PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
Phone: 580-490-6823
I stopped by Wilson Monuments in Lone Grove last week and talked to Billy Wilson about a marker to be placed in Healdton in honor of the two police officers who died in the line of duty from that city. We have received close to $500 in pledges, so that is what we have to work with, and I know now after talking to Billy we can proceed forward with this project.
Billy had a piece of grey looking granite that will be used on another project, but he suggested something similar so the stone wouldn’t look so much like a burial spot. The stone example below is larger than we will be getting, ours will be more like 36 inches wide by almost 36 inches high and sit on a concrete base. With that size marker there will be plenty of room for an inscription and the 2 names on it. Those of you who pledged are who made this possible. We will be calling on those pledges soon.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/GraniteExampleA.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/GraniteExampleB.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/hutchison.html
For several years I have subscribed to the techy newsletter below. It comes free every day in my email box chocked full of useful information pertaining to this high tech computer world we live in today. Two programs that caught my attention in Wednesday’s edition are AdwCleaner or Junkware Removal Tool (JRT). They are used to clean junkware off computers. I am definitely going to try them.
http://www.howtogeek.com/196259/defend-your-windows-pc-from-junkware-5-lines-of-defense/
Here are a few pavers I sandblasted this week.
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/WilliamCharlesPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/MollyPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BenDouglasPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/DoubleOBarPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/AftannLeePaver.jpg
A few weeks ago I sandblasted a paver for JW and Rita Howell in Louisiana in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. 50 years is a long time, especially in this day and time when marriage commitments get shorter and shorter in the younger generation. September 5th was the Howell’s anniversary date, and this week I received an email from Rita along with a picture of the reception. I was proud to be a part of their reception, even if it was in a small way. Below is the email I received:
“The Howell’s, JW & Rita the one you made the brick and board for had their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration Sept. 6th, 2014. We renewed our vows with a new full wedding. The same man that married us in 1964 was here to do it again. The same man that sang With This Ring I Thee Wed was here too, but did not sing- a tape played with Hank Snow singing it. I have included it in this email. Along with our pic of our 50th with all family members that was made up the wedding party.” -Rita
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/HowellBrick.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/HowellAnniversary2014.jpg
Near Caddo and East Broadway is the new Market on Broadway. In front of the building is a piece of art probably like no other in the state, maybe the U.S. I don’t know who created this artwork, but it took someone with quite an imagination. I like it. Wish it was in my front yard!
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/MarketPlaceWeatherVane.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/MarketPlaceWeatherVaneClose.jpg
Q. How many U.S. astronauts rose from the red dirt of Oklahoma all the way to outer space?
A. 8. http://www.okhistory.org/kids/spexhibit
Q. When the U.S. Congress formed the Oklahoma Territory in 1890, what we now know as the state was in two parts called the Twin Territories. What were the names of those two territories?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of September 9, 2000:
I received two more pics of bells this week! And they are from Oklahoma towns most people have never heard about. One bell is located at Carrier, Oklahoma in Garfield county just NW of Enid, Oklahoma.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/CarrierOKbell.jpg
The other bell is located at a church further NW of Enid in Alfalfa county near the Kansas border in a town named Goltry.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/GoltryOKbell.jpg
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When I was traveling to Gene Autry, Oklahoma this week, I saw something that’s almost a thing of the past in this area. Someone had what was left of a garden from the 42 days of no rain, and he had a couple of scarecrows in that garden. The two scarecrows were made from paper Mache, and looked pretty scary to me. I wonder if they scared off the rain clouds, and they are the reason we didn’t have any rain? lol
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/GeneAutryScarecrow.jpg
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“I stumbled onto your site looking for Willis township. Still don’t know where it is. My grandfather James Alexander “Coot” Byrd was the Constable of Willis township in 1927 and killed by his ex-father-in-law, Mr. Hoggard. I have a copy of a newspaper account of that incident. According to the article the Byrd family had lived in the community for many years and was apparently fairly well respected.? I would love to have additional information concerning his activities in the community. I believe that his mother’s family also lived in the area, their name was French. Could you possibly help me find a way to gain more information? I enjoyed reading your “This and That ” site. Thanks for your time.” Galegg@yahoo.com
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“Another subject- the Ford hotel. I am pretty sure that during the time of the Air Base I and some other servicemen stayed at this hotel. Could not come up with the name but if it is the same one, it was on the south side of Main Street near “C” street:, and at that time above several other businesses, probably Montgomery Ward or about where I believe it is Dollar General is now. It was upstairs- and even at a much younger age, there were a lot of steps to climb but the “price was right” for sure. Do not remember what it cost but it fitted into a serviceman’s budget I recall. On the corner going west was an A&P market and not sure what else came in between but would be right in that area. We used the Whittington, the Mulkey, and the Ford as our 3 choices, leaving out Hotel Ardmore which to us seemed pretty expensive at the time.”
