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Saturday March 29, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 310
This week a T&T Reader emailed me an interesting 1959 piece of Ardmore history. Back in December 1959 two men and a woman, after beating a jailer, broke out of the Carter County Jail. They were John Junior Blanton, Bobby Randall Greenwood and Recca Baker. The woman asked for aspirin at 1am from jailer Gene Kyle. On his way back down the jail’s corridor, the two men asked for some assistance too, and when Jailer Kyle looked through their “bean hole”, he was grabbed by the two men, making good their escape by using his jail key. Here is a photo I took sometime back of the old Carter county jail’s “bean hole”. The old jail was the second floor of the present day annex building at 106 Hinkle next door to the courthouse. One thing that caught my attention in the newspaper clipping was, “a trusty who sleeps in the courthouse heard them and investigated”. Things sure operated differently years ago. Back in the 40s and 50s and before the courthouse’s main entrance doors were never locked. But individual office doors inside were kept locked. Anyway, here is a pic I took last summer of one of those “bean holes”. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/beanhole.jpg
And this is one of the brass keys used to open the bean holes in the old jail. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/jailkey.jpg
This is the newspaper clipping from the 1959 The Daily Ardmoreite with pictures. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/jailbreak1959b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/jailbreak1959c.jpg
Here is an old $10 dollar bill issued by the Exchange Bank of Ardmore years ago. It has a picture of Ardmore banker Perry Maxwell on it. Perry Maxwell is buried in a private cemetery at the north edge of Ardmore’s Dornick Hills addition. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/maxwellbankbill.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/maxwell3.jpg
This is kinda neat, a folding model plane for advertising with Ponder’s Super Dog imprinted on it. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/pondersplane.jpg
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
American Glycerin and American Torpedo Co
224 11th NW Phone 218 Ardmore, Oklahoma
An Ardmore business around 1937
Submitted by: Leroy “Mac” McDaniel
of Mannsville, Oklahoma
McDaniel Website http://www.brightok.net/~lwmacBefore WWII the United States was trying to locate and have in reserve all of the oil, rubber and some other commodities it could get hold of. Nearly all of the major oil companies had “land” offices in Ardmore. These offices were staffed with petroleum engineers and geologist. Their job was to contact people in certain locals and buy their mineral rights. Every few months a different oil company seismograph crew would arrive in town. Their job was to drill small holes in the ground and set off explosives and record the data about rock structure and sand structure in the ground. This information could pretty much tell the experts exactly where they could drill for oil or gas.
There was a man that was transferred into the Ardmore area by the name of “Ace” Swoap. He was an employee of the E.I. DuPont Company, in the explosives division. He operated out of his residence. His wife took all phone calls and listed them on his service board. He had a warehouse out in the country away from all farm houses, business and live stock. He was the one that handled the nitro-glycerin. He would go to his warehouse and load the “torpedoes” with nitro and place the torpedoes on his truck in an inverted channel iron rack. The amount of nitro in each torpedo would vary depending upon the requirement by the oil company. They would be strapped down for the transportation to the well site. When he would arrive at the seismograph well site he would very, very gently lower the torpedo by an electrical cord down into the ground. The seismograph crew would tell him how far down into the ground they wanted the torpedo lowered. The electrical cord was measured and when the torpedoes was at the desired depth the cord would be tied off and hooked into an electrical charger. Then the charge would be detonated and the seismograph crew would get their data from a bank of machines on the big truck they all had. It became a standing joke around Ardmore that when you saw a cloud of dust coming, you would get off the highway and give “Ace” the “right-of-way”.
A Reader in Woodward sent me a 1948 Colvert’s Dairy statement made out to Mrs. H.A. Stanley. Mrs Stanley lived at 121 K SW here in Ardmore. What I noticed that’s interesting, is at the bottom of the statement its reads: “sherbet” instead of “sherbert”. I have found it spelled both ways. Anyone know about the two spellings? https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/colvertstatement.jpg
I am amazed sometimes at the talent and ingenuity that some people have, wishing only that I had some of that talent too. Johnny “Dugie” Gilbert who hails from Leon, Oklahoma in Love county has taken some everyday items and turned them into a work of art. Shown in the two photos below, Dugie used corn dog sticks, red beans, rice, rocks, twigs, cornbread, smooth rocks and other things to create his art work. Dugie then used floor wax to put a shiny finish over the entire piece. These photos do not do the pieces justice, they are beautiful to look at in person. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/dugie2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/dugie3.jpg
Celine Dion performed her Las Vegas Special last Tuesday evening on TV and I missed it. A lot of you know she is one of my favorite singers. If anyone taped her show last Tuesday, let me know!
A Reader and his wife just returned for a mini vacation, visiting three countries, England, France and Italy. He brought me three bells, one from each country. The bell from London, England is a beauty! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/threebells03.jpg But he said the hospitality of the French was much to be desired while they were there visiting. He got the same poor hospitality when they went to French Polynesia Tahiti in the South Pacific last year. I’m glad to know some of our schools here in Ardmore no longer serve french fries to the students, instead they now serve freedom fries!
After more than 20 years the Carter County Commissioners Offices in the Annex Building has new workstation desks for the two secretaries. The change sure has made things better and more organized for Phyllis and Michelle. Before the update everything was piled up here and there and finding a little piece of cleared space to work was difficult at best. Much better now! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/commishfurn3.jpg
But I’m happy to tell everyone that one piece of history in the commissioners offices did not change. We call it “the rock”. Those of you who have been in our offices at the Annex Building knows what we mean when we say “the rock”. When visitors see it for the first time they think it’s an Idaho potato sitting there. No one knows really just how long “the rock” has been there. But we know its been holding down paper at the office for over 20 years. Who knows, it may have been around since the beginning of time itself! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/therock.jpg
Our little group of WorldxChange users continues to grow each month. But with the excellent long distance rates, and the crystal clear calls, I can see why. I made a couple of calls to London, England recently to talk to McGinnis Book of Records officials. My charges were only 4 cents a minute! At that rate I didn’t mind at all talking to my hearts content with the lovely people in the United Kingdom. And I see more of you are using the excellent rates of the Virtual Pre-Paid Phone Cards that are available instantly online! Check it all the rates at: http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“We just spent the last week on spring break on Lake Murray and on the way home we decided to try out Magnetic Hill. I had printed out your directions and after a little searching (thanks to the construction and some closed exits on I-35) we found the hill. It was SO COOL. We drove to the bottom exactly where your picture told us to stop and we put the car in neutral and had a really wild, fun ride backwards. It was great! We then, of course, drove to the bottom of the hill and turned around to look at it and our minds were boggled to see that we were AGAIN looking down a hill! It was so cool we went back and did it again. This time when we got to the bottom, I got out to take a picture and almost fell over.. literally! I stepped out of the car and my brain compensated causing my body to get ready to lean in the direction of the hill and when I stepped out, gravity said I should go the other way… I felt a bit like I had been drinking! So COOL. 🙂 I did take photos of the hill in each direction.. It still boggles my mind. Thanks for sharing!!!!” -Paula http://www.jrmints.com/maghill.html
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“Butch, The cinnamon rolls and white hot dinner rolls made at the AJH & AHS school cafeteria were made by a lovely black cook named Emma Batchelor. She arrived at the school via Taxi cab around 4:30AM to begin making the rolls for the entire day. She worked at the school cafeteria in the late 50’s and early 60’s for sure. I do not know the exact dates of her employment with the schools. I will try to check with some people who knew her, and see if there is any way her recipe can be found. I have my doubts, she probably knew how much of this and that (excuse the pun) to put in her mixer each day. It would be nice to know just how she make these rolls.Also, I wonder how many former Washington Elementary School students remember the delicious choc cake Mrs. Smither’s made on soup day which was each Wednesday. She once told me she followed the recipe on the back of Hershey’s Cocoa can back in the 50’s. My Mom tried it a number of times, but she never could make it the same taste. Mrs. Smithers made up so much and too the schools received the commodities, so I am almost sure everything possible from the commodities went into making the cake such as flour, powdered eggs, powdered milk, shortening, and just about the whole bit. I wish it could be possible for that recipe to be posted on your paper sometimes.”
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“Butch, a great lady that worked at the cash register at the Ardmore High School cafeteria in the early 60’s was Mrs. Rice. Her son Charles “Chuck” Rice has a web site for his sculptor work at http://www.charlesriceartist.com/ Keep up the great work.” -Dennis Medrick AHS Class of 1963
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“Butch, It was interesting that you brought up the subject of Hardy Murphy and BUCK. When Mr. George Hann was superintendent of the Ardmore City School we never turned out school for anything. I was in the Will Rogers School at the time of BUCK’S death and we turned out school ten minutes early so the ones that wanted to attend the funeral could go. That proves just how much influence that horse had. By the way, BUCK was buried on the Hardy Murphy Coliseum grounds.” -Edgar Wallace
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“Greetings from Larry A. Bunch in Caneyville KY! Be sure to visit the big city of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma when you go to Hobart! Just 9 miles west of Hobart. My grandfather homesteaded there in 1901–2 miles North and 1 1/2 West of the water tower in Lone Wolf. My wife’s brother, Ed Pittman (deceased) owned Modern Appliance in Hobart for years. It is located South of the Stanley Bldg., a store or two south of the signal light. My Dad (deceased) married a lady whose son is currently working for the police department in Hobart.”
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“The picture of the “East Texas Cowboy” was pretty good. If it is the one I think it is it’s near Quitman, TX and at Christmas it is lit up and dressed like Santa. I live in East Texas and travel up that way some. There is also one near Kilgore, TX.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/etxcowboy.jpg
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“Butch, if Betty Whitton will look on E-bay, located at http://www.ebay.com/ she may be able to find the Healdton yearbooks that have her mother’s pictures. Betty, do a search for OKLAHOMA and then narrow your search to just BOOKS and you can find a lot of old yearbooks, cookbooks, and other old publications. This is a great source for anything old. I have found some really treasured books there.”
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“Butch, the Stanley Building is a landmark in Hobart. It now houses the Gish-Hackney Funeral Home. The display windows area on the north and west are just storage for the funeral home, chairs, tables, etc, extra stuff for the chapel. Hackney bought out Gish which was on the sw corner of Main across from the library, block east and block north of Stanley’s. That is now a bed & breakfast with a “potato bar”.”
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“Hi. My name is Sue Ricketson. I posted the RootsWeb Message Board for some information. One e-mail I received from “Wanda” suggested that I contact you. I don’t know what your weekly newsletter is about so I am taking her second suggestion: write to you about the questions I posted. I am interested in finding information about businesses and schools in/around the Ardmore area from 1880 to 1906. My g-grandfather, William F Stanfield, and his brother-in-law, Jordan Pearce, were to have had a livery stable/store there beginning in 1880 (or close proximity). I don’t know if they or their wives had any other businesses or not during that time. If I have understood correctly, Jordan Pearce ran the livery stable/store first with William Stanfield coming later (but they were in partnership the whole time). William Stanfield moved his family to NM in 1906. Jordan Pearce and his wife may have came the same time or may have stayed awhile longer. His wife, Emma (Stanfield) (Cunningham) Pearce may have had a boarding house (as she did in TX before they moved to OK) and William’s wife, Anna Elizabeth “Annie” (Hutchins) Stanfield may have had a cafe. I also received another e-mail that stated that businesses operating at that time were required to pay fees in order to operate the businesses. He suggested I check a local Family History Center operated by the LDS church. Would it be best to check there? I know so little about before they came to NM and am trying to find all the info I can about these families. Do you know where I can find information about the businesses during that time period? Also do you know where I can find information about the schools in the area? Some of William’s children and a boy raised by Jordan would have been young enough to attend school (if they went to any). Thank you for your time and any information you may be able to provide. my e-mail addy: [email protected] That is all small “L”s and a small “r” before the @.”
