Thanksgiving Day is almost to an end.
I am finally finishing up my newsletter. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving
no matter how small or large the event. And to remember we need to be thankful
for more then just one day. We did not have the traditional turkey like millions
of others across the country, but Jill did fix 2 delicious Cornish Hens in the
pressure cooker. I liked it better than turkey.
I had a request today from a Reader
who owns a painting done by Boots Bramhall years ago. She is wanting to give it
to any family member of Boots. If anyone knows how to get in touch with any of
her children or kin, let me know. Below is a clickible link to Boots Bramhall's
Find-A-Grave information and photo.
Find A Grave
Someone mentioned in the 1900
photograph of the Pike, Indian Territory fire in last week's newsletter, one man
in the photo in the white
stripped shirt looks like he is wearing a modern day baseball cap. After another
Reader did some research, seems there was baseball caps back in 1900 when the
photo was taken. I did not know that.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/FireScenePikeIT1900.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/
Q. What is the official state
fossil of Oklahoma?
A.
Saurophaganax Maximus dinosaur
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/oklahoma/state-dinosaur-fossil/saurophaganax-maximus
Q. Where is a whimsical tower inspired by the space age and the Mobius
strip located?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That
newsletter archives of November 23, 2002
According to the earliest Ardmore records,
in 1887 the Board of Trade in Ardmore was working for civic and community
improvement under the leadership of Samuel Zuckerman. Soon after 1900 the Board
of Trade was renamed the Ardmore Commercial Club and by 1909 had 232 members
including livery stables, hackline operators and carriage works. Also five
banks, 7 drug stores, 8 real estate and land companies, 4 florist, 3 furniture
dealers, 14 grocers, 12 insurance agents, 7 lumber yards, 3 oil companies, 10
doctors, 3 railroads, and a long list of public officials including the
Honorable Charles D. Carter, 3rd District Congressman. By 1916 the Ardmore
Commercial Club was changed to the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce with an office in
the Carter County Courthouse.
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We at the Carter County Annex Building had
our Thanksgiving Dinner at noon Friday Nov 22nd. Boy, I mean those ladies from
OSU, the Election Board, and the Commissioners office set a table fit for a
king. We had baked ham, brisket, green beans, salads, boston baked beans,
pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and the list goes on and on. I ate until I thought I'd
pop. But I think the best and most unusual treat was the Candied Pecans that
Michelle Bray brought. In fact, they were so good I wanted to share her recipe
with everyone.
2 cup pecans
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup can milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water
Cook all together in a sauce pan on medium heat. Stir very often. When the
contents start sticking to the pecans and its hard to stir with a spoon, spread
out on a sheet of wax paper and sprinkle with sugar. Let cool and break up into
small pieces.
By the time I got around to taking a
picture of these pecan delectables, they were almost gone. yum yum.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/cpecans.jpg
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"In response to the person who ask about
the woman that was murdered some where around 1930 out by Springer or Gene
Autry. The way I heard it was that she was killed in 1927. She might have been a
descendant of Quanah Parker. And after her body was released to the family they
took her body to a field about 2 miles north and a couple miles west of Springer
and a big pile of brush and wood were hauled and her body was placed on top of
it and set a fire. And for three days and nights they kept piling wood on the
fire."
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"Butch, Just an FYI...John Hinckley and
his parents lived on Davis Street in Ardmore. I believe 2 houses west of
Robinson street on the south side of the street."
