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Below is September 6, 2003 to September 27, 2003.
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Saturday September 27, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 336
Since several emails have come in to me about school locations in Carter county in the 1920s, Ernest Martin has volunteered to help me get the legals on school locations. He will be using the 1923 Carter County School Book which has about 70 or so schools listed to obtain the info. One by one we hope to show those schools on the Carter county map for referencing. Will keep posted how it goes and when the map is available for download.
I was poking around on the Net this week looking for Oklahoma forts. I discovered there were quite a few forts in the 1800s. Some were called camps and later forts, some were forts for Union soldiers, sometimes they were Confederate forts, sometimes both at different times. I noticed one fort near Lexington that I had never heard of before: CAMP MASON (Also called Fort Holmes and Mason’s Fort) East and north of present day Lexington, Cleveland County, S.17, T7N, R.1W. 1835-1840. http://www.flash.net/~kma/FTA4.htm
Roy Miller worked at Big Canyon near Doughtery, Oklahoma. He has shared his personal collection of photos he has of that place. Here are three of them this week. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bigcanyon2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bigcanyon3.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bigcanyon4.jpg
Just west of Ratliff City over the Carter-Stephens county line is the town of Alma, Oklahoma. Here are some photos a Reader took of the old Alma School. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/almaschool3a.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/almaschool3b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/almaschool3c.jpg
Here is some kind of plaque on the stone wall of the school. I think I see 1936 on it. Its evident from the plaque that this school was a WPA project. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/almaschool3d.jpg
In northern Stephens county is Marlow, Oklahoma. Just west of Marlow is the Oaklawn School district building. It too is a rock building that was probably built by the WPA program back in the 30s to put people back to work during the Depression Years. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/oaklawn3a.jpg
But the most interesting piece of history found in the Marlow area is just west of Marlow at the old Cooper Farm place. The barn was built in 1908. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/cooperplace.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/cooperbarn.jpg
And they even have a dinner bell to call the farm hands in to eat! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/cooperbell3.jpg
Speaking of bells, Ardmoreite Jerry Landrum took a little vacation up in Deadwood, South Dakota a few weeks ago. They found this small cast iron bell in the curio shop, brought it back to Ardmore, and dropped it off at my office. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/deadwoodbell3.jpg
The Ardmore post office across from the courthouse was dedicated in 1963. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/ardpoplaque.jpg
Workers have been busy at the Ardmore Airpark preparing the bed for the new railroad tracks that will come into the airpark along the north side of the new East Jordan Iron Works. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/airparkrr3.jpg http://www.ejiw.com/
I was doing some checking around the Net to see what was available to print labels this week and found a great source right from the label people themselves. Avery has on their website the ability to design and print your labels without downloading any software to your computer. You can even save your label design to your hard drive, for printing more at a later date. The only thing complicated was trying to pick your label size. Of course if you already have your box of labels, it tells right on the box the Avery label number. Just click that size and continue designing your custom labels. You can select a logo from their gallery, or import your own logo into the label design. To learn more about making labels free, just go to their website and click the green ‘Avery Print’ tab and your ready to design and print your own labels using your own printer. Labels make great Christmas presents! http://www.avery.com
My webshots.com photos continue setting new records. This week over 1,600 hits! http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“Hello Sweetpea, Thought I would holler at you, as one grandmother to another. Sounds like Butch has given you a job just made for a grandmother. I am a Grandmother myself, in fact a great grandmother several times over, I am 76 years old and feel as though at times I am closer to 100 yrs. I work a lot for my son on the computer and it does get interesting. However my boss isn’t as close as yours, I live in Dumas, Texas and he lives in Thoreau, New Mexico. However I am a transplanted Okie, was born and raised in Greer County, Oklahoma and went to school at Centralvue, then transferred to Duke High School. Mother was raised near Russell and my Dad was from Greer and Jackson County. And my husband was Born and Raised in Harmon County, near Vinson, Oklahoma. I read Butch’s J & J every time and love it even though it has not had much about my part of the State. I still see a lot of familiar sites and read a lot of interesting items. Thank.” -Sue Brawley Hayes
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“Sweetpea, I know you have lived close to Butch for a long time but I’m not sure you really know the guy. He’ll give you a bite of food then expect you to do all his work. 🙂 If I were you and things get too bad, I’d bite the hand that feeds me. LOL Seriously though, he is an all right guy, you just have to let him know you are in control. I’m sure you can do that since you are a bit older and a lot wiser. Look forward to seeing what you have to say as time goes by. Hide your Dr. Peppers!!! They will vanish right before your eyes.;) Glad you have volunteered to keep an eye on things.” -Jerry Royall..
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“Woof!”
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“Re: the Sunset golf course that was mentioned a couple of times in your September newsletters.My father, Frank Stallcup, briefly ran that course. I believe it was about 1948. Dad has always said that the only thing he got out of that venture was one pull-cart, which is probably why I still have it.” -Chuck
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“When I was growing up in Carter County in the 50’s the following stores were operating:Hammett’s in Lone Grove. Ran by Ned Hammett. Reisner’s Grocery in Lone Grove. Ran by Lawrence Reisner (or possibly Riesner). Phipp’s in Fox. Ran by Jess Phipps. Wooldridge’s in Graham and in Ratliff City. Ran by brothers, Robert had the more successful store in Ratliff and I believe his brother’s name was John who had the Graham store. Arnold’s in Springer. I saw the listing for Hyde’s on Hwy 70 west of Lone Grove. Ran by Jess Hyde. The front porch had a hole in the floor and a great thrill for us kids was when Mr. Hyde would ask us to “empty out the lids.” This meant that we got to take the pop bottle lids from the front of the pop box and dump the lids down into that hole in the porch. There’s no telling how many lids were under there. We were easily entertained in those days.
Some of these rural stores were more like General Stores with groceries being their main focus, but most had gas pumps and kerosene, some hardware, and almost all of them would have feed, salt licks, etc. for the farmers and other folks who didn’t really have a farm, but raised chickens, pigs or other animals.”
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“Hi, Butch! In recent weeks, several people have reminisced about City Drug. Today while reading my copy of “The Reporter’s Notebook” by Wm. A. McGalliard, I happened across his column of Dec. 27, 1964. “Mac”, as you know, was a reporter/photographer for the Daily Ardmoreite who earned many awards. On that day he visited City Drug and visited with pharmacist Ira Vickers. They discussed the pending liquidation of the store on or about Dec. 31st, most of the fixtures having already been sold. Mac’s column went on to outline a general history of the place, and named many of the folks who had worked there or had a financial interest in it. I won’t try to quote from the article because there is too much to choose, but would suggest a visit to the library for anyone looking for information for that time period. The Notebook, published by the Ardmoreite and printed by Sprekelmeyer’s in 1973, is really good reading. Also fascinating is Paul N. Frame’s book – A History of Ardmore, Oklahoma, From the Earliest Beginnings to 1907 – copies of which may still be available at the Greater Southwest Historical Museum.” -Elizabeth Dyer
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“Here’s what I found on “Normal School.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. NOUN: A school that trains teachers, chiefly for the elementary grades. ETYMOLOGY: Translation of French école normale (so called because the first school so named was intended as a model) : école, school + normal, normal. Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant was first called “Southeastern State Normal School.”
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“Hi Butch, Want to find out about anything (Normal schools) go do a search for what you want to know.” http://www.infoplease.com/
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“Hello Butch, A T&T reader wrote inquiring as to why early Oklahoma colleges were called “Normal”. I believe it was in reference to the college being a school for the specific training of students in becoming teachers. I also believe it was not only common to Oklahoma but there were “Normal” colleges across the United States. Maybe other teachers will reply with more information about this?” -Lilli
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“Normal school” used to be the standard terminology for a teacher’s college. The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary says it comes from the French “école normale”, from the fact that the first French school so named was intended to serve as a model.”
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“Hello Butch, I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Tommy Elmore for his memory of the Schwinn bike and the Ardmore Cycle Shop on North Washington. The two brothers, Charlie Rhyne and Jimmy Rhyne are my brothers. I even recalled my precious sister-in-law, Nellie talking about your visit to the shop, Tommy. The Schwinn was Charlie’s favorite. He was very particular about the construction of the bikes he sold. He even gave me my first two wheeler bike, and liked you (Tommy and Butch), I learned how to ride that bike on the sidewalk on third N.E., a block from the Carmon’s Lumber yard. So, Charlie Rhyne may not actually hard your words, Tommy; But us who, love him and Jimmy dearly, have read them. We are very grateful for the fond memories of our Beloved Charlie and Jimmy Rhyne. Thank you for sharing yours.” -Frances Tate
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“I enjoyed the comments about the bicycles and thought you might like to see a picture of a rare one being auctioned off next Thursday (September 25th.) here in Perry, Oklahoma. We’re guessing that it was probably made about 1850, perhaps earlier. Notice the odd spokes on the wheels, the pedals on the front wheel (like on a tricycle), the seat on the front fender frame (which is instantly detachable) which comes off to convert the cycle to a scooter, and the rear passenger seat. It is complete except for a missing kick-stand (which may have never been there). Very interesting.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/perrybike.jpg
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“Just wondering, is anyone from Plainview HS 1961 out there???” [email protected]
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“Another City Drug memory. Every year at AHS and AJHS graduations, each graduate was photographed as he/she received his/her diploma and shook hands with the Board of Education member. Also at big do’s such as the jr-sr prom there seemed to be hundreds of posed and candid pix taken. City Drug is where the proofs were displayed so that the subjects could look them over and place their orders. It was a kick to see who was grimacing or sneering when they should have been smiling, who had their eyes closed, etc., unless you were the victim. In every one of my sr prom pix I think I was scratching my nose. My mom bought them anyway.” -Rob Askew
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“Hello Butch, I’m going to try and send you a pic of my grandfather and some other men he worked with. He worked for the railroad, Rock Island, and is front of a train. Don’t know any of the other men. My grandfather James Minor Spurlock in the one on the left. He died from a fall from a train in Dec. of 1935. He left behind 9 children. Love you this and that history. Keep up the good work.” -Karla Johnson https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/spurlocktrain.jpg
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“Butch, have you ever asked about Ardmore’s Teen Town in your T&T. I never went as my church was a stickler about no dancing but it sounded fun.”
