This and That
Newsletter
A Weekly Publication
Vol 14 Issue 685 Circulation 5,000 March 11, 2010
PO Box 11
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
email address: [email protected]
580-657-8616
I ran across several old photos in a Folder on my computer from several years ago, thought I'd share them this week with everyone. I did a google search for this Bobby the Bull and didn't find anything on him or his trainer, Monte Reger.
Bobby the educated steer, taken at Buffalo, Oklahoma (ca 1934).
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/BobbyTheBull.jpg
I kinda wonder about this photo. Its suppose to be a 'buffalo ranch' at Afton, Oklahoma. But I can not imagine for the life of me Afton, Oklahoma being home to those big saguaro cactus of the Arizona desert ??
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/BuffaloRanchAftonOK.jpg
Picture postcard of the Lee School and South School in Chickasaw, Oklahoma.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/LeeSchoolChickashaOK.jpg
Old picture postcard of a McAlester, Oklahoma coal mine.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/McAlesterCoalMine.jpg
Darrow, Oklahoma depot (Blaine County).
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DarrowOKdepot.jpg
Old picture postcard of the Deep Ford at Sulphur.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DeepFordSulphurOK.jpg
This photo was taken of a dust storm approaching Texhoma, Oklahoma in 1936 (panhandle).
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DustStormTexhomaOK1936.jpg
This is a photo of the Masonic Home in Darlington, Oklahoma. Its was first known as the Cheyenne-Arapaho Agency, established there 1870, by Brinton Darlington, Quaker, Indian Agent appointed by President Grant.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/MasonHomeDarlingtonOK.jpg
Old photo of Forgan, Oklahoma in Beaver County.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/ForganOK.jpg
This old bell is beside the Methodist Church in Forgan. I wonder if it was there when the above pic was taken?
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/forgan.jpg
Old photo of the high school at Fort Towson.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/HighSchoolFtTowsonOK.jpg
Here is an old photo of the First Baptist Church in Guymon, Oklahoma. This original church was built around 1907 and torn down about 1956 to make way for the new church building.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/BaptistChurchGuymonOK.jpg
I had a typo in the link to the movie I made of the Gooch's Spaghetti sign on Mill Street SE. (More info on this sign in the Mailbag below.) It is my plan to do one of these 'movies' on a regular basis.
http://drop.io/oklahomahistory
We bought 6 Speckled Sussex chickens (all hens) last Saturday from a lady at Pink, Oklahoma. They are 10 months old and already laying eggs. We had 4 eggs from them in the nest just a day after we got them here. They are so gentle, you can reach down and pet them, even pick them up. There has been some "pecking order" going on since we put them in the chicken run with our 4 barred rocks, but each day they are getting more adjusted to one another.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/SpeckledSussexDay1_030710a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/SpeckledSussexDay1_030710b.jpg
Here's a pic of the eggs, the darker color ones are from our Barred Rocks, and the 4 lighter eggs are from our new Speckled Sussex hens, all laid last Monday.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/Eggs030810.jpg
I been intending to show every a picture I took of the 2 deer eating corn in the snow that hit our area last month. They come up in our back yard every evening to eat from our deer feeder.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DeerInSnow021110.jpg
If you haven't heard about Google Voice yet, its going to be one of the best service yet Google is offering to the public free of charge. Puts all your communications in your control. At the link below go to the lower left corner and click on Watch Videos or see more features either one, to learn all about this soon-to-be service from Google. Its by invitation only right now. I set up my google account, and waiting for my email when Google Voice officially becomes available.
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area......
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Q. What famous Oklahoma
pilot originated the space suit?
A. Wiley Post and
his pressure suit
Q. What was Oklahoma's
first highway?
A. (answer in next week's issue)
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Recently someone mentioned about the train which fell into the flooded Washita River S. of Dougherty, Oklahoma. This happened during the first week in June 1957 when there was excessive rains and floods. Often trains would wait in Ardmore, Ok for some low lying areas to be safe enough to cross during this time.The bridge which gave away with the tank cars, refrigerator cars with bananas, etc. was the result of debris including trees, and etc. that had washed to the bridge and could NOT float on under. With the heavy freight train crossing the bridge it gave away after the engines and eight or nice cars had made it across. The better blessing is the N. bound passenger train often called the four o'clock passenger train in Ardmore, Ok had orders to stop at Gene Autry and let the freight train proceed ahead of the passenger train.
