I received the following email July 4th 2002 and I since Independence Day is almost here, I want to share this email again.
"I don't know if you have this bell or not, but I was driving by Lake Murray Village and there was this great big bell. You can't miss it. It is about in the middle of the village, set low to the ground. Also I was at Rod's Small Engines the other day and he came out with a horny toad he found out back. Maybe they are making a comeback hope so. First I have seen in years. Keep up the good work. Happy 4th of July. Let Freedom ring from all the bells."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/lmbell.jpg
Some more emails sent in to me over the years:
May 1, 1999 newsletter: "Butch,
you're right -- back in 1999 we talked about King's Lake, and I sent you the old
family photo of the shuttle for women to the 4th of July picnic there. You
identified me as a relative of Dr. J. J. Boyd living in Florida. You're half
right: I'm a grandson of Dr. Boyd, but I live in Nashville, Tennessee, not
Florida. During my childhood, at least once each summer the pumper from the
downtown fire station came barreling down Third Ave NE. I knew it was heading
for King's Lake and that another boy had drowned out there. That was the truck
that carried the pulmotor. I often jumped on my bike and headed out there, but
it was all over by the time I got there. The sight was chilling to a boy. Access
to the lake was a narrow dirt road off Third Ave, past the huge, empty white
house, and on down to the tree and brush-lined lake. I hated the place." -Lorenz
Boyd
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos/Pulmotor.jpg
January 5, 2002 newsletter: "Butch- Several months ago there was a discussion on T&T about a lake somewhere east of Ardmore where people in the earlier days would go to have picnics. I don't believe the place was ever identified for sure. Someone thought it was out around Mary Niblack Road or in that vicinity. I grew up in the Springdale community and the only lake of any size that I was aware of was King's Lake. If I remember correctly, it was on the place called King's dairy farm just SE of 3rd Avenue and P Street intersection. I think I remember a silo, maybe two, that could be seen from 3rd. I never visited the lake as it was on private property and don't know if anyone was allowed entrance by that time. The attached aerial photograph of that area was taken in 1949 and shows the lake and the area along 3rd Avenue and P Street Northeast. Perhaps someone will know the history of the King place." -Gary Simmons
From a 2002 newsletter: "I remember kids would say they were going to Kings' Lake, and would invite me to go along. They would tell of seeing cotton-mouth snakes in the lake, and I just had to go see for myself, but being only a small boy at the time, I quickly found out that I could not go along with the others. There used to be a two story house on 3rd NE called the Kings' place, and it was later used a as nursing home which was ran by Mr. and Mrs. Sloan. Later, Woodview nursing home was built closer to the street. History is a great interest to me, and I do enjoy it so much. Keep up the T&T."
Note: For those who do not know where Ardmore's King's Lake was located I have a map indicating its SE of 3rd and P NE on private property.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/maps/KingLakeMap.jpg
Here is a circa 1910 picture of Ardmore years ago celebrating the 4th of July. The view is looking west down Main Street from Caddo Street.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/ArdmoreParadeJuly4th1910.jpg
This next photo is Ardmore celebrating the 4th back in 1896. The picture was sent in by Steven Harris on Grand Avenue at Jerry's Gun and Pawn Shop.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/July4thParade1896.jpg
I never know from one issue to the next what my T&T Readers will send in for sharing. This past week was no different when I received an email from James Clark with poem attached about my recent retirement from Carter County.
"Butch: Here's a poem in celebration of your retirement:
Punch a clock, he'll never do,
it's all over for Butch our man.
We'll miss him, for sure, we all know,
something we all understand.
He's fixed clocks and printers and computers too,
all working fine we hear.
"What will we do?" we all ask,
as we quaff another beer.
"But he's lost so much weight!" a friend exclaims,
"Just look at his slender bod."
"I wouldn't recognize him," I jealously add,
"If he hadn't given me a nod."
He'll be around, in all good cheer, wearing that strange
little hat,
All the while, we all hope, churning out This & That.
The bank will see him once a month, oh, what the heck,
as Butch walks in and gleefully endorses, his latest pension check.
He's earned his pay, that's for sure,
no one can utter a nay.
The clock has ticked down, and all will say,
"Butch, you've earned your pay."
