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Below is April 5, 2003 to June 28, 2003.

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Saturday June 28, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 323

Last week in the Mailbag a Reader was inquiring about an asphalt pit located west of I-35 on Prairie Valley Road. And low and behold, T&T Reader Ruby Martin called me who knew all about it. She lives in that area, and this is the info she passed on to me: The pit is located about 1/2 mile west of Prairie Valley road and Kings Road on the south side of Prairie Valley Rd. The last few weeks Allen and Janet Jones has been putting in a fish bait business on the property and there is a new gravel road leading south to their business and the old asphalt pit. Ruby said when she and her older brothers were teenagers, her brother's would tell her about going swimming in that pit back around 1940. What happened was the crews working the "slip" to dig out the asphalt hit the water table, and within one day the over 50 feet pit filled with water. After that day, asphalt operations were abandoned. This hitting water incident would have happened about 1937 or 1938.

Ruby had a 1929 newspaper clipping from The Daily Ardmoreite telling about the asphalt pit being sold to a company up north. In the article it was claimed the asphalt was the finest quality to be found anywhere in the United States. This newspaper clipping was from the July 24, 1929 issue of the newspaper. So the asphalt was only mined about another nine years after that sale. Ruby told me when her older brothers went swimming in the old asphalt pit, that the water was really clear and cold. And she was told a person could put 15 school buses in that water filled pit and never see one above water.

Here are some pixs of the old asphalt pit and Jones Bait Company I took last weekend. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/asphalt3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/asphalt3b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/asphalt3c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/asphalt3d.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/asphalt3e.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/asphalt3f.jpg

Business owners Allen and Janet Jones were the most accommodating when I was out there. So if you're out near Prairie Valley Road and Kings Road, stop by and say Hello. I'm sure they'll show you the deepest water hole in Carter county behind their new business! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jonesbait.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jonescard.jpg

A Reader wrote in asking what "jack mining" was, and I really dont know. Maybe someone out there can tell us. Ruby did tell me what a "slip" was in mining. A slip is like a very large bucket, dragged by a horse on each side of it. That is how the asphalt pit NW of Ardmore was mined.

In last week's T&T we talked about the gallows that stood behind the old Federal Jail at Main and "B" Street along with a pix of it. That pix came out of a book on Moman Pruiett printed in 1945. This week I was given a lot more information about the Federal Courthouse and Jail in that southwest corner of Main and "B" Street.

Tol's Jewelry is next door west to the present day Soda Shop. On the west side of Tol's Jewelry is J.C. Yeatts' warehouse. Back before a fire destroyed the building on the west side of Tol's around 1970 it was a 4 story building. When rebuilt it was only two. The past owner of the building told me in the south end of the building next to the alley the walls are three feet thick and solid. And there were still some jail bars in the SE corner of that building before it burned. She said above the first floor was the courtrooms with beautiful wood railings and moldings and doorways. Now keep in mind these courtrooms were used before 1910. The present day Carter county courthouse was not completed until the 1910. I had known for a long time there were courtrooms and court offices on the second floor above the present day Sode Shop on the east side of Tol's Jewelry. So it seems the entire space above what occupies the Soda Shop, Tol's Jewelry, and J.C. Yeatts' warehouse was part of the old Federal Court House and Jail back before 1910. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/sodatolsyeatts.jpg

This 1969 or so picture postcard shows the two buildings... the one on the west side of Tol's is taller. And far to the right is the old Montgomery Wards Store before it burned. This photo was taken when Main Street was still two-way and had parking meters. The Marquette Hotel was above the old Montgomery Ward store. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ard1969.jpg

Last Monday the 23rd around 6am I had water to my house. By 6:30am I was waterless. I thought maybe a water line had broke somewhere. What I didn't know was that water break was just down from my house. And I mean it was a big break. Water gushing down the street near the old Carnegie library (Ladies Garden Center). I went on to work at the courthouse and when I got home that afternoon I still didn't have water. But the city crews were hard at work getting it fixed. Sometimes we don't appreciate our water and sewer departments until we need them. Like that old saying, "You don't miss the water til the well goes dry", and boy my well was dry until about 7pm that evening. But they stayed with it until it was fixed, and they worked like trojans in that hot as hades, air you can wear, envioroment. The humidity was awful. I would have probably passed out in it, had I had to do it. Yes, we don't appreciate those guys and gals until we need them. Here's a couple of pixs I took that morning of the water break. The first pix is looking north on "E" Street SW from beside the Ladies Garden Center building. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/stanleystr3a.jpg This second pix is looking down at the water gushing out from under the thick grass next to the curb into "E" street. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/stanleystr3b.jpg

Several of you have emailed the past few months asking about how to stop Internet Explorer from automatically reducing the size of my photos when you click to them. This has always been a real annoyance to me too. Everything time I'd pull up a photo, I'd have to go to the lower right hand corner of the photo and click at certain spot to put the photo back to normal size. There is a setting under TOOLS and INTERNET OPTIONS and the ADVANCED tab where you can take the "check mark" out of the box to stop this "automatic image reduction". The red arrow points to where the box is to remove the check mark and then click APPLY to make the setting permanent. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/autoimage.jpg

Here is a pix of the "Harvey House" in Ardmore. But the problem is I don't know where the Harvey House was located. On the reverse side of the postcard it just says "Fred Harvey". This pix looks like a house at 331 G Street SW??? http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fredharvey.jpg

Extract from the Pendergrass Mid-Continent Tour, Spring 1913: "Native granite can be quarried from the banks of the Pennington for miles. This industry will in time become one of the best known of the kind in the United States. There are several varieties of this granite; gray, black and red, the red predominating. It is seamless, hard as flint and susceptible of a fine polish. There is no limit to the size of the stones which can be quarried and the supply is practically endless. The granite used in the post office building in Oklahoma City was taken from the quarries but a mile from Tishomingo. This quarry will also furnish the stone for the capital buildings for the state of Oklahoma. The Tishomingo granite was awarded second prize at the St. Louis Exposition, being pronounced second only to the Vermont granite."

This is a 1920 pix of the old T.J. Smith and Son Livery Stable in Tishomingo. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tishlivery.jpg

When I was at the Ardmore Library this week looking at the old City Directories, and found in the 1916 Directory where my aunt Eva Carmon lived at #29 D Street SW here in Ardmore. I sure didn't know that. In 1916 she would have been 21 years old. Her mother and father both died from pneumonia when she was about 2 years old in Gainesville, Texas where they lived. Eva would become a milliner (hat maker) for Daubes Department Store in the 1920s before moving to Ft Worth with her new husband Robert L. Randol around 1930. He was the Randol bunch that owned the Randol Hotel on West Main just west of the Tivoli theater back around 1920. Here is a pix of my aunt Eva Carmon Randol. I bet she designed and created that hat she is wearing. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/evacarmoncloseup.jpg

A Reader gave me another political nail file to add to my collection of others I own. The name on the file is Red Ivy but they didn't know when or where he ran for DA except possibly OKC. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/redivy.jpg

I received an email this week asking if I knew anything about a mystery that involved a gun belonging to Lillie Langtry, murder, and Oklahoma. I don't recall any such story. The only thing I can find is where Lillie Langtry visited Langtry, Texas by the Rio Grande River which was named by Judge Roy Bean after Ms Langtry. While there she was given a pistol once owned by the hanging Judge Roy Bean. Maybe someone out knows of this story the inquirer asks about and will clue us in. http://www.hurstmereclose.freeserve.co.uk/html/lillie_langtry_gallery.html http://www.jaynesjersey.com/lillielang.htm

Electricians have been busy this week at the courthouse removing the big cast iron lights that was at the 3 entrances since 1910. They will be replaced with new ones. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cclights3a.jpg

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Rayford was, and may still be, 4.7 miles south of Davis and 3.7 miles north of Dougherty on the Santa Fe (now BNSF) main line. The November 29, 1942, operating timetables does not show any passenger trains stopping at Rayford."
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"Big Canyon is well known among railfans as one of the most scenic places on the Santa Fe (now BNSF) railroad. There is a gathering of railfans from several states every year to photograph the Big Canyon area and the trains through there. It is accessible (other than by train) only through the Dolese Company property. Each year Dolese graciously opens the property to railfans for this gathering. This year's gathering was last weekend."
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"Re the "Dillinger" movie photo -- the person on the far right appears to be John Cox, former Chief of Police, of Madill, Oklahoma. He was a good man, and very proud to have been involved in the movie." -Pittsfield, Massachusetts http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dillgang.jpg
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"Dear Butch, I've only been getting your T&T a couple of weeks and already found good data. I am working on my sequel to "This Raw, Red Land" and need to know about saw mills in 1908. I have research stating that at one time all 77 counties had a saw mill but haven't found out where or when the one in Carter County was active. I'd like to find out if anyone has documentation of the saw mills close to Carter County about statehood. Failing that, can anyone tell me of one in Oklahoma or north Texas at that time? I make my novels historically correct so far as I can and would like to know where to find research data. Thank you." -Voncille Shipley, Elmore City jvshipley@brightok.net
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"Hi Butch, I remember going to Devils Den in Tish when I was in 6th or 7th grade with my parents. As we walked through an area where a small creek ran mom and dad repeated more than once to myself and the rest of the children in our family to stay out of the water. I thought that I was minding them and I tried to walk across some large rocks to cross the creek. Well, you probably know the rest of the story. Some of those rocks were covered with slippery moss and down I went right into the water which as I recall was quite chilly. Mom and Dad weren't too pleased and it wasn't a very fun ride home." -Roxanne in New York
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"Hey if you aren't doing anything Friday night July 4th, drive down I-35 south of Marietta where the old Highway 77 and I-35 crossover each other and check out the fireworks at the Liddell family reunion. If your going south on Highway 77 from Marietta, its just past of Addington Bend Road. They are better than the ones I paid 20 bucks to see in Dallas, no kidding. You can see them really well from I-35. In fact you should notice the line of cars along the road who have pulled over to watch."
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"Hello Butch, I see that people are still looking for a good place to buy Ink Cartridges. I find this to be a very good source with good prices. If order is over $40 shipping is free." http://www.Printpal.com
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"Butch, I hope you know how much you & your work is enjoyed by so many people. You mentioned the old Pratt Grocery on South Washington. It brought back memories from 1952/53. I was about 17/18 years old, one of my friends and I often picked up some cold beer and stopped at Pratt's and bought one or two of their BBQ chickens and went to the lake. We thought we were living The Good Life. Those were fun times! Always look forward to each new T&T. Thank You!"
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"Alva, OK. March 14, 1922: The New York Times reports that mysterious fires emerge from nowhere inside an elderly woman's house. Blue flames would appear and things in the room would catch fire. This account was backed up by witnesses who described a crackling sound from the flames."
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"Butch, My uncle Earl Payne and his brother had an old little store on C street SE. I remember going there as a kid in the '60's. Lots of pop and candy.....He was married to my mom's sister Bertha (Holley). My mom was Britta Faye Holley (Smith). I came back to Ardmore last year with my 12 year old son so he could see where I'm half from....Tater Hill Holleys. I went there in the '60's with my Mom to see the homestead and the Holley family cemetery east of the Hill, but now there is a road running north-south and a mobile home that seems to be right on top of the old homestead cemetery. I sure enjoyed coming back after all these years, and seeing my cousin's and meeting cousins I never meet before. A big hello and thanks to Joe K., Jerry, Bobby, and everyone else!! Long live the Tater Hill Holleys." -Kirk Holley Smith
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"Hi Butch...I love that old sign since I have been told all my life that my grandfather, Floyd Elmore, worked for the ranch at the time they built that sign on the side of the mountain...He helped carry and place the rock...I love that sign...Everytime I see it, I think of that grand old grandfather." -Bobbye Brown http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lazys3.jpg
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"Butch now you have got me collecting small bells. Here is the bells I bought for $2.00." -Doug http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/dougbells.jpg
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"Butch, I have learned so much about Ardmore and the surrounding areas since I started getting your newsletters. One thing I haven't heard much about though is the history of the tunnels under Ardmore. Some people say there is more history than I could ever learn and others tell me that there's really not that much to them. Either way I find it fascinating and I am really interested to hear anything your readers could tell me. Even with all the stories, I have never seen any pics. If you know anything about them, please let me know. Thank you so much for all the information you have provided; I'm hooked."
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"Opening of the Terral, Oklahoma Public Schools, Sept 2, 1907" http://www.ndnweb.com/Terralschool.html
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"Hi Butch. I had a lot of visitors to my web site since you put it in last weeks This & That. Thanks. I have added an additional page to my site dedicated to Jack's Roller Rink. This rink was located across the street from Whittington Park and next door to the Hardy Murphy Coliseum. The link to that page is: http://www.henrykin.com/jack.htm I have some pictures on that page of the rink and some of the skaters. I hope some of your readers can identify some of the people in the photos and let me know who they are. Keep up the good work." -Richard Henry
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"Hi, Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas. A real TEXAS state of mind. The dancehall was very dark and quite, the pictures are dark and quite too, but I added them just the same. The jam session under the trees was fun, the guys singing Luckenbach Texas, they were not the best of singers, but they added to the ambiance of the town, the basics of life in Luckenbach, Texas. If you have a minute, check out these photos from my Webshots photo album! Enjoy." -Susie http://community.webshots.com/album/78609093NYfErb
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"I just registered for the national 'do not call' list to keep telemarketers from calling you at home. We have this here in Oklahoma and it works. This one is federal and can be registered by calling 1-888-382-1222 or go online to register at http://www.donotcall.gov it works."
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September 26, 1915. Muskogee News: "The two year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Griffith, whose home is in the oil fields of McIntosh County strayed from the yard into the rough hills back of their home and was attack by hogs. The screams brought the mother to the rescue and save the child but the hogs had already chewed off one the the infant's arms. Less than a week ago Mrs. Griffith rescued her child by shooting two large rattle snakes which had crawled into her home."
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We are still drawing 3 names for the free Liberty CD until July 5th. So the free drawing will end with the next issue of T&T. Here's a screen capture of the CD's Start Page and pix of the label. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertyscreen3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertycd3.jpg

I want to share a note someone sent to Gene South this week:

"Dear Butch and Gene, I start this letter to you both with a question. Whom do I thank for the impressive patriotic CD I just received? I have just played through it and it is great. Even though I know the meaning of the CD as we all do, I found myself reading slowly through the words as the music played. I had a lot of different feelings too. Sadness, pride, memories of our great war experience. I admit that my eyes teared up. Thanks to both of you for thinking of me, and to send me this somber and beautiful tribute to our country. I am not sure why I feel that you honor me to send it, but I do. Thank you. God bless you both and your families."

And here are the three winners of the Liberty CD this week!
ppoindex@rcsis.com
punkin1954@bellsouth.net
kenrich@myexcel.com

For want of the nail the shoe was lost;
For want of the shoe the horse was lost;
For want of the horse the rider was lost;
For want of the rider the battle was lost;
For want of the battle the kingdom was lost;
And all for the want of a horse shoe nail.
-Benjamin Franklin

Let's celebrate a safe Independence Day, see everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday June 21, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 322

A Reader in Ardmore told me about a piece of history north of Springer that I had wonderful about many times in my life as I travelled north out of Ardmore. Everyone knows that just north of Springer on the sunny side of the Arbuckle Mountains in the mountainside is the "Lazy S Ranch" sign. If you travel on north around the curve from that "Lazy S Ranch" sign about 1/4 a mile you will see 3 concrete abutments sticking out nearly into the roadway of Highway 77. At first glance one might think these are the remains of an old bridge. But these concrete abutments are all that's left of a rock crusher planted that operated at that spot in the 1930s. The rock from the mountains were needed in the construction of Highway 77. Here is a pix I took in November 1999 of the Lazy S Ranch sign. N 34? 25.629 by W 097? 03.744' http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lazys99.jpg

Here is a pix of the Lazy S Ranch sign I took this week. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lazys3.jpg

These are the three concrete remnants of the 1930s rock crusher plant on Highway 77 just north of the Lazy S Ranch sign on Highway 77. N 34? 25.629 by W 097? 03.744' http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rockcrusher3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rockcrusher3b.jpg

Before statehood the Federal Courthouse in Ardmore was located in the SW corner of Main and B Street SW where the present day Old Fashioned Soda Shop is located. Behind the Old Fashioned Soda Shop is where Jody Taylor's Kustom Korner Auto Body Shop is now located. This is the same spot where the gallows stood. I've been told lately that on the second floor above the Soda Shop there has been strange phenomenon witnessed on a regular basis. Who knows, it may be this poor man's spirit wondering around, caught between two worlds, for some unknown reason. He was hung on those gallows in 1904. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hanging1904c.jpg

Extract from the Pendergrass Mid-Continent Tour, Spring 1913: "Going north from Ft Worth we enter the great new state of Oklahoma, making our first stop at Tishomingo. We do not stop there that you may see a city, for Tishomingo is not a city, but we stop there that you may see where a city is to be built and also that you may get a view of the wonderful country and study the inexhaustible resources which surround the spot where so great a change is to take place. Here is truly Nature's Wonderland and several days will be spent in seeing the diversified wealth with which this country is so richly endowed and in perfecting plans for man to utilize the same."

"Tishomingo has the unique distinction of being the center of a rich mining district and at the same time the center of a profitable farming community. Deposits of gold, copper, platinum and jack have been located. One smelter is already in operation and a much larger one is being constructed. The discovery of these ores alone is enough to make any community famous and draw a horde of wealth seeking people, but when they can all be found in rich quantities the probable future of Tishomingo staggers one's imagination. There is also rich deposits of wulfenite, a metal largely used in the manufacture of of the Mazda, Tungsten and other light globes."

Photo of Devils Den north of Tishomingo. 1912 http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dden1912.jpg

This is the old Hutchen's Grocery in Tishomingo. 1912 http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hutchenstish2.jpg

Home of B.J. Hutchens in Tishomingo. 1912 http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hutchenstish3.jpg

Here is a colorful and interesting 1909 receipt from O.F. Haley Company in Gainesville, Texas. They were distributors of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer of Milwaukee. The document says Pabst was established in 1844. The names on the document are: Gustave G. Pabst as President, Charles W. Henning as Vice President and Henry J. Stark as Secretary. The receipt is for one quart of Apricot Brandy. Boy, a whole quart for 1 Dollar! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/haley1909b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/haley1909c.jpg

In 1973 a mere $13 separated the low bidder and the second low bidder when bids were opened by the Carter County Commissioners on a complete renovation of a new courthouse annex (the present Health Department building). The building involved was an old furniture store on "A" Street SW between 1st and Hinkle streets. Kelsey Owens was the low bidder with a base bid of $130,917. The county acquired the building in 1970. Plans called for removal of the north 111 feet of the building and complete renovation of the remaining 104 feet. The portion removed will provide parking space for about 18 cars. Architect Harold Flood said plans call for all the display windows on the old building to be boxed in and replaced with walls or smaller windows. The exterior of the building will be finished with exposed aggregate stucco similar to Lincoln Center. Before 1973 the County Health Department was located in the present day Annex Building on the First Floor. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/countyhealth3.jpg

This week we had an ole fashioned homemade ice cream party at the Annex Building. There were two flavors, banana and vanilla with several kinds of cake to go with it! Of course I had to have a little taste of it all. Boy, that cold homemade ice cream sure made my head hurt when I first started eating because I was eating it too fast. I did the same thing when I was a kid, guess some of us never learn. But I didn't care, it was just plain old good! But now hey, this was no ordinary ice cream social, it was special, in honor of a special lady at the OSU Extension Office located in the south end of the Carter County Annex Building. Janice Curtis has put in 33 years with the OSU Extension and is retiring the end of June. Janice is one of the most dedicated workers I've had the pleasure of meeting. You would see her come in way before 8am somedays, and work in the evenings and weekends on special meetings and functions the OSU Extension Office sponsored throughout the year. Janice Curtis is an OSU icon in her own right. She will be missed around the complex after June 30th, but her 33 years of dedication to youth will be remembered for years to come. Whatever she decides to do in the future, we wish her well. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/curtis3a2.jpg http://countyext.okstate.edu/carter/index.htm

Back in the late 1930s my father, R.V. "Battleship" Bridges, had a weekly 30 minute radio program on KVSO Radio on which he sang and played the guitar. Before KVSO Radio went on the air in 1936 as KVSO (I was told this a couple of years ago) the broadcasts were done from the home of Elmer Moore and Northwest Blvd was commonly called "KVSO Road" by folks. I've searched high and low and find nothing on a Elmer Moore and broadcasting. Maybe someone knows more about Elmer Moore and where his "Home Beautiful" broadcasts were made from. Here is a pix of the old KVSO Radio station on Northwest Blvd and a pix of my dad from the backside of postcards he had printed back in the 30s. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kvsopic.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/rvguitar2.jpg

I found out this week where the oldest bell in the U.S. is located after a Reader sent me a postcard with the oldest bell in the U.S. on it. It is at the San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe, NM. The bell was cast in 1356 in Spain. http://gocalifornia.about.com/bl_smmphoto_bell.htm

But the oldest bell in the world is found in the Babylonian Palace of Nimrod near Baghdad. It dates back 1,100 years B.C. I hope that bell has came through unscathed in the recent fighting over there. Here is a webpage with all kinds of data on bells..... http://www.changeringers.karoo.net/dlibrary/records.html

From time to time I'll get an email asking what program I use to send out my T&T each weekend. For several years I have been using GroupMail Pro at http://www.infacta.com/gm.asp When I purchased the program years ago it cost $49.95 and its been worth every penny. It has operated flawlessly all these years and I have lifetime free updates. As of this week its selling for $79.95 on their website. But for any of you that mailout an email on a regular basis to a group of less than 1,000 people there is a free website that will do it for you! All you have to do is sign up, enter your email addresses, type your text and hit Send! http://ezinedirector.com

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Over the last few years, I have seen information on Dougherty, Mill Creek, even Nebo, however, no one has mentioned Big Canyon. It was between Dougherty and Nebo. It was a Dolese Brothers' company village. There were about 25 houses, one red brick school house, large community cellar. I was born at Wynnewood and I lived at Big Canyon my first six years before we were all of the families were forced to move due to the expansion of the rock crusher. There was an Indian burial ground. I was the youngest son of Harlton (Red) and Pauline Gaines. My sibilings are Bennie Wayne Lang, Terrie Gaines, and Sherrie Lou Gaines (Garrison). Some of the other family names I remember are: Moore, Ellis, James. Mr. & Mrs. Dillard James was the school teachers in the 1950's at the one room school house. They taught first grade through the eighth grade. Originally, after my family moved from Big Canyon, we moved towards Nebo to the "Black James" ranch. I am curious, is there anyone else around that lived in Big Canyon or new of it?" -Thomas P. Gaines, Chief Warrant Officer, W-2, U.S. Navy (Retired)
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"Next time you are going north on Hwy 177 toward Sulphur slow down in Nebo and take the Big Canyon Road west 1/2 mile and check out the Nebo School House, a two room brick building. It was built circa 1920-21. My 88 year old father-in-law went to school there 8 years. One room was for the 1st to 4th and the other was for 5th to 8th. He still lives 1/2 mile farther west on Big Canyon Rd. My wife also attended 8 years. Anyway we have restored the building and converted the interior to a modern part time residence. The exterior is original, windows, doors, bricks etc."
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"In Tish they have a mural on the wall at the corner of Main and Hwy 99."
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"I was born down on the red river bottom (love county south and east of Thackerville) on a place called NEE-BAH-SHAWN (phonetically) (sp?) i suppose both some indian language?? any ideas?"
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"Re: the pix of the Dillinger movie, I haven't seen anyone say, but I firmly believe the man on thee far left is Bob McQueen. At the time of the Dillinger taping, he was a detective for Ardmore Police Dept." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dillgang.jpg
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"I had heard about the burning of the fifth avenue viaduct (called "the big viaduct" when I was a boy) because "the little viaduct" on fourth avenue stretched only across three tracks). I welcome the pictures you included in last week's THIS AND THAT. Nice of Doyle to share them. I remember him as one of the good guys. I'm enclosing a picture of one of the Red River ferries. I don't know which it is, but the couple standing on either side of the car is my wife's grandparents. They lived in Denton, Texas and would have been heading for Hugo, Oklahoma to visit their daughter." -Lorenz Boyd http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/redriverferry.jpg
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"The Tishomingo train depot was on the west side of the street across from the old Walker Hotel where our Post Office now is. That is Neshoba Street. The Methodist Church is on the side of the street that the Walker Hotel was located north of it. I don't know if you remember Walt Calhoun's home, but that is where the depot originally was located." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3b.jpg
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"In the autobiography 'Moman Pruiett Criminal Lawyer', here is a passage from the Forward written by C.W. Van Eaton, where Pruiett has said, "I never enter a court room to try a case without offering up a prayer- not a prayer to win the case, understand, but a prayer directing me to try it right, so that my client will have the best chance of getting what he needed when he showed confidence in me by hiring me." Clients knew when they hired Moman Pruiett to represent them he swept all other interests aside and concentrated all his tremendous energy on the presentation in the most effective manner of any and every defense they were entitled to under the law."
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"Ardmore's Pratts Grocery was mentioned in the June 7 edition. I used to shop there in those days. I now live in Shawnee and we have two Pratts here. Dr. Pratt, the owner is probably the son of the former one that had the Ardmore store.

