PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
Phone: 580-490-6823
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
On November 29, 1967 little 6 year old Scott Allen Compton was stuck by a pickup truck driven by 19 year old Jerry Wayne Kendrick while crossing the street at Lake Murray Drive and “C” Street SE here in Ardmore. The Compton child was unconscious and not breathing as a result of his injuries. Patrolman Ed Burton, an Ardmore police officer, was on patrol that afternoon and worked the accident. But what no one knew at the time, except for the guardian angel of little Scott Allen Compton, was that Bill Allen, the only respiratory therapist for a 50 miles radius was behind that pickup truck and witnessed the accident. Bill jumped from his car and went to the aid of the boy who was not breathing. Bill administered resuscitation and went along in the ambulance with the boy to the hospital. My friend Bill Allen had just moved to Ardmore one year prior to this accident. No ambulances or hospitals in our area had respiratory therapist prior to 1967, although Pauls Valley hospital and Purcell hospital were starting to use R.T.s from Oklahoma City to some degree. Bear in mind that when a person was brought into the emergency rooms in our area not breathing, such as Scott Allen Compton, there was no sophisticated equipment like there is today to start that person breathing again nor respiratory therapist on staff. The only piece of equipment in the hospitals at that time to hopefully revive a non-breathing person was a piece of equipment called the E&J Resuscitator. Very seldom did it bring a person back from the brink of death.
On January 15, 1968 Bill Allen received a recognition award from Woodmen of the World representative James Floyd here in Ardmore for his heroic efforts. Little Scott Allen Compton lived.
Twenty eight years later, Bill Allen would have a brush with death while working at the Guest Inn here in Ardmore on Father’s Day 1995. Bill was doing maintenance on an elevator and something went wrong while he was under it. The elevator took his arm off. Surgeons would successfully re-attach Bill’s arm. What is ironic, is a man came to Bill’s aid and helped stop the bleeding, who was a member of Houston’s Guardian Angels. He was Mario Castillo. Mario was working on a construction job at Uniroyal and temporarily staying at the Guest Inn. Mario Castillo probably saved Bill’s life while waiting on paramedics to arrive. Below is a 1967 photo of William “Bill” Allen in his Ardmore Seventh Day Advents Hospital uniform.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/BillAllen1967.jpg
January 1956
The Air Force announced in Washington DC that it had approved proposals for construction of 500 housing units at the Ardmore Air Force Base. Last May the Congressional House Arm Services Committee, marked 6.8 million dollars for construction of 400 residential units on the base for personnel.
January 1988
Lone Grove Police are asking for help in identifying a grave marker. It was found last Friday by members of the Allen Young family near a creek bank north of the Nomad Electric Company on highway 70. The stone reads, “Our Baby Asleep in Jesus. Chucky, Charles A. Edwards, 1974 – 1975.”
NOTE: The Charles Edwards marker is back in the Lone Cedar Cemetery in Johnston, County.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=137058690&ref=acom
December 1988
The Rudisill family is celebrating its first anniversary as owner-operators of Rudy’s Drive-Inn on North Meridian next to the Grove Mart Grocery.
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/
My regime of Coconut Oil in my hot tea and coffee along with my Probiotic I have been taking everyday is working great. My blood pressure is really down since taking a teaspoon a day in my hot tea. Plus it has been working a miracle on my skin blemishes, etc. the past month.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/CoconutOilComparisonJan2016.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/probiotics.html
If you are like many and have an all electric home, you’re electric bill may be higher in the winter than in the summer. The Okie Power Saver takes difference of the watts you are being billed for, and what you are actually using, and recycles those watts. Several friends are finding out my Okie Power Saver is a great way to reduce that electric bill and save money year round.
Q. Oklahoma is in the “bible belt”. What is the most religious county in Oklahoma?
A. Choctaw County. Its population is approximately 15,172, with 87.83 percent of its residents identifying as religious. About 46.60 percent identify as Baptist, 49.41 percent identify as Other Christian and 5.10 percent identify as Methodist.