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“Butch, Ron Owens sent me this article from the Ardmoreite. Thought you might like it.”Daily Ardmoreite
May 20, 1897, page 2, column 2
Creek Killing
Muscogee, I.T., May 19, 1897
Freeland Marshall, judge of the Creek district court; Dugan Berryhill, captain of the Creek lighthorse, and one of his deputies, all Creek Indian officers, were shot and killed near here this evening. It is not known here yet who did the shooting but it is supposed to have been done by Texas cowboys. The Creek officers were attempting to cut pasture fences occupied illegally by non-citizen cattlemen and were killed by the cowboys. Judge Marshall was shot five times.Richard Jones was wondering if the “one of his deputies” could have meant Deputy John Green on Page 101 of “Oklahoma Heroes.” Ron Owens told him he had no more info than he had put in the book.” -Dennis Lippe [email protected]
OKLAHOMA HEROES: A Tribute to Fallen Law Enforcement Officers by Ron Owens. Oklahoma Heroes tells the stories behind the lives and deaths of 575 law officers that are memorialized on the Oklahoma Peace Officers Memorial as well as the stories of 160 lawmen whose names do not appear on the memorial. 304 pages. Hardback. $29.99 http://www.ok-history.mus.ok.us/gifts/catalog/settlement.htm
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“Aaron Fridrich of Prague, Oklahoma landed a new state record 7-pound, 12-ounce smallmouth bass March 22 from Lake Texoma.” http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/newsrelease/032703/smallmouth.jpg
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“Hello. I got on your website earlier today and was reading about the Ada, Oklahoma hanging of the 4 men. My grandmother, who is 90 was telling me that we are distantly related to Joe Allen, one of those hung. I was wondering if you had anymore information on him. This past weekend I visited his old homeplace. I was told that Jesse West (another one of those hung) lived there but I think it is where Joe Allen lived. The house is actually on FM 3033 near Allison, Texas. The way my grandmother talks it is the house of Joe Allen. His wife was pregnant with Dicey (Prater) when he was hung. The house itself is about to fall down. I got the panel off the door with the doorknobs on both sides (I think I am going to make it into a coat hanger) and I got a small cabinet that I think was in the kitchen. I am working on it right now. It is in fairly good condition. That was all that was left in the house. The guy who took me out there said they are thinking about tearing it down and burning it because it is such a hazard. I said I would like to get more wood from it if possible. He was told that the house belonged to Jesse West. So that’s why is why I was looking for more information. If you happen to know the name of the book written on the four men I would like to know. My dad said that Dicey had recently passed away so no info is available there. I live in Canadian, Texas. I just discovered all of this by coincidence and have gotten interested in finding out more.” [email protected] https://oklahomahistory.net/adalynch.html
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“We just got back from a trip to Texas. Take a look at these beautiful views of Texas Hill Country. If you have a minute, check out these photos from my Webshots photo album!” http://community.webshots.com/album/67687349fBXXQd
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“I loved what you wrote about Doss Kutch and Hobart!! I was born and raised there (1942 – 1960) and Doss was a very special person in our little community. He very seldom had to stop any of us kids for speeding, trying to buy beer, sneak a cigarette – or any other (compared to many of today’s teenagers) “minor” infractions. The reason being is that he knew all our parents and he would just call them or go by our house and “tell on us”…..we knew we were in trouble as soon as we got home. Because of Doss, I still have respect for all law enforcement and have only had 1 ticket in my 60 years (for going 10 miles over the speed limit in front of Noble Foundation). The “red” light on Hobart’s Main Street: all the schools were let out early the day it was installed so we could watch the colors change – red, green, red, green, red, green! What a day that was. And, no, it wasn’t needed then anymore than it is today.”
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“On the corner of Main and Fourth Street, at Hobart’s only stop light, Boothe Drugstore still boasts a soda fountain and features sodas that evoke memories of the small towns of bygone years.” http://rebelcherokee.tripod.com/hobart.html
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“Google shocks us again! Enter any phone number in this format: 000-000-0000 Google gives your address and two (2) maps to your house! http://www.google.com
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“Mr. Bridges, do you know what ever happen to Wade Peterson? He was an aviator about 1927 and a motorcycle cop in Ardmore about 1930. If my memory serves me right he had even chased Bonnie and Cyde down Main Street of Adrmore.”
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================================================We have not had any free drawings for CDs since last September. With Spring just around the corner, with the help of Gene South here in Ardmore, I am putting together a CD with several dozen pictures I’ve taken at Lake Murray south of town. Some of the photos were taken last Spring, plus I’ve added new ones taken this year. The CD will be like a slide show set to music. Just insert the CD in the CDROM, set back, and watch the show!
But hey, that’s not all that’s going to be on the Lake Murray CD. In support of our troops in Iraq, also on the CD will be the 1969 recording of Red Skelton’s “Pledge of Allegiance” which Red Skelton heard when he was a child. http://home.att.net/~poofcatt/july.html
We will be drawing two names each weekend starting in April. So if you want to be included in the drawings, email me your name and I’ll put you in the hopper. The two winners each week will be listed here.
“I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
The war in Iraq is effecting everyone here, we all have or know someone who is over there representing us in the battle against a tyrant. Pray for our men and women.
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday March 22, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 309
In southwest Oklahoma in Kiowa county is Hobart, Oklahoma. Its a small town of 4,000 people, four banks, and one traffic light. And they don’t even need that one red light. Not long after 1900 a relative by marriage to me, Doss Kutch, became Chief of Police at Hobart. On July 1, 1930 one of his daughters, Laverne Kutch, married Robert Carmon from my mother’s side of the family thus the connection to me. Doss Kutch must have been one colorful lawman. I have been told by my relatives his career in law enforcement as a Hobart policeman is the longest of anyone in Oklahoma history, spanning 71 years. I do not have much history on Doss Kutch, but I did find one article on the internet of a shooting he was in at Hobart not long after the turn of the century, resulting in the death of a man. “Murder Charge filed against chief of police Doss Kutch in Hobart, Oklahoma”. I know I need to make a trip over to Hobart soon and do some research on this infamous relative of mine from the early days of Oklahoma. And no, Dougherty, Oklahoma, and Wilson, Oklahoma, I have not forgot about your requests to come for a visit either. There are so many interesting places to visit in this marvelous state of mine, I just want to take my digital camera and make every stop! And someday if God willing, I will travel to every corner of Oklahoma looking for some history! http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ok/kiowa/newspapers/m2420007.txt
Back around 1930 my grandfather, Stanley Carmon, built the Stanley Building in downtown Hobart. I talked to Joe McCall, police chief of Hobart in 1992 and he said the Stanley Building is one of the best built buildings in Hobart, still standing strong after all these years. Until 1986 it was a furniture store. The Lodge was upstairs until 1970. I do not know what is in the building today. Here is a 1992 photo of the Stanley Building in Hobart, Oklahoma. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/carmonhobart.jpg
Ardmoreite Thomas Hardy Murphy, son of Hardy Murphy (1903-1961), emailed me two beautiful photographs of his father this week. This first picture is of Hardy Murphy on his horse Buck inside the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in the “end of the trail pose”. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/hardymurphy3b.jpg
This second photo is Hardy Murphy standing beside Buck at his residence at 1022 Northwest Blvd here in Ardmore. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/hardymurphy3c.jpg
A Reader in OKC sent me an old check this week on Coca Cola Bottling of Ardmore dated 1942. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/cokecheck42.jpg
This week I happened across an email I printed on May 1, 1996 from Ardmore born Doyle Williams who now lives in Ft Worth. I have mentioned Doyle’s name several times the past few months, as he has always came to my aid when I needed help with re-working photographs for my T&Ts. Doyle also shared with me that 3 minute digital file he owns of the 1964 viaduct fire in northeast Ardmore. Doyle must be one of the first couple dozen Readers of my T&Ts, boy, time has flown by since 1996. But I’ve loved every minute of it, and learned a lot of history a long the way thanks to so many of you. I appreciate everyone of you, whether you have been with me since that first T&T in April 1996 or just came on board this week. I wish I could meet every one of you in person. I’ll repeat one of my personal quotes from a few years ago: “Friends make life worth living.” Oh, by the way, the email address on Doyle’s 1996 email is now invalid. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/doylewilliams96.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/viaduct.html
A Reader sent me an email this week asking if anyone out there has the cinnamon roll recipe that was used at the Ardmore High School cafeteria in the 60s. Maybe someone out has it!
Last December a Reader in Calera, Oklahoma (Bryan county) took a picture of the sunset outside his home with his new digital camera. This first photo shows the power lines in the photo. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/sunsetyard.jpg A Reader asked if the power lines could be removed so she could use it for wallpaper on her computer. Here is the end results! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/sunsetyardnolines.jpg
Here is a pic of what was the Tishomingo City Hall in 1952. Its the old Bank of Tish. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/tishcityhall47.jpg
Since I had a typo last week in the link to Ruby Nance’s photo, I’ll repeat myself here: I had a mistake last week in my contents of the 1949 Fair Park CD and I’m surprised someone didn’t catch me on it. I said on Page 2 of the CD was “a picture of Ruby Nance and HER band”. Ruby Nance is a man. He was born January 9, 1908 in Bennington, Oklahoma and he died July 12, 1996 in Antlers, Oklahoma. I found an excellent photo of Ruby Nance on the internet, he’s in the white coat. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/rubynancedanceband.jpg
Picture of Downard Asphalt Mine mining operation 4 miles southwest of Ardmore, Oklahoma. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/downardmine.jpg
Here is a pic of a wax paper wrapper used in the making of Small’s Bakery bread. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/smallsbread.jpg
The owner of the old Ardmore’s Skyview Theater, Jimmy Gaskins, died February 1, 2003. He and his wife Rose operated the Skyview from 1950 to 1978. http://www.ardmoreite.com/stories/030703/obi_gaskins.shtml
The freeware program Windrivers Backup identifies all Windows driver files on your computer and saves them to the location of your choosing in two clicks. Then, when you need one of the drivers, they will be readily available if you need to reinstall one or more or the entire operating system. When I ran the program to backup all my drivers, it created a file nearly 30 megs, so make sure you have plenty of hard drive space, then if you can, burn the file to a CD for safe keeping. http://www.jermar.com/wdrvbck.htm
I’m working on a Webpage to list all the CDs I’ll have available soon. I am still working on the webpage, as I’m going to add a Bell CD and of course a Brown Springs CD. My Brown Springs Webpage gets more hits then almost any other Page I have. But then my webshots.com photos is a close second with sometimes 500 hits a week. Seems people love photos! https://oklahomahistory.net/availablecds.html
Over 5,000 long distance minutes have been used by our group since March 1st and over 80 calls have been made overseas. Many of you are taking advantage of those cheap rates, crystal clear calls, and no hassle long distance! Like that tv commercial that’s been showing the past few weeks here in Oklahoma: “It ain’t bragging if you can do it.” -Dizzy Dean http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“On the subject of Atoka, I wonder if any of the “Old Timers” might remember my Great Grand Parents. Monroe and Sarah Brown. They were full blood Cherokee, and lived somewhere on a farm on the outlying area around Atoka, in the 1920 and 1930’s.” Jim Brown [email protected]
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“This is a neat piece of train history. I would like to mention that even though this ticket is printed on ATSF stock and stamped by the ATSF agent, this would actually be an early Amtrak ticket on the Texas Chief back in the transition days.” -Bruce Frazier https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway2b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway3b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway4b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway5.jpg
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“What makes this most interesting is that Amtrak had taken over in May(?) ’71. I rode the Super Chief from LA to Chicago in June, ’72 and recall we met the westbound Chief around Ono perhaps. It was still a “Santa Fe” train for the most part, including Warbonnet F’s and Rocky Mountain trout for dinner.”
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“I still have in my collection my KCS ticket receipt from 1966 where I rode KCS 2 from Poteau to KC, and went east on ATSF KC Chief #10. We arrived at Dearborn & I made my GTW connection to Battle Creek on the Maple Leaf #158. The fare for 1 adult and child–total was $36. Only tardy train was 2, which had some engine trouble on its E8.” -Daryl
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Butch, I need some help from some of your Readers. My sister and I are trying to locate some of the year books from Healdton, OK High School. Our mother went to school there somewhere between the years of 1946 and 1948 and she was in the high school band because we do have a picture of her then. We would like to have one of the year books, but we have been unable to locate someone what has one to eve copy a picture of her out of the book. If someone has a copy they can contact me and let me know how we can get a copy of her school class picture for our records. When she went to school back then her name was Eunice Faye Fleming. Thank you very much. I really enjoy reading all about the things down in that area as my sister and I were born in Wilson.” -Betty Whitton [email protected]
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“I took this picture of an East Texas cowboy yesterday.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/etxcowboy.jpg
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“Butch, those blasted cedar trees probably were planted by the WPA after the dust bowl. The land had been plowed and all the grass was gone. Roosevelt planted trees as a conservation project to hold the ground.”