For RKWard: I turned around at the bottom of that magnetic hill and stopped at what looked like the bottom to me and my little Buick Century crawled to within 1/10 of a mile of hiway 53, going at times up to 20 mph then slowing as it went further south. I started from a dead stop too. Go figure!!" NellsN2@aol.com
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"I thought I kept the T&T where you talked about the printer cartridge refills that were so much cheaper and worked fine for you....but I have searched all the saved copies and cannot find the name of the company, or the link for it's URL. Would you mind sharing that link with me?" http://www.inkjetsrus.net/
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"I am one of several Tucker researchers. Have you ever run across any pictures of George R. Tucker, Bert O. Tucker or their families? George, according to the 1920 Census, Carter Co., OK, lived on G Street with his wife, Anna, son Bert, daughter-in-law Sophia and grandchildren: George Wilson Tucker, Cassie Tucker, Jewel Tucker and Mettie Tucker, plus 19 other lodgers. George R. Tucker showed his occupation as being Chief of Police in Healdton at that time. His son, Bert Tucker, was with Bud Ballew when he was killed and also a city constable. We would love if you ever find any pictures of these families. Wonderful site. I feel I know that area now." -Mary Dougherty, Lansing, MI medough@aol.com
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"Hello Butch and T&T. Just a note to let you know that I found one of my classmates that went to Berwyn School because of the posting I did on T&T. I'm still looking for Ozella Murphy. I heard from a person that went to school with her in Tishomingo, OK., that said she married a gentleman named Harley Dollar and they lived in Dibble, OK. Can anyone from the Dibble, OK. area help me to find her. I'm trying to get all of my classmates from the class of 1954 together next year for our 50th reunion. -Joe Black joedblack@juno.com
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"The bell low on the ground is in front of the City Hall and library in Prague. The City Hall and Library are in the same building. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/pragueb3.jpg

This bell in the tower is at Deer Creek Baptist Church between Prague and Stroud. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/deercreekb.jpg

The other bell is at Mary's Barn in Jessie, Oklahoma. That is southwest of Stonewall. Mary McDonald built a metal building and has music there every third Sat. night of the month. Mary didn't start singing and playing until about 10 or 12 years ago. She has really gone far since then. She had three grown children when she finally started her music career. She will be at the Gene Autry Museum this Friday and Sat. along with Ed and Jolene Bullard from Tupelo. Then on Sat. night I guess she will be at her barn. Come on out and enjoy the music. The event at Gene Autry is a benefit for the museum. No admission, donations only. There will be several other music artists there also." -Fran http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/marybell3.jpg
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"Hiya Butch. Wanted to let you know that I have created a web site that currently documents my genealogy findings. However, this weekend I will be adding some stories about growing up in Ardmore. Check it out and let me know what you think. The URL is http://www.henrykin.com Take care." -Richard Henry
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"Butch, I have an old article clipping that says visitors to Falls Creek Assembly used to ride the train to Rayford Switch near Davis, then travel by horse-drawn wagon to the assembly grounds. Do you or any of your readers know just where Rayford Switch was?"
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"Couldn't remember if you had a bell photo from Skiatook, Oklahoma (Osage county) at the Skiatook Museum. I don't know anything about it." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/skiatookb3.jpg
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"Mr. Bridges - I would like to know how I can obtain information on the asphalt mine that was located on Prairie Valley Road. Well actually at one time years and years ago asphalt was mined here, until they hit water."
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"Good morning Butch, Haven't been able to help you on any of the pix you need in Oklahoma, but how about a bell in Deadwood, South Dakota. I bet this is the first from there. The writing on the bell is self explanatory. It is in the Adams Museum in Deadwood. We were up there the weekend of June 12-15. I love that area. It is in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Not only beautiful, but cool this time of year. Have a good one, my friend." -Jerry http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/deadwoodb.jpg
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "My son, called me last night to tell me about another bell just north of the capital. I will get out there and get a picture soon. Said he would be watching out for more bells. You are getting all of us hooked on bells. Bet you don't mind."
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"I'm searching for that free program you mentioned that will eliminate pop-ups. Do you still have the address for it?" http://www.webattack.com/get/freesurfer.shtml
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Doug Williams stopped by my office the other day with a gift. I dont think I've ever owned a deck of cards in my life, but I do now. And we are not talking about the plain jane kind. This deck has photos of the Iraqi MOST WANTED on each playing card. I saw these cards being talked about on the newscasts but never thought I have my own set! Now if I can just learn how to play solitaire like my mother did years ago. She wore out many a deck of cards playing solitaire almost daily. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/iraqicards.jpg

Doug sent me an updated list this week of those who have pledged money to help pay for the "Welcome Home" billboard. The plan is to have a billboard in place when our troops are tentatively scheduled to return to Ardmore in October. So far we've received over $200 in pledges! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/textfiles/billboard.txt

We are still drawing 3 names for the free Liberty CD until July 5th. Here's a screen capture of the CD's Start Page and a pix of the CD's label. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertyscreen3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertycd3.jpg

And here are the three winners of the new Liberty CD this week!
chase609@worldnet.att.net
BnLFamily@aol.com
khinkle@communicomm.com

"Your mind will take you far
The rest is just your heart
You'll find your fate is all your own creation
And every boy and girl
As they come into this world
They bring the gift of hope and inspiration

It is the power of the dream that brings us here
There's so much strength in all of us
Every woman, child and man
It's the moment that you think you can't
You'll discover that you can
Feel the flame forever burn
Teaching lessons we must learn
To bring us closer to the power of the dream
To realize the power of the dream"

--'Power of the Dream' by Celine Dion

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday June 14, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 321

Another piece of Ardmore history was raised by a bulldozer this week. I noticed wrecking crews tearing down the old Red Cross office on "E" Street SW. I've taught many a First Aid Course for the Red Cross back around 1970 before advancing on up to EMT. Wish I had taken a photo of it just before its demise.

The old Red Cross Office http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/redcross95.jpg

The new Red Cross office http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/redcross01.jpg

Here is an interesting logo from the 20s used by local grocer W.E.McCharen on his printed statements and receipts. It reads, "Pratts Animal and Poultry Regulator". I'm not sure exactly what it entails, but it was some kind of attempt to regulate the prices of these commodities when they were skyrocketing. An example would be eggs. When egg prices were climbing, this "regulator" attempted to keep the prices down and the eggs affordable to the consumer. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/prattanimal3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mccharen3.jpg

A Reader sent me some really nice Kodak photos taken July 4, 1964 of the Ardmore's big viaduct fire. Those of you who lived here then and saw that solid black creosote smoke will never forget it. The smoke from that oily creosote was pitch black. It is thought the fire was started from kids playing with firecrackers under the wooden 5th Avenue Northeast viaduct. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/viaduct64a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/viaduct64b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/viaduct64c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/viaduct64d.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/viaduct64e.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/viaduct64f.jpg http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viaduct.html

A Glimpse Into The Past
The Daily Ardmoreite - June 8, 1942
'To Be Taken To Mayes County'
Families Removed From Ardmore Army Air Field To Get New Location Twenty-eight farm buildings on the site of the air field near Ardmore will be removed to government owned land in Mayes county say Clarence England eastern Oklahoma FSA project Manager. England said the houses, barns and other buildings constructed by the farm security administration in 1941 but now unoccupied will be shifted to an unsettled Mayes county tract of 1500 acres near Pensacola, Oklahoma. The land on which the structures now stand about 900 acres has been taken over by the army air force. England said more rural housing had been needed in the Pensacola vicinity but building restrictions had prevented construction.

A lot of you will remember Ardmore's old Carroll's Drive-In at North Washington and Highway 199. But how many of you remember just around the corner on Highway 199 the Dairy King? The address was #16 14th Street Northeast. It was originally called Bridges Dairy Bar by its owner Lorena Bridges of Ardmore. She was owner in 1960. It has changed hands several times since then. In 1961 it was owned by C.R. and Alta Thomas and went by the name Thomas Dairy King. By 1963 the drive-in was called Dairy King owned by Kenneth and Katherine Walker. Around 1970 the drive-in was called A.C.'s Drive-In. By 1974 it was called Parker's Drive-In and owed by Eldridge and Jean Parker. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dairyking.jpg

This week my webshots.com site received over 1,000 hits! And of all the available photo albums to look at, it was the Sept and Oct 2002 that received the most look-sees. Now if I can figure out just what it is in that particular group of photos everyone is interesting in! Of course, the second group of photos with the most Hits is that infamous Brown Springs photo album. http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"I have enjoyed all the CD from you. Do you or any of your Readers have any information on the Town of Atlee in Jefferson, Co South of Ringling. I would love to have any information and especially any pictures that might exist." hreeves@brightok.net
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Hello Butch, The attached pic is of My Great Grandfather's hotel in Tishomingo around 1900. The Riggs Hotel located where the present SBC building is now. The railroad was on the North side of the Hotel." -Ken Keith ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Postal Service will not allow two (or more) post offices of the same name in a state. Lone Wolf near Hobart was named for a Kiowa chief. "Oklahoma Place Names" does not show the other Lone Wolf as ever having a post office. The post office at Antioch in Garvin County closed in 1932. The other Antioch is not shown as having had a post office.

Enco was a brand name used for a while by subsidiaries of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey in states where they did not own the Esso name. They eventually changed to Exxon in all states, including those they could have continued using the Esso name.

Humble was an SONJ subsidiary, strong in Texas (where Standard of California had the rights to the Esso name). Eventually SONJ brought all their U.S. marketing under the Humble Oil and Refining Company umbrella. Later they changed the name of Humble to Exxon U.S.A."
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"The large building in the center of the picture is the historic Chickasaw Capitol building rather than a County hall. On the right, as you have correctly identified it, is the R. M. Harris building - or the Chickasaw Bank. The Johnston County Historical Society has done an absolutely phenomenal job with the restoration of the old bank and has created an first class Museum within its walls. They are currently completing a very first rate research service which is located downstairs on the Capitol Street side. A lot of very interesting events are happening there some of which have included the appearance on our streets of historic personages from the past ------ . The Museum will have more frequent open hours this Summer. Check it out!" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3a.jpg
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"Hi Butch, I have the information you need regarding contacts for information on the Teller Cemetary and the available booklet. For the past thirty years, it has been John and Ruby Beaver who have been the stewards for anything pertaining to the Teller Cemetary. They authored the book and are selling it for the purpose of providing continual maintenance of this burial site so important to Oklahoma history. Their -mail address is: rbeaver@simplynet.net The phone # is 580-371-9450. I believe you already have the address but I will repeat it here: 90 West Golf Course Road; Tishomingo, Ok.; 73460. Thanks for the interest in Tishomingo history. Your inclusion in this T&T is terrific and we appreciate your help in conveying the Tishomingo story to a broad public. We salute you!" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tellerbook3.jpg
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"Moman Pruiett. A book was written about this man. Here is a copy of one review of the book. The person who wrote you might want to get a copy of that book." http://www.okbar.org/barjournal/articles/br110301.htm
Photo of Moman Pruiett
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/momanpruiett.jpg ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"In 1901 Moman Pruiett built the Hart Building at Willow and Paul Street in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma"
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"Since you and your readers seem to have an unlimited store of Oklahoma historical trivia, perhaps you can help me with another item. I have been searching for the Confederate outpost known as Camp Nichols. Best information I have is that it was located "a days ride Southwest of Ft. Arbuckle." My great grandfather, John Washington, died there on Jan. 1, 1865 while serving with Bourland's Border Cavalry, CSA. That was the same outfit that participated in "The Great Hanging" in Gainesville. Seems like lynching runs in my family. Thanks for anything you might find." -E.R. Walt, Rising Star, TX
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"Dear Mr. Bridges, Please add me to your newsletter. A cousin recommended your site for the Daily Ardmoreite article regarding the lynching of Jim Miller, et al. At that time, Jim's sister, Molly Miller Walt (my great-grandmother) lived in the household with my Dad and his parents just across the river in Walnut Bend, Cooke Co. TX. Dad said that the family story he always heard was that "Uncle Jim" was "some kind of lawman" who was killed chasing cattle thieves up in Oklahoma. That was sort of true. He was a deputy sheriff in Pecos until he shot the sheriff and he was a Texas Ranger up in Memphis (Hall Co.) until a pesky little murder indictment came along. And, he was killed in Oklahoma." -E.R. Walt, Rising Star, TX. erwalt@bwoodtx.com
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"Creek County in east-central Oklahoma was created at statehood [1907]. Intended to be named Moman County in honor of the mother of Moman Pruiett, the name was changed at the last moment by the Constitutional Convention; in the alphabetical list of counties in the copy of the constitution, Creek County appears following Mayes County."
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"I found this old pic. I don't know where it was located. My Great grandfather owned another hotel in Madill but I don't know if this could be it. I would like to find out. Your T&T detectives probably can find out for me." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/brinkerhotel.jpg
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"Butch, you have some very generous and kind Readers on your massive mailing list. I wrote asking abut a place called Emet, I.T. and several of your readers wrote me with information. My thanks to them and to you. Best regards." -Jim
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"Butch: A long time ago, I told you about a picture of an old house at Emet. I found it, and it is attached." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/emetwhitehouse.jpg
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I would like to know the history of Lake Jean Neustadt - 462 Acres. Who does it belong to, and how did it come to be there? Thanks."
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"The large building in the center of the picture is the historic Chickasaw Capitol building rather than a County hall. On the right, as you have correctly identified it, is the R. M. Harris building - or the Chickasaw Bank. The Johnston County Historical Society has done an absolutely phenomenal job with the restoration of the old bank and has created an first class Museum within its walls. They are currently completing a very first rate research service which is located downstairs on the Capitol Street side. A lot of very interesting events are happening there some of which have included the appearance on our streets of historic personages from the past. The Museum will have more frequent open hours this Summer. Check it out!" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3a.jpg ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey.. Last time I was through Maysville and Antioch, Antioch was spelled with "CH", not "CK" at the end of it.. LOL"
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"The North Ward School in Tishomingo. My Great Grandfather George Washington Riggs is the man in the center." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tishnward.jpg
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"This is a pic of Healdton high school." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/healdhighsch.jpg
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"I wonder if any of your Readers would just so happen to have a pic of the old Connerville, Oklahoma school? It'd be so neat to see a pic of it. Of course, it'd be an added bonus to have the then principal, "Doc" Underhill & some of the kids who attended that school from the yrs of about '65 - '69. that'd be so neat."
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"I ran across your web through a lycos search. I live in Covington, Ga. and I have a bell that has been in my family for several generations. Right now it stands in my grandmother's front yard. The story is that it belonged to my Great grandfather and would be used to signal a days end in the cotton fields my grandmother and her 5 sisters worked in. The bell is cast iron and has what appears to read Skystar Metal Company 1883 in raised letters on it."
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"I was looking at the courthouses I was wondering if you or someone might have an old picture of the old Lincoln County Courthouse at Chandler. It burned on Christmas Eve years ago."

http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lincocha.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lincochb.jpg
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"Does anyone have an old picture of the Canadian County Courthouse at El Reno. Seems the powers that were at the time somehow got the old courthouse demolished before anyone realized what was happening."
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Butch, I came across your website looking for information about our friend Bill Coburn's stint in the 1972 movie Dillinger filmed in Ardmore. Bill is our preacher in Eureka as well as a good friend. I saw one of your old newsletters that refers to a photo of the cast that includes Bill: Could you email me a copy? I bet Bill would really get a kick out of it. Thanks. -Eureka, KS http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dillgang.jpg
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"If you Madillites want a view of our old depot click on below." http://digital.library.arizona.edu/harvey/finding_aid/welcome.html Fred Harvey Hotels http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/johngal2.htm Lee highway ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My trip to Newcastle, England a few week's ago for my Aunts funeral, well its been a few years since I have been at that neck of the woods, and this pic of the sculpture I have seen several times on the tv so to see it for real was pretty good so I thought, but dont you think it is ugly !!! I thought it was wicked.... It cast a pretty big shadow at the back of it its ginormous. So there you have it another little piece of English heritage tidbits a now famous landmark in the North E not quite the Statue of Liberty however." -England http://www.ncl.ac.uk/geo.eng/geo2000/angel.html http://www.btinternet.com/~chris.tweedy/angel_of_the_north.htm
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"Can you help me? My 84 year old mother went to school in 1927 on West 2nd Street in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. There was a grade school there that mom said was torn down years later. Can you point me to anyone who knows the name of that school or might even have a photo of it, please?"
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Doug Williams sent me a list of you who have pledged money to help pay for the "Welcome Home" billboard. We hope to have it in place when our troops are tentatively scheduled to return to Ardmore in October of this year. So far we've got $160 pledged! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/textfiles/billboard.txt

Our Liberty CD and free drawings continue to receive a lot of rave. Here's a screen capture of the CD's Main Page. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertyscreen3.jpg

Here is a scan of the CD's label. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertycd3.jpg

And here are the three winners of the new Libery CD this week!
bjandthebear@prexar.com
janellake@aol.com
burtonj@brightok.net

"You all seem to know about this fella Liberty Valance. He's a no-good, gun-packin', murdering thief. But the only advice you can give to me is to carry a gun. Well, I'm a lawyer!" --Jimmy Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, 1962

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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

Saturday June 7, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 320

Just 32 miles east of Ardmore in Johnston county is the town of Tishomingo. I love going over there and looking around, it is almost like a step back in time everything I visit there. This week a Reader sent me some really great early day photos of Tishomingo.

This first is a photo of the old Tish courthouse and bank. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3a.jpg

This is a photo of the Tishomingo depot with the train pulled along the tracks. The crowd has their umbrellas and I see a horse drawn buggy in the photo. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3b.jpg

This photo is of the old Teller bridge on the Washita River just SW of Tish. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3c.jpg

This is another photo of Main Street in Tish with the bank on the right. Its made from the local granite that is available in the area. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3d.jpg

This is a photo of the Tish townspeople gathered for a parade downtown. I see Prim's Grocery Store in the background. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3e.jpg

Here is a couple of fellows driving down the Main Street of Tish in their pickup. I see the old Thompson Theater behind them. Looks like the 1964 movie "Your Cheatin' Heart" starring Hank Williams is showing! I see flags on display along the sidewalk too. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3f.jpg

This is a photo of a fire across the street from the old bank. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish3g.jpg

Also in Johnston county is Anvil Rock Cemetery. The cemetery is on private property and not accessible to the public. But I was able to get a photo of that anvil looking rock after which the cemetery is presumably named. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/anvilrock3.jpg

I got an email this week from a couple in Oklahoma City. They have bought the old 1932 home of Dr. Charles Evans when he lived in OKC. Before leaving Ardmore in 1911, Dr. Charles Evans lived in Ardmore and was the leading educator for the city. He was the Superintendent of Schools back in those days and his leadership programs were acclaimed throughout the state of Oklahoma. Here are just a few of his local accomplishments.

The driving force behind the building of the old Ardmore High School on North Washington.

Sponsored the first public library to open in Ardmore, the Carnegie at Stanley and "E" Street.

In 1905 Confederate flags were still flown over the schools and Dr. Charles Evans changed that to have the U.S. Flag flying over our schools here.

Encouraged starting each school day with scripture and prayer, and saluting the U.S. Flag.

Ardmore's Ward Schools 1, 2, 3 and 4 were re-named Jefferson, Franklin, Lincoln and Washington by this remarkable education leader who was born in Kentucky in 1870.

In 1953 a new elementary school on Maxwell Street NW was named in Dr. Charles Evans' honor.

After doing some research this week, I would not hesitate to say Dr. Charles Evans ranks right up there with the greatest of Ardmore's early day leaders.

This is a page out of the Carter County Pioneers Book about Dr. Evans along with his photo. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/charlesevans3.jpg

Those of you who have my Pages of History CD knows there is a full page dedicated to this great educator and community leader on page 34 of that CD. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/poh34.jpg

Dr. Charles Evans came back to Ardmore about 1953 and died here May 1, 1964. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/evansmem2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/evansmem3.jpg

For several years on a regular basis I get emails saying they can not open any of the photos in my T&Ts by just clicking on the links. Most of the time this problem is with those using AOL. This week I got an email from a Reader with an answer to this problem:
"Butch, I created a Netscape email account (FREE) and I forward This and That to my Netscape address. All the links open automatically there. This week there were a lot of links and this sure speeded things up. All of your other AOL fans can do this as well and solve the hyper link issue. The Netscape mail account is free to AOL users."

