This and That Newsletter
A Weekly Publication

www.OklahomaHistory.net

Vol 17  Issue 843      Circulation 5,000       March 21, 2013

PO Box 11

Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

email address:  [email protected]

580-657-8616


I received a long mailing tube in the mail this week from Texas and I could hardly wait to see what was inside.  William Hardy sent me a photograph taken around 1900, I think, in Ardmore.  William thinks it may be a Mason group photo, taken at a home in Ardmore. Anyway, he can't identify anyone in the photo except Dr. Walter Hardy (far left), and a couple others. On the top row, first man to the left of the lady holding the baby in arms, looks like Dr. Frederick Von Keller to me-- I need to do some more research to confirm it.  If you recognize anyone in the photo, please let me know.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/GroupPhoto1900a.jpg

In 2002 I was traveling in the far south part of the county just messing around.  About 2 miles west of I-35 and the Lake Murray exit is Rock Crossing.  I stood on a fairly new bridge to take the pic below, but still visible on the east side of the new bridge is what's left of the old one (not in the pic below).  Just a couple hundred feet to the west of the new Rock Creek bridge is an old dam.  I took a picture of this old piece of history in 2002.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos2002a/rockcrka.jpg

Does anyone know how this old dam came into existence?  Maybe it was built in the 1930s by the WPA? Or maybe a land owner of long ago?  I had a photo of this dam with about 25 people being baptized in the dam's waters years ago, maybe the 30s or 40s. If anyone has info on the dam, I'd love to hear from you.

Next Thursday, March 28th, there will be a retirement reception for long time Carter county employee, Phyllis Russell. It will be held from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Carter County Commissioners offices next door to the courthouse. I hope as many of you as can will join me and others in wishing Phyllis the best after 30 years with the county, in her new life of retirement!

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/PhyllisRetirement032813.jpg

Doug Williams snapped a picture of the Memorial site at the Ardmore Airpark last weekend. This is a night pic, and shows the night lights on the flag and memorial stone. This is the first time I've seen the memorial lit up at night. A big Thank You goes to Chris Bryant, Airpark Manager, for installing the flag pole and the nighttime light. The flag pole was originally located at the old base hospital before Chris had it moved to the memorial site.

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/MemorialFlagsNight031613.jpg

I started my oklahomahistory.net website in April 1996.  In 2000 I added a search engine by the name of Pico.  As of today there has been over 50,000 searches performed with over 4 million documents found by those searching.  I see the most searches in one month were performed in January and February 2009 with some 780+ searches done each of those months. I wonder why there were so many searches during those 2 months in 2009?   SEARCH REPORT

Does anyone remember the town of Holder in Love County? I have a request for more info on the town, maybe someone can email me with more info.

Holder, Indian Territory (Oklahoma). In Love county, 4 miles west of Lebanon. A post office from June 15, 1891 to March 30, 1897. No longer in existence, it was named for Lottie Holder, local rancher. -Oklahoma Place Names

William Ballew AKA Wobblin Willie

David M Ballew AKA Bud Ballew

Q.  What is the official state beverage of Oklahoma?
A.   Milk

Q.  How many eagle feathers adorn the current Oklahoma state flag?
A.  (answer in next week's T&T)

From This and That newsletter archives of March 11, 2000:

A couple weeks ago I mentioned the round barn northwest of Ardmore on the Merrick Ranch. I heard it was moved here in the 40s from the Military Depot at McAlister, Oklahoma. The pic shows the south side of the round barn, it looks pretty good. But the north side is all caved in and rotten.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos/rbarn.jpg

----------------------------------------------------
"Go out D st. N.W to 9th. ave (Ardmore) and you will find a little park located between 9th & 10th avenues. There is a plaque that was placed there by the Oklahoma Methodist Historical Society in 1964 which states, "Hargrove College 1895-1914" "A Methodist college once stood here, begun by the City of Ardmore it was given to the Indian Mission Conference of the Methodist Church, named in honor of Bishop Robert K. Hargrove. In 1907 the school burned but was rebuilt north of the city. It exerted a vital religious & educational influence throughout the area." I don't know where it was rebuilt but when I was growing up on 12th. Ave the entire block north of the little park, which would be all the area between 10th & 11th. N.W stood vacant. No houses appeared on that block for many years - I was told that the land was a part of the Hargrove College campus. You may find a history of the school in Paul Frame's History of Ardmore."
----------------------------------------------------

Gas prices today in the Ardmore area......

http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=152754

Check gas prices by town or zip code anywhere in U.S.