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“Arnold’s General Store operated from 1953-1969 and I remember it being on 77, west side, right in Springer. This link is an announcement of the Arnold’s 50th wedding anniversary with a little info on the store.” http://www.ardmoreite.com/stories/091502/scr_arnold.shtml
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“I did not know northwest Oklahoma had ghost investigators in our neck of Woods county.” http://www.eerieok.com/
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“I just ran across my poem that I revise for folks on 9-11. I am proud to say that it was read in England at a very large church, read at Ft. Sill, on TV and radio. I wrote the main poem on the day my father died, believe this or not, 9-11-1992 his time of passing was at 8 in the morning. Then my mom died, 11-9-2000 at 9pm. Strange Okies’ but I love them and have written enough songs and poems based around the love they gave me.” http://www.poetry.com/us_tragedy/display.asp?ID=45047
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“Butch- I had the opportunity to visit the Murray County Antique Tractor and Implement Association 10th Anniversary Show last Saturday. I missed the event last year and was surprised to see how the number of exhibits and attendance had grown over the past few years. The show is held on the McGill farm about 8 miles north of Sulphur and a mile or so east of 177. Jim Dyer gave me a quick golf-cart tour over the grounds which include several permanent structures, a field to demonstrate antique farm implements, and areas for vendors to sell antique agricultural related items and some new stuff also. The growth of the club and improvement of the activity area is due to the many hours of volunteer labor given by members to make the program successful. They had their own post office this year. It is a sub-branch of the Sulphur post office. Post cards commemorating the annual event can be mailed with the MCATIA postmark. The attached pictures give an overview of the show grounds, a post card and the MCATIA post office. Jim Dyer and Mrs. Douglas Morris (Clariece), clerk for the moment, are shown inside the PO.” [email protected] https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/murraytractor3a.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/murraytractor3b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/murraytractor3c.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/murraytractor3d.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/murraytractor3e.jpg
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“My name is Lowieta Sealy Leffingwell and I live in Plano, Tx. I was born and raised in Ardmore and it is home to me even though I have lived in the Dallas area since 1960. In the last T&T City Drugs was discussed, my first job at 16 years old was there working for Mr. Ira Vickers behind the soda fountain and I loved it, they were wonderful people. I too remember buying all my school supplies and books at City Drug. I also worked at Martin Drugs later on after school and on weekends and my first job after I graduated was at Glancy, Ford and Hunter Insurance company. I have so many wonderful memories from growing up in Ardmore and look forward to hearing from everyone soon.”
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“Butch, here is a preliminary picture of the World Peace Bell in Newport, KY. We finally got over there today. This photo was taken with a cheap digital camera. I also took some with a better regular camera. When I get the film developed, I’ll send you copies of them. For more information on the bell, you can do a search for “World Peace Bell”. There are several sites which contain info. about the bell. We found it to be pretty impressive.” -Tommie Jenkins https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/worldpeacebell3.jpg
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========================================================================Last week I announced the new ConnectOklahoma Listserver was operational. The response in just a few days was very good. Over 50 people subscribed, and a couple of dozen messages posted. Here is one example of what you’ve missed if you haven’t subscribed yet:
“Hello Everyone, I am trying out Butch’s new toy. So here goes. My name is Barbara and I have lived in Ardmore since 1971. Which is most of my life. My father was born and raised here. I have so many memories of Ardmore. I am currently researching our family and in the process I am learning more about Ardmore. Each time I read T&T I find that I miss alot of things that are not there. I know my dad always talked about the Super Dog drive Inn. I miss the old Skyview Drive Inn. I miss Rays Roller Rink and the old wood floor. I miss the Old bowling alley that used to be where Homeland is. I miss the old drag and when Main street was two way. I miss all the old CB family that got me through my teenage years. It saddens me not to see Friday night football games at Walker Stadium any more. I miss alot of things I took for ganted back then. I want to thank Butch for keeping the spirit of our ancestors alive and for everything he gives. I know he gives from the heart. I am researching the Moyers, Millers, Justice, Chaney, Jones lines. I hope to meet all of you soon.” -Barbara
Hope to see you at the ConnectOklahoma Listserver. Its free, and fun!
https://oklahomahistory.net/connectoklahoma.htmlEveryone you know’s been through it
You bite the bullet, then you chew it
Tie the knot at the end of your rope
Buy a book to help you cope
But no consolation gonna come
You’re the only oneTake a look through history
Recant some bits of poetry
You’ll find the words still ring true
Some things don’t change, some things doAnd you’re the only one with a broken heart
The only one who’s afraid of the dark
The only one in a crowded room
The only one who sees a blue moonWhat you wouldn’t give right now
To be another face in the crowdAnd you’re the only one who is all alone
The only one who’s love is gone
The only one who has given in
The only one who will give again
And you’re the only one with a broken heart
The only one who’s afraid of the dark
The only one in a crowded room
The only one who sees the blue moon.-Roy Orbison 1989
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday September 20, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 335
Last week I talked about setting up a Listserver. I have it up and running but I’ve been doing some re-thinking on this and the amount of work its going to take to monitor it and keep it running smoothly. And I’ve really got more on my plate now than I can eat. So I’ve decide to let my next door neighbor take care of the Listserver. I’ve done all the technical stuff of setting it up and all. And there’s really not that much to the day-to-day operation since its pretty much automatic. My neighbor is retired, her children are are grown and moved away, and she really doesn’t do much anymore.
Once we all get used to the Listserver and the power behind it, it will be a lot of fun. Maybe if this Listserver works well, someday I may use it to send out my T&T each weekend instead of my Groupmail Program I use now to prepare the T&T. People will still get my T&T, only it will be brought to them via the Listserver. For those of you who subscibe to it (I hope everyone will take advantage of this free service) we will be able to share stories and history with the others, and make friends with people all over the country who have some kind of a connection to Oklahoma. Some have not been back “home” in 30 or 40 years and this will be a great way to stay in touch!
I’ve set up a webpage about the Listserver, what it is, how it works, how to use it, some basic rules, and more. Also you can meet its Moderator. Hope to see you at the Listserver soon! https://oklahomahistory.net/connectoklahoma.html
Ardmoreite Roxie Hill has a photo of a group of students at the old Provence School that used to be east of Ardmore, probably taken around 1925 or so. She doesnt know the exact date. Maybe someone out there had kinfolk who went to Provence School and recognizes some of the people in the photo. Let us know. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/provenceschool2.jpg
Here is a photo of Provence school from the 1923 Kate Zaneis Galt school book. http://community.webshots.com/photo/16571872/16563068VEpXxreQyG
Bob Gates lived in the 800 block of 5th Northeast back in the 1960s. He now lives in the Tulsa area and called me this week to make a correction on Moran Grocery that was across from Washington grade school back when I was there in the 60s. I had the ownerships in reverse. Basil Moran was the original owner. Houston Cox bought it from Basil, and then Houston’s son Robert Cox was the last owner. The old wooden store was moved out on Highway 142 by the Refinery years ago and used as a storage building for a hydralic hose repair company. But it was torn down a few years ago, its now only a memory to us who bought candy there during the school day. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/moran.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/moran2.jpg
A few months ago a Reader wrote in, sending a pix of Anvil Rock over in Johnston county. There was no mention about any specific info about the rock itself. But this week another Reader wrote in (see Mailbag below) and talked about gold somewhere in Oklahoma. Now we know where that gold is located! Now dont all of you run over there with picks and shovels and wake up the dead at nearby Anvil Rock cemetery. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/anvilrock3.jpg
My great aunt Pearl Vollborn Carmon was born in a prairie schooner just outside Wichita, Kansas in 1893. The prairie schooner was much lighter then the cargo hauling conestoga wagon and rarely needed more than four horses, and sometimes only two. Oxen were frequently used instead of horses. The average prairie schooner was an ordinary farm wagon fitted with a top, drawn in at both ends, with only an oval opening to admit air and light to the interior, where women and children usually slept and rode. http://www.dvhi.net/wagonworks/history.html
The 1928 Seth Thomas Tower Clock in the dome of the courthouse is running again! We had to have a small gear made that wore down and stripped a few weeks ago. McCall Clock Works in North Carolina made the steel gear using his lathe and equipment. Since his brother lives here he didn’t charge anything for fixing it. It really is appreciated by everyone in this county who loves that old clock, when someone with the technical know-how just comes forward and says, “I’ll fix it for you”. That’s just what happened in this case. Carter county owes a big Thank You to Mr. Danny McCall in North Caroline for doing this free gratis and to his brother here for putting it on.