I get at least one or two inquiries a week about virus help. There are so many floating around all over the Net. I even got one by just visiting a website a few years ago. I have set up this Virus Help Page for those of you who don't have a virus checker. The Page is a good starting place. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/virushelp.html

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Butch, as a CPA, I was also quite interested in the picture on the negotiable instrument in your May 30 newsletter, and what it symbolizes. The instrument is actually a promissory note, not a check. I looked thru my old business law books and couldn't find this picture as a standardized symbol of a promissory note, and indeed most notes do not contain such pictures. I therefore suspect it is the privately-produced symbol of the obligee in question. It is nevertheless very interesting, and here are some of my guesses of what it means: The factory buildings and boat in the background would appear to symbolize commerce, showing that the note is commercial paper. Judging by the tiny scythe or sickle attached to the round object lying on the ground, I would guess that the latter is intended to be a shock of grain; and the chain tethering it soundly to the column (I would guess the column symbolizes the law) indicates that the grain symbolizes collateral that backs up the note. The woman is looking to the right, which seems to symbolize the future; and to her right springs a cluster of stars on stems of stripes, which I guess to symbolize the United States Currency she is promising to produce in the future to pay off the loan. All this is just my speculation, and this kind of picture usually seems to reveal more and more symbols the longer one looks at it. I am still scratching my head over the meaning of the olive wreath covering the stars (agreement to pay peaceably an promptly?), the long staff in her hand, whatever is on the top end of the staff, and what appears to be part of a giant cog or wheel leaning against the column behind her. I will read with interest how your other readers interpret it." RKWard@SWBell.net http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/check1904b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/check1904c.jpg
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"Good Morning Butch: My guess pertaining to the logo on the left side of the 1904 promissory note (no it's not a check, it's a note promising to pay at 10% interest per annum) is that it depicts a stylized figure of "lady liberty". Note the flag on the end of the staff, and I suppose that it's a shield in the left hand. I wonder what buildings are in the background, and I'm really curious about the "shock of wheat(?)" and the "sickle(?)" in front of the heavy chain which appears to be connected to some sort of "singletree(?)" behind her?. I noticed also that the note which was dated (I think) March 19, 1904 and due October 15th. was paid off May 15, 1905. I also wonder if the $4.00 (and 1/6 of 10%) interest was paid? Interesting to say the least." -Roy Kendrick (of Perry, Oklahoma)
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"Butch, About the check ... I don't know the logo, but I recognize the name: W. A. BARNES. "Bill" Barnes had a store in Mill Creek. I believe that he lived in Pontotoc (the town) where my great grandparents lived."
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"Having been born in Milo at a time when my parents ran the store on the southeast corner of the Woodford crossroad, Mountain Lake (many there called it Woodford Lake) has always been a favorite place of mine. Some of your readers will remember that the original early twenties lake, show in your pictures, was drained in the mid-fifties, and ten feet were added to the top, along with all the gates it now has. The addition was finished early in 1957, and we heard engineers estimating that it would take about three years to refill to the new lever. What they didn't take into account was our unpredictable Oklahoma weather! There was an extremely wet "spell" in the spring of 1957 right after the dam was closed and ready, AND IT TOOK ONLY THREE DAYS, not three years, to run the lake over the top! That was pre-I-35 times, and that wet spell put Hickory Creek 3-5 feet deep over highway 77 for a few days." RKWard@SWBell.net
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"Dear Butch, The Reader that stopped at the rest stop and was going to Antiock, Ok. near Maysville Ok. was wondering if there were others towns in Ok. with same name. There are two Lone Wolf, Ok. in Major County north and west of Fairview on state hwy. #15 the other is in Kiowa County south and west of Hobart on state hwy. #9. All Oklahoma Road maps will not show both. I had a map put out by Phillips 66 Oil Co. that had both towns. I still have a map of Oklahoma and Kansas it was put out by Enco (I think Enco was a Humble Oil Co.) Butch is was nice meeting you at the Heartland of America Concert. I really enjoyed the concert."
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"On my way to visit and redecorate graves at the Milo cemetery, I finally took time to stop by and check out "magnetic hill." I am convinced, as the student concluded in his experiment, that this is an optical illusion caused by the contrast of the steep mountainside rising from the very gently sloping plain. If you are heading north toward the mountain, the road seems to keep going down much further to the north than it really does. But, when you turn around and head back south, not looking at the mountain, you can judge quite accurately where the actual bottom of the grade is. Heading north, I stopped at what looked like the bottom, put the car in neutral, and it did roll a few feet back south, seemingly uphill. However, when I turned around and came back south to what looked like the bottom, the car wouldn't move from there in either direction." RKWard@SWBell.net http://www.jrmints.com/maghill.html
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"Found the mention of Moman Pruiett, the shyster lawyer, very interesting this week in your newsletter. 1910 and September, 1911 was about the time that Justice N. L. Miller was tried and convicted of the murder of Mabel Oakes in the Old Opera House murder in Alva, Oklahoma. Moman Pruiett was one of the prosecuting lawyers hired by the law enforcement league back then. I would love to read more about this Moman Pruiett and the Law Enforcement League. If you or your readers run onto anything out there, please keep me in mind. Thanks!"
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"I was born in Love County (Burneyville) in 1940 but moved to Marietta when I was about 6 and left there following high school graduation in 1958. During those years in Marietta --- from age 10 to 18 --- I worked at Pratt's Food Store on Main Street in Marietta. At that time Pratts had about 14 stores in southern Oklahoma and north Texas. Their headquarters was in Ardmore. They were purchased by the Chickasha Cotton Oil Mill Company about the time I ended my time there. The Pratt's Store was the only "chain" store in Marietta at that time and was next door to the Marietta Bakery. I could tell you more, if you are interested. Tim Hicks, whose father and he ran department stores on Main Street in Marietta, and the man who owns Norton's Jewelry in Marietta are resident historians, particularly about businesses in the community. They could give you more information. I don't have e-mail addresses or phone numbers for them. My grandfather, Sidney Tipton, and his two sons had a grocery store on Main Street in Marietta in the 1930s. It and a couple of other buildings burned. In the mid-1940's one of the best known groceries in Marietta was owned by Ed Lipscomb. In the 1950s, the Presley family (B. Jr.) and the Max Armstrong family ran grocery stores in Marietta." -Tom McAnally, TN
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"Butch, My heart was touched and my spirit lifted as I looked at the pictures of the crowd and the scan of the program. What a job you and the others did! The cooperation of the Girl scouts, High school buglers, Military, Gold star mothers, and the speakers, singers, etc. It must have been something! Sorry I missed it. Keep up the good work, my "old" friend." -Rome Ingle, Tulsa.
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"Butch: My 15 year old grandson from Queensland Australia is staying with us this summer. He played in the Ardmore tennis tournament this past weekend. During a break we drove out to magnetic hill. I had copied the map that you showed in T&T so we drove straight to it. We were all fascinated by it. I told the grandson that it was just another great feature of the Oklahoma Hills. Thanks for providing the information. By the way the grandson won the 16 & under singles and was second place in the doubles. Mr. Robert Meeks, the Ardmore tennis coach, is a really super guy."
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"Just a note to let you all know that I've launched my TwinOaks Publishing Company. Please take a look at http://luharper.homestead.com/PublishCo.html Be sure to read what Author, Loren Moore wrote. It is at the bottom of the page. He managed to express precisely what many writers feel about getting published. We all want to be "discovered" and become famous, but, if we're not, we might settle for having small books of our collected work printed so we could sell them or give them as keepsake gifts to friends and family."
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"Dorothy, after reading your message, as well as the similar one which you sent to Butch (and which he forwarded to me), I went back to look at the picture again. It certainly does say "O.S.Bell & Co."! However, absolutely everything about the style of the bell and its fittings indicates that it must have been manufactured by C.S.Bell & Co. So what you have is something really rare--an example of a typographic error on a bell yoke! I don't think I've ever seen one before, though I have seen typos in the inscriptions on custom-made bronze bells. The difference is that molds for casting iron fittings were reusable in mass production, whereas molds for casting bronze bells were custom made for each bell and were broken up in the process of getting the bell out after the casting cooled. Thank you for being stubborn enough to make me take a second look! Your picture will eventually be very useful as an illustration." -Carl Zimmerman in St Louis, MO http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/osbell.jpg
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"Hi Butch, You are going to have to get more sleep. You have two volume 7 Issue 318. One on 5-23-03, and one dated 5-30-03. Some people have to nit pic on anything. Hahaha. Thanks for the T&T. It is 9:45pm in Alaska, and I have read my copy already." -Grampe
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"Hello all, I am pretty excited that this photo has been chosen by "The International Library of Photography", to be accepted for publication in SPIRITS IN THE NIGHT, because of its unique perspective and my artistic vision. (their words) The books sell for 89.95, no I'm not going to pre-order a copy. All I have to do is mail back the certification that this is my original photo. I will wait and see if it really happens! Ha. Still it is thrilling to be selected and get recognition. So I will let all of you know when I hear more. This just proves OKLAHOMA IS BEAUTIFUL! In the meantime I will keep on clicking the shutter on my camera. It would be nice to win some of the prize money and help finance my "new nikon" right?" -Susie http://cards.webshots.com/c55790866iwlzjb
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"Correction. The bell you listed as being in El Reno is on Reno street in Midwest City. It is at the Heartland Free Will Baptist Church. I finished the roll of film on which I had pictures of bells in Prague and at a church between Prague and Stroud. Found one in a very unlikely place last Sat. It is at a friend's house in Jesse, OK. That is west of Stonewall. Took a picture for you. Found one on N. Kelly in OKC today but was out of film. Will go back out there and get it next week. Some of the other pictures I sent should be in some of the counties you lack. I no longer see the bell that was at Cushman Corner north of Stratford, Oklahoma. Must have sold it or something. I will check it out." -Fran http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/heartlandbell3.jpg
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"Dear Butch, I saw where Dr. Von Keller's great granddaughter lost her material on her computer. So I am sending to you what I wrote before about Dr. Von Keller. I want her to know that Dr. Von Keller was our family doctor. Those were the days when doctors made house calls and delivered babies at homes of his patients. He was a dear, dear caring man. He delivered all my mother's five daughters (the Stonum girls) with his Irish nurse, Miss McCabe, assisting him. He owned the "Von Keller Hospital," a large, red-brick building. He and his family had a large home right next to the hospital. I do remember he had a daughter and I believe her name was Helen. She was older than I, and I believe she was the age of my older sisters. I am now eighty-six years old. I remember when my younger sister, Mary Frances, was born. I was around five years old at that time. Our old cook, Lilly, had taken my sister Lena and me next door to our Aunt Lena and Uncle Will Potter's house because it was time for mother's baby to arrive. As we watched out the front library window of Aunt Lena's home we saw Dr. Von Keller running up the front walk with his satchel and his nurse running behind him. I remember one of my older sisters saying that mother's baby was in the satchel. He was German and spoke with a definite accent, and Miss McCabe was Irish and also sounded different. She was always attired in her starched white nurse's headdress with a big red cross on it. Her navy blue, rather long cape also had a big red cross on it. I remember other things about him too, because I had very bad asthma as a child and he was in our home quite often. I spent one year out of school around the 2nd or 3rd grade and was in his hospital off and on. I really loved him as a child, he came by to see and visit me frequently. He was a dedicated humanitarian and a brilliant man. Thank you again for your fascinating newsletter." -Tweed Stonum Machock
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"Hi, was at your site a few years ago and you had a photo of the old log cabin store 9 miles north of Tishomingo, but I could seem to find it today when I visited it. Our family used to have reunions right next to the store. My aunt Ruth lived in the house next to the store. This past Saturday part of my family went to clean up our old family cemetery, Anvil Rock, that is now in the middle of a cow pasture and owned by someone else,so we stopped by the log store, that the termites are now enjoying and just recalled our get togethers there. Anyway I was wondering what happened to the photo. Thanks so much." -Clareca Bishop http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lcabin.jpg
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"Hi Butch--Sure enjoy This and That! I believe Emet is down your way--Do you or your readers know anything about that Town/Country/City? I have some documents sent in the late 1800's which say: "Emet, I.T." Jmrden@aol.com Emet Cemetery, Johnston County, Oklahoma Lat: 34? 12' 19"N, Lon: 96?33'09"W (West of Emet, OK community)
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"The Teller Cemetery Association of Tishomingo, Oklahoma has a booklet that contains the history of the Town of Teller (now gone) and a survey of the recently restored cemetery, giving accurate names and dates of headstones there dating back to 1875. Some unmarked graves have been identified by verification from family members. It also contains many pictures of the headstones and tidbits of information. These booklets are free to anyone who sends a donation of $5.00 or more. Donations are badly needed for upkeep. The older generations of these Johnston County pioneers are passing away and this is a good way to acquaint the younger generations with their ancestors. Donations may be mailed to: The Teller Cemetery Association, 90 W. Golf Course Drive, Tishomingo, OK 73460." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tellerbook3.jpg
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"There was another sighting, so.......... I don't think your going to have a shortage of Jack Rabbits yet, lol, two of them are trying hard to get ran over up here, like the squirrel in the commercial. Maybe their watching to much T.V. lol to become dare-devils. lol"
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We have received a lot of wonderful comments on Gene South's Liberty CD. He has put together a patriotic CD with songs and poems and music and lots of photos from around the USA. There is the Pledge of Allegiance, the Gettysburg Address, the Bill of Rights, the Statue of Liberty, America the Beautiful, and Stars and Strips. The splash screen that automatically comes up when you insert the CD has the Liberty Bell on it along with the sounding of tolls from the bell. One thing I think is neat, Gene has made the bell to toll when you click on any of the buttons! Oh, and when you click the EXIT button.... well you'll just have to wait and see if you win one of these free CDs! Here's a screen capture of the CD's Main Page. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertyscreen3.jpg

Here is a scan of the CD's label. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertycd3.jpg

And here are the three winners of the new Libery CD this week! dpdrinker@sbcglobal.com
kenrich@mesquiteweb.com
nygarfield@aol.com

Just as a footnote, Gene South said he was walking around his block one evening last weekend and a man in his yard who he didn't know hollered, "I want one of those CDs!". Word is getting around!

I have said in my newsletter in a long time how much I appreciate everyone who sends in emails and shares stories and history with the rest of us. Some weeks I am so humbled I can not find the words to say what I want to say. Some weeks some of you shares personal history that brings me to tears, and I can't print it because I know it was for my eyes only. Over the past 7 years I've lost some good friends here, taken away to another place, but not before they shared some history and stories that will be right here for as long as the world turns. I lost another good friend and long time T&T Reader this week. But a few years ago he sent me an email to say how much he appreciated the photos on the website of the 1928 Seth Thomas Clock in the courthouse that I had uploaded. You see, as a child back around 1950 he had polio and because of his condition he could never climb those steep stairs to the belfry. He said his dad would go up there and just look in amazement at that clock, but he could never go with his dad. Bob Lantrip was a friend to many and an avid computer enthusiast and webmaster. And he's up there now where they don't need crutches. Thanks Bob for being a friend, you will be missed.

Now to end this newsletter on a lighter note.

Scarecrow (Ray Bolger): I haven't got a brain... only straw.
Dorothy (Judy Garland): How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.
-Wizard of Oz, 1939

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 31, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 319

The Memorial Day ceremony last Monday at the Ardmore Airpark was absolutely beautiful! If you were in the area and didn't make it, you missed a great American experience. The weather was nice and there were many in attendance. Roy Givens, airpark manager, set up 150 chairs, everyone of those chairs were filled, others brought their own lawn chairs, and even more were standing last Monday. I estimate there were 250 to 300 people in attendance! Here are a few photos from Monday. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mem52603a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mem52603b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mem52603c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mem52603d.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mem52603e.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mem21gun52603.jpg

Here is a scan of the Program that was given out to those attending the Memorial Day ceremony. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/memprogram3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/memprogram3b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/memprogram3c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/memprogram3d.jpg

Here are some photos I promised that were take at the Heartland Band of America free Concert that was held Thursday May 22, 2003 at Heritage Hall. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/concert3a.jpg

Major Kelley G. Bledsoe, Commander and Conductor, Heartland of America Band http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bledsoe3.jpg

Heartland band at Heritage Hall http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/heartland52203.jpg

SSgts Mark and Libby Barnette, Tuba and Horn sections (husband and wife) http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/heartlandmrmrs52203.jpg

SSgts Nicole Marizio and Libby Barnette: SSgt Marizio was our publicity person contact with the Heartland of America Band. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/heartlandsgts52203.jpg

Here is an interesting check written in Ardmore in 1904 to Brown and Bridgeman. What makes it interesting is the logo on the left hand side of the check. I have tried to figure out just what it depicts, but not sure. Maybe someone has an idea. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/check1904b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/check1904c.jpg

A Reader passed along some photos taken when Mountain Lake north of Ardmore was drained in 1984. Mountain Lake is one of the best kept secrets in this county. Its just about 10 miles west of Springer on Highway 53 then back north. The last photo shows the original creek winding through the dry lake bed. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mtlake84a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mtlake84b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mtlake84c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mtlake84d.jpg

Jack Drennen lives at Marietta, Oklahoma and owns a real piece of automobile history. Its a 1979 VW Super Beatle convertible. 1979 was the last year VW made these convertible. I owned a 1973 Super Beatle I bought brand new from Hill Motor Company here in Ardmore for $3,000. But my VW was not a convertible. Jack's VW even has a brand new motor he had imported from Germany! The color is what is called a Pearlized Champaign. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drennen3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drennen3b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drennen3c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drennen3d.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drennen3e.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/drennen3f.jpg

I have a lot more photos and history to tell about, but ran out of time this week. I was even down at Gainesville, Texas this week and took a few good photos, but I'll have to work them in later. But I'll get to them in the next issue, so be watching!

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Does anyone know of a resource that would name the men who were lynched around old Healdton, Chickasaw Nation in the 1880-90's? There were the 3 "horse thieves" lynched in 1888/89, including a Mr. Morgan; the Healdton businessman Mr. Castleberry reported the lynching to the "Hesperian" published in Gainesville. Then was J. H. Keys who was lynched by 7 to 8 men (John Stephens/Stevens and Lum Barringer were not tried, but the other vigilantes--Bill Isbell, Nick and Dick Everheart, Hes Warden, Tony Webber and John Blackburn--were tried--what became of their trial in Paris, TX?) in late 1889. There should be at least 5 other white/mixed blood men who were lynched around the old Healdton area between 1886-1892 --can anyone identify them? Appreciate any information. Thanks." -Nita Emberlin
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"Butch, Have read with interest the last couple T&T particularly the notes about the Law enforcement memorial and about the letter from Don Haggerty in Durant and his relationship to the four men hanged in the barn at Ada. I'd like to add my own piece of the story. I received a letter recently from a man who included an article by Ken Butler titled " the troublesome Stephenson Brothers. It told the story of two outlaw brothers who lived near Pauls Valley around the early part of the last century. One of them, Jim Stephenson, ambushed and murdered a Pauls Valley city Marshall named Randolph Cathey. This link tells the story of Marshall Cathey's death: http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgarvin/catheyshooting.html

I was recently given the honor of making some commemorative remarks at a ceremony at the Oklahoma State Law Enforcement Officers memorial in Oklahoma City, where Marshall Cathey's name was added as a Pauls Valley peace officer killed in the line of duty. As the only known descendant of Cathey's who wears a badge today, I was asked by the chief of Police here in Pauls Valley if I would like to make the remarks at the ceremony.

Marshall Cathey's name was also placed on the national Law Enforcement memorial in Washington D.C. during a ceremony there earlier this month. Although I was unable to make the trip to Washington, I am very pleased that a relative of mine was honored in this way. This link shows Marshall Cathey's name added this year to the National Memorial: http://www.odmp.org/agencydisp.php?agencyid=4446

Now I know this is long, but here is where I tie all this together. Jim Stephenson was tried and acquitted for the murder of Marshall Cathey in 1911. Stephenson was defended by shyster lawyer Moman Pruitt. Pruitt was also set to defend at trial one of the four defendants down at Ada. When news of the acquittal of Stephens reached people in Ada, they didn't want to take the chance at trial that any of these four might get away with their crimes, and took matters into their own hands. That's the story as it was told to me by Ken Butler and by the man who sent me the article this month. A odd chain of related events, the murder of one of my relatives indirectly causing the lynching of one of Haggerty's relative and three other men. Just thought you and your readers might find that interesting. Still enjoying T&T almost since its inception, thanks Butch, keep up the good work." -David Cathey
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"Dear Butch, Thanks for putting in Sat. May 24, 2003 Issue about "The Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key, one of my relatives has traced our family tree and he is part of my family tree....Wish I could be in Ardmore for the Memorial Day Service." -Corine Key Doddridge
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"The middle page shows this book was and still is worth 5.80 cents. But don't think it will be cashed in, it will be kept as a family treasurer. The last page gives the date of this book 1942." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/usbond42a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/usbond42b.jpg ------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It is an old J. C. Penny thing that was used to close buttons or high top button shoes." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jcpennypick.jpg
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"Attached are two pages of an old book of stamps that came across my desk. The are the ten cents defense stamp album that was promoted to help people during the world War II save to buy war bonds. School children were offered to be able to buy the stamps once a week and they cost one dime, then this book was full it would have been worth 25 dollars. The second page is interesting the 1.10 stamp is total different than the others." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/warstamp2a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/warstamp2b.jpg
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"Here is an old news paper page that is dated July 9, 1925. There is one article circled telling about the main street of Tishomingo getting a good coat of gravel. Therefore, I know for sure the streets of that town were not paved at that time. Further down, you will see a W. E. St. Clair, purchased a touring car." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tish71925.jpg
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"Hi Butch. Since I have been challenged to a $10.00 Pledge from a nephew I think quite a lot of and since it will benefit another nephew that I am also quite proud of, I will pledge $20.00 and challenge Mike to match it." -Jim Brown nto.pickin@att.net Odessa TX"
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"Butch, the Condon Grove Cemetery the lady was looking for in Johnston County is located 5 miles east of Tishomingo on Hwy. 78. The cemetery is on the south side of the road."
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"Hello Butch, Snapped a couple of pics over the weekend. Thought you might like to see them. The flag painted on rocks is just North of Fox, Ok. on Hwy 76. The bell is at the 1st Baptist Church, Verden, Oklahoma." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/flagfox3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/verdenbell3.jpg
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"Hi Butch: Went to Oklahoma last weekend to celebrate an aunt's 90th birthday. Stopped at the Rest Stop on I-35 near Thackerville. I signed the Guest Register and showed my destination to be "Antioch, OK". The lady attendant said, "Oh, you're going over by Madill." I said, "No, I'm going over near Maysville". She said, "But Antioch is near Madill". I said, "No, it's near Maysville". We quickly settled the issue. She pulled out an official Oklahoma map and sure enough there is a town of Antioch just west of Madill. However, there also is a town of Antioch just south of Maysville. There are two towns named "Antioch", although they are very small, in Oklahoma. The lady said, "How can that be? I thought there couldn't be two towns with the same name in a state". I don't know. Are there other towns in Oklahoma with the same name? Friday it took over an hour to go nine miles between Ardmore and the Arbuckles on I-35 due to the construction diverting traffic to one lane in each direction. Came back Sunday on old Highway 77 between Davis and Ardmore over the Arbuckles to get around it. Stopped to look at Turner Falls. First time since they finished the Interstate. Nice drive over the mountains and through Springer." -Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas
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"I took the Oakwood, Oklahoma road to see what Oakwood looked like today. I found a Dewey County Bell for you just off of Main Street a block or so and hanging high in the steeple of the First Christian Church. I know you already have some Dewey County Bells, but thought you might like to have this huge, aged beauty that shows some white paint towards the top of it." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oakwood3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oakwood3b.jpg
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"The Davis Grocery Store on "C" St. between 2nd and 3rd N.W. in Ardmore, was there when I lived on 3rd avenue in 1935." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Hello Butch & T&T. I'm looking for 3 classmates of mine that would have been in the 1954 graduating class at Berwyn High School. Our 50th class reunion will be next year. The names of the people are Kenneth Phillips (his mom and dad had a cafe in Gene Autry in the late 40's or early 50's and he had 2 brothers named Billy & J.T.), also looking for Ozella Murphy and Robert (Cookie) Cook. If anyone knows where I can contact these people, please let me know via e-mail. My address is joedblack@juno.com . All of my other classmates I have their address. This years Berwyn School reunion is going to be on July 5, 2003 starting at 6:00 PM., at the old Berwyn schoolhouse. In reading some of the old e-mails, I recall seeing something about someone wanting to know about a barbershop on North Washington. My grandfather used to get my hair cut at a place called Fisher's Barbershop, owned by John Fisher. I moved away from Ardmore in 1956, however I return almost every year. I also pull the Daily Ardmoreite up on my computer every day to see what is happening in the area. If anyone can help with my classmates, I would really appreciate it. Thanks." -Joe Black joedblack@juno.com
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100 Years Ago: "Oklahoma Territorial Gov. Thompson Ferguson offered a reward for the capture of two escaped convicts from the federal prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. who were accused of killing two law officers in Anadarko. The slain men were identified as Sheriff Smith and Deputy Beck. About 300 men pursued the fugitives."
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The past few weeks we have been drawing names each week for a free CD. But starting this week we will be drawing 3 names for a new CD! Ardmoreite Gene South has put together a wonderful patriotic CD with songs and poems and music and lots and lots of beautiful photos from around the USA. Let's see, there is the Pledge of Allegiance, the Gettysburg Address, the Bill of Rights, the Statue of Liberty, America the Beautiful, and Stars and Strips. The key to working the CD is clicking only ONE TIME on the button of choice to play that part of the CD. The splash screen that automatically comes up when you insert the CD has the Liberty Bell on it along with a few sounds of tolls from the bell. One thing I think is neat, is Gene has made the bell to toll when you click on any of the buttons! Oh, and when you click the EXIT button.... well you'll just have to wait and see if you win one of these free CDs! Here's a screen capture of the CD's Main Page. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertyscreen3.jpg

Here are the three winners of this new CD this week!
kenlorek@texhoma.net
caseyuno@ev1.net
woclark3@cox.net

For those of you who can't wait to see if your name is drawn and must have this CD now, send me a couple of bucks and I'll pop one in the mail to you. The 2 dollars will help pay for the CD, printing the color label and postage. This is truly a masterpiece of art Gene South has created. No telling how many hours he has put in this CD to make it what it is. We will be drawing names til July 4th!

Bill of Rights 1789

Amendment I - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 24, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 318

Last week I mentioned a letter from Durant attorney Don M. Haggerty. Mr. Haggerty is kin to one of the four men hanged in Ada, Oklahoma back in 1909. The reason for his writing was to let me know the correct name of the hanged man was Berry B. Burrell. Burrell was born in Kaufman, Texas. What was so interesting in Mr. Haggerty's letter was that their family had tried to brush the incident under the carpet as it was not something family members wanted discussed.

Here is a scan of Don M. Haggerty's letter and wealth of information he has shared about the Burrell and McFarland family histories and his connection to that famous Ada hanging. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/haggerty3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/haggerty3b.jpg http://www.oklahomahistory.net/adalynch.html

I hope some of you were able to attend the free Concert at the Heritage Hall Thursday night. It was an experience few of us will ever forget. I estimated there was close to 1,200 people in attendance that evening.

