This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 23  Issue 1,166     Circulation 5,000      May 30, 2019
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My permanent email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-490-6823

Fraley Planing Mill

Henry T. Hunt purchased the Fraley Planing Mill in 1908 in Ardmore from his brother-in-law Charles Fraley. An newspaper article (date unknown) there appeared a rather complete story regarding this mill, H.T. Hunt is listed as the proprietor and manager. It is described as an up-to-date concern, doing the highest grade work at reasonable prices. The writer points out that although it was first established eight years ago by the Fraley Brothers, Mr. Hunt has been the business manager the last two years prior to his recent purchase of the business. Everyone is insured that Mr Hunt is very friendly with the entire plant, and is adding new improvements because of increased patronage.

The writer continues to praise the business and remarks that it is not limited to sash and door factory, but producing moldings, scrolls, turned work, pews, inside finish, etc. A specialty of the mill was stair work and screens. Furthermore, a general line of millwork was available. Proprietor Hunt was known for his policy to employ none but the most skilled worker in his Department's, and no better mechanics could be found elsewhere in the state.

The metropolitan mechanical concept that Mr Hunt was offering was helping to make Ardmore a progressive place to live, and all citizens were urged to support his business. It was also noted that patrons were not confined to Ardmore, but work is done for many people in many of the neighboring towns.

In conclusion, the Statesman newspaper "joined with all pride of Mr Hunt's many friends and patrons in wishing him continued popularity and success."
-Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book 1982

Q.  A meteor 1,000 feet in diameter hit Oklahoma thousands of years ago. The meteor created a crater over 8 miles wide, and buried by 9,000 ft. of sediment. The crater was discovered during oil exploration 1991. Where in Oklahoma is this crater located?
A.  Ames, Oklahoma. The Ames crater is a meteorite crater in Major County, Oklahoma 30 miles southwest of Enid. Buried under a thick layer of sediment, it was not discovered until 1991. The astrobleme is 8 miles in diameter. Subsequent drilling within the crater, found a large amount of oil and gas.

https://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/space-discovered-under-ames-years-ago-was-new-frontier-for/article_c3d783d4-11fa-597b-b5b8-8e2e23581557.html

I got busy the other day and made a webpage about a piece of Carter County history this disappeared some 20 years ago. I am not sure of the exact date, maybe someone will remember, but its about a cemetery log book that disappeared. Inez Akers was the guardian of the Woodford cemetery log book. A lady came down from Oklahoma City (I was told) years ago and asked to borrow the book for some research she was doing. The lady never returned the book. I feel like the book is still out there somewhere and hopefully with the internet search engines like Google, etc., and people's help, it can be returned to Carter County.

http://oklahomahistory.net/WoodfordCemeteryLogBook.html

Q.  One of the largest music festivals in the U.S. takes place each year in this tiny town in Oklahoma?
A.  Answer in next week's newsletter

April 1935
A district court jury did not elect to believe that the drug Clarence Dawson used to treat hay fever was loco weed. They decided it was marijuana and after deliberating for 5 minutes, found Dawson guilty and fixed his punishment at 5 years in the State Penitentiary.

April 1935
A group of citizens with shotguns will sweep the countryside in a big rabbit drive in the Mountain Home District, 5 miles north of Ringling. Shotguns with shot no larger than #4s will be allowed. No boys under 16 years of age will be permitted to carry a gun. Rabbits are especially numerous in that area and the drought has seemed to have no effect on their numbers.

April 1935
Citizens in the Prairie Valley section are warned by doctor R.M. Parish, County Health superintendent, to be on the lookout for dogs that show signs of rabies. A head of a dog killed in that locality was sent to the state lab, and a report sent to doctor Parish this morning positivity said the dog was afflicted with rabies. Dog owners who suspect their dogs may have been bitten by a mad animal or advised to shoot their dogs.

April 1959
The Carter County draft board registered 26 men during March who had attained their 18th birthday. Linden bird board member pointed out that the first obligation of young men under the draft law is to register for the draft board within five days after they reach their 18th birthday.

April 1959
Carter County voters turned down a repeal of prohibition by a vote of 7,001 to 4,975.

April 2004
Mark Hamilton, a senior, was playing at Dornick Hills last Friday April 23rd and hit a hole-in-one on 17th.

