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/pvwooda.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/pvwoodb.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/pvwoodc.jpg
I did a search the other day for "whistling tea kettle" and ran across this unusually webpage with info about an old house somewhere north of Ardmore, with strange goings-on. I wonder who this Ellis Perkins is? Looking in the phone book I find no such person. And I wonder where this house up by Caddo creek is that the article references to? http://www.castleofspirits.com/teakettle.html
A Reader called me this week to ask about the 4 cents a minute plan. He said he was tired of paying a monthly $5 charge with his present long distance carrier, even if he didn't make any long distance calls. I assured him he would have no monthly fees, no setup fee, and no hidden charges when using the 4 cents a minute plan. That is one of the primary reasons I tested out the service for several months, to make sure there were no hidden fees, and there were none. Plus, since I changed to paying my bill using my credit card, I get another 5 percent off my total long distance calls! Since November the 1st a lot of us have been saving on long distance calls, running up over 5,300 minutes!! Wow! Join us, you won't be sorry! http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"I want everyone to know that our Oilpatch Genealogy Society has a new cemetery book ready to sell cost $l5.00. Western Carter County, Keller, Reck and Bomar Point. And we are still selling the Mt. Olive Cemetery book, Healdton for $20.00 and the Northwestern Cemetery for $20.00, Graham, Oil Springs, Ratliff City, Pooleville and Milo. Call Charlene Wilson at 580-229-0688 or write to her at 319 W. Magnolia, Healdton, Ok 73438. We are working on Hewett Cemetery now and it will be out soon. The books are on display at Winston and Eck Drug and THe Healdton Herald Office. We will put them in Wilson Stores check there." charlenw@texhoma.net
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"Butch, I am working on a paper for my English Composition class at Southeastern. The paper is supposed to be a response to a presentation by Dr. Amanda Cobb about her book Listening to Our Grandmothers' Stories. The book is about the Bloomfield Academy for Chickasaw women. Do you know of any good sources of information about this school? Apparently it was founded in 1852 by the Chickasaw tribe somewhere in the Durant area. At some point in its history it was moved to the Ardmore area. The school was the only indian boarding school that was not shut down by the General Allotment Act in 1907. I think it was shut down in 1949, but I don't know why. Any information would be very much appreciated. I'm trying to find information online, but I keep hitting dead-ends. Thanks alot." dbearden@texoma-ok.com
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"Butch, my mother in law has had the same phone number since the 4 digit days too. But, I remember when my family moved to Ardmore from Comanche that Ardmore already had rotary dial phones. I remember that because it made me think we had moved to a really big city, since Comanche still had operators. If memory serves, we only had to dial the last 4 digits, but all phone numbers started with CA3. And, I don't think that changed until the advent of tone dialing and that's when they went to 223. Also, I have a little 6" ruler from a company I worked for in Oklahoma City in 1962. The phone numbers shown on it are: CE5-7301 Oklahoma City and LU2-1033 for Tulsa. I remember the CE stood for Central, but can't remember what the LU stood for. Here's a photo of it." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fedruler.jpg
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"Your letter just popped up, Butch, as I am speaking online to my brother in Wichita Falls...our church number across the street was 850...I'll never forget it...and then I started working for Bell as a switchboard operator and saying number please...we would touch the hole with the number to hear a noise and then insert the jack into the hole...when dial came in they added the CA... quite a few changes since then..before my dad died in Feb.1995, he wanted to see a fax..a phone that would "send a piece of paper through the phone line" as he called it...ha ha...amazing changes for people born in the early 1900's."
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"Butch, Regarding the info about telephone numbers, how about this bit of history: the telephone switchboard operator used to be called Central, and people would ring up central and ask to be connected to a number, i.e., 1611. Well, the first high school established, before statehood in Indian Territory, was named Oklahoma High School. The first football game was with Oklahoma University and the high school won! Later, the school was moved and still later it was re-named Central High School in Oklahoma City. Until the end, kids who won letters for sports were awarded an O rather than a C. The beautiful building on 9th and North Robinson closed its doors to education and eventually became the Regional Offices for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and designated as One Bell Central. The phone company donated the original entrance to the school for a museum for the school, where history has been preserved."
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"The railroad from Galveston to Purcell was built by the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad. It was originally promoted by Galveston interests who had no connection with the AT&SF, but as they built north they ran into financial problems and the AT&SF helped, eventually acquiring control and then the entire holdings. The GC&SF maintained its headquarters in Galveston until sometime in the 1960s. The headquarters building in Galveston is a small skyscraper and now houses a very interesting railroad museum. When the AT&SF finally merged the GC&SF into the parent company and closed the Galveston headquarters it was a substantial blow to the Galveston economy."
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"Butch, Just a thought.. do the winners get free updates when you make the next CD??"
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"BUTCH, THROUGH T&T WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THE PRIDDYS SALAD DRESSING RECIPE. DOES ANY READER HAVE THE RECIPE FOR LT MCKERSON'S BARBECUE SAUCE, THE BEST BARBECUE PLACE IN ARDMORE ON EAST MAIN OR GRAYS BARBECUE SAUCE IN MADILL? MANY OF US REMEMBER EATING IN THESE PLACES IN THE 30'S, 40'S AND 50'S. THESE AND OTHER SIMILAR RECIPES SHOULD BE PRESERVED BY BEING PLACED IN CHURCH AND OTHER LOCAL COOK BOOKS."
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"dear Butch, thank you for the kind words about the postal employees. i live out here in buena park, ca, pretty near your uncle. im a mechanic at the postal service. i work on the equipment that moves the mail. i didnt think many people appreciated us like you do. Thanks again, it means a lot. sure wish i could transfer out to norman or okc, maybe one day. your friend."
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"Hi there! I was surprised to see "Uncle Jess" in Saturday's issue. He was married to my maternal grandmother's sister Estell Boston, daughter of John Harlan Boston and Cora Lenora Grady. The Justice's lived on Maxwell Street for a long, long time. I guess if somebody ever writes the "Automotive History of Ardmore" my family will be all over it... my paternal grandfather was James "Private" White who was a resident of Ardmore from before 1920 until his death in 1980. He was a great diesel mechanic who had a garage in town for many years. He served in the Army in WWI, and again as a mechanic for the Sea Bees in WWII (at the age of 50!) in the South Pacific."
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"Butch: I couldn't help but note your comment about Sally Robert's phone number. It caused me to remember a sales flyer I recently found in the bottom of an old box. It was mailed by Cochran's Hardware and Furniture in Marietta about 1948. I'm sending along a partial scan of the flyer. Note the phone number (95) shown on it. A two digit number. We used to have to ring up the operator first. Is there still a Cochran's in Marietta? I don't know. I haven't been there in years." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cochran9.jpg
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"Butch, do you know exactly where the old Cisco Schoolhouse was? I know it's somewhere around Elephant Rock/Tipps Point, but am not sure exactly where. On the road where you turn to go to Tipps Point (past the Elephant Rock turnoff), there is a foundation of what looks like a 2-room structure barely back in the woods, on the right side of the road (across from where the new hook-ups were installed several months ago)."
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"Here is the answer I received for Junior Dodson. The Cisco school house was located at the location you are speaking of near Tipps Point. Junior said that Waco Turner once told him that he taught at that school many years ago and would stay in the teacherage which was located in the big trees just north of the school house. There may even be evidence of its location also if searched for.""Beginning at the S.F.R.R. on the north line of sec. 31,twp 5 south, range 1 east, thence along the S.F.R.R. to the south line of sec. 31, thence east to Anadarco Creek, thence in a northeasterly direction following the creek to cen. line of sec. 23, thence west to the cen. of sec. 20, thence south to the north cen. line of sec.32, thence west to the S.F.R.R.., point of beginning."
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"last weekend i was town and stopped in to see the memorial that was put up downtown.. very nice.. should have been put up any years ago.. my question is ... how do i go about finding out more about the names of the men that went over to Sherwood Forest to work??? the reason i ask is one of the names on there is Herman Douthit... yep the same name as my father and brother... but not the same person. i did find it very shocking!!!"
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"I have a link to my Thanksgiving Quiz that I would like to share with you and your readers. I will also attach the files for the puzzle if you would like to use them on your puzzle page links." http://okielegacy.org/thanksgivingquiz.html
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"Butch, Fantastic Job on T&T, it keeps ex-Ardmoreites remembering. My mother Melba Dry Price and my aunt Louise Price Bostic used to work at the phone company back when there were only 4 numbers in everyone's phone number and when they added the CA3 to the numbers. You could never play on the phone back then, the operators new who you were. When the phone company went to rotary dial, both my aunt and mom were replaced by the 'new' technology. I think your dates are right on. My Mom and Dad moved to Ft. Worth, Tx in 1968, but I still have lots of family in Ardmore. My Grandmother, Alma Price and Aunt Mae Scott both still have the same number as they did when it was four digits. Thank you, and keep up the good work." Jerry Price
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"Butch: I wonder whether any of your readers can tell me when the Dew Drop Inn closed."
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"Butch, my father often referred to "Two Gun" Highnote, and I thought he said he was some kind of lawman, and that he had been killed. That is all I know. I have asked around, out here in Healdton, and have not found anyone with a memory of him. Will continue trying to find out something about him. I am getting to be about as old as anyone out here that might know. Ha......but perhaps I will find someone with a memory of the incident. I have sent you a couple of pictures of George Featherston's bell that hangs in front of his yard. He promised that I could take a picture of his other one when he resurrects it from wherever it is."
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Two days before Thanksgiving, at 6pm, "Meal on Wheels" brought a turkey dinner to my house! Well, it wasn't really "Meals on Wheels", it was a friend who lived just east of me when we were children growing up on 3rd Northeast here in Ardmore. What a surprise! Her church, Trinity Baptist Church, each year at Thanksgiving opens it doors and serves hundreds of turkey dinners to deserving people. Plus they deliver some of those dinners to people who live in the area of the church. She was out delivering dinners, and thought about me. All I can say is something I've repeated in back issues of my T&T: "Friends make life worth living!"
I hope all of you are enjoying the Thanksgiving holidays with friends and family and good food and giblet gravy. After September 11th, we really do have so much to be thankful for in this country. And as a nation of Americans we need to be strong, we will make it through this test.
Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
kblanton@brightok.net
maxwell.j@worldnet.att.net
Next Tuesday the music stores will have a second release of the 1973 song by John Wayne titled, "Why I Love Her, America". The song was original written by the son of actor Robert Mitchum. It is John Wayne's son who is releasing the song again Tuesday. It pretty well sums up why I love this country, from the New York docks to the San Francisco Bay, from the Grand Teton to the Everglades, it's all right here beneath God's wide wide sky. Be listening for this release and it will be at the music stores after Tuesday!
http://www.geocities.com/~lonerone/America/america1.htmlSee everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 11
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
My History Hotline
Toll Free 1-866-459-8626
ICQ Number 7140238
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Saturday November 17, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 239
Last week I was in the market for some roofing, and I found 40 squares for sale in the Shoppers Paradise. I called the phone number listed in the ad to find out more. After talking with the lady, I found out her name was Sally Roberts of Ardmore, a friend of mine! If I tell you how long I've known her, I'd probably give away her age. hahaha. Anyway, we made a deal and I bought all the roofing. Why I'm telling this is because Sally has had her same phone number since phone numbers in Ardmore were just 4 digits. I think it was in the early 50s her phone number was 6111. Later the phone company added "CApitol 3" before the 6111, but we still told the operator the number, who dialed the number for us. This would have made Sally's phone number CA3-6111. I believe in the early 60s the phone company switched to Rotary Dial and the number was changed from CA3 to 223 and the rest is history. At least that's the way I remember it, maybe someone else will comment.
Construction crews are remodeling an Ardmore landmark. It's the old Conoco service station at 1st and "D" Southwest. It's last operator was Jessie Justice. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/conocod.jpg
Some of my antics are wearing off of some of you. My friend Jerry Landrum came by this week, and in the back of his pickup was this old rusty cast iron, but beautiful bell! He had done some horse trading and got it for a steal. He's going to sand blast it, paint it, and make it look like new. When he's got it all done, I'll try to get a pic of it for everyone to see.
I've added another History crossword puzzle, bringing the total to four. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/puzzles.html
I received an email the other day from a Reader about a "special deputy sheriff" being killed at Wirt, Oklahoma in western Carter county in 1918. The deputy's name was R.P. Highnote. This is all new information on this Highnote person, I had never heard of him or the incident before, so maybe someone out there knows this family or heard of this killing at Wirt in 1918. If you do, please let us know. If this R.P. Highnote was a deputy sheriff and killed in the line of duty, it needs to be researched. We have no record of a peace officer named Highnote being killed in the line of duty here in the county back in 1918.
