This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 22 Issue 1,121 Circulation 5,000 July 19, 2018
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: [email protected]
580-490-6823
I appreciate all of you who sent me happy birthday wishes this week. At last count there were over 800 best wishes and even though it was not humanly possible to answer every one, I am humbled beyond belief. Thank you. I am reminded of a 1984 song by Tex Ritter, "When Your Happy the Years Fall Away".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcZ0XtozAL8When I was a wee lad barely big enough to ride a bicycle, I would ride it to the construction site on the "Big Swimming Pool" at 3rd and F Street NE. I'd stand there and look at the bulldozer creating what I thought was the big hole in the world. History always repeats itself - The following is from my July 20, 2006 newsletter:
As most of you know, here in Ardmore, Oklahoma its been so terribly hot. Friday July 21, 2006 is predicted to be the hottest yet with temps at 110 here. Then on Saturday the temps are suppose to drop below 100. That will be a great relief. People, animals, plants, and equipment could not take many more days in a row like it's been the past week. This is the worst heat wave we had in these parts since the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s. A lot of people are staying cool at the swimming pool here in Ardmore, so I thought I share some history on Ardmore's swimming at Whittington Park in the SE part of Ardmore which would later turn into a new pool at 3rd and F Street NE.
For many years the City of Ardmore owned and operated a large swimming pool in Whittington Park which was built before modern sanitation facilities were available. The pool had been leased out to private operators but, in 1948, failed to open because of inability to finance repairs. The following year the Kiwanis Club of Ardmore proposed they would operate the pool and the city granted the club a lease. Under a committee composed of Wilson Wallace, Joe W. Shinn, and M. C. Rackets the pool operated for a full season at low admission prices with instruction given free by the Red Cross. The Kiwanis members cleaned and painted the pool, using their own funds. The pool was operated by the club from 1949 through 1954.
The club committee realized that a new modern pool was needed and in the winter of 1953 Wallace and Shinn, assured the same financial help if a workable program and proper plans and specifications could be prepared, went to work without any publicity. Wallace contacted various pool authorities including John A. Carrick of Dallas. Gradually, general plans as to size, equipment and other details were worked out. Harold Flood, architect, was contacted. Flood and Collins went to work preparing detailed plans and specifications.
It was necessary that a vehicle for financing and operation of the pool be established. The men again turned to the Kiwanis Club and they proposed that the club sponsor a foundation to be organized under the laws of Oklahoma as a religious, educational and charitable foundation on a tax exempt basis for the construction and operation of all types of community recreational education facilities. The Kiwanis Club quickly adopted the idea and by March of 1953 the Community Youth Foundation of Ardmore was duly incorporated and a charter issued by the Secretary of State.
A site was necessary. Many available locations were studied by the committee, architect and engineer. Finally, on entire block of land east of the high and junior high schools was chosen. The entire block with the large old Daube homestead, a community landmark, was donated to the foundation by Carol Daube Sutton and Leon and Olive Daube. A drive for $100,000 was started and immediately several large amounts were given in response to the appeal.
The board of trustees of the foundation was composed of Wilson Wallace, W. C. Wright, Joe W. Shinn, Lester Dennis, Tom Cardwell, Ward Merrick, Ernest Riesen, James E. Thompson, Vernon Moyers and M. A. Rocketts. With 60 per cent of the estimated cost in cash and another 24 per cent pledged, they decided to go ahead.
In October 1954 final plans and specifications were approved and a contract negotiated with the Burton-Miller Construction Company of Ardmore for construction, excluding all deck and bath house equipment that was not a part of the building. Orders were placed with Corrick for all deck, sanitation, cleaning, filters and underwater lighting equipment and accessories. Construction proceeded and by the middle of May 1955, the pool was ready for acceptance. It was opened to the public May 28, 1955. -from "The History of Carter County" book printed in 1957
June 1934
Burnell Price, son of Mrs. Bob Price, received a broken jaw and other head injuries when he was struck by an automobile on the Wolf Creek bridge two miles northeast of Lone Grove. The lad, officers say, was playing on the bridge with another Lone Grove youth, when he was struck by an automobile driven by Fred Halbrook, of Medicine Park. Halbrook, officers say, was forced into the railing when another car, travelling at a high rate of speed attempted to pass on the bridge.June 1934
Concrete on U.S. 70 between Lone Grove and Wilson, has been completed and the date for officially opening the road to general traffic has been set for July 3rd.June 1934
One of the most attractive sights in this section of the state is the new swimming pool below Prices Falls. An overflow bridge of rock and concrete was built about 100 yards below the falls and this has created one of the most attractive pools in the state.Q. What town is known as the "official peach capital in Oklahoma?"
