This and That Newsletter
Vol 21 Issue 1050 Circulation 5,000 March 9, 2017
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-490-6823
I always smile when I receive a surprise package the old fashion way, by the U.S. Mail. Last week held that kind of surprise, received a book about Orr, Oklahoma history by Charles Walker. He named his book VIGNETTES OF ORR HISTORY.
The first time I ever heard of a town named Orr was back in the late 1960s before I was even out of high school (35 miles SW of Ardmore). I know I was not old enough to drive, would ride my Honda cycle to the fire station and sit and chew the rag with Robert Miller and John Willingham. Charlie Orr was an elderly, tall, thin, man at least that's what the firemen at the East Main fire station told me his name was, would walk from Orr to Ardmore, an all day affair. He had to be near 80 years old.
The book Vignettes of Orr History is printed on standard size paper, beautiful slick paper with many photos of Orr's bygone days. The book is 168 pages in length.
Anyone wanting to contact Charles Walker in Asheville, NC can do so at crwalker2@me.com or his phone number is 423-767-5524. His mailing address is 21 Crowningway Drive, Asheville, NC 28804.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/OrrHistoryBookFront.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/OrrOKhistoryBook.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/OrrHistoryBookPage104.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/RobertMillerJohnWillingham.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/RobertMillerFireDept.jpg
Redway Cafe long ago in Thackerville, Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/RedwayCafeThackervilleOK.jpg
I thought of a webpage the other day I created over 20 years ago, and searched my computer until I found it. I had to edit it a little bit, some out of date information, but most is still current. If you can help me bring it up to date, send me an email and I will make the correction.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/unsolved.html
January 31, 1962
Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service, Inc., rolled on January 31 as planned. A new Ford ambulance has been outfitted with first aid supplies and oxygen equipment. Bill Lewis driver -manager. Drivers include Cliff Easley, Frank "Chief" Stribling, and Tom Wallace. Telephone number is CA3-1223.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos2/lewis1.jpgFebruary 1957
The severe weather conditions over the past few days have been responsible for the interference in the reception of network programs over KVSO-TV. Excessive ice formation on the tower has caused considerable damage to the microware relay system. The Channel 12 tower is located atop the Arbuckle Mountains.The Daily Ardmoreite:
December 28, 1909 - Ardmore City Lake to be the largest body of water in the state
January 3, 1910 - Photo of George Selvidge, owner Peoples Building and Loan
January 3, 1910 - Photo of Ardmoreite Lee Cruce for Governor
January 5, 1910 - Court House site ready for building
January 7, 1910 - Deputy Sheriff W. E. Landrum resigns to run for office of sheriffYou 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 Oklahoma's official Motto?
A. "Labor omnia vincit" (Latin for Labor conquers all things).Q. What was the first fort to be established in Oklahoma?
A. Answer in next week's newsletterBelow is from This and That newsletter archives of February 13, 2005
The front entrance to the Carter county courthouse is on the west side. Originally it had three entrances into the building instead of the one set of doors today. The other two west entrances were closed to make way for 2 rooms. Inside one of those rooms, the north room, is a black granite memorial in memory of the first Carter county commissioners who died in office. His name was Allen Speake (1870)-1909) and he represented the constituents in District 1. Mr. Speake lived at Woodford. Allen Speake died in the early morning hours of December 8th, 1909 at his home in Woodford of a heart attack. Here is the clipping from that day's Ardmoreite:
The Daily Ardmoreite, Wednesday December 8, 1909
ALLEN W. SPEAKE LIES A CORPSE
County Commissioner and a Good Citizen Succumbs To Heart Failure Allen W. Speake, secretary of the board of county commissioners, died at his home at Woodford this morning at 3 o'clock. He has been a sufferer for several weeks with typhoid fever and pleurisy, developed a few days ago. He was reported better Monday and his physician, Dr. Dow Taylor, stated that if no complications arose he would soon be well. But this morning at the hour named and when death was least expected his heart gave way and death followed. The news was telephoned to this city at once. When it was known this morning that Allen Speake lay a corpse, a gloom was cast over the entire city. He is an old time citizen, had been a faithful officer of the county and was reckoned among the most useful men of this state and county. He has gone through all the hardships of the early settlement of this country and leaves a devoted wife and family. He was about 48 years of age. Funeral services will be held at his home tomorrow at 1 o'clock p.m. All the county offices have closed and will remain so until after the funeral. District court adjourned this morning until Friday morning. Judge Carney, who is special judge here and who did not know Mr. Speake personally said from what he had heard of the man that he was a good and useful citizen, a faithful officer of this county, and he approved the motion to adjourn court until Friday morning. All the county officials and many citizens of this town will attend the funeral. He was a member of the Elks and of the Woodmen of the World and committees from these two fraternal societies will be sent to attend the funeral. Mr. Darden and Mr. Scivally, the other members of the board of commissioners were here this morning, when the news came. They were saddened and were at a loss to know what to do without the counsel and advice of Mr. Speake on the commission. Mr. Darden stated only last night that he did not know how to appreciate Mr. Speake until he had been detained at his home on account of illness. Not only has his family suffered an irreparable loss, but the county and state has lost one of its best citizens. He was absolutely honest, was a man of good judgement, he was fearless in the duties of his office and Carter county can ill afford to do without his services.
The granite memorial reads:
In Memoriam
Allen W. Speake
Born Jan 9, 1870
Died Dec 8, 1909http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/SpeakeMemorialBeforeAfter.jpg
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My T&T Readers never cease to amaze me. This week a Reader and genealogy expert sent me a clipping of a 1900 Ardmoreite. The clipping told about my grandfather's Stanley Carmon's brother, Charles E. Carmon (1876-1906), going to Alaska looking for gold. This is a member on the family on my mother's side that I knew very little about, mostly just Date of Birth and Date of Death, that's it. But this newspaper article enlightened me with more info on this great uncle from Gainesville.
