PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402 Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net Phone: 580-490-6823
Last weekend Jill and I tried out the new truck tent I bought for her birthday since she wanted to do some camping. Our first trip with it was to northeast Oklahoma, first stop, Natural Falls State Park (5 miles west of Siloam Springs, Arkansas). Natural Falls is similar to Turner Falls, a 77 foot falls. It took us about 45 minutes to set the tent, because we took our time, reading the directions, etc. I think a person could set the truck tent up in probably 15 minutes or less after getting familiar with it. Our night at Natural Falls ($8 for Seniors) was not the experience I was looking for. It was dead calm, hot, humid, and some guy had a puppy mill or something across the road to the north, and dogs barking all night, especially this one dog, yelp, yelp, yelp. Anyway, with the 2 battery operated fans we had inside the tent, it wasn’t too bad. These first three pics are the pickup truck with the tent ($220 from realtruck.com) set up in the bed.
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This next pic is the entrance to Natural Falls (known as Dripping Springs by area old timers) which is just a short walk from the campground.
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And this is the falls itself. We have read that during a drought the falls may not be running.
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After leaving Natural Falls we traveled 5 miles east just over the Oklahoma state line to Siloam Springs, Arkansas and ate breakfast at Braums. In the parking lot was a really neat Can-Am 3-wheel cycle. Wish I had one!
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The next night we camped in the far SE corner of Oklahoma, at Emerald Vista, located on the west end of Scenic Highway 1 that runs from Talihina to Mena, Arkansas. These next two pics are views from the lookout area.
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The night we spent at Emerald Vista was completely different than Natural Falls. The tall pine trees right next to our campsite, the strong cool breeze blowing in the very tranquil night all night long, the super bright stars visible from our tent’s 2 window screens between the pines, so nice. Jill loved it. She’s ready to go back.
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There were only 3 parties including us camping at Emerald Vista that night. The reason for so few is there is no water. The park service has the water turned off for some reason, and installed next to the restroom building are two portable toilets. But the area is still well kept, lighted, patrolled by the park service, and a deputy sheriff even drove through that evening. The camping fee was $10 a night. We even found a 20 acre parcel of land for sale not too far outside Talihina, Oklahoma on a county road deep in those pine trees just off the highway. It was just what Jill was looking for, secluded, dense pine trees, a cabin, water, and electricity. Now to figure out how to come up with the $20,000. lol
Here is the GPS reading at Emerald Vista campground in Winding Stair Mountains34.714842,-94.675884
I think I see more trips to this area in the not too distant future!
Last week we had a pic of what I thought was the Sulphur mud bath area of the park, but I wasn’t for sure. A couple of Readers wrote in to confirm that was where Indians applied mud for medicinal purposes over 100 years ago. This area is just downstream a few 100 yards from the Vendome Artesian Spring. When I looked at it a couple weeks ago, there is no way on earth I will enter that water, can’t see the bottom, might be something that bites. lol
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Last week we pictured some unusual coffee rods we saw in a Davis, Oklahoma antique shop. Several wrote in, and almost had the answer. But these were not the tall skinny glass rods in most percolators in this area. I did find the answer, these particular glass rods work in a Vacuum Coffee Pot. Now I think I want one of these types of coffee pots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxIs2GVsqgY
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Several of you have emailed and Facebook’ed me the past few days asking how to get your hands on a copy of Ardmoreite James Clark’s new book, Reflections on a Time – Growing Up In Southeast Oklahoma. It is now available at the Bookseller in Ardmore. Here is an email I received from Lois Proctor:
“Hi Butch, “Reflections On A Time”, by James A. Clark, is available at The Bookseller. The book is paperback, priced $13.95. Thank you for all the wonderful history and stories you pass along to us.”
Lois Proctor
The Bookseller
614 W. Main
Ardmore, Ok 73401
580-223-8642
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From This and That newsletter archives of June 20, 1999:Here is the old McKemie Hotel in Sulphur, Oklahoma – 1910.
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This is a 1910 photo of the Perry, Oklahoma Post Office.
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“I just might have your answer to the “Tunnel on Stanley Street”. The one that I remembered was at “LINCOLN SCHOOL”. It was located just outside from the double doors on Stanley; next to the curb. At the time I was attending school at Lincoln, the tunnel was already closed; but the concrete banister was still there. Now that is gone and only a concrete slab remains.”