This could have easily been a carbon copy of the Rock Island train which went into the river near Dover, Ok and many lives were lost during that stormy night.
There is info about this at the Greater Historical Museum of SW Oklahoma regarding the Santa Fe train bridge falling into the river."
"Butch: This is a picture of the Lincoln School (Third Ward) Cub Scouts in 1937. The Den Master/Teacher is John Laurence. I would very much like to hear from any survivors who might still be around. If anyone responds to this message please identify your position in the photo. I'm the kid, two rows up, third from right, but I don't look much like that now.
You recently made mention of a tunnel under Stanley at the entrance of the school. Yes there was one which was constructed in 1937. After a very short time no one would use it because drainage had not been engineered into the design and the thing deteriorated into a murky swamp, used only by hobos as an out-house. I don't think the thing lasted much more than 18 months. it was filled in, much to everyone's relief, in 1939 or 1940. I hope somebody comes up with where the old football stadium was." -Tom Meason [email protected]
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/LincolnSchoolCubScoutPack1937.jpg
"Butch -- I thought of you and Jill when I read this article in today's Oklahoman. It's a cute story and such a good marketing ploy. Although you don't sell eggs, you should feature a chicken of the month in the T&T -- your hens would be so pleased and probably out do each other laying eggs!" -Dorice Blevins, Norman (Fox '65)
http://www.newsok.com/article/3443531?searched=jane%20glenn%20cannon&custom_click=search
"Butch, Had just a few minutes to look at the link of the Western History Collections, but thought you would like to see this particular interview.
Interviewer: Raymond C. Jentz
Interviewee: Jess Jim Watkins
Rights: University of Oklahoma Libraries Western History Collections
Volume: 95
Interview ID: 10173
Date: March 1, 1938
http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/pioneer/
Page 4: Lone Grove was once known as Sweetwater.
I will be at this site often in the next days." -Anne
"Yes, I remember the concerts and acts in Central Park in Ardmore circa 1930s and early 40s. I also remember walking home (barefoot) and feeling those crickets underfoot!" -Donald Bridges in CA
"Butch, My pastor asked me to relate some stories about my wife, Carrie Jane
Miller, to be used for her memorial service which will be Saturday, March 13 at
2pm. It will be at Trinity Bible Church, 8401 NW 23rd in Oklahoma City. I
thought maybe some of the T&T family that know us might be interested in reading
it." -Roy Miller
Carrie Jane was one special lady who accepted her disability with grace and knew
that God had a purpose for it. She was a blessing to so many people in the way
she fit right in with those of us who were able to walk. When we were in high
school, some classes were upstairs and her dad paid me and another boy to make a
pack saddle and carry her up the stairs when needed but if for some reason we
were not available, any boy in school would pick her up and take her up the
stairs because everyone loved her and accepted her as she was. I related to you
the story of her first time to drive a car but I will repeat it here.
The car was a 1936 Ford and had a lever that you pushed forward with your right hand to brake and a hand clutch rod that went down through a bracket with a notch to hold it in until you released it with your left hand. So you have 2 hands to use the clutch, brake and gear shift which was in the floor, steer at the same time. She could move her foot enough to use the accelerator. Oh by the way, you also had to hold one hand out the window to signal a turn, no turn signals at that time. How she could do all this with 2 hands is beyond me. Anyway, I talked her into driving after her dad told her not to drive unless he was with her. The first time she ever drove, she let out the clutch as smooth as silk and didn't jerk the car at all. She let me out at her dad's service station, waved to her dad and took off right down through downtown, metropolitan Sulphur and we didn't see her again until she needed gasoline. I though I might be in trouble with her dad but he didn't say a word about me turning her loose with the car.
Carrie Jane's disability had the result of her being close to the Lord because she depended on him so much. One time she got stuck in the back yard in her wheelchair and she just said "Well Lord here I am and I can't get back in the house without your help, Roy is out of town so it is up to you". About 10 minutes later, the meter reader came by and got her back in the house. When we lived at Big Canyon (in the Arbuckle Mountains), our house was about a mile across the quarry inside a gate which was locked at 5 PM. She was late getting home from town one day and the gate was already locked. The gate would not stay open unless you hooked it to the fence and she knew that. She got out of the car on her crutches and unlocked the gate and talked to the Lord about it. She said "Lord, I have to get through that gate and you know it will not stay open so I can drive through, I am leaving it up to you". She pushed the gate back, got back in the car and drove through. As soon as the car cleared the gate opening, the gate slowly closed behind her.