Buddy Moorhead, an Ardmore city detective, was killed January 23, 1931 by Pat O’Day. The tragedy occurred near the viaduct on Highway 199 in Northeast Ardmore. Few details were known in the beginning except that Moorhead was called to the vicinity to make an arrest. The officer got the man into his car and started to the police station. Persons nearby heard a shot and Moorhead’s body was thrown from the car. His slayer drove away in the officer’s vehicle. http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/photos/moorhead.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/MoorheadMarker.jpg http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/moorhead.html
T&T Readers did it again. A record 1,600 views this week of my webshots photos. This week it was the November 2002 photos that were the hottest. But for all time September 2001 photos has surpassed the Brown Springs photo album for most views. http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
No one doubts the power of the Internet for research. Take this quiz to determine how effective you are with newsroom literacy and finding answers on the Net, but be prepared. This one’s tough! http://powerreporting.com/treasure.html
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“Hello Butch, Just learning of your news letter via. Dustin Luther (My Cousin) and following the Ed Williams (My Great-Grandfather) stories. I can fill in a little about John Thurman and hopefully help trigger some memories. John “Ed” Williams second wife Stella, was John Thurman’s mother, that the connection Kenneth Eck is referring to. John (Robert) Thurman was with the American Embassy in Guatamala, Peru and was also in Washington DC. He died before his mother. Sorry what info I have is limited. I’m not even sure if I ever met him as a kid, just know the family stories from doing genealogy. I am greatly interested what turns up, I have fond memories of visiting my Great-Grandparents, it’s great reading other peoples memories of them.” -Hank Offermann
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“Whoever asked if anyone remembers the old City Drug, I sure do. Remember if you went in the side door at the back that was where you got your books for the new school year. We could buy new or used books for each grade. Most times it never cost over $3.00 for all the books for each subject. At the drug fountain you could get a double dip ice cream cone. Two dips in one cone or a double cone if you didn’t want to mix your flavors. It was on the corner of Main and Washington on the east side I guess if my directions are correct. Just a few doors down was the Globe Theater and next to it was the Pioneer Hardware. My dad has a shop in the back of the hardware store until he moved a block down the street across from Greenbergs Jewelry. Now that I said that I’m wondering if I have confused that drug store with the one Mr. Martin had on the corner of E. Main and Caddo. Years do that to the mind.” [email protected]
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“Butch, I am sure Terry Drake has the right John Thurman. I recall, now, that John did go into the book business after he left us. I always planned to go over to see him, but did not know that he would have an early death. I do appreciate Terry giving us this information, and I also remember that Johnny did do a great job on an organ, and I knew he liked books, reading a lot in his spare time. AS I said before we hated to lose him when he decided to move to Ardmore. We also hated to see the Drake’s move their jewelry store to Ardmore from Healdton. I have a watch that came from his grandfather’s store in 1928. It is a great watch of white gold with some design on the back of yellow gold. J.A. Drake carried the same design watch in his pocket, and recommended it to everyone. It cost $50 which was a big price in the depression days. It is worth a great deal of money, today, but I will keep it. Would like to wear a vest and drape the chain across it like I did in the olden days. I knew his family well and dated Mrs. Drake’s niece for about 3 years, she was a baby sitter for them, I would go to see her there and remember Don and Mary Ruth were quite small in those days.” -Kenneth Eck, Healdton
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“Hi Butch, Thanks for adding me to the T&T email list. I appreciate it and have certainly enjoyed reading the issues from last week and this week. I too am interested in History especially the History of Ardmore and Southern,OK. My paternal father worked for the Sante Fe Railroad and prior to coming to OK from TX he worked for another Railroad . My maternal grandfather worked for a short time with the Santa Fe Railroad helping to lay track in the Ardmore area. Thanks again for all the efforts to make the T&T available. -E. Franklin, FL.
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“Dear Butch, I religiously read your T&T newsletter every week and as an Oklahoma historian, I must say that I applaud your efforts to keep our heritage from fading away. I’m writing to see if you would post this query in your newsletter. I am currently working on a book and have most of the base material, but am looking for more minor and obscure details as well as the major items which I may have missed. I am researching a man named James N. “Jimmy” Jones. He was born in 1847 in Kentucky, served in the Confederate Army under General John Hunt Morgan, relocated to Illinois and then Texas by 1870. In 1871, he was employed at the Kiowa Agency at Fort Sill where he had a passion for the whiskey bottle and was discharged. He again appears at Sill in 1874 when he was hired as a civilian scout/guide during the Red River War. In 1875, he received a commission as a deputy U.S. marshal from the Western District of Arkansas and served in that capacity until about 1879 when he became the third Chief of Indian Police at Anadarko. He served in this capacity for about 4 years when he left after being tried at Fort Smith, Arkansas on double murder charges and being acquitted. He then settled down to the life of a rancher and farmer. He married a Kiowa Indian woman and had several children. He was a founding father of the town of Verden, Oklahoma located near Chickasha and died there in January 1929. Absolutely any information that people may have would be welcomed. Thanks again for your great newsletter Butch and keep up the good work.” On the Trail… Diron L. Ahlquist, Oklahoma City, OK. [email protected]
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“Butch, in response to the one who asked if anyone remembered Ira Vickers and the City Drug store. Well, I certainly do remember the Vickers family and the City Drug. We went to church with the Vickers and my most vivid memory of the Drug Store is when I was growing up there in Ardmore, that is where we got our school text books each fall, as well as our tablets and pencils etc, for school. We would have to line up on the sidewalk outside the west back door and wait our turn to purchase all of our things. Always an exciting time for a child getting ready for school. Mrs. Vickers always knew just exactly what each grade needed and would help us through the line. Fun memories.” -Linda Lamb Smith
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“I’m reading from a book called History of Ardmore, Oklahoma, From the Earliest Beginnings to 1907 by Paul N. Frame. It mentions a clash between Confederate soldiers and Comanche Indians near what is known as “old Mission property” close to Criner Springs in the Criner Hills. Does anyone know where Criner Springs is? Also mentioned is the “Rock Anvil Gold Mine” near Devil’s Den. Any info on that?”
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“My mom remembers City Drug, at the corner of Main and Washington. She said it is where everyone used to buy their school books. Also, several mentions of Ed Williams made me think of my neighbor while growing up on F N.E. Our neighbor was Velma Williams, widow of Ashburn Williams. He worked the mail on the train between Ardmore and Mena, Arkansas. The years would have been around 1930-1940. He made the trip every day between the two cities (except Sundays). It seems those Williams boys had a monopoly on the train business!!!”
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“Dear Butch, Could it be that the Abar school was a tavern where school was held. I got some of my education in some of Carter counties finest bars (beer joints). Enjoy T&T.” -David K. Thompson , Bakersfield, CA.
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“Butch, Thanks for again for the work you do on the T&T. I always enjoy reading them. One of your subscribers this week asked if anyone remember the old City Drug. I remember back in the 60’s stopping in there on my way home from Ardmore Junior High and High School to buy a Cherry Phosphate to drink. I hadn’t thought of that drink in years. I also remember stopping in and buying bottles of cinnamon oil to make cinnamon toothpicks. It is not much but those are the two things I remember most about City Drug. thanks again.” -Jerry Price
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“Hi Butch, I would love belonging to your “Connect Oklahoma” list server, I belong to about 15 others for my genealogy research and a couple for computer help and friendship. The list’s are very helpful and informative. I have both webtv and computer and enjoy both. Most of my email is thru webtv because we don’t have to worry about virus’s & worms. I have AVG antivirus program, Norton antivirus program & ZoneAlarm firewall on my computer and they work very well. For beginners or those that don’t want the initial starting cost of a computer ($1,000. or more) the webtv is the way to go and it will do most of what a computer will do except download or storage capabilities but there are ways around that, online sites and printers. I was raised near Wilson 1 mile east of Dillard in the Jones Oil Camp. Sure do remember lots of friends and memories, also lived in Ardmore, Lone Grove, Cumberland Cove & Davis in the 70’s before moving to Mesa, Ar. then to Sheridan,Tx. and have been here in Missouri since 1980.” -Jack Lake
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Ardmore High School 1963 40th Reunion September 26th-27th. If you’ve not yet registered, please don’t forget. We don’t want you to miss out on the great fun and opportunities to visit with each other that have been planned. So… come on and join us! Get those registrations in the mail to Nancy Miller, [email protected] or Sandra D Chamberlin[GMG] [email protected] or Dennis Medrick [email protected]
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“Butch- Thanks for the kind words about the artwork and the remembrance of our time in the old neighborhood. My folks have now lived longer “way out” on 3rd Avenue in the house they and my brothers and I built together back in 1975 than we ever did in the house at 214 G Street, but when I dream of “home,” I’m back in that great old house on the old street in the old neighborhood.You mentioned several things – including bicycles. I guess just about every bike I ever had back then was eventually stolen – including the nifty Schwinn Tiger with the banana seat, sissy bar, high-rise handlebars and 2-speed Bendix coaster brake from which I delivered the Daily Ardmoreite to my customers on Route 34 for several years.