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I received a most interesting email this week. It was from the grandson of Dr. J.J. Boyd. Dr. Boyd (01/29/1875-02/02/1974) was a local homeopathic doctor. He was renown all over the country. I remember my mother taking me to see him when I was a child. Dr. Boyd was the only person we knew of who had a medication for poison ivy. People always went to him for that, plus any other thing that ailed them. I remember when I was about 16 years old, on a Sunday evening, I was hanging out at the Number 2 Fire Station on east main street. A pickup with a camper on it drove up. The man and woman asked if they could park their pickup next to the fire station for the night. They had driven all the way from California to get some of Dr. Boyd’s sugar pills. They bought a six month supply. We called them “sugar pills” cause they were little bitty white pills, kinda looked like today’s saccharin tabs. He kept them in a great big bottle, and would put them in a little, long glass pill bottle. Then Dr. Boyd would take a vial of solution (he had dozens) and pour a little over the pills, then place a cork on the bottle. I guess what amazed me about Dr. Boyd is how he would evaluate you. You would sit in this big waiting room, with the others, and with all of his horse paintings and statues. The nurse would call your name, and you’d go in and sit in front of him. Of course he’d ask what was the problem and all. Then he’d ask you several questions, like what do you eat for breakfast, etc. He’d then tell you, “I don’t want you to eat any more eggs for 2 weeks”, or something like that. Then he’d fix you up with a couple bottles of pills. They were $1 each! Wish I had one of them as a memento. Anyway, Dr. Boyd’s grandson lives in Nashville, Tennessee now, and he sent me this photo of his grandfather. Dr. Boyd was a remarkable man…… and a legend. I doubt there are any more like him in the country. Here’s a pic of Dr. Boyd’s office I took in 1966. It was located at 127 “F” Street N.E. here in Ardmore.
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Dr. Boyd’s combination office and home was destroyed by fire in 2001.
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Q. Who was the first Republican to be elected governor of Oklahoma?
A. Henry Bellmon
Q. Who was the first Democratic to be elected governor of Oklahoma?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..“Butch, I think Maidette Bransford needs to be recognized as the oldest alumni at the Jefferson Alumni Reunion. She started to school at Jefferson in 1929. She looks great and gets around better than I do. She cut the Jefferson Cake at the dinner. Her being there just made my day. Her daughter and son/law Anna Lynn and Bill Lumpkin brought her. Bill attended Jefferson also. He brought the plans for the old school that burned and also for the new school that was built. A history of the school as well as pictures of all the ward schools in 1912 was distributed thanks to Leslie Lasiter Lavers. Her mother who is 90 also attended Jefferson but she was unable to attend. Will Rogers Elementary is now making plans for a reunion. A big ?thank you? to Cedric Bailey for starting the ball to roll for Jefferson?s reunion.” -Frances Dunlap
“Butch, we are getting a drive in theatre here in Sapulpa, it is being remodeled and is set to open this summer…if anyone is interested they have a facebook page…Teepee Drive In…can’t wait !” -Lee Cox
http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/historic-tee-pee-drive-in-to-re-open-in-sapulpa
“My grandparents moved to Ardmore in 1907, and my mom was born there in 1915. My grandfather (A. H. Duke) was manager of Swift and Company until he retired in the 1940’s. I loved going to visit my grandparents – loved the brick streets, the milk man and horse going clip-clop, walking with my grandfather to the little store 2 blocks away and buying a cold drink and hostess cupcakes (he always gave the grandkids a quarter to spend). I always spent two weeks with them every summer, and we visited often. All my aunts and uncles had part time jobs (my mom worked at Kress, a five and dime store) while in school. She and all her brothers and sisters graduated from Ardmore High School. I have a picture of my grandfather standing in front of Swift & Company, along with other employees. Love the Ardmore history that you post.” -Jean E. Jones Riddle
“Butch, The contribution concerning the Gaskins and the Skyview Drive-In was great last week. Growing up, my mother would often take my sister, Sharon, and I over to the Gaskin’s home to visit with Rose. Their home was on Cottonwood just off of 77 North. I think they were the second house from the highway back then, 1950s. Their driveway was on the east side of the house which sat quite a ways back from the street. I remember Rose as being petite with that flaming red hair. She often wore very colorful dresses. It seems like she was of Italian heritage. Rose had a vivacious personality. During my teen years when I would work across the highway at my dad’s service station from the Skyview, I would often run across the highway and get two chili dogs at the concession stand for my dinner. They served some of the best chili there. Jim and Rose had a son named Jim and I think he went to OU and graduated with a degree in accounting but I can’t remember the year any longer. Do you know how they eventually ended up in Monroe, LA? I read the article in the Thursday TULSA WORLD about the Admiral Theater in Tulsa. Whenever we drive to Jackson, Wyoming we drive though Driggs, Utah and past the Spud Drive-In. I have been tempted several times to stop and watch a movie but we are usually through there early in the week and the Spud is only open in the later half of the week.” -Monroe Cameron
“I went my 5th year of school in the Mahota Presbyterian Church in Marietta. My brother who was in the sixth grade also went there while they were building a new school. We had to line up and cross the street to Colston?s Service Station to use the restroom during recess. First Baptist and First Christian Churches also housed students during that time. I attended my cousin?s eighth grade graduation at First Christian.”