One special part of the program was when The Daily Ardmoreite Publisher, Bill Stauffer presented the conductor of the band with a U.S. Flag that had flown over the Capital in Washington D.C. in honor of the Heartland Band and their 60th anniversary. Gary Simmons was able to obtain the flag and when he called me this week, he said it was not folded properly to go in the wood presentation case that came with it. So while Gary was on his way down to my office, I called across the street to Harvey-Douglas Funeral Home and asked if someone could cover over and properly fold the flag for us. Within minutes here came Brian Douglas and Matt to do the folding. They folded it with military precision! Thanks guys, Gary and I could have never folded that flag correctly. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/flagfolding3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/flagfolding3b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/flagfolding3c.jpg

Some of us are going to meet for lunch at the Runway Cafe at the Airpark after the Memorial Day ceremony. This will be a special meeting place for anyone with a close connection to the air base and the men who died in training. But it can also be a great place to eat and fellowship for anyone attending the Memorial ceremony since it will be noon and many of us will be hungry. Since it is so close, it will only take a couple of minutes to drive east to the cafe. The Runway Cafe is now in a new building along with the Airpark Fire Department and Airpark Administration straight east of the memorial site next to the runways. Hope to see many of you there for lunch. I've been told they will be serving roast beef with mashed potatoes, a choice of vegetables, side salad and roll, all for $3.95. Here is a photo of the Terminal Building. The Runway Cafe is located inside. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/terminalbldg51903.jpg

Here are the contact numbers if needed May 26th:
Airpark Fire Department 580-389-5454
Runway Cafe 580-389-5555
Butch Bridges 580-223-0892 or Toll Free 1-866-459-8626

Hope to see a lot of you at the Airpark, Monday May 26th at 11am! If it rains it will be held inside the Airpark Fire Department building. See you there!

Ex-Ardmoreite, now living in McLoud, Oklahoma, Frances Dunlap has been traveling around the state and snapped some photos lately. Of course she always has an eye out for me on any bells. Here is a new manufacture bell located at a fruit and vegetable stand 6 miles north of Stratford, Oklahoma known as Cushman Corners. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/cushmancorners3.jpg

Here is a bell Frances spotted at the Heartland Freewill Baptist Church on Reno Street in Midwest City, Oklahoma. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/heartlandbell3.jpg

Cookson, Oklahoma is in the SE corner of Cherokee County. Tahlequah is the county seat. Here is a picture of a bell at the Cookson Baptist Church. This bell make the first bell photo from Cherokee county for my collection. There are Pawnee, Okmulgee, McIntosh, Muskogee, Sequoyah, Adair, Delaware, Ottawa, Craig and Nowata counties. As you can tell, the counties I lack bell photos are all in far NE Oklahoma. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/cookson3.jpg http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/bellmap.jpg

Here is another picture Frances Dunlap took while down in far SE Oklahoma at Idabel. The bell is located at the St Francis DeSales Catholic Church. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/idabel3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/idabel3b.jpg

Glen Burke in Durant sent me a picture of this bell in Perry, Oklahoma. Its at the United Methodist Church of Perry. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/umcperry3.jpg

One of the employees at the Carter County Election Board has a very talented 16 year old grandson when it comes to drawing freehand. Matt Harris, grandson of employee Joyce Harris in the Election Board, has been drawing since he was a wee lad. I sure wish I could draw like Matt does. I'd be driving down a county road, see something of historical interest, stop an start drawing! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mattharris503.jpg

Just as a footnote, Doug Williams reports in the Mailbag below he has a real live wild turkey in his backyard..... probably looks just like the turkey in Matt's drawing!

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Ardmore Grads of 1940 will have a Class Reunion at Chickasaw Library, 60l Railway Express, Ardmore. Those interested will meet other 1940 grads for a great reunion on June 6 and June 7th. Please advise Bill Crosby- 1415, Mt Washington Rd, Ardmore, Ok, 73401, phone 580-2230-4884 if you can attend. Please call any 1940 Ardmore Grads whose phone number you know and encourage them to attend."
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"Hi Doug and Butch, I will pledge the $10 for the sign. My cousin Danny Pennington is one of those serving in Irag and I very much like and support the idea. I will even go one step further and challenge our uncle, Jimmy Brown for another pledge. I also have seen a couple of postings of people from Ardmore in the Arizona area and would like to get them to send me a note at azfop5@msn.com. Thanks Mike Pennington (Arizona) azfop5@msn.com
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"Hi Butch, Just finished reading your T & T for the week. Sure enjoyed the articles and as usual it brought a 'Taste of Home' for us. In reference to the article someone sent you about Cynthia Ann Parker and her son, Quanah: I have always been interested in our Indian history, not only concerning Oklahoma but also Texas and our region out here in Nevada. So, I thought someone else might be interested, also, in doing more reading and research about Cynthia and Quanah. They have fascinated me all of my life and I have studied everything I could find about them. I have a book that I bought in 1982 about the life of Cynthia and Quanah Parker, and her marriage to Nocona (the Wanderer). It is called Ride the Wind and was written by a descendant of Quanah's. The author's name is Lucia St. Clair Robson. The book was published through Random House and is probably still located in the autobiography sections of the library. I have read and reread it many times and it still holds fascination for me. I think your writer of the article about the Parkers would enjoy it also. It seems to be very factual and researched well. Hope you can find it and enjoy it also. Keep up the good work, Butch, and thanks for all you do to make our Saturday mornings enjoyable." goody2shu@msn.com
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"does anyone know the burial site off a james or jim guy U.S. deputy marshal killed n.e. of ardmore okla in 1885"
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"does anyone have info.concerning a U.S.deputy marshal badge in congressman C.D.Carter's home in ardmore ok."
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"Hello, There are bound to be people in and around Ardmore that remembers my family. Bill MITCHELL of Overbrook and later Ardmore.My father Doc MITCHELL.If I'am not mistaken Bill MITCHELL has a son that still lives in Overbrook,Ok on the farm where I once lived.I think his name is W.C.{Sammy } MITCHELL. I would like to find some family. I spent most of my school years in Wilson Ok. Sincerely Edna Mitchell Montgomery." bmontgomery001@charter.net
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"Butch, There's a portrait of Quanah Parker hanging in the Museum in the old Roller Skating Rink. It's in a room that was dedicated to the Native Americans. Of course, it's been a few years since I was there, so I'm not sure if the exhibit is still there. Being descended from the Parkers, I get annual Newsletters, as well as invitations to the Parker Reunion in Cache, Oklahoma. I think the reunion is next month." -Kathi George
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"Hi Butch, I enjoyed your article and photos on the Law Enforcement Memorial Service. I have been in Law Enforcement since I was a baby a couple years ago. Spent 13 years in the Honor Guard and attended a number of funerals and Memorials here in Arizona. A few years ago I sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service who has a commission set up to determine what goes on a postage stamp. I suggested a Law Enforcement stamp commemorating each state in the Union. It would reflect each state's Memorial or something else in each state. I received a nice letter saying they would consider it and have seen a lot of birds and other animals among other things but yet to see anything else reference this. Perhaps a number of letters would help. Got any suggestions? Thank You again." -Mike Pennington (Arizona) Azfop5@msn.com
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"Just a short message to let you all know that I have moved "Guide to American Indian Genealogy" and all of my other sites to a new address at http://www.ndnweb.com . They are all accessible at this address. I have added a link to my on-line store. For now, it's just the 2 t-shirts but more items are in the works. Including mousepads and ceramic coffee mugs of these designs and the new ones that are in the works. For those of you that have links on your websites to the old "Guide to American Indian Genealogy" site there is a re-direct in place that will send visitors to the new address but I urge you to make the needed changes within 30 days. It's been a really busy day!" -Kim http://www.ndnweb.com
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"Hi Butch, A reader wanted directions to a cemetary in Milburn. It is Condon Grove Cemetary and is about 5 miles due east of Tishomingo, or 2 miles west of Milburn. As you know, that is my hometown, so I was curious who it was. Keep up the good work." -Jerry Landrum aonestorage@sbcglobal.net
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"Butch, While looking at the program for the Carter County Memorial Service on May 15th, I noticed that Oscar Alexander was not listed as an honored officer. Was he not killed in Carter County?" http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/ThoseWhoGaveAll.html
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"Butch... I've enjoyed the T&T items, and have one that your Readers will probably enjoy. In part it is information compiled on my Arnold ancestors and their migration into the North Texas and Oklahoma as early pioneers of those areas." -Jack Wilson wilsonj2@bellsouth.net Call Sign: W4RUM http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/textfiles/arnold3.txt
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"Hey, Butch! Davis Grocery between 2nd and 3rd on C Street was there in the 1940s. I can remember walking the one block (from 2nd & B) to get stuff for my mom. The first grocery store had an open front and the fresh vegetables were right in the front. Bud, Warren and their dad (and I can't remember his name) ran it. They built the new brick store after we moved to the Plainview School District, I think. That was about 1955 or 56. Also, my uncle, Clyde Minter, had a big grocery store out on Hwy 70 at the Plainview Rd. It burned but I don't remember when....There is a new car wash where the store and my aunt and uncle's rock home was. Somebody bought it and moved it to a lot on west and south (the road is just past the bank on Hwy 70). Thanks for the memories."
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"Do you know what may have happen to the old records from the Cornish orphanage, would they have been sent to the court house in Ardmore?"
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"I just walked to the pond this morning for a little piece and quiet and was startled by a wild turkey. She should have ran but did not, I was 20 feet from her. Then I saw why she stayed, there were 7 or 8 baby wild turkeys. How cool is that? God I love this place. Who else has wild turkeys having babies in their backyard?" -Doug Williams, Ardmore ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Doug Williams told me for the past 7 days he has received pledges totaling nearly $150 toward the billboard. So we are on our way to raising that $650 to rent a billboard this Fall to "Welcome Home" our troops to Ardmore. If you want to contribute to the cause, send Doug an email at nascar88@cableone.net

Below is the winners in the free drawing for Lake Murray and Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Allegiance CD. If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg dgwadams@msn.com hreeves@brightok.net

'The Star Spangled Banner' by Francis Scott Key, 1814

"Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
>From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 17, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 317

There was lots of excitement this week in Ardmore with the event making the national news channels. I had a number of emails from around the country about the Texas Democrats taking up camp at the Holiday Inn here in Ardmore last Monday. One Reader said it looked like Satellite City at the Holiday Inn from all the news people setting up. I even got one phone call Tuesday evening from a radio station in California wanting to set up an interview with me for the next day and talk about all the hoopla. My comment to that newsman was No Comment.

All this is not really new news to us Okies. Texans have fled into Oklahoma to evade the law enforcers since who knows when. Back before statehood (1907) Federal Judge Isaac Parker of Ft Smith, Arkansas (better known as the "hanging judge" since during his 21 years on the bench he sentenced 160 bandits to the gallows) was Washington D.C.'s voice over this land called Indian Territory. Since Judge Parker only had a couple of deputies to enforce the laws over the entire region, and the Indian police who worked the area couldn't arrest a white man, the law breaking Texans knew they were safe if they fled across Red River into Oklahoma lands.

Most of you will remember the photo I had a few months ago of the ballpark at North Washington and Monroe NW. The photo was taken around 1948. At the very very top of the photo, over to the right side, you can see the steeple of the Memorial Christian Church at 12th and A Street NW. For those of you who missed that Cardinal ballpark photo last January, here it is again. You can see the church steeple at the top. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cardpark200.jpg

I learned some interesting history this week about the Memorial Christian Church. A couple of years ago we talked about the church being originally at the Ardmore Airpark at Gene Autry. It was used as a chapel for the airbase. When the airbase closed after WWII the church was moved to Ardmore and organized as the Memorial Christian Church. What even its pastor didn't know until about a month ago is exactly how that church was moved from the airbase to Ardmore.

It seems the "powers that be" would not allow the church to be moved into Ardmore down Highway 77 North. Remember there was no I-35 back in the late 40s. Plus Highway 77 was only a 2 lane highway back then, and there was that narrow Caddo Creek bridge north of Ardmore to contend with. What the church members did was cut the building into three sections and transport it on a barge or something down the Washita River to near Mannsville, unload, then bring it on into Ardmore on Highway 70 it is presumed. The Washita River flows right behind the airbase so it was easy to get it to the river. When I was talking to the church's pastor, Dwight Edwards this week, he only learned of this unusual move last month. I guess that is another mystery we need to find out, exactly what route did they take when moving that church to Ardmore?

Here is a pic I took in July 2001 of the Memorial Christian Church at 12th and A NW. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/memchch7.jpg

Speaking of history, I received an email from Dallas this week and boy did it have a punch of history in it. The article was written in 1932 about the Comanche Indian Chief Quanah Parker. We have talked about Quanah Parker several times the past few years. Mrs Wilson shared her Quanah Parker portrait she has hanging on her living room wall. And we've mentioned The Quanah Parker Highway going west out of Lawton. The photos and story of Chief Parker and his mother Cynthia Ann Parker revolves around the 1860 rescue of Cynthia Ann Parker from the Indians as told through the diary of school teacher James H. Baker of Texas. A photo of James H. Baker is also in the article. The email about Quanah Parker and his mother are in the Mailbag below. Its a large file, (650k) so give it time to download.

Time is close. The Air Force's 40 member Heartland Band of America will be here Thursday May 22nd at 7pm at the Heritage Hall here in Ardmore. The band's sponsor, The Daily Ardmoreite, has tickets available for the Free concert. Get yours now. People attending who have tickets will be seated first. The Ardmoreite did a feature article on the band last Monday along with a picture of its conductor and 40 members. If you plan on attending, get a hold of the Ardmoreite now for your free tickets. We may never have a 40 member concert band in Ardmore again in our lifetime. http://ardmoreite.com/stories/051203/loc_heartland_band.shtml

The past few days those of you living in other states have heard about the tornadoes and storms thats been hitting parts of Oklahoma, especially Oklahoma City areas. But last Wednesday morning around 4am a storm came through Carter county that sent many to the storm shelters. Darren and Michelle Bray live at the northwest edge of Lone Grove and their home's vinyl siding was really hit hard by the storm that morning. Michelle is one of the secretaries at the County Commissioners offices here in Ardmore. Here are a couple of photos Michelle took of their damaged home. Its a miracle no one was hurt or killed in that particular area of the county. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/brayhome3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/brayhome3b.jpg

Last week we had a interesting project undertaken at the courthouse Annex Building. A 100 foot tower and antenna was raised into place for use by the Carter County Emergency Management Center. But its not just the benefit of the Carter County Emergency Management office and the Skywarn volunteers, but all the volunteer fire departments in Carter county. Some of people (I didn't know them all) that helped with the tower raising were Jerry Carpenter (Fire Chief), Bren Gila (Assistant Chief), and Mike Coyle (Fireman) from the Gene Autry Fire Department, and Mitch Daily of Cleanright Janitorial Services of Ardmore. Also very much appreciated was Galaxy Sign Company who donated their crane and crew to get the job done. The phone number for the Carter County Emergency Management office is (580) 223-7937. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cctower2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cctower3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cctower4.jpg The Daily Ardmoreite had a nice write-up on the tower installation last Monday. http://ardmoreite.com/stories/051203/loc_cc_antenna.shtml

On Thursday May 15, 2003 Carter county law enforcement officers gathered at the memorial in front the sheriffs office to give honor to those officers killed in the line of duty in this county. Officers and citizens stood side by side as the 11 names of those killed were read. Guest speaker Sheldon J. Sperling, U.S. Attorney - Eastern District of Oklahoma, gave a moving speech in which he summarized the terror that really goes back many years, that was and is being carried out even today. Those eleven men died defending the rights and freedoms of Americans. The few minutes everyone stood there at that law enforcement memorial service was small in comparison to the eleven lives lost, they gave all. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3d.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3e.jpg

Below are the four pages from the printed program starting with the cover page. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3f.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3g.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3h.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lawmem3i.jpg

This week I received an interesting letter and followup phone call from Don M. Haggerty of Haggerty and Haggerty Attorneys at Law in Durant, Oklahoma. His letter was to inform me of the misspelling of Mr. Burrells name in the 1909 newspaper article. Come to find out Mr. Haggerty is a relative of Berry B. Burrell. You don't remember who Berry Burrell is you say? More on this piece of history next week!

Here is a sneak preview of the Memorial Day Program that will be used Monday, May 26th at the Ardmore Airpark. Hope as many of you as possible can make it out there at 11am. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/memprogram3.htm

I've reworked thousands of photos the past few years. I've talked about the program Irfanview several times over the years. It is an excellent Free program to take a picture you've scanned into a huge file, and redo it into a usable pic. Here is a "how to" webpage on using Irfanview. http://www.somewhere-in-time.net/tutorial/irfanview/

We passed a milestone this week. Our photos on webshots received over 1,000 looks since being started. This week's totals came to 1,101 hits! http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory

WorldxChange has just added a new service called CrazyCall. 99 cents for up to 30 minutes. Only 5 cents a minute thereafter and no switching! 101-6789 http://www.crazycall.com http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

The Question: "butch, I haven't finished reading yet this issue of your T&T but I am upset with U....U left out some very important info. why didn't u didn't tell us what kyle's theory of magnetic hill is? I'm deeply interested in learning what his theory of how those things happen at magnetic hill." -From an ex-Ardmoreite living in Arizona

The Answer: "Dear Butch, I first went to magnetic hill when my mom took me there after reading about it in your newsletter. My first impression was, how can a car really roll uphill. Then I thought it had to be just an appearance but I couldn't figure it out. I got out of the car and tried to roll round objects I found in the car, such as chapstick and a pencil but they did not work. My mom took me out there several more times because it just baffled me. We even took some of my friends. We could not figure it out. I was looking through a science fair book and saw a project where you could make an object appear to roll uphill. That project was the funnels on a yardstick. On my project the yardsticks resembled the road and fences and the funnel represented the car. If you could go out in the field beside magnetic hill and see through the ground towards the road you would see that the road actually is at a downhill slant. So magnetic hill is actually just an illusion according to my research. Thanks for being interested in my project." -Kyle Craighead
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"Butch, The sign you have reference to on highway 77 north was placed there by a friend of mine [now deceased]. His name was Burt Bush. Burt bought this property back in the 60's mostly as a hobby. He built the pond and stocked it with bass. [ good fishing]. He built the barn and some corrals . He ran a few Angus cows on the place and had plans to build a house there one day. He put the sign up and called his property " the 77 place" Burt was a geologist retired and move to Ardmore and opened a Drive Inn Restaurant at the corner of K St. N.W. and Grand Ave, which he didn't like at all. He was also the recreation director at the Ardmore Veterans Center until his final retirement. His plans for " the 77 place" didn't materialize his health failed at this time and he passed away. soon there after. Spent many pleasant hours with Burt and he is missed. Hope this sheds a little light on the sign."
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"Hi Butch, Always love to get and read the T&T every week. But I need some driving directions to a Cemetery in Milburn. I was only there once in 1965 and not sure if the cemetery is called ConderGrove or Conden Grove. Love to visit my Grand-parents and Great Grand-parents graves and put flowers on them. Thought maybe you or some of the other readers of T&T could give me some idea as to its location."
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"New Painting by Tom Elmore: "Bluebird Against the Prairie Winter" Speeding the Santa Fe's crack limited express "The Ranger" north to Chicago, mighty Hudson-type locomotive Number 3460 - known system-wide as "The Bluebird" - fights a prairie snowstorm during the winter of 1939. Original watercolor Painting dimension: 15" x 22" - on 100% rag, archival Arches watercolor paper Tom Elmore uses highest permanency Rembrandt Watercolors. All mounting materials are acid free. No adhesive of any kind touches the watercolor paper. Hand-embellished double matte with title block in silver metal frame. Framed dimension: 21" x 28" $650" http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/rangerpaint.jpg
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"My mom thought an article regarding the rescue of Cynthia Parker, mother of Chief Quanna Parker, would be of interest to you & your readers. Dated December 3, 1937, it's from the Semi-Weekly Farm News (Dallas, TX). I scanned it and pieced it together but some parts are hard to read due to the condition of the clipping. An 89 yr old native Ardmoreite, mom is an avid reader every Saturday morning. Thanks for all your hard work on the articles ~ they bring memories back to my mom's heart, making her feel a little closer to her home town!" http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/farmnews4.jpg
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"There are a few Jack Rabbits left. I saw one the other day on our farm up here by Sulphur, Oklahoma. It was a young one, all ears - So cute. I wonder what has happened to the big majority of Jack Rabbits. My dad would not let anyone kill them. I think he knew they were disappearing."
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"Butch, During the 30's there were 2 funeral homes in Sulphur, Oklahoma: Dunn Funeral Home, operated by A.G. Dunn and Frier Funeral Home, operated by Gene Frier. After A.G. Dunn passed away, the home was operated by his son Amos, and his daughter, Oren Bates. It was later sole to Major Clagg and operated as Clagg Funeral home. I believe it was later sold to someone else but is still managed by Major and Sandra Clagg under the Clagg name. The Frier Home was /purchased during the 40's by Raymond and Irene Danner and operated as Danner Funeral Home. Irene was a daughter of Gene Frier. Raymond and Irene were dear friends of ours and Raymond sponsored a barbershop quartet during the 40's called the "Four Flats" Orel Peak, sang lead, Phil Stumpff, tenor, Raymond Cleveland baritone and I was the bass. That was the most fun I have ever had. We traveled all over Oklahoma and Texas and won the state championship in 1947. But back to the subject: I believe records of both funeral homes would be available by contacting Major Clagg at the Clagg Funeral Home, in Sulphur. Thanks again for making T&T available." -Roy Miller, OKC
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"Hi Cuz, You never cease to amaze me and how you turn up relatives in our family. Was nice to see the article about Bahner's Funeral Home - had one in Davis, Oklahoma as well. Ran into a gentleman some years back here in Korea and we discussed Davis (as he was from there many years back). During our conversation he mentioned the Bahners of Davis and that he was related to them. After a while, we realized that some of the his distance relatives were also related to some of ours - so I guess you could say that some how way back when, we became related to the Bahners as well (through marriage or real kin, I do not recall). Thanks for a lot of memories of the area where we grew up - they mean a lot to folks our age." -Ralph Leon Bridges Ford in Korea
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "My rose bushes are in full bloom. The second photo is a cutting off the first." -Newman Walker near Healdton, Oklahoma http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/roseswalker.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/roseswalker2.jpg
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "It's a beautiful day to be alive! Spring is in the air - after a long winters nap. The trees are coming alive. They are beginning to put on their lovely spring dresses - colored green - with touches of red, blue, yellow and white - a most beautiful sight. There's fluffy clouds floating in an assure blue sky. There can be heard the joyful singing of the birds nearby. Off in the distance can be seen a fragile butterfly kissing a lovely red rose - its perfume filling the air. The rolling stream making a musical sound on its way to the sea. The frogs are croaking and the fawn is searching for his Mom. The wild turkey is slipping through the tall grass - making a clucking sound - every once in a white fluffing - showing their beauty as they silently travel on. And as we too - travel through life - it's a day to enjoy and be thankful to God for He loves us so. He has sent to us joy, happiness, love, even touched with a bit of sadness to make us more aware of Him. Yes - Spring is in the air and God is near by." -Irmadene Mapp Blankenship 5-08-2003
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I received an email this week from Ardmoreite Doug Williams. Doug is working on an idea where we can show our support of local troops serving in Irag by having a "Welcome Home" billboard on display when they do come home this Fall. They are expected back in Ardmore sometime in October.

Here is the email I received from Doug Williams: "In appreciation to the service which our local and Ardmore troops provided in Iraq, a welcome home should be in order. This could be in the form of a billboard located by the Armory or on Interstate 35. An idea might be a red and white striped billboard with lettering of:

"Welcome Home HHD 345th Core Support Battalion & 1245th Transportation Unit!
Thanks for a job well done!
From the citizens of Ardmore, Carter County and beyond."