Last June when we had a tour of Brown Springs south of Thackerville, Oklahoma a Reader brought to my attention a photo we took that looked like a man hanging from a tree was in the photo. First, it's strange that it does look like a man hanging from a tree, but even stranger is suppose to be on the east side of the pool of water where the springs bubble up out of the ground, and no tree was there. Hummm, I been telling everyone there is some strange stuff down there, and wait until you read the email from a Reader in the Mailbag below. Strange is putting it lightly.
I've created a Photo Album in my webshots.com website that has only photos from Brown Springs. The webshots.com site has had over 7,000 hits since it's inception, with 560 photos online! http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
I never cease to be amazed and humbled at the support you, the Readers of my T&T, give to me. Since November 1st over 145 of you have placed over 3,400 minutes in long distance calls using the 4 cents a minute plan I've been telling about the past four weeks. The only words I can find right now is, "Thank you for believing in me". Those of us using the plan, is saving money on long distance calls! http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
The date is the early morning hours of July 8, 1953 and Tulsa resident Walter Forsythe robbed at gunpoint a service station in Troy, Oklahoma (Johnston county). Law enforcement would put out an All Points Bulletin on the robbery. Ardmore police officers Orville "O.C." Wallis and Buck Houchin would setup on old Highway 70 east and wait. In a few minutes the suspect vehicle, a 1953 Chevrolet, came into Ardmore at a high rate of speed, and Wallis and Houchin would take pursuit. The high speed chase through the northeast part of Ardmore would end up in the driveway of Pratts Food Store, with shots being fired. Ardmore Police officer "O.C" Wallis was the great grandfather of Kevin McIntire with the present day District Attorney's Drug Taskforce. Here is a link to the complete story: http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/walliso.jpg
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Want you to know that you have, again, done a great good thing for your fellow souls in this world. I got an e-mail from Dick Manley in Vermont. He knew my mother when they were children. Then his dad married my mother's older sister! Dick had not seen his half-brother and half-sister since 1948. Through YOU, they have been re-united! I have also received several emails from people who remember my family! It is great to read of their memories of my family....Thank you, and keep up the good work!"
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"Butch, Ed said the Model A didn't have wooden spokes, but the Model T did."
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"Butch, have this person contact the oil museum over in Healdton - they know tons.""Butch, You might let this lady know that she can go to www.genforum.com and go to the main page, enter the last name of the person she is searching for, it will bring up a family page, in the little search box she can type in the full name of the person she is searching for. IF anyone has posted a query with that name,it will come up. IF she finds someone she can post a reply and she can also click on the person's name that she is answering the query and it will bring up their email address. Sometimes the person will still have the same email addy. She can also go back to the main page and click on United States. It will bring up the state page, she can click on the state she wants to begin her family search in and at the top of the same page, it has counties too! so she can click on it to go to the county where her ancestors last lived and post it there!"
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"Hi Butch, I just got the latest issue of This and That and it was great as usual. I really enjoyed the picture of the bell at the Reck Cemetery and read where the photographer was doing an inventory of the graves there. I would sure like to find out the person's name since I am hoping he came across the burial site of my great grandfather John Crawford Daniel. He died in 1940 at the age of 92 and he is supposed to be buried there. His oldest son William and wife Mildie, and his grandson Johnny are buried there. I have seen those graves but I have not found John's. Maybe the person came across it while doing their survey. If you could send them an email and have them contact me I would sure appreciate it. Keep up the great work and please enter me in the drawing for your CDs. What a great idea! Thanks." Del Daniel delbertd@ix.netcom.com
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"Butch, Here is one for your collection...if you can see it. I have never found time to go take a picture myself, so I "lifted" this out of a composite. This is the tower of the new Alumni Center on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. This bell is rung to commemorate athletic wins and other accomplishments by faculty, staff, students and alumni of the UA. The Alumni Center is located across the street from the football stadium, so when we leave after a football game (which we win!) we leave to the sounds of the victory bell." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/arbell.jpg
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"Thanks to all who have written about the oil tank explosion in Magnolia Station Healdton Field in 1946. I would like to hear from anyone who has a personal memory or experience of the event, as well as anyone who might have pictures or articles about the explosion, the fire, the response, or the aftermath.""I am also looking for information about an explosion at the same location that occurred sometime prior to Sept 4, 1915. I recently purchased an old postcard with a picture of this explosion, and only now noticed the date of the letter on the back. While I suppose the odds of anyone being alive who has a personal memory of the event are fairly slim, perhaps some local historian out there might know something or have something about this tank fire. The picture itself was not dated from Sept of 1915; rather, the correspondence on the reverse, which means this must have been from even earlier, since it is a commercially produced postcard. The attached jpeg file is the front of the postcard. Thanks!" David Cason, Whitewright, TX. davidc2017@aol.com http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hldfire.jpg
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"Hey Butch, 'I've been getting behind on my e-mail reading, but I just read this T&T about buried gold at Pumpkin Creek or something to that sort. I remember my grandfather, Harold Robinson, used to tell me that legend had it that the James brothers were on the run and passed through my family's property and had to bury their stolen goods on it somewhere. He said that when he was a kid, they would catch people sneaking onto the property to try and find it. I remember once when I was in high school, I saw some men walking down our creek (Wilson Creek) with shovels. They scared me to death and I went and hid indoors. Never saw anyone else though. We lived just east of where the old Red Everett store was. I never did get the wild hair to go look for the loot myself, I was always too busy out with my .22 shooting at things like old bottles and such. I don't know if anyone else knows of the legend, but I figured I would pass it along before I forgot it."
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"Dear Butch, During my high school years (1932-1935), cruising Main St. was the in thing to do. As soon as our dates picked us up we headed for Main St.. We would drive the 4 or 5 blocks to the railroad tracks, circle around and start all over again. Some of the cars were 2-door coupes, Packards, Pierce Arrows and Marmons. Some of the cars had rumble seats so we could get two or three couples in the car. The Pierce Arrow had little seats that pulled out and made extra seating for those in back. We would honk at people we knew and stop at "The Pharmacy" for a cherry Coke. There were always a group of boys hanging around (we called them drugstore cowboys) and they were the boys that chose not to have dates. We always had stags for our dances. Also we would park down by the train depot and watch the 9PM passenger train come through. In fact this brings to mind how whoever double-dated with Maria Jane Hall and her steady, Guy Cobb, would have to meet the 9PM train and wait on her corsage. Guy always ordered Maria a orchid corsage from OKC for our big formal dances at Dornick Hills Country Club. Thank you for your newsletter." Tweed Stonum Machock
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"I promised you some old Oklahoma pics. Mom is digging them out of her computer and I will send them. In the meantime is it OK to ask you readers for help with something I have tried to research for 30 years and have been at a dead end.""Theodore Franklin THASSLER was a stowaway to the US coming into Galveston, Texas at the age of 14. He was good at mechanics and soon found work, with the Santa Fe Railroad . At first he worked in the Round House. Later he was able to become one of their Engineers. When he was 21 years old, there was a write up about him in a OK newspaper about how he was the youngest Railroad Engineer in the United States. That would have been in 1889.
By 1889 the Santa Fe Railroad was well established but the official name of the Santa Fe after 1863 was "The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company". The person in question was the person below. We would forever be grateful for anything anyone can help us with. Railroad boards and railroad historians came up with nothing on this man. He and his son, wife, and children were the only ones in the United States ever with that surname. Anyone with that surname is related to us. He is:
THASSLER, Theodore Franklin aka "Dutch". Does anyone remember this family?" lgarcia@ncia.com
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"Hi Butch, I apologize for not writing sooner to tell you about the tour and wiener roast at Brown Springs (last saturday) . We all missed your being there. It was a MUCH nicer climb this time, and we took lots of time in looking around. We noted a headstone that looked as if someone had tried to remove it, no doubt it was too heavy. I found "Sheep-Showers" and enticed the guild members to eat some of them. They were skeptical at first, but after trying them, said they were good. Do you know what they are? A couple of mysteries this time. 14 year old Alex Eden found an Algebra book in the graveyard. It was from his own class, and was very mangled. It had been shot clear through several times (a very thick book,) and had burn marks around the edges. It also had other piercings that went all the way through the book, but what had made the piercings was impossible to determine. The book appeared to have been violently attacked. We left it as we found it. Another strange thing; Some of the guild members spoke with a man at the springs, (he said he was 70 years old and that he came to Brown springs regularly to act as "caretaker" of the area.) hmmmm. .....He had a lawn mower and said he kept the grass mowed. He lives in Munster, TX. Odd? Why would anyone, especially a senior citizen come so far to perform a service no one asked him to do? And his "caretaking" service did NOT extend to picking up the trash and litter that is always around the springs. A final note; He "thanked" our group for touring the area, as if HE owned it! Ha! I thought that was strange, since WE were the locals, and he the non-local! Oh well, so much for our "mysteries." As we were standing near the twin pipes, Janita Black mentioned the picture we'd taken on the last tour in June of that spot...the one we called the "photo of the hanging man." Remember that? I wrote you about it and asked what you thought about it. You replied that you didn't think much of it...because you knew the man......... WHAT man, Butch? And also, there IS no tree there....and for as far back as I can remember, (and I am old,) there never has been one...where the photo showed one to be! Please write me all you recall about this photo of you. It seemed you were looking at where the twin pipes were...but what, or who IS that person to your left, who appears to be hanging from a tree? I'm dying to hear what you know about this! ...ah yes, You really missed a wonderful meal. Earl dug a circular pit, put up a central block of wood, then stacked smaller limbs on it, like a tipi. It was a great bonfire and perfect for cooking wieners, marshmallows and "smores." We ate outdoors beside the crackling fire. What fun! Wish so much you could have come." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bstour06.jpg
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Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
teematt@brightok.net
jolong@brightok.net
"Everywhere I go, all the places that I've been,
Every smile is a new horizon on a land I've never seen,
There are people around the world - different faces different names,
But there's one true emotion that reminds me we're the same.
Let's talk about love, Let's talk about us, Let's talk about life,
Let's talk about trust, Let's talk about love." - Celine Dion
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Saturday November 10, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 238
Last Saturday morning my neighbor, Bill Landrum, along with Tony McCall, and I rode out to Sherry Lake in that 1930 Dodge Brothers sedan of Bill's. Sherry Lake is about 12 miles east of Ardmore on Highway 199. It was a great ride too, at 45 miles an hour! We traveled to the end of Bynum Road next to Sherry Lake (just over in Johnston County) to Tommy Johnson's place. Tommy Johnson is carrying on a tradition, a craftsman of the highest caliber. He's got a shop all set up to re-do wood spokes in antique car wheels. He and his son started the trade 9 years ago when they needed to repair the wood spokes in a Model A Ford they were restoring. One thing led to another, and soon they were making new hickory spokes for other people who were restoring old cars. I emphasize hickory, because anyone in the know, knows that's the only hardwood to use in making spokes, according to Tommy. Here's some photos we took of his shop and tools used in making spokes.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tjohn2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tjohn3.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tjohn4.jpg
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To find out more about Tommy Johnson's spoke making visit: http://www.woodwheels.com
This week I went by Wesley "Chigger" Deck's place off Mary Niblack Road east of Ardmore and snapped some pics of the old cars he's restoring. Chigger has been restoring old cars for years, and presently working on a 1951 Frazer Vagabond, another is a 1939 Deluxe Ford, and the other a 1951 Chevy.
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This is a pic I snapped this week of a 1951 "Henry J" auto on south Mary Niblack Road (just south of Springdale Rd) here in Ardmore. The Henry J was made by the Kaiser-Frazer auto manufacture. It's owner, Larry King, passed away in September 2001. This old car is just sitting in the yard right now.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/henryj2.jpg
http://www.aaca.org/autohistory/photohistory/pix16.htmlThis week around 7:30am I was at the post office picking up my mail, and all the postal employees were outside gathered in a group on the east wall. They were having a group photo made, being the first group photo since the 80s. I stopped and watched, and they were all joking and smiling and some laughs, in a time I'm sure that's hard to do, with all that is going on. I thought how good this was, to see these Ardmore postal workers in a group, united, and showing everyone they are staying together, to keep the mail moving. I thought how they were really our first line of defense against the anthrax plots against this country through the mails. I'm thankful they are on the job, trying to keep our mail safe. And I'm thankful they are our relatives, friends and neighbors, living where we live and work. Maybe I can get a scan of that group photo some how, and show everyone in some future issue of T&T.
A couple of years ago II received the following email about predicting the weather using the persimmon. Let me know if anyone has looked into the future for the winter of 2001-2002 through the lowly persimmon seed.
"Well as the winter approaches, people start wondering how bad a winter is coming. The old way of forecasting it was to cut open a persimmon seed and see if a 'knife', 'fork' or 'spoon' was inside. The knife meant it was to a cold, wet winter. The fork meant that the winter was to be a wet, mild winter. The spoon meant that the winter would be dry and mild."