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“I read with great interest the letter from Mary Elizabeth Scrivner. Until about l948, I lived up the street (E St. SE) from the wonderful Scrivner family and remember them very well. My daddy and grandaddy owned Lamb’s Grocery on Lake Murray Drive and I have wonderful memories of that neighborhood. We played with Keith Reed, Johnny Groomer and his sister Anita, Sonny Parks, the Scrivner kids, the Pilant kids, Henry Beard, Linda Lou Beaver, Maryann Parker and I know many others that I have failed to mention. My sister, Donna still lives in Ardmore and when we are there, we often have dinner at 2 Frogs and it is great. Mary Liz, I remember riding my little bike, or my little sidewalk scooter, or just walking by your house on the corner, mainly on my way to Jefferson School. Would love to hear from you.” -Linda Lamb Smith [email protected]
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“hope he does write about lehigh, my husband family the Potter, and Rhynes are from that area. here pictures I took at my visit to lehigh and coalgate.” -Pam http://www.worldisround.com/articles/12459/index.html http://www.worldisround.com/articles/12429/index.html
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“Hey, Butch, just had to reply about this one. Quanah Parker was my great-great-great-grandfather on my mom’s side. She and her sisters still live there in Ardmore. But, of course, he had several wives and just as many children, so I’m sure there are a great many of his descendants that live in Southern Oklahoma and in North Texas. There have been several books written about Quanah’s life, as well as his mother, Cynthia Ann Parker. The Parker family settle Parker County, Texas. There is a portrait of Quanah Parker hanging at the Museum there in Ardmore. Or at least, it used to be. I haven’t been in there in awhile, but it was in a room that was full of Native American stuff.” -Kathi
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“My granny’s Uncle Bud (James Henry Clement Jr.) was a prospector. I found this letter about Mr. Goddard’s farm. Do you have any information about Mr. Goddard? Family history say’s Uncle Bud would go into the Arbuckles and stay for a month at a time looking for gold! He was convinced there was gold in them there hills!” [email protected]
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/goddardprospecting.jpg
———————————————————————— I found a bio for Jo Southern on an Oklahoma GenWeb Page, possibly Johnston County, that had the following sentence: ” Father sold his business in 1900 and moved to Mannsville and established a general mercantile business where he lived until his death, in 1907.” I’m wondering if this was the Mannsville Mercantile that Henry A. Pattillo worked for in 1906. Do you or do you know any one who can either verify or deny this as being the same store? I tried writing to the contributor, Heather Cameron, but my email was returned. [email protected] ————————————————————————
“Hi Butch, Just to let you know that I own one of the coin changers they used to use on streetcars to make change. I use it when I have a yard sale, and it is very handy, and always gets a comment.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/goodolddayscoin.jpg
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“Butch: I enjoy your newsletter very much and pass it along to my friends. Several weeks ago you were talking about Troy, Oklahoma. I thought your readers might enjoy this postcard of the Troy Depot mailed 4-08-11. I grew up in Stonewall and I am always looking for pictures and souvenirs from there and Tupelo.” -Ben Roan https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/troy1911.jpg
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“Bell at the Angel Wing Baptist Church at Stonewall, Oklahoma.” -Ben Roan https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/angelwingbell.jpg
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================================================We owe the men and women of past wars for the freedom we enjoy here. And the men and women of today’s war is carrying on that hope to the rest of the world. If you are a praying person, pray for the safety of our troops in Iraq. They are fighting for the free world.
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday March 15, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 308
A Reader sent me a unique piece of history this week. It was a “passenger’s coupon” to ride the train back in 1972. On March 25, 1972 she rode the Santa Fe Chief from Ardmore to Chicago. The total cost was $35.00 for coach (one-way) and good for 6 months from the date it was stamped. Today that ride to Chicago from Ardmore will cost $107 one-way. And you have to go to Ft Worth first, then on to Chicago. Or at least that is the best I could figure out from amtrak.com website. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway2b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway3b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway4b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/chiefway5.jpg
About 8 miles NW of Atoka on Highway 75 is the wee town of Lehigh, Oklahoma. There is not much left of Lehigh, just a convenience store and few empty buildings along the highway. But if you venture west off that highway down a blacktop road for less than a mile, you will find this beautiful old red brick building. It’s the Merchants National Bank built in 1907, the same year as statehood. Here are three pictures I took of this historic Lehigh landmark in the middle of nowhere. Two photos are close-ups. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/lehighbank2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/lehighbank3.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/lehighbank4.jpg
I can stand in front of that old bank building and visualize all the commerce that went on back in the early 1900s. Model T cars driven by businessmen wearing suits and bow ties and fedoras going in and out of the bank conducting their business…. coal business. Lehigh is in southeastern Coal county. If you travel just a little ways on west down that blacktop road, you come to what looks like to the average Sunday afternoon driver farm tanks or ponds. But stop and look a little closer. The ponds look like no ponds here in Carter county. They have irregular banks and all along the banks are great big grass covered mounds. What are they? They are old abandoned coal mines. I’ve been told these mines went down into the ground for 100 feet or more. These tanks are deeper than Lake Murray. Boy, you couldn’t get me to go skinny dipping in those tanks for love nor money. Here’s a photo I took of one of those unusual farm tanks. For those of you in other states, in the foreground you will see those blasted ceder trees we have all over southern Oklahoma. These trees are the scourge of this state. 100 and more years ago there were no cedar trees to take away from the beautiful landscape. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/lehighcoal.jpg
I have a T&T Reader who lives in Lehigh, Oklahoma. Maybe he will tell us some history of his little town for the next issue. Also I’ve heard there is some Lehigh history and photos in a museum at Coalgate, Oklahoma.
A Reader emailed me a 1950 photo of some Ardmore Indians baseball players. The man with crutches is Puny Sparger. His wife Julia Kay Sparger was a high school english teacher and she wrote an article about Young Ardmore and it ran in the Ardmoreite on July 25th 1993. Their son Rex gave the manuscript to the Museum here. The other man on the right is Maurice Bridge, owner Bridge Jewelry. On the back of the photo it reads: Bridge Jewelry. Maybe some of you recognize others in the photo? https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/ardmoreindians1950.jpg
I had a mistake last week in my contents of the 1949 Fair Park CD and I’m surprised someone didn’t catch me on it. I said on Page 2 of the CD was “a picture of Ruby Nance and HER band”. Ruby Nance is a man. He was born January 9, 1908 in Bennington, Oklahoma and he died July 12, 1996 in Antlers, Oklahoma. I found an excellent photo of Ruby Nance on the internet, he’s in the white coat. https://oklahomahistory.net/fairpark1949.html
I was walking down Main Street in Ardmore last Saturday and stopped at one of our antique shops. It is a new shop called The Good Old Days Antiques Store at 110 East Main. This building is the Stong Building built in 1909. Mrs Stong was a sister to John Small of Small’s Bakery.
One thing that caught my attention in the store was the numerous train items for sale. There were several lanterns, some photographs, and even a older model train. I remember when I was about 12 years old my grandparents Stanley and Addie Carmon got me a train set for Christmas. When my grandfather was carrying the box from the lumber yard where he had it hid, into the house he dropped the box with the engine in it, losing a spring. He used the spring out of a fountain pen to get the engine working again. Anyway, here is a pic of some of the railroad items in the Good Old Days Antiques store. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/goodolddaystrain.jpg
Another piece of history in the store that caught my eye was a “muscle man meter”. Also in the pic is a Tom’s Toasted Peanuts vending machine, 5 cents. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/goodolddaysmeter.jpg
Another item in the store and I’m sure someone out there has used one, is a portable coin changer that you wore on your belt that holds coins for making change. I see one has been modified for some reason, maybe to hold silver dollars? https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/goodolddayscoin.jpg
Here is a pic of the front entrance of The Good Old Days Antique Store at 106 East Main, Ardmore. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/goodolddaysstore.jpg
As I walked around the downtown area last Saturday afternoon, I found one of the best kept secrets in downtown Ardmore. Someone has put up a birdnest on a wall behind the Mordy and Mordy Law Offices at 110 West Main. Its in a back alley making it impossible to see from the street unless you walk around and look in the corner about halfway up on a north wall. I’m hopefully a bird will lay some eggs this spring in this nest, if it happens, I’ll keep watch and take some pics. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/birdnest110.jpg
I found some other interesting pictures to take last Saturday as I walked around downtown, but I’ll save them until next issue so this rag doesn’t get too lengthy.
And from my February 10, 2002 Issue….. “A T&T Reader called me this week who grew up in Ravia, Oklahoma. Ravia is about 20 miles east of Ardmore over in Johnston county. She said as you leave Ravia going west, just past the curve is a house with a well house in the front yard (on the old highway). She said the well originally started out around 1910 as a mine shaft to gold. The owners were able to mine quite a bit of gold, but the water came in so fast, they finally gave up, so today its just a water well. She knew of four more mine shafts in the Ravia area where gold was mined.”