I talked with Chris Cowlbeck from Look Advertising, and was quoted a price of $380 for the billboard for a month. The paper sign would be approximately $300 or a vinyl sign is $380.
Donations are being requested. Currently, all that is needed now are pledges. If there is interest, then an account will be set up at a local bank. Any excess of donations, will be donated to the Military Museum in Ardmore, in honor of our local troops, or possibly buy more billboards.
After speaking with a family member of one of the men serving in Iraq, I was told that they are due to come home in October. Let's support our troops like they supported us! Email pledges or questions to: Doug Williams at nascar88@cableone.net or Butch Bridges at bridges@brightok.net

Now Doug and I are going to see what the rest of you think of this billboard idea. I for one will pledge $10 to help rent that billboard this Fall. Let us hear from you. Send Doug an email at nascar88@cableone.net

Below is the winners in the free drawing for Lake Murray and Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Allegiance CD. If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg
surf_n@brightok.net
rhondastew@aol.com

Fraidy Hole - [Slang] Term for a basement, cellar, or other supposedly protective location where people hide when the tornado shows up for a visit. No part of a mobile home should be used as a fraidy hole, better to find some below-ground protected structure.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday May 10, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 316

This week the son of one of my T&T Readers entered his science fair project in a judging at the Ardmore Middle School. When he and his mom came by my office this week to show me what they did, I was so surprised! What surprised me was Kyle Craighead used one of the articles from my September 7, 2002 T&T issue as his project. Kyle and his family and others had been out to Magnetic Hill west of Springer, Oklahoma several times trying to figure out this phenomenon. His mom told me how Magnetic Hill really intrigued Kyle and started him on a road of research to find the answer.

When I stood there watching Kyle show off his science fair project it kinda made me proud to be a part of in a small way. My mind even flashed back to the years I worked at the ambulance service and something Mr. Richard Zumwalt told me. Mr. Zumwalt had retired as chief accountant at Ardmore's Memorial Hospital and was volunteering his time to keep the books for the ambulance service. Since I had got off the ambulance and working in the office, one of my duties was helping Mr. Zumwalt with the bookkeeping, mainly on computer. We had one computer in 1983 and I was sure proud of that computer and being able to do the Medicare, Welfare, and Private pay insurance claims on the computer, plus the printing of the monthly statements, etc.

Mr. Zumwalt taught me a lot about bookkeeping, debits and credits, and looking for that illusive penny. I guess the one thing he drilled in my brain was, "...money does not just appear out of thin air, there is no money tree. All money comes from some place." But when I had a problem trying to find where I was off that dollar on the computer, he'd look at the screen, then look at me, and say, "you'll have to figure it out yourself". Mr. Zumwalt was not computer savvy, but to me he was near genius when it came to accounting principals.

But there is one thing that really sticks out in my mind about Mr. Zumwalt. After working with him a couple of years, sitting with him back there in that little utility washroom at the ambulance office on Grand Avenue where they had his chair and desk, he looked at me in that jolly way and said, "Butch, you have an analytical mind". He said I just never was satisfied until I figured out what made something the way it was or how it worked. Well, I never thought of myself as having an analytical mind, but I sure love to learn. When I looked at Kyle this week in front of his science fair project, and thought about what Mr. Zumwalt said back in the 80s. Kyle Craighead definitely has an analytical mind.

Oh, before I forget to tell everyone, that old chair that Mr. Zumwalt sat in at his make shift office at the ambulance service came from his office at the hospital. He sat in that chair for over 20 years as their accountant, and upon retiring from the hospital he asked if he could take that chair with him to his new office at the ambulance office. We went to the hospital and brought the chair back to the ambulance office.

Mr. Richard Zumwalt died January 11, 1991. I sure miss that old man. His wife Carolyn was my music teacher at Washington Grade School in the northeast in the late 50s. Carolyn Zumwalt died August 30, 1998. I can still see her looking out at us over the piano as she played, while we stared at our song books, teaching us the song The Erie Canal.

The Erie Canal by Thomas S. Allen, 1905

I've got a mule, and her name is Sal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
She's a good ol' worker an' a good ol' pal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
We've hauled some barges in our day,
Filled with lumber, coal, and hay,
And we know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo.
(chorus)
Low bridge, everybody down!
Low bridge, for we're comin' through a town!
And you'll always know your neighbor,
You'll always know your pal,
If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.
We'd better look around for a job, ol' gal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal!
'Cause you bet your life I'd never part with Sal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal!
Git up there, mule, here comes a lock,
We'll make Rome 'bout six o'clock,
One more trip and back we'll go
Right back home to Buffalo."
(chorus)
I snapped some photos of Kyle Craighead and his Magnetic Hill science fair project this week. He even used the photos I took of Magnetic Hill in September 2002 on his posters. That just made me even more proud my photos came in handy for his project. These are closeups of his project. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003d.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003e.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003f.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003g.jpg

Here is Kyle standing beside his science fair project! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003h.jpg

Oh, Kyle got a Superior on the science fair project too!!!! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/kyle2003i.jpg

I was thinking this week that I need to get rid of some things I've accumulated over the years, mostly computer stuff so I set up a webpage to list items for sale. If any T&T Reader wants to sell something on it, let me know and I try to list it along with your email address. Any prospective buyer can contact you directly. This free service is only available to T&T Readers. Now if I can just find the time to get all the stuff I don't want anymore listed. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/forsale.html

My webshots photos continues to get a lot of lookers. A couple of weeks ago my webshot photos had over 800 hits in one week. The past seven days there has been 783 Hits to my webshots.com photos. But my oklahomahistory.net site gets a lot of hits too. Last March we had nearly 30,000 hits! And then 25,000 hits last month. If you are a statistician type person and love numbers, you can check out my OklahomaHistory.net stats at the following webpage. Click on any month for a detailed report of that month. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/stats/

And during April this photo got the most hits at over 300 looksees. I guess everyone is trying to figure out just where the heck is this sign on Highway 77 north of Ardmore! http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/the77place.jpg

And my Brown Springs Page still out rates everything I have for hits. Interesting phenomenon.

I found Ardmoreite Clay Boyd installing a Historical Plaque on the front of the old First National Bank building on Main Street this week. Clay Boyd is proprietor of Clay Boyd Sign Company down on Grand Avenue. The plaque tells about the early beginnings of the bank. It is the oldest still operating bank in Oklahoma. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/clayboyd2.jpg http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/1nbplaque03.jpg

I've heard The Daily Ardmoreite is despensing the advanced admission tickets to the May 22nd Free Concert at Heritage Hall at a very fast pace. If you want to get a ticket or two, you better get hold of The Daily Ardmoreite quickly for more info on how to obtain your free admission tickets.

We have another piece of the airpark memorial almost ready to set thanks to Ted Hasty of Lone Grove. Ted is a true craftsman when it comes to concrete work, and when we asked him to make the needed concrete platform to set the new airbase informational plaque on, he came through in in style! He called me this week to say it was finished and just needed to set a few days to "cure" before transporting out to the airpark. Once in place the new black granite info plaque will be adhered to it. Ted made it to last, and you can be sure it will be there as long as the world turns. Here's a photo I took of Ted's work. Thanks Ted, a lot of people appreciate this. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/concretep03a.jpg

Speaking of the Airpark, I hope many of you can make it out there Monday May 26th on Memorial Day at 11am for the special dedication services. A lot of work is going into its planning, and it will be a memorial service to be proud of.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"I drove out to the Memorial this evening. It is very impressive. I stood there remembering that night. Funny how you never forget exactly what happened. I was on a date and we saw an ambulance and decided to chase it. We followed it to The bridge over Caddo Creek just south of Baum.... almost to the crash site. It was almost time for my curfew so we turned to go back. Had we gone just a bit farther we would have been one of the first on the scene. How thankful I am that we turned around. By the time we reached Dickson the traffic was bumper to bumper all the way to Ardmore. We drove on the shoulder of the highway so the ambulances could get past the cars going out to the crash site. I got home and Mom had gone to the hospital as she worked there and they had called for help. I didn't know yet what was going on.... I actually wondered if Ardmore was being evacuated for some reason and we were the only fools going into the town. The next day it was if God cried with us as it was a rainy dreary day. The body bags all over the lawn at the Civic Auditorium were so haunting. These were boys not much older than me. My heart still hurts when I remember that night so many years ago. It was very sobering to stand there tonight and read the names and remember......... The memorial is a very nice way to preserve their memory. Thanks to all of you guys for getting it all together and all the hard work you have put into it the past few weeks to make it ready for Memorial Day."
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"Hi Butch, Keep up the great work! I use to drive up to Ardmore and spend all day going through the invaluable old records kept at that time in the basement. Someone told me recently that those records were removed and are now stored in the old jail. I would like to know if the records are still accessible to folks like me; are they just stacked here and there or on shelves where we can easily search through them? Also, I would like to know if the building is air-conditioned? Sure hope someone can answer my questions. Thanks." -Barbara Warthen Wallace Bwallace63@aol.com
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"It is my understanding that the state legislature required all birth & death records to be submitted to the State Health Department in Oklahoma City in the year 1918. If the information is not on file there it would be the fault of the local authorities. There will be a fee for having the records searched and copies provided. Records of marriages should be on file at the county level."
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"One of your Readers wanted to know about the funeral homes in Sulphur during the 40's. As far as I know the only two were Dunn, and Bahner. Orien Bates was the sister of Amos Dunn and helped run the Dunn Funeral home that had been started by their Dad. She purchased a funeral plot herself for infants. The last one she purchased is close to my parents burial plot--the reason my mother chose that spot.--most of the babies buried there were born in the 1950's. I feel sure there was another one before that. Maybe Roy Miller in Oklahoma City will remember the funeral home that became Bahners."
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"Hi Butch, super job on T&T this week!! I got this in from a genealogy gang member thought this might help the person out in this weeks mail bag inquiring when it became mandatory for a birth or death certificate to be filed in the State of OK. http://www.health.state.ok.us/program/vital/brec.html It seems that anyone wanting info from a state online, all you have to do is type... using http://www.state. (then type the state you want to look up [the abbreviation for that state] then .us examples: http://www.state.ok.us This is a way to find out where to find the Vital Records to obtain your records."
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"Regarding the person who wrote asking about Sulphur funeral homes in the 30s and 40s: I suggest they contact the current funeral homes. If those are the direct successors of the old ones, they will probably have the predecessor's old records. If they are not, they will know the names of the old ones and perhaps have information where to obtain their records. I have found funeral homes to be a good, and usually very willingly helpful source, of death information in their area. They keep very good records and keep them a long time." RKWard@SWBell.net
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"Butch, Most states started keeping records after the 1900's ,not all births/deaths will be recorded if the dead person's relatives didn't report it at the court house or wherever it was to be reported. I have been doing research in Oklahoma myself,but I cannot remember when Oklahoma started keeping records, I do know that from 1908 and over there should be records. Below is the website where anyone interested can go and find information on their vital records dept. for the state." -Cheryl in Texas http://www.vitalrec.com/ok.html
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"I believe most of the older school records are kept in the county courthouse (at least in our area) and should be available for research. A phone call should be all that is needed to find out. If the county records have been microfilmed by the Mormans it is possible they are available to be ordered at any LDS library center near you. Good luck!"
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"Tell the lady/man that the law for death certificates became mandatory about 1915/1917. Some were just not ever recorded. My grandfather died in 1944 in the Ada hospital and he doesn't have a death certificate. He funeral home that took care of his body had a fire and their records all burned. But, that's genealogy. We never give up."
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"Butch, I am making a memory book for my class reunion, Healdton High class of '58. I found the picture of the old Healdton High School 1923. Do you have any for the high school now and for the Sunset Grade School? By the way, the class reunion will be held on Friday, June 6, at the Holiday Inn upstairs hospitality room. The annual alumni school banquet will be held on Saturday evening, June 7 at the Healdton Middle School." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/sunset23.jpg
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"Good morning fellow Milburnites, and friends. Next saturday, the May 10th, will be the Milburn, Oklahoma Old settlers reunion with events all day, and the alumni banquet sat nite. Part of the events will include a town sheriff to arrest folks for the purpose of a fund raiser. I was just informed of this yesterday, so as soon as I get more info, I will pass it along. By the way, I was elected sheriff, so be on your best behavior, and of course I will entertain any bribe attempts. Ha. Anyway, hope to see you there, sounds like a hoot. Oh, I believe there will be a parade, don't have the time as yet." -Jerry Landrum
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"Butch, Just finished reading my T&T and noticed one of your readers wanted to know where the Dougherty Depot was moved to. As reported in a previous T&T, it is now located just west of Sulphur on Highway 7. Also, in last weeks T&T someone sent in a picture of workers at a Dougherty Rock Crusher made in 1928. I was unable to bring it up on my computer and would very much like to see it. Is it possible to change to format and send it out again? I also would like to know if it was the Big Canyon Quarry or was it Southern Rock Asphalt. Thanks for everything." -Roy Miller, OKC http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/doughertymine28.jpg
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"Butch, have you seen this? The Noble Foundation Image Gallery?" http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/
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"Dear Butch: I am always glad to receive your e-mail tome. I suppose you could call it a tome. It is most interesting and informative. My Grandfather was J.W. Johnson of Milo and he took me with him many times on his bay horse named Buck. I can still close my eyes and hear horse hooves hitting the clear running water of Spring Creek. Upon the death of my Grandfather the family sold Buck to Hardy Murphy. I was born in 1931."
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"Hello Mr. Bridges: I am writing to find out if you have old divorce, marriage, records etc. My Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother. Jesse Monroe Splawn and Ella Kirkham married there in Ardmore in 1898. I have a copy of their marriage certificate. Their first child was born in Marietta in 1899, their second child born in Marietta in 1901 and their 3rd child born in Marietta in 1905. However, I cannot find them in Carter or Love county 1900 census. Ella's mother (who in 1910, was called "Mary E. Lewis" a divorcee) was also supposed to be from the Ardmore area. She was married first to a "Williams", second to "Kirkham" and apparently 3rd to "Lewis" . It was Lewis that she divorced. I do not know which name she died under, but supposedly, she lived to be about 101 years of age. In 1910, they had moved to Custer County, Oklahoma. By 1920, I guess Mary E. Lewis moved back to Ardmore, as the story is told. So, I am writing to see how many old records you have that might be searchable during the key times they might have been there. Or, is there a genealogy society there that I might contact? I would appreciate any information that you might be able to help me with. Thank you in advance." -Connie Wheeler quapaw@gte.net
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"This is the first reference that I have seen to Dr. Hardy. Do you have any more information on him? I think you will like a site that I enjoy. It is about early day paddlewheel boats on the Red River, when the Red River was the southern boundary of the U. S.; Texas was still apart of Mexico. They have discovered a shipwreck near Fort Towson and it is now an archaeological site. Go to: http://nautarch.tamu.edu/PROJECTS/redriver/ I look forward to T&T each week, I really enjoy it! Thank you." -Anne Wylie awylie@texhoma.net
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"Butch, Thanks for all of your efforts on T&T. It keeps all of us update and reminded of home. In regards to your question about Hardy Murphy's Horse 'Buck' and his being the best of the Liberty High School Horses. I did some searching on the internet and This refers to 2 types of Trick Horse training. Liberty is one type and High School the other. Rather than trying to put my spin on it I have included the links that best describe these types of training. Thanks." -Jerry Price http://www.wayofthehorse.org/EquineServices/Programs/Liberty.html http://www.veress.se/yasmine_smart.htm http://www.kolaclub.co.uk/Pages/circus.htm http://www.staciwilson.com/horsearticle.html
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I had to contact my brother to confer on my "memories". Liberty - "No bridle, no tack", verbal commands only. Buck could be told to kneel by Hardy and he would kneel with one leg bent touching the ground. High School Educated - min. 4 gaits, i.e., Walk, Run, Canter, Lope. Buck could do all that and more, Waltz and the other word I really don't remember, something like "Gusage" commands, i.e., one was raising the front leg high out in front and coming straight down with it, cakewalk, prance and so on." -Thomas Hardy Murphy

Epitaph across bottom of monument: "Buck and Silver Cloud with their master and trainer, Hardy Murphy, of Ardmore, Oklahoma gained national and international fame for their pantomimes of the tragedies of the range. Their reign of popularity was from 1930 to 1943." http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/oldbuck03b.jpg
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"Mr. Bridges, I thought you said all jack-rabbits were missing? Well, there is one about a good 7 lb plus about a good 20 inch spread and a good 12 inches of ears living up here in Fletcher, Oklahoma and getting fatter eating my strawberries. And he runs very fast! lol Sorry, I really didn't mean to tease you, but this is a for real Jack Rabbit and is getting fat from my little patch of strawberries, and he is nice he only take one or two bits and leaves for the onions get to him and make him tear up. I love your paper you send out I even fwd. it to my children so they can and know of the pass, thanks again!"
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"Butch, I find it very nostalgic to hear stories about Dougherty, Oklahoma. I lived there in the late 1920's. When we went to church, the service was in an old rock building with a partition down the middle. Hay was stored on one side. Rough wooden benches were our "pews" on the other side. Our preachers were students who would come down from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee." -Wilda Stephens wilda.stephens2@gte.net
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"Old Buck" world's greatest show horse died of old age at 34-years. Buck was owned and trained by Ardmoreite, Hardy Murphy. Buck" and Hardy appeared in every major rodeo and exposition in the 1930 and 40s and were the feature attraction at the Madison Square Garden Exposition for ten consecutive years. "Buck" had several songs composed about him; the best known was "Gold Mine In The Sky" by Charles and Nick Kinney. It was made famous by Gene Autry who was a personal friend of Hardy and "Buck." The cover on the sheet music was a picture of "Buck" and Hardy Murphy. Song writer Frank Luther was inspired by "Buck" to pen "A Cowboy's Best Friend." "Buck" was retired at his final appearance at the Southwestern Livestock Show, Forth Worth, Texas in 1953. "Buck" was buried with appropriate honors and recognition in front of steam locomotive 1108 near the Coliseum. Engine 1108 rushed doctors and nurses to Ardmore from Gainesville, Texas following the 1915 railroad tank-car explosion that destroyed buildings and killed people near that area of Ardmore. March 4, 1957 Fast Forward Note: Hardy Murphy died in 1961. A bronze bust of Mr. Murphy, sculptured by Lena Beth, one of his daughters, is displayed in the entrance of the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore. The building was named after Mr. Murphy following his death. Memory Joggers 53-59 http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons/mem53-59.htm
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========================================================================

Below is the winners in the free drawing for Lake Murray and Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Allegiance CD. If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg
martin2@arbuckleonline.com
smax1861@cs.com

It is the "advance man" of our true selves.
Its roots are inward, but its fruits are outward.
It is your best friend or your worst enemy.
It is more honest and more consistant than our words.
It is the thing which draws people to us or repels them.
It is the libraian of our past.
It is the speaker of our present.
It is the prophet of our future.
It is Attitude.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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

Saturday May 3, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 315

I was thinking this week as I fixed some poached eggs and toast how in the 60s the exercise experts told us to eat lots of protein for bodybuilding. My friends and I couldn't afford to buy any protein mix in a can, so we'd make our own high protein drink. We'd take 4 or 6 raw eggs (not telling our mothers) and dump them in a quart of milk and put through the blender. It tasted pretty good but we know today that was not a good thing to do. The raw eggs had the potential of a health hazard called salmonella among other things. My mother would let me lick what was left in the bowl of that cake she was mixing up, raw eggs and all. We ate many things back in those days that we shouldn't have, like craydad tails the creek over by the ballpark. No telling what kind of contaminants drained into that little creek including raw sewage. But they were cooked, so maybe that killed the germs. And that mulberry tree in the back yard next to Mr. Senter's property line. Some of those were near the point of being rotten. Not to mention the flies and other flying insects attracted to them. But me and the Echer boys sure had fun climbing up in that tree trying to reach those mulberries. Then there were times we'd be lucky and find some edible candy in the trash cans behind our neighborhood grocery stores. The hot summer heat would turn the Hershey's chocolate candy a strange bery light brown color but it tasted good. Of course sometimes the peanuts in those Mr Goodbars bars had an old taste. Boy, the things we ate as a kid, and today, why I would eat it for love nor money.

Back to my poached eggs, I put a tablespoon of white vinegar in the water. That's keeps the egg together when you slipped them into the near boiling water for simmering.

I was down on Lake Murray Drive the other day and took a pic of Locomotive 1108. That's the steam engine that brought doctors and nurses to Ardmore when the "Great Explosion" occurred on East Main in 1915. She is still in pretty good shape. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/eng110803a.jpg

Here is a close-up of the bell on Engine 1108. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/eng110803b.jpg

Buried in front of Engine 1108 are two trick show horses, Buck and Silver Cloud, that belonged to Hardy Murphy. Buck's epitaph reads: "greatest of Liberty High School Horses....". Maybe someone will tell us what is this Liberty High School? http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oldbuck03a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oldbuck03b.jpg

A T&T Reader in England sent me two ads from their local newspaper. It is so interesting to see how different we are here. We talked about this last year: in England the boot of the car is what we call the trunk over here. I see in one ad where they have a Car Boot Sale every Friday night. I guess the closes thing we would have is a tailgate sale. And they even have a resident psychic on hand, I guess to tell you what's the best deal. hahaha. But there's more, flushing toliets too! Boy, I'd love to visit England! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/altyscarboot.jpg

The Daily Ardmoreite, January 11, 1909. Marietta, Oklahoma: Braziel Trial in Progress. This afternoon Pat McCann who was present at the killing of Cook and Sims is testifying for the defense. Immediately after court opened this morning the John Braziel murder case was called, the jury have been completed Saturday afternoon. The state immediately began the introduction of its testimony, the following witnesses having testified for the state up to immediately after the noon recess today, when the state rested.

Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Sims, widows of the two men who were killed; T.C. Bridgeman, Policeman Smith Redmon, Mr. Gutshaw, Mrs. Cox and J.W. Billings, who was also shot by Braziel. The first witness for the defense this afternoon was Pat McCann who was an eye witness to the shooting. J.B. Champion and R.F. Turner of Ardmore, and T.C. Bennett are conducting the defense, while J.H. Mathers, S.C. Matson and H.H. Brown of Ardmore and County Attorney Logsdon of Marietta represented the state.

From Sept. 1908 "Ardmore Statesman" newspaper in Ardmore, OK: County court was convened by Judge I. R. Mason Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
....
Following are those who have been summoned to serve as jurors: Bart Birmingham, Durwood; O. P. Rushing, Springer; R. F. Jordan, Ardmore; L. N. Turman, Ardmore; E. C. Wells, Mulkey; Gus Berryhill, Springer; Walter Barnes, Durwood; T. D. Doak, Concord; U. L. Bray, Durwood; D. A. Putnam, Akers township; J. E. Hamilton, Ardmore; J. L. Epley, Tussy; H. H. Holloway, King's Store; T. R. Anderson, Graham; E. R. Banks, Ardmore; T. R. Smith, Ardmore; J. C. Lively, Ardmore; J. T. Johnson, Berwyn; J. N. Shinholser, Ardmore; R. J. James, Newport.

From the Oct. 10, 1908 "Ardmore Statesman" in Ardmore, OK: The first term of the federal court held in this city since statehood convened in Ardmore Monday morning with Judge Ralph E. Campbell in the bench. In opening court, Judge Campbell thanks the citizens of Ardmore for their hospitality and Judge Stillwell Russell for turning over to the federal court the district courtroom.

January 8, 1909. Doctors Hardy, Von Keller and Henry appoint Mrs Hinds as the training nurse for all nurses at the Hardy Sanitarium.

January 6, 1920. The Salvation Army of Ardmore formally dedicates its operation at First and A Street SW. The property consists of two cottages and other buildings.

January 6, 1920. Frank Cook to establish a new laundry in Ardmore.

January 7, 1920. Primrose Farms established. Mort Woods, Proprietor.

Preparations for the Airpark's Memorial Day Services on Monday May 26th are moving forward. Judge Tom Walker, Wesley Hull and others are taking great care to make the Memorial Day services at the Airpark a fitting tribute to those who have gone on before us. It will also be a dedication of the new memorial placed there in memory of those killed in training exercises when the airpark was a training facility during the war years. If you are in the area on Memorial Day, you are encouraged to attend the services at the Airpark. Hope to see you there. The posting of the colors will start at 11am.

View of 2 of the 3 new concrete picnic tables completed this week at the airpark. The 3 added brings the total to 4 picnic tables at the site. Always a breeze blowing making it a perfect spot. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airpark42903a.jpg

View of the new Airfield Memorial with picnic tables in background. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airpark42903b.jpg

Overall view of Memorial site. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airpark42903c.jpg

Another view of Memorial site. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airpark42903d.jpg

Another view of Memorial site with the Wanda Stonecipher Weeping Willow tree. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airpark42903f.jpg

The Dyana Duncan Memorial picnic table. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dyanaduncan03.jpg

Wanda Stonecipher Weeping Willow Tree and the new Memorial stone. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/airpark42903e.jpg

Close-up of Stonecipher stone. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/stonecipher03.jpg

The red cedar posts that holds the 1966 newspaper page has a fresh coat of spar varnish. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cedarsign03.jpg

Hope to see as many of you as possible at the Airpark Memorial that morning May 26th.