A Reader in Healdton was down south of that city, at Reck, Oklahoma doing some cataloging of the Reck Cemetery and saw that beautiful bell at the entrance to the cemetery. She took a photo of it and sent it to me. Another reader a couple of years ago told me the bell is from the Reck school, which was located across the road from the cemetery many years ago. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/reckbel2.jpg
Here is what's on the Menu for the Heartland Share program for November:
Extra Lean Sirloin Tips - 1 LB.
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins - 1 LB.
Chicken Nuggets - 12 OZ.
Meaty Salisbury Steaks - 1 LB.
Extra Lean Tail Gate Ring Bologna - 12 OZ
Celery (sleeved) - 1 stalk
Lettuce - 1 Head
Yellow Onions - 4
Russet Potatoes - 6
Sweet Potatoes - 5
Red Delicious Apples - 4
Oranges - 4
Texas Grapefruit - 2
Pumpkin Pound Cake
November Special "Pilgrims Pride" Combo Pack"
2 - 5 OZ. USDA Top Sirloin Steaks
2 - 4 OZ. Lean Center Cuty Pork Chops
2 - 4 OZ Boneless Chicken Breasts
4 - 4 OZ Extra Lean Ground Beef Patties
ONLY $10 and one additional hour volunteer service
December Special "Home for the Holidays":
Sausage and Cheese - will make a perfect gift or to enjoy at home
11 OZ Beef Beer Salami
9 OZ Summer Sausage
9 OZ. Beef Summer Sausage
8 OZ. Mild Cheddar Cheese
8 OZ Colby Jack Cheese
8 OZ Sharp Cheddar Cheese
ONLY $15 - sample may be ordered for November distribution
http://www.heartlandshare.com or call Carole at 580-223-5287 for info.
I've added another crossword puzzle, bringing the total to three. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/puzzles.html
I read in the newspaper where 450,000 Americans lost their jobs in October alone. With all the companies cutting back, the little town of Gene Autry, Oklahoma seems to be no different. I was through that town the other day and noticed they are using an age old, low-cost method of keeping the grass cut along the right-of-way in downtown Gene Autry. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/genegoat.jpg
Law enforcement is working on a large burglary at Puckett Body Shop in Healdton, Oklahoma this past week. Here is a listing of all the tools that were taken in the burlary. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/pucka.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/puckb.jpgA Reader asked me this week if he has to switch long distance carriers to take advantage of that 4 cents a minute plan I've talked about. The answer is No. I suggest trying the "talk around" feature for a while, like I did. Make several calls long distance, and then check next month's phone bill. I had no problems with the service. I used it for about 4 or 5 months, and the company did just what they said, charged me 4 cents a minute, no matter where I called in the U.S. My new Toll Free number by the way, is working great too, I'm completely satisfied! A $4 monthly fee and 4 cents a minute is hard to beat for a toll free number. If you've tried the 4 cents a minute plan, let me know your thoughts, good or bad. http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
This a screen shot of my long distance charges. I can check right online with iPlan! Pretty neat! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mycalls2.jpg
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Butch the next time you get near a Sam's club pick a ATT calling card, they are a little over $15.00 for 500 minutes with no other fees or taxes that show up on your long distance bill. We enjoy you newsletter very much."
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"Hi Friend Butch, Have you ever ridden in a 1928 Durant? I bet you have not even seen one. Here is a picture of one my Father-in-law rebuilt. It was all original. It took about 29 years and many dollars to restore it. He passed away before it was completed. All it needed was the dash panel put in, windshield installed, and bumpers installed. It runs perfect but it only has 40 miles on it now. Someday I will get the pictures of it when he brought it home back in 1964 or 65. He did drive it though and it was sweet. There is supposed to be only 5 restored in the United States the last I had heard. He had a 32 Buick, 1915 granny car, and a 1915 touring car. I put them in order. Sorry, I do not have a picture of the 32 Buick. It was always in the garage. I drove it and it ran nice. 70 down the freeway but we had metal spoke tires, not wood. They are all in Ashland, Oregon. (Now you know why I love to go to Oregon) Hahaha)."
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"Hello Butch: Have you heard of the "Moxey Post Office? I am advised that it was near the Atoka area in the late 1800's. This is a new one for me. If any of readers can help, I would appreciate some guidance." adam6125@swbell.net
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"Good Morning Butch, I enjoy your emails and the website of your photos. I was thinking do you ever get over into Payne County, Oklahoma. I was born in Yale, and went to a country school named Vassar Dist # 32 that is no longer there. It was set on fire in 1990 after the bell had been stolen. I live in Pueblo, Colorado now and every time I traveled to Okla I stopped at our school and looked around bringing back memories and then went on to my Aunts place. I attended Mulhall Highschool and I guess that is shut down or demolished after the tornado they had. If you should have any photos of these schools I would appreciate looking at them." Jean M (Dobson) Sellers Pueblo, Colorado sjeanbug@aol.com
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"Butch, Thanks to you I received E's from three people. Tremendous joy. Your people are like a "brotherhood", just like cops. Your people jumped right in to help in troubleshooting. Will keep you posted. Will call Great-aunt as she had designated me to pursue. Will let the other's know as well."
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"I sit up late every Friday night to wait for "This and That" to appear on my computer. I enjoy it very much. I was born in 1947 in Dr. Hardy's hospital, where the post office is now located. I am seeking answers to my past. My mother is Carol Jean Inman. Her father had a small cafe on 12th, NW. It was called, "Inman's Inn." His name was Jack Inman. My grandmother was Arkie Sullivan Inman. Arkie was the daughter of Marshall M. Sullivan and Lillie Mae Cutlip Sullivan. My great-grandmother told me that her original name was changed from Gottlieb to Cutlip. Her father changed it to sound more "American." My great-grandmother was born in Chestnut Grove, W. Va. Many years after Marshall M. died, my great-grandmother married William Otis Davidson. It seems that my great-grandmother was an entrepreneur of sorts, a very astute business woman. She first owned and ran a boarding house "by the railroad", until the great explosion and fire. I remember that she had something to do with starting the first bank in Madill. She told me that she had many business dealings with W.O. Davidson and his brother, Bert. It dealt with oil around the Healdton area. I asked my great-grandmother once just why she married Poppa: William Otis Davidson. True to her Puritanical beliefs, she told me that, "Bill was at my house a lot because of our business dealings. I thought it just didn't look right. So we got married.".....I don't know how she felt about him, but I do remember that he adored her. (This was his first marriage.) He never called her by name; he always called her, "Pet". And I remember that whatever, "Pet" wanted, "Pet" got. She ruled home and business with "an iron hand." In the early days, two of her boarders were Quintin Little and Dr. Edwin Parker, both of whom boarded with her at the same time. Dr. Parker told me that one of the rules of living in her home was regular bible study. Dr. Parker said that she knew more of the Bible than any one he ever encountered. He told me that he learned more from her about the Bible than he ever learned from seminary school. In her last years, she lived at 1203 G. Street, NW. Dr. Parker conducted the funeral services for her and my grandmother, Arkie.....with many personal remembrances...It was wonderful to hear of his own personal memories of long ago.... My great-grandmother shared with me, many wonderful stories of her early days in OK- then Indian Territory. She lost one daughter to an invasion of Indians. Another daughter she lost to Scarlet Fever. She only called them, "Baby Grace and Baby Rosemary." Her three surviving children were Arkie, Arden, and Bloomer. Bloomer became a somewhat famous basketball coach at the college in Durant. I asked my great-grandmother just where she got the name of Bloomer.. She said he was named after a famous German man named, Blumer, with the two dots over the U. (My keyboard does not have this on it). But, when he entered school, it was spelled as it sounded and my Great Uncle Bloomer never minded. Well, I know this is way too long...I am always verbose. But, if you can print any of this, and therefore help me find out about my heritage, I will be very grateful.... Thank You, and God Bless." Susan B. Nance mornsidemtn@hotmail.com
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"Butch, A friend recently recently asked me If I was from OK and I said Yea. He asked me where Ardmore was and I couldn't believe it. After me yackin about 45 minutes, He finally knew where it is and all about the surrounding areas. He emailed me they link to your site and I was up all night, reliving my youth. I did not grow up in Ardmore, rather Wichita, KS., B but My Mothers family has been there for a zillion years. I spent many summers there as a youth and teenager until my mother died when I was 19 in 1974. My memories are kind of fuzzy, But there are so many things I will never forget about " the Ardmore years ". My Mom's family name is Holley, and from what I remember, they had a homestead somewhere south or southwest of Dickson. It was called " Tater Hill ". I went there once with my uncle and all that was left was the stone foundation, the tater cellar (where my mother was born in 1915 ), and a family cemetary. My father was from Custer county and I believe the met while he was in the tree army building Lake Murray, and married. I have not seen any of my kin since Moms funeral in 1974, but I know of the ones who have passed on, and believe the rest of them gotta still be there, cause if I'd grown up there , I'd never left. Some of my kin were or are ; Ruth Ann Holley( wife of J.L. Holley, whom I always considered " The King of Dickinson ", cousins Ruth, Tommy, Joe Kenneth, Bobby, all of Dickson. My Mothers name was Britta Faye Holley, brothers, J.L , Pete, Ivan,sisters, Bertha, Velma, Eljorie, And Bessie Fuller whom I believe still lives in Ardmore. My fondest memories were swimming at Turner Falls, swimming at Little Niagra ( south of Sulphur? ) Family reunions at ( I think Buzzards Roost? ) at Lake Murray, coon huntin, but not haulin hay. I'll be readin your stuff every saturday, and hope maybe to hear from some long lost kin. Livin the easy life in Hamilton, MT." Kirk Holley Smith. khsmith@bitterroot.net
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"Dear Butch, Loved the pictures you took of Walter Drew, feel like you honored his Mother whom I loved dearly. I remember so many evenings well when the children in our neighborhood gathered around her as she told us many stories of her childhood. The most interesting were her experiences with Indian raids that they endured. We especially were enthralled with her telling us how her mother managed to hide her during those raids. I would visit with Mrs. Drew quite often when she was ill. I especially remember her night cap, it was white and adorned with lace and little satin ribbons. She was such a gracious and kind person, a very close friend of my mother, Frances Maude Tweed Stonum. Mrs. Drew for my graduation gift gave me a beautiful white dress to graduate from Ardmore High School, class of 1935. Keep up the great job you are doing." Tweed Stonum Machock
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"Butch you happy man, Wikle's Daughter's want tell you your weekly paper is amazing for getting replies.We have had 4 to 5 calls and hope for more. Some of the responses want to buy and others want help sell our business. Plus the rest of your weekly paper is so interesting and so informative on a variety of topics."
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"GREETINGS BUTCH! IT WAS INTERESTING TO VIEW THE PHOTOS OF PRICE'S FALLS..........IT WAS KNOWN IN THE PAST AS THE ODDFELLOW CAMP, COMPLETE WITH WATER WHEEL AND CABINS, PLUS LARGE BUILDING WHERE REUNIONS, ETC., COULD MEET AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN. MY HUSBAND, CARL, WAS AN AVID FAN OF PRICE'S FALLS AND WE SPENT SEVERAL WEEK-ENDS ANNUALLY THERE TO HELP OTHER ODDFELLOWS AND REBEKAHS TO CLEAN UP...........A.C. WALKER FROM HEALDTON, PLUS THE BUCK WEST'S WERE SOME OF THE OTHER MEMBERS FROM THIS AREA TO GO AND CAMP OUT, AND WORK IN FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE TO HAVE A SAFE AND CLEAN PLACE FOR OTHERS TO ENJOY. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. AND HAVE A GREAT DAY." CORRENA F. WILSON
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Butch I found you a bell at Oak Alley plantation in Vacherie, LA while I was on my trip to New Orleans this past weekend. I risked getting yelled at getting on the grass to get a close up of the writing on the bell, I knew you'd want to see it. http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/
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"Hi Butch, Have you heard of Willow Oak Church in Carter County? We're seeking information on this church. I thought maybe Ms. Wilson in Lone Grove might have heard of one of long ago. Hope you can help!
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"We met a very nice lady this week who was passing out flyers to advertise the Arbuckle Mountain Christmas Tour on Friday- December 7, 2001 from 5p.m. -8p.m. They are trying to raise money for the Milo Baptist Church Building fund. Charge is $10 adults and $5 children. The tour includes Holiday Lodge at Bynum Hill, Christmas Village at Rhodes Ranch and Victorian Christmas at Glory B Ranch. They are all located at the foot of the Arbuckles on Hwy 53 West. they are located 4,5 and 6 miles from I-35 Or anyone can mail donations to Milo Baptist Church Building Fund, HCR 60, Box 70A Springer, Ok. 73458. For those who don't get the paper the Milo Baptist Church was destroyed by Arson by some young people who are satan worshipers. I'm not a Baptist and none of the people putting on this tour attend the Milo Church but everyone was affected by this crime against Christians."
