As everyone knows we are in a terrible drought here in western and southern Oklahoma. So many of our lakes and streams have lake levels that are way below normal. Nearly all of them have water levels the lowest they have been in decades. Some boat ramps at the area lakes have been closed as vehicles cannot reach the water to unload boats.
But we may have a jewel here in Carter County.... Mountain Lake (many old timers call it Woodford Lake). According to a report I received this week Mountain Lake is in pretty good shape considering the drought conditions in the area, and predictions are the drought will worsen over the months ahead. In fact, just today Cheryl gave me this report: "Water level is up Butch Bridges! They release 15,000 Florida Largemouth Bass into Mountain Lake last week-- fishing has been slow since then." The situation and the answer were all brought about by the email I received below this week.
Q. "Butch, I was wondering if you could give me an update on Mountain Lake. As a child, way back in the forties, we camped there many times. Can you still camp there, rent boats, etc. I would love to bring my family but didn't know if anything was still available. I remember when it would rain and we would make a mad dash to get under the dam, but there were a thousand dirt dauber nests and I was afraid one was going to get on me. We always had a wonderful time."
A. Camp host Cheryl McCleskey Robinson said: "You can camp here. There are 6 electric spots for RV's and lots of tent spots. Campers are $25 and tents are $12 per night. It's first come first serve, no reservations are necessary. You can have a gas motor of 10 hp and under. The winch on the trolley to unload is not working, that is why they back in the boats that are too heavy to carry. Snakes do live here! My dogs help keep them run off. It's a Mountain Lake. Everyone come enjoy!!!!! I only have 1 boat left and try to keep it for myself. My other boats all have leaks where people just don't take care of them. Dragging them on the concrete dam is hard on them."
Here are some pictures of Mountain Lake I took back in 2007. Mountain Lake is about 7 miles west of Springer, Oklahoma and then back north about 3 miles.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MountainLake041507a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MountainLake041507b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MountainLake041507c.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MountainLake041507d.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/MountainLake041507e.jpg
And the 2 pictures below were taken just today by Cheryl Robinson.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14a/MountainLake060514a.jpg
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14a/MountainLake060514b.jpg
I'd say the above photos sure look good compared to this 1984 photo when the Mountain Lake was so dry.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/mtlake84b.jpg
This is a map showing Mountain Lake west of Springer and I-35.
http://oklahomahistory.net/maps/MountainLakeMap.jpg
Anyway, all this good news about Mountain Lake makes me want to try out my new Oklahoma lifetime fishing and hunting license I received just last month!
A Reader shared this old photo of the back side of the 77 North Theater in Ardmore.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14a/77NorthDriveIn1965.jpg
Not very many years ago I could buy Mercurochrome antiseptic in a bottle for a little of nothing. Worked great on cuts and scrapes the same way Iodine worked. But I learned this week that Mercurochrome is no longer sold in the U.S.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8527/8508641634_6240cd72ed_z.jpg
Some the the pavers I've sandblasted this week. They have been really turning out nice.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BobbieFullingimPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/AndersonPavers2.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/PuckettPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/NikkiConwayPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/LarryLeeBrick.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/JimmyHefleyBrick.jpg
I have made some giant strides following the $1.41 body cleanse. And not just bringing my BP down which was my primary reason to try the program. I have more energy and my joints don't feel like they are stiff or arthritic. The belly fat has been dropping, and there are a number of other improvements.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bodycleanse.html
Q. Where is the largest oak tree in Oklahoma, maybe the world?
A.
Red Oak, Oklahoma (east of McAlester, Oklahoma)
http://tulsahomeforsale.net/the-largest-oak-tree-in-oklahoma-maybe-the-world/
Q. Where in Oklahoma was the biggest largemouth bass caught?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of June 3, 2000:
"I don't know how many tornados have been
in Ardmore but I remember on in about 1945 or 46. I was in the 6th grade at
Franklin Elementary School. It was quite a storm, my dad came and got me out of
bed and told me to be careful there was glass on my floor. The wind had blown a
50 gal barrel against the double windows of my room. We were lucky just that
year they had cut down a big Cottonwood tree that was just outside the window
because of my brother's allergies. Our house wasn't hurt much, we found later it
had been moved off the foundation just a couple of inches. The chicken house in
back was blown down. Workers were cleaning up a week later and an old chicken
came from under the rubble squawking. Hungry but ok. The yard at the school
where we still had school that morning was pretty messy and some big old trees
were blown down. Many houses were damaged and blown away in our neighborhood,
but it skipped whole streets and hit others with tremendous force. Those were
days to remember in my home town."
