PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 580-490-6823
Quite often someone will ask me how I got into computers. Ardmore businessman John C. Simpler (he passed away in Oct 1998) was the first person to expose me to the world of computers. He had a two disk drive (10 inch floppys, no hard drive) and taught me how to write programs. I paid John $10 an hour for a couple hours instruction each week just to learn on his Datapoint computer at he and his brother’s business on North Commerce. This was a used computer, cost $5,000. John told me they couldn’t afford a new computer, so they settled for a used one. My 2 hour classes a week went on nearly all summer in 1980. That was 32 years ago, and I’m still learning something new everyday. And my passion has always been networking.
I remember when John took his 14 year old daughter to Nashville on January 21, 1984 to record her first record. She was Lori Simpler and what a voice! John had 1,200 45RPM records made of his daughter singing original songs by two local songwriters, Danny Puckett and Greg Jean…. “Nobody’s Baby Anymore” and “Someday”. I still have my signed 45 record and paper insert about Lori. The record was produced by an Oklahoma City recording company.
Lori’s song Someday with lyrics and an 90 second music clip is at the end of this newsletter.
I had a request last week to help a friend find a former Ardmoreite who attended Ardmore High around 1960. No one has emailed me, so we are going to try again to find him. His name is Mike Hilburn. His parents came to Ardmore when the airbase opened at Gene Autry back in the 50s. If anyone knows Mike and how to get in touch with him, please let me know.
X-Ardmoreite Tweed Stonum Machock lived on D Street SW in Ardmore back in 1915. From time to time over the years her daughter has sent in stories from Tweed’s past when she lived in Ardmore. Here is just one of those memories:
“My name is Tweed Stonum Machock and I was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1915 at 315 F. Street S.W. My earliest remembrance from my childhood is of Mrs. Byron Drew’s son, Walter’s funeral. I remember standing on our front porch and holding my Mother’s hand as the military procession marched past our home. I recall band music and the flag draped casket. Walter Drew was killed in World War 1. (Funeral did not take place until 1921.) Many times when visiting Rosehill Cemetery and seeing the life size statue of Walter Drew I’m flooded with memories of my childhood days. Thank you for this newsletter, for I will write again.” -Tweed
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WalterDrew1.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WalterDrew2.jpg
On October 1st Tweed celebrated her 96th birthday in Dallas.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/TweedStonumMachock100111.jpg
Thanks to the Ardmore Industrial Airpark manager, Chris Bryant, there is now a flag pole at the Remembrance Memorial Park. Chris told me the flag pole was originally at the old hospital building at the airpark and since it was not being used, volunteered to move it to the memorial site. Thanks Chris.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/MemorialFlagPole100211.jpg
Ben Roan is in possession of a pretty neat piece of history. Its an old Pennzoil bottle. I had never seen one of these before, and googling it found very few mentions of it on the internet. Maybe someone has more info to share? Ben’s email is [email protected]
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/OldPennzOilBottle.jpg
Last week we mentioned the Ardmore Industrial Airpark manager, Chris Bryant, getting a flag pole erected at Remembrance Memorial Park. This week Chris has the national and state flag flying high from that pole! Thanks Chris.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/MemorialFlagPole100811.jpg
Still working on my HHO generator system. Not much progress since last week’s issue. Still about 16 miles a gallon. I did find out I had way too much potassium hydroxide in the quart of distilled water to make the electrolyte solution. Directions say 2 tablespoons, so when I wasn’t getting the amount of HHO gas I hoped for; I added 3 more tablespoons of KOH. It turned a yucky brown, and I replaced it with new solution last weekend. But my 38 year old Chevy 6 cylinder engine is running smoother than ever. And the testing continues…
https://oklahomahistory.net/goinggreen.html
We got over a couple inches of rain last Sunday here in Carter county, but it didn’t even phase the drought condition. Still need LOTS of water.
U.S. drought monitor
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
From This and That newsletter archives of October 10, 1998:
John Dillinger, gangster, terrorized the central part of the U.S. for 14 months after being released from a 9 year prison term in May 1933 in Indiana. One strange fact I noticed was Dillinger, after being killed outside the theater, was taken to Harvey Funeral Home in Mooresville, Indiana. We have had a Harvey Brothers Funeral Home here in Ardmore since the city’s beginnings. I wonder if the owners were kin? What a lot of people don’t remember, was parts of the movie Dillinger were filmed right here at the courthouse in Ardmore (1977). The part where Purvis is getting his shoes shined in the courthouse is our courthouse here. They also used some local residents in the filming….. Ray Bacon, his son David Bacon, James Clark, and others. Filming also done in places near Ardmore, including the recently burned down Chickasaw Club Lake house.
Q. As part of a renewal plan, Oklahoma City planned to build what gigantic shopping mall in the 1960’s?
A: The Galleria. Money ran out, however, and only a parking garage was actually constructed.