A. Porter, Oklahoma
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oklahoma/peach-farm-in-ok/Q. What is the most generous, giving county in Oklahoma?
A. Answer in next week's newsletter
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9055
Some pavers I sandblasted recently.
http://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/ShanonOusleyGranite.jpg
http://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/PatrickDenneyFTC.jpg
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of July 20, 2006
I have been entering all those buried in the Confederate section of Rose Hill cemetery into a database of names for research purposes by anyone who has internet access when they are doing relative look-ups or genealogy research. In time as these names get picked up by the 'spiders' of the big search engines like google, yahoo, and the rest, this index of names will prove invaluable for those searching for a particular name and find them buried in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Once they are taken to the webpage they will even be able to look at a picture of the actual marker. As I been entering the names one by one, sometimes I run across something unusual such as the three names below. All 3 died within one day of each other, and are all buried side by side in Row 19 of the Confederate section. I would assume these were all residents of the Oklahoma Veterans Center at the time of their deaths.
Abraham V. Hulse
Oct 6, 1844 - July 16, 1932
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/VeteranMarkers/AbrahamHulse.jpg
Loduskey Morris
Mar 20, 1847 - July 17, 1932
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/VeteranMarkers/LoduskeyMorrisOLD.jpg
John H. Murphy
Dec 26, 1847 - July 18, 1932
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/VeteranMarkers/JohnMurphy.jpghttp://www.oklahomahistory.net/vetmarkers.html
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"Laura Martin, Public Services Library Director of the Oklahoma History Research Center, announced June 10th that the new Cuadra Star Online Card Catalogue is now available online from home. She demonstrated all of the features that are available and told of the projects being placed online daily. This much desired and long awaited development will make it much more efficient to search the millions of records available at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. In addition to the Library Card Catalogue, the holdings in the Archives and Indian Archives are being entered as are records from the Newspaper Archives and Maps and Photographic Collections. You will want to check the holdings often for that record you are seeking because new records are being added daily. To access this important database, enter the Oklahoma History Center website at www.okhistory.org then click on Research in the top bar. The portal into the online card catalogue is right under the Researching Oklahoma History logo in the center of the page. Click on New Online Catalogue then select whether you want to search holdings of the Archives, Library Catalogue or Newspaper Articles.
http://www.okhistory.org/
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"Butch, if you are ever in Monahans, Texas, you should have a burger at the SuperBurger which is owned by Patricia Beckham of the Ardmore Beckams! The burgers are huge, great tasting and reasonably priced. The shakes/malts are fantastic as well. A great meal!! Also, thank you for the information on the Keener Family and Roy Barnes. We thoroughly enjoy the music and comedy of Roy. Roy is the nephew of Evelyn Beckham Morris, now living in Antioch, CA. Their music is among the best gospel bluegrass we've ever heard. The CD of "King's Highway" is terrific! Keep up the good work as we appreciate hearing about Ardmore all the way in California. Thank you again."
https://restaurantguru.com/Super-Burger-Monahans
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"My best friend is Robert Denney's niece and I told her that I could find the article about the shooting in front of Mulkey hotel but I am not finding it anymore. I read it long time ago on your website but can't find it again."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/textfiles/venable.txt
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------------------------------------------------------------------------Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
Thanks Butch for the photo of the Levine store entrance sign at Marietta. Nice to see it is still there. That Simon Levine fled Russian in 1890s and began, I understand, pushing a banana cart!!!
Last in Marietta about 2015? for class reunion AHS class of 55. Always went to Marietta during the reunions.
About 25 years ago (1995?), after leaving Ardmore in 1960 for the navy, I returned from DFW airport for visit and stopped at Oklahoma Welcome kiosk for maps, etc. after Red River bridge. Lady there looked at me and said "You a Levine, ain't cha?" I decided then to rob no banks in the area!!!
emil
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18b/LevinesMariettaOK071518.jpg
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-----------------------------------------------"Butch, remember, money does not grow on trees. It comes from somewhere, and goes to some place." -Richard "Dick" Zumwalt 1914-1991
Senior Accountant
Memorial Hospital, Ardmore, OklahomaSee 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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