The Great Explosion of 1915
Engine number 729 was parked on a siding 100 yards to the north of the explosion one. The force of the explosion was enough to knock it off its rails. The Colorado, Rock island, and Pacific railroad freight Depot survived the blast. The DeWitt cigar factory, which employed 22 girls, was a sturdy rock structure, which survived while buildings on other side were destroyed. -Courtesy of the McGalliard collection, Ardmore public library
Dillard, Oklahoma, or what’s left of it, is located 16 miles west of Ardmore, just east of Wilson Oklahoma. A post office from November 22, 1924 to June 30, 1933. It was named after Lee H. Dillard, a Choctaw allotee. Below is a 1912 photo of Dillard.
Tishoming Dam…. 100 years ago and now today
The Goddard Center for Performing Arts at 401 1st Avenue Southwest is getting a new lobby.
The video below was filmed in Ardmore at the Hamburger Inn by local artist Kaitlin Butts. It was released in April 13, 2022.
HAM Readio Talk
A HAM operator in Brazil told me about a great weather site. I been checking it out, sure has a lot of features. https://www.windy.com/
The past 7 days I’ve made contact with the following HAMs using Echolink. I’ve really enjoyed HAMing it up with people all over the world.
190. 2/22/23 9:35pm VO1HL Larry in Fall River, Nova Scotia (n)
https://www.qrz.com/db/VO1HL
191. 2/23/23 2:00pm 5H1RR Romeo in Tanzania
https://www.qrz.com/db/5H1RR
192. 2/24/23 3:00pm PF1SCT Frank in Netherlands
https://www.qrz.com/db/PF1SCT
193. 2/24/23 8:30pm K1JTV Harvey in Delray Beach, FL
https://www.qrz.com/db/K1JTV
194. 2/25/23 8:20pm KM6HND Reuben in Sacramento, CA
https://www.qrz.com/db/KM6HND
195. 2/25/23 9:00pm KD9WHI Tom in Aurora, IL
https://www.qrz.com/db/KD9WHI
196. 2/26/23 3:15pm W5RBH Rick in Whitewright, TX
https://www.qrz.com/db/W5RBH
197. 2/26/23 6:20pm K2DRZ Matt in Boise, ID
https://www.qrz.com/db/K2DRZ
198. 2/26/23 7:00pm JJ1TXL Fox in Tokyo, Japan
https://www.qrz.com/db/JJ1TXL
199. 2/26/23 7:30pm KD9RXF David in Cambridge, WI
https://www.qrz.com/db/KD9RXF
200. 2/28/23 8:00am M6NUH Baker in Sussex, Britain
https://www.qrz.com/db/M6NUH
201. 2/28/23 3:05pm WN0F Bill in Platte City, MO
https://www.qrz.com/db/WN0F
202. 3/01/23 3:00pm 2E0IPS Ian in Skipton, England
https://www.qrz.com/db/2E0IPS
Speaking of weather sites, here’s one sent me Wednesday. Almost meserizing. Worth checking out. The control button (on a PC) is in the lower left-hand corner.
https://earth.nullschool.net/
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG….
Still looking at the yearbook…. At approximately 8:05 on April 10th 1979 there was a tornado in the Pruitt, Ratliff City, and Fox area.. This was a result of it. -Amanda Holbrook
Lincoln Bank architect drawing West Main street Ardmore, Oklahoma
I’m at the store tonight and noticed some of you don’t know how to use the divider. You need to put it long ways to trip the sensor and keep a distance. Some of y’all use it as a privacy fence. -Trish Brown
I had an interesting phone call this week from Leman Lewis in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Leman is working to restore the oldest Black hospital in Oklahoma that was located in Okmulgee back 100 years ago. I told Leman a number of my Murphree kin (mother’s side) are buried in Okmulgee and some still living there, including a cousin Stan Murphree.
Below is from my Vol 4, Issue 150 March 4, 2000 newsletter:
“I don’t think you have this one. It is a picture of a bell in front of the Doughtery Baptist Church in Doughtery, Murray county, Oklahoma. It is still in use today. I hope you can use it.”
“Butch: I love This and That! Thanks for taking the time to put it together. I am fascinated with the history of Southern Oklahoma. My wife and I bought the old St. Agnes Academy building in Ardmore and have turned it into a beautiful Bed and Breakfast. We are looking for tidbits of history about the Academy and anyone who attended the Academy or had a relative who attended. You have found a couple of wonderful pictures which our friend Steve Sexton forwarded us (before we subscribed to T&T. Thanks, -Jim & Maxine Huggins.”
A friend here in Ardmore loaned me their book “Mill Creek, The Life and Times” (1999) by Harold Dean Garrison. Mill Creek is about 30 miles east of Ardmore and Mill Creek resident Harold Garrison wrote a very informative book on Mill Creek history in 1995. As I was reading through the book, I noticed several interesting things. In 1921 Mill Creek schools started their football team. But in 1924, their star football player, Curtis Williams, broke his neck in a game against Ada. He died from the injury several days later. It was then Mill Creek closed down their popular football team, never to start it again. Also in 1932 Mill Creek had a very bad shootout with bank robbers. The bank robbers were eventually caught and sent to prison. I don’t know if the book’s author, Harold Garrison, still has any copies of this most unique book, but if you’re interested, give him a call at 580-384-5414. The book is nearly 300 pages with over 50 rare photos in it. If it’s Mill Creek, Oklahoma history you want, this is a great book!
This week I had a visitor from Roff, Oklahoma, Gary Bob Barnett. He is the son of Ulis Barnett, a Justice of the Peace here in Ardmore back in 1935. Gary had some old photos, so I scanned one showing Ulis Barnett in his office at the courthouse. His office was in the southwest corner on the first floor, which is now known as the “land records room”. This is a 1935 photo belonging to Gary Barnett in Roff, Oklahoma. Thanks Gary for the pic!
This week my 82 year old uncle, Pratt Carmon, here in Ardmore had a severe stroke, leaving him unable to speak or walk. The Ardmore Fire Department responded to his house 805 3rd Northeast and helped the ambulance in getting him to the hospital. Firefighter Tim Hill called me at work to tell me of the emergency as he knew I was kin to the Carmons somehow. I was the only relative my uncle had with him for nearly three hours, until his daughter, Carol Carmon Cole of Hurst, Texas, could get to the hospital. It’s really nice to have friends who go out of their way to help in an emergency as Tim Hill did for me. Thank you Tim. Friends, they make life worth living.
Here’s a 1908 pic of the First Baptist Church at Cordell, Oklahoma.
Saw this on Facebook of the Mulkey Hotel lobby. Thought you would be interested. -Richard Craven
“No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm.” –Charles Kettering
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, OK
580-490-6823