This and That Newsletter
www.OklahomaHistory.net
Vol 25  Issue 1,285   Circulation 5,000      September 9, 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

Good Times Edition - The Daily Ardmoreite 1899

Master in Chancery - Judge John Hinkle

In the appointment by Judge Townsend of Judge John Hinkle in Master in Chancery and Referee in Bankruptcy, the United State District Judge is to be commended and the people of this section to be complimented.  Judge Hinkle is widely and favorably known to the people of the Indian Territory that is hardly necessary to say anything concerning his brilliant record as an attorney during his nine years' residence in Ardmore.  He was born in Kentucky about 60 years ago, moved to Arkansas at an early age, first working on a farm and later engaging in the mercantile business, and finally being admitted to the bar, in which profession he found his life work, rapidly rising to a position of honor, and to an exceptionally extensive practice.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/hinkle3.jpg

Hinkle Street SW along the north side of the courthouse is named after the Hinkle family.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos3b/HinkleStreetSW.jpg

The Clinton Daily News, Clinton, Oklahoma - July 23, 1951

Unclad Hiker Seen As Missing Woman Clue
A report of a pair of black panties and a brassiere gave officers their latest scanty clue in the case of a 38 year-old blonde San Francisco x-chorus girl, missing for a week.

Meanwhile Sheriff John Samples of Murray County said the missing woman, Millicent Marie Walker, might have gone to Houston.

Samples is checking on a report a woman answering the description of Mrs. Walker, hitchhiked a ride in a large aluminum colored trailer truck Monday night. Informant told Samples the hitchhiker was dressed only in a pair of black panties and a brasseire.

The missing woman's husband H. R. Walker, was injured in a fight last Monday and is in an Oklahoma City hospital. A car driven by Mrs. Walker was found in the woods near Price's Falls in the Arbuckle Mountains. Samples, first thought Mrs. Walker may have been murdered, said that Mrs. Walker once told acquaintances in a Davis tavern she lived in Houston, and he now believes she may have gone there. The Walkers, married a few weeks ago, were in route from California to Houston, when they stopped off at Davis where Walker was beaten and his wife disappeared.

Robert Hensley sent in some more interesting photos this week. This first one is an tonic medicine by a chief in the Chickasaw Nation.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/IndiantoneMedLabel.jpg

This second photo is the old U.S. jail located where the Hamburger Inn is located today.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/USJailArdmoreOklahoma.jpg

The third photo is a airmail envelope used for mailing a letter on the first trip from Ohio to Oklahoma in 1928.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/FirstMotorBusArdmoreToOhio1928.jpg

July 1968
There will be no school at Zaneis this fall because of new state law which sets the minimum attendance for a high school at 55 students. Zaneis has 26 high school students. Most (18) will attend Ringling school this fall, seven will go to Wilson, and one to Healdton. Enrollment date for the 70 students remaining one through eight will be August 21st. Classes will begin August 26th.

July 1951
Sulphur officers have abandoned their search for a 38 year old chorus girl who disappeared near Davis, ten days ago. At first that Mrs. Millicent Marie Walker was slain, but later learn that the blond was seen hitchhiking. She was scantily clad as she climbed into a truck headed south

It is really disappointing when you come so close but still not able to make that good connection for people to their unclaimed property. This is the case with a now deceased member of the Comanche Nation in western Oklahoma by the name of Charldon Keith Yackeyonny.

Linda Lathum did talked to the brother of Charldon Keith Yackeyonny at Cache, Oklahoma. Keith was a highly accomplished and esteemed member of the Comanche Nation (see link below). Charldon "Keith" Yackeyonny died at age 51 in 2014 and has no immediately family, it seems, to claim the 6 accounts totaling well over $18,000 being held by the State Treasurer in OKC in Keith's name. Linda talked to the brother on the phone over an hour, but the money may never be able to be claimed. Linda suggested they contact the office of the Comanche Nation in Lawton for help. I certainly hope someone there can help the family file a claim.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122779324/charldon-yackeyonny

We're now over the $1,196,000.00 dollar mark. Sometimes progress is slow locating people or their kin with unclaimed insurance money at the State Treasurers office in OKC but we keep trying and we are making a difference in people's lives.