A couple of weeks ago when I was travelling through Ravia, there on the south side of the highway, on the west edge of Ravia was that old well, just like that Reader talked about in February 2001. Now don’t any of you try sneaking down that well in search of gold! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/raviawell.jpg
In doing some searching on the internet for Fair Park in Dallas, Texas I found some interesting info on the Chief of the Commanches, Quanah Parker. Quanah Parker lived in Lawton, Oklahoma in his later years and there is a highway going west of Lawton to Cache, Oklahoma named The Quanah Parker Highway. Fair Park is over 100 years old and its where the Cotton Bowl is today. Chief Quanah Parker was a guest in 1909 to Fair Park in Dallas, drawing a huge crowd of curious on-lookers. http://www.watermelon-kid.com/places/FairPark/history/essays/quanah.htm
Here is a 1941 pic of the Quanah Parker Dam by Lawton. I dont know if the dam is still there or not. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/qparkdm.jpg
A portrait of Quanah Parker hangs in the home of Mary Wilson (Wilson Monuments) of Lone Grove. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/qparker.jpg
George W. Connely (1913-1990) was the principal of Washington school in the northeast when I was going there in the 50s. Mr. Connely was the kindest, easiest going, gentleman… the perfect roll model of growing kids, I can remember. Mr. Connely’s son, John Mark Connely, sent me a photo of his father taken around 1975. Also in the photo is Mr. Connely’s grand daughter, Michelle. But I must tell everyone that Mr. Connely could apply the “board” of education when necessary. When I was in the 6th Grade, Jimmy Echer and I went out and played on the front lawn during the morning break. That was a No No and we knew it. We were both taken to Mr. Connely’s office, where he gave us a paddling. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/connelygeorge2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/washschl.jpg
The Carter County Health Department has their website up and running! Employee Samantha Knapp has done a great job in developing the website! http://www.health.state.ok.us/chds/carter/
For those of you who work with MS Excel and spreadsheets, here’s a webpage with lots of tips. http://www.exceltip.com/
Two or three weeks ago I mentioned the cheap overseas rates of WorldxChange and many of you are taking advantage of those cheap minutes to call overseas. So far this month there has been over 60 calls totaling over 500 minutes made abroad! Plus over 4,000 minutes inside the good ole USofA. When your talking about 7 or 8 cents per minute to many overseas places, that’s pretty cheap talk! Check out all the domestic and overseas rates at their website. http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“Here is the URL to a very good map of the Chickasaw Nation in 1895 that someone furnished me this week. However, I don’t find the town of Minterville that your reader was looking for. Perhaps I missed it somewhere.” [email protected] http://www.livgenmi.com/chickasawINNA.htm
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“Butch, been getting This and That over a month and enjoy it so much. I just copied the menu of Superdog #1 and picture of the #2 for my sister, Laura Carroll Harris who works at Two Frogs for her son Aubry. Another son Andy is the manager. Thought she’d get a kick out of the picture of the first Superdog on Lake Murray as we lived 1 block west and 1 block north of it till 1950. In those days it was safe on a hot summer evening to walk over to Superdog and get a cool drink or ice cream and talk to that good lookin’ teen Joe Ben and when it was a slow time he welcomed visiting with even us younger ones. Copied another for Kenneth Beard who lived just 1 block west on Lake Murray next to Lamb’s Grocery also the menu for Ruth Boucher Lyhane who moved from Ardmore in ’53 to Lawton and lives in Ponca City now. By the way someone mentioned Chicken Fried Steak which was Laura Carroll’s favorite growing up and forever and Aubry’s menu honors that by having Laura’s Chicken Fried Steak. Enjoyed about all the grocery stores. My Dad, Will C. Scrivner came to Ardmore from Texas before statehood. I don’t know the dates but he had a grocery store where the old J.C. Penney’s was on Main and had one where the First Methodist Church is, not at the same time. He delivered groceries by horse and buggy. Guess they had regular customer’s he made deliveries to as his horse knew which was next and his horse would go on to the next house as he was making his delivery and be waiting for him. We have old pictures of his stores. We grew up hearing alot of early Ardmore history. My Daddy loved Ardmore so much even if he was born in Texas. My husband, Gene Sigman worked in Safeway as a young teen and also later for Houston Cox. We moved to OK City in Dec. 58 but still have Laura Carroll and her family there plus Gene’s Mother, Gladys who was 96 last month and sharp as a tack plus youngest looking senior citizen ever; but don’t anyone let her know I spread her age around. Thanks for all the work you put onto this. My baby sis, Millie Ann forwarded me an issue and got me hooked.” -Mary Elizabeth
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“Dear Butch. I am 83 years old I was born near Atoka. my Uncle William Baldwin died there about 35 years ago. so I read, all you wrote about it.” -Irma Baldwin Sanders
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“Loved this week’s issue of T&T. Especially the pictures of the Super Dog 1 and 2. Did you check out those prices on the menu?” -Nelda True, St. Louis, MO https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdogf.jpg
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“Butch, Your articles on the Super Dog and the old Skyview sure evoke a lot of memories. As a teenager in late 60’s the drag was not complete until you made your loop around the Super Dog. I have spent many nights there and 3 generations of my family have worked at the Sonic. I worked there in 1969, my oldest daughter in 1984 and my younger daughter 1993. Also met many of my old boyfriends at the Super Dog. Those corn dogs they used to make have never been beaten. When I’m in Ardmore I always remember the good ole days when it was there.” -Shirley Acosta [email protected]
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“H.L. (Louie) Burton was J. B. Ponder’s (the elder Ponder) construction foreman when the original SuperDog was built. I was away from Ardmore with the U. S. Army when the later, larger SuperDog restaurant was built out on old highway 77. Don’t know if J. B.s construction Company built that one or not. I do know that, once I returned to Ardmore, I ate the “SuperDogs” barbecue burgers at every opportunity.” -Harold Burton
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“Butch, Here is a link to the ICC reports of railroad accidents from 1911 to 1966 in case some reader comes up the correct date of this accident. If and I emphasize IF, a report was made it should be in the ICC files. For some unknown and unexplained reason, not all accidents have a report on them.” http://specialcollections.tasc.dot.gov/scripts/ws.dll?login&site=dot_railroads
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“Butch, they used to say a picture is worth a thousand words. I am disappointed in the touched up picture of the Carter County courthouse. Isn’t that a little like lying? That is not a true picture. What will that do to historians another 20 or 40 years from now that may be looking at that picture and thinking it is a true representation of what was there at the time?”
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“Support made in Oklahoma products.” http://miocoalition.com/mio_home.html
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“Does anyone else remember the old player pianos that used to be in the Atoka bus (train?) depot? We used to go over on a Saturday afternoon just to put money in and listen to them. We would put money into several at the same time to cause confusion. I’m sure that thrilled our parents! Were any of those old treasures saved from the fire?”
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“Would anyone happen to have known of T.G. George and Mary George from Provence and Lone Grove, Carter Co., OK. T.G. George died in Lone Grove, OK 1934 and Mary (Miller) George died 1926 Provence, OK.? Pls. contact: Rhonda at [email protected]Can anyone tell me how to go about getting copies of school records ca. 1917 – 1933? Also, Dr.’s records. Dr. Hathaway and W.C. Sain from the Ardmore/Provence,OK area ca. 1890-1945?” pls. contact: Rhonda at [email protected]
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“Butch- The note to you about Mrs. Stanley’s milk bill brought back a memory or two, but not necessarily about Colvert’s. Mrs. Stanley (I’m just about sure it’s the one) ran a private school in her home for years. She taught first grade in the morning and second grade in the afternoon. The need she filled, as I remember, arose because a student who would not be 6 years old by Oct 1 (or was it Nov 1?) was not allowed to start the year in the Ardmore City Schools. The alternative to waiting a year, for those kids whose birthdays were later in the year, was attending Mrs. Stanley’s school during first grade. My sister attended Mrs Stanley’s school for that reason, and my mother actually had Mrs. Stanley for both first and second grades, as she started first grade while still age 4. My aunt may have done the same thing. I was envious of my sister because she only went to school for a half day. I remember that her first grade spelling lists contained longer and tougher words than mine. I was in the second grade at Washington at the time. I’ll bet that Ardmore is still full of 50something and older adults who are former students of Mrs. Stanley. (BTW, our family also had a 10 volume set of Our Wonder World.)” -Rob Askew
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“Glad to know that some folk’s still remember the Globe theater and confectionery. My brother, Buddy Mitchell ran the film there and my mother, Martha Mitchell Barker ran the confectionery. My mother Martha Barker operated the little Finley’s cafe in Wilson Oklahoma and like Jack Lake I have lot’s of memories of those days, what fun we all had.” -Edna Mitchell Montgomery
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“Hello….I received the CD today. I’ve just scanned through it and it looks great….certainly worth the $4.00! I do appreciate the time/work you’ve put in to it.”
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“An interesting story and it is as I remember it.” -Bill http://jewishinternetassociation.org/historynutshell/conflict.html
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“At last we know Oscar Alexander’s title. He was a marshal for Hoxbar, Oklahoma as reported in The Daily Oklahoman Sept 2, 1916 – Page 2. I will submit him to National Memorial now for adding him May next year (2004) and will have the code “S-1” for Chief of Police or City Marshal engraved by his name on the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial.’ -Dennis Lippe https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/oscaralexander.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/alexanderoscar.jpg http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/alexshot.html
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“Really didn’t look like a big train wreck looking down train toward the combine. Nice view of the end of a KCM&O box car with the lettering moved down to miss the side opening lumber door (really a big lumber door). The ground dosn’t look torn up and that section car appears to be on the track right next to the derailed cars. Very interesting – but I don’t have any information.” -John Moore, Albuquerque https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/trainwreck20.jpg
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================================================From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There’s pride in every American heart
and it’s time we stand and say:I’m proud to be an American
where at least I know I’m free,
And I won’t forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.-‘God Bless the USA’ by Lee Greenwood 1984
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday March 8, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 307
I have received quite a few emails from all over the country on my info and photos about Atoka, Oklahoma. I see there are many of you who appreciate that little historic town just as I do. I tried to put most of the responses in the Mailbag below. I do have to make one correction though. Atoka’s main street is Court Street, but they do have a Main Street too. It is about three blocks long and runs along the west side of the railroad tracks. There is not much left of their Main Street, just a few buildings along the west side of the street. Here is a photo I took at Main and Court to show there is a Main Street in Atoka! This is looking west down Court Street. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokamain.jpg
Atoka has an underpass for traffic traveling east out of town to get across the railroad tracks. This photo is the beginning of that underpass at Court and Main Street and continues east/southeast as Highway 3 toward Bruno and Lane, Oklahoma. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokaunderpass.jpg
This is a couple of photos of that very old bell that is now mounted in a brick tower at Oklahoma’s first Catholic church, St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Atoka. There is a pic of an information plaque mounted to the tower too. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacathbella.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacathbellb.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacathbellc.jpg
I have received several emails lately asking how to print out the old Love County map and the 1875 Oklahoma map where it covers the entire sheet of paper. A Reader wrote in this week explaining how this can be done on most printers. When you first need to save it to your computer or a diskette. Then pull the picture up in a photo program such as Paint. Then click on File and Print and when the Print Box comes up, be sure you have two things checked…. put a check mark in Landscape (not portrait) and also “Fit to Page” setting. That should do it! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/lovemap.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/ok1875.jpg
Speaking of printing, many of you have used up thousands of trees the past 7 years printing out my newsletters and website info. Plus spent a fortune on ink cartridges. I bought my Epson 777 printer a couple of years ago for $50 (reflects rebate) and it came with new color and black ink cartridges. Then when it was time to replace the ink cartridges, the color cartridge cost $32. Ouch, that hurts! I get a lot of emails telling me how some company can save me money on ink cartridges… blah blah blah. But last week I logged on to a website in Florida, placed an order for 3 color @ $7.95 each and 3 black ink cartridges @ $6.95 each for my Epson 777. By ordering 2 three packs I saved the $7 shipping charge as when only one 3 pack is purchased. In 4 days my order was here! So far I’m a satisfied customer and I’ll let everyone know how the 6 cartridges work out. Here is a photo of the order I received this week. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/epsoncart.jpg
I ordered my ink cartridges at the link below. Order with a friend and save that $7 postage. http://www.inkjetsrus.net/
A Reader took the photo I posted last weekend of the courthouse with the snow on the ground and ran it through his photograph enhancer program and just like magic, the power lines are gone! This is the original photo with the electrical lines visible. Also notice the electric pole and the big aluminum signal light housing in the foreground. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/courthsnow03.jpg
And here is that same photo with the Do Not Enter sign, power lines, telephone pole, light pole, signal light and signal light box removed! Magic! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/courthsnow03b.jpg
I have the 1949 Fair Park Rodeo CD available I talked about three weeks ago. You can see from the Table of Contents below this CD is chocked full of 1949 history! Here is a pic of the CD. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/fairparkcd.jpg
Contents of CD:
Cover Page – Photo of Gene Autry on his horse with Ardmore’s Fair Park Coliseum on Lake Murray Drive superimposed in the background.
Page 2 – Photo of Ruby Nance and her world famed concert band. The 27 member band would be playing for the dance at the Municipal Auditorium.
Page 3 – Advertisement for Ardmore Milling Co., T.J. Underwood, President.
Page 4 – Photo of Richard Simmons, president of the Free Fair along with a listing of its board of directions and auditing members. Also a Photo of Bill Sparks, chairman of the Fair Committee.
Page 5 – Ad for the Sports Club billiards and beer. 11-13 B NW in Ardmore
Page 6 – Photos of Rosemary and Carolyn Colburn and their rodeo horses.
Page 7 – Ad for Stromberg Lumber Company and Burrell Motor Company.
Page 8 – Photo and story on Ernst Riesen of The Daily Ardmoreite.
Page 9 – Photo and ad of Baird Studios and picture of Peggy Landers, one of the rodeo contestants.
Page 10 – Photos of the following 1940 rodeo queen contestant. Jimy Brady Alford, Ardmore; Lola Tucker, Davis, Oklahoma; Lorena Bartlett, Ardmore; Charlene Cobb, Marietta; Joan Ewing, Madill, Oklahoma; Dottie Cude, Ardmore; Jimmie Hill, Ardmore; Eugenia Woolard, Tishomingo; and Elizabeth Nichols of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Page 11 – Ad for Hardy Sanitarium and photo of Dr. Walter Hardy, M.D. Also a photo of Hardy Sanitarium at B SW and 1st Street SW.
Page 12 – Ads for Houston-Houston Lumber Company, Fox-Rig Lumber Company and Lumberman’s Millwork and Supply
Page 13 – Photo of the George R. Anderson Post Color Guard members A.P. Shuman, N.R. Raum, Lester Smith, and L.R. Tarver.
