This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 25  Issue 1,262   Circulation 5,000      April 1, 2021
Ardmore, Oklahoma
My email address:  [email protected]
580-490-6823

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us,
What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."

A Glimpse Into The Past

One of the most colorful figures living in the Ardmore area is Buster Ned, a leader and member of the Choctaw Tribe. Buster still lives a stone's throw away from where he was born March 9, 1924 in Simpson, Oklahoma. This is an old community, primarily settled by Choctaws before statehood, and lies in the Yellow Hills, 12 miles Southeast of Ardmore. Buster's family lived in the same home (of his parents and grandparents) for about 80 years until it burned in 1981. Buster grew up in childhood speaking only the Choctaw language. The Chickasaws and Choctaws can easily converse, but there are differences in their languages. Only at age 8, in 1932, when he was sent to school did he learn English. After 1937 there was a period of decline in the following dances and games. The younger children were not being taught the language or the old customs. Buster married a lovely lady, Wanda Vaughn Ned. They have three daughters; Deborah Jean, Chandra Lynn and Kristina Marie. -taken from the 1983 Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers Book

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/BusterAndWandaNed.jpg

Thanks to Cleta Hipley and several others putting in countless hours recording graves, I've uploaded a webpage for the McAlister Cemetery at Overbrook. There are over 1,000 names in the database. Check it out at the webpage below.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/mcalistercemetery.htm

February 1968
Ardmore schools were ordered to desegregate by next Fall by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The only school systems in Oklahoma still operating schools with all Negro enrollment are Oklahoma City, McAlester, Idabel, Tulsa and Ardmore.

February 1951
A sleet storm, reaching almost blizzard proportions, struck the area on February 14th. Local observers measured 1.75 inches of sleet on the ground, making travel almost impossible. An inch of snow followed the sleet and ice, to add to slick and slippery streets. The temperature hovered under 20 degrees. Motorist were advised to use chains if they have to drive. Schools were shut down in all sections.

February 1927
A memorial tree to Charles Ringer and the honor tree for O.K. Darden will be planted at the courthouse. The memorial plates that will be placed near each tree will be properly engraved and will be placed on the trees by members of Ryonis Club.

On March 30, 2021 I received the message from ancestry.com that a lady by the name of Murel Parnell was possibly my 2nd or 3rd cousin. I have been doing family genealogy research since the mid 1960s as a teenager. It was in the mid 60s I started filling out forms on my old manual Smith-Corona typewriter and I have never heard of a Murel Parnell in all my years of genealogy research. So, with that said, I have created a webpage about this Murel Parnell in hopes that someone out there can help me find this cousin.

http://oklahomahistory.net/MurelParnellMystery.html

Some pavers I sandblasted.

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

As of today we have reached area people about unclaimed property totaling over $751,902. And the search continues....

So with the above being said, how long has it been since you checked your name or a family member's name? Its easy to do a search at the Oklahoma State Treasurer link below. I think every state in the union has a unclaimed property website through the respective state treasures website.
https://apps.ok.gov/unclaimed/

Q. Where in Oklahoma is the deepest cave to take a tour?
A.  Alabaster Caverns State Park in Freedom, Oklahoma, is home to the largest natural gypsum cave in the world open to the public.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oklahoma/trip-to-deepest-cave-in-ok/

Q.  According to the FBI what city is the most dangerous city in Oklahoma?
A.  Answer in next week's newsletter

Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....

Q. When was the first Holiday Inn built in Ardmore?

A. It was built in 1968 and opened in late 1968. -Nancy Chadwell

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Below is from This and That newsletter archives of April 2, 2009

"Butch, there was a grocery on west of the Page Grocery on Oswalt Road (Love County) across from Boone's Propane. It was called Montgomery's Grocery. I had my first Dr Pepper there about 70 years ago." -jim
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"Butch, Since you have gotten such a response regarding grocery stores of all varieties, I thought I would add a couple more that were not exactly stores, but supplied a lot of kids with food, drinks and candy. During the late '30's while I attended Lincoln school, there were a couple of stores nearby.

Just across the ally to the west of the Lincoln school ground was a place operated by Mrs. Howard. They had candy and hot dogs and chili dogs. We were not allowed to cross the ally during recess, but they were busy in the morning and at lunchtime.

Just across Stanley was a place sitting a bit off the street ran by Mrs. Edwards. They had basically the same things as Howard's did, but it was a bit more difficult for the kids to get to as they had to cross Stanley. For a while, there was a walkway underpass (tunnel) under Stanley at that location, but eventually I think it was filled in.

It has been quite a few years since I was by that location, but assume that the school is still there." -Virgil Harris
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 "Butch, I sent you some photos recently of Lake Scott King which is just NW of Ardmore and just north of my house. I was back up there late this afternoon and there were lots of white Pelicans on a little island out in the lake. When the lake level gets low, as it is now, these islands and rock ridges start to appear and the birds really love them. I've attached two photos of the Pelicans, one photo is cropped from the first. If you look close you can also see some Buzzards in the trees in the background. There were also some geese and some Cormorants up there today."  -Dwane Stevens
 Photo 1    Photo 2
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"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children."  -old Native American Indian proverb

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges

"Friends Make Life Worth Living"
Ardmore, Oklahoma
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net

Oklahoma History Website #2 (backup website)
http://www.okiehistory.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
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/airbase/
Carter County Government Website
 http://cartercountyok.us

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