Lately, our young ‘uns, Erin Liz and Glenn, 10 and 9, respectively, have gotten me back into bicycling – and an old dream of mine has gotten stronger. I’ve done a little looking into recreating that great old Schwinn Tiger and may just get around to it before long. What’s amazing is that while plenty of “fancier” vintage 10-speeds and 5-speeds from the mid 60s seem to be available at very low cost, bikes like the Tiger – one of Schwinn’s coaster-brake, middleweight, “cantilever frame” bikes – are expensive and hard to find!
Several years ago Karen and I dropped into the Ardmore Cycle Shop down on N. Washington where my Dad and I had bought that wonderful bike from Charlie Ryan back about 1966. I’d hoped to talk with Charlie again – and to tell him how often I’ve thought of him through the years. Sadly, his wife had to tell me that I’d missed him; he’d passed on some months before. He and his brother were good guys who did business with us kids fairly and honestly, knowing our hard-earned money from paper routes and lawn mowing bought a lot of what they had to sell. I’m sure sorry I didn’t get to tell him as an adult how happy I’d been to know him back all those years ago.
I’ll never forget the excellent sales talk he made to my Dad and me – and he knew what he was talking about. The Schwinn bikes of that era – made in the company’s now long-gone plant in Chicago – were of uniquely high quality, each involving a lot of handwork – made to last a lifetime. Maybe it won’t be exactly the same to have a bike that’s just a replica of my old cruiser, but I’ll still expect to find at least a little “magic” in it, surely enough to share with my kids. I might even have to dig out my old Ardmoreite paper bags and see if I can still “porch” a folded newspaper from astride a banana seat. When I do, I’ll think of all those guys I used to see back in the back room of the Ardmoreite building “daily except Saturday” – and of all the things that used to be so familiar in the old neighborhood. Thanks, again.” -Tom (Tommy) Elmore, Moore, Oklahoma
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“Dear Mr. Bridges, I ran across your web site a few days ago and found it very interesting. Like Mr. Haggerty, I too have a link to Ada, Oklahoma. My great-great uncle was Jesse West and I have been fascinated by the story since I first heard of it in the late ’60s or early ’70s. My grandfather, who is now deceased, remembered when the hanging took place. He would have been about 11 at the time. The details are fuzzy now but the following is how I remember the story that my grandfather told about the family’s reaction to the news of his uncle Jesse’s lynching.The rest of the immediate family was settled in central Texas at the time. (I do not know if they moved down here or if Jesse moved up there. I believe the family moved down here because the boys were getting into too much trouble in Oklahoma. In hindsight, Jesse probably should have moved with them.) When news of the hanging reached the family, the brothers (I believe there were two) were going to go to Ada and “take care” of the people responsible for the hanging. Their mother (who I believe was not very tall) grabbed the boys by the ears and told them “I done lost one boy up there, and I don’t aim to loose no more.” The brothers stayed home.
Again, I do not know how much of this is factual. It is a 30 year old memory of a story told from a 60 year old memory. There have been many stories written about the famous hanging, but I believe the most accurate would be the book by Mr. Wellborn Hope. I found a copy several years ago and purchased it. To my knowledge it is the only one owned by any member of my family. I would like to find more information regarding the incident. Photographs, burial records, etc. If you know of a resource other than the internet I would appreciate it if you would let me know. I can be reached at [email protected] (work) or [email protected] (home).” -Dustin West
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“Night before last I opened the door to let my dog out and there was a big buck looking at me about 50 yards away. Then yesterday morning after I let the dog out, I kept standing there looking, you know the feeling of something watching you? After a little bit I spotted it, it was a bob-cat. It took off running and caught one of the squirrels. Just never know what I will see out here in the sticks.” -Ratliff City
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“I was doing a web search on my name and came across your picture of a memorial to Walter Drew. Could you tell me about him, just seems strange to search for my name and find what appears to be a statue of a WWI hero or something. Thanks.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/drew2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/drew3.jpg
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“Hi Butch, Just a line to let you know that the pictures of the S.B. Bradford grave markers didn’t come through in your last T&T. I checked with my brother to make sure the problem wasn’t mine, and he couldn’t get them either. Don’t know if you would have any interest in them, but if you like, I can send you (snail mail) copies of the stationery with the flower in it and the post card mentioned in the article. Not any use historically, but kinda interesting, if you wish to just see them. Thanks again for all your work!” -Leon BowThe Honorable S. B. Bradford is buried at the Bradford family plot at Manoah and 7th just a few feet west of Rose Hill Cemetery’s east gate. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bradfordSBMarker.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bradfordMarker.jpg
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“Some newpaper items from Sept-Oct 1924 Daily Ardmoreite in Carter Co., OK” http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/UYB.2ACE/1686
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“Hello i just stumbled across your pics of brown springs. After looking and elarging the pic. of the head stone with the face in the dirt i relized that if i am seeing it right there are runes carved in the stone. I do not know if you are familure with ruins but if not they are a form of writing manly used ny those who practice magic. Just thought you might like to know in case you did not already.”
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“Does anyone have info about Oscar school in Love county?”
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“I am the great granddaughter of James Seth Roark. He was said to be either a sheriff of Guthrie, Oklahoma or deputy sheriff in or about 1880-1900’s. Any information would be greatly appreciated.” -Florence Roark [email protected]
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“Dear Butch, I doubt that you knew my father, but he passed away today. We spent the most of my life in the Ardmore and Lone Grove area. My father used to be a school bus drive in Zaneis school. He had a cousin who was the superintendent of schools in Ringling or Healdton forget what one. So I’ll be in your area for a while, at least its a good time to be in Ardmore. Keep up the good work. My father’s name was Frank Bural, he was one of kind. A very loving man. Not many like him. I’m sure there are probably T&T Readers who knew him.” -Shirley Acosta [email protected] http://ardmoreite.com/stories/091703/obi_bural.shtml
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“Butch, I am mailing a CD to you with pics of Big Canyon which you can use in anyway you see fit. You will notice a couple of pictures of the Washita River when it was in flood stage. This was in 1957..The Santa Fe furnished us 14 Air Dump Cars (Cars which dump to the side of the track with compressed air). We loaded 7 cars with Rip Rap while they dumped 7 and kept rotating the 14 cars in this manner for about 30 hours. Dumping Rip Rap on the curve to try to keep the track from washing out. It was us against the river and the river finally won. Hope all is well with you. I enjoy T&T very much. Thanks for making it available.” -Roy Miller
———————————————————————— “Here is a question for all you Oklahomans out there… Why did they call the first early Oklahoma Colleges “Normal” schools? Such as Northwestern State Normal, etc… ? Thanks for your help!” -LK Wagner [email protected]
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“It is almost time for our 2nd Annual CLASS OF 1967, Fall Family Picnic. Mark the date, October 4th & plan to join the fun! Remember, it is from 4pm until ???? (you get tired of visiting & the bonfire goes out!) Come & stay or pop in & say “Hi” & we’ll see you again in 4 or 9 years! This is open to ANYONE that wants to come, don’t have to have graduated in 1967, don’t even have to have graduated!! If you know anyone that would know any of our bunch & wants to come, they are welcome! Bring your family (kids, too). This is at Martin’s Landing Pavilion at Lake Murray (east side of lake, south of Sunset Beach & before you get to what used to be Quarter Mile Pier. Bring food & drinks for your bunch (hamburgers, hot dogs, baking potatoes, KFC, or whatever). We are determined to have the fire going…55 gallons of charcoal starter & MAYBE we can get it going!!! (We had a good time trying to get it started last year). As you know, this is CASUAL, jeans, sweatshirts, & comfy shoes. If you want to fish, bring your own “stuff”. Have horseshoes, volleyball, football, etc? bring them! See ya there!! (email if you think you may be coming).” Nancy (Wages) Chadwell 1-800-795-7629 wk 580-223-4583 res Chris Ridley 580-223-1069
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“The Oklahoma Railway Museum is at 3400 NE Grand in Oklahoma City. It’s a developing museum built entirely by volunteers through sheer, hardheaded determination over the last several years. Every 3rd Saturday, museum personnel operate trains along the old KATY line from NE 36th to NE 10th and back. The rail line itself is leased by the museum from Metro Transit – and was rescued from 30 years of disuse (and from having become an overgrown thicket) by the museum volunteers who have not only reconnected the line to the mains to Bricktown and Union Station, but have brought the track up to 20 mph operational standards (a big, big job). (Get to the museum by taking I-35 to NE 36th – then west on 36th to the intersection of Grand Blvd. There, Lincoln Park Golf course is to the north and a U-Haul storage outfit is to your south. Turn south on Grand – go for about a block and a half and look for the Museum sign on the east side of the street – right across the way from the Oklahoma Military Department.) The museum is operated by the same organization that ran the Watonga Chief Dinner Train out at Watonga for 8 years. Trains consist of any of a number of coaches or open-air cars (depending on the weather) – and the favorite of kids everywhere, a caboose. It’s really neat to see the looks on the faces of the youngsters sitting up in the high brakeman and conductors’ chairs in the cupola of that caboose as the train rolls along the track. Passengers 13 years of age and up ride for 8.00. Kids 3 to 12 ride for 5.00. 3 and under ride free. I’ll be showing artwork at the old Oakwood, Oklahoma KCM&O depot on the museum grounds this Saturday, as well. I think you’ll be impressed by what’s been accomplished by the museum volunteers – and you’ll have a great time looking around and riding the trains.” -TOM ELMORE http://www.oklahomarailwaymuseum.org/
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“Thanks for fixing the Bradford pics. I was surprised to see Lewis H. Bradford on one of the markers since the post card I have is addressed to him in Topeka, KS. I thought I had this figured out since my neighbor used to say that her grandfather was a big lawyer. I assumed that she was talking about S.B. and the house was built by him. But why would that postcard be in the house? Apparently these folks kept a lot of souvenirs. Thanks.” -Leon Bow
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“Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.”