Page 14 – Ad for Fitch’s Barber Shop and the Mulkey Hotel and Coffee Shop. Mulkey Hotel was under management of Lawrence Hodgeon and the Coffee Shop was under the new management of Harry McClennin
Page 15 – Photo of Herman O. Hunt, mayor and Clarence Harris, city manager. Along along with listing of City Commissioners Iley E. Oxford, Fred Hicks, Joe W. Shinn and James A. Bevins, Jr. Other city officials were L.M. Thurston, City Clerk; N. Center, City Treasurer; J.B. Moore, City Attorney; Hubert E. Bartlett, Chief of Police; S.P. Matthews, City Engineer; Royce E. Coe, Fire Chief; Ancel Love, Water Superintendent, and Clarence Harris, City Manager.
Page 16 – Ad for Priddy’s Mobil Service and Bullock’s Steak House.
Page 17 – Picture of Tucker Tower and a sail boat
Page 18 – Ad for Ardmore Nash Motors.
Page 19 – Picture of Jimy Brady Alford and her horse Sonny.
Page 20 – Ad for Hotel Ardmore and photo of Bryan Jerad, manager.
Page 21 – Picture of Hardy Murphy and his horse Thor.
Page 22 – Ad for Sam P. Hale Ford dealership.
Page 23 – Picture of Gene Autry and his horse Champ.
Page 24 – Ad for Colvert’s Dairy, serving southern Oklahoma since 1917.
Page 25 – Picture of Everett E. Colburn, manager of the rodeo who hailed from Dublin, Texas.
Page 26 – Ad for B&B Construction Company and proprietor Barney Bridges.
Page 27 – Photo of the Bit and Spur Club from North Kansas City, Missouri.
Page 28 – Photo of Gene Autry on his horse with the coliseum in the background.
Page 29 – Ad for Guy Harris buick dealership along with photo of Guy M. Harris. Photo of Lynn Cathey, manager of the buick dealership. Photos of Mr. Cathey’s rodeo horses Silver Queen and White Cloud.I will need to charge $4 for each CD to cover my cost of producing it which includes postage paid to your door. The link below will take you to a Page with all the details. You can pay with any credit card or PayPal. Or just mail me good old fashioned greenbacks! https://oklahomahistory.net/fairpark1949.html
A Reader sent me a photo of a train wreck that happened probably in the early 1920s between Ardmore and Lone Grove. Maybe someone out there has heard of this wreck or recognizes this photo. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/trainwreck20.jpg
Gary Simmons sent me some pics he found of the old Super Dog on Lake Murray drive and the one on Commerce along with some other Super Dog photos. They are in the Mailbag below.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“About the little white church building on the Confederate Museum grounds in Atoka. That building was built at Boggy Bend, a black community about 1943 by a man named “Boss” Harrison. Joe Harrison who works at the Ford garage, this was his father. The late Tommy Harrison was also a son, and he helped us date the church. He couldn’t be sure, but he served in World War II, and he remembered coming home on leave about 1943, and his father was working on the church at that time. When the Atoka reservoir (Atoka Lake) was built in the late 1950’s, it appeared the Boggy Bend community would be covered by water, and it fact a part of it was. So, they moved several of the homes and buildings to Stringtown. Mr. Harrison was a Church of Christ preacher and preached in the church until his death in 1964. After that, several pastored the church, but as time went on, many of the congregation died or moved away. Then a little black group of Pentecostals met in the church, until the same thing happened to their congregation, and the building sat empty for several years. Everytime time I would pass the building which was on the west side of the highway just south of Stringtown, it would run through my mind to see who was in charge of the building and see about moving it to the museum grounds. I finally got on the ball and started working on it. We checked with the McGees who lived next door to the building, and found that the person we needed to check with was Mrs. Corinne Viney. It was with her assistance that others were contacted, and we obtained permission to move the building. It had actually been condemned by the City of Stringtown and was in danger of being destroyed anyway. We did a great deal of work on the building which included adding the front foyer, but endeavored to keep as much of the original work as we could. We were fortunate to get five of the homemade, rather rough pews, as well as the homemade pulpit which Mr. Harrison had built. All we like having the interior finished is sanding and oiling the floors. We feel fortunate to have saved this little building. The bell in it was purchased at an auction and we don’t know any history on it. Of course it is not as big as the others as our belfry wouldn’t hold one of the big ones.”
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l. The Centerpoint School bell is really owned by the Atoka County Historical Society, and not by us. We simply have it here at our place until we can build a suitable place to hang it at the museum.
2. As to the reference to Atoka not having a Main Street, we actually do. It is the street just west of the railroad track which runs north and south. This was the original main business street for Atoka, and the first buildings were built along this street. The ones on Court Street were built later. Court Street was named that because the Federal Court House stood in the middle of the 300 block on the north side.
3. Our train depot was not torn down, but burned in 1975, a victim of arsonists.
4. The 3rd Court House (the one which stood where the present one is) was built in 1913 rather than 1911.
5. The mural at the Thompson Theater is a project of the Atoka County Historical Society with Sherrie Cochran as the artist. The design was hers, and as she outlined it on the wall, many friends and Society members assisted with the painting.”
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“I just read T&T for this week. The artist of the mural on the Thompson Theatre wall in Atoka, is Sherry Cochran, wife of Danny Cochran.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokamural2.jpg
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“You can tell the inquirer that the history of Overbrook is contained in a book written by Ralph Evans several years ago and I think can be read at the Love County Museum in Marietta. I know there are several copies around. I have one somewhere. I grew up at Overbrook, moving here in 1942 and my dad taught school here in the early 1930’s. The town was originally built near the railroad track and at one time even had a hotel. It was named after Overbrook, PA by railroad crew building the railroad as was a lot of towns on the railroad, because workers were from the north that built it. As for the trading post south of Post Office it was built by E. McIntosh and sold Indian jewelry, souvenirs, but the original building there was called Hardy Oaks(which burned) and was a rather rough tavern I am told and was so named because of the many oak trees that surround the place. We still have the old school house building, but have not had school since 1965 when it consolidated with Greenville School. Also we have new post office and it serves more people that it ever has before, so we have still remained progressive. Great little town.” -Rita Stubbs C.
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“Curious where a small community called Minterville was located in the Chickasaw Nation during the 1890s. It was not the Minterville that was in north Texas. I have found two references to the community–one from my gg-grandfather’s pension application and one from an article in an 1890’s Daily Ardmoreite newspaper (the correspondent from Cornish reported a man from Minterville visited Cornish during the previous week). There was a Minter family who lived near old Woodville, I. T.; another Minter family lived near Cheek where a son-in-law killed Frank Minter in the 1890’s in that area. Appreciate any input about this puzzle.”
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“It was July 1948 when the cast and crew pulled into Ada and checked into the Aldridge Hotel preparing to shoot the Eagle Lion picture Tulsa. The stars were Robert Preston, Susan Hayward, Pedro Armendariz and Chill Wills. Lloyd Gough and Harry Shannon were two of the character actors who drove in from LA to do their minor work. The technicolor picture was nominated for an Oscar for Special Effects(oil well fires). Shannon, Hayward’s father in the story, is killed in the opening scene when a gusher knocks off the top of the derrick smashing him and his horse. Lloyd Gough drove 1500 miles to say “Put out that cigar!” during an oil well fire scene. I watched one day’s filming on the Turner Ranch, one mile from the ranch house, we had to walk it, where it was about 100 degrees that day. They brought an old Haliburton oil well cementing truck and Susan delivered the line”Here’s your oil well cementing truck professor!” About eight takes for that line. While staying in Ada Susan had her 30th birthday and it was quite a bash in the Aldridge ballroom. She was at the top of her game, then married to a not well known actor Jess Barker. He came to Ada to see her during the shoot and my dad Guy Thrash took him and Robert Preston to an Ada Hereford baseball game one night where the baseball fans were enthralled to see Robert Preston who then was already a big star. Little known then was his 1962 triumph as The Music Man. This was a Walter Wanger produced film directed by by Stuart Heisler. The screenplay was written by Frank Nugent, an impressive writer of other great films and well known New York Times columnist. Adan Elwood Kemp hosted Nugent and let him use his office for the daily rewrites. Much of picture was shot on the Turner Ranch and other scenes were filmed just south of Ada. These were exciting times because just two years prior to this Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gabby Hayes and the Sons of the Pioneers stayed in Ada at the Aldridge to film Home In Oklahoma for Republic Pictures at the Liken Ranch south of Davis. A year and a half later, Roy and Dale were married at the Ranch on New Years Eve 1947. Nothing was filmed in Tulsa except a stock footage type shot of downtown Tulsa in the 20’s. Most of the interiors were shot back in Hollywood It premiered in February 1949 with the world premiere set for three theaters in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and the McSwain in Ada. The first showing in Ada, after the nighttime initial showing, started each day at 10 AM and every two hours thereafter till midnight. In past recent years OETA on it’s Movie Club program has played Tulsa several times in all it’s technicolor glory with host BJ Wexler telling many of the behind the scenes stories. Hope you enjoyed this.” -Bill Thrash, formerly of Ada now Oklahoma City
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“Hi Butch! I was given a set of books at least 35 years ago by a lady from Ardmore. She was a dear friend of my mothers and thought I might enjoy reading the old books. They are Our Wonder World and there are 10 volumes. I looked thru them at the time,but like any young mother didn’t feel I had the time to sit and read each one. I was unboxing some stuff the other day and ran across them again. While quickly looking thru a few I found and old Colverts milk bill stuck in one. The name on the bill was Mrs H.A. Stanley the date was 5-1-48 Ardmore Okla. Mrs Stanley seemed to live at 121 K S.W. She was on route 1 and the bill was on page 50. It showed March’s bill paid the amount was $6.45 and it list all the products she purchased in April for a total of $7.55. You wouldn’t believe what that amount would buy them. LOTS of milk, cream and buttermilk. I thought you might like a copy. If so let me know and I will have it copied and sent to you. I would like to keep to original to show my own grandchildren. The Colvert Dairy Products Company seems to have been located at 135 S. Washington St. I thought the phone number was kinda neat to it was 441. I don’t remember having seem a phone number that short. I would never want to embaress anyone by showing one of their bills, but thought it was interesting that it was in this old set of books and as the lady seemed to pay each month in full, I dont think it would be out of turn.”
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“Butch-Could it be that the rabbits are still there—and we seniors, come to think of it, also have trouble hearing mosquitoes and seeing “chiggers”? The range of the diminished Jack Rabbits seems to be west of 1-35. Perhaps they failed to look both ways before crossing.”
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“Butch, I don’t know when the spelling changed, but it is now McAlester. The town was named for John J. McAlester. I went t school with the Colliers, who were descendents of John J. The girl was named Mary and her twin brother was named Bill.”
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“Butch, Between Atoka and Wapanucka, a few miles north was a place called Pleasant Hill. I was born there. The little school I attended had a bell. I’ve often wondered what happened to the bell after the school was torn down. Pleasant Hill was in Atoka County, but Wapanucka was closer for shopping.”
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“Butch here are 3 pics of a book written in 1945 Queen of Three Valleys written by Henry McCreary. Its full of old pics about Durant. Thought you might want some of them. Scanned a few. Hope you can make out what they are. My scanner isn’t the best.” http://www.durantmainstreet.org/museum2.htm
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“Ardmore had three drive-in theaters: the Skyview, east of town; the Tower, where Brad Fenton is now, and the Starlite, south of town–near where the Avalon Club was. Has anyone written in about the different BarBQ places in Ardmore in the late ’40’s or early 50’s? There was a wonderful lady called Mrs. Tom in SE Ardmore that sold the sandwiches out of her home. They were the best ever.”
