PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
http://pittsburgksmemories.com/Pittsburg_Buildings/pittbldgsewerpipeconduit.html
Henry Berry was born in the year 1910 in Detroit, Texas, the son of Jasper and Rhoda Berry. Rhoda lived until 1982 to the age of 102 years. His brothers and sisters are: Clemitta Jones, Clifton D., Velasca Agers, Theresa Rogan, O. V., Bernice, and Bridgett.
When Henry arrived in Ardmore, his first work was shining shoes and working in filling stations. Later he worked in the Ford and Mulkey Hotels. In 1941 he married Hollie (Simmons) Berry (1912-1986) here in Ardmore, and the service was performed by Reverend Hannah. Henry and Hollie had both been married previously: Henry had a son, H. B. Berry; and Hollie had a daughter, now Mrs. Willie Rose Lyons.
Hollie is the daughter of Alfred and Sadie (Hollis) Simmons, and was born January 18, 1913 in Canadian, Oklahoma. Hollie moved from Durant to Ardmore in 1937. Four years after their marriage, Henry became blind, from illness affecting the optic nerves. Not content with the life of idleness, he opened in the late 1950s the concession stand in the Carter County Courthouse. His wife has been by his side as an able and loving partner through these many years. Because of his failing health, it was necessary to close the concession stand in 1981. -From the book ‘Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers‘
Henry Berry 1910 – 1993
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/HenryBerry.jpg
A Reader in Thackerville has a sister who ran across some locally printed sheet music in her antiques shop. She mailed it in to me last week asking if I had any info on Vanoy Green and his Green Music Corporation that used to be located at 23 “F” Street NE here in Ardmore back in the 50s and 60s. I remember Mr. Green very well back in those days as he would come to my grandparents lumber yard to buy paint, lumber, etc. When I had a motorcycle as a teen I’d ride by his home on F Street NE many times coming or going to town and see Mr. Green sitting out front. But I did not know his connection to music. I looked in my Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book and found the following article:
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/VanoyAndBerniceGreen.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/VanoyAndBerniceGreenCont.jpg
Vanoy K. Green obit
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/VanoyGreenObit.jpg
“How Will I Know” – words and music by Professor Vanoy K. Green
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/VanoyGreen3.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/VanoyGreen4.jpg
A Reader stumble across a website with old photos of the Pauls Valley Reform School from the 1920s.
http://www.dlfaquifer.org/search?q=united+states+oklahoma+pauls+valley
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/PaulsValleyReformSchool.jpg
Thanks to a Reader in Arkansas I now have the 1923 book Carter County School journal by Kate Galt Zanies, Superintendent of county schools, digitized. A couple of the files are large PDF files and will take some time to download if you have slow internet.
https://oklahomahistory.net/1923SchoolBook
From the July 10, 2002 T&T: “I’m sending you a picture of Kents Drive-In that was on Commerce St. in 1950. I thought some of your readers would remember it. It was sitting where you went in to the drive-In Theater (77 North Theater). In 1949 and 1950 it was a very important place for the young folks to hang out.” -Dorotha Phillips
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos4a/KentsDriveIn1950.jpg
Jill and I are getting ready to plant a garden when Spring weather is here. For 30 years George Waller has operated his small engine repair shop north of Lone Grove. George worked on my push mower last year and I mentioned to him to watch for me a garden tiller. He called last week to say a man had traded in a Huskee 6 hp garden tiller for a riding lawnmower, and the tiller was in great condition, only 2 years old. This particular model even has adjustable tiller widths of 13″, 22″, and 24 inches. Since he offered the tiller to me for about half what that model sells for a Tractor Supply, I jumped at the chance.
George still does business the way it used to be done back in the 60s and 70s when I was young man. I had been home 3 days with my “new” tiller and George called to see how I liked it and all, and that it was ok. I can not tell you how many years it has been since someone has called me after I paid for something like that, to check if I was a satisfied customer. And George said, “I stand behind the tiller, let me know if you have any problems”. Now that is really service after the sale!