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========================================================================I’m still working on the details of the peanut plan I mentioned last week. I found peanuts in the bulk, and a source for plastic bags. But I’m going to need a bag sealer too. More on my peanut plan later. Also it seems that farmers are not producing peanuts in Oklahoma that much this year. In fact, I was told there weren’t any farmers in Carter county with a peanut crop this year. I talked to a peanut farmer in Love county whose peanuts will be ready for harvest about October 15th.
Capt. Nemo: ‘You know as well as I do, Professor, that man can live under water,
providing he carries a sufficient supply of breathable air. The workman, clad in
impervious dress, with his head in a metal helmet, receives air from above by means of forcing pumps and regulators.’
Prof. Arronax: ‘That is, a diving apparatus.’
Capt. Nemo: ‘Just so, but under these conditions the man is not at liberty; he is attached to the pump which sends him air through an india rubber tube, and if we were obliged to be held thus to the Nautilus, we could not go far.’
Prof. Arronax: ‘And the means of getting free?’
Capt. Nemo: ‘It is the use of the Rouquayrol apparatus, invented by two of your countrymen.’-Jules Verne. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 1869 http://jv.gilead.org.il/biblio/
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday September 13, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 334
I’ve had several emails this week from people seeking info on a Abar School. I looked high and low and I didn’t find anything on a county school named Abar. Maybe someone out there has heard of this school and can fill us in on its location and history.
I also looked for a map of Carter county showing the school districts back in 1923 or so. Maybe someone knows where such an animule is, or will help me make one. There were about 75 schools in Carter county according to Kate Zaneis’ book of 1923. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/cartercountyschools1923.jpg
Ardmoreite Sally Gray gave me one of the new Discover Ardmore pamphlets this week. It highlights some of the historic places in Downtown Ardmore, a history lesson all by itself. The pamphlet will be distributed at various businesses in the area. For info on this pamphlet and others, plus the individual digital players available, contact the Ardmore Main Street Authority at 580-226-6246 or email them at [email protected] for more information. If you havn’t gone on a self guided walking tour of downtown Ardmore compliments of the Ardmore Main Street Authority, you are missing a great experience. With cooler weather here, now is the time to take that tour! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/DiscoverArdmore2003a.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/DiscoverArdmore2003b.jpg
Last week we mentioned Hunts Grocery at 3rd and H Street Northeast in Ardmore. As a teen in the 60s I sacked groceries sometimes for Herman and Alice Hunt. Herman’s father was Henry T. Hunt and he owned the Hunt Planing Mill Company back in the early 1900s. In searching old phone books, the best I can tell, his planing mill was located in a couple of places back in the 20s. In 1916 it was a 409 3rd Northeast, in 1920 the location was 415 East Broadway. Then while doing some research in the 1923 Kate Galt Zaneis School Book there on page 88 was a full page advertisement by Hunt Planing Mill and listed at 309 East Broadway. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/HuntPlaning1923.jpg
A 1972 TWA Airlines Boarding Pass. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/TWABoardingPass1972.jpg
A 1972 baggage tag use on the Santa Fe trains. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/SantaFeBaggageTag1972.jpg
A 1972 Northeast Airlines ticket from Presque Isle, Maine to Oklahoma City, $144. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/NortheastAirlines1972.jpg http://www.crownofmaine.com/camgallery.htm http://www.crownofmaine.com/cammain.htm
I see from my website’s stats that not only do T&T Readers like history, but they like art! Within hours last weekend the Tom Elmore prints set a record with nearly 350 hits! https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/elmoreprints03.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/stats
I always like to give credit where credit is due. A street light has been out for a couple of months just down the street from me on Stanley SW. At 8am Wednesday morning I called the OGE office in OKC to report the light being out. She said she would take care of it, and sometime that same day the crews fixed the light because that night after dark I noticed the light burning again. A Thank You is due to OG&E. Well lit areas are a deterrent to crime.
Steve Hamm is the programmer who built the Carter County Assessors Website and searchable database in December 2000. It has been working flawlessly all this time. A couple of weeks ago Steve added a new feature to the website, a Specs Page. The Specs Page tells a little about what kind of system makes up the website, including the size hard drive, speed (733mhz processor), memory, etc. But the Specs Page also reports how many people are using the website at a given time. The most we’ve seen is about 35 people at one time using the system. The Specs Page is under the “About Us” tab, then click “Specs”. Here is a direct link to the information. http://www.cartercountyassessor.org/specs.asp http://www.cartercountyassessor.org
Our webshots.com website set another record this week. Over 1,350 hits in 7 days! Thanks everyone. I’m glad everyone loves looking through my photos! Most can be found nowhere else on the Net! http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“Butch, My Dad and I were checking out some areal photos and maps at maptech.com this week when we ran across some interesting features. One photo is of the area around Bomar Point Cemetery just west of Wilson Okla. and the other of the area around Hewitt Cemetery just east of Wilson. In the photos you will see what looks like crop circles. These are actually remnants of the Oil Boom Days of our area. The circles are where Hugh Oil Storage Tanks were once located. My Dad, Carl W. (Steve) Stevens remembers when the steel tanks were still standing at these exact spots. They were 55,000 barrel steel tanks used to store the crude oil from the many oil wells scattered around the area. He remembers them from the 1930’s and 1940’s but says they were probably first built around 1925. The oil boom in the Healdton field area actually started in 1913 and that eventually hundreds of the Hugh tanks were constructed all around from Wilson to Ringling to Healdton areas. He says they were probably around 40 ft. tall and had a long stair way leading to the top that usually had a locked gate about half way up. There were many oil companies that constructed the tanks, Carter, City Service, Shell and Skelly just to name a few. He says that the oil boom was so fast that there was no specific market at the time and no way to ship the oil out to a market from those remote areas. That’s why they built so many of the large tanks. Later, large cross country pipe lines were built to transport the oil to refineries. Also the Ringling Road, originally the Oklahoma, New Mexico and Pacific railroad, moved many tank car loads out of that area to Ardmore. Dad says that before the tanks were built there was so much oil produced that they dug large earthen ponds or pits and literally dumped the crude oil into the ponds for storage. They even let oil run down the creeks when the pits overflowed. Some of the wells were flowing (didn’t need a pump) and couldn’t be shut in at the time so they just let the oil flow into the pits. He told me that in the early days of the oil boom they routed pipe lines along creeks for gravity flow since creeks naturally followed the lowest terrain. They eventually installed booster pump stations for moving the oil down long pipe lines. Sometimes lightning would strike the 55,000 barrel storage tanks exploding them and burning crude oil would be everywhere including down the creeks. Dad says the creeks caught on fire quite regularly. Sometimes from lightning and sometimes probably from being intentionally set to burn off the oil that was floating down the creek from pipe line leaks, overflows and sometimes from new wells that would blowout. In the early days they didn’t have the equipment used today to take care of such blowouts. There are still a few of the large tanks left scattered around Carter County but not many and certainly not as many as were still around in the 1050’s when I was a kid in the oil fields. I can remember lots of the Hugh tanks around Healdton and Ringling myself during that time. I have also attached a photo of the Healdton rail yard that I shot myself in the early 60’s when I was about 12 or 13 years old. As you can see Santa Fe, which then owned the line, still hauled out a fair amount of crude oil over the line to Ardmore in the steel tank cars. By the way, the faint diagonal line in the Bomar Point photo is a remnant of the old Ringling Railroad between Wilson and Colbalt Junction, which was a few miles west. Remains of the old line can also be seen in the Hewitt photo. Butch, we really enjoy your newsletters.” -C. Dwane Stevens and Carl W. Stevens https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/hughoilstoragetanks3a.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/hughoilstoragetanks3b.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/healdtonrailyard1960.jpg