Ardmoreite Mae Scott stopped by my office this week. She had a bell she bought at a garage sale for 50 cents. Its a replica of the Liberty Bell in Phily, Pennsylvania. Another T&T Reader in Norman told me he and his wife were in Philadelphia about 3 years ago on a business meeting, had an afternoon to kill, and decided to go see the Liberty Bell. He said he never dreamed he would have the moving experience that he had as he stood at the foot of that national symbol. As if the ground were hollowed. He said he wished every American could go and see the Liberty bell and stand in front of it. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/libertybell03.jpg

Our little group continues to save money on long distance calls making nearly 7,000 minutes in calls in April. I saw a 1010 ad on TV the other day, and when I put the pencil to it, our rates were cheaper. And crystal clear calls! So we do have a good deal, check it all out at.... http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Butch - Just in case you missed them, four businesses in the block of Main Street between Washington and Mill Street have been flying American flags on their store fronts since the Iraqi war began." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ardeastmain.jpg
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"Butch- you must not have driven down Ardmore's Main Street in the past 2 months. There is one whole block on East Main just east of Washington that fly the flag every day....taken down at nite as prescribed by flag ettique due to no light on them....starting on the South side...Cooks Paint; Tipps Law Office; Ashley's Bookstore; Antiques, Etc; Sugar & Spice Craft Mall and then across the street, Stolfa Bros. Hardware and then of course the flag on the pole by the old Tipps Furniture. Just thought you'd like to know some of us are flying the flag...have a great week...Sharon Graham, owner Sugar & Spice Craft Mall. Visit our website at http://sugarspicecraftmall.homestead.com
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"Butch, as you can see I use AOL. I did not know your newsletter had active hyperlinks until I read this weeks letter. I have to copy and paste to get the links. However, I forwarded your newsletter to a Netscape account and, viola, the links were active there and made browsing thru the pics so much easier. Then I tried Internet Explorer and the links were not active there. I am going to try to get to the bottom of this as I would like the links to work on my AOL account. Any info you have to help me sort this out would be appreciated. Really enjoy your stuff. You may not remember but you took me on a tour of the courthouse clock several years ago. That was the highlight of my trip to Ardmore then."
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"It may have been a taxi in its better days but my Mom called it a jitney(sp)...They used to ride them to school many moons ago...Thanks for the pic...I have always loved that old thing and I have a charcoal print of Don Pinkston's (local artist) drawing of the "taxi"." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dougherty03b.jpg
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"I am trying to locate some old school records for a friend who went to Dickson in the mid-1930's (she later went to Ardmore HS). She and her husband were recently in town from South Texas and she was wondering if those records would still be in existence. I know that there used to be a county superintendent's office, before each district got their on Supt., but don't have a clue as to where to begin looking for old records. If any of your readers can be of help, I would appreciate them letting you know, Butch. Thanks."
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"Do you know when it became mandatory for a birth or death certificate to be filed in the State of OK. I have been doing family research and have been unable to find some of the ones I need. In particular, a great grandfather who died in 1933 in Johnston Co OK. In addition, 4 siblings (all under age 2) who died between 1936 and 1942). All 4 were sent to a funeral home in Sulphur OK but I cannot locate a death certificate on any of them. I thought if a doctor and/or funeral home was involved, certificates would surely have been filed. These were not stillbirths...they ranged in ages from 6 months to just under 2 years, with the exception of the last one who was only 16 hours old. Anyway, I am puzzled over this, especially with the children not having death records. All were buried in a county cemetery so they don't even have burial records there. I don't know the name of the funeral home which was in charge of these burials but wonder if there might be old records kept from then. Does anyone have the name(s) of the funeral homes which were in Sulphur during the 1930's into the early 1940's? Thanks for your help."
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"Hi Butch, One of the letters in last weeks This and That stated the Song "Orange Blossom Special" was written by Ervin Rouse. In fact the song was co-written by Ervin Rouse and Chubby Wise. I had the pleasure of playing with Chubby, before he passed away, and he told me this personally. Johnny Cash wrote some lyrics to it several years latter." -Jim Brown
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"Hi Butch, Loved the pictures again this week, especially the ones of Dougherty, and the flags in Davis. I'm not certain, but in the picture of the mine crew, the little short guy on the left front, standing, sure looks like my great-uncle Wash Price, who was a powder monkey there about that time. He and his brother, Billy (my grandfather) were only 5'2", but were ALL MAN, at least according to what I have heard." -Bob E. http://users.lmi.net/tyr/genealogy/richard_williams.pdf
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"If you aren't doing anything next weekend, (May 3)they will be having the Kolache Festival in Prague. It is very good. I go every year that I can. Lots of good food, music, native dress, crafts, etc. Well worth your drive up there."
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"Reference to the McAlester iron bell, style of C.S.Bell company. It's in excellent condition, and being behind glass (or Plexiglas?) it probably will stay that way; but it does make photos difficult! Incidentally, whoever set up the bell got the A-frames backward-- the flat sides should be facing inward, not outward. Otherwise, it's a beautiful piece of work." http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/mcalestercgsd5.jpg
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"I use AOL, and also Yahoo! (reached through AOL). I read T & T on Yahoo!, and clicking on links works here. Clicking on links does not work on AOL; you can copy the URL and paste it into the window. I find this works even if the URL is broken into two or more lines in the AOL message; just copy the entire URL without worrying about the line breaks and paste it into the box."
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"Here's a great site for Oklahoma Bluegrass festivals." http://newgrass.freeservers.com/countdown/ok.htm
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"Thanks for your wonderful weekly newsletter! About fifteen years ago (1986 or 1987) I detoured thorough Dougherty to watch them move the old Dougherty Depot from to?. It was going to be made into a cafe and I video taped the moving, the name of the movers and other parts of the town. I cannot find the video I made and I can find no mention of this cafe in your newsletter. I am still looking for my video."
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"I am sure you have heard it by now, but the Dougherty Diner is still open. Still good food and Jack and Tammie Edwards still run it. Coming from the west, turn left at the stoplight... can't miss it about 1 1/2 blocks north and on the left hand side...Colors are mauve and green or gray...Can't remember. Have CRS really bad. Enjoy. Thanks for the tidbits. Sent this to my son in ?Colorado who is really homesick...He's been there 10 years and been home 6 times maybe...Thank God for funerals unless its mine...Thanks again."
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"Hey Butch, When I first asked you about the AD Chase Wagon Yard, I never dreamed I would be seeing on your page the exact thing we had. We have one with #67 on it just like the one you pictured except different numbers. How cool!"
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"Hey Butch: Just a note to tell you how much I enjoy receiving your newsletter every week and I wanted to tell you that I was thrilled to learn that the USAF Heartland of American Band will play in Ardmore on May 22. Living here in Omaha where the band is based at Offutt AFB, we often have the opportunity to hear the band in various performances throughout the year. I encourage everybody in the Ardmore area to not miss the May concert. This band is truly fantastic and you will not regret it." -Rose Hull in Omaha, Nebraska
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"After having read several things from your Brown Springs webpage, i decided to examine this myself. Some of my pupils and i went to the cemetary to further explore the springs. When doing so we found that things happen when it is dark that not even the human eye can explain. I had taken my video camera to hopefully catch some things on tape.While following the path we had come across a copperhead, being afraid that it would bite us we killed it, or my friend wilderness man (Joshbgosh) had smashed its head in. It seemed as if the snake was the gate keeper for the headstone. After killing the snake a headstone fell over by itself, no one had touched it. The indians believe that if an owl crosses your path someone close to you is going to die. While walking further down the path we came upon a white owl sitting in a tree. We shined our light so we could get a better look and when we did the owl flew away not making a sound all of which we have on tape. At this point things began to get very strange. Our light had gone dead and we couldnt see. Trying to find our way out it seemed as if we were going in circles. After a period of running around in the dark we managed to find the fence that led to the way out. As we were walking down the path we heard voices of little girls screaming like they were being hurt. We began to run to our vehicles in panic afraid that they wouldnt be there. As we got to the bottom of the hill we got in our vehicles and left and havent been back since then." http://www.oklahomahistory.net/brownspr.html
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"Original Watercolor by Tom Elmore "Harvest Moon Zephyr" - Just ahead of the 1940 Harvest Moon, CB&Q's General Pershing Zephyr breezes toward its 7:15 PM arrival at Kansas City Union Station. Painted on acid free, buffered Canson Montval 140 lb watercolor paper. Tom Elmore uses highest permanency Rembrandt Watercolors. All mounting materials are acid free. No adhesive of any kind touches the watercolor paper. Painting image dimension (double matted with title block): 10" x 14" Gloss black wooden frame - outer dimension: 19 1/2" x 23 1/2" $200." gtelmore@aol.com http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/elmorezephre.jpg
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"Dear Phillip Shirley, Congratulations! One of the photographs you submitted to "Outdoor Oklahoma's" 2003 Readers Photo Showcase has received an honorable mention. This year we received close to 400 entries from over 100 different photographers. To say the selection process was difficult would certainly be an underestimate. The beauty and diversity of our state's natural resources combined with the photographers skill made for some excellent images. Unfortunately, we do not have room to run all the pictures we would like and your entry did not make the final selection. However, your name will appear in the July/August issue of "Outdoor Oklahoma" along with the other honorable mention recipients. I appreciate you taking the time to share your photographs with us and look forward to seeing your entries in next years Readers Photography Showcase. Sincerely, Nels Rodefeld, Editor Outdoor Oklahoma." shirleyp@brightok.net
This one was taken at the Ardmore City Lake while fishing from a boat. http://community.webshots.com/photo/38383603/40244942GaWgXl
This one was taken of one of my roses in my front yard in Ardmore, I used a magnifying glass in front of the camera lens. Will Scarlet climber I think? http://community.webshots.com/photo/38383603/38384605QCuYDL
This next two was taken Hickory Creek Management Area. My son Aaron Shirley, caught on a craw dad colored rattle trap even with a broken arm you can still make the catch of the day! http://community.webshots.com/photo/33662987/33663278xPFDCh http://community.webshots.com/photo/33662987/33663422zGMvvs
Took this right in my front yard as the sun is coming up, so you don't have to travel far to find a pretty picture. http://community.webshots.com/photo/65272286/65267246UpadaA
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"Hi Butch, I think you had mentioned the watering draught in Wilson, Oklahoma sometime ago. I always meant to take pictures for you to see. Now, I hope it is what you were thinking about. The cement draught is on Ash St. just west from Rotary Rd. As I was walking this evening, I took these photos. Should do them in the daylight. It looks pretty with the pansies growing inside." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wilsondraught2.jpg
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"I just wanted to tell anyone that is interested that Homeland and Nichols Dollar Saver grocery stores in Ardmore also sell Cain's Tea. I think most of the stores in Oklahoma probably sell Cain's, at least I know the stores from OKC south to Texas State Line do." http://vote.sparklit.com/poll.spark/568842
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"Butch, as you know Debbie (Mika) Reed had an aneurysm to rupture in the left side of her brain. She was sent first to Norman Regional Hospital in Norman, Oklahoma where she stayed the first two weeks of hospitalization, then transferred to Zale-Lipshy Hospital in Dallas where she is now listed in critical condition. Deb was in a coma for only about 36 hours and woke up but it has been rough on the family. Her husband, Ed Reed, is the Emergency Management Director for Carter County and has been by her side thru-out day one. It's my understanding as of 5/2/2003 that Deb is in threapy in order for her to be in a better state of health so she can have surgery to remove the problem in the left side of her brain. Tenative date for surgery is the week of May 12th. Ed Reed as asked everyone to remember them in their prayers. There has been an account set up at American National Bank in Ardmore Oklahoma, to help pay out-of pocket expenses for the couple during the hospital stay, and for anyone who would like to contribute to that account feel free to call American National Bank at(580) 226-6222 or call Joe Elles(580) 223-2215 and Russell Martin(580) 226-7671for more information." skywarn@arbuckleonline.com
http://www.bankanb.com/
http://www.zluh.org/
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========================================================================

Below is the winners in the free drawing for Lake Murray and Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Allegiance. If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know. You only need to enter once!
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg

albeckye@swbell.net
b_cox@simplnet.net

"Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days
Sometimes it feels like
This world's gone crazy
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
When the line between right and wrong
Didn't seem so hazy
Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray?
Did daddies really never go away?
Oh, Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days."

-Wynonna Judd
September 1992

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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

Saturday April 26, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 314

In July 2001 I talked about Ardmore's little viaduct or overpass that went across the railroad tracks on 4th NE. Not the viaduct we all know about on 5th NE, but a smaller one on 4th NE. In 1924 that 4th Street short wooden bridge started at B Street NE and went east across the first set of tracks and then ended on the other side of those tracks. It did not continue all the way across east to E Street NE and 4th. The longer wooden viaduct on 5th NE started at A Street NE and went all the way across all the train tracks, ending at F Street NE and 5th. The present day 5th Avenue viaduct is concrete, after the wood one burned in 1964.

Last week I had a typo in the link to the photo of Dougherty's old "taxi" so it did not work, but I fixed it 24 hours later after a Reader brought it to my attention. Here is the correct link in case you didn't get to see this old piece of Dougherty, Oklahoma history. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dougherty03b.jpg

Just so we don't leave anyone out, the town of Dougherty has another eating establishment besides the Catfish Kitchen. Rose's Cafe is just east on the other side of Akers In and Out Convenience Store. Rose's was closed when I was through there, or I would have stopped and see just who Rose is.... I'm sure there is a story there! She's got her little flag flying out front! http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/rosedougherty.jpg

Speaking of Dougherty, a Reader let me know I missed the most famous piece of real estate in that town when I was there two weeks ago. It was the house used to do one part of the movie Dillinger when it was being filmed in this area back in 1977. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dillingerdougherty2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dillingerdougherty3.jpg

When I left Dougherty I came through Davis, Oklahoma. Davis has really united as a town in support of our men and women in Iraq. There were U.S. Flags flying all up and down Main Street. Some places of business even had yellow ribbons tied out front. If there was an area award for patriotism a business in Davis would get the prize. Victory Home Health and Hospice Services at 218 West Main in Davis has over 170 U.S. Flags flying out in front of their business. It is quite an impressive sight when a breeze has all those flags waving! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/davisflags.jpg

I wish my hometown of Ardmore had more flags flying down Main Street. There are 3 businesses that have flags flying on Main Street. They have been doing so for years.

But talking about a show of patriotism, let's not leave out the the school at Springer, Oklahoma. I was down through their neck of the woods the other day and there on the school grounds was this beautifully painted park bench. The bench was painted in brilliant red, white and blue! http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/springerbench.jpg

While we are at Springer we might as well show everyone the Springer Cardinal. http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/springercardinal.jpg

A Reader emailed me a pic of Ardmore's history this week. Its a photo of an A.D. Chase Wagon Yard tag. Before 1900 the A.D. Chase Wagon Yard was on East Main where the old city garage used to be in the 60s. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/chasewagonyard.jpg

Sept 23, 1917. The Daily Ardmoreite: The completion of Ardmore's new convention hall and its opening to the public in a concert by the Chamber of Commerce Band on Wednesday night of this week are events of importance in the development of Ardmore. This city has come to be one of recognized consequence and as such many conventions are being voted for here the coming year, the last one being the State Federation of Labor, which met at Oklahoma City the past week. The United Commercial Travelers is another convention of importance which has been secured. This hall will be used for the series of concerts by the operatic stars which will be given this season, beginning with Paul Althouse, tenor, on October 15.

Ardmore's convention hall has a seating capacity of nearly 2,500, is well arranged, has a commodious stage, dressing rooms and ante-rooms. In the basement there is provision for a kitchen and dining room to be used on special occasions. The general plan and design of the building has been most happily conceived and fits it for the use of the community in many fields of activity.

The general contractor for the building was R.J. Redpath and Co. The sheet metal work was done by A.C. Holman and the plumbing was the work of Hoffman and Co. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/conv20.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/convhall.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/conhallb.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/conhall83.jpg

By the way, Convention Hall in 1917 was located in the same location as the old Civic Auditorium now known as Heritage Hall. The south side of the building (next to the alley) is a remnant of the old Convention Hall of 1917.

The other link that didn't work last week was the photo of Tom Elmore's painting" "New Painting by ex-Ardmoreite Tom Elmore. ATSF 3424: Meetin' the Morning. In the cool air of a March, 1945 dawn, Santa Fe Heavy Pacific No. 3424 is readied for another day of strenuous wartime passenger duty. Original Watercolor (Size of actual painting: 10 3/4" by 14 1/4") - Double Matted and Framed - 17" x 21": $200." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/elmore3424.jpg

A Reader in Pittsburg County near McAlester, Oklahoma sent me some pics of a bell. The bell is on display at the Church of God Seventh Day at #5 East Taylor Ave in McAlester. The McAlester News Capital ran a full feature article on the bell and church on November 4, 2002. The bell was originally at a small church in Ashland, Oklahoma during the Depression Years. Ashland is a little town southwest of McAlester. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mcalestercgsd2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mcalestercgsd3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mcalestercgsd4.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mcalestercgsd5.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/mcalestercgsd6.jpg

A friend's daughter has a mug from the Dougherty Diner. Don't know how old the mug is. I know the Dougherty Diner moved to Davis several years ago. But the last time I was in Davis, I think the Dougherty Diner was closed down. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/doughertydinermug.jpg

Wilson Monuments has been busy at Remembrance Park at the entrance of the Airpark getting ready to pour the concrete for three more picnic tables. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airparksand.jpg

April 22nd in 1966 was when that terrible airplane crash occurred near the Ardmore Airpark. I received a letter this week from Margie Edwards of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Inside the envelope was a photo of her brother, James David Edwards who died in that firey crash 37 years ago. David's photo will now be in the Remembrance Park memorial book I talked about last week along with the other three photos. The book is kept in the metal Guest Registry stand there at the memorial site. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jamesdavidedwards.jpg

Ardmore Statesman, Nov 1908- J. A. Sims and D. B. Cook of Provence are dead and Jim Billings, also of Provence, lies seriously wounded as the results of shots fired by John Braziel on East Main street near the McCoy drug store at 2:30 in the morning preceding election day. The brothers of the accused man have retained J. B. Champion to defend him. The remains of Cook and Billings were shipped to Durwood for burial.

Here is an interesting url a Reader sent me this week. Its an interesting webpage about time zones and time. It will even tell you the time in a human voice if you click "announce time" in the lower left hand corner. There time is said in two parts, one using a man's voice and the other using a female's voice. I think I even hear a faint accent of English in there! http://www.timeticker.com/main.htm

Talking about time, I got a German made coo coo clock this week. I love it! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/maxkrug.jpg

From time to time someone tells me they can not click on the photo links in my newsletter and see the pictures. Most of the time they tell me they use aol.com as their internet provider. Wherever the problem lies, you can peruse my photos one by one at the link below. They will come in alphabetically order. But if you click on Last Modified column you can arrange the photos in date order, with the newest at the top. You may have to click on the Last Modified column twice to get the newest photos at the top. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/

Sometimes I use a word in my newsletters that is hard for me to spell. The past few weeks I have had that problem with the word allegiance. I know some of you have saw it spelled, or should I say misspelled, several ways by me the last few weeks. But for the record, it is allegiance.

I found out this week there is another bell in Atoka county just outside Atoka at Bentley, Oklahoma. Its at the Blackjack Baptist Church. There is really nothing left of Bentley except the church and a few houses.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Hi Butch: I have ran across a statement about the orphanage in Carmen, Oklahoma, that the orphanage was not a orphanage, and I am here to say that it is or was. My grand father and his brothers were put there twice, and I have pictures to prove it, I am in the starting phase of researching the orphanage." nwallin@saber.net
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"Butch, My cousin in Georgetown, Texas, mentioned recently that her mother spoke of having relatives (Selfridge) living in or around Twelve Mile Prairie long ago. There are several references to it on various historical websites, but I haven't been able to pin down its actual location. Perhaps you can help me?" -Jim Hubbell, Whitesboro, TX N5cop@texoma.net
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"Last Saturday (4-12-03), about a hundred (maybe more) motorcycles descended on Dougherty. They came in between noon and 3 pm. The purpose was a charity ride for March of Dimes. I'm surprised you missed them since you were there that day. It was an awesome sight and the sound was impressive when they all left at the same time. Rose's Cafe was the rally point and when they all left, they went to GW's Exotic Animal Park for barbecue. It was a fun day and a good cause."
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"Butch, I just want to take a moment to follow up your note about Coxey's Cushman scooter dealership in Ardmore. I was a 1961 graduate of AHS and when I was in the 8th grade in AJHS all of the boys rode Cushman Eagles. My brother, Karmon Ramsey and I each purchased identical black Cushman Eagles. The only way you could tell them apart was my father had Mr. Coxey locate the key ignition switched on different positions on the motor cover. There were many of the 8, 9 and 10 grade boys with scooters including Sam Williams, Jamie Rutledge of Jamie's Garage on old highway 70 east today, Butch Rawls, Whiskey Bill Cole, Dick DiVillers, Nolan Presley, Jimmy Boles, Bill Earl Thomas among others. We had many a good time on the scooters. I ended up in the Memorial Hospital twice as a result of accidents on them. In the 8th grade I had an accident at the Hardy Murphey Coliseum grounds and broke my leg and in the 9th grade I hit an open car door going to school at AJHS in front of the Mulkey Hotel and school and injured my neck. They were fun but could be very dangerous. Sam Williams, another 1961 AHS graduate living in the Dallas area recently went to a Cushman convention in Tyler and they were valued in the $5,000.00 price range today. Mr Coxey was a very nice man and always seemed to have time for his customers who were 13, 14, 15 years old." -Randall Ramsey randygramsey@hotmail.com
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"This is my 31st year of teaching and I've never let students call me by my first name."
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"Enjoyed the newsletter again this week. Love the stuff about the old DPD badge number 31. Mine was 3076. Dallas does not reissue any badges so there were about 3045 officers hired in between John Edward Loyd and me in 1971. The oldest badge still active when I was there was "555" worn by Melvin Ratliff. They are numbered in the 8,000 series nowadays. Drove by the old Coxsey Motors yesterday at Main and B. The old Cushman Eagle stories are great. In 1946, Cushman also made a "Highlander" scooter, just a box with a motor that the driver sat on, they called it a step through. My neighbor in 1953, Larry Cain, threw his paper route from his scooter from his home in the 1100 block of 5th Street N. E. He lived a block north of Pitman's Grocery (Wayne Pitman's mom and dad). Across the intersection to the east was the home of Captain Lawton Smithers from the Ardmore Police Department. He drove a Harley 3-wheel motorcycle and kept it garaged in back of his home. He let me and his son Dale Smithers sit astride it and pretend we were cops." Highlander style: http://www.hobbytech.com/CushID/61Highlander.jpg Cushman Eagle: http://www.hobbytech.com/CushID/54Eagle.jpg Dennis Medrick DMedr4508@aol.com
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"Butch, Since you were discussing the town of Dougherty, Oklahoma, I wanted to share with you a photo I have from the Dougherty Rock Crusher from 1928. The photo includes my great-grandfather, Richard Williams, and many other men. I'd be interested to know if someone could identify anyone else! Also, if you are interested in a high quality jpeg of this image, just email me at tyr@lmi.net THANKS! -Dustin http://users.lmi.net/tyr/genealogy/richard_williams.pdf
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"Thanks for putting me on your mailing list! I got into your Webpage last night and was up until 2:15 this morning going through some of the old files. I've learned some new things about the Southern Oklahoma area that I never new while I was growing up in Ardmore, and have been reminded of a lot of other things that happened back then. My Dad worked for Gerald Mobley as a route salesman for Dr Pepper from 1939 to 1950. Do you, or any of the readers, happen to know when the bottling Plant was started and the date it was closed? I believe they were bottling 7Up before they started with Dr Pepper. If anyone has that or any other information about the Ardmore Dr Pepper plant, I would appreciate an email. Thanks again!" -Bill Bow dpkob@mindspring.com
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"The bell is located in Coalgate at the side of the First Methodist Church, I forgot what the name of the street is. Must be getting old... naw couldn't be that. Also note the yellow ribbon on it!" http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/coalgatefmc.jpg
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"According to the liner notes on Rounder 1128, Steel Rails, the song Orange Blossom Special is credited to Ervin T. Rouse, who was inspired to write it after walking through the O.B.S. while it was on display." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The nearly 170-year-old Verdin Company has grown from a clock repair business to bringing in about $20 million a year installing bells, tower clocks, street clocks, carillons and glockenspiels - which combine clocks, bells and animated figures. Its works are in more than 30,000 cities, universities and churches around the world." http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/business/5401420.htm
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"Hi Butch, first I would like to thank you for all the work you do on This & That. I look forward to getting my copy every weekend and have saved everyone of them. Recently you were talking about making a trip to Atoka and visiting the Confederate Museum. Right on down the road about 10 miles, across from the Stringtown Correctional Center (Prison), is the Atoka Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and about 5 more miles behind the WMA is the Public Hunting Area (PHA). Watch for the sign on the right. Both are beautiful areas of rolling hills and all kinds of wildlife. There is ample opportunity for photography or just to enjoy the great outdoors. The PHA portion is really nice right now. I say that knowing that you have to overlook the burnt areas. Each year the ODWC does control burns on different parts of the WMA and PHA. With all the old grass burnt off, it is a beautiful green with a slight touch of forest fire, but it is still stunning to view. I will attach some pictures that you may use if you wish, as they are copyrighted. Right now with the burn it is much easier to see wildlife, deer, turkeys, and all kinds of critters and birds. The terrain ranges from the rolling hills to open prairie, pine trees to oaks and everything in between. To get there go north on US 69-75 to the Stringtown Prison, turn right (East) right across from the prison. There is a Ranger Station on the right, as you round the first corner, just keep going straight to the house and then left to the station. You may obtain maps and information at the station, plus there is a nice lake right behind the Rangers house. Camping is available with no hook ups. There are signs up in the WMA of all the roads. I would suggest a pickup or SUV for the trip. Most of the roads are ok but you would not want to drive the family car or a vehicle that is low to the ground. If you do get out and do any walking use tick repellent and watch where you step. There are rattlesnakes and copperheads in the area, although I have been hunting there for 4 years now and have not seen one, but friends have. About halfway through there is a road that goes to the east, it will take you on a big scenic loop back to the main road, From there you can go back north to the entrance, or south to HI-43. If you drive all the way through the PHA, you will come out on HI-43. There are no road signs on the PHA, other than the entrance. Turn right(west) and it will take you back to Stringtown and US-69. Be sure and take the camera and maybe a picnic lunch. If you want to make a weekend out of it you can go left (East) as you exit the PHA, and go through Daisy on to Sardis Lake and Clayton. If you like the outdoors and taking a lot of wildlife and bird pictures, or scenic pictures, it is well worth the trip. If anyone needs more information they can e-mail me khinkle@communicomm.com or e-mail for phone information. Enjoy!!! Any pictures my be used for personal use as background on computers or published in This & That News letter. Readers of This & That my use the pictures as background on computers." -Ken Hinkle http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene4.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene5.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene6.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene7.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene8.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene9.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/atokascene9b.jpg
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"Got someone helping me investigate this unsolved mystery in Woods County Oklahoma. Check out the crime scene photos that I have put up on the Unsolved mystery of 1956." http://okielegacy.org/mystery/annreynolds/Crimescenephotos.html
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"Butch, maybe, you are a reader, can tell the answer to the location of the community called BATSON? I have seen a couple obituary with the decease born at Batson, but haven't found anything on Batson, Okla. So, I hope another reader has knowledge of the community, Batson's location, beginnings, and end."
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"The present USAF Heartland of America Band, Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska, had its ancestral beginning as the 402nd Army Air Forces Band designated, January 15, 1943, and activated, February 1, 1943, at AAAFld as part of the 1st Troop Carrier Command. It was redesignated as the 702nd Army Band, December 24, 1943, and renamed 702nd Army Air Forces Band, March 1, 1944. The band at that time had 15 members comprised of former members of the Nation's top symphonies and leading big bands. The band played for many US War Bond drives in the Southern Oklahoma area. When the base closed in 1945, the band was assigned, July 30, 1945, to Andrews Field, Maryland. Throughout its 60-year history, the band has boosted the moral of the troops, soothed the spirit of a troubled Nation in times of war, and provided entertainment for multiple thousands.