“RE the tower at Norman: I’m pulling from the memory banks, but I remember as a kid when Oral Roberts was praying in his tower in Tulsa until God helped him raise $8 million, Taco Collins, manager (?) of the dealership, built his own tower and claimed he was going to stay up there until they sold X number of cars. This would have been 1987, I think. It was on the radio and everyone in town was talking about it. I think he stayed up one night or something–very shaky on that part, but I bet if you ask people what they remember about that sales promotion, someone will remember more. Or call Taco, who appeared to be at Moisant Promotional Products in OK recently, based on a quick Google search. I never met him, but at one point he dated the mom of one of my friends from school.”
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“Joe Bussell has owned the Hidden Lake RV park SW of Ardmore, Oklahoma for 5 years. ?Recreational vehicles are a lot of fun but the worst place you can be in the event of a tornado? said Bussell. Bussell said after seeing the damage that tornados can cause, not only in Joplin but close to home he decided this year it was time to make the park safer for his guests.” -Steven Fletcher, http://RVbasics.com
http://news.rvbasics.com/oklahoma-rv-park-builds-storm-shelter-for-guests/
“Around the year 2000, I had written in about my Grandfather James Harris Gaines, which he was a janitor at Carter County Courthouse in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and maybe further back. A week or so afterwards, someone had sent in a photograph of him. For whatever reason, I did not copy it or print it off. I tried to bring up the picture up from your website, but with negative results. I was hoping that you may have an archive that may include his picture. My Grandmother Eura “Proctor” Gaines, including my parents Harlton T. “Red” Gaines and Pauline (Dobbs) Gaines have past. I would appreciate it very much if you could send that to me one more time. I would like to share this with my daughters. Just a little family history of the Gaines, Langs, Dobbs family (Lone Grove/Ardmoreites), in four generations, which include my two daughters, we have served our country over 120 years of service. Reading in your recent newsletters you have moved down south of Lone Grove. My father was born and raised in the Brock area. My uncle Forrest Dobbs lived in that area and my cousin, Wayne Dobbs has his place down in that area also.”
Thomas P. Gaines
Chief Warrant Officer, W-2
U.S. Navy (Retired)
Associate Governmental Program Analyst
Wasco State Prison – Reception Center
Thomas.Gaines@cdcr.ca.gov
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“Butch, A photo of the 1938 AHS Track Team, My grandfather Joe DuBiel front row, left. Thought I would share with you and your Readers. Maybe others may know some of the others in the shot. On the back of the photo is Fonville Studio 1938.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/JoeDubielFrontLeft1938.jpg
“In the mid-80’s Frank & Deborah Popper wrote a scholarly article called “The Great Plains From Dust to Dust.” Their idea of a return to nature of portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming & Montana was controversial, but has gradually become true in many areas. In Kansas alone, more than 6,000 towns have vanished altogether and nearly a million square miles of the American heartland currently meet the definition of “frontier” used by the Census Bureau more than a century ago.
This & That readers are invited to share their comments about this transformation involving land, the great Ogallala Aquifer and the decline of the small business in so many towns. It looks like everyone will be affected at one time or the other. One avid reader has written about it on his blog, http://www.JamesClarkBlog.com and comments are welcome.”
The Wilson News
November 17, 1916
ARDMORE TO BUILD A TOLL ROAD
In company with Ben E. Mobley and Prof. A. A. Rogers, the editor attended a mass meeting at the Chamber of Commerce in Ardmore Tuesday night and witnessed that city raise $75,000 in about one half an hour to build a road to the oil fields. They are organizing a transportation company to be capitalized at $400,000 half of this amount to be raised before incorporating. The road is to be built from Ardmore to a point north and west about 20 miles and from that point run one road to the Healdton field and another to the Fox field, 40 miles in all, so stated Mr. Franklin in his report for the Transportation Committee. The subscriptions came in quickly and in large amounts, Mr. Mobley subscribing $250.00. By proclamation of the Mayor, all business was suspended from 9 to 11 Thursday morning, enabling all working people of the city to attend the Toll Road Meeting, during which we learn around $100,000 was raised. Ardmore is certainly emulating Wilson’s example and “hustling some.” Visit the Wilson Historical Museum online at http://www.wilsonhistoricalmuseum.org or in person at the museum Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat. 10:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Campers: Nature’s way of feeding mosquitoes. ~Author Unknown
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Ardmore High School Criterions Online
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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
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Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
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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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