Each Christmas we receive a box of grapefruit from the Rio Grande Valley sent to us by Monroe and Trish Cameron in Montana. Monroe grew up on Stanley SW in Ardmore but his connection to Ardmore goes way back. Monroe’s father, Ossian Cameron, established the Cameron Refinery in August 1918 (now Valero) in Ardmore’s early…

More rain is on the way to southern Oklahoma. Guess I’ll wait on burning the leaves out of my culvert out front by the road. I’m planning to post “Once Upon A Time….” from my interesting experiences from my past soon. I may start with one about a hospital administrator, an Army doctor, two local…

Its been 9 years since I retired from the Carter County Courthouse and the Commissioners Office. But they are still like family and I enjoy making these pavers for them when an OPERS (Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System) eligible employee retires. These 5 pavers will be placed in the walkway at the west entrance of…

Happy Thanksgiving Day from our home to yours! Hope this newsletter finds everyone enjoying Thanksgiving day. We are just hanging out around the house, Jill is cooking one of those 3 pound Butter Ball turkey breast along with other goodies. We don’t eat a lot and sure couldn’t eat a whole turkey. I look back…

The Daily Ardmoreite June 5, 1910 ESCAPES FROM THE COUNTY JAIL Charles Huffaker a prisoner in the county jail, charged with murder, made his escape Friday night sometime between the hours of nine and ten o’clock. The escape was affected by digging a hole under the wall at the northeast part of the building. It…

In 1925 the elected Sheriff of Carter county, Ewing London, was indicted by a Grand Jury. London was temporaily removed from office and a new sheriff appointed by the name of James Cruce. Cruce would only be sheriff for 30 days. A Purcell, Oklahoma Judge would overrule the removal and order Sheriff London reinstated to…

Contract workers doing some marble repair/replacement, etc., found this “pocket door” on the 3rd floor. The door probably went to the jury room in the District Judge’s courtroom back in the day, like decades ago. The door has since been covered up with a new panel of Danby marble from Vermont. The Danby Marble Quarry…

Crime in the Red River Valley Like the rest of the world, the Red River Valley has not been spared from the criminal element. Its location may make its home-grown underworld a bit more interesting however. Here are some random stories of crime, criminals, and legal proceedings from the Red River Valley. -from the Red…

Tuck’s Ferry operated just south of the Winstar Casino in Love County. In the early 1900s it brought traverers back in forth across the Red River. The following account is about a mysterious murder of the ferry’s operator by the Red River Historian website by Robin Cole-Jett. https://www.redriverhistorian.com/post/murder-mystery-tuck-ferry-love-oklahoma Wirt, Carter County, Oklahoma I took these…

Bridges across the Red River from the Red River Historian website https://www.redriverhistorian.com/bridges I knew southern Oklahoma was in a drought, but this is terrible. We need rain so badly. Just a trickle coming over Turner Falls. This photo was taken Wednesday October 9, 2024. Aline, Oklahoma is located in Alfalfa county and a population of…