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"new address for Bill O'Heran oheran@shaw.ca Would hate to miss an issue. note that the civic auditorium since opening in 1943 has seen Sigmund Romberg and his orchestra, Spike Jones, Wayne King and Claude Thornhill. Dances at Dornick Hills had Woody Herman and Stan Kenton in the midfifties."
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"Hi! I recently purchased an old postcard with a picture of an explosion on it, the caption reading "Explosion of steel tank, cap 550000 Bbl. after burning 12 hours Magnolia Station Healdton Field (Photo. At risk of photographer's life) -F.H.W-)" Anyway, there is no date as to when the event might have occured, or where exactly "Magnolia Station Healdton Field" is located. Any ideas on how or who I should contact to get more background on this picture? Thanks,
David Cason Whitewright, TX DavidC2017@aol.com
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Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a history CD this week!
cirkusfan@aol.com
nilaoc@aol.com
The Brown Springs tour is still on for Saturday Nov 10th at 3pm. Lou said for everyone to meet at the Springs at that time. If you get lost call me at 580-223-0892 or Lou at 580-276-4776
My One True Friend
by Bette Midler
"And now, is it too late to say
How you made my life so different in your quiet way?
I can see the joy in simple things,
A sunlit sky and all the songs we used to sing.
I have walked and I have I prayed.
I could forgive and we could start again.
In the end, you are my one true friend.
For all, all the times you closed your eyes,
allowing me to stumble or to be surprised,
by life, with all it's twists and turns.
I made mistakes, you always knew that I would learn.
And when I left, it's you who stayed.
You always knew that I'd come home again.
In the end, you are my one true friend.
Though love may break, it never dies.
It changes shape, through changing eyes.
What I denied, I now can see.
You always were the light inside of me.
I know, I know, I know, I know it was you.
I have walked and I have I prayed.
I could forgive and we could start again.
In the end, you are my one true friend.
My one true friend.
I always, always knew,
I always knew that it was you,
My one true friend."
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443History Hotline
Toll Free 1-866-459-8626~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Saturday November 3, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 237
I have another crossword puzzle for everyone to play around with. I didn't know people enjoy working crosswords so much, until they started giving me feedback on last week's quiz. I need some of you to send me some questions and answers for future quizzes. So send me some email with your suggestions! Here is the link to the puzzles, including the new one this week, Quiz 2. You'll notice the quizzes are in Jave format, enjoy! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/puzzles.html
A friend told me they were over in eastern Oklahoma, down Talimena drive, this past weekend. He said it was absolutely beautiful and if anyone is wanting to take that scenic drive, DO IT NOW! When you get to the Arkansas border, no need to cross on over to Mena, because the most beautiful part is right there on this side of the border!
If all goes as plan, I'm going to ride in that 1930 Dodge Saturday morning. Bill Landrum is going to give me a ride out east, to near Dripping Springs, to check on a man who works on old wooden car spokes. I'll let everyone know what we find! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dodge30a.jpg
We've went over 6,058 views on the webshots Page I set up a few months ago. A very active place! http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Last Wednesday was Halloween, and a couple of offices at the court house dressed for the occasion. I snapped some pics of the court clerks office and the assessors office employees who dared to dress up! It was hump day and everyone had fun as those who dressed up paraded around the floors off and on during the day, bringing laughs everywhere they went. With all the fears and scares that's been going on lately, the court house employees needed a change in atmosphere, and Wednesday was great!
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My friend Ernest Martin sent me a couple of pics he took of Prices Falls in the heart of the Arbuckle Mountains, south of Davis, Oklahoma. Boy, that water sure looks pretty flowing over those falls, makes me want to drive up there, take off my shoes, and stick my feet in the water! And that Ernest may be a senior citizen, but he can handle a digital camera with the best of them! Here is the text of Ernest Martin's email this week, "A drive by view, near entrance .......today, of the Falls Creek Baptist Summer Encampment Grounds located in the Arbuckle Mountains portion of Murray County."
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http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/pfalls8b.jpgSpeaking of digital photos, for a year or two I been searching for a program that will let me quickly and easily lighten the pics I take inside a building or house. And this week I found it thanks to a Reader! This little freeware program automatically "looks" at the pic and makes the correction. The program, Photo Enhancer, will automatically adjust the brightness, and I can do about 2 photos a minute. When you have a dozen or two, this sure helps. I used this program to brighten most of the 14 pics in the Halloween photos above. To find out more about this neat little utility: http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/enhancer.htm
I received an email from one of the Wikle sisters this week. It was one of urgency, asking help for their 78 year old dad south of Marietta, Oklahoma and his water company. This is the text of that email, maybe someone out there can help. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wiklelet.txt
Last Monday, October 29, The Daily Ardmoreite had a nice write-up about the Air Base memorial and the progress being made to build one. http://ardmoreite.com/stories/102901/new_memorial.shtml
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm/
You all know how serious I take my bell hunting. Well, I had the same company that offers the 4 cents a minute thingy, set me up with a toll free number. Its my "Bell Hotline". hahaha. It only cost a one time setup charge of $10 and then a $4 dollar a month charge, plus the 4 cents a minute, which by the way I'm enjoying very much. Hey, if anyone sees any bells out there or other history, let me know! My toll free number is: 1-866-459-8626 http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"I received an E-mail from a Jr.Hi friend I knew in Sioux City and now lives in Lubbock. I need "Power Point" to open it...what is that and where do I get it?"
Note: You need a Power Point Viewer, free for the downloading here- http://www.rocketdownload.com/Details/Grap/ppview97shot.htm
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"hi butch, im glad to read you were able to order the memorial stone. my grandfather was born in lone wolf oklahoma. do you know anything about that place? i cant find it on a map. his name was wain gold and his fathers business was gold and sons in lone wolf. it was like a hardware store i think. i heard the old bldg is still standing. do you or any of your readers have any info on lone wolf, OK or my grandfather Joel Wain Gold? thanks." billy donaldson bdbd743@aol.com
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"Hi Butch, I looked into the 4 cent calling program and tried it from Sulphur. Doesn't work from here. I guess it's because I'm on the Chickasaw Telephone System. I've tried others and they won't work from here either."
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"Hi Butch! Enjoying your weekly Newsletter...and esp. the article about my cousin, H.W. McKinney. Sent a copy of the photos to another of our cousins, Sherrie Balthrop Cronk, who grew up a stone's throw from where H.W. lives now. She has lived in Michigan for many years. The note you received from someone about Buzzard's Roost reminds me of back when we were kids and used to drive out the Lake Murray Road and would go out to Tucker's Tower, back in about 1945, before it was remodeled and we'd climb those 'dangerous' stairs at midnight just for a 'lark.' We'd swim nude in the lake and feast on a watermelon that one of us had copped from a farmer's market, and I guess we did a few 'wild' things that would be considered tame by today's standards.... At 72, now living in the heart of Missouri, most of the people, places, and happenings of years gone by are just fond memories! Bob Taylor, Rocky Top Ranch, in the beautiful hills of central Missouri just yards from Lake Pomme de Terre..... P.S. Keep up the great work!"
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"I am a retired police officer from Washington, DC. My father's family is from Oklahoma. I was told that there was another LAWMAN in my family; perhaps 2. I have subscribed to every magazine that a publisher in Stillwater published, reading what I could hoping to stumble on a WILSON LAWMAN. It's been years, but I remember that the publisher was in Stillwater. I am a single parent so my daughter considers my roots the critical. I was told that JOHN THOMAS WILSON, was a DEPUTY US MARSHALL, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY in the 1800's. Possibly Cheyenne Territory.. He went by the name of TOM WILSON. His son EZEKIEL PROCTOR WILSON WAS ALSO A LAWMAN. I was told by Oklahoma kin that HE WAS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED LAWMAN AUTHORIZED TO USE A "SHOULDER HOLSTER". Butch, does this make sense? Was it possible that handguns had to be visible and not concealed? ZEKE WAS KILLED AT AGE 25. I can send DOB's. It now appears that you are my last hope before I close this case out as NOTHING FOUND: POLICE TERM. If J. THOMAS WILSON was a lawman I just don't know for sure. I have tried the LAWMAN'S SITE YOU RECOMMENDED. Butch, I did find a ESEKIEL PROCTOR who was a CHEROKEE LIGHTHORSEMAN. What is that; is it LAWMAN RELATED? I want to know if I did have a Great-grandfather that was a LAWMAN. I grew up in the Panama Canal Zone and when I was in the US Army, I took my leave in Tulsa with kin that I had never met." Stan Wilson panacia@quik.com
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"Just received your weekly letter. Your last e-mail encouraged me to send you meanderings as I recalled my early years in Ardmore.I recall the second day of the Gene Autry rodeo when one of the bulls jumped from the arena into the grandstand,nobody got hurt and they even managed to rescue the bull from the stands.It really scattered the spectators and was the talk of the town the next day. Do you remember that the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. had a store on the corner of main and "c" street. The original manager was Bill Boyd, he of course left them eventually to open his Pak-A-Sak stores, one on the road in S.E. Ardmore and the other on West Broadway near Mr Pickens Texaco station. The A&P was sill at main and "c" in early 1949, it closed very soon that same year.Priddy's restaurant was located next to the Tivoli theatre in April of 49, and i believe Elmo Eden bought it within the next month. The bus station was on the s.w. corner of Main and 'C' and south of it on "c" was a two story house owned by a Mrs.Emerson which she ran as a boarding house and also served food to any and all who showed up. Unfortunately she had passed away before i got to town. Directly across the street from her boarding house was the Sprekelmeyer printing co. and the old Green Front Grocery store. I understand the grocery store moved on to main street next to Luke's Music store. My youngest daughter managed to be born at Hardy Sanitarium in August of 1954 just before the new hospital was opened.I used to have morning coffee in the Ardmore Pharmacy with my friend Jack Hinckley and his young son was born right after my daughter, however he was born in the new Memorial hospital. I believe jack now lives in a Denver suburb.I recently sent a message to Gary Simmons stating that my wife was perhaps one of the first female employees of the Ardmore Air Base. When Mr. Wyatt Walker of the Russ Mitchell Construction company of Houston arrived in Ardmore to build the runways and aprons, he selected my future wife as his personal secretary.She and a girl friend officed in an old farm house on the air base property. They were warned not to walk around unescorted as many of the laborers were a tough lot.Occassionally the girls would borrow the timekeepers horses and ride into Gene Autry for lunch.Late in 1942 as the completion of the construction phase ended she went to work for the Air Corps. This lasted about 5 months before she resigned and obtained employment at the Federal Savings and Loan office." Bill O'Heran
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"You know Butch I can remember back in the 40's when "Trick or Treat" just wasn't done in Ardmore. But it was a great time. Main Street was blocked off and people came to town in costume and just walked up and down trying to figure out who each person was. Even the adults would participate. I was just a little girl then and when I think of Halloween that's what I think of. It was really funny when someone recognized you and you couldn't recognize them. You puzzled over who it could have been. Of course there were some that went out and did damage but most were in town having real fun. Thanks Butch for keeping old memories alive."
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"Hello, Took a fall foliage trip to Beavers Bend and into Arkansas and Texas. This is the only bell I saw that was in plain sight. Right on Main Street at Valliant, OK. Across from the Fire Department. Didn't know if you had this one or not. This was a big one, at least 24 inches across. It was mounted in a rock planter about three foot off the ground in the middle of the Street." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/vallbell.jpg
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"This is pretty cool. Saw this in Southern Living a couple of years ago. Had to go and see it for myself. Have been going to Paris Texas for the past 20 years and never knew this was there. This past weekend we went on a Fall Tour and stopped and took a picture of it. The hat has a 3' wide brim on it. It is really a Texas Big Hat." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/texhat.jpg
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"Butch, those autos with wooden spokes had a problem with the wheels coming apart at high speed (50 MPH) even when they were new. I would encourage your friend with the Dodge to look the wheels over very, very, very carefully before hitting 60 again. (Might even have termites). Those were such beautiful and well made cars. We had a 40 model Dodge that was trouble free for the time. Thanks for the hard work."
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"There was a report of a terrorist threat against the bridges in California. Those guys dont know what trouble they really will have if they mess with the Bridges!"
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Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my free "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a CD this week!
lynngarri@mindspring.com
hletterman@prodigy.net
One of the secretaries in the County Commissioners Offices, Michelle Bray, has two twin nieces in Oklahoma City who recently recorded a music CD. These two 13 year old song birds sing and even yodel country music in unison in a way that will sure bring a smile. I had the pleasure of listening to the CD Michelle received from the singing twins when they visited her the other day at Lone Grove. As I listened to the 10 songs on their CD entitled "Our First Trail Ride" my favorite was Number 8, "The Yodeling Bird", so I wanted to share the words of this toe-tapping song with everyone!
