It always saddens me to lose a long time reader of my newsletters. I met Al Cullum 14 years ago when he signed up for my newsletter and every now and then he'd bring by issues of the Marietta Monitor for me to look at some piece of history in it. He was the last surviving charter Board member of SOWC (Southern Oklahoma Water Corporation. I saw Al about a month ago at Walmart, and we talked. I'll miss him. RIP
http://www.hdouglasfuneralhome.com/home/index.cfm/obituaries/view/fh_id/12697/id/3753007
Al shared the following with me in 2007 about the beginnings of SOWC.
"SOWC was formed in 1969 by forward looking individuals with the idea of providing portable water to needy homes in Carter County. These individuals such as Herman Day, Albert Cullum, Dorothy Lacey, Ollie Testerman, Arvel Jones, Thomas Ayers, Melvin Sampley, Milo Watkins, Eldon Jones, Andy Arnold, George Washburn, Warren Jones, and John Hissom worked days and nights and weekends trying to get enough people together with a like mind to contribute $50.00 per meter to secure a FHA loan to build the SOWC water system. This list is a smattering of individuals that had a direct and active hand in the formation and building of the SOWC Water System. Many people worked long hours to get a reliable source of drinking water for the rural areas. There was a minimum of 1,100 contributions or meters needed to get that Farmers Home Administration loan approved. To secure enough people and receive the FHA money it was decided to expand the system into Love County. With this expansion and the subsequent contributions, SOWC was able to proceed with plans and become a reality."
This week has been hot as Hades outside. Because of the heat I haven't worked in the afternoons trying to finish up the installation of a new wood floor on my utility trailer. So hot by 10 or 11am I stop for the rest of the day until late evenings. I still need to spray Rust Reformer on some rust places before installing the pressure treated boards.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/UtilityTrailerRework062116a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/RustReformer.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/TrailerWireHeatShrink.jpg
I installed new wiring for the lights and was needing some steel wire clips (didn't want to use zip ties) to hold the wires up underneath the trailer. I finally found them at Jac's Trailer Sales on South Lake Murray Drive. Slowly getting it done.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/TrailerWireClips1.jpg
Roff, Oklahoma carnival 1907.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/RoffOKcarnival1907.jpg
A couple pavers I sandblasted the past few days.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/PaynePropanePaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/TannerDog.jpg
You can find current gas prices for a particular Oklahoma town by entering the name or zip code in the GasBuddy search box.
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/
Temps have sure went up the past few days. And you know what that means, A/C running and higher electric bills. 60% or more of your electric bill can be attributed to the air conditioner running day and night to keep your house cool. The Okie Power Saver is a great way to reduce that electric bill and save money year round. Plus it's a full house surge protector and with, it's important to do every thing you can to protect your electrical equipment. I sold my last Power Saver last Saturday in Gene Autry, but I just got a new shipment in today. Holler at me, let's start lowering that high electric bill.
Q. Where in Oklahoma is a 24-hour prayer Teepee?
A. Apache, Oklahoma (20 miles north of Lawton)
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/20638
Q. Where is the oldest state
park in Oklahoma?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of June 22, 2002:
I was thinking this week about all the little corner grocery stores that used to exist years ago, like in the 60s. So many of them are gone now. I know you can immediately think of a neighborhood grocery store that was near you. I can remember several within two blocks of my house on 3rd Northeast as a teenager and before. Let's see.....
Of course there was Hunts Grocery just across the street catty cornered from our house at 805 3rd NE. Before the Hunt's owned it, it was owned by C.B. Tanner. Then down 3rd street east one block was Hickman's Grocery and Service Station at 824 3rd NE. It was owned by Jesse Hickman and was a washateria before he turned it into a grocery store. Boy I wish I had a photo of his washateria. He didn't have automatic washing machines. Just those big almost square galvanized tubs. Everywhere you looked there was that round stick the ladies used to poke at the clothes they were washing. In 1963 Jesse had already turned his washateria into a grocery store because I'd ride my Sears Moped down there and to buy gas for it. That was the SW corner of 3rd and "I" Street NE. In the west end of his building Jesse had a little apartment he rented to Mrs Copeland. She had a little record player, and I'd go to her house and play records.