Q. Where is the Timberlake Rose Rock Museum?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of February 9, 2002:
In southern Pontotoc county is Fittstown, Oklahoma and a bell at the Fittstown Baptist Church.
When you leave Fittstown and travel about a mile or so north, one will see a sign that reads: Hickory Hill Baptist Church, turned west at the sign and go west down a long winding mile or so, and there you will find the new church (the old one burned down not long ago). They have two bells in front of the church.
View Number 1 View Number 2 View Number 3 View Number 4
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A Reader snapped a photo last December of a big ole bell in front of the First Baptist Church in the town of Butler, Oklahoma, that’s northwest of Clinton, Oklahoma in Custer County.
https://oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/custbap2.jpg
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A Reader called to tell how beautiful the court house dome looked with this week’s snow gently layered over the top of that copper.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/dome206a.jpg
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We’ve got a new face working around the courthouse this week. He is Wayne Vaughn. A lot of you will remember Wayne with his years of service to the Ardmore Fire Department. Wayne will be the director of the Community Service office, overseeing the community service obligations as ordered by the Court for clients. He is temporarily officed in the Annex Building next door to the courthouse, but soon he’ll move into another office just down the hall.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/vaughnw2.jpg
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My neighbor Bill Landrum brought by an American Flyers memento this week. It’s the business card of J.J. Hamilton, Directory of Training at the American Flyers school at Gene Autry, Oklahoma.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/afcard02.jpg
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We had a lot of excitement in Ardmore this week! I can’t remember our little city receiving so much national publicity since Ardmore born John Hinkley shot President Reagan on March 29, 1981. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hinckley/HBIO.HTM
In summary, four Texas murderers escaped jail in Texas and ended up a couple of weeks later in Ardmore, taking a convenience store owner, George West, hostage. No one hurt, but nerves were frayed for 4 days while those 4 hid out in the woods near Lake Murray. Here is the story!
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/02/07/texas.fugitives/index.html
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“Butch the writer about the club west of Bosco’s was the Pink Elephant club. It was owned by Lester Colbert who was Bosco’s brother-in-law. You could get illegal whisky there and it was rumored that he also had ladies of the evening working there for a price. (never tried that though) haha. I remember you could buy a 1/2 pint of Old Granddad whisky for $2 (I did buy that) haha.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Grand-Dad
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“There are now a few places in Cooke County that are wet– Lindsay, Texas, a few miles west of Gainesville, and an area six or eight miles east of Gainesville. There are, as you might expect, liquor stores in each place. You’d never know it going north and south through Gainesville, which is indeed still dry.”
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Butch, Here is a brief introduction to my work in progress on Ardmoreite Perry Maxwell at this time. I unfortunately, do not have a publishing house at this time. But I haven’t finished writing the book yet either. If anyone would like to contact me they can reach me via this e-mail address or they can contact me by phone at either of the following numbers. I am not a professional writer so this is not just another project for me if that is something that may worry or put off some of your readers. If there is anything else you would like let me know. I will keep you updated on the progress of my book. 317-817-7652 (work) 317-770-1739 (home) Thanks again for your help.” -Chris.Clouser@Aimco.com
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“I see you have received a number of responses regarding the best BBQ in all of Oklahoma – I still contend that the best buy for your money was out a Tatum on the West end of town just off Highway 7. Open air pit – nice music – excellent Ribs and Chicken. Every time I passed through, I would stop and get a batch to take to Davis for the weekend where I visited family and friends and then on the way back to Lawton and Fort Sill where I was stationed where again I would share with family and friends. The mid-60’s, the early 70’s, the early 80’s – man were they good. Do not know if the place is open now or not, but it was good when it was.”