George’s repair shop is located at 7064 North Newport Road, about 6 miles north of Lone Grove and Highway 70, but the old saying, “drive a little save a lot” certainly applies here. George Waller’s phone number is 580-657-4395 and he’s only open M-F. His email is: gdwaller@brightok.net
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/GeorgeWaller012710.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/WallerEngineRepairMap.jpg
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Q. What Oklahoma governor set the 45 MPH speed limit?
A. William Holloway, 8th governor of Oklahoma
Q. What is Oklahoma’s colors?
A. (answer in next week’s issue)
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..“I am doing a collage in watercolor/pen & ink of various scenes that bring back memories. I want to
include the Super Dog on North Commerce in Ardmore but cannot find any photos. I have contacted the Ponders, and they didn’t have anything. May you or a Reader has a picture of the Super Dog back in the 60s?”
“Cuz, back in the mid-50’s Ford (our step-dad) had our Family in the Go-Cart business. He would bore and stroke Mac-10 Chain-Saw motors to give them more torque for racing. You might consider using one of those motors for your motor-bike.” -Poss in Korea
My mom always did that to “squish out the blood & yucky stuff” that comes out of burgers, so I ended up doing the same thing when I grew up. Of course, with my son gone I don’t make homemade burgers anymore. I just go to the Sonic Drive-In. HA!!!!
“I WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL ADVANCEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN MEDICINE, AND HOW DOCTORS HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO HELP US WITH OUR ACHES AND PAINS AND GET US THROUGH MOST OF THE SERIOUS THINGS……BUT I REMEMBER WAY BACK WHEN ALL MOST FAMILIES HAD, MEDICINE-WISE, WAS A BOTTLE OF CASTOR OIL AND A JAR OF VICKS SALVE. I REMEMBER MOTHER RUBBING VICKS ON MY CHEST AND HEATING A PIECE OF FLANNEL TO PLACE OVER IT. IT FELT SO GOOD. I DON’T KNOW HOW HEALTHY IT WAS, BUT I ALSO REMEMBER HAVING TO SWALLOW VICKS WHEN I HAD A COUGH, AND HOW HARD IT WAS TO SWALLOW. BUT THE HARDEST OF ALL WAS SEEING MY PARENTS COMING AT ME WITH THE BOTTLE OF CASTOR OIL. I BELIEVE THERE WERE TIMES I PROBABLY BROKE THE RECORD FOR THE HUNDRED YARD DASH, HOPING I COULD SOME HOW OUT RUN THEM. I NEVER WON. I AM SURE SOME OF THE READERS REMEMBER THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH CASTOR OIL AND VICKS SALVE.”
“Butch: Some of your T&T readers may be of assistance to me insofar as the history of the late Tommy Anastasio who had the wonderful little Italian restaurant here @ Broadlawn Village for many years. My L.A. son is doing some research on Tommy and asked me to help. As we all know, the local Tommy’s surname was Anastasio, but the lineage in NY was often spelled Anastasia. (Italian surnames were often butchered upon entry to Ellis Island, and sometimes changed for other reasons). I do recall Tommy originally hailed from New York and was proud of it.