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 is the state's largest butterfly house located?
A.   The Papillion House in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Click Here

Q.  Where is the clearest lake in Oklahoma located?
A.  Answer in next week's newsletter

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

The annual Pauls Valley Fly-In and car show is this coming November.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/PaulsValleyFlyIn.jpg
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Butch--- I'm a (long-ago) former Boy Scout, and I bet I could draw that BSA design blindfolded.

Actually, though, Lord Baden-Powell (or whoever) adapted that design from the French "fleur-de-lis," a stylized representation of three lily petals bound together. The design probably goes back to the very early Christian church in Rome. The New Orleans Saints (get it?) use it as their emblem. You see it a lot in New Orleans. Sorry for the run-on story. I can't stop myself.

The Indian plate is a decorative plate manufactured by a Massachusetts watch/clock dial company in the waning days of the popularity of pocket watches. Here's a link to the O'Hara Dial Company

The company mark, shown in the newsletter photo, appears stamped and printed on many of their items. Here's a mark on the bottom of a beer stein.

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/OHaraDialCompany.jpg

-Rusty Williams
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/ArdmoreITplate2.jpg

http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21b/ArdmoreITplate1.jpg
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Hi Butch, first off let me thank you and commend you on a excellent Newsletter always look forward to it. I am a long time postal history collector of Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory, I was born and raised in Bokchito. George Shirk was my early mentor on collecting and appreciating postal history. That said your comment on Catontonment Ft. Gibson as the first post office In Oklahoma is not correct. The first post office was at Miller Court House in McCurtain County it opened September 5, 1824 later closed 1838. The site was very near Shawneetown. Just thought you would like to know and again thank you for a wonderful newsletter. -Larry Merolla
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_Court_House,_Oklahoma
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Below is from This and That newsletter archives of September 10, 2009

A T&T Reader sent in a photo she took of the 1915 cornerstone for the old Mary Niblack School (District 15). The cornerstone is located here in Ardmore.  I see the names:  C. W. Thomas, Director; J. C. Fletcher, member; J. W. Pace, Clerk; A. L. Harris, Builder; and J. B. White, Architect.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MaryNiblackCornerstone1915.jpg

By the way, the bell from the Mary Niblack school is at the Mary Niblack Baptist Church and still in use in the church belfry!http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/mnbcbell.jpg
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Q.  "Do you have any idea where Priddy?s Grill was located in OKC? It was a prefabricated building made by Valentine Diners. Thanks."  -Tom Vaughn

A.  Brothers Charles, Fred, Woody and Louis Priddy ran a restaurant here in Ardmore on Main Street just a couple of doors west of the Tivoli Theater (would later become Eden's Restaurant). Sometime between 1946 and 1950 Louis Priddy moved to OKC and opened up his eatery in the SE corner of NW 12th and Hudson. The building was a Valentine Diner. He ran it there for about 2 years and then built a brick eatery across the street in the SW corner. In about 5 or 6 years Louis moved to a supper club in northeast OKC. Charles opened up an eatery in the NE corner of D and West Main in Ardmore.  Fred and Woody opened Priddy's Grill a couple doors east of C Street and West Main (later Dug's Grill and D&M Grill). -source Bill Priddy, Ardmore, son of Charles Priddy

http://www.kshs.org/diners/history.htm
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Jill and I were through Mannsville about a week ago and stopped to take a pic of the wall mural located on the west side of the General Store.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MannsvilleMural083009a.jpg

This is a closeup of the signature of the artist.  Anyone know him or her?

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MannsvilleMural083009b.jpg
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"Here are some images of the Farmer's Market in South Oklahoma City and the Charcoal Oven on the NW Expressway - Oklahoma City. I also have the old Split T restaurant that had the Elvis Presley mural on it that dated back to the late 50's. I spent a lot of time there during high school." -Cecil Elliott

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/FarmersMarketOKC090609a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/FarmersMarketOKC090609b.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/FarmersMarketOKC090609c.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CharcoalOvenOKC090609a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CharcoalOvenOKC090609b.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CharcoalOvenOKC090609c.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/CharcoalOvenOKC090609d.jpg