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“Am really enjoying your T&T. I am really going to date myself but here goes. Does anyone remember the Estes Bakery on North Washington. Will Estes owned it. Also what about Mrs. Bennet’s Hot Tamales? She lived on Broadway. My grandfather, J. B. White, used to go by there and bring them home. They were wrapped in newspaper and smelled scrumptious. Other times he brought real, honest to goodness liverwurst from the Davis Grocery on D St. Also does anyone remember the Sunday night entertainment at the Central Park– dance recitals, schools bands, etc?” -June Maxey
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“Butch, This week we had so much snow in Dallas and it brought back more memories of Ardmore and my childhood. My Daddy would always have a big sled and would pull us through the snow with it hitched to the back of the car. Of course in the 20’s there were not that many cars! On the back of the sled our Dad would have a ladder also attached and the older children in the neighborhood would ride on this. I remember being so cold and we would have on our long underwear that we had to put on in November and could not take it off til a certain day in spring. It was a daily attire along with long cotton stockings and high-buckled shoes. Also there was a certain day in springtime when we were allowed to begin to go barefoot. We always looked forward to that certain day that we would call “Barefoot Day.” As we all know, the weather is not like it use to be. We looked forward to every Christmas season to going to the country and chopping down our Christmas tree. Other fun outings were when Dad and Mother would take us pecan and persimmon hunting. Those trips to the country were always such fun. Will write again.” -Tweed Stonum Machock
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“In Re: the barbeque place near Red River. It was Metzler Bros. and they moved to Lindsay, TX. We still went down there to eat after they moved to Lindsay. I think the place is still there but now when I go down there we eat at the Smokehouse. We never did drink but we sure liked the barbeque.”
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I have a postcard dated 1919 ? of #10 West Main, the interior of Walter C. Dean Jewelry store.
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Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“I just want to thank you for your page about building a pallet shed. I decided I’d give it a shot since I too need some extra storage. I sourced my pallets from my work place. I got lucky, because all the pallets I got are 4ftx4ft, made out of 2x material and topped with 1/2″osb. I used 3/4″ all thread to bolt each pallet together. And ran 2×4 up at each seam to connect the top and bottom row. I pulled off the OSB to make the wall lighter to lift since I built it laying down. once it was all bolted and standing, my roof pitch was very slight (like I wanted). 8 inches of drop over 12 ft. The roofing tin (corrugated steel) is the only thing I have bought so far. That brought my grand total to $105. I’ll send you more pictures once it’s painted, but below is what I got. Thanks again for your inspiration!!” -Dustin in Virginia
Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5 Photo 6 Photo 7 Photo 8 Photo 9 Photo 10 Photo 11
Hi Butch. You didn’t mention, in this week’s issue, who wrote that the concrete building to the north-east of Dougherty was Makins Sand and Gravel Plant.
Last year, Roy Miller and I were discussing the location of the Southern Rock Asphalt Plant, which was near the Arbuckle Lake Dam. Roy added in his email to me that “There was a spur from the Santa Fe main line in Dougherty to the plant” and that “between the asphalt plant and Dougherty was Makins Sand and Gravel Company also on the spur line.”
Roy’s comments support what your unidentified correspondent told us. As you might remember, I have an interest in rail-served industries in the Dougherty area.Regards,
Ron
“Hey Butch, did you know that many years ago when American Bandstand was on TV William “Catman” Morgan of Madill appeared on the show where the kids were dancing. I didn’t see it but everyone in Madill said he stole the show because he was such a good dancer. The Madill Record wrote about it. Might find some info from their records that they would share. He worked for Texoma Peanut for as long as I have known him. It was seasonal work after the peanut harvest for several months and he sold fruit and vegetables and water melons or anything to make a living the rest of the year.” -Carl
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/SulphurHoneyMan020116.jpg
Just a little trivia from “Footprints” published by the Love County Historical Society.
On March 5th, 1916 the temperature was 94 degrees.
In 1916, Waco Turner was the principal at Hoxbar School.
A copy of “The O’Savior n?e Simon Valley School” written by Charles R. Walker, is in the library section of the Love County Historical Society Museum in Marietta. It is located across the street south of the jail. -submitted by Frances Long Anthony Dunlap
“Does anyone know history on the building by WPA of the Lake Murray damaged in the 1930s? Heard the south side of the damage was named hell’s kitchen. Is this true?”
?George Washington is the only president who didn?t blame the previous administration.?
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
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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