Big question is whether local Tommy was related to the infamous Albert Anastasia who was a boss of the Gambino Crime Family and founder of Murder, Inc. Albert’s headstone reads “Umberto Anastasia” and he’s buried in Brooklyn. He was born in Calabria, Italy and had 9 brothers. Intriguing question, of course, is whether Tommy (Tomas?) was a brother to Albert. Any assistance anyone could give me in this regard would be appreciated. Thanks Butch – (great job on the Bobby Rudisill Sooner Foods shootout). -james clark james@jcloardmore.com
https://oklahomahistory.net/rudisill.html
“Speaking of hamburgers, our Aunt Dovie (Mom’s Sister) (Ed and I called her Big Momma), had a little one room store initially on the east side of the Davis Elementary School and ended on the East side of the road across from Davis High School. She served hamburgers, chili buns, Frito pies, assorted candy, ice cream, and sodas. I bet she probably served every kid who attended the Davis School System at least once or twice during the thirty plus years she had that little store. Her hamburgers were fifteen cents with all the trimmings, and the chili buns were ten cents. Now those I can still taste today.” -Poss in Korea
“Hello… I stumbled across your website this evening. It is wonderful, and I enjoyed it very much. I am researching my Miller family in Carter County. They arrived sometime around 1900 when it was still Pickens County, Indian Territory. GGG-aunt (Harriet Curbow Miller) died shortly after arrival. GGG-uncle (Elijah Spencer Miller) remarried (Emily Rosella Mosby Long) in “Springer” by 1904. He died in the 1920s in Ardmore. Any information on my Millers would be appreciated.” -Judy Curbow jlcurbow@att.net
“Hi Butch, Here is another picture of the canal that is used for the water taxi in Bricktown. It was taken a few days before Christmas. You will notice a Civil War cannon in the background on the left hand side. This is where the bronze statues are located depicting the land run of 1889.” -Cecil Elliotthttps://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/BricktownCanal2010.jpg
This is a 1926 video of Henry Ford on a Fordson snow motor machine he made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBjlSJf4274
Ardmore, Oklahoma, 1958. The movie playing at the Park Theater that week was “Saddle the Wind,” starring Robert Taylor, Julie London and John Cassavetes. It previewed Saturday, May 24, running through Wednesday, May 27, 1958. In those days, Main Street had two-way traffic and all day and evening on Saturdays there was a continuous crawl of cars and shoppers. A few years later the Main Street traffic would become one-way only, thriving stores would close and the hustle and bustle of the downtown 1950s would fade away. -Neal Freeman, Class of 1958
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/ArdmoreMainStreet1958.jpg
“Butch, I find it interesting about your building a moped. In my garage in Lone Grove, I have a complete kit still boxed, including the motor, fuel tank, electronics, and everything else to build one also. I had to put that project on hold until we get completely moved in. I do have a bike but I think I will buy one of the under $100.00 bikes at Wally World to install the kit on. Maybe this will be the start of the “Mopeds of Lone Grove” club. Have fun.” -Cecil
“Almost time to plant your onions. My friend, who has since passed on, would coerce me go to his place down near the Carter/Love county line, dig rows and plant onion sets. In early February. We would go back and check on them ever so often. And to me they had not budged or grown any! Then all of a sudden in a month or two. Here they come. They begin to grow and shoot up. And the bulbs got so big. He was a true man of the land. Funny how you remember such triviality.”
Museum Memories
Contributed by Melinda Taylor
The Wilson News September 28, 1916
Anyone that has been around here for the past week will agree that the streets of Wilson need paving. The loose sand has been flying something fierce and it has been disagreeable to all. Now that we have some leaders that want the streets paved, lets get behind them and boost them up so high that they can’t fall down. Following is the list of blocks that will be paved:
Starting at the First National Bank, it will extend west two blocks, and east one block. On 5th St. it will extend north one half block, and south one block and a half toward school house. On 4th St. it will extend one block south to the supply houses.
This is a movement that should be backed by the strongest business men. It will mean lots to the city.
The Wilson News October 5, 1916
Paved streets in Wilson will soon be a reality. This will no doubt be the smallest and youngest town in Oklahoma to boast of permanent asphalt pavements. And this town is also destined to set the pace in other enterprises as well as street pavements.
Wilson Historical Hours: Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
I don’t believe in pessimism. If something doesn’t come up the way you want, forge ahead. If you think it’s going to rain, it will. -Clint Eastwood
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
American Flyers Memorial Fund – Administration Webpage
https://oklahomahistory.net/crash66.html
Official American Flyers Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base Website
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
https://oklahomahistory.net/airbase/
Carter county schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com
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