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“Butch, the digital camera is notorious for having a pretty slow shutter speed and as an example I am showing you about 2 fairly good exposures out of approximately 25 snaps.” -Ernest Martin https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/martinhummer3a.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/martinhummer3b.jpg
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“Hi Butch, I was in Ardmore yesterday and had been telling my wife about a sidewalk mark that was around the corner from where I grew up on “C” Street N.W., so we drove by there. It is a contractor stamp put there when the sidewalk was laid, and there are two, neither of which is very legible. I wished I had some charcoal or crayon and paper. Anyway, it says “(contractor’s name) Ardmore, I.T.” It is on the southeast corner of “D” and 9th, N.W., directly across the street from the small “park” with a marker in it designating it as the site for the old Hargrove College that was there until about 1910. Years ago, I was told by the lady who lived in the house where the mark is, that the house itself is actually a log cabin that someone had put siding on and “finished out”. Also, another nearby resident told me that when they were excavating for building another one of the houses (farther north on the east side of the park) that the contractor unearthed a dump that contained a lot of bedsprings and desks and misc. that had been at the college. The old house that was next door to where I grew up, it was built about 1890 by a local lawyer who was the grandfather of the lady who lived there until she died. I’m almost sure that he was the lawyer S.B. Bradford mentioned on page 42 of the book. The house burned 2 or 3 years ago. It was a historical treasure and was located at 811 “C” Street and was just filled with old artifacts. The house next door to where I grew up was lived in by Dorothy. Hardie (or Hardy..I know she always specified the spelling, but time has erased it from my brain) until her death. Her mother also lived there when I was young and was for many years a school teacher in Ardmore. She taught first grade to both my mother in 1917 and my brother in 1943. Mrs. Hardie’s father was named Bradford and she inherited the house. I have a post card I found stuck between some law books there postmarked Jul 29, 1887 in Twin Mound, Kas., addressed to Lewis H. Bradford in Topeka, Ks. The “Ardmore Through A Camera” book says that Hon. S. B. Bradford was in Kansas for a lot of years, including being a legislator.” -Leon Bow https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/marssign.jpg“Just a quick post script to the previous two emails I sent with info about S.B. Bradford (1847-1902). As I was putting away the “Ardmore Through a Camera” book, I came across a piece of folded paper that I had also saved from the house I mentioned. It contained a pressed and very old flower. That’s all…no writing or anything. However the piece of paper is actually a piece of stationery with a printed heading across the top. It says:
S. B. Bradford,
United States Commissioner, First Commissioners District,
Southern District, Indian Territory,Ardmore, Ind. Ter.,__________, 189_ https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bradford1899.jpg
The Honorable S. B. Bradford is buried at the Bradford family plot at Manoah and 7th just a few feet west of Rose Hill Cemetery’s east gate. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bradfordSBMarker.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/bradfordMarker.jpg
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“Butch, since the county renamed “Powers Road” to “Sneed Road”, I have had a lot of inquiries in my office as to the history of Sneed. They want to know where and what it was.The only thing I know about it is I think it is just west of the Newport Cemetery. I believe there was a school there. Some say there was a whole town there once, including a Post Office. I was unable to find it on the Post Office locator web site http://www.usps.gov/postmasterfinder (attached). That website has limited history before 1987. They only began building it at that time, and are continually adding more information. All of the Postal History can be found on the National Archives website http://www.archives.gov/research (attached) but most of it is on microfilm. I ordered a microfilm from them once. I gave it to Ken Chaffin, the publisher of the Healdton Herald newspaper. It has the entire history of all the Post Offices in Carter County. IF he still has it, and IF he would loan it to you, and IF you know how to view it, then it may be a valuable tool in your endeavor to research the history of Carter County. Keep up the good work. I enjoy your newsletter. If you decide to do a hardcopy mailing of you newsletter, contact me for assistance on bulk rates.” -Trish Brown [email protected] https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/sneedpa.jpg
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“Hi Butch, Hope you are doing well and having a nice weekend. I would love to be able to advertise in the T&T so some folks could get a paper copy! I have a clean, family-oriented website that I would love to place an ad for. Let me know the details and what to send to you, should you do this. We finally are getting temps in the 80’s to low 90’s for a high down here, and believe me, that is a great improvement over the summer time heat we had been having.” -Carol Cannon, T&T Reader For Several Years & Loving It! Garland TX
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“Butch, In response to Kenneth Eck’s inquiry about Johnny Thurman: I believe he might have been the same John Thurman who was a bookseller in Ardmore during the late 1960’s to early 1970’s. John gave me my first real job at 15 working in his bookstore (my father’s jewelry shop didn’t count). When I began working for him, he was located on West Main Street just east of Noel Datin’s Men’s Wear. But I remember that he had an earlier shop around the corner on North Washington where some of the antique stores are now located. I worked for him for about six months to a year. He died not long after, and I came back to help run the store for another year or so to settle his estate. John was a fascinating man, having been an interpreter for the U.S. Government in South America. He used to tell some very interesting stories about his exploits down there. He also used to help me with my Spanish assignments, a subject I had much difficulty with. John was also an accomplished organist and had spent the afternoon before his death in a church, playing the organ. I will never forget the day, a few weeks after I had started working for him, when, after having swept the floor, taken out the garbage, and gone to the Post Office, I asked him what I should do next. He slid a book in front of me and said: “read!” It was a book called, I believe, Gunfighter’s Paradise, and was about early Carter County history. To this day I live among books and will always be grateful to John for that.” -Terry Drake, Mountain View, California
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“Butch, in a past Oilpatch Mania, I wrote a story about Maudie and Carrie Stewart (it was 1997). I was using information from a story about them written in 1983 when Maudie was 89 it seems. Maudie mentions that when they lived at Sneed she attended school at Abar. I’ve checked and cannot find a school by that name. The date they were in school was probably very early 1900’s If you don’t know would you please ask your readers in T&T? Carrie was 4 in 1900 and Maudie was 7. Thanks a bunch.” -Kenneth Eck Kenneth Eck [email protected]
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“I am so glad U put that link about the homestead.com in your newsletter this wk. I just love looking at pic’s like that. reading the stores within, I can only imagine what life was like back then….certainly a lot more simple than it is now. I copy & pasted that link into my yahoo notepad so I can look at them over & over. my fav all time book to look at is my frontier days book. we have life way too easy now. those watercolor prints of those trains are awesome.” http://www.homestead.com/schehrer2/index.html
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“Hello Butch, Just a note to say ‘Thank You’ for all the work you do on this news letter. As we get older I guess it is only human nature to reflect on the past and sometimes think that we would like to re-visit some of those days. Thanks to you many of us can, even if only in memory. I look forward to each Friday and the T&T posting. In addition to the trips down memory lane your work provides for some of us, there is much more. Your efforts are keeping alive the History of Ardmore in a very unique and personal way not found any place else. Keep up the good work.” -Lee
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“The cave at honey creek is often referred to as Bitter Enders and is on Chapman ranch. Supposedly the entrance to this has been sealed in recent years. Haven’t been there myself but I live in Davis. Thanks for all the info Butch.”
