This and That Newsletter
A Weekly Publication

www.OklahomaHistory.net

Vol 15  Issue 765      Circulation 5,000       September 22, 2011

PO Box 2

Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

email address:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net

580-657-8616


Received some really good history this week on the courthouse clock, some dating back to 1944.  Tania Colbert Patrick tells it best in her own words:

"Greetings, Butch: As always, I enjoy your photos and comments on the Court House Clock and the memories they bring me... of climbing up into the Court House Clock Tower, as a child in the 1940s, with my Dad, Jimmy Colbert, as he went to do the upkeep on the clock. At the time, however, the view from there was more thrilling than the ?innards? of the clock, as I could see the enormous pecan tree behind our house at 129 G NW. The house and shop behind the house burned down about twenty years ago, but the pecan tree is still there! Enclosed here are some old clippings that tell about Daddy?s repair (in the 1940s) of the CH clock after many years of it?s neglect. (So happy that you are doing it now.. keep up the good work!!) There are a couple of photos of him in his shop and a write-up that appeared in the Ardmoreite in 1972." -Tania Colbert Patrick

Below are the newspaper clippings and photos Tania sent in.  Thanks Tania!

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/CourthouseClock1944.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/CourthouseClock1972.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/JimmyColbert1944a.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/JimmyColbert1944b.jpg

More pics on the 'innards' of the clock Tania talked about.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/seththomasclock.html

There are 21 security cameras located throughout the courthouse and the adjoining complexes to better protect the employees and visitors at the Carter county courthouse. Thanks to a grant from Homeland Security we're getting anther 10 cameras and new recording Servers which will greatly improve the security in the buildings. No one wants to be on camera more then necessary, but in the world of today, its important to everyone's safety. Just a couple weeks ago in Van Buren, Arkansas a guy enters the Crawford County Courthouse with a rifle and 2 handguns and starts shooting. Its all caught on tape as he moves from one area of the courthouse to another, shooting any one he sees. You will see on the video where one employee barely escapes being shot by fleeing to another room, and then flees out of the courthouse. Things like this are happening all around the country, and cameras are very much a part of our lives, like it or not, because of vengeful people. The Carter County Sheriffs Office monitors our security cameras 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QomSl7Z1py4

In Hawaii the arriving tourist and visitors are greeted and a lei to put around their necks as a gesture of Welcome to long with the famous Aloha. Doug Williams gave us a lei sprout he received from Hawaii a couple years ago, and this week it started putting forth blooms.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/Plumeria091911.jpg

http://www.hawaiiflowerlei.com/leitradition.aspx

Since we started raising chickens about 3 years ago and receiving fresh eggs nearly everyday, I have tried every "old timers' recipe on how to boil those eggs so they peel easily. All the recipes worked some, but not completely.  Sometimes pretty good, the next time it wasn't worth the time it took to peel the eggs. Not to mention my back hurting from standing there for nearly an hour trying to get every little piece of shell off the stubborn egg.  But this week I discovered the perfect, and I do mean perfect, way to boil the eggs and the shell just falls off.  This works every time.  Just steam the eggs for about 12 minutes and that's it!  I put about an inch or less of water in the pan and then put the steamer in, brought the eggs to a boil with the lid on, and then let them just sit there a few more minutes.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SteamedEggs091711.jpg

Here's a stainless steel steamer from Walmart, probably even have them at the dollar stores.

Found out the other day the place where I had my 'hot' wire attached is not enough juice to make the hydrogen generator gin enough to really make HHO.  So I have a relay coming so the 12v will come directly from the battery to the generator.  Can hardly wait!  When I tested it the other day, by taking my jumper cable and running it from the hot side of my battery to the positive side of the HHO generator, boy did it make HHO gas! Like crazy!

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/goinggreen.html

On a side note to the HHO project, my co-workers have renamed my truck The Blue Flame! lol

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/74ChevyAfter060108a.jpg

U.S. drought monitor

http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

From This and That newsletter archives of September 19, 1998:
On Tuesday night December 21, 1915, Ardmore City Commissioners voted to allow H.E. Foster of the Ardmore Ice, Light and Power Company to install electric street lights along the south side of Main Street between Washington and Mill Street. Mr. Foster agreed to install the street lights as an experiment to see if Main Street needed such lighting. Mr. Foster said he would pay for the lights and electricity for 60 days. Mayor Mullen had been proposing changing to electric lights for some time.

Q.   Which Marvel comic book character built his temple Asgard in Oklahoma and where?
A:   Thor. Broxton in Caddo county, Oklahoma.  

Q.   What movie about tornados was filmed in Oklahoma?
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.....

"Butch ? just a reminder that Saturday, Sept 24 is Frontier Day here at the museum in Ardmore. The weather looks to be great. There will be lots to do. We have the Guthrie Gunfighters, Pawnee Bill, OK. Horseshoeing Demonstration and many more participating. There will be crafts, hay rides, pony rides, face painting and bounce houses and much more. Admission is free. Hope to see you and your followers there."  -Barbara, Greater SW Historical Museum
"Butch, My son and I were just talking about satellites falling from orbit last night (Sunday) as we watched 10 jets circling near overhead somewhere around 9:45PM. We commented that Capn' Kirk would say, "that's damn peculiar!" (quote from one of the Star Trek Movies) They appeared to be circling around an area just NW of our house. They finally began to slowly peel off in various directions and disappear.