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch, I noticed in the Ardmoreite
yesterday that the Civic auditorium is now being called Heritage Hall, do you
know when and why the name was changed....I believe the people of Ardmore needed
a say if the city fathers decided to change the name."
----------------------------------------------------
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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
Non-ethanol gas (pure gas) stations in the Ardmore area.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/puregas.html
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Butch, I actually attended 48 Hours in Atoka on Saturday. I would have been 7 at the time! My parents probably had an "oops" moment shortly after arriving. Topless women abounded and every sort of oddity was there to be seen. I particularly remember the full dresser motorcycle pulling a trailer, rare back then, that was a coffin on an axle. It had been repurposed into a huge ice chest full of suds. There was also the guy with a Styrofoam ice chest turned upside down on his head with eye holes in the narrow end and "weed" growing out of the top! I have a handful of pictures as well. Years later I tried unsuccessfully to find my dad's event t- shirt. I remember him wearing it quite a bit around the house on Saturdays as he did chores. It was white with red lettering." -Rhett
"Butch, The movie you included has Robert Blake playing Little Beaver. Don Reynolds didn't play Little Beaver for another five years. Don Reynolds was the last actor to play Little Beaver in movies and appeared in the last four. Robert Blake, who had appeared in OUR GANG comedies, preceded Reynolds in the role and appeared in 24 movies. Wild Bill Elliott left the title role after the first 17 movies. If you go, would you ask Don if they filmed in either the Chatsworth or Santa Clarita areas for the outdoor work? Where did they do their interior work? Inquiring minds want to know." -Monroe Cameron
Magnetic Hill in Scotland.
https://news.yahoo.com/video/road-where-cars-roll-uphill-040000172.html
"Butch, I was wondering if you could give me an update on Mountain Lake. As a child, way back in the forties, we camped there many times. Can you still camp there, rent boats, etc. I would love to bring my family but didn't know if anything was still available. I remember when it would rain and we would make a mad dash to get under the dam, but there were a thousand dirt dauber nests and I was afraid one was going to get on me. We always had a wonderful time."
"Butch....Thanks for printing the photo of the Rexroat Grocery last week. It brought back many memories from the 50s. Never realized it was so small. I lived in company housing on the Jones Oil Company lease a few section lines south of where the store and the Rexroat School were located. We used to ride our bicycles to swim in Westheimer Lake a few yards east of the store and then go there for an RC or something similar." -Barry Flanary
"I was wondering if anyone had or knew any info on just where Tom Patton cave was?best I can tell it is around ?Indian bridge? like you?re going to Munster, Texas."
"Another example of the imagination of the artist in this interesting piece of yard art located in Gage, Ok. The old barn, near Jet, Ok., has been through a lot it looks like. Images like these stir Georgia's and my imagination as we travel around the State. We will continue to travel this State as long as we are able to learn her History, and enjoy her sights." -Bob Gates
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14a/GageOKmetalman.jpg
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14a/JetOKbarn.jpg
"Butch I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your site. You see I have been away from Ardmore about 10 years and this site lets me come back Home, even if it is for a short time. Since leaving I have lived in LA. and now I live in TX. I can go online at anytime and check into things back HOME. I want you to know that we (everyone that gets your mailing) would never be able to show you how much we appreciate you taking the time to put this site together for us. Thank you again."
"Anyone who does any electrical work needs this screw driver. Take a look at the tip. These are hard to find but invaluable." -JB
http://www.idealindustries.com/media/pdfs/products/brochures/p-5094_combohead_screwdriver_brochure.pdf
View from the tallest hill (Cavanal Hill) in the world at Poteau, Oklahoma (photo by Bob Gates)
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos14a/PoteauOKmountain.jpg
"He who has a thousand friends,
Has not a friend to spare,
While he who has one enemy,
Shall meet him everywhere." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Bells of Oklahoma
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
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/
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