Q. What hotel served as the capitol building until 1917 when the current capitol was finished.
A. (answer in next week’s newsletter)
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“Butch, Saw your name on the Oklahoma History website. I?m an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 358 in Lucas/Fairview, TX. I was curious if you or anyone would know who I could contact to get permission or maybe a guide to arrange a caving trip for our boys. Thanks for any help you can provide.” -Mark
“THE TWO THREADS LATELY CONCERNING RAIL PHOTOS TAKEN MANY YEARS APART AT THE SAME LOCATIONS PROMPTED ME TO UP LOAD A PROJECT I WORKED ON LAST YEAR. I PURCHASED A POST CARD FROM EBAY WITH A PHOTO OF “THE CUT” JUST SOUTH OF DAVIS OKLAHOMA. POST MARKED 9-4-1910. KNOWING THE AREA QUITE WELL I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COOL TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SAME LOCATION 100 YEARS LATER. (I actually made the follow up shot on 4-9-2010 since I didn’t know the exact day the 1910 photo was taken.) HERE’S THE LINK TO THE SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON PHOTOS:
http://news.webshots.com/photo/2957298370048365975zCVtRa
Be sure and click on the magnifiying glass icon below the photo and then again on photo after it loads for the full res. version.” -C. Dwane Stevens
“Anyone know who might be buried just North of the Bromide Quarry near Bromide, Oklahoma? There is a couple of graves about a quarter mile on top of the hill.” -Drew
Meat Glue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXXrB3rz-xU
Dallas 3rd Saturday Sidewalk Sale http://www.sidewalksale.com
Date: Saturday October 15, 2011
Time: 6:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: 1100 Woodall-Rodgers Freeway, Dallas, TX
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/DallasSidewalkSaleMap.jpg
The Davis New 100 YEARS AGO 10/12/11: Editor Fay Crossett wrote: Some weeks it is easy to get up a newsy paper, other weeks it seem impossible. It has been a hard task to get news for this issue. There is not much news “going.”
W.N. Ervin sold his stock of groceries to R.W. Kay.
T.H. Slover paid $50 an acre for a farm about two miles north of Davis. The farm consisted of 170 acres and was considered a “valuable place.”
A box supper at Brittenburg Schoolhouse, better known as Gooseneck, was planned to pay out the old school house in order to keep it for public gatherings.
C.B. McDonald’s mare, Winner-out, won grand champion prize and first prize at the horse show at the coliseum at Oklahoma City
October 22nd – Elvis & Fabulous 50’s Rock & Roll Revue – Choctaw Event Center – Durant, Oklahoma. By Shawnda Rains Music Showcase
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/OctoberElvisShow2011.jpg
“Don Davidson’s suggestion of Lysol spray to remove skunk odor from dogs may be okay, but don’t try it on a cat. The stuff in Lysol is toxic to both cats and foxes. Incidentally, Don and I are both alums of Classen High School in OKC; I edit the alumni association’s magazine and published an article by Don in the last issue! Small world indeed.” -Jim Kyle [email protected]
“In your TnT dated July 28, 2011, you state:
Q. In what town was the first Boy Scout Troop of America formed?
A. The first Boy Scout troop in America is claimed to have been organized in Pawhuska, Oklahoma in May 1909 by John F. Mitchell.
Many sources (wikipedia, Boy Scouts web site, etc.) disagree with you. The Boy Scouts started in New York City, from a YMCA, according to wikipedia and other sources.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/History_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America
John F. Mitchell is not mentioned in any on-line documents I could find.” -Dan
“On a second subject, what do you do with your extra eggs, assuming you do not eat them all? I’ve found two ways to help “use them up” – ice cream and cornbread. Summer is over, but not the hot days. I think I would still eat ice cream in the middle of winter, anyway. here are several good recipes on the internet, but I prefer the “French” or custard-based ice cream (not just frozen milk). I make a standard ice cream base, then add a half-jar of instant coffee. When it comes out of the ice cream maker, I layer it in a container with ribbons of hot fudge and caramel sauces. The containers are then put in the freezer to harden up a bit before eating.
I make a bunch of batches of cornbread at once. These get put in zip-lock baggies, all the air squeezed or sucked out, and into the freezer, too, With the air removed, they’re less likely to get freezer burn. Goes great with stew, chicken soup, or a nice hot bowl of beans on a cold winter’s day.”
“Someday”
By Lori Simpler
Lone Grove, Oklahoma
Songwriters: Danny Puckett, Lone Grove
and Greg Jean, Ardmore
Recorded January 21, 1984
It hurts me to see you unhappy,
Someone like you shouldn’t be,
If I could change the hands of time you’d be with me,
And I’d give you the love you’ve needed so long.
Yes baby you know that I love you so,
But there’s too many hearts in the way,
But baby, who knows, some where some way,
Maybe you and I, maybe some day.
It’s hard being lonely, no one caring,
When we have love we should be sharing,
You remember when he forgot,
You gave me strength when he would not,
So tell me if I’m wrong for loving you.
Yes baby you know that I love you so,
But there’s too many hearts in the way,
But baby who knows, some where some way,
Maybe you and I, maybe some day.
Maybe you and I, maybe some day.
A 90 second clip (wav file) of “Someday”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/someday.mp3
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com
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