Then a couple of blocks south at 816 Roff Northeast was Hornbeak Grocery owned by Luther Hornbeak. And then only one block west of me on 3rd NE at 619 3rd Northeast was Paul Sperry's Grocery. Paul Sperry originally had a grocery store around 1941 at 623 6th Northeast in the NW corner of 6th and "G" Street catty cornered across from Washington School.
A couple of blocks to the north of me at 827 5th Northeast was Carl Parker's Grocery. I remember well in the early 60s my great grandmother Ida Miller lived around the corner from his grocery store on "H" Street. She'd put on her sunbonnet, and we'd walk down to his store to buy items she needed.
At 1123 4th NE was Pittman Grocery. Mr and Mrs Pittman lived next door to their corner grocery store, and my aunt Pearl Carmon lived next door to them. Then there was a little grocery store ran out of the front of Charles Wilson's house at 423 "K" Northeast, the southwest corner. It was there for only a year or two around 1949 and 1950. That house was torn down just a couple of years ago, there's only a vacant lot there today.
When I was going to Washington Grade School in the 60s, across the street north at 701 6th NE was Moran Grocery. Here is a photo Mr. Moran gave me of his second store for scanning a while back. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/moran2.jpg
And here is a photo of Mr. Moran's first store when it was wood. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/moran.jpg
While I was still attending Washington School the Moran's building was moved out on Highway 142 by the refinery, and Mr. Moran built a new brick grocery. But before Mr Moran owned the old wooden grocery store, Mr Robert H. Cox was the proprietor, Cox's Grocery. In the late 60s and early 70s when the brick grocery store was there, I'd work on their refrigeration units. I took Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration at the Vo-Tech, really the only thing I made straight "A"s in, and received the award for outstanding achievement both years I was there. About 1967 I took a piece of plywood out of the lumber yard and made me a sign to put in front of our house, telling I did refrigeration work and car air conditioners. Boy, I really stayed busy, and in the hot summertime, I worked til way past dark many nights fixing car air conditioning. I'd charge $3 service charge and $4 for the Freon. I was able to buy Freon for 50 cents a can and it usually took 3 or 4 cans to fill a car a/c up. For a teen I made good money in those days.
Back to the neighborhood grocery stores, including Robert Cox who had several grocery stores at different locations back in those days. He'd give me a call and say, "Butch, my milk box is going down on me, get over here quick" and away I'd go with my freon gauges and tools. You must realize, they'd have lots of money sitting in those refrigerated boxes, it might be over 100 degrees, and they need help now. Robert Cox even had a convenience store at Grand and "G" NW where I worked on refrigeration equipment. I worked on the refrigeration units of many corner grocery stores back in the 60s. I really enjoyed the work. I even remember Mr. Hoyle Holt calling me twice in the early 70s wanting me to quit the ambulance service and work for his company, but I turned him down both times. I really should have taken Mr. Holt's offer.
Boy, now that I think about it, there were
corner grocery stores all over town. Let's see, Clara May Goodin's, Hart's
Grocery, Bargis Grocery, Lamb's Grocery, Keeton Grocery, Brownie Ford's Grocery,
Joe Dragg's IGA, and Bud Coe's to name a few. I remember one little grocery
store at 11th and Carter SE, but can't think of the name of it right now. Maybe
some of you will remember it. It's gone now too. So this doesn't get too long,
I'll wait until next week to talk about some others. If you remember a grocery
store in town, write and let me know. I think we will be surprised how many
there were all over Ardmore. Things sure have changed in 30 or 40 years. Let me
know about your neighborhood grocer! Surely you have a story to tell!
----------------------------------------------------
Long time Ardmore resident Ernest Martin
brought by a photo this week, something I had never heard of before. A photo of
the old Central Baptist Church at West Broadway and "C" Street here in Ardmore.
