This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 22 Issue 1,107 Circulation 5,000 April 12, 2018
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: [email protected]
580-490-6823
There were a couple of visitors to the Remembrance Park memorial at the Airpark on June 16, 2017. When they signed the guest register, they also made a comment that a relative died that evening during the 1966 plane crash. What really caught my attention was the next line, "his body was never recovered" was written in the guest book. I have not heard that story until this week. I've talked to most of the 12 survivors when we started making plans in February 2000 to construct the memorial, and a lot of people who made it to the crash sight that evening in '66. I also read a number of newspaper accounts of the crash and there was never a mention of anyone who died in the crash whose body was never found. I see I am going to have to do some research on this. The link below is a poor quality photo of the info they wrote in the guest book. I'll get another picture of the page next time I'm at the airpark.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/JoseRene1966a.jpg
February 1958
The Mountain Lake Dam has sprung a leak. Authorities say, "it could be serious." It happened where the new concrete joins the old. Since the original leak was discovered, a second leak on the eastern side developed. It was found previously that much of the wiring and controls at the gates did not meet specifications.February 1934
Anglin, Lunday and Medlin of Duncan, Oklahoma have cemented at 24 ft of surface pipe at their #1 John Ringling well, 2 miles south of Lone Grove. That well, the first to be drilled in that immediate territory, is scheduled for a 3,250 foot test.Q. In what Oklahoma ghost town can one find the Bond of Friendship monument?
A. Skedee, in Pawnee County Oklahoma
http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SK001Q. Where in Oklahoma can people take a train ride pulled by a 1930s era steam locomotive?
A. Answer in next week's newsletter
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of April 20, 2006
Ardmore Muffler and Auto Repair on Lake Murray Drive and C Street had a couple of owners before my friend Otis Ivey took it over on January 1, 1985. Otis was the station manager for Kenneth Chandler when Kenneth owned a service station on East Main and D Street where I bought gas for my Sears moped (around 1964) before I could even drive a car. I even worked there as a teen a couple summers with Otis fixing flats and pumping gas to make a little extra money. The station fixed flats for $1 and somedays I'd fix around 25 or more. Anyway Otis Ivey sold his Ardmore Muffler Shop on Lake Murray Drive in May 1994 to a young guy. A couple years later, around '96 that young man sold it to its present owners, Rick Marcum and his son. Rick has really been the best mechanic I could want for my old pickup. I never felt like I was overcharged, keeping in mind the pickup is only worth about $1,200. Rick and his son had to do some work on my pickup last week, and its running better now then its ran im a long time. So from my personal experience over the years with them, I highly recommend Ardmore Muffler and Auto Repair here in Ardmore, especially if you have an older vehicle your trying to get a few more miles out of and not spend a arm and leg doing so. Here's a pic of Rick Marcum's Ardmore repair shop.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/ArdmoreMuffler041806.jpgUpdate: The old muffler shop is gone now. A new convenience store is located on that corner.
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"Hi Butch: I agree with you that coffee just tastes better in a Wedgwood China cup. My parents settled in Oklahoma during the Sooner Run in 1889 and I have some china pieces that they brought with them to Oklahoma in those covered wagons. These items are called Victorian Fairing Boxes. In England in the 1840 to 1900 these little fairing boxes were very popular. They were made cheaply and given out as prizes at the county fairs all over England. If you played a game you would win one of these beautiful little trinket boxes. My grandfather, Herman Presley Bishop was given three of these fairing boxes when he was born and I now have them. I never knew what they were until I started researching them online. I thought I would share these with your readers because I would bet someone else has one of these in their china cabinet. Here are three pictures of Victorian Fairing Boxes. (They are attached to this email.) Most of these fairing boxes were made by a company called Conta Boehme in Germany. If someone thinks they may have one of these Victorian antiques, please email me a picture and I can let you know what it's value is. Most of these little boxes are worth from $60 to $500. Thanks for letting me share, my favorite china pieces." -JoAnn Ricks
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/VictorianFairingBox6a.jpg
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Over the years I've mentioned a couple of times in my T&T a Mr and Mrs Avery Senter. They lived at 316 H NE directly behind my grandparents Carmon Lumber Company when I was a kid growing up in the 50s and 60s. Mr Senter worked for the post office and 3 times in a 24 hour period he'd drive his old flat bed truck with wood side rails to the Ardmore Depot and meet the train. He'd get the sacks of mail off the mail car and then deliver them to the old post office next door to the Hamburger Inn (Federal Building now). As a wee lad Mr Senter took me along with him in his truck sometimes, what an experience for a young boy! When we arrived at the old post ofice Mr. Senter would have me hide in the floorboard, since he was not suppose to have riders in the truck with him. I stumbled across the Ardmoreite newspaper clipping my grandparents saved back around 1965 when the Senters were celebrating their Golden Wedding anniversary. They were the most wonderful people. I will never forget them.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/SentersAnniversary.jpghttp://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/senter.jpg
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"Butch, one of your readers wrote about the hitching post on 7th NW. The ones at 7th and B and 6th and B are still intact with the rings. There are original hitching post at Stanley and D (metal) and 3 at 4th and E SW (1 concrete and 2 metal). Also one of the original concrete street markers is still at 4th and I SW."
