This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 23 Issue 1,162 Circulation 5,000 May 2, 2019
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address: [email protected]
580-490-6823
Davis Meat Market and Floral Shop
One of the early pioneer markets in Ardmore, Indian Territory, was the familiar storefront of James W. Davis. James was a butcher, trained by a German teacher in the trade, and did expert work. He maintained the highest quality, and never sold anything he wouldn't eat himself.In 1903, March 17th, James came to Indian Territory, and leased the building where the Chamber of Commerce is now located at #6 East Main. This is the same building that is in use today. Here he established Ardmore first Cold Storage Market. In 1904 he moved to 227 West Main and was there 21 years. On July 25, 1925, the Randol Hotel, located on the north side of West Main, just east of White's Auto, burned and with it the Davis Meat Market.
Dot Davis, James' wife, developed a business of her own, located in the market, and this was a badly needed floral shop. This started small, but she eventually had 5 greenhouses on her home property, where she raised flowers to sell. Many times she furnished flowers for services where there otherwise would have been none. This business was also successful and gave her much joy.
After the fire, a store was built at 215 C Street Northwest next to the home place. James' two sons George S. and Warren entered into a three-way partnership with their father and became the active forces in the market. In 1953 a brick building was erected for where the Arthritis Clinic is located at the present time, and the store was updated and enlarged. Unfortunately, James died in 1954, so the boys were left to carry on. In 1962 the property was sold to the Arthritis Clinic, and that ended the most colorful business, that started well before statehood.
-Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book 1982Below are photos submitted to me by George W Davis back in October 2010.
Inside the original Davis Grocery in the 200 block of East main. 1920
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DavisGroceryEastMain1920.jpg
The 213 C NW store with the three owners, L to R: J. W. Davis, George Davis, son, and Warren Davis, son. It was replaced with a new building at 207 C NW in the early 50's.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DavisGroceryCStreetNW.jpg
The new Davis Grocery at 207 C NW.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DavisGroceryCStreetNW1954.jpg
1954 employees L to R: George W. Davis, 2 part time: Esley Brown and Jess Reed. George Bradley, Warren Davis, George S. Davis, and J. W. Davis.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DavisStoreEmployees1954.jpgWith around 6 or more inches of rain in this area the past 48 hours, Turner Falls is really flowing. Doug Williams sent this picture in, he took it today.
http://oklahomahistory.net/turnerfalls/TurnerFallls050219.jpg
Q. Where in Oklahoma is a fountain of youth water falls with reported "healing powers" since the 1800s?
A. Nestled in the forested woods of Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Sulphur, Oklahoma flows a multitude of clear, cold sulphur springs that have therapeutic qualities.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oklahoma/fountain-of-youth-ok/Q. The longest jail term in the U.S. to a single person on multiple counts, was to a Oklahoma child rapist. Who was sentenced to a total of 30,000 years; 5,000 years for each of the six counts against him?
A. Answer in next week's newsletterBelow is a couple markers and a paver I made this week.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/MyrtleBrawleyMarker.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/JaniceRoyalGraveMarker.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/SadieDogPaver.jpg
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of May 3, 2007
John Wall was the town Marshal for Tatums, Oklahoma back in 1923 when he was shot and killed when he responded to a knock at his door.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/JohnWall1923.jpg
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But, about a month ago a T&T Reader from that area told me about an old water well that had been hidden for years by weeds and brush, but now visible after the land owner brush hogged in that location. The water well is just east across the road from the Reck Cemetery and a couple hundred feet to the south. I would almost bet a hamburger this is the same well used by the Reck school, since it too was located just across from the cemetery on the east side of the road.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/ReckWell7a.jpg
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Duane Goggans sent in a great photo taken in 1940 of his uncle, Roy Turner's, filling station at Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/RoyTurnerFillingStation.jpg
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About a month ago there was mention in a T&T about a S.N. Earp, physician, being buried in Gene Autry, Oklahoma. Scott Bumgarner sent in a link he found with info on Shedrick Newton Earp buried in Gene Autry, Oklahoma. He was an M.D. back in 1880s in Carter county.
