PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: [email protected], Phone: 580-490-6823
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
Early Ardmore Schools
Kelly Brown, now of Muskogee but a farmer Ardmoreite, says he was a student at King College when the city took it over as a public school (across the street north from the old Post Office). He was required to take an examination like all prospective students. That was before the day of IQ’s but the examination revealed that he was to enter school in the eighth grade.
The Dustin building, about where the Gilbert building parking lot is now located, was acquired for school rooms, with two teachers, Mary Niblack and Fannie Walker, sister of the E. A. Walker. Mary Niblack afterwards became the first Carter County Superintendent of Schools. Mortimer Levine is now pupil who attended the school.
The Bank’s School building was erected by J. W. Banks a member of the school board and rented to the city. It was located just west of the Heartsill grocery store between C and D Street Southwest. Lindsay Sanders was principal. The teachers were Eva Anderson, Lula Juhan and Nannie Pulliam, now Mrs Joe S. Berkshire, continued to teach in the public schools until 1947.
Her 47 years as a teacher of the Ardmore schools is undoubtedly a record of longevity in Ardmore City Schools. She taught the first grade during those 47 years. The first year she taught, some of her first grade boys equaled her in size.
The Dunlap School building stood about where Washington grade school is now located. T. R. Dunlap, father of the late Errett Dunlap Sr., taught this school. The city took it over, rented the building, and made Dunlap the principal. Teachers in the Dunlap School were Maude Darnell and Roberta Niblack.
Carter Avenue School was a two-room building with Laura Scott, now Mrs. J. A. Bevins, and Allie Moody as teachers. Roberta Niblack was a teacher. Students included Ed Galt, Stanley Cox, Russell Brown, Jay Prater, Johnny Tucker, Henry Keith and Minnie Tippett, now Mrs. Joe Roberson. Bonnie Porter was another student at that school.
The Roff Spruce Street School was the first built by the Board of Education. The contract was let to Andy Costen, an early day contractor, for $598.
The Frensley building was added to the school system in 1903, a two-story frame building that was located on the lot now occupied by Franklin School. Annie Matthew, now Mrs. Ann Norris, was the first principal of Frensley School. Other teachers in this school were Ella Bradford, mother of Dorothy Hardy, and Ester Gibson, now Mrs. Hal Cannon.
Ardmore first brick school building was completed on the lot now occupied by Lincoln School in 1903. Henry A. Stanley, Carter County attorney, came to Ardmore in 1903. He was principal of Ardmore High when it was located in this building. He remembers that every grade from first to high school was taught in the building called Second Ward School.
-from Carter County History book 1957
The only info I have on this piece of Ardmore history is what is on the back. Maybe some Ardmore student(s) remember this hanging in some Ardmore school teacher’s classroom?
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/BlackCatFront.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/BlackCatBack.jpg
In the bygone days Hereford Heaven consisted of an area of 7 counties. Pontotoc, Garvin, Murray, Johnston, Carter, Marshall, and Love.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/HerefordHeaven1.jpg
November 1982
Ground was broken Thursday at Falconhead Resort for what is called Falconhead Downs, a multimillion-dollar venture that will include a 15 million dollar racing complex, a 400 room hotel/convention center, and a 10,000 seat air conditioned, glass-enclosed grandstand and boarding facilities for 1000 horses. The groundbreaking followed a vote in Love County approving pari-mutuel wagering.
November 1926
Within less than 40 minutes from the time the case was placed in the hands of the jury, a verdict of manslaughter against M.A. Bailey was returned at 11:45 p.m. last night. Punishment was recommended at 20 years in the state penitentiary. Bailey was alleged to have shot and killed his brother-in-law, William Hunt, following a quarrel of the night of May 3rd. Hunt was mortally wounded and died in a Wilson hospital the following day.
Ramada Inn, Ardmore, Oklahoma, opened in October, 1972
As of today we have reached people about unclaimed property totaling over $473,940. I had hoped to reach the half-million mark of uniting people by December 31st in this area with their unclaimed money, but it looks like we will not reach that goal. Oh well, the search continues.
So with the above being said, how long has it been since you checked your name or a family member’s name? Its easy to do a search at the Oklahoma State Treasurer link below. I think every state in the union has a unclaimed property website through the respective state treasures website.
https://OKtreasure.com
Q. What/where is Oklahoma’s state monument?
A. The Golden Driller monument in Tulsa. 76 feet tall and weighing about 22 tons, “The Golden Driller” monument is located outside the Tulsa Expo Center in Tulsa, a city once known as the “Oil Capital of the World.” This giant statue is the most photographed landmark in Tulsa. CLICK HERE
Q. A Sahara type desert is located where in Oklahoma?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
My wife and I were married at the Lake Murray Chapel in June of 1963. -Thal McGinness
https://oklahomahistory.net/lakemurray/lakechapel.jpg
———————————————————-
Mr Bridges, I’m searching for the man, Mr. Airington, and his brother was supposed to have killed around Graham, Oklahoma. All I have found so far is his name was Emberlain . I can’t find anything else about him. There was a piece in the Ardmoreite in Dec 1907. Have you or any of your readers ever heard of this murder? -Richard Butler [email protected]
———————————————————-
Did anyone notice the pix of the kids in front of the schoolhouse on the Skedee page, the teacher was holding a ruler in his hand? Hmmmm. Wonder if he had to use it to get those kids in line for a decent pix? -sj
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/NewSkedeeSchool1916.jpg
———————————————————-
Dear Jill and Butch, I don’t know how to thanks you for all the information you are giving to me about my Dear Ardmore that is not easy but my heart are with you and Jill in this Christmas and ever for all the information. God Bless all your family, your friends for ever. -Milagros y Ernesto
———————————————————-
———————————————————-
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of December 25, 2008
(will be continued in 2021)
—————————————————–
—————————————————–
—————————————————–Tomorrow is New Years Day. I’m ready to put 2020 in the rear view mirror and welcome 2021 with new hope.
“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.”
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
https://www.biography.com/writer/alfred-tennysonSee everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
“Friends Make Life Worth Living”Ardmore, Oklahoma
Subscribe to T&T Newsletter
Email addressFirst nameLast nameSubscribe
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
https://oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm’s Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
American Flyers Memorial Fund – Administration Webpage
https://oklahomahistory.net/crash66.html
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
https://oklahomahistory.net/airbase/
Carter County Government Website
http://cartercountyok.us
All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website’s archives.
Feel free to forward this free newsletter. Mailouts: over 1,300.
To be removed from my T&T mailings, just send me an email.
I do not sell, trade or give my mailing list to anyone for any reason.