This is the same location of the proposed multi story parking garage suppose to
be built, that I talked about in the last issue of T&T. This church was located
at this location before 1930. Here is the story as told to me by Ernest:
"My mother was a good Bible scholar and was very active in various functions of the church. At the time of her stroke she was superintendent and teacher of the Junior classes at First Baptist Church which is located on the northeast corner of "C" Street and 1st Southwest. This church was named the First Baptist Church after it had recently been built by members of the "Central Baptist Church" (often called the Broadway Baptist Church) and had moved from it's old location at the southwest corner of "C" Street and West Broadway.... just west of the Convention Hall (now after rebuilding it, it became known as the Civic Center but today is also referred to as Heritage Hall."
"I may have been 5 or 6 years old at the
time when mother and I were sitting at the back of the auditorium at the old
Broadway Baptist Church... I managed to break the string of pearls that looped
around her neck 3 or 4 times. The floor of the church was slanted to the front
of the building all the way to the podium. I can still hear those beads rolling
down that incline. I probably got in trouble. The years was around 1926 or
1927."
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bapt30a.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"Morning Butch, Your Grandmother, dipping
snuff, brought back old memories. My mother used Garrett Snuff as far back as I
can remember. She tried to keep it hid as she didn't want anyone know she "had
the habit". When I was 5 or 6 years old, she would make me go to the store and
buy her snuff in the "brown bottle". (This was back in the 1930's, so you
weren't carded or ID') "Tell the store attendant, it's for your Grandpa", she
always told me, "and be sure and turn the bottles upside down and look for the
one with the most stars on the bottom". They all had from 1 to 4 stars.
Supposedly the more stars, the stronger the snuff. And you didn't bring home a
bottle with less than 4 stars, or you would have to go back." -Ken Updike
----------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch Old friend.. I enjoyed you
article on your gr grandmother and her Snuff. My grand mother used snuff also.
Her preferred "Brush" would be from a Peach tree if one was near by. If not, she
would send one of us grand kids to cut her one from an "Elm Tree". The "brush"
was a small twig, about five inches long and about 1/8th of inch an inch in
diameter. She would chew about 3/4 of and inch of one end until it looked like a
brush. She would dip the brush into the snuff bottle or can and transfer the
snuff to her mouth. Sometimes she kept the brush in her mouth and sometimes she
removed it. "Nannie" loved to play "dominos" or "Shoot the Moon. On the floor,
by the table, she would have a one pound coffee can for a "spittoon". Woe be
tied the grand kid who upset the can.We loved her very much but she would sure
give you a slap across you face if you turned over her "spit can" he same result
should we talked back to her or your parents if she was in hearing distance. She
would say, "don't sass me" and whop , you would get a good lick from her. We
never had hard feelings against her, we knew we deserved it. She was a mid-wife
and would be at a daughter's or daughter-in-laws home two months before the
arrival of a new grand child. And take on the cooking and cleaning chores and
ride herd on us grandchildren. She would stay about two months after the child
was born and make thing a lot easier for "MOM" we were always happy when she
came to our house. she was an excellent cook and prepared meals that we never
got unless she was there. When I think of her "cabbage rolls" my mouth waters
even now. My children weren't as lucky as I , they didn't have any grand parents
to love and be loved by. My father died while I was a teenager and Mother died
before any of my children were school age. The family was so important in those
days."
----------------------------------------------------
"Hello Butch. My brother found a horny
toad last Sunday. The horny toad was found in our front yard, I can only recall
finding one in June of 98, and July of 92. Three sightings in 10 years they are
not as common place as they used to be. When I was kid back in the 1970 I used
see them all the time crawling along 3rd Ave NE. So I took some pictures so I
can show everyone in my family! Thank you." -Bruce A Wells
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I moved to Ardmore in 1956 and the
swimming pool at 3rd and G Northeast was already in operation, so it couldn't
have been 1959 when they started the earth moving."
