This and That Newsletter
Vol 20 Issue 1038 Circulation 5,000 December 15, 2016
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: [email protected]
580-490-6823
We've had some cold temps the last couple days, but Friday is suppose to reach 70 here in Southern Oklahoma. What strange weather we have. But the worst is coming this weekend. Severe cold predicted with night time wind chill temps forecasted to reach down nearly to zero. Remember the 4 P's - people, pets, pipes and plants.
Joe F. Robinson, the man, who was a partner, built the first federal building in Ardmore and who owned the Opera House at Main and C Street Southwest, had another brainstorm about 1907 - streetcars for Ardmore. He organized and was president of the Ardmore tractor Company which functioned until 1924 when it fell victim to the automobile age. Second hand trolleys were obtained from Fort Worth, Texas. The first conductor was J. W. “Bill” Moore, and the fare was 5 cents in town, 10 cents to the end of the line at Lorena Park. The trolley followed a route from the Santa Fe Depot west on Main Street to C Street, then north along C Street to 8th Avenue Northwest, west along 8th to Wolverton, north along Wolverton out of town to the car barn, 1 mile north of town, then on to Lorena Park, also Robinson’s conception, on the ridge near Dornick Hills Country Club. In time, the equipment increased from 2 cars to 6, which included 2 summer cars consisting of mounted benches shaded by canopies overhead. This transportation venture was popular but not lucrative, particularly after the advent of the automobile. In 1922, service was discontinued, and during the 1930s the tracks were removed as part of the WPA. -Sally Gray, Territory Town, The Ardmore Story published 2006
October 1932
There will be plenty of turtle soup for duck hunters at Battle Springs Lake this winter. Dwight Bell, game warden, has caught 532 turtles in traps in the past week. There are also plenty of ducks, several hundred, at Battle Springs. 50 cans of channel catfish, averaging better than 4 inches in length were placed in Mountain Lake on Hickory Creek this morning. The shipment from the fish hatchery near Durant comprised 5,000 fish.Location of Battle Springs Lake south of Lone Grove just over into Love County.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BattleSpringsLakeDistance.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BattleSpringsLakeCloseUp.jpg
October 1932
In the foothills of the Arbuckle's 18 miles north of Lone Grove, Charles Goddard president of the state Izaak Walton League, has discovered an ideal site for a lake. All the land belongs to the G. W. Young estate, and is located north of young school. It is probably that workmen will start digging two dirt dams across canyons. Mr. Goddard estimates 50 acres will be underwater.Isaak Walton League website http://www.iwla.org/
October 1956
A new era has begun at the Carter County Courthouse with the big clock on the dome of the building running again after a silence of 12 Years. The clock started again at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The bell broke its silence with regular gongs on their respective hours and a single gong indicating that it is half past. Matt Alexander, Courthouse superintendent, and Sam Talkington did the work to get the clock working again. Back in operation the total bill was approximately $50.1950 Ardmore PD photo with Matt Alexander. Left to right: Howard Sloan, Jess Sloan, Jess McGinness, MATT ALEXANDER, Don Wallace, Wes Henderson, Lawton Smithers, Ernest Holley.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/ArdmorePoliceCirca1950.jpg
October 1963
North of Lone Grove is a basin of water covering an area of more than 60 square miles. Some geologists figure the great basin contains approximately 480 billion gallons of water. The basin swings southwestward from Lone Grove then northwest toward Graham. The north boundary reaches near Milo, then curves southeast across Caddo Creek to the beginning. It is a vast reservoir of water but don't look for it on the surface. The water is underground in layers of porous sandstone sandwiched between layers of slate. Geologist call it the Newport Basin.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. Who was Oklahoma's first Territorial Governor?
A. GEORGE WASHINGTON STEELE. Territorial Governor from May 22, 1890 to October 18, 1891. The first territorial governor, a son of Asbury and Marie Louise Steele, was born in Fayette County, Indiana on December 13, 1839. Governor Steele resigned as governor effective on October 18, 1891 and returned to Marion, Indiana.Q. Where in Oklahoma is probably the most enchanting and magical Christmas display?
A. Answer in next week's newsletterBelow is from This and That newsletter archives of December 14, 2002
The present Carter County Detention Center was opened in January 1990 at 101 South Washington. But the old jail was located next door to the courthouse at 106 Hinkle Street above the present day Election Board offices. It had lots of solid steel in its walls and doors, along with old fashioned steel bars around the parameter of the cells. There was bullet proof glass in the door's windows but after some 'accidents' the glass didn't seem bullet proof. Here is a pic of one of those doors and the bullet hole.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jailcc4.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jailcc5.jpg
The jail was divided into areas for Men and Women and even a cell for Juveniles before laws were enacted that prevented holding Juveniles in adult lockups. Then there was that infamous "drunk tank". It was just bare steel walls and a concrete floor where the drunk was placed for up to 6 hours until he was sober enough to be put with the male population or bond out. The old jail would hold a maximum of 50 prisoners and that was pushing it.