The Daily Ardmoreite, July 17, 1900
FROM CAPE NOME, ALASKA
The following extracts were taken from a long letter published in yesterdays Gainesville Register. The letter was written by CHARLES CARMON, a Gainesville boy now at Nome City, and is the most sensible epitome of conditions there which we have yet seen. As Charlie is well known to many people now living in Ardmore these excerpts from his letter will doubtless be of interest to many Ardmoreite readers. After describing his trip he says:
"As to gold being here, it is a "cinch," but everything is taken for 100 miles back in the country --you can find it any place but not in paying quantities. The two best creeks are Anvil and Dexter, from which over $2,000,000 have been taken. The beach claims are no good except in some spots, which are very small. Labor is very high. Carpenters get $1.50 per hour, other labor $1. But there are twenty-five men for each job. GOODWIN and I are making $10 a day watching freight on the shore. The worst of it is it will only last a few days longer. Men with a good team make $150 a day freighting. The people who make the money are saloons, gambling houses, dance halls and restaurants. "Twenty sleep in a lodging house; it cost $2 for eight hours; they keep tab and wake you up at the expiration of that time. "In summing up this place in a brief manner and using the prevailing opinion, it is a "farce." It is a place boomed by Seattle newspapers and transportation companies for the idea of making money and they did their work well. Those contemplating coming here, take my advice and stay out as it is a "tough proposition." "Out of the 20,000 people who are here, 19,000 would be glad to have money enough to get back to the states. Hundreds are leaving and going back to the states disgusted. Goodwin and I are going to stay, as it may get better for at present things are very unsettled."
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A lot of you will remember the old Hickory House BBQ at 2200 South Commerce, it was there for years until Mr. K.P. Walker closed it in June 2004. But his daughter is still carrying on the tradition, selling real pit BBQ at their BBQ stand located next door to the Pit Pro on South Commerce and Broadway. (Years ago we called that "the big intersection, it was where two highways crossed that went from one side of the U.S. to the other, east-west/north-south, Highways 70 and 77.) Anyway, I stopped by K.P. Walker's BBQ this week and bought one of their delicious sliced beef BBQ sandwiches. It was on a big bun and plenty pit BBQ meat for $3.29 plus tax. And from 11am to 2pm Mondays and Tuesdays they sell their BBQ sand for half price!
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WalkerBBQ5b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WalkerBBQ5c.jpg----------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch, There is a place about 6 miles north and 1 mile east of Ringling called Ignorant Hill. While I was attending high school at Mountain Home, it was the site of many Brush Arbor meetings and many High School Play Partys. I attended both the meetings and the partys, getting there by horse back, as did most others during that time. We moved into the community in 1941 and there was not a dwelling or building of any kind. I was wondering if any of the readers could shed any light on where it got its name, or anything else." -Jim Brown
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"Butch, on our cemetery hopping Scheryl and me ran across this grave at Poolville and JL Bartee was a 1st Sgt in the confederate army. Talk about history." -Doug Williams
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/JLBartee5a.jpg
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July 6, 1900
This morning W.N. TALIAFERRO of near Oakland called at the Ardmoreite office. He is one of the promoters of the new town of Madill near Oakland. He is very much elated over the decision of Judge TOWNSEND refusing to restrain them from booming and building the new town. He says that they will now proceed with their work and build a good town within a few miles of Oakland. They expect to get the Frisco road and a postoffice soon. Oakland is not their post office.
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----------------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
Butch, the white building in your picture, KVSO-TV, was the transmitter location for the TV station located in the Arbuckle Mountains and was only completed a year or so prior to storm damage, knocking the station off the air except for local Ardmore programming off a temporary tower. The tower was reconstructed in short order and I don't think the transmitter inside sustained any damage. Others might have better information than I, as I was a AHS student working part time at the station. -George Davis AHS Class 1960
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/KVSOtv1957.jpg
Butch: I believe the picture of the KVSO tower was of the one that was on top of the Arbuckles at the Murray-Carter county line. The tower blew down when a tornado went up Highway 77 about that time. -Tom Rankin
Butch the Tower at KVSO TV was destroyed on April 2 1957 by a tornado according to Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early-April_1957_tornado_outbreak_sequence#cite_note-StormTrack-1-6
?A large tornado threw a pickup truck 75 yds. (69 m), killing the driver, and also threw a car 300 yd. A 340-to-360-foot (104 to 110 m) television tower was destroyed, and a television transmission center lost its roof. The tornado was rated F3?. -Steve
"I don't know if this is still relevant but I can across a question on one of your old web pages. It concerned finding the location of No Fire Hollow OK. It's about 10 miles West of Westville and about 3 miles North of Proctor off of Hwy 62. My people were "Treaty Party" and have been in the Westville area since before the "Trail" march, so I just happened to know. Like I said, this was an old question, so the info may not matter anymore. Thought I'd email though just in case." -JW
Butch; Your answer this week for "How many Indian Reservations are located in Okahoma?" was not correct. There is one big reservation still listed in Oklahoma.
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.6313911,-96.3553368,9.75z
The Osage Nation still is listed as having a reservation. We call it Osage County these days but the map indicates it is still a reservation.
I couldn't find it on the map but there is also a small reservation for a Cherokee band in Northeast Oklahoma. I have driven by it several times and have seen signs. I think it is indicated on a road map but not on Googlemaps, Google Earth or Mapquest. It is back in the hills in the Tahlequah area.
Gerald Whitworth
Glenpool, OK
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." -Thomas Haynes Bayly (1797-1839)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Haynes_BaylySee 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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