This and That
Newsletter
A Weekly Publication
Vol 15 Issue 733 Circulation 5,000 February 10, 2011
PO Box 2
Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
email address: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
580-657-8616
We've had some lots of snow, twice in 2 weeks, and record cold in Oklahoma last night, reaching down to 31 degrees BELOW zero north of Tulsa. burrrrrrr, that's too cold for Oklahoma, bring on the warmth, I'm ready. And the forecast says we should get plenty of it next week, reaching up to 75 by Wednesday. Doug Williams lives just east of Ardmore and sent in a pic of his thermometer today to prove just how cold it got last night in Ardmore.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/WilliamsTemp021011.jpg
Here is a link to the new Carter county weather stations, with temps at Ardmore and the 3 county barns at a glance.
http://65.64.89.250/wxstations.html
Albert Cullum from Overbrook stopped by this week, brought me a copy of the February 4, 2011 Marietta Monitor newspaper. There was quite a write-up about the 1924 Airline Bridge that crossed the Red River connecting Courtney, OK and St Jo, TX. There were 7 bridges across the Red River back around 50 and 70 years ago. Before the bridges were installed a person had to get across using one of a couple dozen ferries, or take your chance trying to cross through the river itself and hope you didn't get washed away. The reason behind naming it Airline Bridge is it was on the north-south airline route between Oklahoma City and Ft Worth. Airline bridge was quite an accomplishment back in those days, 700 feet span and 16 feet wide, costing $150,000. Not much left of the bridge today, only some steel pipes sticking up on each side of the river.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/airlinebridge2.jpg
Here is more info and photos from bridgemeister, Tony King's website.
http://www.bridgemeister.com/pic.php?pid=2050
Here's a neat webpage sent in by a Reader with a map of Carter county and the sections are broken down into the individual 640 acre Sections. Sometimes all one has to go on is a Section, Township and Range when doing research, so this website will come in handy.
http://www.okgenweb.org/okprojects/carter/carter-matrix.html
Oklahoma got another dose of snow just like last week, about 2 inches here in the Ardmore area. I snapped this pic looking out from our front porch. And the Joe Esso Tire Company ruler I used to measure the snow must go back at least 30 years because it only lists 7 towns. He started in OKC with one store. Today the company is worldwide. Those of you old timers will remember the Number 1 tire balancer in Ardmore was Joe Bondurant, he was the best of the best. Years ago if we wanted our tires balanced, we wanted Joe to do it at Joe Esso Tire on Refinery Road (the company is no longer in Ardmore).
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SnowFrontPorch020111a.jpg
And this one looking toward our well house.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SnowWellHouse020111a.jpg
Now for a week of much warmer weather after some bitter cold the past few days.
A couple of weeks ago someone was inquiring about the meteorite that fell near Lake Murray back in 1933. I found in a 2005 issue more info....
November 16, 2005 Circulation over 5,000 Vol 9 Issue 460
The Lake Murray Meteorite
The past couple weeks there's been mention about where exactly did the meteor hit near Ardmore many moons ago. The meteor stuck southeast of Ardmore during the times of the dinosaur. It fell to earth on what was known years ago as the Coleman Plantation. This piece of land was owned by S.Y. and Venny Coleman and more recently by Ron Elmore. The exact place where the meteorite was found in 1933 was on the Coleman property. Not to many years ago the piece of property was known as "the pear orchard" or Thompson's Bay on the northeast side of Lake Murray.
For many years after the meteorite was discovered in 1933, Junior Dodson tried to convince someone of authority to come look at it. It was not until 1952 he actually convinced a scientist to come to Lake Murray to investigate this mysterious black rock. The meteorite was eventually cut in half, and one half is on display at Tuckers Tower at Lake Murray. I have placed a red X where the meteorite was found on the map below. It was about 1/2 mile or so south of Dogwood Road (previously known as Lindsey Road) and just a little east of where the 'pear orchard' was located at the edge of a big open field.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/MeteorMap5a.jpg
A Reader in the Arbuckle Mountains sent in a couple of interesting copies of 1905 school contracts at White Mound school and Rock Creek school. Here it is in her own words:
"I have a copy of a teaching contract (hand written) between my Grandfather, Sam Edmondson, and patrons of a school at White Mound. I've never talked to anyone who remembers there was a school there but I remembered hearing about it from my Granny. I also have a hand written contract between Grandpa and the Rock Creek school. These contracts were written in 1905 & 1906." -Joyce Payne, Dougherty, OKhttp://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/WhiteMoundSchoolContract1905.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/RockCreekSchoolContract1906.jpg
After nearly 3 months of being on strike, our 4 barred rock hens are starting to lay again. We get 1 to 2 eggs a day some sometimes 3 eggs, all in one nest. But they sure don't like the snow. It took several hours for them to decide to venture out in the snow last week.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/eggs020511.jpg
From This and That newsletter archives February 14, 1998:
Note: I don't remember who sent this in- "I noticed in a recent issue of "This & That" some comments on the availability of Dr. Pepper in certain parts of the United States. When I arrived in Australia late in 1995 Dr Pepper was not to be found down here. It has only recently become available in the land down under. First there was a media advertising campaign to explain what Dr. Pepper was and then it began appearing in the local supermarkets. Initially it was only available in the large plastic bottles. It recently started to appear in cans and in its diet version as well. The Aussie Dr Pepper is made right here in Tullamarine, Victoria. The label on the bottle says "Product of Australia. Made to the authentic recipe of the Dr Pepper Company Dallas, Texas 75265". I thought you might find this bit of DP trivia interesting."