Fast Forward Note: The Heartland of America Band will return to its "roots," Thursday, May 22, 2003, to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The 40-member concert band is slated to give a Pre-Memorial Day, pre-dedication, 7:00PM evening concert at Heritage Hall (Civic Auditorium), Broadway at C Street NW, in Ardmore. The two-hour performance will be given in remembrance of the 52 men who lost their lives in training accidents while at Ardmore during both base activation periods. At 10:30AM on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2003, the granite memorial will be officially dedicated. The ceremomy will be held at the Remembrance Memorial Park inside Ardmore Industrial Airpark, (Gene Autry, Oklahoma). If possible, please help us remember these men by being present at both events." -Gary Simmons
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Below is the winners in the free drawing for Lake Murray and Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Alliegence.If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know. You only need to enter once! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg

2buckets@arbuckleonline.com
jameso@starband.net

Daisy Werthan: Did you have the air-conditioning checked? I told you to have the air-conditioning checked.
Hoke Colburn: I had the air-conditioning checked. I don't know what for. You never allow me to turn it on.
Daisy Werthan: Hush up!
-Driving Miss Daisy, 1989

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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

Saturday April 19, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 313

I was up in the Arbuckle Mountains north of Ardmore last Saturday. I stopped by Dougherty, Oklahoma to see what I could see. The first thing to catch the eye is the near famous Catfish Kitchen Restaurant. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dougherty03d.jpg

I stopped in the restaurant and talked with the new owner Gary Lindsey. He has not been in Doughtery but about a year, but he sure loves that little town. Of course everyone in that area knows that some of the finest catfish to be found is found right there in Dougherty, Oklahoma. They have a guest book with people listed from all over the U.S. and even other countries. I found a neat piece of history across the street from the catfish restaurant. All the old timers in that town call it the "old Dougherty taxi". This taxi ain't hauled anyone in a long time, but I'm sure it could tell a few tales if it could talk. This is a photo of Dougherty's old "taxi". http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dougherty03b.jpg

This is the old "downtown" of Dougherty. I believe these buildings go back to 1880 if I remember what Gary told me. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dougherty03c.jpg

At the south edge of Dougherty is the Eagles Nest lodging for those who like a good nights sleep in this sleepy little town in the mountains. http://www.vanmeterrealty.com/eaglesnest/

And last but not least I got a good picture of that old bell in front of the Dougherty Baptist Church. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/dougherty1stbell.jpg

If you travel just 3 or 4 miles west of Dougherty, Oklahoma and on west of the Washita River, you will come to one of the Baptist Falls Creek campgrounds. There is a much larger Baptist Falls Creek campground on to the west. This falls is right on the county road. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fallscreek03a.jpg

Here's Turner Falls in the Arbuckle Mountains from a distance. I took these photos from what I call Lookout Point, not sure if that is the correct name. There is a curio shop at that location. This area of Oklahoma is sure dry, need some rain. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tfalls040503c.jpg

Closer view Turner Falls. You can see two people standing in the water upstream. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tfalls040503b.jpg

This is an unusual sign I spotted just about a mile south of the County Barn at Springer on Highway 77. It is on the west side of the highway way back from the highway in some land owner's pasture. I'm sure there is a story behind this sign.... where it came from. Maybe someone will tell us. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/the77place.jpg

I had to re-do about four of my quarterly T&T files on both my websites this week. I have had PicoSearch on my website for several years to make it easier for people to find something in back issues. But I didn't know that one restriction of the Free version of PicoSearch is a 300k file limitation. This means PicoSearch did not index those four files since they were larger than 300k. Anyway, I've fixed the problem and now all my T&Ts for the last 7 years are indexed and searchable. Once neat feature in PicoSearch is being able to do an EXACT search. For instance, if you put the three words "new area code" in the PicoSearch box, change to "search EXACT phrase" and click Search. That phrase is only found one time in my all T&Ts..... the July 12, 1997 issue when I talked about us losing the 405 area code and going to the new 580 area code. PicoSearch has really increased the value of my websites.

Gary Simmons has used PowerPoint to make a slide show presentation about the Ardmore Airpark history. He did one presentation already to a church group. But without a digital projector of some kind to connect to his computer, giving a PowerPoint presentation is hard to do. Does anyone have any ideas of how we can make a digital projector? Or where one can be borrowed from time to time. We have the computer, we have PowerPoint, we have the presentation ready to show. Just need a projector. Any help is appreciated.

We been busy the past couple of weeks fixing up the Airpark memorial site in anticipation of the planned Memorial Day service scheduled to be held there Monday May 26th at 11am. The winter months sure took its toll on the shrubs and flowers and all. We decided to go with red lava rock to try and improve the memorial site and be more maintenance free. Wilson Monuments of Lone Grove is suppose to set up 3 more picnic tables next week and fix 2 or 3 misspelled words on two of the memorials. They will also set the new Wanda Stonecipher Memorial granite.

Remembrance Memorial Park - Ardmore Airpark

The new Airfield Memorial in honor of those who died in training at the airbase. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airmemnew041303.jpg

1966 Air Crash Memorial - Photo 1 http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airmem041303a.jpg

1966 Air Crash Memorial - Photo 2 http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airmem041303b.jpg

Charles Gray Memorial http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airmemgray3.jpg

Wanda Stonecipher Weeping Willow Tree Memorial http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/airmemstonecipher.jpg

Wanda Stonecipher was one of two stewardesses on that ill-fated flight in 1966 that crashed just NE of the airpark. She was from Stratford, Oklahoma and is buried at Stratford. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/wanda1.jpg

We also put a new guest register book at the memorial site. Inside is vinyl page protects to protect the 22 pages of signatures signed by those visiting the memorial site since June 2000. In the back of the book, I've started a section for photos of those who died. Right now there are only three photos, the two stewardesses of the 1966 aircrash, Dyana Duncan and Wanda Stonecipher, and one passenger on that plane, Robert Commune of Ansonia, CT. If you know any of those who died in crashes at the airbase, and can get a photo, we will put it in the memorial book. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/newbookaf.jpg

One of the emails in the Mailbag below brought back memories of my days in grade school and high school. We would have never called a teacher by their first name. It was always Ms Ringer, or Ms Sherman or Mr. Connely. Back in the 50s and 60s that was the way we addressed our teachers in school. I have not been in school in a long time, I wonder, do students still use the Mr and Ms today in school or do they called their teachers by their first names?

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Hi Butch, I would like for you to enter me in the drawing for the Lake Murray CD. It is special to me because my dad worked at Tucker Tower when I was in 6th grade approx 1966. We lived in the little house down the path from Tucker Tower. At night the raccoons would come to the big picture window and climb on the rocks and scratch on the glass. I remember going down to the boat dock area and sitting and watching the water as there weren't any neighbors to play with. My dad would let me drive his El Camino, with him sitting next to me, to the gate down by the road to lock it in the evening. It has really special memories for me. Thanks."
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"Butch" Friday nights can't come around often enough for me. Thanks for the latest T&T. I don't know who it was that wrote you about Coxsey's and the shotguns. I bought one from another fellow, I think he got it there. He lived out here in Healdton, and I bought it from him, he was my employer. Wow the two barrels brought back memories. The gun was a Winchester Pump 12 ga. It had a 30" full choke barrel and an extra 26" cylinder bore. It was a perfect gun for me, I used the full choke, like he did, for doves, geese and ducks, and the cylinder for quail. I too wish I still had it. At this time I have a Remington Pump 12 ga, and a Winchester Automatic. I was always told that it would be better to reverse them, that Winchester was the better pump and the Remington the better automatic. Probably hear-say. I sold the original gun when I went off to war in WWII."
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"Hi Butch, Really enjoyed the pictures of the Jam Session in the Mall. I have been there and played. I try to go each time we make a trip home which is Ardmore and Healdton. I also enjoyed the comments on nitro glycern, and the shooters I never knew any of the shooters personally." -Jim Brown Odessa TX.
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"Hey Butch, Are there 4 bullet holes in the side of the '39 Plymouth featured in this week's T&T? Sure looks like it in the picture. Please enter my name in the weekly CD drawing. I look forward to T&T each week.. Would like to see more about Sulphur though..Maybe we could build a fire under Bill Uhles and get him to write some good stories about Sulphur. How about it, Bill?" -Roy Miller, OKC http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/plymouth39b.jpg
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"For the Sherbet: That was one of my mom's Sherbet recipes and so I asked her about this, she says that frozen fruit contains quite a bit of water so you may not need to add any, but if you think it does while you are making it, add not more than 1 cup of water, also if you wish to make creamy Sherbet, add 1 cup of whipping cream instead of water. (Sorry about this oversight.) I have made this and it is very good. I used crushed pineapple recently and it was wonderful." -Janette Parker/AHS Alumni
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"At about 1:45 PM, March 13, 1956, the body of 21 year old Mildred Anne Reynolds was found burning in her 1949 Chevrolet 2-door sedan, bearing Oklahoma license plate 49-2685. The incident occurred one mile south and two miles and seven tenths west of Hopeton, Oklahoma (Woods County). An investigation was conducted by the State of Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Investigations, during which it was concluded that Mildred Reynolds died from accidental circumstances, and that no foul play was involved." http://members.aol.com/SVG2253/reynolds.htm
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"Talk about the "Cushman Scooter" brings back memories of years past. Back in the late 40's maybe 46 Western Union delivered the telegrams and the young man that delivered rode a Cushman Scooter and his name was Kenneth Beard. He drove all over Ardmore with his deliveries."
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"Hello Butch, there is a bell at Coalgate, Ok. It is located at the side of the First Methodist Church. It has a nice yellow ribbon attached to it. Also concerning the Confederate Museum in Atoka, the little wooden building sitting close to the church has a sign on it that says "Flack Stage Stop". Just east of that is the road bed of the Butterfield Stage line, I think there is a sign on the fence there noting that. Sorry but I got there too late to ask about the church. Maybe another time. Back in the late '30s maybe early 40s, before I was born (just had to throw that in), my parents lived and worked on the Doc Fulton Ranch which is now covered by the lake. My sister tells me she remembers her and my brothers following Daddy when he plowed so they could pick up old musket balls and occasionally a cannon ball to play with. Just a few tid bits of info I thought you might like." dollarbl@brightok.net
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"The 11th Annual Willingham Family Reunion will be held at the Coleman Community Center, located on Hwy. 48, in Coleman, Oklahoma on Saturday, June 7, 2003. This is an "All Day Event! The building is opened around 8 AM. Please plan to stay as long as you possibly can. A fun-filled day includes the following agenda: *Sign the attendance book & complete name tags. *Visititation & browsing thru Photo Albums & Family History *Potluck luncheon at noon. (Papergoods (plates, napkins, tableware & cups), as well as beverages & ice will be furnished from the Willingham "Kitty" Fund! Just bring your delicious, home-cooked food! *Family Group Pictures. Be sure to bring your cameras *Don't forget to bring along old Family photos and history to share with other family members. *Entertainment. If you're one of our talented musical kin, bring your instruments! *Auction & drawing for door prizes.-The auction and door prizes are hand made items furnished by family members who attend, so get busy on those special projects. Please tell your children & grandchildren about the reunion & encourage them to come & get acquainted. For more information or directions, contact: Don Willingham at 580-937-4375 Coleman, OK
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"Butch, Here's a link to a new Tribute to our Military that I launched recently. Look it over and feel free to pass it on or include it in the next issue if you find it appropriate." -Kim Collins http://www.ndnweb.com/harm's-way.html
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"The annual Gene Autry Cowboy Film and Music Festival, always held the last weekend of September at Gene Autry, Oklahoma. This will be our 12th annual this year, with the great Red Steagall as the featured performer, plus scores of others."
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"The Orange Blossom Special was originated by SAL President S. Davies Warfield, circa 1925, concurrent with the opening of the Seaboard's extensions to West Palm Beach and Naples; the song was written in the early 1930's I believe, but perhaps one of you can double check exact year for us. If you need me to, I can check my SAL pass tt's for the exact start date, but am almost sure it was early '25. The train lasted until the 1955-56 season, when the RR discontinued it on short notice. They had never streamlined it, and were losing passengers at an alarming rate, both to their own streamlined trains--Silver Star and Silver Meatball--and to the ACL/FEC Florida Special. The Pullman passengers, for the most part, switched over to the Florida Special, as that remained all-Pullman till about the 1960 or '61 season. (That must have been SO lovely, not having to rub shoulders with the hoi polloi in the coaches!)" -Seth Bramson
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"Butch, So-called suicide doors were standard on all 4-door cars into at least the 1950s and if I remember correctly into the 1960s and perhaps beyond. One of the famous cars with this door arrangement was the 4-door Lincoln Continental convertible (a beautiful car). Same thing with bias tires. Nothing else was available, and when they became available they were rather slow to catch on because of their higher price and car buyers' general unfamiliar with them."
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"I was wondering if anybody new the story of Hobo Hill. I grew up in the sixties at the corner of C St. and 11th Southeast in Ardmore, six blocks north of the cemetery. Hobo Hill was two blocks south of my house. I remembering damming up the bar ditch along the street and flooding that part of Ardmore one spring. I spent many hours with my friends there. Anyway nobody can take away the memories. Thanks." -George Harris gharris653@aol.com
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"I know that you already have a photo of this bell at the First Baptist Church at 7th and Fir Avenue here in Perry, Oklahoma but when I saw it on your website, I didn't see a closeup of the plaque nor the lettering molded into the bell. The date on the bell is significant too. The Cherokee Strip Land run was September 16th, 1893, so this must have been ordered right away (or purchased soon after the run). http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stbaptbellperry2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stbaptbellperry3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stbaptbellperry4.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stbaptbellperry5.jpg

This picture of the bell at St Marks Episcopal Church here in Perry at 7th & Grove. I think that it was formerly on an engine of the AT&SF Railroad, but I'm not certain yet. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/stmarksbellperry.jpg

These bells is at the First United Methodist Church at 7th and Elm streets, also here in Perry." -Roy Kendrick http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stumcbellperrya.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stumcbellperryb.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/1stumcbellperryc.jpg
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"The Dallas Morning News published a photo of a Dallas police officer on a motorcycle with badge number 31 from the l930s-era asking if anyone knew who it was. It turns out it was John Edward Loyd whose hometown was Ardmore. His daughter, Jeanette Loyd Weeden of Dallas still has his badge. He had moved from Ardmore to Dallas after World War 1. His wife was Elizabeth Neuhaus, a war bride, from Germany."
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"Butch; The old Coxey Cushman scooters was located in the very same building as the Soda Shop is now - across from the Tivoli Theatre. Incidentally the Tivoli Theatre was previously known as the Palace Theatre but in about 1934 or 35 the name was changed to Tivoli." -Ernest Martin
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Butch, I attached the photo and information for your files. The original is hanging in Mitchell Brothers Barber Shop on 12th Ave. They also have some other memorabilia you might be interested in." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/santa_fe_crew4.jpg
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"The cobblestones in Granfield certainly did come from the Wichita Mountains. The whole story is told on the website, http://www.medicinepark.com. How they were made, 500 million years ago is told in the "history link." How could you miss knowing this if you had my Aunt Thelma as your first grade teacher, as I did? (Kidding) Also, Mrs. Robinson supervised the Fraley Park wading pool in the 30's, too. In 1936, the year I spent every summer day in the pool, all the kids knew her affectionately as "Robbie" She was paid by the city for duty from noon, when she started the pool filling, to about 5:30 p.m. when the pool had drained. She didn't get rich on Great Depression wages. She was a dedicated lady." -Lorenz Boyd
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"New Painting by ex-Ardmoreite Tom Elmore. ATSF 3424: Meetin' the Morning. In the cool air of a March, 1945 dawn, Santa Fe Heavy Pacific No. 3424 is readied for another day of strenuous wartime passenger duty. Original Watercolor (Size of actual painting: 10 3/4" by 14 1/4") - Double Matted and Framed - 17" x 21": $200." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/elmore3424.jpg
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"Hello Butch, I know you are testing to see if we really are reading these newsletters. I can think of no other reason for the last two weeks to be two Vol. 7 - Issue 311 . Just wondering."
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"I Also had a Cushman Scooter that I bought at Coxey's. However mine was a '48 model. I bought it "used" for $187.00 just before they came out with the Eagle. I believe I was 14 at the time. Then they decided you had to have a driver's license to ride one and I had to sell it." -Bill Bow in Ft. Worth, Texas
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Below is the winners in the free drawing for Lake Murray and Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Alliegence.If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know. You only need to enter once! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg
linda@wireweb.net yogitas@comworldnet.com

-If I Should Die Before You Wake-

Back home now I know you're prob'ly sleeping,
But over here it's the middle of the day.
I finally found some time to write a letter,
Sittin' here a half a world away.

I heard about all them folks protesting,
As if I really want this war.
But that don't stop me from believing
There're just some things worth fighting for.

And if I die before you wake,
I pray the world will take
A good look at what God's given us.

If we could only understand
Everything is in His hands.
All we need is a little faith and trust.
I want you to know it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake.

Tell everybody that I miss them,
and I can't wait to get back home.
Until then, I'll serve my country
and be proud to wear this uniform.

And if I die before you wake,
I pray the world will take
A good look at what God's given us.

If we could only understand
Everything is in His hands.
All we need is a little faith and trust.

I want you to know it ain't too high a price to pay
If I die before you wake.

No, it ain't too high a price to pay
if I die before you wake.