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“Does anyone remember the City Drug owned by Ira Vickers? Does anyone remember Cy Harness at Wirt Franklin..Well, I know Ray and Thomasine remember Cy.” -Bud Roller
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“Hi Butch, I never lived in Ardmore but did go to college in Ada in the 90’s and I think that is why I like reading T&T. I loved that area and the people there. When I read T&T I usually always learn something about the past in Southern Oklahoma. This week I saw a message from David Cathey about the Tar Creek area in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. I wanted to thank Mr. Cathey for providing the link to the website as this is the area where I grew up. I am living in Missouri now but in my heart I will forever be an Okie.” -Tony Miller
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“Hi Butch, I didn’t realize the Ed Williams you were referring to was Mr. Williams, my neighbor, until Tommy Harris identified where he lived. I lived directly across the street from Tommy Harris and his family at #14 6th N.W. The house was originally my grandfather’s house. He was David S. Fraser who has been mentioned in your T&T a time or two. In 1954 when I was about 11 years old my grandparents moved into a house they had built next door and my family moved into #14 6th NW. Going west from #14 6th there was my grandparents house, a rent house, the Williams house. The Mann’s lived on the corner. Those were the days when we ran around the neighborhood, through back yards, over fences, and didn’t think anything of it. My cousin, Charles Fraley, and I used to take turns pitching to each other out behind the houses. Mr. and Mrs. Williams were extremely nice to me. They had a fruit tree, a pear tree I believe, in their back yard. Mrs. Williams caught me climbing the tree and instead of running me off, encouraged me to pick and eat the pears. Mrs. Williams sent me home frequently with pear preserves that were delicious. Mr. Williams had a little workshop in his back yard attached to the back of his garage. It was extremely well organized. He had built storage bins that consisted of jar lids nailed to boards that would rotate like a lazy Susan. Each jar was organized with different types of nails, screws and other fasteners and screwed into its lid. I wandered up one day when he was in his shop and he invited me in. He encouraged me to use his stuff anytime I wanted whether he was there or not. He had all kinds of tools, a vise, I was in heaven. I spent many hours in that workshop both with Mr. Williams and by myself. I was always careful to keep it organized and put things back like I found them. That organization was a life lesson that has stood me well through the years.” -Carrol Evans
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“I made a copy of the list of Carter County Schools for the year of 1923 – as you can see there is no school by the name Abar. However it should be considered that at that time there had already been some consolidation that had taken place. I also looked in the back of the book to see if their might be a school by that name among the “separate schools” (colored) but there was nothing there either. I even looked in my book on ‘Place names” in Oklahoma and found nothing there. Perhaps there was a school by that name before 1923 or maybe it could be a conscription (private) school that would not be listed under county schools.” -Ernest Martin https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/cartercountyschools1923.jpg
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“I’m a little slow this week getting to reading my newsletter, but anyway when you mentioned Kenneth Eck it reminded me of an ad put in the Ardmoreite by Gary Eck at Wilson Schools a few weeks ago. It said the school was looking for “a 3 year old teacher’s aide, and a 2 year old teacher’s aide.” . . . I guess my grandson can’t apply because he’s 6! . . . . these kind of ads just strike me funny!!” -Susie
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“my sister and i would like to see if maybe one of your readers could help us locate some of the tuck family members. their ancestor is the one that built the ferries in love county back in the 1800’s. the main one i am interested in was operated and owned by him and later was taken over by my great-grandfather whose name was rabourn elliott and he was also known as rabe elliott. we know he had ownership of the ferry from 1888 to around 1907 when he was killed and the ferry was taken over by his son doc elliott who ran it until 1932. i was hoping maybe some of your readers could tell me how to get in touch with mr. tucks’ family to see if they might still have some records showing exactly when my great-grandfather may have received ownership of the ferry at horseshoe bend. we also know that his brother william elliott (aka) bill elliott also ran a ferry from gainesville, texas. if anyone knows anything they can e-mail me at [email protected]. i know i have asked for help from your readers before on the same ferry, but at least now i have a time frame to work with. thank you very much for all of your help.” -betty whitton
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“Like Lillian who wrote about her WebTv, I love it! My daughters have also been trying to talk me into getting a computer but I can’t see that anything is as easy to use as WebTv and I had never thought of “taking it along” as one reader said he does. I thought I wanted a “notebook” for that. That’s a great idea! See you learn all kinds of things from your newsletter.I never lived in Ardmore but lived in Healdton where I went to highschool in the 50s so of course went to Ardmore a lot and enjoy reading about things there. And naturally love it when anyone writes about Healdton. Thanks for all your effort. JoAN Chamblin Serrata – now in San Francisco (Calif.) oh….and I fwd the newsletter to 9 others.”
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“I was looking in Stephens county for an old barn built around 1907 that is still standing. The g-grandchildren were talking about putting it on the registry a few years back. It is west of Marlow somewhere.”
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========================================================================In one of my T&Ts back in 1997 I mentioned creating a Mail ListServer. For several reasons, I never got it up and running at that time, but I think now is the time to try it again. One of the features available on my OklahomaHistory.net website is a ListServ. I think I’ll call the Listserv “ConnectOklahoma”. Any comments? For those of you who do not know how a Listserver works, its really a powerful and instant communication tool that could handle thousands of subscribers with ease. And do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Here is how it works: A person sends an email to the Listserver asking permission to be added. The Listserv instantly responds with a “Request for Confirmation Email”. When you Reply, your added to the ListServ mail list. Then when you want to email all the others on the ConnectOklahoma List, just send an email. The Listserv automatically resends your email to all those who are subscribed to ConnectOklahoma.
I have the Listserv setup and testing it now. It should be ready for “work” next weekend! And it has controls built in for any abuse. The possibilities of what this Listserver can do for subscribers is endless: ask a question, request help, share a story, genealogy research, history research, announcements, reunions, meetings, and the list goes on. Guess we will find out next weekend!
Now one more thing. Any Oklahoma peanut farmers out there? I need a 25 or 50 lb bag of peanuts for a T&T project I’m thinking about doing.
“History is the ship carrying living memories to the future.” -Stephen Spender
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday September 6, 2003 T&T Weekly Vol 7 Issue 333
I am now the proud owner of two prints of original water color paintings by a friend who grew up with me near the old Hunt’s Grocery Store on 3rd and “H” NE in the 60s. I lived a few hundred feet catty cornered from the grocery store, and Tommy Elmore lived just a couple of blocks west of Hunts and back south on “G” Street NE in the old Bob Fraley home. We both lived in what people in other sections of Ardmore called poor town. Our swords we played with were any sticks we could find laying around, or maybe even a discarded cane pole. Sometimes we’d get a big piece of cardboard out of the dumpster behind Hunts Grocery, go a block east down 3rd, and use it as a sled on the steep grassy slopes behind Mrs Creecy’s house. Mrs Creecy operated a small laundry at her home at 3rd and “I” NE, washing clothes by hand, trying to make ends meet. We always had fun was when we’d find a small piece of salt pork in the Hunt’s trash bin, tie it to a string, and use it for bait to catch crawdads in the creek that ran along that south slope on Mrs Creecy’s property and under her house, traveling on down to a creek about 1/2 block to the east.
Back in those days as a kid, I never dreamed I was friends with a future artist. We were just snotty nosed skinny kids running all over the neighborhood. We didn’t have any transportation except a bicycle sometimes, if it didnt get stolen during the night by punks. So none of us very seldom ventured outside our little neighborhood around Hunts Grocery, except on special occasions when our folks would take us somewhere in the family vehicle. Now 40 years later I am truly honored to own two certified prints by my childhood friend Tom Elmore. Tom lives in Moore, Oklahoma now, and the two prints I own are from his water color collection of steam locomotive and diesel locomotive engines. If you or someone you know are in the least bit interested in train engines of the past, you will love the prints Tom Elmore produces from his water color paintings, they are absolutely stunning. With Christmas just around the corner, a print would sure make someone who loves trains smile! Here are my two prints: https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/elmoreprints03.jpg
Certificates of Authenticity I received with each print: A lot of history here. https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/elmorecertificate3a.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/elmorecertificate3b.jpg
Anyone interested can contact Tom Elmore in Moore, Oklahoma at 405-794-7163 or send him email at [email protected] for more information. Now I need to find some nice frames in which to place these two prints. Anyone out there good with a miter saw? I used to use a miter saw often in my grandfather Carmon’s lumber yard, but that was a long time ago, I’ve lost my touch. 🙂
I talked to a friend this week who told me about his experience years ago at Honey Creek. Honey Creek feeds Turner Falls in the Arbuckle Mountains. Near the camping area of Turner Falls there is a trail off to the NW that takes you down to the creek. He said there is a fork nearby where another tributary meanders off the main Honey Creek stream that will take you to a place about 5 or 6 miles from the campground, to where that creek starts at a cave. He went inside the cave years ago, and was amazed at the actual river that flowed through that cave underground. He said at one place by the bank, he took his bright light and could see this whirl pool, and that whirl poll was over 100 feet deep. A dangerous place to be if you aren’t careful. This fork in Honey Creek also takes you back to the spot where all the water originates for Turner Falls. Its about 3 or 4 miles back into the woods and also comes up out of a cave entrance.
I received an email this week from a lady who uses Webtv to read my T&T newsletters. She was having trouble pulling up the text file on the court clerks website of the court docket. I wrote her back to say I didn’t know anything about webtv, but I’d send out an email to the 30 T&T Readers in my database that do use webtv. Within 24 hours I had 22 replies! Most of them were positive, meaning the could pull up the txt file. I think I may know why some who use webtv can not see the file and some can see it. I’m renaming the file with the extension .txt on the end. Maybe you webtv users can try it again and let me know if you can pull up the files. I do want to share one email I received that enlightened me to the good points of webtv that I didn’t know. You will find her email in the Mailbag below. http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/courtclerk/docket.txt http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/courtclerk/warrants.txt
I love to get emails, but I’m specially happy when I received an old fashioned letter from a friend on paper delivered by the good old United States Post Office. The letter was from a fellow history buff in Healdton, Oklahoma. When I looked in the upper left hand corner of the letter and saw Kenneth F. Eck, DPh., a big smile came across my face. Kenneth is recording history for future generations in his column in the weekly Healdton newspaper. When I stopped by his home last year in Healdton, I knew Kenneth was a historian extraordinaire. Oklahoma needs more citizens like him, preserving local history for those who come after us. I’d like to share his letter with everyone:
“Dear Friend Butch: I didn’t know if you might have seen my column in the Healdton Herald, August 21st, but I wanted you to know that your T&T came in handy for me that week as I used a couple of your pictures and some of your story. I always appreciate your kindness in letting me use portions of your T&T now and then. I just love Fridays when I get the e-news from you. I nearly always get it on Friday evening, a few times I have had to wait until Saturday morning when I had been overly busy or out of town. Once again, thank you and keep up the good work. I have wondered how many people you have on your mailing list, and I know some of them forward it on to others as I have done on numerous occasions. So you have a pretty big coverage. Sincerely, Kenneth Eck”
Well friend Kenneth, to answer your question, I have over 1,500 people in my Mailing Database. Some of them are just lurkers kinda hiding in the background and don’t write me very often. But there are some who do, and share a photo or some piece of history or tale from their childhood. I really appreciate everyone whether they write or not. I can remember back to March 1997 when I sent out my first “history email” to about 12 friends. A month or two later when my mailing list reached 50 people, I experienced my shock and awe. I guess I didn’t realize just how much people love history and the past. Today I get emails from all over the country from people who I do not send my ezine to, so I know it is being Forwarded at lot. I estimate it goes to several thousand each weekend. And that figure does not count the many others who visit or even stumble across my webpages searching for something, or just to look at my photos, or trying to figure out just what this guy in Ardmore does do. I’ve said this in the past, and I’m going to repeat it here: Most of the history recorded here would not be here, if it were not for all of you sharing it! Thanks everyone.