"It sounds absurd but we think we heard a bird that yodeled a melody,
We've heard a whippoorwill and a ran, and it was neither one of them,
And a robin just doesn't sound that way to me,
It might have been a mockingbird though I'm not really sure,
We never heard a mockingbird sing like that before,
It's the sweetest sound we've ever heard,
We think we heard a yodeling bird."
(yodeling)
"You might be thinking this bird can not be real,
But we can only tell you what we've heard and how we feel,
It's the sweetest sound we've ever heard,
We think we heard a yodeling bird!"
(more yodeling)
This link is to a signed photo the Prairie Twins gave Michelle when they visited her the other day in Lone Grove, Oklahoma. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ptwins2.jpg
Here is a scan of the front cover of the Prairie Twins new CD. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ptwins.jpg
And here is a link to the Prairie Twins website, along with when and where they'll be appearing in concert. You can listen to their voices and order their first cd too! I looks like they will be appearing in concert in Norman the first part of December. I've been told they appear in Ada, Oklahoma on almost a monthly basis at a country and western Talent Show. http://www.prairietwins.com
"If stupidity got us into this mess, then I don't see why it can't get us out." -Mark Twain
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Saturday October 27, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 236
Lou Harper of Thackerville, Oklahoma was planning to be hostess for the Brown Springs tour today (Oct 27th). But she is having some medical problems, and the tour will be held two weeks from today, Saturday, Nov 10th. So make plans if you're in the area, and we'll see you at Brown Springs south of Thackerville at 4pm Nov 10th! Be sure and email Lou at LUHARPER@prodigy.net
This week I downloaded a program that automatically creates crossword puzzles, once you've enter the key words and questions. I entered 12 questions and in seconds the program checked over 500 combinations until the words fit into a crossword. If you like crossword puzzles, the link below is to an interactive puzzle on Ardmore history! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/puzzles/quiz1.html
I hope some of you will help me develop other interactive quizzes by submitting questions and answers geared toward history. Each crossword puzzle will need about 12 or so questions. I'll create the crossword puzzles and put them online each week. Maybe some of you have a certain theme questions and answers can follow. Just keep the theme history, and I reserve the right to edit the questions. hahaha. So, if you got some ideas, create a group of questions, make an email and zip them off to me for the next crossword puzzle! I think this can really be fun!!!
My neighbor down the street, Bill Landrum, done some horse trading recently and ended up with a 1930 Dodge Brothers Sedan automobile. The car has suicide doors, wood spokes, and big ol' headlights! Bill's hit nearly 60 miles an hour out driving! I haven't gone for a ride in this fine automobile yet, but I plan to this weekend, his son said he'd work me in ahead of everyone else. hahaha Here's a couple pics I took, including one of the motor.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dodge30a.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dodge30b.jpgHere is a website with info on those remarkable Dodge Brother's cars and trucks with pics! http://www.dodgelodge.com/page10.html
Two weeks ago I told everyone I had was going to call my Carman cousins in England using 101-5335 talk-around. Here is my charges using my iPlan account offered by the company on the calls I did make to England, at 7 cents a minute too! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ukcalls.jpg
Several of you have wrote this week telling me you have given that 4 cent a minute long distance service a try. One reader mentioned one drawback: If you place a long distance call to someone using the 101-5335 number, and get an answering machine, that will cost 40 cents, because there is a 10 minute minimum. This is true. The way I'm going to handle that kind of call, is I'm leaving a message, saying "call me". After 4 months of using the 101-5335 service, I can truthfully say I have saved money on my long distance bills. One Reader told me they paid $30 a month in Healdton to have unlimited calling anywhere in the 580 and 405 dialing area. She said they don't spend $30 a month making long distance calls, so they are canceling that plan and using the 101-5335 plan like I am using. http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
Last Saturday, the 20th, was pick-up day for those of us in the Share Program. The semi truck pulled up behind the Catholic church on "E" Street SW before 9am that morning. Several people were on hand to help unload the food, but we can sure use some more helping hands! If you or an organization you're affiliated with wants to help, give Carole Ellis a call at 580-223-5287. Remember if you eat, you qualify for the share program! http://www.heartlandshare.com http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/share20g.jpg
Here's a pic of the food distributed in the September Share program. Lots of good things to eat! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/share922.jpg
At 11am last Saturday there was an appreciation party for those who helped make the Share Program a success. It was the 3rd anniversary celebration of Share coming to Ardmore. I have only been with the Share Program for 6 months or so, but I was invited to the party too, and ate pizza! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/share20h.jpg
Speaking of food, Ardmoreites Doug and Scheryl Williams gave me a sample packet of their dried vegetables this week. The dried mixture can be sprinkled on foods as an enhancer. Doug told me it's kind of hot, so if you don't like it hot, use it sparingly. For more info email the Williams' at scheryl@brightok.net http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hotchama.jpg
I noticed since 9-11 that the tallest structure in Ardmore has been flying the U.S. flag. Blue Bonnett Feeds on Mill Street Southeast proudly displays the flag high above Ardmore. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/blueb25.jpg
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Hi, Mr. Bridges. Thank you so much for the Lake Murray pictures today. My family lived at Buzzard Roost in the old rock house on the right just inside the area. My dad worked at the park for many years, and retired from there. You are a jewel to give us so many memories!! Thanks again."
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"Butch, Thanks for the photos of Buzzards Roost. I lived there from 1956 until 1963. We the Greenaway's lived in the first old rock house on your right after turning off scenic 77 Into Buzzards roost. The tower from which you took the photo's housed our water supply. Under the rocks is a water tank. At the base of the rock outcrop looking north WAS an old water well with a gasoline pump housed inside an old small structure which my dad had to start with a hand crank. Pour In the gas, push the compression release lever, crank her up and fill the tower tank. supplied the whole pic-nic area as well as our home and the home of our only neighbors, the wonderful A. Faulkner Family. Oh what a life living at the beautiful Lake murray. Thanks Butch." Don Greenaway
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"Dear Butch, Ever since I found your website a few months ago, I really look forward to Saturday mornings with the latest T&T. Both my parents were born and raised in Ardmore and even though I was also born there, never had the good fortune of growing up in that wonderful place. The last few years I have been attempting (without much success) to gather information about my relatives. My grandfather, Edwin (Edd) Scott died in 1940 before I was born, but I'm told he was a janitor for many years at one of the schools in Ardmore. If any of your readers have any information about him or his family, I would love to hear from them. Thanks again for your newsletter and all the pictures we enjoy every week." Louie9293@aol.com
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"Last week my hi school friend, Frances Dunlap, sent an E mail saying she had sent in for me to get T&T Weekly. I had never heard of it but knew if Frances liked it, it would be super. Sure enough, when I saw it on my E mail today, I quickly accessed it and was so pleased to have received it. ---I went to hi school in Marietta--graduated in l946, and since, as an Air Force wife, have seen lots of places and met lots of people----have never seen people who were as warm and friendly and truly good as the folks in Southern Okla. ---You are doing a super job of letting those of us who cant live there share in the news. Thank you!" ---Sammie Binkley, San Antonio,Tx
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"Butch: I read with considerable interest your account in the last T&T about Mr.McKinney and the old air field NE of Marietta on the west side of Scenic Highway 77. When the question about the location of the air field was first raised several months ago in your T&T I wrote to you stating that my father-in-law, Bert Paschall, and I had often hunted quail in that area and I had never seen any indication of an air field around there. Mr. McKinney pre-dates me in Love County by a number of years. I first came to Love County in 1949 and married Bert's oldest daughter, Patricia, in 1950. An immediate bond was formed between Bert and I and we hunted and fished all over that part of the county for the rest of Bert's life. I looked at the map and the spot marked appears to be very near the geologic escarpment which drops off steeply toward the Hickory Creek bottom. During the 50's and 60's Bert and I occasionally hunted quail along that escarpment. It was a good area for quail and Bert had some good bird dogs. As I said in my earlier account of this matter I never saw any sign of anything that resembled an air field, but I do think I have seen those brick remains which you photographed. I often wondered what they were and why they were there. Now I know. The air field must have been a dirt strip and since it was abandoned in 1941 it was overgrown with brush before my arrival. Thanks a lot for T&T. My wife and I both enjoy reading it as it often renews old memories and wonderful experiences. I want to tell you a little story about Bert. He and Jack Mays were good friends. Jack and family lived on Scenic 77 about a mile north of the bridge across Hickory Creek on the east side of the highway. There was an old barn on the west side of the highway about a mile north of Mr. McKinney's place. The old barn was dilapidated and looked as though it may fall any day. Bert and Jack had a bet for over ten years on which way it would eventually fall. They neither one lived to see it fall. It didn't fall either way. It eventually just cratered into the middle." -- Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas
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"Butch, you might add to your letter that the 4 cent charge on the phone service has a 40 cent minimum. I am using it now, but it could sure add up if a person called and called someone, and kept getting the answering machine." http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
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"Butch, I wonder why the pictures are not highlighted for me to click on in my AOL mail, but on the Brightnet mail address, they were always highlighted??? Any suggestions?"
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"Do you have any info on the mines located in the park? I explored several small mines there about 1950. Could not go far, the mines were mostly caved in. They were rumored to be either gold or coal mines but no one knew for sure. They were very small so not much ore was removed. Ring any bells? Thanks for all your hard work."
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"Enjoying your letter on this and that. You should interview both Jerome Westheimer and C.E. Hannum both living in Ardmore and both are Geologists by profession and both are over 90 years old.Also suggest you you click on to the article on Lake Murray written by Robert Allen who is still practicing geology in Ardmore. It is extremely well done and you and Gary Simmons would both enjoy reading the article.I lived in Ardmore from April 1949 until August 1958. The only good thing I did during my tenure in Ardmore besides finding a few oil fields was to marry Mary Jean Sprekelmeyer, daughter of Lawrence Sprekelmeyer who established the Sprekelmeyer Printing Co. in 1923.Mary Jean worked for Mr George Selvidge and upon his retirement for his son George Selvidge jr.at Federal Savings and Loan Assoc.I'm just rambling on and on so I better close." Bill O'Heran P.S. currently retired in Calgary, Alberta: Canada
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"I live in Paris, Texas and I am trying to find out some info. about Bill Doolin of the Dalton Gang. My grandmother was a Doolin and I trying to find out if there was a connection. Did he have any children? Thanks." clarkin@neto.com
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"Thanks for the hours reading about southern Oklahoma and the many pictures. I was raised in Marshall County but spend some time visiting Ardmore shopping with my folks and going to the movies. My wife and I graduated from Madill High School in 1950 and have not spent much time there since then. We now live in Mission, Kansas which is in the SW part of greater Kansas City."
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"Hi Butch, I was so glad to see the article about H.W. McKinney and the old airport. I have asked so many people and no-one seems to remember the airport. I remember going there as a child and seeing the bi-planes with the open cockpits. I am just so glad to find someone who knows about it. People would look at me as if were imagining things. My friend in San Antonio received her first T&T and wrote to thank me for sending you her name. She once lived in Marietta so I am sure she enjoyed reading about H.W. Although I do not get to attend meetings any more I still belong to the Love County Historical Society. H.W. has done a lot for the LCHS. My friend was very impressed with your work and said you must be a very interesting person. I agree. So sorry that I cannot go on the next tour of Brown Springs. We are going to see the foliage in Eastern OK next weekend. Looking forward to the next issue."
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"We had a family reunion, Stewarts, last Saturday down at old Enville and I noticed that there are two or three graves by the side of the road just north of it, on the east side of the road. About halfway between old Enville and where the road turns back west to go to Lake Murray. Do you know anything about these."The markers are the Wright stones, Number 41 in the listing below.
ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ok/love/cemeteries/cem-desc.txt
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"Butch, I hope you have fun with this program. It allows you to view your house from a satellite just by clicking on the image till you get your home." http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/default.asp
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"My name is Tweed Stonum Machock and I was born in Ardmore, OK. 1915 at 315 F. St. S.W. My earliest remembrance from my childhood is of Mrs. Byron Drew's son Walter's funeral. I remember standing on our front porch and holding my Mother's hand as the military procession marched past our home. I recall band music and the flag draped casket. Walter was killed in World War 1. Many times when visiting Rose Hill Cemetery and seeing the life size statue of Walter Drew I'm flooded with memories of my childhood days. Thank you for this newsletter, for I will write again."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drew2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drew3.jpg
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"Just reminisce about my years in Ardmore. Got off the Texas Chief at 4 o'clock one afternoon in April of 1949 walked down to the end of the station platform and looked west down main street and couldn't believe how much blue sky was visible to me. The tallest building I could see was the Simpson Building (Main & "A") at 6 stories. I had just come from Chicago. The hospitality was great and totally unexpected as I checked into the Ardmore Hotel and within ten minutes I had a phone call offering some companionship. I was also astonished that week to see two mature ladies riding their horses down Main street. I understand they used to tie up their horses to a parking meter and go in and sit in the lobby of the Hotel. I loved it. I also remember the day that Waco Turner off loaded his beautiful 1950 yacht onto his oil field flatbed truck using his employees from the oil patch. They then drove west down Main and turned onto South Washington and proceeded to Lake Murray. The 1949 Gene Autry rodeo parade was watched by an estimated 50,000 people along Main street. The bowling alleys on "A" street between Main and West Broadway burned up, so I finally had to start dating girls. When Samedan Oil Company built Ten Pin Lanes I was back in business but it was too late I had already gotten married. Richard Roy was made the manager. At the grand opening Richard Roy, Joe Boyd, nephew of Bill Boyd of Pak A Sak, and myself bowled with Buddy Bomar. Buddy a native Ardmoreite was one of the finest professional bowlers in the U.S.A. at that time. I was too nervous to be any good that day. I remember the evening that Quintin Little and Carrie Lou held an open house, I was entranced with the fountains around the grounds spewing champagne in the air. The house was marvelous. Loved our invitation to the annual Daube party out at Dornick Hills. By the way I joined the Country Club in the fifties for 50.00. It was a special rate, they must have been hard up for members. Dr. Ken Turnbull was my sponsor and also a darn good dentist. The only reason I got invited to the Daube party was that my wife Jean modeled clothes for their style shows. The other big social event of the year was the style show put on by Jean-Lee fashions. They filled the civic auditorium for that one, almost 2000 people. Better stop now, as I'm getting carried away." Bill O'Heran, Canada
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"This is my cousin's place at Medicine Park, Oklahoma." http://www.muralsbyjoy.com/purple_parrot.htm
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"Ardmore news from The Chickasaw Chieftan Newspaper..... November 23, 1893" http://www.genealogy4all.com/ChNov1893.html
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"Hey Butch, Thanks a bunch for the great CD!! I am sending over some articles I found on THE GREAT HANGING in Gainesvile TX. You mentioned Mr McKinney of Marietta was telling you about this event. Turns out there are 22 references to the hanging in The New Handbook of Texas Online. There was some discussion a few years back on one of the Texoma sites about this. Apparently several innocent people got killed from mob hysteria and sheer politics of course." http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/index.html
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"Hello Butch, My grt Uncle, David L. Slaughter, (brother of my Grandfather, John W. "Will" Slaughter), was a Peace Officer Town Bailiff of Davis, Oklahoma in 1920. Probably a few yrs before and after that as well. I wonder if you or any of your readers would have any info about him. I am told that there was an article in newspaper about his home burning up also but don't know whether it was before this period or not. He had 3 children listed with him on the 1920 census and they were: Alma age 12, Edwin age 10 and Doris age 7. I am trying to find more info on him as I am at a loss as to his parents, other than their names which were, Jane Ellis and Jake Slaughter, and thought maybe someone might know something. His mother, Jane Ellis was sister of David Frazier Ellis and John P. Ellis of Davis, Murray Co., OK. David was Murray County Commissioner and leaders of the Baptist Church there." justjazzy@adelphia.net
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Let's draw another two names from the hopper for my "T&T Photo and History CD". It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. I appreciate everyone, nearly 150 of you, who has wrote in and asked to be included in the drawings each week until Christmas! http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a CD this week!
binkleys@stic.net
hreeves@brightok.net
"From a distance the world looks blue and green,
And the snow-capped mountains white
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
And the eagle takes to flight
From a distance, there is harmony,
And it echoes through the land
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
It's the voice of every man"
-Bette Midler, 1990
http://www.lehigh.edu/~ljm5/frmadstnc.html
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Saturday October 20, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 235
I ventured down south into Love county last Saturday and visited with a most interesting individual by the name of H.W. McKinney. Mr. McKinney is a retired teacher and for years ran a store next door to his house selling Ashley Wood Stoves. He told me back in the 1980s he sold the top of the line Ashley stove for $275 each. When Reagan's EPA director sent him a letter, telling him to immediately sell the non-catalytic stoves or else, because they were polluting the environment, he decided to sell out. H.W. said he didn't believe people would pay the much higher prices for the catalytic wood stoves. He's pretty much retired now, but did give me a tour of his woodworking shop. Here's some photos I took of Mr. McKinney and his shop.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/mkinney2.jpg
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/mkinney3.jpgOne interesting thing H.W. showed me was a photo of his great great great Grandfather, Colin McKinney. Colin county, Texas is named after him, as is the county seat in that county, McKinney. So as you can guess, H.W. has done a lot of genealogy research on his family tree. H.W. also is a founder of the Love county historical society and an authority on Love county history. I asked him if he'd heard of an airport just north of his house of long ago. He told me the air field operated from about 1931 to 1940 just 2 1/2 miles north of Highway 32 and Scenic 77. The landing strip was owned by the son of Marietta, Oklahoma druggist Ray Kelly and frequented by planes belonging to A&M's (now OSU) Flying Farmers of Oklahoma.
This is a map showing where the air strip was located, on the Ward Ranch, NE of Marietta.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/kellyair.jpgWhen I went on north from Mr. McKinney's place looking for any remnant of the airport, this is all that's left of Ray Kelly's air field, a partial brick wall still standing on the west side of scenic Highway 77, 2 1/2 miles north of Highway 32. (Mr McKinney's old wood stove store was located 1/3 mile north of 32 and Scenic 77 on the east side of the highway.) http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/kellyair2.jpg
During our conversation, Mr McKinney enlightened me on something I've wondered about for many years. Around 1880 my great grandfather Carmon, his wife, and one daughter left Huntingdon, PA and moved to Gainesville, Texas. I have wondered why they would pull up stakes in PA and move to Texas, leaving behind the rest of the Carmon family. H.W. said it was for free or nearly free land. Gainesville was the first town the train stopped at when traveling south, making Gainesville, Texas one of the most active stations in the U.S. People settling in Gainesville were ready when the time came for Oklahoma to be opened up. So maybe that is the reason my ancestors left Pennsylvania.
One more thing Mr. McKinney told me about Gainesville, Texas. During the Civil War there was a hanging towns folks there called "The Great Hanging". About 45 people were hanged in Gainesville for supporting the North instead of the South.
I checked out another spot by Lake Murray, the riding stables. They were open and fixing to take over 15 people on the horse riding trail. The young and old alike were all excited and ready when the group before them rode up. There were about three horses already at the stables, so people were petting them. It's been years since I rode a horse, I even thought about going on that trail ride myself! Here's some photos I took of all the horse commotion that saturday afternoon. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/stablesa.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/stablesb.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/stablesc.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/stablesd.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/stablese.jpg
The Lake Murray Riding Stables are located at the intersection just west of the Lodge. The phone number is 580-223-8172.
Just southeast of the stables is Buzzard Roost. It's a man made rock formation that's let you look out over the lake, it's beautiful. And you know, I didn't see one buzzard either. But I have in the past, so they were somewhere in hiding. These are some pics of the trail up to Buzzard Roost, look out over the area, and also the ramps and boats at the east of Buzzard Roost Road. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301a.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301b.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301c.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301d.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301e.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301f.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301g.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301h.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301i.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301j.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301k.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301l.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301m.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301n.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301o.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301p.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/lm101301q.jpg
For a history of Lake Murray, here's a good Page. http://www.ou.edu/special/ogs-pttc/murray.htm
When I was in the Assessors Office this week and employee Joleta Duck, showed me a photo of her two grandchildren standing with Oklahoma Governor Keating and his wife. They were attending the September Fest in Oklahoma City on Saturday Sept 8th. I guess they are learning politics at an early age! http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/joduck.jpg
I received a big brown envelope this week from a Reader in SW Oklahoma in the mail with a surprise in it, a Summer 1992 issue of Old West! Boy, there is so much history out there, just for the learning, and magazines like the one I received this week sure puts excitement in the learning. The magazine was originally published in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Summer 1992 issue I received was printed in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Maybe someday it will be a collector's item! http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/olwest92.jpg
Here is more info on Old West Magazine. http://writenews.com/2000/060600_oldwest_redesign.htm
The District Attorney's Taskforce here in Ardmore is holding an Auction Saturday Nov 3rd at 8am at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum. There's going to be lots of confiscated items going to the highest bidder including guns and automobiles! email jtyler@justice.com for more info. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/datask2a.jpg http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/dalista.jpg
I had several of you write and telephone about the 4 cents a minute long distance rate I talked about in my last issue of T&T. I been using it for over 4 months, and I'm completely satisfied with the $2.40 an hour LD charges I've been enjoying to anywhere in the U.S. Remember, you don't have to switch long distance carriers to get the 4 cents a minute. If you want to know more, here is the link! Give me a call! www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"A friend of mine told me about your news that you send out. I have received it for two or three weeks and think it is super. I grew up in Ardmore and left in 1952 to go to Kansas City, MO to work. I am really enjoying the history you put in your newsletters you send. Thanks you for your effort and work in doing this. I can remember going to the old ice house when we were young and they would let us go in get some "snow" and take it with us. That was a special thing on those hot days we had. Please put my name in for the history CD."
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"Butch, Thanks so much for T & T. I enjoy reading it even though I don't always know the places and people you talk about. I especially wanted to thank you for the historywired site. I train teachers in the use of technology in the classroom and I know they will love this site."
http://historywired.si.edu/index.html
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"Hi Butch, I don't know why someone did not tell me about T & T sooner. I enjoy every issue and when I have time I read the back issues. Love every issue. You are another Mac McGalliard. Please enter my name for the drawing for the CD."
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"Just bought an old shot gun. It has a metal tag on it- Wells Fargo, San Francisco Div. On the stock is stamped Zac Adams, Agent. Any ideas on how to find some info on Zac Adams. All I have been able to find is general history of Wells Fargo, nothing specific."
