This and That Newsletter
Vol 13 Issue 664 Circulation 5,000 October 15, 2009
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
email address: [email protected]
580-657-8616
I always appreciate photos sent in by Readers to go in the T&T. Like I've told people many times over the years: we who live here, and see our history on a day to day basis, many times take it for granted. But there are so many T&T Readers who are native to this area, but moved away to other parts of the U.S. long ago and look for any info and photos from 'home'.
I remember one T&T Reader who lived in west Texas sent me an email 9 or 10 years ago to say how she appreciated the photos in my newsletters. She went on to say how that morning she opened up my T&T and saw pictures of Prices Falls and Falls Creek near Davis, Oklahoma...... she just started crying. They lived at Davis where she was born, and she said her husband was transferred to west Texas some 20 years before, and she hated it out there. Just wind and dust and tumbleweeds. When she saw the pictures I took of Prices Falls she was overcome by emotions and longed to be back home in Davis, Oklahoma. So, when Readers (such as Cecil Elliott below) sends in some photos, we may never know how much they are appreciated by someone somewhere who is longing for any glimpse of home.
Cecil Elliott in Oklahoma City sent in some photos this week he took of several locations in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Railway Museum in Oklahoma City - 2004
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09c.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09d.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09e.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09f.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TrainMuseum09g.jpg
The next 2 photos were taken by Cecil at the Oklahoma History Center Museum in OKC
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/OklahomaHistoryCenter9a
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/OklahomaHistoryCenter9b.jpg
Cecil took these photos at Tishomingo, Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/TishomingoBank.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09c.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09d.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09e.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09f.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09h.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09g.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09i.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Tishomingo09j.jpg
Doug Williams sent in some pictures taken in his yard this week. Maybe a Reader can tell us what these strange looking things are???
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MysteryThings09a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MysteryThings09b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/MysteryThings09c.jpg
We applied today at the City Hall in Lone Grove for a storm shelter. The storm shelters are being funded (up to 75 percent of the total cost to a max of $2,000) through some FEMA mitigation funds. More info on the just announced grant money can be found at this Daily Ardmoreite.com story. I've been calling around, looking at shelters on display here in this area, searching for a in-ground shelter and found one we seem to like best in Carnegie, Oklahoma. The company, Carnegie Precast, has been keeping families safe for 40 years. The company's rep, Micah, told me their least expensive shelter (the Sloped Front Model) was $2,650 delivered (to Lone Grove) and installed. That would equal to about $660 out of pocket after the 75% reimbursement. When you've had a tornado (like the one last February 10th) come within 1 mile of your house, completely destroy many of your neighbor's homes, and kill 8 people, we knew this was an opportunity we couldn't pass up.... a Godsend. More info on the company in Carnegie, Oklahoma can be found at the link below.
http://www.carnegieprecast.com/
.....more on the progress of the storm shelter project in future T&Ts.
Ten cheapest places to buy gas in the Ardmore area......
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Q. What 2 methods were
used to open land in OK to settlers?
A. Land runs and lotteries
Q. Who won the battle of
the Red River Villages?
A. (answer in next
week's issue)
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Mr. Bridges, With Veterans Day fast approaching, I'm hoping Mr. Eck reads your newsletters and maybe can help me. My father, W.B. Griffin is buried in the Mt. Olive Cemetery in Healdton. He was retired from the Air Force after 20 plus years. When the flags are placed on the gravesites for the different holidays, my father is always missed. They place flags on graves all around him, but somehow manage to miss him. He has a military upright marble stone, so should be pretty evident that he is military. I would do it myself but I live 600 miles away. I usually call my cousin and have him take a flag to my father's grave, so he has one. W.B. Griffin is in Block 12 Lot 13A. I go in the main entrance and go right to where it looks like there should be a road going west, he is the second row from the fence, right on the end. You can drive up right next to his grave. Thank you" -Debbie
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WBGriffinMarker.jpg
"Dear Butch, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill Hamm about his cemetery project. Heritage Quest published my article in July/August 2000 issue. The article included Pamela Brown Reid and Steve Johnson, volunteers from other parts of the country along with Bill. Steve Johnson's searchable Web site is still accessible: http://www.interment.net/. Its purpose: A free online library of burial records from thousands of cemeteries across the world, for historical and genealogy research. Pamela Reid of Virginia headed The USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project and urged organizing volunteers to survey cemeteries, transcribe tombstone inscriptions, and archive the work for easy access. Access this site at http://www.usgwtombstones.org/index.html.
I hope this information helps some researcher." -Voncille Shipley
"Hi folks, Several years ago, Atoka Oklahoma held a country version of Woodstock and a film was made which we believe was simply titled "Atoka". The film was produced by a Canadian company. I am trying to locate a copy of the VHS tape for the Atoka County museum. No one in Atoka seems to have purchased a copy though several of its residence are known to be in the film. Waylon Jennings, Freddie Fender and Willie Nelson, with a host of other country legends, performed during those 48 hours and may be in the film. Any help that you may be able to provide as to who might have a copy or if you can put the request out on a blog would be very much appreciated." -Tony Johnson 405-205-2239 [email protected]
"Cockleburs are one of the easiest broad leaf weeds to kill. 2,4-D Amine herbicide will do the job. Be sure to read and follow label direction. Brenda Harrison or Jim Rutter at Agri Products can advise you on the chemical. With that said, you probably do not have cockleburs if they are growing in your yard. Your problem is likely to be sandburs. If this is the case we are dealing with a grassy weed that will require a product called MSMA herbicide.
A pre-emergent, applied at the appropriate time, is also very helpful in controlling unwanted vegetation.
