This and That Newsletter
Vol 21 Issue 1,062 Circulation 5,000 June 1, 2017
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: butch[email protected]
580-490-6823
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
In the early morning hours of Monday, July 2, 1962 J.C. Boone was performing his night watchman duties for the city of Wilson, Oklahoma as he had been doing for over a year. Wilson resident and service station owner Leo Welch and his wife pulled up and stopped the car in the street in front of the bank, and called for Boone, who was walking on the sidewalk. When Boone started toward Welch's automobile, Welch opened fire with a .380 caliber pistol, striking Boone in the stomach. As he fell to the ground, Boone drew his pistol and emptied it into the driver's door of Welch's car. Welch, with his wife in the car with him, left for a couple of minutes and returned again, to fire more bullets at Boone. Welch then left and went to his D-X service station at the highway entrance of Wilson, and barricaded himself inside. Sheriff Gerald Cobb along with Deputies Elmer Fitzsimmons, Bud Hunt, Pete Fair and John Smithers surrounded the service station. Just when officers were about to hurl tear gas into the building, Welch surrendered. J.C. Boone was critically wounded requiring the removal of part of his stomach and intestine. But he would survive the shooting and continued to live in Wilson another 15 years.
This week I received my copy of James Clark's new 500 page book, A Journey Through The Mind Of An Attorney. It is chocked full of Ardmore history as he lived it when District Attorney. If you are a lover of Ardmore history, you need to get your hands on this book. (Would make a great gift parents and grandparents who grew up in Ardmore too.) I promise you this book will be a lifetime keepsake. Find out how to get your copy of this wonderful book in the Mailbag below.
Dickson Seniors 1953
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/DicksonSeniors1953.jpgLast weekend I hired Roger Yarberry (recently retired of Michelin) to cut down about 25 or so trees around the house. He brought his Skid and in 6 hours had all the trees down and pushed up into several piles around the edge of our property. Roger would use his Skid to apply pressure to the tree in the direction we wanted it to fall (away from the house and sheds). He did a fantastic job. I highly recommend Roger!
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/RogerYarberryTrees052817a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/RogerYarberryTrees052817b.jpg
The photo below is just a small example of the nearly 25 trees Roger removed from the property.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/TreeRemoval051517b.jpg
Below is Roger's business card. He's fully insured.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/RogerYarberryTreesBusinessCard.jpg
A couple of pavers I sandblasted the other day.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/HenryLongPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/KrickettDogPaver.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 town in Oklahoma has the worlds oldest rattlesnake hunt held each year since 1939?
A. Okeene, Oklahoma
http://www.okeenesnakehunt.com/Q. Where in Oklahoma is an unusual island called Goat Island?
A. Answer in next week's newsletterBelow is from This and That newsletter archives of May 26, 2005
In last week's Mailbag a Reader wrote in wondering why this road near the Airpark is called Seven Sisters Road. Well, several of you wrote in, and boy was I in for a education. Anyway, here is what Doug Williams wrote in his email:
"There are seven mountains in a row that all look alike therefore they were named the seven sisters. They are better seen from the scenic turnout in the north lane of I-35 in the Arbuckle mountains. They are quite beautiful."
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My cousins Carol Jean and Laura Cole from Ft Worth were in Ardmore last saturday for a visit. When it was time to eat I suggested Catfish Corner on South Commerce. Boy, it is a great place to eat. Lets see, there were 3 pieces of catfish, a baked potato with Land 'O Lakes butter and sour cream, pinto beans, cole slaw, hush puppies, onion, pickle, and lets not forget that delicious green tomato relish that's oh so good.... all for $5.95 at noon time. Oh, and that big bottle of tartar sauce.. got to have it! By the way, every Thursday night is Seniors Night, all you can eat for $7.99. Its all so good, and the atmosphere at Catfish Corner is so down home like, you know what I mean? I love to look at all the old memorabilia on the walls from bygone days.... a real trip back into time. So if you ever hankering for catfish, the owner John Burkhart (cousin to Sheriff Harvey Burkhart) is usually at the cash register greeting all who enter, so stop on in and say Hi. Some of you old timers will remember this business being El Palacio Mexican restaurant 30 years ago. By the way, Catfish Corners offers excellent Mexican food too, just like the old El Palacio! Remember those sopapillas? oh my. Here is a pic I took of my catfish plate.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/CatfishCorner5a.jpgI snapped this picture of proprietor John Burkhart at the front entrance.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/CatfishCorner5b.jpgAnd here is an outside view of Catfish Corner.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/CatfishCorner5c.jpg
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"Hey Butch, Great job as usual. For some time, I've been trying to think of what each of your T&T's do to me. I think I have it figured out. Sometime they are like the old Alfred Hitchcock shows. Kinda leaves you hanging at the end wanting more, or maybe like the season finale of a tv show, can't wait for the next one to see what will happen next. So keep it up ole buddy. Viva Butch, and viva This and That."