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“Butch – some say that Nostalgia is a disease with no cure. We may momentarily think we have it under control, and POW! – along comes an issue of T & T. The fact is that I actually turned down an invitation to brunch this morning, citing the snow as an excuse, the truth being an anticipation of settling down to the unread T & T of last week, and the new one of this morning. Both were delightfully entertaining, informing, and sweetly nostalgic. Your photos are superb. The additional information concerning Mr. Denham, the long-time all around maintenance person at the First Presbyterian church in the 40’s, was welcome. I believe his first name was Lon, rather than Lone or Loan. I would love to have seen the handsomely sculpted andirons made by his son. I hope someone now possesses them with due appreciation. The verbal sketches of Tishomingo and the photos were enormously enjoyable. My dad (Carl Horn) and I made numerous trips to that little town, often for Sunday lunch at the hotel, and a drive through the wildlife refuge. Also, I remember, perhaps incorrectly, that a gentleman had a small museum of moving musical pieces. It was sort of ragtag, but wonderful. It must by now be gone. And I felt moved over the plaque denoting Te Ata’s death and the fact that her ashes were mixed with wildflower seeds and scattered. We are only beginning to appreciate the spiritual connection with nature practiced by the Native Americans. We have much to learn from them. The pinnacle however, was your long piece about Atoka. I fell in love with the photo of the old Presbyterian Church (being incurably addicted to the charm, handwork, creative architecture of old buildings). I wondered if this building is still in use, and if it is still a church. All in all, you have instilled a need in me, and surely others, to rediscover parts of Oklahoma. As the world seems to have gone a bit mad (age is speaking, but with age comes wisdom?) and recognizing that hardships existed in many forms at the time, still, I am increasingly grateful for the glorious opportunity to have grown up in Ardmore, the exquisite freedom to spend long days with friends riding bicycles in the country with no thought of safety, the unforgettable smell of the soured molasses cattle feed, the cool feel of water as we skinny dipped in cow tanks on hot summer days, swimming at Lake Murray, proms at the lodge, dancing to juke box music in the Presbyterian Church basement (thanks to the forward thinking of Dr. Glenn McGee)the amazing safety in our town, the lack of serious crime among young people, the absence of drugs, the acceptance of parents and teachers that discipline in a fair manner was a responsibility, the essential lack of awareness of “money,” and thus lack of social division between those who “had money” and those who did not. Well, this wordy little discourse is by way of expressing gratitude to you as you bring joy, pleasure, pluck a heartstring here and there, and allow a walk down memory lane for so many of us for whom Ardmore and vicinity played out a big and obviously unforgettable segment in our lives. And of course it keeps us off the streets on Saturday mornings! Thank you, Butch!” -Fredrica (Horn) Van Sant
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“I have strange thing to ask of your readers, but maybe they can help. My grandmother, her mother, and her mother’s mother all lived around the Davis area from around 1850-1920. One of the things that remember about Grammy is eating her homemade rolls with watermelon preserves on them. Our family has figured out the watermelon preserves, but cannot come close to her rolls. They were a combination of whole wheat and white flour, were a little sweet, a little heavy, were about the size of your fist. You could slice them in two and toast them and they hold up really well, didn’t crumble. I am wondering if this could be a regional way of making these rolls and someone there might be able to help with a recipe.” -Candace Gregory [email protected]
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“I have been having to come to Ardmore often in the past year or so and I am wondering about the old Colvert mansion, which used to be such a beautiful place with the cows in the pasture and all. Now, the house seems so run down. I am curious, does anyone know if the house has new owners and is presently occupied or what. The mall will never take the place of that beautiful old place. So called progress is not always good.” -Linda Lamb Smith in Tulsa
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“Hi Butch & All, yes I remember Finley’s Cafe in Wilson, I have many memories from there, week day lunches and saturday’s gathering with friends before the movies opened, jukebox dancing, pinball machine playing, eating hamburgers and peanuts in my coke. Visiting with friends was the best, they came from all over, Rexroat, Dillard, Jones Oil Camp, Healdton and of course Wilson for sure, I went to California in 1960 and it was the first place I went when I came back to visit.” -Jack Lake
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“Butch, someone mentioned Michael Landon and Johnny Crawford coming to the Rodeo in Ardmore in the early 1960’s. I remember that very clearly. I went to the rodeo twice during that week…just to see them, didn’t give a hoot about the rodeo itself. They had areas set up out front of the Coliseum where you could have your picture taken with one or both of them, of course for a fee. One night I went with a girl from Plainview High School…she was a year older, an Indian girl (can’t think of her name) but she asked me if I wanted to go with her so she wouldn’t have to go by herself. I always went every I could, because I was such a gad-about. Anyway, it cost $3 I think to get your picture taken and Marilyn (yes, that was her name) had hers taken with Michael Landon, but I didn’t have any money so I just met them and got their autographs. Years later, Johnny Crawford came back to Ardmore, back in the 1980’s and I took my oldest daughter to meet him and I took a picture of the two of them. He came to a business here in town, almost seems like it was a shoe store (?) or something but anyway, we went to see him and I told him that I had seen him here when I was a teenager. He was still just as nice looking as a grown up as he had been as a young man, as he was when he came to the rodeo in the 60’s. He was so polite and gentlemanly. I always had a little crush on him when I watched him on “The Rifleman”. Good memories from days gone by!!”
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“Hi Butch, Another movie made in Murray County back in the 40’s was “Tulsa” staring Susan Heyward and Robert Preston. The location was the Turner Ranch northeast of Sulphur, near Scullin.Several local folks were used as extras in the picture but Roland Jack, Turner ranch foreman received credit on the screen and had a small speaking part. Eagle-Lion Studios filmed the movie and they spent a lot of money in Sulphur while here. It must have been about 1947. I was working at the Farmer’s National Bank at the time and I saw several dollars pass through the bank from their account. One day Susan Heyward came into the bank and everyone perked up at once, especially the male employees. She was just about the prettiest thing in town that day. There was a large oil field fire in the picture. Wooden derricks burning were about 4′ tall but they looked full size in the film. My wife and I went out to see them film a gusher coming in one day. A lot of fake but it looked real..The Turner Ranch has a lot of history..When I was a small boy, it was called “Harper/Turner Ranch”. Oklahoma former governor, Roy Turner was the Turner in the name. Maybe someone call tell me who Mr Harper was..The ranch was later sold to Winthrop Rockefeller who was governor of Arkansas at the time and was renamed “Winrock Farms”. So it was owned by two governors. Don’t know of any other ranch which was owned by two governors..Can any of your readers tell me who owns the ranch now and what it is called?. Back in the Turner days, they were famous all over the USA for prize herefords. In fact, the area was called “Hereford Heaven” and Roy Turner wrote a song “Hereford Heaven”. In the late 40’s, I was singing in a local barbershop quartet called “The 4 Flats” and we sang the song for Governor Turner at the old Artesian Hotel. He seemed to like it.. I can only remember a few lines of the song:
There’s a land in Oklahoma
Where nature made it grand
Placed the soil on limestone
And then made it grassy land
Then came the white faced cattle
And our dream was realized
And we called it Hereford Heaven
It’s a hereford paradise……Thats all I can remember. Can anyone remember the rest? I look forward to my T&T every week. Thanks for all you do to keep it going.”
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“Hi Butch, I really enjoyed the write-up about my home town, “Atoka”. My great grandparents were pioneers that settled in Atoka in the late 1800’s. I have several letters from around that time in which my ancestors where talking about moving to the ‘territory’ from Texas and Alabama because land rent was cheap (Indian allotments I suspect), plus work was available (cutting cross ties for the railroad). This was not that long after the Civil War and I imagine that life in Alabama was not all that great. Mom and Dad ‘resettled’ back in Atoka when I was in the 7th grade…so I consider it my home town. Grandpa had a service station on south Ohio street and was a rural mail carrier (Grandpa, and later his brother, carried Rural Route 5 for a little over 40 years) When Dad moved back, grandpa retired and Dad started an auto parts store, later to become a NAPA store (we sold the store about a year after Dad’s death abt 1994). The store was located at 207 south Ohio. I worked there from about age 14 until I graduated college and started my career (worked at KXII-TV for 1 yr, been at Arbuckle Comm for almost 22yrs). Besides auto parts, we sold tires, gas, oil and tractor fluids…plus fixed flats. I remember in the mid 1970’s gas got down to 18-19 cents per gallon, and we charged 50 cents to fix a flat (I don’t care if I ever fix a flat again, especially truck or tractor flats). Our soda pop machine was one of the old “water boxes’ that used chilled water to cool the bottles. . .man, where they cold and good. It was not a vending machine, but used the ‘honor’ system to pay for soda pops (I’m afraid it would be a losing proposition nowadays). It was one of my jobs to keep the pop box filled. I remember that Orange, Strawberry, and Grape where the big sellers. The store always had some ‘old timers’ standing around drinking coffee, telling stories, and watching us work. There was always a gang around and something going on. Saturdays were sale days at the livestock auction in town, and boy would it be crowded. We were a block and a half south of Court Street and there would be no place to park (I’m afraid that it’s a far cry from that nowadays). Mom and one of my brothers still have homes south of Atoka on the land that my grandparents acquired. Maybe I’ll retire back ‘home’ one of these days….however I have now lived in Ardmore longer than I lived in Atoka. I may have to start calling Ardmore my home town . I don’t know if you were aware that Atoka does have a Main Street. It is only 2 or 3 blocks long and runs parallel to and just west of the railroad tracks. My understanding is that this was the “Main” street when Atoka was first started as a railroad stop. It is the street that runs North and South just west of the railroad underpass. The old depot was just north of the underpass on Main Street. Dad used to hang out at the depot as a youngster and became a friend of the station operator and telegraper. Dad later went to telegraph school and became a telegrapher for the Katy (MKT) Railroad. He worked telegraph mostly at night and went to college at Durant during the day. He later quit the railroad when all of the telegraphers where called to McAlister one day to see the new “teletype machines” in the mid 1950’s (anyone could learn to operate the teletype in about 15 minutes). He knew that time for short for telegraphers, I still have his chrome plated Vibroplex ‘Bug’ key. Sorry to be so long Butch, but as you know it’s hard to condense anything about your hometown. Thanks for your time and effort that you put into “This and That”, it is appreciated by many. . . and this time especially by me. I wish that someone had the time and energy to do the same for Atoka.” -Robert W. Chavers
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“Butch, the Murray State College former art teacher is Larry Milligan, not Larry McMillan, as someone thought.”
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“Ira Jim McKee, class of l961 (formerly of Fox and Wilson) will be called down as a contestant on the Price Is Right that will be shown on Tues, March 18th. If anyone is thinking of going out to Los Angeles be sure to be in line outside the studio by 4:00 a.m. Even though you can order tickets by mail it is no guarantee to get in as they send out more tickets than the (325) seating capacity. It is best to get tickets for two days.”
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“Railroad friends; I was recently interviewed by a reporter from the Ardmoreite newspaper concerning the old Ringling Railroad that connected with the Santa Fe main here in Ardmore. The story appeared in the Sunday edition Feb 23, 2003. The old Ringling Road, which was constructed by John Ringling of circus fame, is an interesting short line story.” -Duane Stevens http://ardmoreite.com/stories/022303/loc_rails_trails.shtml
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“Hello Butch, I really enjoy reading the stories and information that you provide us with. I am younger than your average reader, but I do relate with some of the history. I remember Harrison’s Grocery as a child, which the store is still going strong, but I would like to see some early pictures of the store and the little car wash on the west side of it, along with as much information as possible.”