Regular fertilizing and proper mowing of the lawn will control cockleburs. Mowing will have little or no effect on sandburs.
o Identify the unwanted weed
o Know your type of dominate turf grass
o Contact your county OSU extension agent for advice on obtaining your objectives.
I am not against the big box stores but I do not recommend them because although they will often have the right product they will not know the difference between a cocklebur and a dingle berry.
Often chemicals sold will have different concentrations of active ingredient therefore requiring different dilution ratios. Always read the label.
Timing – When to spray is as important as what to spray. Be sure to ask your professional when you should spray.
Agri Products is about the only retail outlet in Ardmore that can adequately help you with the proper chemical to use plus advise you as to how and when to use it."
President Thomas Jefferson had the greatest impact on the Indian nations of North America
http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/lewisandclark/presidentindian.html
"I have killed three snakes like the one in your last T&T and I let one get away because someone said they were Rat Snakes. If this is true then I won't kill them unless they continue to crawl under and around my Deck area. They scare the heck out of my wife."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Snake092609a.jpg
"It looks to be a black rat snake... http://www.oksnakes.org has been very helpful website when it comes to snakes in Oklahoma."
"Butch, I believe the snake in this weeks T&T is a Rat snake. The markings on the snake look like a Copperhead however a copperheads head is shaped like a triangle. Like the rattlesnakes and the cottonmouth, the copperhead is a pit viper. In front of each eye, these snakes have a small, deep depression, or facial pit—a heat-sensing organ used to locate warm-blooded prey. A Copperheads pupils in his eyes look similar to a cats eye in that they are slits that run up and down. Copperhead snakes usually do not climb. Some Rat snakes also have the markings just like a Copperhead but their heads are more oval shaped and the eye of the Rat snake is a round eye with a round pupil. Rat snakes also climb trees and will be found up in the rafters of out buildings The head of this snake appears to be more of an oval shape and we cant see the eyes. My guess is it's a Rat snake." -George Peveto in Irving TX.
"The 1930s Indian statues are made of a thin sheet metal, soft and pliable, almost like lead and the pieces are soldered together. The arm is made of I think about four or six pieces, the head and torso of two, the front and back of the groin and thighs are two. They were probably made inside a wooden(?) cavity and them assembled."
"This wild feral hog with tusk is just about 500 feet west of my house this morning. It was not worried about me taking its picture so its probably rabid." -Doug Williams
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WilliamsFeralHog.jpg
"Butch, The latest T&T sent me down memory lane again.
Palacine Indians - My father Arthur K. McCrory 1898-1876, worked for Wirt Franklin for several years, starting at the then company Headquarters filling station on Main Street and D where BancFirst is now, later manager at Healdton (1928) and 1929-31 "Filling Station Manager" for OK City area.
Wirt Franklin went big with the Palacine Indians, issuing small ones as ash trays, first in solid bronze, later in diecast. Both now collector items. I think the 1935 date may be in error about Phillips and Indians. WFPC, Wirt Franklin Petroleum Corp. went belly-up I think around '32. I know in '32 my father lost his job, we moved back to Ardmore and I started in second grade at Franklin school. I remember my father mentioning Entriken several times. He always mentioned Mr. Franklin but with the other execs he didn't use the 'mister'.
Cameron - My father had worked at the Cameron Refinery for some time in the 1920s. He often talked about his friends and events on the job. One mentioned was "Bubby" Cameron, possibly Ossian in his earlier days. I met Ossian Cameron at least once later when he and my father talked about politics, etc. Cameron was saying he was collecting gold coins because the price of gold was going up. I think gold was still $35 an ounce then. I was here again in '49 after 3 years in Africa and Europe, when Mr. Cameron demonstrated his new automatic shotgun which I, my father and all fired and admired.
The Turner Falls View picture is linked with Cameron and Palacine Indians. The picture dates from about 1929 judging from the cars. The popular tourist stop, a Palacine (Wirt Franklin) dealership, was operated for years by Doc Long, wife Volley and son Robert, daughter Fern. Doc and my father had worked together for years at Cameron Refinery. Later they again worked together at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo CA in WW2 submarine construction." -Bob McCrory
"Luved the feedback on the Grapette. I (like Scott Bumgarner) remember hanging out in Betty's Cafe off U.S. 77 in the northern part of Davis as a teenager - seems like that was the place to go on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights to meet up with friends, have a good meal and listen to the music of the 50's and 60's. Thanks again for a walk down memory lane. Scott may have had the greasy burger; however, I would always order the steak finger basket - good food to say the least on both accounts." -Poss in Korea
"My mind must be slipping. I remembered Dunbar School as being located about a block south of East Main on "G" Street Southeast?"
http://www.cartercountyassessor.org/fresult.asp?Account=R0003915
"Ardmore has had 17 rain days in the past 30; and a measured total of 4.36” during that time; but areas nearby have gotten almost twice as much. For instance, Sulphur has gotten over 9” of precipitation during the same period." -Steve
Life's Railway to Heaven
by
Charles D. Tillman, 1918, words M.E.Abbey
Life is like a mountain railroad,
With an Engineer that's brave;
We must make the run successful,
From the cradle to the grave;
Watch the curves, the hills, the tunnels;
Never falter, never quail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, And your eye upon the rail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ud_HChmleo
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Nashobish Ikana
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a
minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Oklahoma Bells:
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
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 schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website.
Feel free to forward this free newsletter. Mailouts: over 1,600.
To be removed from my T&T mailings, just send me an email.
I do not sell, trade or give my mailing list to anyone for any reason.