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I am writing to thank you for the
bit of history about of Emory Wood. Emory was my grandfather and I worked with
him on Saturdays and during the summers from the 7th grade until I graduated for
Ardmore High School in 1961. Most of the years I worked with him he drove a
Green Buick, we never had a pick-up truck to haul equipment and tools. I spent
many good weekends in the home at 1001 3rd avenue. Ada Wood was Emory's wife and
they had several children, Alice Lucille, Doris, Orville, and La Nell. I worked
many times at the John Small's home and they were the nicest people you could
hope to meet. Your newsletter is a wonderful connection to our roots, thank you
for being such a good communicator and historian." -Bill Thomas
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
The Dougherty, Oklahoma, Homecoming and School Reunion will be held Saturday, July 2, 2016 at the Dougherty School. Visitation will begin at 5:30. Alumni membership fee and meal is $15.00. Guest meal is $10.00. We welcome Dougherty graduates, former students and teachers, former residents, anyone who has attended church in Dougherty, and friends.1901 Fest
It's time for Ada, Oklahoma's annual street festival!
Join us Saturday, June 25, for the second annual 1901 Fest! Food trucks, live music and a variety of Chickasaw Country vendors will be here for an evening of family activities and fun for everyone.
For more info CLICK HERE
Survey maps of Oklahoma before statehood, includes survey notes, by GLO (Government Land Office). Lots of info available here. I know how you like old maps. and this has lots of info and details. CLICK HERE
"Looking for information on John Henderson murdered in 1932 in Durwood, Oklahoma. His father was Willis Henderson and family. (Howard's owned a grocery store in Durwood) This is were they had the post office! Please, any info would would be helpful." misty.pena@yahoo.com
Q. "So, I'm driving through Ardmore this morning and I spied this old brick chimney. Or at least that is what looks like to me. I drive a little closer and stop to look at it a bit and grab a photo." -David
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/WoerzChimney.jpg
A. Since the 1920s it was part of the Woerz Nursery and later Scotta's Florist and Nursery. The chimney was built by Woerz Florist to heat the greenhouses. Around 1910 there was a Cotton Seed Mill located on the property. What is interesting is back around 1910 G Street did not connect to West Broadway. It began a block north of that intersection and continued on north.
"Hi Butch, I have discovered that across America there are many large cottonwood trees. I had never thought about cottonwood trees getting so large until I saw one while visiting my son in El Dorado Kansas. He had measured it 8 years ago and it was 24 feet around. We measured it June the first of this year, and it is now 26-1/2 feet around. We did more research and found one in Colorado that measured over 40 feet around and is considered the largest living cottonwood. We read about many that were over 30 feet around. I was wondering if other readers of This n That have seen some large cottonwoods. You can download a couple of pictures, of which I am standing in front of the one located at the south edge of El Dorado, KS.
-Elisabeth, Tulsa, Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/KansasCottonwoodTree.jpg
Here are 3 more scans of old postcards. -Robert Hensley
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/CampAssemblyHallLakeMurray.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/SantaFeTrainBigCanyonOK.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/AHSfightSong1911.jpg
Take An Old Cold Tater and Wait
When I was a little boy around the table at home
I remember very well when company would come
I would have to be right still until the whole crowd ate
My Mama always said to me "Jim take a tater and wait."
CHORUS:
Now 'taters never did taste good with chicken on the plate
But I had to eat 'em just the same
That is why I look so bad and have these puny ways
Because I always had to an old cold 'tater and wait.
And then the preachers they would come to stay awhile with us
I would have to slip around and raise a little fuss
In fear that I would spill the beans or break the china plate
My Mama always said to me, "Jim, take a 'tater and wait."
CHORUS:
Well I though that I'd starve to death before my time would come
All that chicken they would eat and just leave me the bun
The feet and neck were all that's left upon the china plate
It makes you pretty darn weak to take an old cold 'tater and wait."
-Recorded by Little Jimmy Dickens 1949
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBi_CyJe604
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Bells of Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells:
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm's Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
American Flyers Memorial
Fund - Administration Webpage
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/crash66.html
Official American Flyers
Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force
Base Website
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/airbase/
Carter County
Government Website
http://cartercountyOK.us/
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