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“I am trying to find out the history of Springer, Carter Co. OK between the dates of the mid 1880’s to around 1920. What I am looking for exactly, is when was Springer developed as a town? What was life like for those people who lived in Springer during the time period I’ve mentioned. How big was the town during this time period, did it change much? Was there a General Store, post office, blacksmith, saloon, etc?? Did the railroad come through Springer? Did it stop in Springer? Did the folks there have to go to Ardmore for supplies? You get the idea. I am requesting this information so that I may add it to my family tree (kinda boring if I just have a bunch of names of my ancestors, and small snips of their life here and there) I would like for my future generations to get an good understanding of how life was like. Oh, and if you might have any early photographs of Springer.” [email protected]
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“Butch- I can’t imagine anyone residing in Ardmore in the late 40s or 50s who does not remember the Joe Ben and Francis Ponder Super Dogs 1 and 2. The original being on 5th Avenue (Lake Murray Drive) S. E. and the second and larger one on Highway 77 North, now known as North Commerce. Super Dog 2 was a popular place for airmen and locals to gather for an “Educated Hamburger” or “Super Dog on a Stick.” Mention was made recently of the ORDERMATIC which allowed you to place an order from your auto. Francis Ponder emailed T&T that one of these, along with other memorabilia of that period in Ardmore’s history, can be viewed at Ponder’s Restaurant, Exit 33 off I-35 and Hwy 142 (Veteran’s Boulevard). Pictures of this handy machine, the original Super Dog, Super Dog 2, and the menus on the machine and restaurant are made possible by courtesy of Joe Ben and Francis Ponder. Their daughter, Pat, manages the popular Ponder’s Restaurant of 2003. Perhaps Joe Ben or Francis will give us a thumb-nail history with startup dates on their restaurants in a forthcoming T&T.” [email protected] https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdoga.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdogb.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdogc.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdogd.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdoge.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/superdogf.jpg
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“Another bronze bell in Atoka! I can tell that from the shape and the color as seen in “photo b”. Looking at the shape of the yoke and wheel in the same photo, I can also tell you that this bell was probably made by J.G. Stuckstede & Bro. of St.Louis. That firm was in operation at the time the Atoka Catholic Church was built, and for some years thereafter. (The name changed in 1884 and again in 1888, and the style of the fittings also changed somewhat, which is what helps me to date this bell approximately.) A better closeup photo would almost certainly show a dogtooth style repeating pattern around the edge of the shoulder of the bell; below that would be the maker’s name on one side of the bell and the city, state (Mo.) and year on the other side of the bell. Of course that’s difficult to see because the bell is mostly in shadow.” -Carl S Zimmerman, Kirkwood (St.Louis), Missouri https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacathbellb.jpg
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================================================Thanks to everyone who sent emails and called on the passing of my aunt Marie Carmon Pruitt. I’ll miss that lady. We want to keep them here, but a higher power calls them away.
“Ragged Old Flag” by Johnny Cash 1974
I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, “Your old courthouse is kinda run down.”
He said, “Naw, it’ll do for our little town.”I said, “Your flagpole has leaned a little bit, And that’s a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it.
He said, “Have a seat”, and I sat down.“Is this the first time you’ve been to our little town?”
I said, “I think it is.” He said, “I don’t like to brag,
But we’re kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag.”
“You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing “Oh Say Can You See”.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin’ at its seams.”
“And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.”“On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.”
“She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they’ve about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she’s been abused–
She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.”
“And the governement for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.And she’s getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she’s in good shape for the shape she’s in.
‘Cause she’s been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.”“So, we raise her up every morning,
Take her down every night.
We don’t let her touch the ground
And we fold her up right.
On second thought, I do like to brag,
‘Cause I’m mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag.”See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday March 1, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 306
When I was east of Ardmore a couple of weeks ago, I took several photos in the fair city of Atoka, Oklahoma. Atoka is one of the oldest towns in Oklahoma…. before Ardmore, before Lawton, before Oklahoma City, before Tulsa. This 1875 map of Oklahoma shows very few towns in the southern part of the state, but Atoka is listed. Atoka actually was a settled area around 1856. In the 1830s the Choctaws and Chickasaws endured a forced removal from their homelands back east to the area of Boggy Depot in Atoka county. Boggy Depot was a pickup point for federal government supplies and food for the tribes. It later became a town, but Boggy Depot was relocated when the railroad came through Atoka in the 1870s. It is interesting looking at this map to see where the railroad ran from Texas up to Durant, to Caddo, to Atoka, to McAllister, to Muskogee, and on to Vinita, Oklahoma. Atoka tore down their old depot years ago. Many depots have fallen by the wayside. This 1875 map spells McAlister… McAllister. I have seen that elsewhere and I wonder if that was the original way it was spelled and somewhere along the way, it was changed to McAlister??? https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/ok1875.jpg
In Atoka, Oklahoma I stopped by the Confederate Museum. It was closed but they had a hitching post out front so I snapped a picture. This particular hitching post stood in front of the J.H. Gernert home at 105 Court Street in 1910. These hitching posts were all over Atoka 100 years ago, but by 1990 only 5 were still in existence. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokahitch2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokahitch3.jpg
Also on the grounds behind the Confederate Museum was an old log cabin. I don’t remember what that little white church was behind the log cabin in the photo. Hope someone will clue us in. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacabin.jpg
In front of the Confederate Museum at Atoka was an old bell from the Boggy Depot school house which was just west of Atoka. It’s a beautiful cast iron bell! When Boggy Depot consolidated with Tushka, the bell was loaned to the Bentley Baptist Church. Some years ago, there were those people at Boggy Depot who knew it was no longer used at the church, and asked that the bell be move to the Confederate Museum. The bell was found it at the home of Troy Gammon, grown up in weeds. Eugene McIninch built the frame it hangs in now. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokabell3.jpg
But hey, that is not the only bell in Atoka! There is an immaculate bell on a roof at the First Baptist Church in Atoka. I hope the people of Atoka realize what they have here, a bronze bell of superb quality and craftsmanship. It was made by the L.M Rumsly and Company of St Louis.
This is the history of bell as told to me: The First Baptist Church bell was purchased by Dr. T.J. Bond and donated to the church in 1875. It first hung in the frame church building at 312 East ‘A’ St. When the new brick church was built on the southwest corner of East ‘A’ and North Delaware in 1913, the bell was moved and hung in their beautiful bell tower. When that building was demolished, the bell was moved to the roof of the educational/office wing of the new church. Dr. Bond paid $150.00 for the bell when he bought it. When it was moved to the 1913 church, the newspaper editor reported that it was then valued at $250.00. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokabaptist2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokabaptist3.jpg
And there is another bell I want to show everyone. It’s the old Centerpoint School bell that years ago was located east of Atoka a few miles. But before Centerpoint, the bell hung at the Bunker Hill School SE of Atoka. This bell is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Don Walker, and is on their property just west of Atoka on the highway. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/cpointbell.jpg
And there is another bell in Atoka I did not get a photo of. It is the Catholic bell which hangs in the bell tower in front of the Catholic Church. This is the unusual story pass on to me of this bell: The bell was purchased in April 1876 by friends of the church in St. Louis. It weighed upwards of 300 pounds, and was placed in the bell tower of the little frame St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in the 500 block of East ‘B’ Street on April 13, 1876. A tornado did a great deal of damage to that building in the 1920s, and since there was no Catholic congregation here at that time, the bell was given to the church at Caddo, Oklahoma. After Atoka’s St. Francis Church was built (where the El Adobe is now), there was no place for the bell, so it remained in Caddo. When the new Catholic church was built south of Atoka, the name was changed back to the original name of St. Patricks. Dr. Fina said that he and John Thompson went down to Caddo one night, and literally stole the bell and brought it back to Atoka. Whether this is a true story or not, can not be verified, but Dr. Fina swore it was the truth. It is known that they placed it in a bell tower high enough so that no one could take it down easily. Herman Barton, who was a member of the church, and his nephew, Lloyd Barton built the tower. Maybe someone will get us a photo of the Catholic church bell.
This is a photo I took of the old Atoka First Presbyterian Church at East “A” and First Street. Boy, that is a beautiful belfry and I heard the bell from it is in private hands now. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokapresbyold.jpg
Here is the official historical marker for Atoka located in front of the Confederate Museum. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokamarker.jpg
Another interesting fact about this old and special Oklahoma town is it does not have a Main Street like most. Their Court Street is what would be Main Street in most towns. It runs east to west through the center of Atoka. The present day courthouse is on Court Street. Also the old 1903 Dawes Commission Land Office is on Court Street just east of the courthouse. This building is where all the Choctaws received land allotments. In 1908 this building became the county courthouse until another courthouse was built in 1911. Here is a pic of the Dawes Commission Land Office. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/dawesbldg.jpg
This is the original cornerstone out of the first Atoka county courthouse built in 1913. It was replaced in 1963 with the present day courthouse. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacourt3c.jpg
And this is a photo of the present day Atoka County Courthouse on Court Street. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokacourt3a.jpg
Last week we had a photo of a mural on a building in downtown Tishomingo. But right down town in Atoka, just south of Court Street, they too have a freshly painted mural too! It’s on the south wall of the old Thompson Theater. Maybe someone will let us know who the artist is behind this mural! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokamural2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/atokamural3.jpg
For those of you who have never been to Atoka, you would just have to visit there to get the feeling I did, that feeling of how old this town is. I almost felt like I was in another time, a time long ago. But Atoka has all the present day businesses that makes a town modern too. Highway 75 runs right through the middle of town, and I want to tell you, the cars and trucks traveling up and down it is a never ending stream of vehicles. I’m sure a lot of the traffic is vehicles running between Dallas and Tulsa along Highway 75. I did see a potential gold mine along that highway in Atoka to some future enterprising entrepreneur with foresight. Atoka lacks one of the Oklahoma’s necessities…. a Braums Ice Cream!
Here is an unusual piece of information I found in a database of 4th of July celebrations. This happened on July 4th, 1875. I wonder if the statue was ever completed in Atoka? Where is it now? “On the Centennial Grounds in Philadelphia, the Order of B’nai B’rith hold “exercises” incident to the breaking of the ground for their proposed statue to religious liberty; at Atoka, “Indian Territory,” a celebration of the Fourth by Native Americans takes place with 3,000 persons participating.”
An ex-Ardmoreite now living in Ft Worth, Doyle Williams, has graciously used his Photo Shop to adjust the pages of the almost ready 1949 Fair Park Rodeo Program CD I talked about a couple weeks ago. I scanned each individual page, then Doyle ran the 30 pages through his Photo Shop to make sure each one is aligned properly and adjusted for the best clarity possible. I should have the CDs ready by the next issue of T&T and available. I will need to charge the same price I did for the Pages of History CD, this will cover the cost of making it, printing the CD label and postage paid to your door step. The cost will be $4.00 per CD. Here is an example of what is on the CD. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/fairpark29.jpg
I snapped a picture of our courthouse last Tuesday morning with the snow all around. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/courthsnow03.jpg
Here is a great website to search for businesses, organizations, and genealogy data from over 12,000 databases. The data is state by state. Most are free searches/data, some you pay for. http://www.searchsystems.net/
I see some of you are starting to use the WorldxChange Virtual PrePaid Phone Cards. I very seldom have use of one personally, but I can see where they would come in handy for some people. For instance, a kid away at college needing to call home every week. Or someone on the road a lot and needing to call back to the office or home. Their “No Fees Please” card is only 4.9 cents a minute to anywhere in the USA with no connection or other hidden fees! 100 minutes for $5. 200 minutes for $10 and 400 minutes for $20. And using their prepaid card to call overseas is great too, Best of all its available and ready to use in a few minutes though their website! Just click on the “PrePaid Cards” link on the website to check out the details, plus all their worldwide rates! Like I said last week, “build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door”. http://www.worldxchange.com/agent/228072
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“Butch: Your photo of B.L. Owens Furniture Store sign brought back a rush of memories. B.L. (I never knew him by any other name) and my father-in-law, Bert Paschall, were good friends. Bert owned and operated the store and courts at the southeast corner of Lake Murray Park from 1946 to 1968. B.L. had some good bird-dogs and Bert had a championship bird-dog. They loved to hunt quail together and compete with their dogs. I didn’t have a dog. I used one of Bert’s. We hunted the Hickory Creek and Pumpkin Creek area. I had more fun watching B. L. and Bert compete with their dogs than I did hunting. B.L. was an affable sort of guy and we had many good times sitting around the fire on cold November evenings talking about the day’s hunt and whose dog did what and who missed a good shot, etc. I hope you get someone to help you restore the sign and if I’m up that way any time soon I’ll make it a point to come by and see it.” -Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas
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“butch they are building a new jail behind the johnston county courthouse.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/tishwork2.jpg
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“Butch, someone mentioned an elderly black man who had rung the bells at Ardmore’s First Presbyterian Church. He was a gentleman by the name of Denman, first name either Lone or Loan; and was one of the smartest men of a practical nature you would ever see. I don’t think he had much formal education, but he could do just about anything – electrical, mechanical, repair, you name it and saw to it that his children were educated well. I visited in his home once with my family after he had retired and had suffered a heart attack; and was very taken with a set of andirons in front of the fireplace that his son had sculpted, and then had copied into brass. They were a mother holding a small child, and matched with the father holding a child by the hand. He was reaching up very high to hold his father’s hand, and the whole effect was one of the elongated African-style sculptures – beautiful!! Mr. Denman had the habit of watching out of the Rec. Room windows to see who came up the walk to the office, and if they looked suspicious or someone he didn’t know, he would come up the back stairs and busy himself working in the front hall, so that whoever was alone in the office would know he was there. He was a wonderful person.” [email protected]
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“I remember the Globe Theater and the concession. The theater was owned by Hershal Gilliam and Bernice Veal (the same one at Reavis Drug) worked at the concession for a long time. Being as far down on East Main the clientele was not always the best and my folks didn’t like for me to go by myself but Hershal was a friend of my dads and I could go for some special show but Hershal made me sit in the very back and checked on me all the time. They usually showed the so called “B” movies. I can’t remember when it was opened seems like it was during WWII. It was next door west of the Pioneer Hardware and my dads first Electrical Shop was in the back of that and my brother started working there when he was 12 and couldn’t see over the counter but worked for years. Pioneer Hardware was owned by Mr. George Dashner a very nice man.”