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"In the April 13 issue of T&T, Janie asked how Oklahoma ended up with the odd parcel of land that forms the panhandle. Long ago, this land was part of Mexico, then became part of the Republic of Texas. When Texas became a U.S. state in 1846, this created a problem. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 admitted Missouri into the union as a slave state, and Maine as a free state. It further specified that slavery would not be permitted in any future territory or state north of 36 degrees, 30 minutes. This sliver of land was removed from slave state Texas since the parcel was north of 36-30. For many years, the panhandle was No Man's Land. There was no civil authority, which lured the lawless types to settle there. When the Oklahoma and Indian Territories were formed, the panhandle was included in what, subsequently, became the State of Oklahoma." -Mark Coe
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"Cuz, You continue to outdo yourself week after week. The comments about all the places on Caddo really brought back some very fond memories of when I used to visit my Grandparents (Jim (Rattler) and Birdie Prater) who lived just north of the old salvage yard just east of the tracks. Their house consisted of three rooms, the living room/bedroom combination, the kitchen, and my Uncle Dale's room (just big enough for an Army cot) at the back door and the old out-house that was pushed up against the fence of the salvage yard. I too remember him giving us kids a nickel each to spend on Caddo and you could just about buy anything you wanted back then. Everyone knew all of us and referred to us not by name but as "Prater's Grandkids". Thanks once again for a pleasant walk down memory lane." -Poss in Korea
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"The building that is referred to as the Stag Bar on East Main was not always known as a BAR and evolved into that phase in more recent years. Many respectable businesses were located in that building and the rough and tumble reputation that has been assigned to it in recent years did not prevail until after WW2. It was not a part of the building next to it which recently caved in. The structure was often referred to as the oldest building in downtown Ardmore. A grocery store once occupied the building and a sign was visible on the marquee which read: ..."Harrell's Market - Eat More Meat - Drink Coca-Cola, Delicious and Refreshing." Later the "Star' theatre was located in this building and was owned and operated by a Mr. Black & his family. Except for the upper part of the facade the old building has been structurally changed in appearance throughout the years." -Ernest Martin
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/OldStagBar6a.jpghttp://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/stagbar.jpg
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"Butch, looking at that old map just above the name Yellow Hills you will see McMillan and above that you will see Wilson (old Wilson, Oklahoma). My dad lived in McMillan. My Mom was born in Wilson. You have done it again Guy another piece of the puzzle in my family tree." -Paskell Poindexter
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/maps/YellowHillsOK1890.jpg
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"Hi Butch, Seeing Waco Turner's picture brought back memories. I was driving a dump truck in the 50's and helped build his golf course. The story going around was that he got mad at Dornick Hill's golf club so he built his own. He was quite a character, he had Cadillac's sitting all around his lodge that wouldn't run, some only needed batteries but if they didn't run he called the Cadillac dealer and they brought him out a new one. He would come by several times a day to make sure we were alright. We could stay in his lodge free of charge if we chose too. We built a make shift runway one time and a cargo plane from Ardmore Air base landed, the pilot was the base commander. We all looked the plane over (inside and out) then had barbecue and watermelon while still on the clock. Those were the good ol' days." -James Singleterry
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/waco52a.jpg
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------------------------------------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
Butch,
Thanks for your continuing work to find and preserve the history of our part of Oklahoma. I especially enjoyed the pictures you displayed of early Ardmore and especially Main Street. I can remember my mother, Elise Potterf Chapman, saying that she could remember that during the days Ardmore was enjoying the fame of being the largest cotton center in the world. It was common having to climb up on team driven wagons and step from one wagon onto another to cross Main Street during cotton picking time as the wagons lined up to unload their loads at the cotton gin near the railroad tracks.
After carefully looking at the pictures of that building in downtown Ardmore and comparing them with other pictures, I am not sure they are correctly identified and would be glad to examine them with you if you have time. I also would like you to ask your fans if any have old pictures of Caddo Street.
My grandfather, Henry C. Potterf, came to Ardmore on its first birthday on the train from Gainesville, Texas as a young attorney, established his practice and his family in early Ardmore. -Bill
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This is a view out our front window showing the snow at the top of our 36 inch high railing. You can see where the fox walked across the snow last night. Just another Spring day in Montana. Happy Friday. -Monroe
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18a/BigSkyMTsnow40918.jpg
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"Butch, Just an FYI... The Hinckley family (John Hinkley, son) lived on Davis Street NW. I believe 2 houses west of Robinson Street on the south side of the street."
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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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-----------------------------------------------When the wind is blowing and the sleet or rain is driving against the dark windows, I love to sit by the fire, thinking of what I have read in books of voyage and travel. -Charles Dickens
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
"Friends Make Life Worth Living"
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vicious 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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