Q. Garth Brooks was
born in what Oklahoma town?
A. Tulsa, Oklahoma
Q. Spiro Mounds is Oklahoma's only archaeological
park. What is it known for?
A. (answer in next week's newsletter)
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area......
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG....."The setting is Whittington Park, July 23, 1952. The event is the kickoff breakfast beginning a day of celebrating Ardmore's Birthday. The photo appeared on the front page of the Daily Ardmoreite. On the left is pioneer Ardmore physician and surgeon Dr. Walter Hardy. On the right is pioneer Ardmore grocery and meat retailer, J. W. Davis. Dr. Hardy founded Ardmore's first hospital, Hardy Sanitarium, which was located in the 200 block of 1st SW where the post office is now. Mr. Davis had a food retail business in Ardmore continuously from 1898 to 1961. The headline read, not to disparage Dr. Hardy, "Ardmore's Two Oldest Butchers". Both men were probably in their late 70's or early 80's." -George Davis, grandson
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/HardyAndDavis1952.jpg
"Thanks for bringing home to me 8,000 miles away. -Marilyn in Saudi Arabia
Take the last 2 digits of the year you were born and add the age you will be this year. The sum will equal 111
"When Bill and Betty Geis moved to Cottonwood, Colorado, (seven or nine miles East of Creed) they had a very beautiful lodge...with 13 rooms upstairs, a small store area, cafe (or family) type eating area, living quarters...and a great large recreation area on the ground floor. There were a number of cabins on the same side of the road and several on the other side. Also, there was a dance hall across the road, which they converted into two areas of dorm type quarters. one end for males and the other end for females. They took their horses from here with them, and had 5, 7, or 9 day back country pack rides to fossil digs in the mountains. There was a mountain back in there which is snow covered year round. I was Senior sponsor that year (1982) at Oklahoma School for the Deaf, and we took the seniors out there for their senior trip. There is an awful lot of history connected with Creed and that area of Colorado, which Bill explained to the kids....including Ford's salon (you know, the dirty little coward the shot Mr. Howard... Jesse James) A cave large enough for them to have their fourth of July fire works and festivities in it...their fire station is also in there. We drove up into the mountain behind Creed and saw several beaver dams and ponds...scratched around for pyrite (fools gold) In this one mountain, they say there are more than five hundred miles of tunnels and mines. The weather would be so cold and terrible in th winter, that the early day miners would go through the tunnels from one side of the mountain to the other instead of going outside around to get there. Bill and I had some classes at ECU together. He taught English here at Sulphur, and when my daughters got to his class...He really put it to them, saying "I know your Daddy, and I know he wants you to learn. My oldest would come and chew on me about it. Bill and Betty are some of the best."
"Butch, You might try this page for some research on area post offices. There are several search criteria to choose from." -Ron Brown
http://www.usps.com/postmasterfinder/
"Butch just read this and that. One of my favorite things to do. Besides Leavenworth rd. There is Fort McCullough Road. and Pike Road. Which goes to The old fort McCullough, near Kenific. There are mounds still there where the cannons were placed. They line up in a Masonic star. Albert Pike was the Colonel there. The road Fisher station in Brian County was part of the Chisholm trail that had a ferry that went to Pottsboro." -Marty Waters
"Around 1949 or 1950 KVSO broadcast from Hotel Ardmore. At noon each day a local country band broadcast live and myself and some more girls would run all the way from Ardmore High School to watch them through the plate glass window....then run real fast back to school. No time to eat lunch but it was worth it!" -Nona Evitts
"Great job as usual Butch, and thanks for remembering the mail carriers. My mail has come every day of this mess. Need to show our appreciation for them as well as our city employees who HAVE to be out in this" -Jerry Landrum
"Just finished reading your latest T&T and really liked the piece from Mrs Bill Geis. My cousin (Speck Williams) and me used to help Bill mend fences just south of Cedarvale where he had his stud for breeding. We had Sugar our mare and her mare Blacky bred by his stud. He also had a horse riding trail across from the Methodist Youth Fellowship camp across from the cabins. Thanks for a walk down memory lane." -Poss Bridges in Korea
3 days without internet or Facebook & being stuck in my house was about to get the best of me. Snowing again now and supposed to get more this weekend & again middle of next week. So, that goofy fat little rodent predicted an early spring, huh?? Wonder what he was drinking. HA!!!!