Here is a couple of pics of that old Otis elevator. It was manufactured in 1949. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jailcc2.jpg
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jailcc3.jpg
Here is a photo of one of those brass keys that was used in the old Carter County Jail to lock the steel cell doors. The jail keys were made by Folger Adams Company in Joliet, IL. The stories this key could tell. http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/jailkey.jpg
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OG&E crews were at the courthouse Thursday morning Dec 12th hooking up the new electricity to the buildings. Electricians have been busy running new wiring throughout the complex bringing our available amperage from 400 amps before the retrofitting to 1,000 amps in the Annex Building and 1,200 amps for the courthouse. Plenty of power for the years to come.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/oge121202.jpg
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A friend reminded me this week how years ago, great grandmas would give potash mixed in water to gargle with, to cure a sore throat. He found a potash mine in Nevada that is mailing him a box of potash. I'll try to get a photo when it arrives. Some of you probably gargled with potash! I don't think I ever did, did potash really work?
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"Just finished reading this weeks newsletter and couldn't help but laugh when reading about bloody Caddo back then. I had just gotten out of the Navy in Sept. of 1952 and was working in the state of Virginia where I met a sure enough southern belle from North Carolina. We were married in Jan. of 1953 and decided to move back to Ardmore. We got here about 10:30 on a Saturday night and she was asleep so I thought what the heck. I woke her up about 5th. Ave. N.E. and told her that we were getting ready to go down Main Street of Ardmore. Big mistake, had to stop 3 or 4 times because of fights in the street. She was ready to turn around and go back to her home right now. I had heard how good the tamales were down on Caddo but never did get around to trying them. Yes, I do remember the Knox Hotel. I worked at the B.F. Goodrich Tire Store on the corner of Bdwy. and Washington and saw some of the folks that "stayed" there a lot. Just a few doors North of the store on Washington Street was the Lutz Cafe. We could also smell those great fried-onion burgers at Hamburger Inn when Mr Brown had it across the street from where it is now. Those were the good old days for sure."
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"Hello Butch, I received your T&T from a friend and found it a wealth of information and history. Thank you for maintaining such a wonderful site! I am researching the history of Medicine Park, Oklahoma. I would like to hear from your readers if they have any personal or family history, photos, stories and other information about Medicine Park. I am presently working on a Medicine Park history and visitor center that will operate in one of our early 1900 cobblestone house, called the "Sander's/Saunder's Home"; currently being restored and renovated. There will be displays of Medicine Park and surrounding area history as well as information for travelers visiting our community and state. Any historical information and help from you and readers is gratefully appreciated, in the establishing of Medicine Park history for this center."
M. Lillian Standfield P.O. Box 195 Medicine Park, Ok
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"Hey Butch, Your quote, "God bless us, everyone," from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the most recognizable line in all of British fiction. The second most recognizable is, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," also by Dickens in his Tale of Two Cities. The third most recognizable line in all of British fiction is, "Please sir, I want some more," also by Dickens in Oliver Twist. It puts Shakespeare to shame, doesn't it?"
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----------------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Hi Butch, No intent too take away from your comments about the Women Pilots Museum in OK but there is a WASP (Women Air Service Pilots) museum at Avenger Field in Sweetwater Texas dedicated to the ladies that delivered aircraft to the troops during WW II."
Henry, W5TYD
Caddo Mills, Texas
http://waspmuseum.org/
"Butch, I don't know if you have read my ad in the Ardmoreite, but I started making the Pattillo's (original Priddy's recipes) Spreads and Parmesan Dressing at Ernie's Old Fashion Meat Market and Deli at 410 S. Washington. Ernie's has commercial equipment which lets us make large batches. We make Chicken Salad Spread, with white meat chicken and fresh eggs, Pimento and Jalapeno Pimento Spreads with 100% Cheddar cheese, and Parmesan Dressing which has over 12 spices and ingredients that have to be marinated over night. Everyone who tastes these famous Ardmore products says "yep, that's it". Thanks." -Jerry Pattillo
"I went to the Goddard Center to see the play "A Christmas Carol" which was great. I went into the art Gallery and found two of my early paintings one from 1975 and the other from 1977. The one from 1975 is of Gertrude Head, Choctaw tribe from Ardmore, she was a good friend of my grandmother, Bessie Hensley, of the Chickasaw tribe. Gertrude at one time was married to Dan Head who was born in Ardmore, IT. The second painting is of a Medicine man. I painted both of these when I was in college at Murray State and East Central University. They are on loan to the Goddard Center from Harry and Joyce Corbell who purchased them from me around 1978." -Robert Hensley
"Butch, I did a little editing and cropping of this photo from your newsletter. On closer inspection, the cabin looks an awful lot like that old 700 Ranch cabin, but I could be totally wrong." -Kathi G in Fayetteville, AR
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16b/700RanchHouseArdmoreEdited.jpg
At the link below are 10 more scans of old photographs this week. -Robert Hensley
http://oklahomahistory.net/postcards
Christmas Day is quickly approaching and I hope everyone is getting those last minute gifts bought and making Holiday plans. Christmas time is one of the best times of the year. A time to be with family and friends, and gift giving and fellowshipping around all that good food. Also a time to remember whose birthday we honor, Jesus Christ.
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
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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