Another time, her car died and she could not get it to start. She said "Lord the only person I know in this area is Jack Martin, would you please send him to get this car started" ? About 10 minutes later Jack Martin shows up and gets her on her way. These are quick answers to prayer from someone who talks to the Lord on a regular basis. I think Carrie Jane spent more time just visiting with the Lord than she ever talked about and I think her disability was the reason for this.
Praising God for this wonderful woman that I have spent most of my life with.
-Roy Miller [email protected]
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/CarrieJaneMiller.jpg
"This past issue he made reference to the Oklahoma pioneer/Indian interviews in his newsletter and gave a site to find them. As you know my mother, Jennie Selfridge, did a number of these interviews. I have found a few and printed them out over the years as has Verna Williams, etc. I had not previously known about this particular site. I typed in SELFRIDGE in the SEARCH PAPERS box and found more of these interviews than I knew had existed.
http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/pioneer/
One of the interviews that I found very valuable that I did not know of before was the interview of my grandfather Charles Francis, “FRANK” Selfridge. I am copying it out and adding it to my family history. I didn’t know he was still a cowboy as late as 1919, When I was a child, Mother and I used to visit a friend she called Nick. Nick was a widow and Mother said that Nick was also a good friend of Wally Post and Will Rogers. I read with interest the interview with Nick’s father, Wade Nichols.
http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/pioneer/papers/8802%20Selfridge.pdf
To open the individual interviews press VIEW PDF. There is a lot of history and information in these papers. They didn’t have computers with spell check and error correction then and had to type all these interviews. I don’t think Mother would have envisioned that her work would be on something called a computer where anyone could look at it. It is amazing, isn’t it. She has truly left something. I am proud of her." -Roberta
"Butch-Pictures that were taken last week of the semi-completed buildings of the Mercy Memorial Hospital complex, Ardmore. Several of the offices in the Doctor’s Building are occupied while interior improvements continue in other sections of the building." [email protected]
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/NewHospitalBldg30610.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/MemHospDrBldg30610.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/MercyMemorialHosp30610.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DoctorBldg30610.jpg
"Butch, I took this photo a few years ago of the Gooch sign in downtown Ardmore." -Jack Blackwood
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/GoochSignOriginal.jpg
Re: Persimmon Seeds. "Butch, my husband did this last year at work so he sent the pictures to me so I could send on to you." -Pat
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/Fall2009Spoons.jpg
"Here is a 4 minute video I made today of the springs in the Chickasaw National Recreational Area at Sulphur, OK." -Doug Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p08YhTqUwwY&feature=channel
Museum Memories
Contributed by Melinda Taylor
The Wilson News - October 5, 1916
Pigs, peanuts, potatoes, 'possums and popcorn is a popular slogan in this section of Oklahoma. All can be raised in abundance, while the first three enumerated can be developed into enterprises through which a man can soon become independent. If you are interested in such production come to the Wilson territory and make arrangements to settle down and prosper.
Sacred Ceylon Elephant
At Ardmore with Yankee Robinson Circus Next Week
September 21, 1916
Ardmore will have the pleasure and honor of entertaining for the first time a real live sacred Ceylon elephant when the Yankee Robinson Circus comes here next Wednesday for the usual two exhibitions.
"Romeo" is a high class distinguished, gentle pachyderm and seems to like America. Last June he was secured from the wilds of Sumatra after experiences which imperiled the lives of his purchasers. He carries the distinction of being the first package ever expressed by Wells Fargo & Co. from this Far East wilderness. Tagged with the company's cards, he started from Pagota, Sumatra, a larger elephant in the lead bearing the same tag.Wilson Historical Museum Hours: Tues., Thur., Fri., Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m
You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma
By David Frizzell & Shelly West - 1981
There's a full moon over Tulsa and I hope that it's shining
on you
Nights are gettin' colder here in Cherokee County there's a blue norther passin'
through
I remember green eyes and a rancher's daughter but remember is all that I do
Losin' you left a purty good cowboy, with nothin' to hold on to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWVdKv4-CEg
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
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ardmorecriterion.com/
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/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com
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