Q. Does anyone have the name of the grocery store that used to be in a 1 story, white wooden building, just a few blocks East of C st. SE on Lake Murray Drive? (Now I am talking about my memory from mid 40's to early 50's?
A. Lamb's Grocery at E Street and Lake Murray Drive, SW corner (5th Ave SE). Walter G. Lamb and his wife Nannie, owners. In 1949 it was Crews and Lamb Grocery.
"Butch, my Grandmother, Madge Holt, owned the grocery store in Overbrook and was Post Master for years. I will have to get the dates and should have some pictures of her and the store but need to get them from my family. George Bourland and Mrs Bourland and Sid Bourland were family friends for years and also Bub Harvey plus countless others. My Grandmother never ever let a person come in and leave hungry. Especially those riding the trains. George Bourland was called the Mayor of Overbrook....My Grandmother came to Overbrook from Gainesville Tx. Crossed the red river on a wagon. My GrandDad was a barber by trade....He cut hair in Ardmore and Marietta. I have such great memories of the people and the time that I lived in Overbrook with my Grandmother. We went to Church at First Baptist Ardmore when Dr Hopper was minister. On the other side my GrandDad and his brother ran a store on Caddo street...Granddad was Charley Parker. My dad was born in one of the school houses. I think it was Mt Washington but need to check to be sure. Overbrook was just a stop on the road but it held lots of history of the years I remember. The all night singings at the Indian Reservations just west of my Grandmothers store. Neighbors sitting around and shooting breeze at the store. It was a filling station, feed store, Post Office and store. Tyler and Simpson put my Grandmother into the grocery business at the beginning. I rode my first horse at George's and still have horses to this day I graduated from Plainview in 1962 and went on to join the Airforce. My family grew up in Ardmore and my GrandDad was County Supt of Schools in Ardmore years ago. Most of my family is buried at Rose Hill but we still have a few family members left in Ardmore. My Grandmother built the store in Overbrook and had the rock house that as a kid I spent every summer and then moved there and lived with her for 2 and a half years where I attended Plainview High." -Carl Wesley Parker Jr., Sarasota Fla rno@torchlake.com
You Alls Doins of Lexington, O.T. August 9 , 1900
Outfit Confiscated, and Part of Gang Captured. Ardmore, I.T. August 3rd. The Ardmoreite says: This morning Captain Hammer and Deputy Bob Nestor came in from Center with a batch of moonshiners committed to jail by Commissioner Winn at Center. The gang had been operating for some time and had been selling large quantities of their product throughout that section. The still was formally located in the breaks of a small creek near Pauls Valley, but was recently moved to a point south a few miles of Ada in a part known as Chimney mountains. C.L. Curry, J.L. Curry, Tom Kennedy and Jim Kennedy, and John Kennedy were taken into custody but the old man, Tice, and two brothers named Yarbraugh escaped.http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LexingtonOT1900.jpg
"How would I locate an obituary? I would like to find my Uncle Thomas Jefferson Oxford (D: 9-19-1966) Ardmore; & my cousin, James Oxford (D: 1964)(Son of Iley E. (Erwin) Oxford & Mary E. Oxford. If anyone has any information on James I would love to be contacted. James was my cousin, but he was the brother I never had; as boys we spent every summer together. I would ride the train from Houston, Texas and we would spend time at the lake, roaming the streets of Ardmore, going to movies, eating hamburgers, bugging Uncle Iley at the "station", all the fun stuff. He would also visit me in Houston for fun with my friends. I would appreciate any information." acy_cay07@yahoo.com
Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love - 1997
Everywhere I go, all the places that I've been,
Every smile is a new horizon on a land I've never seen,
There are people around the world - different faces different names,
But there's one true emotion that reminds me we're the same.
Let's talk about love, Let's talk about us, Let's talk about life,
Let's talk about trust, Let's talk about love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr9l2KKmPH8
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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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