http://www.kmov.com/traffic/gas-buddy

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

"Butch, in regards to the A&W Root Beer Stand in Ardmore, it was also my first "real" job. I worked as a carhop the summer I was 15 and just loved it! A Mr. and Mrs. Weed owned it at the time and were from back East. They were great folks to work for and treated the carhops like family. When my first daughter was born, I would take her there once a week for a watered-down root beer in her bottle and she still has the tiny root beer mug the Weeds gave her. Lots of fun memories." -Judy Smithers Ferrell
"Well Butch I know I'm preaching to the choir talking to you, but I was bit by a dog last Wednesday night. It was running loose and I was walking down the middle of the street. Thankfully it was a little Jack Russell type dog. All it did was break the skin, however because it was bleeding I wanted to make sure it had it's shots. Wouldn't you know it the lady that owned it said it was a stray dog she had taken in and she had no idea whether it had it's shots or not. The police officer said "you just need to keep it quarantined for 2-3 days and make sure it doesn't foam at the mouth or nothing like that," which I was pretty sure was contrary to state law and it is. State law according to Ok. Health Dept. is that any dog that you can't prove has had it's shots has to be kept at a vet for 10 days. The dog was picked up by animal control and taken to the vet the next day. I post all of this to say once again PEOPLE BE RESPONSIBLE WITH YOUR ANIMALS. I posted this on your site because I know this is a pet peeve with you & you have lots of friends. What irresponsible pet owners also can't seem to get through their thick skulls is that they are responsible for any damages/medical bills, lost income etc. that their pet does. Just a trip to the E.R. could get very expensive for them if FIDO is allowed to roam and he bites someone causes a wreck etc. This is the 2nd time since 2009 a dog has bit me and one run under the wheel on my bike and caused me to wreck in 2007. When are people going to learn. Thanks for letting me rant."   -Phillip Capshaw
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Drive-In-Theaters   http://ndepth.newsok.com/drive-in-theaters
Coming Home WWII
http://ndepth.newsok.com/world-war-ii
Mystery of the Guthrie, Oklahoma tunnels
http://ndepth.newsok.com/guthrie-tunnels
The eyewitness - March 17, 2013 The Daily Oklahoman

In the hunt for Guthrie’s fabled tunnels, no figure has arguably played a bigger role in keeping the legend alive than Revis Wilson. Why? Wilson claims he explored the tunnels “many, many times” as a child.

Wilson, now 67 and living in Ardmore, first went public with his claim in 1996 when he wrote a letter to the editor of The Guthrie Daily Leader.

“I am taking this opportunity to clarify the question about the tunnels of Guthrie,” Wilson wrote in 1996. “Why certainly they exist, like they did in Les Miserables.”

Wilson, the proud grandson of 89ers, contends the tunnels were extensive, running from Jelsma Stadium to the north under the old Brooks Opera House and Royal Hotel to E Oklahoma Avenue. From there, he claims the tunnels ran west before extending south “to a basement shop at the corner” of S First Street and W Harrison Street. The tunnels continued south to “the north end of Mineral Wells Park,” and could be accessed by a large concrete structure on the east bank of Cottonwood Creek.

The last time he saw the entrance much of it had been “filled with sandy erosion.”

As the story goes, Wilson and his older brother, Raymond, used to explore the city during the summer after selling The Oklahoman on a downtown street corner each morning. The tunnels provided the Wilson brothers — and their pals, Leroy and Jerry Barnes — endless hours of adventure.

“We would tie old rags to the end of a stick and douse them with kerosene for torches,” Wilson recalled in a recent telephone interview. “I was about five at the time (circa 1950), and Raymond was seven. Every once in a while we would see some light from a manhole in the street above. I remember we were always afraid our torches would go out, and we’d get lost.

“I know the tunnels existed. I walked through them many, many times.”

-Revis E. Wilson

http://newsok.com/mystery-of-guthriess-secret-tunnels-remains-alive-thriving/article/3766735