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"There is a web site that list all the known hoax's should you care to look up any suspect e-mail before you forward it. as in the past if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. http://www.f-secure.com/news/hoax.htm
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"Butch I saw you web sight, and enjoyed it so much, I thought I would send you a picture of the old Norris Chapel school at Greasy Bend. I went to school there in the 30's." http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/norris30.jpg
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"Bud Ballew and Buck Garrett. I saw in This & That that you are writing a book about these scoundrels. My great uncle, Russell Brown, was the District Attorney in Ardmore in those days and helped rid the town of them. I would be most interested in buying a copy of your book when finished. Any info that I can furnish about Russell and his involvement, I would be happy to provide." Dick Lindsly -- Frisco, Texas. RLindsly1@aol.com
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"Hi Butch, I want to thank you for this site and working so hard on it. My grandfather and grandmother lived and I believe were married in Ardmore. I believe that it was then in Pickens County, Indian Territory. Just recently I found that I have Cherokee blood, through my KEYS grandmother. Your site gives me some insight (no pun intended) into where my grandparents lived and where I still have some distant cousins." Richard Crowe Escondido, California
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"Butch: I read with interest your account in the last T and T about the bandits who held up the stagecoach near Cheek and hide the gold in a stash nearby. Growing up in Oklahoma I heard most of my life about stashes of gold hidden by various outlaws in south central Oklahoma all the way from the Arbuckles to Red River. One early morning in 1952 after a heavy overnight rain my father-in-law, Bert Paschal, and I crossed Pumpkin Creek which was running hub-cap deep. We drove up a muddy slope and down the other side to a wire gap gate near a tributary to Pumpkin Creek. We were going to cut firewood. I got out of the truck and opened the gate. All of a sudden I saw Bert leap out of the truck and go to his knees with his nose almost touching the ground. I thought he had gone berserk. What he saw in the early morning sun was a reflection from a gold coin resting on a little mud pedestal. We surmised it must have washed downstream during the rainstorm that night from a stash of gold somewhere up that tributary. Bert and I spent the rest of the day intently looking up and down the full length of that little creek. We found a lot of things, but no gold. We didn't cut any firewood that day either. For the next twenty some years for the rest of Bert's life, he and I on any occasion we could, would spend hours looking up and down that little creek trying to find that stash of gold. We never found it. Bert owned and operated Two Lakes Skyway Courts, later changed to Paschall's Village, located at the southeast corner of Lake Murray State Park." -- Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas"Hi Butch: Thanks for the reply inquiring where Pumpkin Creek is located. Here's how: Get on the Park Road, cross the spillway, cross the dam, go about a mile to where the road forks. Take the right fork which will take you to the southeast corner of Lake Murray State Park. Turn right like you are going to Enville. Go about a mile and turn left. Go about a mile where you will go down a long hill and cross a bridge. That is Pumpkin Creek. It is in Love County. I'm also sending you a URL which will show a map of Lake Murray and Pumpkin Creek. Be sure and scroll south and southeast until you reach the southeast corner of Lake Murray State Park. There on the right side you will see Pumpkin Creek. Are you going to go look for the gold stash?" :-) -- Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/pumpmap.jpg
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"I came across your site just now by chance and you seem like a pretty interesting guy and thought that you could help me out, since I have not had much luck anywhere in Oklahoma. I have been researching the elusive 19th-early 20th. century photographer, James C. Macurdy (J.C. Macurdy) for a number of years now. Born in Ohio, he became a civil war photographer. Following this he worked out of Oil City Pa. By 1868 he resided and worked in Boonville, Mo where he remained until 1889. By 1895 he worked out of Coalgate and Lehigh Oklahoma. I am seeking someone with knowledge about Mr. Macurdy. This could be a local historian,photograph collector. I need to know how long he stayed in that area and if he moved on .(I do know he ended up at the Odd Fellow's Home in Liberty, Mo. and died in 1926). Also needed would be original photographs or copies of his Oklahoma work-especially his landscape images. When my research is completed, I hope to write a book on his life and work and all contributors will be acknowledged. I greatly appreciate any help that you could lend in these matters. Thanks." James Higbie 824 High Street Boonville, Mo 65233 (660)-882-2314 gen.carpenter@undata.com
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"The place where I work is not like the places you mentioned in your T&T. The place where I work is not a rock quarry. We are a sand plant. We are a mining operation. We have a lake dug by using a "stripping crew". The lake starts filling with water, and a dredge is placed in the lake. The dredge is a large boat with a cutter head on it. Kind of like a drill bit. The cutter head goes into the water about 40 feet or more and drills down and sucks up sand and rock. Then the sand and rock are pumped through pipes floating on top of the water to a plant where the sand and rock are separated depending on size. The different materials go through a "shaker". The shaker consists of different screens which separates the different sizes of materials. Theses materials then go down conveyor belts to different piles. We make concrete sand (which is tested 3 times a day to make sure it is spec) and we make masonry sand. The rock that we have is strictly native rock that comes from the ground through the dredge. We do not blast like they do in limestone quarries. Our native rock is then loaded through a crusher and crushed into 3/8" pea gravel. Right now we have 2 plants running and making approximately 3,000 tons of materials a day. On a good day we normally ship out about 3,000 to 5,000 tons a day, but things have really slowed down due to the large amounts of rain in the past month. Construction normally slows down this time of year anyway. But it is really a neat thing to watch. Here is the Lattimore Materials website:" http://www.lmctx.com
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"WordWeb is a powerful free English thesaurus and dictionary. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world use this top-rated software. Features include: Definitions and synonyms, Proper nouns, Related words, 120,000 root words, 100,000 synonym sets, and Link up to MS Word." http://www.wordweb.co.uk/free/
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"I ran across you web site while looking up some things about Hugo, OK. Would you happen to know anything about the courthouse in Hugo? My aunt told me my grandfather helped build the old courthouse. I'm 56, so this must have been around the turn of the century, or at least the first part of the 1900's?? I don't know whether or not that building is still standing. If you happen to have a photo of it, I would very much appreciate a copy." rafterl@sisna.com
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"Butch, I put about 7 photos that I had of the AFMP on the Bravenet Photocenter at the following URL... The Bravenet Photo Center allows you to store up to 50 images (.gif or .jpg only) in as many as 10 separate private or public photo albums. You can share your digital photo's with friends and family by placing a link to your Public Album on your webpage(s)! AFMP's new Public Photo Album." http://pub39.bravenet.com/photocenter/album.php?usernum=3346938880
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"Hi Butch, I just thought I would remind you of our tour of Brown's Springs on Saturday October 27th. We'll meet at the springs at 4:00 p.m. I hope that you will be able to act as tour guide once again? In case some of your "This & That" readers want to join us, please mention the tour and invite them to join us!" Lou Harper, Thackerville, Oklahoma. LUHARPER@prodigy.net
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I've drew another two names from the hopper for my "T&T Photo and History CD." It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'll continue to draw 2 names every weekend until Christmas. I appreciate everyone, nearly 150 of you, who has wrote in and asked to be included in the drawings! http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners of a CD this week!
roylee@brightok.net
charlenw@texhoma.net
"This land is your land, This land is my land,
From California To the New York Island,
From the redwood forest,
To the gulfstream waters,
This land was made for you and me."
-Woody Guthrie 1956
http://www.ced.appstate.edu/intercollege/3850/thisland/thisland.html
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Saturday October 13, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 234
South of Lone Grove, Oklahoma is Cheek, Oklahoma. I talked to a friend this week who's kinfolk lived in that around 1900. He told me some details of the area I thought I'd pass along to everyone. Just northwest of Cheek there was an Indian village where it is reported one of the last battles between the Indians and military calvary troops took place. He told me there is natural flint just southeast of the Indian village where they used the flint to make arrowheads. I have marked the Indian village on the map below with a red "X". Also just north of the "X" is where a stage coach crossing was located. There is a story that a stash of gold was hidden in the area by bandits who held up the stage coach there. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/cheek3.jpg
For all you history buffs like me, I found an interesting site with lots of history you like to visit and accessible in a novel way. You move your mouse around the Page and it tells you what piece of history is in that spot. And after you leave that spot a "check" mark is left in it, so you'll know you've visited there before. I moved my mouse around the area marked as Transportation and clock on the spot about the 1926 Steam Locomotive #1401 and a history lesson with photo all about it! Check it out, if your in to history, you'll love it! http://historywired.si.edu/index.html
Thursday October the 18th the Ducks Unlimited banquet in Ardmore is being held at the old Civic Auditorium, now called the Heritage Hall. Starting time is about 6:30pm. I'm planning on being there, it's lots of fun and the money is for a good cause. Hope some of you can make it! I know the kids really have a great time with all the drawings and gifts that's directed toward just them!! http://www.ducks.org/
A couple of years ago someone sent me email and said by printing my T&T out each weekend, and mailing to several people who don't have computer, he might be considered responsible for the cutting down of several trees just to make the paper. I did some calculations this week and here is what I found to even my surprise. The files on my Home Page that contain the last four years of T&Ts totals 2 1/5 megs of text files. And to print those files would take about 875 pages. Boy, I didn't know I could talk that much. hahaha
This week I bought a bag of raw peanuts at the grocery store. I brought them home and put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Now those were some good tasting peanuts! People who pass by my office at work, have to stop and get a fresh roasted peanut!
I still remain humbled at the people who log on to my webshots.com photo album to look at all the photos on there. Many of you are sending your favorite photo on there as a Post Card to friends and relatives. In 90 days, the 500 photos, have been viewed over 5,000 times! Thank you! http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
An friend and fellow Ardmoreite, Buddy Bellamy, was in McAllen, Texas on business a couple of weeks ago. He sent me email from there using his laptop and cellphone. When I found out he was in McAllen, I had to send him email back telling him about some cousins of mine that lived there many years ago. Howard and Irene Heath owned Heath Electric Company there for 50 years. When I was a teen, about 1964, I lived with them for one month during the summer that year. I remember it so hot there, I cried, and wanted to come home everyday. But my cousins said I had to stay the whole month, like I promised. I slept on a green army cot in the living room the entire month, since they didnt have an extra bedroom for me to sleep in. Anyway, when I found out Buddy was in McAllen, Texas I sent him email and asked if he could go by the cemetery there in McAllen and take a photo of the Heath's burial site. He said no problem, and in three days Buddy sent me email with the photo attached! I may have to buy Buddy a horseshoe since he's Ardmore's number one authority on tossing horseshoes and plays a mean game of it too! http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/heathlot.jpg
Way over a year ago I told about experimenting with those 10-10 numbers, called "talk around" numbers to save money on long distance calls. I've tried several since June 1999, with one even taking me for a cleaning for $30 for one long distance call! Ouch! I kept complaining, and they finally reduced the charge by half. Needless to say I didn't use there service anymore. Anyway, I have found one "talk around" number that works great! I've been using it for four months, and not one minutes trouble. 101-5335 let me call anywhere in Oklahoma or any other state for 4 cents a minute, with a 10 minute minimum. (Yes, that's $2.40 an hour!) Hey, I can't even start telling the person I called, what I called them for, in less then 10 minutes. hahaha. Yep, it works great and I didn't have change my long distance carrier or complicated things like that. I just dial 101-5335 and then my number, and I talk for 4 cents a minute! The charges are just added to my Southwestern Bell Telephone bill as an itemized last page. So I just pay those charges when I pay my Southwestern Bell phone bill. When I first used the 101-5335 service, I had to enter a one time only Access Code. But that was only the very first time. From then on, it's just pick up the phone and dial 101-5335---1-405-552-4567 or whatever the number is I'm calling, and it's 4 cents a minute!
It works on residential or business lines, with no switching, no monthly fees, no setup charge. And to put the icing on the cake, I made several overseas calls, and the savings was great! I can call my cousins in England who decided not to get on the boat over here in 1632 for 7 cents a minute. Or I can call Switzerland and check out the price of a wrist watch for 7 cents/minute, or call the Virgin Islands for 4 cents a minute and check on that vacation condo, or Japan for 9 cents a minute and check on some sushey, or call the "down under" for 9 cents a minute and talk to my friends on the north coast of Australia. Or call Germany and order some REAL chocolate at 6 cents a minute! I started to call Afghanistan and give you know who a piece of my mind, but at 82 cents a minute, I changed my mind. hahaha.
If you want to call anywhere in the U.S. for 4 cents a minute, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, I highly recommend you give the 101-5335 service a try. Just pick up your phone, dial 101-5335 and then your number, example, 1-918-444-7878. On your first call, when you are asked to enter the Access Code, just punch in 228072 and that's it!
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"Butch, I found this in my old pictures. It was probably taken in the late 1920s. Long before it became Gene Autry. My grandfather L. L Franklin was the "Station Agent" there for many years. He was telegrapher, and ticket agent, what ever was needed for the old A T and Sante Fe. Thought it might be interesting to someone." http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/berwyndp.jpg
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"Butch this This and That is outstanding. I loved the photos of our Sheriff Robert Denny, he was one more great guy.I personally knew him also. As well as his families. Thanks for furnishing the names of the people in ref. to Priddy Salad Dressing. And I also want to register for the CD. I receive this weekly and can hardly wait until Friday to receive it. I have been around this town and I can see how much you have improved each time you issue this. You are really doing the people that receive this article a great favor. You will always be remembered." Scott.mscott@brightok.net
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"hi butch, I wonder if any one out there have posted pictures of Cement, Oklahoma and Hartshorn, Oklahoma. Yale Oklahoma? My husband and my family lived in those towns one time or another."
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"Hey Butch, I am just curious to know if you knew my Uncle Tootie, Doris J. Thompson? He was an engineer for the highway dept. I have some pictures from when he found all those old bottles from a cola plant & bottling company. One of those pictures were put into the Ardmoreite back in the 1970's. Thanks."
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"Would anyone know the issue date of the Life Magazine with the Ardmore High School picture? It was either 1949 or 1950 and have seen one but do not know the date it was issued. Information would be appreciated."
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"Butch~~ I have just made my 2nd batch of the Priddy's Salad Dressing and I encourage everyone to try it. Thanks again for making it possible to get the recipe. I would like to have information on the book that was mentioned in the latest T&T about "Growing up in Ardmore in the 40's and 50's". I would love to get my hands on that one. Please enter my name in the drawing."
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"Hi there, Butch!! I changed my e-mail address last week and didn't get your newsletter today. I am cryin' the blues!!! I look forward to your report every Saturday and enjoy it very much. I am an Oklahoma native, born in Pauls Valley and still have lots of relatives who live in and around that area. Please change my e-mail address in your book. Only when I know you have done this will I stop "cryin' the blues", and feel whole again!!!"
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"Butch, I haven't been on your mail list very long. If I had known about it the story would be better, I really do enjoy it. You bring many memories back. Especially about the older people of Carter county and the history of the county. You are a walking history book. I want to thank you for the short time you have been sending the Saturday edition every Saturday. I look forward to reading every word. Know most of the people around Healdton, and western Carter county. Please place my name in the drawing for the Disk and the recipe, I can remember going to the Carmon Lumber yard and going to Dr. Boyds house. Thanks."
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"Butch, I have had so many requests you just couldn't believe. This must be the most popular dressing in the world. I am getting to them as I can." evelynb@ktsnet.com
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"Hi Butch, Wow, did I ever get a big surprise in the mail on Saturday. I do not know how you knew that I had lost all the stored files of your T&T that was in my computer in the past 4 years. I had a complete file until Friday evening when I tried to load everything in my new computer on Friday. I had lost every thing I had saved. I still do not know what happened but it is gone. Then in the mail on Saturday came this disk from you. Everything I had lost is now back in my computer. Many thanks for the disk. I will cherish it. I will also let Jerry Lewis view it while in my presence. I will not let him tough it though. Hahaha. You are a true friend. I just wish the world was filled with "Butch Bridges" and we would not be having the problems we have today. Again, Many Thanks from the bottom of my heart."