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“Butch. The Ardmore Soup Kitchen has been in operation since March of this year. It is located where the old Sports Club was North of the Tivoli, on B Street NW. It is open Monday through Friday and serves a simple meal to anyone who is hungry.”
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“In your last This & That, a lady wrote and ask the first name of the Highway Patrolman in the picture with Clyde McGill, , Elmer Koscheski, (her dad) et al. The Highway Patrolman in the picture is Johnny Jones. I was the prosecutor in Love County when this picture was taken.” -Ken Bacon
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/ElmerKoscheski.jpg
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This is an historical account of the Governor Bill Murray’s standoff with Texas concerning the calling out of the National Guard in 1931 to dispel a problem (as he saw it) concerning the crossing of Red River across a toll bridge. Reference to: A History of The Sooner State BY Edwin McReynolds (1954,1964) page 364. “In spite of a federal court injunction obtained by toll-bridge operators at Red River crossings, Governor Murray succeeded in opening the free bridge between Denison, Texas and Durant, Oklahoma . Governor Ross Sterling of Texas, under authority of a ruling by Texas courts, proposed to barricade the Texas free-bridge entrance and to guard it with rangers. Murray called out an Oklahoma National Guard unit, ordered it to the bridge on U.S. Highway 69, claimed control of both ends of the structure, and opened it to the traffic on July 25, 1931.”
“Read on and learn how Governor Murray put Oklahoma under martial law and shut down all producing wells in Oklahoma because east Texas was producing so much oil that the price of oil had dropped to 15 cents a barrel. Governor Ross Sterling followed suit in Texas, and shut down the east Texas wells – soon the price of oil began an upward trend. In this case you will see that the two states worked together.” There is a book entitled “Oklahoma Heritage” by Sharon Cooper Calhoun and Billie Joan English (1984) that I recommend for a more colorful accounting of the so called “THE GREAT RED RIVER WAR” page 171. This book has an excellent accounting of all aspects of Governor Murray’s administration – I regard it as a “must read” if you are really interested in Oklahoma – particularly in its earlier days.” – Ernest Martin
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“In a recent edition of This & That, a reader inquired about the location of Yellow Hills. According to OKLAHOMA PLACE NAMES by George H. Shirk, Yellow Hills was in Carter County, 7 miles east of Ardmore. The Post office was established November 25, 1890. The name was changed to Durwood, September 11, 1891. On April 8, 1913, another Post office was established a few miles east in Marshall County and designated New Durwood. Its name changed to Durwood on October 11, 1931. In 1926, the Post office was moved to Carter County.”
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Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=152754
Check gas prices by town or zip code anywhere in U.S.
http://www.kmov.com/traffic/gas-buddy
Non-ethanol gas (pure gas) stations in the Ardmore area.
https://oklahomahistory.net/puregas.html
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..“Your article on Santa Fe Engine 1108 brought back memories. I have pictures somewhere that my mother took of the engine in the middle of Lake Murray Drive on the way to the fairgrounds. It was quite a job. The crew moved the engine forward fifty or so feet, stopped and a section of track behind the engine was removed and placed in front of the engine. The engine moved forward to the end of the track and the process started over again. It was just like playing with a model train –only much larger.
I was just seven at the time, but remember it well. It seems like it took days to get that done. There was quite a crowd.
By the way, I was one of those kids you mentioned in the article. Yep, that was me and my cousin James Marchesani out there day or night jumping on the engine and ringing the bell. It helped that James’ dad, Donnie, was on the police force at the time (he later became Police Chief). I lived on D Street Southeast, so it was an easy walk to go play on the engine.I do remember being chased off 1108 many times over the years — even as a teenager. I even jumped the fence once in my 20’s. Heck, I’m 67 and the next time I’m in Ardmore I may try it again! I can see the headline in The Daily Ardmoreite =”Senior Citizen Arrested For Playing On Steam Engine.” -John Bagwell
2014 Chickasaw Nation Annual Meeting & Festival – Tishomingo, Oklahoma
Friday Sep 26, 2014 through October 4th.
http://chickasawcountry.com/events/view/2014-chickasaw-nation-annual-meeting-festival?utm_source=Chickasaw%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9-16%20Email
With This Ring – Hank Snow 1950
With this ring I Thee wed an angel here beside me
A moment more and heaven will be mine
With this ring I Thee wed as every dream inside me
Comes true each time I hear the church bells chime
This little band of gold I hold will soon be on your finger
A vow and now that moment so divine
With this ring I Thee wed and make you mine forever
To have and to hold until the end of time
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
https://oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Bells of Oklahoma
https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com/
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/
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