Carter County was the first county in Oklahoma to have a County Extension Agent back in 1923. His name was Otis Lincoln Putman 1892-1954.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/PutmanCountyAgent1923.jpg

Mr. Putman is buried in Ardmore's Rosehill cemetery

Below is are several markers and flagstones I made this week.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/TonyReedPatioPaver.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/GracieShinnMarker.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/MorganCpaver.jpg

Below is from This and That newsletter archives of May 31, 2007

If there are any doubting Thomas's out there when it comes to still able to buy a cup of coffee for 55 cents, here's the proof. lol
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/HoboJoeReceipt.jpg

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In the southwest corner of Madill's courthouse square is a place called Gorrell's Karate. On the north side of their business is an interesting mural and work of art.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MadillMural.jpg
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Kerry Tully and her mom traveled up to Mountain Lake north of Ardmore Memorial Day to look at the water coming out of the spill way. The city has had to open the spillway up after all the heavy rains. But the water was coming across the creek below the dam so fast, Kerry decided not to try and cross it in the car. The water was very swift. But she did take some pictures of the creek flow.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MtLakeRoad052807a.jpg

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I can not tell you the times since 1986 when I bought my first real computer I wish I could look at someone's computer screen when they had me on the phone, asking about a problem they were having with their computer. Several programs, all 'buy me' programs, have came out the last few years that let's you do just that. There is even Microsoft's Remote Access within Windows XP that can allow you to share your computer with someone on the other end. But this week I found a webpage that makes it so easy, even a child can do it. You don't have to download and install anything, no settings, and no technical stuff. Just double click on the link on ShowMyPC and its done. All you have to do is give the other person the program's generated password to enter on their end, and your connected. Of course both computers must have internet access. The only thing the program lacks is being able to transfer a file between computers, but there are other ways to do that too.
http://www.ShowMyPC.com/

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Clippings from The Wilson News 1915 -submitted by Mindy Taylor

1-21-1915: "Dynamite Exploded With Evil Intent"
Last Friday night, about eight o'clock, some miscreant fired a stick of dynamite among the gasoline cans on the storage platform of the Pierce Oil Corporation here in Wilson. It is a mystery what the deed was done for. Evidently the intention was to set the gasoline on fire; but, although the explosion tore a big hole in one of the iron barrels, it did not fire the gasoline. The deed was apparently done for pure unadulterated cussedness, as there seems to have been no particular object to be gained by it.
1-21-1915: "After the War"
The manufacture of wooden legs is a useful industry, but extraordinary activity in their production is not a sign that the world is industrially prosperous (Kansas City Journal)
1-25-1915: "School News"
The free-for-all stilt race will be held Friday at noon. All are eligible to enter and no kind of stilts are barred just so they are over six inches high.
2-11-1915: Wilson Hotel
Judge Dillard has remodeled and refitted the Wilson Hotel, until now it is the equal of any hostelry in this part of the state. Judge Dillard says he will make the Wilson a hotel that will be a credit to the town, and we believe it, for the judge has a habit of doing what he says he will and doing it right.
Wilson Historical Museum Hours - Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat., 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....

The man holding rifle was a member of the United States Volunteers forerunner to the national guard.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/DurantOKmanHoldingRifle.jpg
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Lawton, Oklahoma's very own, Amityville/The Shining, horror story.

I was "drawn" to these markers several years ago. I started taking pictures of them when I noticed that the death dates were all the same. At first I thought the flu pandemic ...but all on the same exact day? Then I thought maybe a fire tragically killed this family. I did a little research and this is what I found.

Daniel O'Kane was an American who allegedly killed seven members of his family at their home 12 miles southwest of Lawton, Oklahoma, United States on March 6, 1916, before committing suicide. He was 42 years old.

He (again...allegedly) used a .38-caliber revolver, hammer and a razor.

Victims:
James O'Kane, 73, his father
Lillian O'Kane, 39, his wife
Martin Lewis O'Kane, 13, his son
Margaret M. O'Kane, 8, his daughter
Daniel O'Kane, 10, his son
Lillian E. O'Kane, 5, his daughter
Robert O'Kane, 5 months, his son

The baby was buried in the same casket with his mother holding him...just as they were found.

They were buried in 6 white caskets...and one black one. I think we know who got the black one.

Why:
Remains a mystery. Daniel O'Kane was considered to be a mild mannered, good man who loved his family very much. Inexplicably...he went insane for reasons not understood to this day. He did have issues with his father, however, it still doesn't explain the slaughter of everyone in his family. There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered.

You can find these graves markers on the first row just north of the entrance of the Highland Cemetery on Ft. Sill Blvd. in Lawton, Oklahoma.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/HighlandCemeteryLawton.jpg
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Margaret Heald Jordan, my aunt, turns 100 on August 24th and I was going through some old photos and ran across 3 or 4 that could possibly be of interest to your readers. Eliza Jane Guy Heald was Charles Hobart Heald's Chickasaw wife (they had 10 children). The Healdton Oil Well Fire of 1914 warranted a postcard sent to my grandmother Heald to her brother Fay Murphy. Was there any loss of life in that fire? Do you have any idea if Healdton would be interested in one if their own turning 100? She lives in Springfield, Colorado and left Healdton as a young girl. Hope you and Jill are doing great and dodging, for the most part, the tornados and flooding. Anxious to get back to the mountains. Remember that our welcome mat is always out. Take care,
-Serena Holder serenaholder2@gmail.com
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/MargaretHealdJordanPhotos1.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/MargaretHealdJordanPhotos2.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/MargaretHealdJordanPhotos3.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/MargaretHealdJordanPhotos4.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/MargaretHealdJordanPhotos5.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/MargaretHealdJordanPhotos6.jpg
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Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.

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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