HAPPY RETIREMENT, MY FRIEND.
james clark - june 27 2015
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/ReflectionsFrontCover.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/ReflectionsBackCover.jpg
Last week I had a couple links to pictures taken at my retirement party June 25th. Below is the humongous Sign In Sheet a lot of co-workers and friends signed that attended. The file is about a megabyte so it might take a minute to load.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/RetirementSignInSheet.jpg
A couple of pavers I sandblasted this week.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/UMCHowardThomasPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/UMCDonMeindersPaver.jpg
I'm still happy with the overall effects of TruVision. Knocked those pounds off, more energy, lower BP, and feeling great. If anyone wants to try it, give me a holler. "I'll meet you at the Walmart mailbox!" Join us and check it all out at the link below.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/truvision.html
http://butch.truvisionhealth.com/
My Okie Power Saver does more than
just save on the electric bill.
Did I mention the Okie Power Saver serves as a surge protector? Yep, that too.
Not only does it recycle energy to save you money, but also doubles as a surge
protector to shield your motors & appliances against power surges and brownouts.
The Power Saver is installed either at your electrical panel or directly to a
large motor such as an air conditioner. Because its very design causes the
electricity to be recycled back into your system, you require less energy from
your electric company.
When it comes to protecting the big ticket motors/appliances in your home or
business, do you rely on these inexpensive power strips? Or, do you go for
something that specifically was designed to protect your Central A/C, heat pump,
pool pump, refrigerator, etc. Just 1 power surge is all it takes to lose
thousands of dollars, so the protection is worth the investment.
When it?s thousands of dollars on the line, our Power Saver can protect your
expensive equipment AND make it run more efficiently.
Q. True or False: Oklahoma has
more manmade lakes than any other state.
A.
True
Q. What did the Oklahoma
Enabling Act allow for?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of June 30, 2001:
"Dear Butch, My brother, Paul J.
Fronterhouse , is doing some research on our family history. Our Grandmother
Louvenia Fronterhouse taught at the Woodworth School which was amalgamated with
Healdton. We believe that this may have occurred in the 1920's but we're not
sure of the exact date. Later, Grandmother taught in the Healdton school. Since
you have such expertise on Carter County Schools, I thought you might know, or,
could give us a clue where to find this information." -jo long
----------------------------------------------------
"Butch this letter was very informative
and I would suggest only one additional fact. Originally the tax was voted in by
a vote of the people and it was a one percent sales tax. Also originally, on the
One mill there was imprinted on one side "FOR OLD AGE ASSISTANCE" & on the other
side was "Consumer's Tax" - The One mill denomination was made of an aluminum
type metal and the 5 mill coin appeared to be of a brass type of metal."
----------------------------------------------------
"This is a picture of the Harmony,
Oklahoma Baptist Church Bell (Atoka County). It stands in the yard at the
church. The church is still active."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/harmbell.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"This is a picture of the Bell in front of
Lane, Oklahoma grade school."
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/lanebell.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
"Here's the Kingfisher County,
Oklahoma bell that graces the the west side of the Kingfisher Courthouse,
Kingfisher. The marker said it was the Bell from the old Lacy School. I'm
attaching a close up of the historic marker that reads....
Kingfisher County
1776 Bicentennial 1976
Memorial monument.
Dedicated to all generations
A past to remember
A future to hold
and God to glorify.
Memorializing:
Those who gave their lives
For Our freedom.
The Farmer
He feeds the world.
The Bell
Proclaiming freedom throughout the land."
(Leviticus XXV:10)
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/kingbell.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/KingfisherPlaque.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
One Reader of my T&T is Jane Hale of
Buffalo, Missouri. She celebrates the Fourth of July in a big way. She has 350
firecracker stands across 5 states. I hope we all remember what Independence Day
really represents. Freedom.
http://www.halefireworks.com/about/history/
----------------------------------------------------
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Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"I retired about a year and a half ago. I recently found this quote and thought you and your subscribers might enjoy". -Robert W. Moore"Retirement-- It's nice to get out of the rat race, but you have to learn to get along with less cheese." Gene Perret
Joe Ritchey was adopted by Mr and Mrs. LeRoy Ritchey. It was mentioned in a recent This and That they were teaching in Tishomingo, Ok. Later LeRoy and Anita taught in the Ardmore Schools. I had both of them as my teachers. They also taught in other towns and communities in Southern Oklahoma. It seems so many over the years have always spelled their last name incorrectly.
"Butch, Here's some shots of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train north bound stopping in Ardmore to take on water. The Ardmore Fire Dept. tied into a fire plug to load them up. Also one shot of the traffic jam at Gene Autry and a shot of the train stopping at Highway 53 for BNSF to change their operating crew." -C. Dwane Stevens
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain1.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain2.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain3.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain4.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain5.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain6.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/CircusTrain7.jpg
You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. -Erma Bombeck
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Follow me on the TruVision lose weight program
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/truvision.html
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
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells:
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm's Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
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://cartercountyOK.us/
All previous issues of This & That can be found on my
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