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"My sister Ann Rempel was kind enough to
refer me to your website and later, to send me a hard copy of your Newsletter. I
found your collections really heart-warming. I am grateful to both of you. I was
in and out of Ardmore all my early life but spent three years there 1940-1943
when I was a teenager. I lived with my grandparents, Lucian and Harriet Jones in
the 800 block of Carter Ave. SE, across from Mary Ringer's big house. I have
wonderful memories of that time and took away great educational experiences when
I graduated from Ardmore High School in 1943. I could talk about some of the
wonderful teachers: Hamilton Green, Mr. Crockett, Mrs. Madden, Miss McPheeters,
Miss Reece and many more. Every student should be so fortunate as to have such
intelligent and caring teachers. Ardmore itself was a good place to be. I loved
going to the Preview on Saturday midnight at the Tivoli Theater and having great
food at Priddy's Restaurant.(Did anyone ever get the recipe for that salad
dressing?) Those frozen malts and grapefruit slush served at a drugstore on
Washington near the High School were unforgettable. I also made some great
friends, and still maintain contact with a few of them. I left in 1943 for TSCW
at Denton, returned briefly in 1945 to work at KVSO, then located in the Ardmore
Hotel. I then moved to the Pacific Northwest. One does lose connections after
nearly sixty years, but not memories. By the way, my grandparents didn't have a
telephone, so when we had an emergency, I would be sent up the street to use the
one at the home of a Mr. and Mrs. O.R. Bridges. I hope they were your relatives,
as I don't think I every got a chance to thank them properly for their
kindness." -Carolyn Frei
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A Reader in Lone Grove has about eight
goblets from around 1950 her mother got out of the round Quaker Oatmeal boxes.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oatgob2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oatgob3.jpg
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I received an email this week of a bell in
Sobol, Oklahoma (Pushmataha county). You say you never heard of it? Well don't
feel alone, neither had I. Sobol is 24 miles east of Antlers, Oklahoma on
Highway 3 and then a little south. The bell was donated to the Sobol Baptist
Church by a lady named Cora Smith. The plaque in the photo is in honor of Ruby
Lawless who was Clerk at the church from its beginning until 1986.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellphotos/sobol.jpg
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When I was a teen in the 60s a man who
owned an egg farm right outside Sulphur gave me an egg weigher. I know it was
made before 1963. It says: Oakes Mfg. Co., Inc. Tipton, IND. USA on the front of
the metal weigher. The scale is Small, Medium, Large and Ex Large. Plus there is
a DOZ and OZ measurement. I'm not sure exactly how those work. I guess an Large
egg weighs between 2 to 2 1/4 ounces? Then the DOZ is?
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/eggweigh.jpg
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Here is a 1940/1941 school class photo
taken at Dickson Schools.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/dickson40b.jpg
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Lawrence A. "Sprek" Sprekelmeyer
(1886-1966) started his printing business in the Von Weise Building at 230 West
Main on May 15, 1923.
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Stromberg-Carlson, a division of General
Dynamics was opened at the Ardmore Airpark in September 1964 and utilized 5
buildings at the airpark.
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Butch...RE the recent mention of the ownership of the refinery...as I recall,
my step father Fount Duston Jr. was employed there in the early l930's when Wirt
Franklin owned it but shut it down about 1935 or so...he returned to work there
in about 1938 or so when it reopened under the name of Ben Franklin/Bell Oil
Company...they were from Tulsa (they also had another refinery at Grandfield, OK)
Cameron Lake just a bit northwest of the refinery used to supply water for
cooling in those days was where my stepfather and I hunted and fished back in
those days. There were one or two ownership changes after that but I am not sure
exactly when Valero took ownership but think it is ironic now that my grandson
works for Valero in Houston. My step father worked there until 1952 when he died
in the fire/explosion in Jan (1952). After the navy, I also worked there for a
couple of years before returning to school at OU in 1955. My step father was the
youngest son of Jim Duston, early settler in Ardmore about 1885 when he and his
older brother Fount Duston Sr. came up from Gainesville. Jim was Constable with
the Ardmore PD in 1915 and his brother Fount Sr. was a cotton buyer I have been
told and later Justice of the Peace and father of Doris Duston, long time
teacher at Ardmore High School." -Jack Moorhead
Q. Can you please tell me what store was located in Tiffany Plaza
next to 1800 flowers, specifically if Stage was ever located in that area?
A. Stage, Bealls, CR Anthony store, TG&Y, Deck' Menswear, Merle Norman
This is part of our yard after the wild hogs got through. They
did the back yard too. -Newman Walker, Healdton, Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/NewmanWalkerHogs.jpg
At the link below are 10 more scans of old photographs this week.
-Robert Hensley
http://oklahomahistory.net/postcards
Below is a link to a very rare photo of Ardmore's first birthday in 1888 at
Whittington Park.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/ArdmoreFirstBirthday1888b.jpg
I am grateful for what I am and have.
My thanksgiving is perpetual. -Henry David Thoreau
See everyone next
week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