Gasoline ain’t the only thing that went sky high about two weeks ago. If those hens don’t start laying again soon, I’ll won’t be able to buy eggs. I found a site that teaches all about laying hens. My grandmother Carmon had chickens next to the house and lumber yard back in the 60s. My great grandmother Ida Miller, she had a chicken yard behind her house across from Washington School. They had mostly Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns. I enjoyed gathering the eggs when they asked me to. http://www.webelfin.com/chickens/chickbreeds.html
Ardmore 1935:
Cannon and Lane Building 8-10 A Northwest
Dobbins Building 100 1/2 West Main
Eddleman Building 107 1/2 West Main
Ellison Building 30 North Washington
Gorman Building 2 1/2 West Main
Norman Building 5 1/2 West Main
Ritz Theater 117 West Main
Simpson Building 10 West Main
Von Weise Building 230 1/2 West Main
Weston Building 300 1/2 West Main
Chickasaw Lumber Company 523 A Southwest
Stubblefield Mity Nice Bakery 227 West Main
Beall’s Bakery 119 North Washington
Pastry Shop 15 North Washington
Solomon’s Bakery 114 West Main
Baseball Park 800 C Southwest
Memorial Lawn Cemetery end of C Street Southeast
Berry Hotel 25 1/2 South Washington
Broadway Hotel 9 1/2 West Broadway
Commercial Hotel 17 A Southeast
Dixie Hotel 115 1/2 East Main
Ford Hotel 117 North Washington
Knox Hotel 105 1/2 East Broadway
Norwood Hotel 109 1/2 East Broadway
Ardmore Laundry 307 K Northwest
Frank Cook Laundry 1005 North Washington
Mrs Myrtis Creecy Laundry 827 3rd Northeast
Sami Frye Laundry 17 12th Northeast
Winfield Hoard Laundry 211 7th Northwest
Cooks Laundry 113-115 A Northeast
Excelsior Laundry 15 A SoutheastFrom time to time I get emails asking where someone can get a website made, or a program created to do a certain thing, like keep inventory of their business or whatever. I found this great place where you can post an “ad” (its free) telling what you want, what you will pay, and techs will respond who think they can fill the bill. Its an unusual concept.. But with only God knows how man thousands of “high tech” programmers and the like out of work right now, you can sure get a program made at a very reasonable fee. http://www.rentacoder.com
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“The memorial they put up for the Sheriffs of Carter County has my uncle Floyd Randolph’s name on it. He also made saddles and one is in the Cowboy Hall of Fame. His wife was a trick rider, Florence Randolph.”
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“Butch The Ed Williams mentioned by Ruby Martin and others lived on 6th NW and I spent many days at my older sister’s home across the street from the Williams’ home. There was three children, Paul, Betty Sue and a younger daughter we nicknamed Wink. I would like to know if Paul and Wink still live.I have heard that Betty Sue is deceased.” -J T Gilliam
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“Butch, I wonder if any of your readers, in Ardmore, remember Johnny Thurman or Thurmond, it seems as if it was the first spelling. He worked for us in the drug store at Healdton for several years, and was a very good salesman. After W.W. II he worked for the State Department in South American and later came to Ardmore where his mother lived. I was thinking of a connection to Ed Williams you have been writing about, may be mixed up. Johnny, it seems, passed away sometime after he left us, and returned to Ardmore. We became acquainted with him when he worked for the magazine distributor, and he delivered our magazines. We were very happy with his work, and we hated to see him return to Ardmore…..my memory is hazy as to why he went back to Ardmore, he had an apartment in Healdton. He had a number of good friends in Ardmore, among them was the late Haywood Vaughn.” -Kenneth Eck
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“Butch, I was looking up some information on the Tar Creek superfund site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. I really did not know why the area was such a mess. I ran across a website that tells the story in dozens of pictures of the lead and zinc mines that made that area boom around the turn of the last century. Turns out those mines, now all played out are the culprits for all the pollution that is up there today. The site has a lot of great photos of the mining heyday in this part of our state. Just thought I’d pass it along to you and your Readers.” -David Cathey http://www.homestead.com/schehrer2/index.html
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“Butch: I wonder whether any of your Readers can tell me the approximate date that the Dew Drop Inn closed and the name of the proprietor at the time. Any other history of this famous Caddo bar would be welcome.” -Sally Gray [email protected]
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“Hello Butch, Both websites you sent me in your e-mail opened fine for me. When I say fine, I mean relatively fast and easy as in simply clicking on them and they opened. Hope this helps? Glad to hear I am not the only Webtv (now MSNTV) user subscribed to your T&T list. 30 of us huh? Great! Sometimes we are few and far between and a relatively unknown bunch of TV internet service users. Rather likened by some as the red-headed step-children of internet users. ha! But it is still the best, cost effective and safest form of internet use, I say, as we never have to worry about sending or receiving viruses and worms are a totally nonexistent part of our vocabulary. From my experience and for my purposes, it is still the fastest form for me to research, search the web and e-mail and I have I tried em’ all. I originally bought my Webtv unit and set-up to help me decide what kind of computer and internet server I really wanted for my internet needs. I DO have a PC but I use it strictly for word processing, photo shop and graphics and my hard-drive/mother board remains spam, pop-ups, virus, worm and terrorist attack free:) For over 6 years now, my Webtv Classic Model has yet to fail or abandon me. True there are some limitations to Webtv as some web sites are inaccessible, some other internet servers do not communicate with Webtv for chat and Messenger and Webtv users as of yet do not have Java nor can we access all video streaming. But there are ways to get around all that too! It can also travel with me and as long as I have access to a tv and a phone line, I can connect anywhere and to everywhere, without long distance charges! PLUS the wireless keyboard is just way too kewl for kicking back and surfing the net, as long as I am within 37 feet of my webtv receiver unit. For those Lazy Boy recliner fans they do not know what they are missing! Take care and soooo enjoy your T&T! Keep up your great “Labor of Love”!” -Lillian
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“A picture of this oil can was in Vol 7 Issue 331 and I waited for Issue 332 to see if some railroad man would tell you what it was used for. Even though I spent 42 years in the motor freight business, I know what the oil can was used for. In the steam engine days it was used to put valve oil in the lubricator which set on top of the boiler in the cab. My teen years were spent in the KCS yards in Ft Smith, Arkansas helping engine watchman Charlie Washburn, do the “chores” on engine 85, one chore was lubricating the locomotive. The lubricator’s purpose was the method whereby the valve oil went to lubricate the valves and cylinders. Steam was used to carry the oil from it to these valves and cylinders and the flow could be regulated by the engineer through sight glasses on the lubricator. Above the firebox door was a shelf where this oil can and the long spouted hand oilier the engineer used to hand oil the moving parts of the locomotive sat. The heat from the boiler and firebox kept the viscosity of the valve oil in a pourable consistency when the engineer had to put more oil in the lubricator. Valve oil was very thick and in cold weather cotton waste was soaked in kerosene and set on fire around the valve fastened to a 55 gal drum of valve oil before it would flow. Even then, it would “stack” itself up flowing into the oil can. You have to make sure the flow was shut off soon enough so all the “stacked oil” would eventually just fill the oil can and not overflow. I have lots and lots of good memories of “helping” Mr. Washburn during the 1940s.” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/at&sfcan2.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/at&sfcan3.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/at&sfcan4.jpg https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/at&sfcan5.jpg
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“There was a public golf course in Ardmore at the intersection of West Broadway and North Rockford Road. Its boundaries enclosed what are now Wilkinson’s Nursery and Holiday Inn as well as the adjacent businesses.”
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“Does anyone know why the lake you mentioned is called Leeper Lake in Love County? Does anyone have pictures of the Berwyn and Rose Hill Cemetery?”
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========================================================================On a regular basis I get an email or even a snailmail from someone asking how much I would charge to mail a paper copy of my newsletter, like to someone without a computer but wants to read what we all have to say here. I have never mail paper T&Ts, but here lately I have been thinking how this could be done. I know there are people out there who do not have a computer for instance, but would pay to receive my T&T through the regular mails. The only thing that comes to my mind right now is putting inside the newsletter small ads (business card size) in which the advertisers would help defray the expense of mailing each week by paying for advertising. Even if we only charged $1 per issue to subscribers who wanted a paper copy, 37 cents of the $1 would go to postage. Let me know your thoughts, maybe there is a way.
“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.” -John Ruskin 1819-1900 http://www.visitcumbria.com/ruskin.htm
See everyone next Saturday!
Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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