January 1931 - Nearly a thousand
unemployed men raided a grocery store within three blocks of the state capital
in Oklahoma City. A hundred police and scores of other officers made wholesale
arrests. The riot occurred after a delegation of men visited the Mayor and
demanded that he furnish food for the unemployed.
February 1931 - Dr. John Dorough,
county superintendent of health, advised the smallpox situation is daily getting
worse. During the past week the disease has broken out in Zaneis, Rocky Point,
Rock Springs, Woodford and Cool Branch schools. He says all school children and
teachers should be vaccinated, it's free of charge and painless, and he will do
it. Unfortunately the Carter County Health units is now completely disorganized
and defunct, because there are no funds left to pay any nurses or buy medicine.
February 1955 - Shelby McKerson,
prominent Ardmore Negro, who was the apparently the first of his race to file
for the school board, withdrew today. McKerson's eligibility for the office had
been questioned, due to a law dating back to early statehood days limiting
filing to those person who are the same race as a majority of persons in the
school district.
January 1964 - Landowners in the area
of Ardmore's Newport water well field met and formed a "Newport Water Basin
Protective Association." The will contact the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to
ask a hearing on the water rights of the basin. Chairman of the group's
governing committee is Dr. N.E. McBride. Other members include Jess Mitchell,
Lone Grove Mayor, Leonard Robinson, Bernard Price, D. Ramsey and Dale Fuqua.
They say their wells will produce only when the Ardmore wells are turned off.
According to McBride, "Ardmore owns only one acre of land under each well. They
are taking water that may not be replenished for centuries."
As of April 2, 2015 the Chickasaw
Towers (old Highrise) is no more. Demolition crew has it completely down.
They started on Monday March 23rd and now 9 working days later its just a pile
of rubble.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/HighriseDown040215.jpg
The warmer weather has me outside
sandblasting a few pavers.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/BoomerDogPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/WelcomeStone032915.jpg
Below are some natural stone I have
available for engraving.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/stonenew/
After more than 2 weeks of being
stuck, I finally broke below 177 pounds. I know 176 lbs. is nothing to write
home about, only 1 pound less, but hey, TruVision is still at work, and I'm
feeling better than I have in years.
I've met over
100 TruVision friends at the mailbox in the Walmart parking, that
mailbox
is becoming famous. If anyone wants to try it
give me a holler. "I'll meet you at the mailbox." My TruVision family is growing like a weed. Come
join us and check
it all out at the link below.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/truvision.html
http://butch.truvisionhealth.com/
Q. What is the official state
monument of Oklahoma?
A. Golden Driller: Titanic Oil Man at Tulsa
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2190
Q. Carl C. Magee invented
patented what invention in 1932?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That
newsletter archives of March 27, 1999:
About 50 miles east of Ardmore is Coalgate,
Oklahoma. For many years there was one thing that Coalgate was noted for.. the
home of Hudson's Big Country Store. When I was a teen I drove all the way over
there to buy some cowboy boots. But one thing I didn't have with me was one of
those Hudson's tokens.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/HudsonToken.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
I was digging around in a chest of drawers
the other day and found a ring I handmade when I was a teen. I would take a
fifty cent piece (they were silver in those days) and a spoon, to create a ring.
It would take me about a month of beating on that ring, round and round and
round, before I had it down to the size to fit my finger. I'd then take a drill
bit and carefully drill it out. You could see the date and some of the wording
on the inside. A person could use a present day fifty cent piece, but remember
it has copper in the center. I used a tablespoon and by the time I had the ring
made, the bottom of that spoon looked like it had been through a war.
http://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15a/HomeMadeRing.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"I notice that your courthouse photo
collection doesn't have one from Bryan County, so I'm in low-speed pursuit. Ours
is a little bit unique - out in front there's a statue of a Confederate soldier,
with his musket, at parade rest. It was a contribution many years ago of the
DAR. When I ask people if they have one I get an almost universal "No I
don't--but I wish I had one." We got side tracked a little the other day when
someone came up with an old color photo of Durant's now-gone Tom Tom Tavern.
Don't suppose you'd be interested in starting a page of famous Oklahoma beer
joints."
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/indian/durant1a.htm
----------------------------------------------------
"Hi Butch. There used to be an old
feller that rode a mule, and behind him trailed a train of horses. This feller
also had a white beard, and was seen riding the roads of Carter, Love,
Jefferson, and countless other counties. If I remember correctly he was called
whiskers, and was a horse trader. Not many people knew anything about whiskers.
He reminded me of the bearded man riding the bike in Ardmore."
----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
Gas prices today in the Ardmore
area......
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=152754
Non-ethanol gas (pure gas) stations
in the Ardmore area.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/puregas.html
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Butch, Some time ago a gentlemen had mentioned a musical event
that took place in the mid 70's in Atoka that was called 48 Hours in Atoka. I
have since found some pictures and wanted to share them with him. I think he may
have been writing a book about it??? Does anyone know how to get in touch with
the man?" -Rhett
"Butch -
The car was a
1987 Trans Am GTA. It had the "Corvette" 350 cid TPI
engine (and of course it was red). There were only a limited number
of these made. The wreck happened right next to Randy Cramer's body
shop (Oklahoma Body Shop, at the time, I think...). Randy got the bid
to repair the car. Because of the value of the car, the insurance
company wanted to rebuild the car, rather than total it. Randy was
able to find a similar year car and graft the back of it onto the
front of the wrecked one. His work was truly magnificent; it looked
like a brand new car when he was finished. There are some amazing
automotive craftsmen in Ardmore! We got the car to do some minor work
to the front suspension and alignment. I wish I had had a car like
that when I was her age!"
--
Dan Major
Norman, Oklahoma
"Otasco was an acronym for Oklahoma
Tire and Supply Company.
"I knew Floyd Cantrell when he lived in Nocona, he traded at my dad's service
station just a couple of blocks from where he lived and I kept my horse across
the street from him. I also live next to the Boren Cemetery and have visited it."
-max brown
[email protected]
"Success usually comes to those who
are too busy to be looking for it" -David
Henry Thoreau (1817-1862)
See everyone next
week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