-Sung by Dustin Evans
Follow the link below to hear the song. Takes a minute to download.
http://www.andiesisle.com/If-I-Die-Before-You-Wake.html

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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Saturday April 12, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 312

For many moons there has been a small group of dedicated fiddle pickers meeting on Friday evenings at the Mountain View Mall here in Ardmore. The group has many faithful followers who bring their lawn chairs and sit to listen to some great pickin' and grinin' music! One couple comes all the way from Durant, Oklahoma each Friday night for some great fellowship with other musicians. There are two sisters from Ardmore, Temperance and Betty Babcock, who can really get down with their fiddles, especially when they let lose with the song Orange Blossom Special. Tap tapping can not be restrained when these two start what might just be an old fashioned hoe down. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight2b.jpg

But there is other great talent too. Let's see, Jim Veath on the Mandolin, Gerald Kahlden on the banjo, Ken Rumpki on the fiddle. Plus Kent on the guitar, and Kyle and Bozo too. Here are some more pics I took last Friday night at the Mall of the group pickin and grinnin. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight3b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight4b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight5b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight6b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight7b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight8b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight9b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fridaynight10b.jpg

Everett Aycox, one of the proprietors of Ardmore's Soda Shop down on Main Street has a new addition to his many collectibles. The Soda Shop is located across the street from the Tivoli Theater. Everett's new, or maybe I should say old, collectible is a 1939 Plymouth 4-door Sedan. If you were in downtown Ardmore lately you may have seen this old car parked on the east side of The Soda Shop on the B Street side, since Everett has been driving it to work sometimes. The car as a flat head 6 cylinder engine, an oil bath breather, and a floor starter. But there is another unusual accessory on this old 1939 Plymouth. It is called "suicide doors". This means on a four-door the back doors swing out just the opposite of most doors. On a 2-door the doors also swing forward. In the second photo you will see a close-up of these so called suicide doors. Also it has bias tires. Some of you old timers out there can probably tell some good stories about the old bias tires, and how poor the quality was compared to the modern day radial tires. If you're ever down near West Main and B Street you might look and see this old piece of history. Stop and go inside for a ice cream soda on these hot summer days, I'm sure Everett will be glad to talk about his "new" car. He hopes to have a fully restored in time to enter it in the Annual Christmas Parade. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/plymouth39a

Here is a closer look at those suicide doors. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/plymouth39b

Back in May 1999 I mentioned in a T&T about Joyce Franks taking a photo years ago of an old cornerstone. Inscribed on the cornerstone was "St Patrick's Indian Mission" "Founded 1889" "Burned down Sept 26, 1909" "Rebuilt Oct 30, 1910". Joyce told me in that 1999 conversation he could not remember where he took the photo, just knew it was in this area. This week after doing a search on the internet it looks like the Indian mission was located near Anadarko, Oklahoma. I wish that guy was still with us so I could call and tell him where he took that photograph. I know he'd give me one of those famous big smiles of his upon hearing the news! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/imission2.jpg

Looks like many of you are not just taking advantage of those 4 cents a minute calls inside the USofA. But also those low international rates using WorldxChange. Four cents a minute to England or Germany and many other countries is pretty hard to beat. You can even call France at 4 cents a minute and give them a piece of your mind. http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Butch, This is a photo of Hamilton Pool in Texas, NE of Johnson City, not quite a Turner Falls, but close. I wanted to thank you for putting my webshots link in your newsletter last week. I didn't expect you to do that, was a pleasant surprise none the less. I was notified this morning April 5th that my Oklahoma Redbuds is one of the three featured albums of the day. The response to this has been great. Thousands of views of my albums, and increasing hourly. Please put my name in the hopper for the history CD, please! And again thanks for sharing my webshots link." http://cards.webshots.com/c51419340scgcmb
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"Butch: Enjoyed the remarks of Jim Brown, Odessa, TX about the explosion south of Fox. Elmer Altman was a very good friend of my family. I did not know of him drinking. His wife and a lady friend was about a mile behind him, and he told them he would meet them after he went back to the magazine with the tiny bit of nitro that he had in a can. It was very tragic, and I attended his funeral at the First Methodist Church in Healdton, the Masons had a midnight service for him. The only one I had ever attended at midnight. He knew that he might blow up some time, they lived a dangerous life. A good friend of mine, Elwin Rapp, whose family manufactured the nitro at Wichita Falls lived in Healdton and was a shooter, a very young man, just out of high school. I was married and he was dating a girl that roomed with us. We went to movies and out on dates with them. He had the nitroglycerine headaches that were very painful -----caused from inhaling the nitro, it would dilate his arteries and cause headaches just as too many nitro tabs, under the tongue, will do the same thing. At any rate, he was very cautious and I rode with him a time or two with nitro in his truck, a thing that his company would frown on. I believe his company was Independent Torpedo Co., there were 3 or 4 shooters stationed at Healdton with different companies. His magazine was about 3 miles east of Healdton. A magazine blew up out about where Village Woods apartments are today. Two fellows were unloading a truckload of nitro, and it is thought one of them stumbled and dropped a can of it. The truck had the tires blown off and just the shell of the truck remained and a huge hole in t he ground where the shed had been.....very little was left of the two men. They were also friends of my father. This happened, I am guessing about 1923. We lived in the south part of Healdton, at that time, and it blew out several of our windows and those of our neighbors. We walked out to the scene of the explosion, and it was a horrible mess. I don't remember the name of that company, but there was a United Torpedo Co. and that may have been it. They always placed their magazines or warehouses a good distance from any residences. I was out hunting with a couple of fellows one day and we came across a magazine. One of the guys said, "I wonder what would happen if we shot into the side of that shed." I know what would happen, and told him to forget it. We had 22 rifles, and it wouldn't take much of a jolt to set off the nitro. The shooters had the back of their cars, usually drove a coupe, carpeted and had re-ceptacles for the containers carpeted so that bumps in the road would be cushioned, somewhat, to lesson the possibility of an explosion. Altman's widow, Maggie, married one of the Cudd boys from Wilson, and they moved to Kansas. Another well known shooter that lived here in Healdton and shot many a well without incident was Mr. Elmer Simon, his wife's name was Anna, Elmer died after a year's illness in May of 1942. He was a shooter, here in Healdton, since 1919 and worked for the U.S. Torpedo Co. By the way, he was not a drinker either, and was a very active member of the First Methodist Church."
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"Saw your inquiry in Butch's T&T about Coxsey's. I remember it well; was on the southwest corner of Main and either A or B Street SW. In about 1952 I bought one of the earliest Cushman Eagle scooters for $323. What a machine! And how I'd like to have it back now, although I am 66 years old. Someone rode one by my house 5 or 6 years ago, and really brought back memories. He had restored it very well, and said it would bring $3,000. I also bought a Remington automatic 16 gauge shotgun there about the same time, and would sure like to have it now. It had a modified barrel, and for my purposes I needed a full choke (doves, ducks) and an improved cylinder (quail), but separate barrels for it cost an arm and a leg, and had to be sent off to be individually fitted. So I fouled up and put one of those old Lyman cuts-compensator chokes on the end of the barrel; and could never hit the side of a barn with it after that. So I took it back to Coxsey's and traded it even for a 12 gauge Remington 870 pump with a 28" full choke; later bought an improved cylinder barrel for it, and still have the three pieces after nearly 50 years. Anyway, I remember Mr. Coxsey (don't remember his first name) as a really nice man who would take time to talk sporting goods even with a teenage kid if he had the time at all."
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"Hi, Mr. Bridges, don't know if you would like these pictures or not. But both pictures are post cards and stamp on the back side of the first one is from Walton, Ok. Apr. 7, 1910, with a one cent stamp. I forgot to scan the backs of them, I wish I hadn't. But anyway, in the back row is, Ralph ?, Hoffman (white hat), front row McCurdy, Will McDougal, Revell (in front of the man with the white hat). The man in the next picture is call Brain Storm Jess. The back of the post card was never stamp. I also have some pictures of Ft. Sill made back in 1930, one of them is nothing but dirt road and no turnpike! I will try to get them scan and send you a copy if you would like." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/waltonoklahoma.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/brainstormjess.jpg
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"Butch, Tell Fredrica (Horn) Van Sant that those round stones (at Grandfield, OK) came from the Wichita mountains. The library, Newspaper office (was the barbershop she saw) and another building are of those stones. Our town has gone so downhill. We have lost several buildings, but we are trying to repair and build up our town. When I was a teenager 50 years ago this was a big town. But our refinery went to Ardmore and our town went with it. It has gone downhill ever since. One good thing it's a pretty quiet place to live." -Minnie Lou Whittington kenco@pldi.net
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"Did you know there is a seismograph machine in the Meers, Oklahoma cafe (used to be old post office)? Ever been there? Kinda interesting!" -Minnie Lou Whittington
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"Butch, The old log cabin that was referred to in this T & T is where my father-in-law, Carroll Volino, was born. I too have a painting of it but I don't know the artist name right off hand. I'll have to find out and let you know. At one time he talked about have the cabin moved to his back yard, but he got sick and never got it done before he passed away. I always looked at the cabin every time I drove by it and his granddaughters always did too. We hated it when it finally gave in. We were really sad to see it go." -Karen Volino
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"Thought you might like to see one of the murals here in Perry, Oklahoma. About 4 or 5 of them are on the outside walls of business buildings (a couple pertain to the business inside, such as the one on Foster's Corner Drug depicting its' original '40s soda fountain which is still in use inside the store). The one seen in the attachment here shows a map of early Oklahoma and Indian Territories as they would have appeared at the time of the Cherokee Strip Land Run (1893), and is on a historic building now used as the headquarters for the IOOF Grand Lodge of Oklahoma." -Roy Kendrick http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/perrymural.jpg
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"Hi Butch, I really do enjoy reading T & T every week. The last issue contained a recipe for Sherbet and I copied it. I do want to verify one thing however, as I was surprised that there was not much liquid added to the fruit - just the small amount of lemon juice. I intend to try this anyway, but thought it might be worthwhile to attempt to verify this recipe to see if any other liquid should be added to the ingredients (fruit and sugar puree). Anyone know? Thanks for your help." -Sami
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"Here are a few old pictures. The first is my Mom and Dad on Guam, the second is me Fillmore Vaughan and his mom-Bobbie, the third is from Washington School 1951." John Mark Connely b52d2000@yahoo.com http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/connelyguam75.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/fillmorevaughn.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/washsch51.jpg
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"The information on the Chuck Wagon Cafe in Atoka is partially incorrect. Yes it was across the highway from the Methodist church. I recall it from personal experiences from the late 50's and all of the 60's. I worked as a waitress one summer in the bus station part which had a full cafeteria plus ala carte menu. They were way more than a sandwich shop. The building might have been owned by Dub Wheeler. I don't know. The bus station & restaurant were operated by John Vance Rich. The souvenirs shop, and carnival games were owned and operated by Bob Nelson. All were under one roof. It made a nice stop for bus travelers of the day. I was friends with the Nelsons and I know without a doubt that Mr. Nelson owned the carnival machines and souviners. I was good friends with the Nelson's youngest daughter and I remember her telling about her daddy's carnival games being in a movie. Wish I knew the name of the movie."
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"Butch, do you remember the wading pool across from the school the lady that came every day to watch us kids I believe her name was Mrs Robinson. I spent a lot of summer afternoons at that pool. I wonder if she was a volunteer or the city paid her. Used to be a man that would throw penny bubble gum in the pool . This was in the early 50s. Mr. Connely was my principal and later I was in Kiwanis with him. We all called each by our first names but I could not bring myself to call him anything but Mr. Connely. He was a good man. Enjoy your T&T brings back a lot of memories from my youth. I still drive around over there sometimes." -Leonard Shockley leonardshockley@yahoo.com
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"Butch - I am sending you pictures of a model of the Meadowbrook School in Love County. The school is gone now. My husband made this model from a small picture and his memories and some other school mates memories. He graduated in 1945. Meadowbrook was in use from 1930 to 1958 or 59." -Irmadene Blankenship http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/meadowbrookschool2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/meadowbrookschool3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/meadowbrookschool4.jpg ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ardmoreite Gene South and myself have put together a really nice CD for the free drawings each week. I think it is one of the best yet. The CD is really two parts: a slide presentation of 45 photos of Lake Murray. And in support of our men and women fighting in Iraqi Freedom, the second part of the CD is Red Skelton's 1969 Pledge of Allegiance. Here is a pic of the CD's splash screen. The splash screen is the first screen to appear on your computer after the CD is inserted, which starts automatically. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/tuckersplashcd.jpg

Here is a pic of the actual CD label. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/lakemurraycd.jpg

If you want in the drawing for this free CD, let me know. You only need to enter once! Here are the two winners this week for the free Lake Murray Slide Show CD! dgs426@earthlink.net lynngarri@mindspring.com

"About one-fifth of the people are against everything all the time." -Robert F. Kennedy

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

Saturday April 5, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 311

This week the Nationwide Binding Company of Bonham, Texas has been busy in the courthouse re-binding old record books for Carter County Court Clerk, Karen Volino. Before the actual binding was done and while the books were apart, Image Tek, Inc. scanned the pages for recording to CDs. There are 110 marriage books in the court clerk's office and it only took Image Tek 5 days to scan each page in every book. Some of the older books, like the 1895 Marriage License Book were especially showing wear and tear from their years of use. Although the main purpose for tearing down the books was to preserve the records, the Court Clerk's office will be able to provide copies from CDs, making it much faster and convenient as some of the books are stored in the vault behind Judge Tate's courtroom and are not always accessible. Nationwide Binding has been in the book binding business since 1968. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/nationwidebinding2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/nationwidebinding3.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/nationwidebinding4.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/nationwidebinding5.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/nationwidebinding6.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/nationwidebinding7.jpg http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/CarterCountyCourtClerk.html

Last week a Reader asked about a chocolate cake recipe and thought it was made from Hershey's cocoa. I have an empty can of Hershey's Cocoa made in 1974 and on the side of the can is the recipe the Reader is probably talking about. The cake was called Black Magic Cake. On the other side of the can was the recipe for Honeybear Brownies. In 1974 this can of cocoa cost $1.42 for 16oz. But even more interesting is what is on the back of the can. Its an ad for Hershey's 1934 Cookbook. Since I'm a chocolaholic, I'd sure like to have that book! http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hersheys74a.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hersheys74b.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hersheys74c.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hersheys74d.jpg

I don't want to tell how many hours it has taken me to put together the latest history CD, probably to many, but hopefully all the work will be worth it. I've taken my newsletters for January, February and March of this year and put them to CD. All a person has to do is insert the CD in the CDROM, click on My Computer, go to the CD and double click on the html file "newsletter03a". The newsletters have an "old paper" background, and all the photos are clickable. This means you just click on a link to any of the photos, and there it is! Then just click Back to return to the newsletter and continue reading. This CD may help a lot of you who print out my T&T each weekend, saving ink cartridges and trees. Plus all the photos are right there for viewing. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ttnewsletters03acd.jpg

If you want one of these CDs, I'm asking 4 bucks to cover my expense to make it and postage-paid to your door. I'll even take good old cash! To order just follow this link... http://www.oklahomahistory.net/availablecds.html

A couple of years ago a Reader wrote in to the Mailbag asking if anyone remembers a plane crash involving a family from Duncan, Oklahoma whose plane crashed in Louisiana back in the 50s. He said as best he remembered, the only survivor was a little girl. I ran across the details of that crash article this week and the Reader is correct. The little girl was 11 year old Virginia Arnold of Duncan. Her parents were originally from Wirt, Oklahoma and later lived in Ardmore. The date was January 2, 1959. Virginia, her brother Obert Jr., and parents Mr. and Mrs. Obert Arnold were in a plane crash near Silbey, Louisiana. Virginia was the only survivor.

Doyle Williams has used his program to straighten and align that old 1875 map of Oklahoma and Indian territory. Its a big file, over 600k, so it takes a few minutes to download. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/ok1875a.jpg

January 3, 1960. Ardmoreite Donald E. Vaughn, 19, was charged with the death of J.C. Johnson, age 72, 1 mile south of Dickson. J.C. Johnson was found by Ardmore fireman Cleo Boydston. Investigation would reveal the motive was robbery for $550 to which Vaughn admitted.

January 6, 1960. Investigators label the death of Lemuel Taylor as probable foul play after his body was found in a house fire on Refinery Road in NE Ardmore.

A couple of weeks ago a Reader sent in an email to the Mailbag and said they visited Atoka, Oklahoma years ago on Saturdays just to go to the man with the carnival games. I found out this week the man in Atoka who had the carnival type games in his building was Dub Wheeler of Atoka. Also in one end of his building across from the Methodist church was a sandwich shop. One Reader said a movie was being made years ago and they needed some carnival type games in the movie. They rented the collection from Dub Wheeler in Atoka. Dub's place burned down in the 70s. Does anyone know the name of the movie which used Dub Wheeler's carnival games?

Have you every deleted a file and a few minutes later wish you had it back? If that file is not in the Recycle Bin or if you don't have a program like Norton Undelete, its almost impossible to get that file back. But wait, PC Inspector to the rescue! This week I downloaded a free utility that's made in England, tested it out, and it worked great! It's called PCInspector. Highly recommended! http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm

A friend told me this week he had an important program CD and when he tried to use it to re-install the program on it, it would get about halfway through and stop. He sent it to drdisccompany.com in AZ and they repaired it perfectly. Total charge: $6 dollars! Boy, I've got two Celine Dion CDs that needs repaired. Guess I'll try them out soon! http://www.drdisccompany.com/

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK'S MAILBAG

"Hi Butch, Been reading about all the things that happened at Washington Elementary School, and I, too, went to Washington, but in Sulphur. I was in 3rd and 4th grades, and we had two great teachers (1939 & 40), Mrs. Davis and Mrs.Hale, and all the boys were smitten by the beautiful Mrs. Hale-----me,too. We had a student court, and if we got caught throwing a spit wad, we got a citation, and on Friday the court decided your punishment. Well, I got caught chewing gum in class, and the court ruled that I should get paddled by the teacher. And she gave about three whacks with the paddle, which only stung a little, but my heart was busted 'cause SHE did it to me. I think she was hurt more than me, as she had teary eyes------but I never chewed gum in her class again ! ! I wonder what would happen to a teacher today, who dared strike a student with a paddle. It sure worked in those days!!"
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"Your item about seismograph was interesting. I first learned the word seismograph in the first grade at Plainview when a GSI crew shot a line along the road that runs North and South near the school--I guess that's called Plainview Road. I spent a lot of years working overseas for GSI in the Far East. I lived in Singapore for fifteen years. The explosives have become much safer over the years. Ammonium Nitrate has been used for the past forty years."
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"Hi Butch, Nitroglycern was also used in an oil well, after it was drilled, to enlarge the area in the sand where the oil was, which gave more area for the oil to seep out of the sand and into the bottom of the well and causing the well to produce more oil. There are many stories about the shooters, one being that they were always drunk. They didn't have the nerve to fool with the stuff otherwise. It was very volital and unstable. There was one instance of a nitro truck exploding, on the highway, about four miles south of Fox, or 1/4 mile south of Sullivans store, in the 1930's. They gathered what they could fine of the guy up in a bushel basket. It blew the telephone lines in to, and a hole in the road twenty foot deep and thirty ft. across. The truck was supposed to be empty and only the residue left on the containers blew up." -Jim Brown, Odessa, TX
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"When I was small, Hardy Murphy brought his horse to the home of my grandparents and gave a performance for us in their large back lot. I don't remember much about it except him on the horse so I must have been pretty young."
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"I certainly hope the recipe for those wonderful cinnamon rolls can be found. I remember being really poor back in 1955 and 1956 but those rolls were so great I would go to the cafeteria and spend part of my lunch money to buy one. There were the very best I have eaten in my whole life." -Loretta Koons
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"Hello Butch ! In answer to your Sherbert/Sherbet dilemma: Correct spelling is sherbet but there are variations that are acceptable - sherbert. It is a Turkish and Persian word spelled sherbet from the Turkish and spelled sharbat from the Persian. Our American version sherbert. So either is acceptable it seems. Here is a good recipe for Sherbert/Sherbet:
3 and 1/2 lbs frozen peaches or frozen strawberries
1 and 1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 Cup lemon juice
Combine all in a food processor and puree'
Place mixture in a freezer container and freeze until firm. Or - place mixture in an ice cream freezer and process until firm. Wonderful for summer." -Janette Parker/AHS Alumni
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"I have an oil painting of that log cabin that was painted by a judge Earl Brown's wife, Neva Brown, back in the sixties. The old cabin finally fell down a couple of years ago. It's about 2 miles west of Dickson on the North side of the highway. At the time we lived there, Ardmore AFB was in full swing and there weren't many rent houses available. We stayed there for a few months until something else came available. It had two rooms and a path. The outhouse was on the west side, and there was a spring under the hill on the east where we got water. It was a bit primitive even for the fifties. I remember my mother shooting a rat off the top log in the back room one night with her .22." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/logcabin55.jpg
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"We visited a museum at Hugo, Oklahoma. It is in the old railroad depot. A Harvey House Restaurant occupies the South end. They have the original counters and fixtures and upstairs are the rooms where the Harvey Girls lived. We have gone to Hugo several times a year and sometimes once a month for years and I don't know how I ever missed the museum. It is very nice and I saw things that I have never seen in a museum before. And I thought that I had seen everything. You need to make a trip that way someday." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/hugodepo.jpg
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"Photograph I made last summer of the remains of the Dexter Community Center in Dexter, Texas. If you don't know, it's located at the North end of Farm to Market Road 678, which crosses US 82 about 7 miles east of Gainesville, Texas. Dexter ceased being an entity a long time ago. The community center was in use until the seventies as the venue for a monthly hootenany. Presently there is a non-denominational church in use and two graveyards." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dextercommunitycenter.jpg
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"Butch---regarding the chocolate cake by Mrs. Smithers at Washington School---I believe the writer was referring to my aunt, Opal Smithers who worked at the school cafeteria for several years in the late 40's and 50's. Somewhere I have a picture of her, Lucy Arnold and Wayman Woodley's father who was the janitor. All three were wonderful people who loved children and perfect for their jobs. I also have a pic of the l950 football squad of Washington School. I will try to scan that when I find it. It includes George Connely, my uncle, and Mr. Self who also taught 6th grade at the time. Clifford Connely, Tommy Epler, Ronnie Pretty, Bobby Patillo, Charlie Allison, Bobby Lambert, John Boyd, Donald McBride, Loyd Lambert, and others are pictured with the trophy they won in elementary competition that year." -katie kurtz
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"Butch, I was in the H&R Block office yesterday and noticed some photos hanging in the waiting area that are of downtown Ardmore many, many years ago. Just thought you might like to know about them."
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"Butch-In addition to a gas mask for protection against possible gas attacks, the WWII soldier also had protection from skin exposure to blister gases by opening a packet supplied as part of his equipment. Both sides of this unopened item are shown in the attached photos." gsimmons@brightok.net http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/protectcovergas2.jpg http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/protectcovergas3.jpg
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"Hi, Butch! Will you be kind enough to ask your readers if anyone remembers the Cushman dealer in Ardmore, called Coxey's. I have an uncle in Gainesville who is an avid Cushman collector, and he is looking for info and other Cushman aficionados. If it's pretty through the weekend I hope to do some cruising and try out the Magnetic Hill!" tootie_48@yahoo.com
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"Butch: At times between 1924 and 1927, my great grandmother and her son Melvin made and sold molasses out in either the Legate or Hoxbar area. My great grandfather William A. Patrick died in 1924, and Melvin died in 1927, just a year after this. Attached is a picture of a loan to Martha and Melvin Patrick in the amount of $20 from the Exchange National Bank of Ardmore dated September 15, 1926. The money is to be used to buy 'syrup buckets.' I see the note was paid and is stamped paid." -Bud Caudle in Guthrie, OK BnLFAMILY@aol.com http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/patrick1926.jpg
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"Found this post card in Mom's stuff of Memorial Hospital the way it looked when I worked there. Doesn't look anything like this today." http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/memhospfront.jpg
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"Hello Butch, Enjoyed this issue of T&T. There is always something of special interest to me. Ponder's Super Dog was definitely one of our growing up places! Thanks for all that you share. Inspired by your reports and photos, I am compiling a list of places to adventure to my next trip to Oklahoma. So far, on my list, the wonderful Presbyterian Church in Atoka, and the Bank building in Lehigh. On my own list...when traveling from Arizona to Ardmore, I go through Grandfield. The town certainly once enjoyed better days, but two very old buildings there made of adobe mud (not bricks) and studded with rounded river rocks are intriguing. One is (or was my last trip through) a Barber Shop. The other appeared empty. I had not previously seen this building method before and wonder about it. The other thing I would like to share concerns a place in Hulbert, OK called WUV'N ACRES GOURDENS. I stumbled across their website while searching for some unusual seeds. I was captivated...the website is a delight and a joy and I urge anybody at all attracted to gardening to look into it. It also appears to me like a great destination place for a spring/summer sojourn, situated near Sequoyah State Park (and thus Western Hills resort) in Northeastern Oklahoma. Their address is: Karen and Roger Manasco, 14280 N. Sunset Valley Rd., Hulbert,Oklahoma. They do not list a telephone, but an email address is given on the website. They state "if we're home, we're open," though if driving a distance, probably arrangements are in order. The proprietors, Karen and Roger Manasco grow all their own plants, and harvest the seeds they sell - fabulous things such as gourds of all varieties, (including the wonderful lufa which produces the loofa bath sponge) an array of more gorgeous Hollyhocks than I've ever seen, and many other old-fashioned flowers, (childhood in Oklahoma carries memories of hollyhocks and sunflowers and morning glories everywhere). Herbs, weeds, fruits and vegetables,too. (I just ordered seeds for an unusual 10 foot climbing spinach plant, and am ordering seeds for a gigantic Sunflower called "Colors in the Clouds") They have seeds for ornamental cotton with colored bolls...red, green, pink and yellow, and in season freshly harvested elephant garlic as well as gourds for purchase. Photographs of the gardens ("gourdens") are incredibly good. And pictures of the family make you want to go on over and get acquainted. This seems to be one of those old-fashioned, home-grown, value-based family businesses, increasingly rare and utterly refreshing amidst ever present corporate greed dedicated to genetically engineering our food and irradiating our meat and produce. If you go to the website, look at the photos of the charming fence Karen made of pecan wood and grapevine. She even gives instructions to build one. For me, this place is the find of the season, and perhaps one of the best kept secrets in Oklahoma." -a gypsy at heart Fredrica (Horn) Van Sant http://www.wuvie.net
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Here are the two winners this week for the free Lake Murray Slide Show CD! BobF327631@aol.com
ocarmack@hal-pc.org

I hope everyone has a U.S. Flag on display in support of our men and women in Iraq. Even if it is just a color photo of the flag taped to a front door or window. I have Old Glory proudly hanging in front of my house. Those young men and women are facing death every minute of every day over there. The least we can do is show our support.

America the Beautiful
By Kathrine L. Bates, 1904

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain;
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/b/obfsskis.htm

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

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