PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823
Thanksgiving Day is almost to an end. I am finally finishing up my newsletter. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving no matter how small or large the event. And to remember we need to be thankful for more then just one day. We did not have the traditional turkey like millions of others across the country, but Jill did fix 2 delicious Cornish Hens in the pressure cooker. I liked it better than turkey.
I had a request today from a Reader who owns a painting done by Boots Bramhall years ago. She is wanting to give it to any family member of Boots. If anyone knows how to get in touch with any of her children or kin, let me know. Below is a clickible link to Boots Bramhall’s Find-A-Grave information and photo.
Someone mentioned in the 1900 photograph of the Pike, Indian Territory fire in last week’s newsletter, one man in the photo in the white stripped shirt looks like he is wearing a modern day baseball cap. After another Reader did some research, seems there was baseball caps back in 1900 when the photo was taken. I did not know that.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/FireScenePikeIT1900.jpg
You can find current gas prices for a particular Oklahoma town by entering the name or zip code in the GasBuddy search box.
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/
Q. What is the official state fossil of Oklahoma?
A. Saurophaganax Maximus dinosaur
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-dinosaur-fossil/saurophaganax-maximus
Q. Where is a whimsical tower inspired by the space age and the Mobius strip located?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of November 23, 2002
According to the earliest Ardmore records, in 1887 the Board of Trade in Ardmore was working for civic and community improvement under the leadership of Samuel Zuckerman. Soon after 1900 the Board of Trade was renamed the Ardmore Commercial Club and by 1909 had 232 members including livery stables, hackline operators and carriage works. Also five banks, 7 drug stores, 8 real estate and land companies, 4 florist, 3 furniture dealers, 14 grocers, 12 insurance agents, 7 lumber yards, 3 oil companies, 10 doctors, 3 railroads, and a long list of public officials including the Honorable Charles D. Carter, 3rd District Congressman. By 1916 the Ardmore Commercial Club was changed to the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce with an office in the Carter County Courthouse.
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We at the Carter County Annex Building had our Thanksgiving Dinner at noon Friday Nov 22nd. Boy, I mean those ladies from OSU, the Election Board, and the Commissioners office set a table fit for a king. We had baked ham, brisket, green beans, salads, boston baked beans, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and the list goes on and on. I ate until I thought I’d pop. But I think the best and most unusual treat was the Candied Pecans that Michelle Bray brought. In fact, they were so good I wanted to share her recipe with everyone.
2 cup pecans
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup can milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
Cook all together in a sauce pan on medium heat. Stir very often. When the contents start sticking to the pecans and its hard to stir with a spoon, spread out on a sheet of wax paper and sprinkle with sugar. Let cool and break up into small pieces.
By the time I got around to taking a picture of these pecan delectables, they were almost gone. yum yum. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/cpecans.jpg
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“In response to the person who ask about the woman that was murdered some where around 1930 out by Springer or Gene Autry. The way I heard it was that she was killed in 1927. She might have been a descendant of Quanah Parker. And after her body was released to the family they took her body to a field about 2 miles north and a couple miles west of Springer and a big pile of brush and wood were hauled and her body was placed on top of it and set a fire. And for three days and nights they kept piling wood on the fire.”
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“Butch, Just an FYI…John Hinckley and his parents lived on Davis Street in Ardmore. I believe 2 houses west of Robinson street on the south side of the street.”