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“The mural at Tishomingo was done by Catherine Kinyon who is the art instructor at Murray State College. Here is a link of information on how long it took and pictures while it was being done. She is a very talented artist and a great friend of mine.” -Brenda Cupples http://www.catandcharlie.com/mural.html
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“The “little cafe” in Wilson, Oklahoma across the street from Doc Norma’s office was “Finley’s.” It was built and ran by Wiley Finley who owned the feed and seed next door. My mother worked there for years.” -Jimmy Willingham
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“You’re not dreaming about the “fun place”. The Trampolines were on Grand Avenue, just west of K street N.W. and the drive-in theater was also farther out west on Grand Ave after you cross North Commerce (Hwy 77). Ardmore had Skyview drive-in theater on the east side of town and the one on the west side too. The town just grew to the west covering the drive-in area with homes. A friend and I could sat on their shed and watch the movies in silent. LOL sitting upon that shed with a bowl of popcorn and coke in hand… hehe getting up there is another story, LOL And DOWN!”
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“Butch, When I was a child and lived in the Linn community there were jack rabbits everywhere. I moved back here in 1972 and saw 1 jack rabbit in about 1989 or so. Then 3 in about 2001 at the end of East Case Road in Lone Grove, Oklahoma past the last shop on the right where they were feeding one moonlit night. What a sight to see and it brought back memories.”
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“Hey, it was great to hear about the old Jordan Bus Line….when I first went to work for Grundy Drug in Healdton, it was the bus stop and I had to learn to write tickets. We had a small building built on the west side of the drug store that housed all of the freight or express, whatever you want to call it. A lot of merchandise was shipped in and out on the Jordan Bus. It was a convenient way to get to Ardmore and back too. People don’t seem to want to ride the buses today. My son, at Eck Drug in Waurika, now has the station for the bus line, and many times the bus will be empty… but they still carry a lot of goods in and out of Waurika, coming through from Wichita Falls to Oklahoma City. The name of that bus company is Jefferson. Two buses per day, one north and one south. I really enjoyed the pig latin, in your column. We used a lot of it when I was in grade school. It would still come in handy if you didn’t want anyone to know what you were talking about. You have to be skilled to talk and understand it rapidly.”
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“Hi Butch, Another movie made in Murray County back in the 40’s was “Tulsa” staring Susan Heyward and Robert Preston. The location was the Turner Ranch northeast of Sulphur, near Scullin.Several local folks were used as extras in the picture but Roland Jack, Turner ranch foreman received credit on the screen and had a small speaking part. Eagle-Lion Studios filmed the movie and they spent a lot of money in Sulphur while here. It must have been about 1947. I was working at the Farmer’s National Bank at the time and I saw several dollars pass through the bank from their account. One day Susan Heyward came into the bank and everyone perked up at once, especially the male employees. She was just about the prettiest thing in town that day. There was a large oil field fire in the picture. Wooden derricks burning were about 4′ tall but they looked full size in the film. My wife and I went out to see them film a gusher coming in one day. A lot of fake but it looked real..The Turner Ranch has a lot of history..When I was a small boy, it was called “Harper/Turner Ranch”. Oklahoma former governor, Roy Turner was the Turner in the name. Maybe someone call tell me who Mr Harper was..The ranch was later sold to Winthrop Rockefeller who was governor of Arkansas at the time and was renamed “Winrock Farms”. So it was owned by two governors. Don’t know of any other ranch which was owned by two governors..Can any of your readers tell me who owns the ranch now and what it is called?. Back in the Turner days, they were famous all over the USA for prize herefords. In fact, the area was called “Hereford Heaven” and Roy Turner wrote a song “Hereford Heaven”. In the late 40’s, I was singing in a local barbershop quartet called “The 4 Flats” and we sang the song for Governor Turner at the old Artesian Hotel. He seemed to like it.. I can only remember a few lines of the song:
There’s a land in Oklahoma
Where nature made it grand
Placed the soil on limestone
And then made it grassy land
Then came the white faced cattle
And our dream was realized
And we called it Hereford Heaven
It’s a hereford paradise……Thats all I can remember. Can anyone remember the rest? I look forward to my T&T every week. Thanks for all you do to keep it going.”
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“The B.L. Owens store opened on June l, 1928 and closed December 31, 1994. (66 l/2 years of business in Ardmore).”
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“Butch, in 1957 Pratt Carmon (son of Stanley Carmon) of the Carmon Lumber Company built our house at 326 “G” St NW in Ardmore. We lived in this house for 23 years and raised our 3 boys there.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/326gnwardmore.jpg
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“Butch the wagon yard was owned by Abel Dustin Chase {1830-1911} it was located in the area behind the old Montgomery Ward store in Ardmore, the one on Main St. I don’t know what year he had it.”
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“Does anyone remember in the S.W. part of Ardmore back in the 40’s across from the old Carneige Library the lady that sold candy (homemade fudge) out of her house? It was out of this world. I went every time I went to the library.”
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“Butch, the lady who was looking for old books about Oklahoma might be interested in a copy of the National Geographic issue of August 1971. It has devoted 40 pages about Oklahoma. Very interesting. Enjoy your work here in California. Thanks.”
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“My ggrandpa was John Thomas Willingham and I was wondering if you had ANYTHING on him or his family ?” [email protected]
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“After I saw the picture of the courthouse in Cloud Chief, it made me wonder if there as any place that might have a list or “roll call” of the people that “rushed” at the Cherokee/ Arapaho land rush”.I have 2 great-grandfathers that rushed, a grandfather and a great-uncle. I have documentation on their deeds but thought it to be interesting if there was a “website” or if you can find it at the courthouse in Cloud Chief ? Thanks for any help you might be able to give me.” -Rae Jean Miles [email protected]
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“I know the magnetic hill–my daddy and I used to ride out there in his 1965 chevy pickup and put it in neutral and go backwards! I got the biggest kick out of that when I was little. Thanks for bringing back something I hadn’t thought about in years! Also, reading about Dan Blocker and Loren Greene in Ardmore, I wonder if anybody remembers when Michael Landon and Johnny Crawford came to Ardmore for the rodeo sometime in the 1960 or 62?” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/maghill2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/magmap.jpg
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“I taught Irma Bailey how to dial a phone (remember Capital 3-?), and she taught me how to rub a green fig branch onto a ringworm to cure it (among many, many other things)!”
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“Some answers to your questions regarding Tishomingo: The building being constructed behind the new court house is the new jail. Johnston Co. made frontpage news last year because the old one had been condemned so many times. The mural project was commissioned by the Johnston Co. Historical and Genealogy Society. Larry McMilligan, a former art instructor at Murray College, did the design, and it was painted by the current art instructor at MSC. I hope you visited the museum now open atop the Chickasaw Bank Building, another historical building in Tishomingo being preserved by a few dedicated members of the H and G S. Thanks for the information.”
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“Hi Butch! Glad you had some time to explore in Tishomingo. Sorry some of our really interesting historic sites were closed — perhaps you will return another time and be able to see the exhibits. The construction behind the Johnston County Court House is the new Jail. It is supposed to be completed in September. That magnificent mural is the work of Catherine Kinyon who happens to be the Head of the Arts Department at Murray State College. She did the work during some of the hottest Summer days last year — started early in the mornings. She really captured all the aspects of the life and history here. There are some wonderful projects underway here which will provide better access to Pennington Creek and the areas which parallel it. Not too many towns have such a beautiful natural asset in and out of their Central Business District.. A nine mile Interpretive and Accessible Trail for Hikers and Bicyclists will link together our natural areas with Historic & Culturally important sites, the Central Business District, all Educational Institutions, and the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge. A major destination site on the Trail’s route is Good Springs where the town began. It was here that the removal of the Chickasaws ended and they declared themselves an independent nation. They changed the name of the town from Good Springs, in honor of their beloved Chief Tishomingo who had died on the Trail of Tears. This will be developed as a Commemorative site and re-dedicated. The Tishomingo Trail System has been underway for three years, with this time being spent taking care of all the preliminary processes such a project involves, but with the help of some initial funding, our hope is that at least Phase I, which is the Trail of Memories, beginning in Pennington Park and circling the area at the old Dam and Pump House, and leading walkers and bikers by the Chickasaw Capitol Building and Museum into the Central Business District, will be ready for use by the end of this year. The other 4 Phases are: Running Horse Trail along the old Railroad route, Alfalfa Bill Trail, Arrowhead Trail, and Quiet Creek Trail. We’ll keep you posted. By the way, Tishomingo’s third annual “Come Fly With Me” Kite Festival will be coming up soon so all readers who love to build and fly Kites need to be gearing up. Scheduled from April 10th – 13th with the Fun Fly day being the 12th, there will be plenty for Kite enthusiasts of all ages to enjoy in Tishomingo. Come back soon Butch!” -Diane Nunn
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“Hello Butch, I would like to read some history about the tiny town of Overbrook, Oklahoma just south of Ardmore. There is bound to be some history there. Is the old school still standing? How about the old trading post just a little south on HWY 77 past the Overbrook post office? How many family’s are now living in Overbrook, OK? Thanks for this newsletter.”
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“You had been so helpful in providing the avenues to begin a family search that is still going on as I write this! There were many kind readers who responded to my inquiries about my great-grandfather, Dr. Frederick vonKeller and other family members. However, my computer crashed and I lost the material stored in it! Perhaps people would be so kind as to contact me again regarding my family. I have been in regular contact with my new found cousin and your friend Susan Baucom Nance and she has been most helpful in this search. There were several other most kind and devoted ‘searchers’ who even sent me photocopies of newspaper articles, phonebook pages, etc. to help me with my quest. How kind everyone has been. I am investigating the possibility of a possible memorial to Dr. vonKeller and the 6 other ‘pioneer doctors’ of the time who rode great long distances on horseback and in carriages to give medical attention to all in need. I hope to plan a trip to Ardmore this year to visit the museum and historical society and do some ‘remembering’……I haven’t been to Ardmore to spend any time since I was a child. Anyway, check out the little ‘website’.” http://community.webtv.net/grethart/vonkeller
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“Stanley (Butch), We’re thinking of you and praying you’ll find comfort that your friends will always care. We’re sorry to read about your aunt, Addie Marie Pruitt death. With Sympathy.” -Bill & Fran Tate
http://ardmoreite.com/stories/022803/obi_pruiit.shtml
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“We’re glad we have gotten to know you better in recent years. We read in the Oklahoma City newspaper obituary of the loss of your Aunt Marie. Sorry for your loss, you have our thoughts and prayers. May God bless your life as time goes on and your Memory Bank overflow with Precious Memories.” -Uncle Doyle & Aunt Metta Bridges
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================================================“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.” -John F. Kennedy
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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