OKC Farmers Public Market History

For years there had been a need for a central public market for local farmers to sell their produce. Farmers would bring their wares into Oklahoma City and sell them on the streets, creating congestion and traffic problems. The Market came about as a result of this long standing conflict between local farmers and the downtown business community. The Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market first opened its doors on June 16, 1928 on the site of the Delmar Gardens Amusement Park. John J. Harden built the two-story, 40,000 square foot structure at a cost of $500,000. The downstairs was mainly used by farmers who sold fresh produce. Upstairs there were concerts, dances, boxing matches and roller-skating.
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Saturday our next door neighbors had a dead tree removed from their yard and we were over 'supervising'. LOL  We enjoy the burning wood smell of our chiminea and Herb asked if he could have some of the wood from the tree as the men were just going to haul it off. He started cutting the main part of the tree into sections that would fit into our chiminea with his chain saw. After cutting several sections and rolling them over to our fence one of the guys who was working saw the tail of a squirrel sticking out of a hollow place in the tree and they all thought it was dead. Herb went over and pulled on the tail and it wouldn't budge, he pulled harder and out this squirrel came and ran as fast as it could across the yard, across our yard and we didn't know where it went. Herb took a small stick and poked up into the hole and found a baby squirrel, didn't even have it's eyes open. He pulled it out and the neighbor wrapped it up in a paper towel and put it in his pocket. A little later they got a doll bottle and tried to feed it some milk. Everyone left and things got quiet but the baby started to cry. We heard squirrels all around barking and making all sorts of noises coming into our yards listening to that baby cry. The neighbor took the baby and put him on the trunk of the tree next to the one that had been cut and several squirrels appeared in and around the trees next to it. One was in that tree and came down the trunk of the tree towards the baby and it did that twice but would run back up the tree. All of a sudden, so quick we could hardly fathom what was going on, she ran down that tree and grabbed that baby and ran back up the tree as fast as lightening. We were all cheering and clapping when we realized what had happened. First of all, we couldn't figure out how Herb sawed into that tree and didn't kill them both, then we didn't think there would be baby squirrels at this time of year and we sure didn't think the mother would take it back after we had handled it but we were sure elated that the story had such a happy ending. I thought it was too good not to share. If Jill likes animals like I do, I know this made her heart glad too."  -Pat Upchurch

Herb Upchurch - Feb 22, 1936 - Sept 3, 2021
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"This morning our bear was back and he was hungry. We had a bowl of Old Roy out for the Stellar jays because they prefer it to bird seed this time of the year. The bear ambled up onto the deck and sat down for his bowl of breakfast. I chased him off with my water gun after getting this picture." -Monroe Cameron in MT
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/BigSkyBear090909.jpg
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"Butch, I have one suggestion that might solve your walking to the mailbox. I saw this about 60 years ago but it has long since been taken down. This mail service was about 6 or 8 miles west of Marietta on Highway 32 on the north side of the highway just before you get to the curve around the hill where there is a cemetery on the north side. (Perhaps some readers will recall it) DELIVERY PLANS: Place a strong post near your porch and another post by the side of the road where the mail man drives. Attach a good pulley on each post. Now, run a small, strong cable through your pulley down to the road pulley and back to your house. Attach the mailbox to the pulley and run it down to the road before the mail man comes and bring it back later with your mail. (I was passing that house once when the mailbox was coming down the cable and it scared the fire out of me before I noticed what was going on). Possible Problem: Your distance from the road may be an issue but maybe you can figure around that." -Edgar Wallace
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The Wilson News
May 18, 1916
GROCERY STORE CHANGES HANDS
The grocery store on Main street, known as Moore's Grocery, changed hands the early part of this week. Mr. Earnest Horton being the purchaser of the Stock. Mr. Horton announced that Ira Ward would bring his large stock of groceries from Wirt and the new firm would be known as Ward and Horton, with one of the most complete stocks of groceries to be had in this part of the country. He also stated that he would be glad to have part of the patronage of his old customers and would welcome all new ones. Mr. Horton stated that they would buy all produce that was brought to them at the highest market price.
August 3, 1916
NEW CONFECTIONARY WILL OPEN SOON
Chap Mobley has purchased the building on the corner of Main and 5th St. from Charley Weeks and has been busy for the past week repapering and painting it over, this will make a good location for a nice confectionery, and Mr. Mobley assures us that it will be one of the nicest and most sanitary fountains in the city. Chap Mobley has associated with him his brother Roy Mobley. They will probably be open to the public by Sunday, with a nice line of candies and cold drinks.

-Wilson Historical Museum hours: Tues. Thurs. Fri., Sat., 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Anagram:  SLOT MACHINES - CASH LOST IN ME

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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