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“My sister Ann Rempel was kind enough to refer me to your website and later, to send me a hard copy of your Newsletter. I found your collections really heart-warming. I am grateful to both of you. I was in and out of Ardmore all my early life but spent three years there 1940-1943 when I was a teenager. I lived with my grandparents, Lucian and Harriet Jones in the 800 block of Carter Ave. SE, across from Mary Ringer’s big house. I have wonderful memories of that time and took away great educational experiences when I graduated from Ardmore High School in 1943. I could talk about some of the wonderful teachers: Hamilton Green, Mr. Crockett, Mrs. Madden, Miss McPheeters, Miss Reece and many more. Every student should be so fortunate as to have such intelligent and caring teachers. Ardmore itself was a good place to be. I loved going to the Preview on Saturday midnight at the Tivoli Theater and having great food at Priddy’s Restaurant.(Did anyone ever get the recipe for that salad dressing?) Those frozen malts and grapefruit slush served at a drugstore on Washington near the High School were unforgettable. I also made some great friends, and still maintain contact with a few of them. I left in 1943 for TSCW at Denton, returned briefly in 1945 to work at KVSO, then located in the Ardmore Hotel. I then moved to the Pacific Northwest. One does lose connections after nearly sixty years, but not memories. By the way, my grandparents didn’t have a telephone, so when we had an emergency, I would be sent up the street to use the one at the home of a Mr. and Mrs. O.R. Bridges. I hope they were your relatives, as I don’t think I every got a chance to thank them properly for their kindness.” -Carolyn Frei
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A Reader in Lone Grove has about eight goblets from around 1950 her mother got out of the round Quaker Oatmeal boxes. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/oatgob2.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/oatgob3.jpg
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I received an email this week of a bell in Sobol, Oklahoma (Pushmataha county). You say you never heard of it? Well don’t feel alone, neither had I. Sobol is 24 miles east of Antlers, Oklahoma on Highway 3 and then a little south. The bell was donated to the Sobol Baptist Church by a lady named Cora Smith. The plaque in the photo is in honor of Ruby Lawless who was Clerk at the church from its beginning until 1986. https://oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/sobol.jpg
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When I was a teen in the 60s a man who owned an egg farm right outside Sulphur gave me an egg weigher. I know it was made before 1963. It says: Oakes Mfg. Co., Inc. Tipton, IND. USA on the front of the metal weigher. The scale is Small, Medium, Large and Ex Large. Plus there is a DOZ and OZ measurement. I’m not sure exactly how those work. I guess an Large egg weighs between 2 to 2 1/4 ounces? Then the DOZ is?
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/eggweigh.jpg
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Here is a 1940/1941 school class photo taken at Dickson Schools.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/dickson40b.jpg
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Lawrence A. “Sprek” Sprekelmeyer (1886-1966) started his printing business in the Von Weise Building at 230 West Main on May 15, 1923.
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Stromberg-Carlson, a division of General Dynamics was opened at the Ardmore Airpark in September 1964 and utilized 5 buildings at the airpark.
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Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..“Butch…RE the recent mention of the ownership of the refinery…as I recall, my step father Fount Duston Jr. was employed there in the early l930’s when Wirt Franklin owned it but shut it down about 1935 or so…he returned to work there in about 1938 or so when it reopened under the name of Ben Franklin/Bell Oil Company…they were from Tulsa (they also had another refinery at Grandfield, OK) Cameron Lake just a bit northwest of the refinery used to supply water for cooling in those days was where my stepfather and I hunted and fished back in those days. There were one or two ownership changes after that but I am not sure exactly when Valero took ownership but think it is ironic now that my grandson works for Valero in Houston. My step father worked there until 1952 when he died in the fire/explosion in Jan (1952). After the navy, I also worked there for a couple of years before returning to school at OU in 1955. My step father was the youngest son of Jim Duston, early settler in Ardmore about 1885 when he and his older brother Fount Duston Sr. came up from Gainesville. Jim was Constable with the Ardmore PD in 1915 and his brother Fount Sr. was a cotton buyer I have been told and later Justice of the Peace and father of Doris Duston, long time teacher at Ardmore High School.” -Jack Moorhead
Q. Can you please tell me what store was located in Tiffany Plaza next to 1800 flowers, specifically if Stage was ever located in that area?
A. Stage, Bealls, CR Anthony store, TG&Y, Deck’ Menswear, Merle Norman
This is part of our yard after the wild hogs got through. They did the back yard too. -Newman Walker, Healdton, Oklahoma
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/NewmanWalkerHogs.jpg
At the link below are 10 more scans of old photographs this week. -Robert Hensley
https://oklahomahistory.net/postcards
Below is a link to a very rare photo of Ardmore’s first birthday in 1888 at Whittington Park.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/ArdmoreFirstBirthday1888b.jpg
I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. -Henry David Thoreau
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
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm’s Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
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 Government Website
http://cartercountyOK.us/
All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website.
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