Found this site on the internet after watching a vicious dog attack video shown on Google. In the 8-year period from 2005 to 2012, pit bulls killed 151 Americans and accounted for 60% of the total recorded deaths (251). Combined, pit bulls and Rottweiler's accounted for 73% of these deaths.
http://dogbites.org
"Do anyone remember Eddie's. It was just south on Washington from the Hamburger Inn. His wife, Ludie was the waitress and Eddie cooked. It was just lunch. The best fried chicken ever!"  -Ann Kerr
"Hi Butch, Thanks for the memories. I especially enjoyed this edition. When you spoke of all the places we used to eat when we lived in Ardmore it sure brought back pleasant memories. I also enjoyed the picture of the Wild Turkeys near Lone Grove. In my time of living there, that wouldn't have happened! They would have graced our dining table if my Granddad could have lined up his shotgun without scaring them away! Also, the reference to the old Gene Autry Ranch, which was back in my time. I guess you have gathered that I am an old timer from the Lone Grove/ Ardmore area. I am now a displaced Okie living in Las Vegas and I still enjoy hearing and reading about Southern Oklahoma. At my age I doubt that I will ever get to see it again, but, some places are still fresh in my memory. Thank you for T & T and reminding me that there were some good times back there after all."  -Kathryn Donham Davoult  [email protected]
"A reminder to all the 1955 grads of Ardmore High. We're having our 58 year reunion on May 3, 4, 5 at the new Holiday Inn by the Convention Center. Hope to see you there."  -R. Helms
"I wrote to you last week concerning Do Not Track Plus. It simply stopped working. I tried everything I knew could be done to get it restored (which is very little) and nothing worked. I tried installing Chrome, it didn't work, so I uninstalled it. I tried installing Firefox, it didn't work, so I uninstalled it. I went everywhere, did everything I could and to no avail. Finally, I remembered that Microsoft had installed some updates on the day it stopped working, so I checked those updates and found that they had installed Bing Bar against my knowledge or wishes and had made it the default browser. I never could have fixed that as I thought I had uninstalled it. The only thing that uninstalled was the listing on the Control Panel. I tried my HP Tech service which gave no help and finally iYogi Tech Support who took care of the problem. It is back in working order again. What I found out when we got it working again is that Do Not Track Plus had added more tracking capability and protection. I don't know whether that had affected the program's function or not, but I can tell you I am greatly comforted by the fact that it is working again. I tried what you recommended, which was to download again, several times and it would not download. It is a terrible thing to upset an old woman in her eighties like Microsoft did. I'm sure I have several more grey hairs (but that's okay because the color my hairdresser supplies covers them)."
"I've been transferring my collection of old oilfield equipment videos from tape to computer. Want to archive them to external backup hard drives before something happens to the tapes. This is part of just one video shooting session that Dad and I did before he passed away in 2004. I have about 25 hours of video of several different leases with the old 1930's equipment now safely stored on 3 separate hard drives. One of them I keep in a fire proof safe. Kenneth Eck, who started the "Oil Patch Mania" column in the Healdton Herald Newspaper, used to go with us also on our treks to find more of the old equipment. Kenneth would usually interview the owner/operators for his column and I would do the filming. My Dad, Carl W. (Steve) Stevens, was our "oilfield operations technical adviser." Thought you might enjoy seeing some of the old equipment from a by-gone era in Southern Oklahoma, mostly Carter County. 99% of the equipment we filmed is now gone, sold as scrap metal and replaced with modern electric units. My Dad operated this type of early day equipment as well as modern electrics before he retired."  -c. dwane stevens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gUp9CfTcQw


"Does anyone know if there would be a repository of records for Ardmore attorney J.C. Champion? He practiced in the early 1900's.

I am curious because I am searching for more information on my 2nd great grandfather, John Findley, who was murdered in Springer in 1909. His killer, John Reeves, rode horseback to Ardmore and turned himself in. Reeves hired Champion to defend him. I'm very interested in why Reeves did it, and the details of his trials. He was convicted in his first trial and then after quite some time in the county jail, at least a year, was released on bond to be retried."

Robin Craft Grattet
formerly of Healdton, now of Colorado

"Does anyone know what counties in Texas were DRY/WET in the year 1948 for a novel I am writing?. I have checked every source I can think of and find plenty of information on current county status but everything is general for past status, especially as far back as 1948." -Leta
1. The Hamburger Inn
2. Eden's
3. Priddy's
4. Bill & Barb's
5. Super Dog.. on Commerce...let's drag the Super Dog
6. Chuck Wagon.. corner of Hwy 70 & P NE
7. Tower...after church on Sunday
8. What about lunch at the YWCA
9. Miller's Dairy Mart for malts and hot fudge sundae
10. What was that little skinny hole in the wall on Washington across from the Mulkey? (My friends Oleta (she worked at telephone co) & Densil Turner (he worked at Dr Pepper) ran it.
11. Eddie's on North Washington south of Hamburger Inn


From a Distance by Bette Midler, recorded 1990

From a distance
The world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white
From a distance
The ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight

From a distance
There is harmony
And it echoes through the land
Its the voice of hope
Its the voice of peace
Its the voice of every man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5_YAj9lCQc

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

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.