http://www.space.com/12982-dead-nasa-satellite-falling-earth-sept-24.html?fb_ref=rnav

Most likely it was because of the Ardmore Vortac which is just about a mile from our house.
http://www.pilotnav.com/navaid/faa-1914

I used to set outside by the pond at night and watch jets come up from DFW and then veer off in different directions after passing close to the Vortac but I had never seen any of them circling around like we did last night, much less ten of them circling. Maybe that is a common sight now days, I just don't watch the night skies like I used to." -Dwane


"Hey Butch, Who might have a copy of the Our Gang film shot in Ardmore? I have Googled it and not had any luck, but wondered if any of the insiders might have a copy. That would be great to see."  -Laura
"Need help PLEASE as we are not going to waste any more time. Jay's Drive In. Was located where car lot is now South of Braum's. We thought it was parents of Tommy Garner who graduated AHS in 1963. We thought of it while at tractor show in Sulphur when the man next to me sat down with a plate full of french fries and they reminded us instantly of Jay's Drive In! And the bbq! It was the best in Ardmore at the time. Can anyone help? Who owned it?" -Bobbye
"Dear Butch, Thanks. I enjoy "This and That". In almost every issue, there is something nostalgic for me. But it makes me sad to see the old Dougherty depot in such a derelict condition, abandoned and thrown away. Back in about 1929 and 30, the station master's (name of Denton) daughter and I were good friends. We would play on the dock of the station. Happy times!~ 80 years ago. But I guess that now Dougherty is just a tumbledown old town."  -Wilda Stephens
"Does anyone know who owns Wild Woman Cave in the Arbuckles?"
"Butch, I was walking walnut bayou last week looking for arrow heads and came across what looks like an old cement bridge that's been washed out. Do you know if there was a crossing at one time about a mile north of where the current bridge on hwy 70 is now located? Attached is a photo of a Mosler spark plug I found near the structure. According to Google, Mosler spark plugs were made in the late 1800's and early 1900's." -Barry

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/MoslerSparkPlug.jpg

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/WalnutBayouOK.jpg


"Enjoyed viewing the Dougherty Depot, as my distant family members - the Marley family - came into the Dougherty-Nebo area in 1896 from Hunt County, Texas. They were cattlemen. Now in genealogy trying to find the proof document that William Alexander Marley was born to Kemp and Susan Beck Marley in Van Zandt County, TX in June 1880. We have photos, but the 1880 census was taken 6 days before his birth, and cannot locate him with his parents in Oklahoma!" -J Nell Truitt
100 Years Ago The Davis News 09/21/11:

A large crowd from Sulphur came over to see the Santa Fe demonstration train. Farmers were complaining of a scarcity of cotton pickers. Good prices were offered, and anybody could get a job that wanted it.
The city bought a street grader on trial and was doing quite a lot of street work.
Postmaster Ramsey said the rural route running east from Davis, called No. 1, would go into effect Nov. 1.
Editor Fay Crossett wrote: With the Frisco and Santa Fe entering the Arbuckles from this side, and the Rock Island penetrating the mountains from the Wild Horse Valley side, the rock-ribbed hills to the West will indeed be a veritable bee hive of activity. There can be no question as to the value and extent of the zinc, lead and gold deposits in the Arbuckles.


"We were in this building at 116 East Main in the down town section of Ardmore. When I got home I downloaded this picture and this was in it. Believe it or not."  -Doug Williams

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/BoydAntiquesGhost.jpg


"Hey, Butch, how much water is on the other side of the falls? My brother said they should take advantage of the lack of water & go in & clean out debris from under the falls."  -Kathi

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LittleNiagara090311.jpg


"hi butch, when i saw this website i instantly thougth of you. it doesn't have many photos in oklahoma and the tie in with your love of history makes for a good mesh. take a look if you get time." -john

http://WhatWasThere.com/


"Butch, do you or anyone have any pics of the 77 North Drive In..... got one of those nagging questions where my mind won't remember the set up exactly right LOL. Let me know." -Randy Simmons
"Redden Alexander Riner (1861-1937) opened a grocery store in 1893 at the corner of Caddo Street and 2nd Avenue (sold it in 1911 to farm). As related by Vivian Moore, Redden's oldest daughter, the building lot extended quite a distance behind the store where Redden built a blacksmith shop. One of her fondest memories of this location was when the Ringling Brothers Circus came to town and brought business to the store. Vivian remembers watching her father shoe horses from the circus and keeping a souvenir tiny horse shoe that came off a Shetland pony from the circus."

1947 '48 Jr. high in Seminole, Oklahoma
"I wrote this when I was about 13 years old and in the 7th or 8th grade) I was in a speech class. Miss Ruth Hanthorne was my teacher. She was quite an impression on my life as to teaching me how to speak. She directed
me in a couple of school plays. I was in the Junior and Senior class plays. We practiced every afternoon for weeks and then would put it on one night for the public. Had lots of fun doing this."  -Ken@Wilson

AUTUMN

Autumn is here the leaves are falling
The geese fly over, I hear them calling

As the wind blows among the trees
It brings to earth the colored leaves

Leaves that were once green and bright,
Now lie on the ground, a mournful sight

Yes, truly Fall is here in all its beauty and best,
As the leave come tumbling downward,
downward to the Earth for rest.

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

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.