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The Daily Ardmoreite, June 24, 1947
The late JAMES H HAVENS, who sold and erected windmills here for many years, used to tell me that much water was under the Arbuckles. He said there is a spot near Oil Springs where one at 70 feet could find a river of water that would supply water enough to irrigate an entire valley.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/maps/OilSpringsOKmap.jpg
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Healdton's Number 1 historian sent me a picture this week of him sitting in a Well Fargo stagecoach. I think Kenneth Eck just did it do make me jealous (it worked too lol). Boy, this stagecoach was made from the ground up by Duane Stevens and his dad. It's a breathtaking stagecoach, guess I'll have to go get a picture of me inside this masterpiece. Thanks for sharing the photo Kenneth, its really appreciated me, and now, by many others!http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/KennethEckStagecoach051805.jpg
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And it is this mention of Mill Creek Dam that really spiked my interest. Seems like it was a $400,000 white elephant. More details in the Mailbag below. Now I've got to make plans to get over to Mill Creek, find this dam and take come pics! One Reader who grew up in that area and volunteered.
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"Butch, One reader told about seeing some old columns that appeared to have supported pipes which were near the old Randolph School. I believe these were the remains of the old gravity-fed Mill Creek to Madill pipeline that was constructed to carry water from Mill Creek to Madill in the early 1920s. This leads to another odd remnant of the past, if you take Highway 1 from Mannsville toward Ravia and cross the Washita River then turn left on Greasy Bend Road and follow Greasy Bend Road until you reach the Mill Creek bridge. Take the small road that goes North on the East side of Mill Creek, park and walk to the creek and continue following the creek North until you come to a large concrete dam, concrete storage tanks, filtration plant, pump houses and other related structures on the creek. The dam is located about 2 miles upstream from the Washita River. It is really an impressive sight. This is the remains of Madill's old water supply. The City of Madill built this dam in the early 1920's to impound Mill Creek and they built a 12 mile gravity-fed pipeline to carry the water to Madill. It was supposed to provide Madill with all of the water it would need for at least 100 years. The City sold $400,000 in bonds to finance the project. They completed the project and opened the pipes and plenty of fresh water came rushing out the other end. There was only one problem, the engineering firm who designed the project either underestimated or forgot about the amount of silt carried by the creek after large rains. In a short while the dam had completely silted in to within 18" of the top and was useless as a water supply. This became Madill's $400,000 "White Elephant". The equipment that could be salvaged was removed and taken to Madill for use there. The City paid off the bonds on this boondoggle many years later. Carter Lake was finally built which provided Madill with their needed water supply."
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----------------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
Hi Butch...know you from way back and saw your post on Ed Magruder's page about birth parents. This group works - I know from personal experience."
http://www.adoptiondatabase.org/
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Q. "Do you remember a man Joe Legato? He was from New York. I probably didn't spell his last name right. He would run errands for the store keepers. Just wondered ever what happen to him." -BobA. Joe Legato was a wonderful human being and liked by everyone. He worked for years Monday through Friday on the City sanitation truck. But on Saturday when he stopped by Kenneth Chandler's service station on East Main, he was in his best Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. I will never forget him.
JOSEPH LEGATO JUL 7, 1920 TO JUL 10, 1979
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We have received the new book by James Clark, long time Ardmore attorney and past District Attorney, "A Journey Through The Mind Of A Lawyer". This chronicles many cases he was involved with during his 40 year legal career. We also expect to soon have his first book "Reflections On A Time", covering his early life in rural Oklahoma, back in stock.Lois Proctor
The Bookseller
614 W. Main
Ardmore, Ok 73401
580-223-8642
Independent Bookstores For Independent Minds !http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/JourneyThroughTheMindOfALawyer.jpg
Arbuckle Mountain Home
When prairie stars are shining,
And the sky above is blue,
'Tis then my thoughts returneth,
To a place so good and true,
A place up in the mountains,
Up thar by Turner Falls,
Where turtle doves are cooing.
And you hear those coyotes call,
'Tis the music of the mountains,
That seems to call me back,
Back to a humble cottage,
Just a little mountain shack,
And soon I'll be returning,
Never more to roam,
And I'll settle down forever,
In my Arbuckle Mountain Home.I would not trade my humble shack,
For a place by the sea,
For up thar in those mountains high,
It is always home to me,
And soon I'll be returning,
Never more to roam,
And I'll settle down forever,
In my Arbuckle Mountain Home.-Cecil Crosby
Ardmore, Oklahoma 1939http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/ArbuckleHome1939a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14b/arbucklemountainhome.mp3
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
"Friends Make Life Worth Living"
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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