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"I am an Ardmore native living in Austin Texas. (GO SOONERS). I enjoy reading your newsletter. I recently purchased on ebay an old ice pick with the Coca Cola emblem on one side of the handle and "Ardmore, I.T." on another side of the handle. The man in Minnesota that I purchased it from didn't have a clue what "I.T." meant. But of course I did! Does anyone know when the coca cola bottling plant started in Ardmore. I am assuming sometime between 1900 and November 16, 1907. If anyone has more specific info, I would appreciate it." kmmcgill@swbell.net
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"Hello Butch, I just now received the "This and That" CD. I want to thank you very much. You put a lot of time into this and you get all the credit. I'm sure that I will enjoy it for many days and years to come. Thanks again."
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"Right now, primarily I suppose I should find out whether Buck Garrett, or his chief deputy, Bud Ballew, have any living relatives in the area. The book I am writing is, of course, fictionalized, but it is based upon actual events, and I would hate to step on anyone's toes with a casual, though inaccurate remark. Any information regarding living decendents of either of these gentlemen would be very beneficial." WhismanRD@aol.com
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"When I was a young teen we shopped in Ardmore a lot. My mother and my two sisters always went to the Colvert's for ice cream. That was in the 1940's. We came out of the store and got to the car a large truck came up the street west bound. My mother remarked that that load looked like it was about to fall and just as the truck got behind our car it did. Hay bales fell on the back of the car and all around us. Thanks for all the reading you give us."
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"My Greatgrandfather was Robert Lee Amonett. He is buried in the Linn Cemetery about 8 miles from Madill Oklahoma. He was murdered in 1914. His daughter Minnie Amonett Stogsdill died in an accidental kerosene fire in 1921. I have included newspaper clippings from both tragedies. I was wondering if any of your readers know anything about either or both of these? Also if any one knows anything about the Amonett's in Marshall county?" DMiller@nobleaff.com http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/amonett.jpg
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"Thanks so much for the CD. THis is one gift I will treasure for many days to come. I have only previewed a few of the pictures. Again, thanks, keep up the good work."
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"In an earlier e-mail, I mentioned that I would forwarding a photo of the WTC taken just after the attack of September 11th. I noted the download was a big large and would take some minutes to acquire if you ISP is slow like ours. However, after doing my job of finding the source of the original photo, I will pass along the address to the WTC photo as well as a view of the Pentagon. Both images are being provided free. This way you can download at your leisure. Both satellite photos are very impressive." www.spaceimaging.com
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"By the way, I have looked on your previous columns for the virus check websites and have overlooked them. Could you reprint them. Would appreciate it. Thanks." http://housecall.antivirus.com http://www.grisoft.com
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Last weekend I wrote about the 1966 song by Stuart Hamblen "What Can I Do For My Country". I quoted that song of course because the the increase of patriotism since 9-11, but Stuart Hamblen's (1908 - 1989) most popular song was, "It Is No Secret What God Can Do". The original manuscript of which is buried in the cornerstone of one of the Copyright Buildings of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and which has been translated into over 50 languages around the world and was the first song to 'cross-over' becoming #1 in Gospel/Country/and Pop categories and starting the trend for ballad style gospel songs. Here is how the story goes: One night while at party, Stuart was cornered by John Wayne who found his new-found religious zeal hard to believe. But during a conversation with the actor, Stuart remarked off-handedly, "Well, it's no secret what God can do." As Stuart was leaving the actor's house that evening, John walked up to him and told him he should write a song about the comment he had made. That chance remark led to It Is No Secret (what God can do), a tune that provided a Top 10 country hit not only for Hamblen, but also proved successful for Red Foley with the Andrews Sisters, Jo Stafford, and Bill Kenny and the Song Spinners. Later, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, and the Jordanaires recorded it and it became one of their best known Gospel hits. http://www.duchessathome.com/music/itisnosecret.html
I've drew out two names from the hopper for my "T&T Photo and History CD." It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I appreciate everyone who has wrote in and asked to be included in the drawings, nearly 100 of you! I wish I could just send each of you a history CD that asked to be in the drawing, but until my ship comes in, I guess I'll have to stick with two a week. I'm going to draw 2 names each week until Christmas. You only need to enter the drawings one time. http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners for this week!
chase609@worldnet.att.net
phyllis@texhoma.net
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ Saturday October 6, 2001 T&T Weekly Vol 5 Issue 233
We had a county employee apply for her wedding license at the Court Clerk's Office this week. Becca Uptergrove of Lone Grove, Oklahoma works in the Treasurer's Office on the first floor of the courthouse. She and her Fiance, Joe Evans, went to the Court Clerk's Office at 4:30pm Tuesday and signed on the dotted line. I took some photos of them at the counter with my digital camera, then came home and burned the pics to CD. I printed a CD label, which turned out pretty good, I think. I gave the CD to the soon-to-be newlyweds as a gift. The pics show two other couples at the counter applying for their marriage license at the same time as Becca and Joe.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/beccajoe4.jpg
Here's a pic of the CD label I played around with, making a gift for Becca and Joe. Before I printed it on my bubblejet printer, I tried several variations of the wording, finally deciding on what you see below. I was told they liked it. Remember, I am no artist.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/beccacd.jpgI recently had the pleasure of repairing the picture frame of one of the most respected officials of this county of modern times. Somehow the frame of Sheriff Robert Denney fell from the wall at the Sheriffs Office and I volunteered to repair the damage. While I had the photo, I scanned it. Around 1989 Robert had the distinction of being re-elected sheriff more times than any sheriff in the state, spanning 20 years. OETA came down from Oklahoma City that year to film a special on this little man who was a giant in this county. Everyone knew Robert Denney, and more important, Robert knew everybody. In the 30 years I knew him, his word was his bond. He was not only respected by the law biding citizens but the criminals too. Someday I'll tell some experiences I had in working around Robert, like when he took his "walking tall" stick alone into a cell block of disgruntled inmates. Or the day in 1980 I decided to wear green Army fatigues as my uniform. That went over like a lead balloon. Robert took one look, told me I better go home and change. hahaha. Or the day a guy brought a three day old dead catfish into the old sheriffs office trying to sell it. You know, I believe I could write a book about those experiences!
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/denney9b.jpgI travelled to the NE part of Ardmore last Saturday, near my old stomping grounds. I found what's left of the Lee Cathey Brick Manufacturing Company. It was grown up with grass and weeds so much, it's hard to distinguish what is what. You can see the underlying support of red bricks under the concrete slab and foundation. Some kids were playing along the railroad track told me they have seen several snakes in this weeded area. So I tried to be as careful as possible. I'm scared to death of snakes. hahahaha. The location where the Cathey Brick Company used to be back around 1915 was just north of "D" and 7th Street NE, right next to the railroad tracks. Just south of this intersection is a big field. I remember in the 60s riding my bicycle to that field and helping myself to a few cotton bolls. I'd take them home and really thought I was doing something, picking those seeds out of the bolls. I'd take that cotton, string it out, twirl it in my fingers, trying to make thread. hahaha. For several years during the 60s someone planted the entire field in cotton, covering the equivalent of a city block. If anyone in Ardmore has a gasoline Weed Eater I can borrow, I'll go back over there some Saturday and get rid of the weeds, so we can get a good photo of this piece of Ardmore history. Just give me a holler. Anyway, here is some pics of what's left of the Cathey Brick Company. The last link is a map of the location with a red X marking the spot of the brick company.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/cathey2.jpg
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/cathey3.jpg
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/cathey4.jpg
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/catheybr.jpg
I received email from a daughter of Mr. Roy Wikle, owner of Wikle Water Works south of Marietta, Oklahoma. Her father is over 70 years old and is looking to retire from his bottled water and ice company, so he has it up for sale. If anyone is interested, send Billie an email for more info. Here is the email I received from his daughter Billie this week:
"Excellent bottled water and ice company has increased revenue and customers every year by 75% to 100% (operated 1997-2001). WIKLE WATER WORKS AND ICE FOR SALE or LEASE water rights and company equipment. Family owned business is willing to work with right family or company to learn business and be purchasing at the same time. Company located off Interstate 35 half way between Oklahoma City, OK and Dallas, TX near Marietta, OK off Hwy 77 (15 miles from the Texas Border)." Billie Hall bghall@utsa.edu
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/wikle5.jpgI'm happy to report the monument has been ordered for the Air Base Memorial!
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/pledgepd.txt
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/airbase.html
http://www.americanflyersmemorial.orgIf you'd like to download a little waving U.S. Flag to go in the lower right-hand side of your Desktop.... this place has a pretty neat one! Only takes a minute to d/l and install. http://www.deskflag.com/
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG
"We live way up in the Smokies in an ancient cabin. Roaring creek on 2 sides, waterfall on the mountain behind us. See a car about twice a week! Enjoy all kinds of wildlife. They always seem to want to get inside our cabin...and sometimes do....A huge bird slapped me in the mouth and cheek with a large black snake clutched in its claws. I drive a convertible and had stopped on our road when I saw the bird. It seemed to be having trouble getting up into the air. Then, when it finally got off the ground, it flew away from me, but there was a mountain on the other side of the creek. The huge bird turned and flew back toward me, still stopped on the road. The most horrid thing I remember is that large snake wiggling wildly and then it slapped me in the face.....By the time I got down the mountain to meet my husband for lunch, I had huge pustules on my lip, inside and out. I called the vet....After he picked himself up off the floor because he was laughing so hard....he said I probably had the pustules because of some poisonous plant the snake had slithered through."
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"Butch. please enter me in your drawing for the Ardmore History CD. I would love to have a copy. I just finished a book entitled "Memories of Growing Up in Ardmore During the 1940' and 1950's. Thanks." rhenry44@home.com
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"Yeah Butch, If you are passing out recipes for Priddy's salad dressing I would like to have that too. Boy, I can still taste those delicious sandwiches made with that and Small's bread. I think I am going to be back in Ardmore on the 19th of October, maybe I will get a chance to drop by and visit again for a few minutes." Dirtydog50@aol.com
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"Butch, I remember the old ambulance house behind the Ardmore Adventist Hospital. I was working at the hospital at that time. The ER was at the back of the hospital and sometimes it got pretty scary since there was no one back there but myself and sometimes Ida Nell Wilson who was the R.N. on nights with me. I remember telling Joe Pack and some of the guys at the ambulance service if they heard someone yell, they had better come running. I really enjoy your articles in This and That each week. They bring back lots of memories for us. Thanks for the memories."
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/soasoff2.jpg
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/3amb.jpg
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"I have only known of your Newsletter during this past year! L Farrar told me about it and gave me the address! Raised in the oil field of Wirt, Ok. going to grade school at Dundee then into Healdton for High School, graduating in 1948. Her I am in CA. for the last 40 or so years. I would love to have the Priddy recipe also! My parents didn't leave Healdton until around "80., so I have spent most "Vacations" running back and forth! Loving every minute! Also the name of a favorite friend and previous teacher won one of this weeks CD"s. My PC is so full too, that I hope you put my address in the pot!! Thanks again for all the wonderful memories!" DGoed85925@aol.com
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"Welcome to October, everyone, which is the month of the Orionids meteor shower. This year's best night to observe should be October 21-22 with about 20 meteors per hour. There will be some activity from the 15th to the 29th. Just take a gander at the northeastern part of the constellation Orion. Here's how:"
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/orionids.html
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"Hello Butch, As you know I have the recipe for Priddys Dressing. My aunt, Leola Franklin Day was the Salad & Pastry cook at Priddys for several years and it was her own recipe and Priddys used it for most of their salads, I think the chicken salad used this instead of mayonnaise. I will send this to those that ask for it. For a little information I am sending a picture of Leola with her brother(my dad), and her two sisters. This was taken in the late 50's in front of the family home in Gene Autry. from left to right: Elmer Franklin, Leola Day, Ruby Franklin and Edith Holcomb." evelynb@ktsnet.com
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/leoladay.jpg
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I said last week we'd draw out two names from the hopper for my "T&T Photo and History CD." It has over 2,000 photos, text files, stories, and my website Pages. I'm going to draw 2 names each week until Christmas. You only need to enter the drawings one time.
http://www.brightok.net/~bridges/ttphotos/ttcda.jpg
Here are the two winners for this week!
lgbutler51@yahoo.com
sweetpekes@msn.com
"What can I do for my country,
For all the right she's done for me,
She's give me peace of mind and constant liberty,
To do what I may do and be what I may be.
What can I do for my country,
For all the right she's done for me."
-Stuart Hamblen 1908-1989
http://members.aol.com/HamblenMC/SH_Bio.html
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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