http://www.ancientfaces.com:80/research/photo/373476
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/SNEarpMarker.jpg
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Ardmore's Dee Ann Burris sent in a great photo. Its a 1939 group pic of the Salvation Army. Thanks Dee Ann.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/SalvationArmy1939Ardmore.jpg
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"Hi Butch, I can shed a little light on the grave coverings at Vamoosa, Oklahoma via my Mother in law, Delma Harris. She grew up in that area and graduated from Vamoosa High School in 194??. Seems an Indian family by the name of Wise were pretty well to do in that area and had a private or family cemetery on their land. When the Government elected to build Lake Konawa, their cemetery had to be moved along with the Wise's homes. They elected to have their ancestors buried in the Vamoosa cemetery. They had covers over them when they were buried on their own land and when moved they moved the covers as well. She thinks another Indian family by the name of Burgess also have some covered just as the Wise family does. She still has a Brother who lives just north of the cemetery and we will try to get you a little more info from him." -Ken Updike, Wilson, Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/VamoosaCemetery7a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/VamoosaCemetery7b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/VamoosaCemetery7c.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/VamoosaCemetery7d.jpg
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"The markers in the Vamoosa Cemetery are called "grave houses". They were used over much of the South, especially in the hills of Tennessee. Of course, many of the early Oklahoma settlers were from Tennessee and Arkansas. I would suspect that there are more in the eastern part of Oklahoma. There may have been other purposes and items placed in them, but certain herbs and plants were placed there to ward off varmints."
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"Herbert Linder is exactly right about Sam P. Hale's Ford Motor Co. The red brick house across the street north was turned into a doctor's office and Mother worked there for quite awhile but I forget if the doctor's name. My favorite picture of her was taken at the front desk in that building. I'm also glad to hear him say something about the Safeway store. I thought I had dreamed it! That store burned one night and I guess it burned to the ground. I was just a little kid but everyone in town went to watch the fire! Thanks for T&T." -dannaNote: Before Hale's Ford Motor Company, at that SW corner of West Broadway and C NW, stood the Central Baptist Church.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/bapt30a.jpgAlso Ken Milburn Ford was in the same building and later the Health Department.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/300wbdwy.jpg
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The Wilson News submitted by Mindy Taylor
June 16, 1915 - Wirt, the oil town in the Healdton field, was nearly half destroyed by fire Sunday night. Thirteen business places were burned on the north side of Main Street. Only two were insured.ARRESTS FOLLOW "RAGTOWN" FIRE
Two Men Apprehended Following Blaze in Oil Field.
Mr. Chas. Hammonds, state fire marshal, came the first of the week to investigate the origin of the fire at Wirt.
A man by the name of Scrivner and another, nicknamed "Curley", have been arrested on a charge of having caused the fire at Wirt. Their preliminary trial will be held here next Tuesday before Judge Dillard. County Attorney Hardy will be present. Judge J. B. Champion of Ardmore, and Att'y S. J. Castleman will represent the defense. In justice to Will C. Scrivner, one of Ardmore's leading grocers, we wish to state that the man arrested is in no way connected with him.
Active work is already started in the way of rebuilding at Wirt. Several buildings are already under cover and all carpenters in the community are busy. Dr. Smith already has his drug stock in a new building and is doing business.
June 23, 1915 - The case against the men under suspicion of starting the fire at Wirt was dismissed for lack of evidence to convict.
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....Butch, I don't know how large the Plainview graduation class is this year, but in 1928, it was 3. My mother, Jennie Selfridge, is the tall girl. She is 20 years old and had already taught a year or two without a high school diploma. I think she had already completed a year or two in Durant. I wish I knew more details, but there was an air of secrecy about that time. Mother came to Texas with my Dad in 1937. -Roberta Byrom Abbe
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/JennieSelfridgePlainviewGraduatingClass1928.jpghttp://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/JennieSelfridgePlainviewGraduate1928.jpg
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-----------------------------------------------"Roll Out The Barrel" (Beer Polka)
Original Czechoslovakian lyrics by Wladimir A. Timm and Vasek Zeman in 1927
There's a garden, what a garden,
Only happy faces bloom there,
And there's never any room there,
For a worry or a gloom there
Oh there's music and there's dancing,
And a lot of sweet romancing
When they play the polka
They all get in the swing
Every time they hear that oom-pa-pa,
Everybody feels so tra-la-la
They want to throw their cares away,
They all go lah-de-ah-de-ay
Then they hear a rumble on the floor, the floor,
It's the big surprise they're waiting for
And all the couples form a ring,
For miles around you'll hear them sing...
Chorus:
Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun
Roll out the barrel, we've got the blues on the run
Zing boom tararrel, ring out a song of good cheer
Now's the time to roll the barrel, for the gang's all hereSee 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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