I am always sadden when a member of our T&T family passes away. This week I received word Harold Pittman of Camarillo, California died at his home there at the age of 76. Harold was born in Ardmore and his AHS classmates will remember him as Sherrod Pittman. Mr. Pittman was the Tax Collector for Ventura County, California from 1988 until his retirement in 2002. Back in 2007 Harold sent me his newly published book History In Your Hand, a photo collection and history of Harold's years of collecting Ardmore and Carter County banknote currencies from back when banks printed their own money before the creation of the National banking system in 1935.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/HistoryInYourHand7a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/HaroldPittmanColor.jpg
Before his book in 2007 Harold sent me copies of 4 banknotes in 1998. The banknotes are beautiful full color legal tender instruments at that time period.
Healdton banknote
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/HealdtonBanknote1917.jpg
Ardmore's Exchange National Bank
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos/exchbnk.jpg
Ardmore's First National Bank
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos/fnbnkard.jpg
Ardmore's State National Bank
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos/stnatbnk.jpg
National Bank of Ardmore
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/photos/natbnkar.jpg
I did a search for Harold Pittman's book History In Your Hand and did not find any online. I know in 2007 the book was $20 including shipping. If anyone is interested I may be able to find out if the book is still available from Harold's sister, Sami Southerland in Texas.
Ardmoreite Lisa Holden submitted a neat piece of Carter County history this week. A group photo of the Baum, Oklahoma (NE Carter County) school's students taken in 1921.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/BaumSchoolPhoto1921.jpg
On the back of the photo is the list of student's names.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/BaumSchoolList1921.jpg
Old photo of the Willis, Oklahoma ferry across Lake Texoma.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/WillisOKferry.jpg
I was walking down Ardmore's Main Street last week and something caught my eye. A sign that read: Picks Hot Tamales. I remember stopping in at Pick's Tamales at the south edge of Davis, Oklahoma back in the 70s and bringing a dozen home. I don't know the story behind this sign in Ardmore at the old Stramick's Jewelry Store (112 West Main) now housing the One Truth Recording Studio. Maybe they are selling Pick's Tamales from Sulphur?
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/PicksHotTamalesArdmore.jpg
Below is a photo of J.R. Shaw Tire Shop in Ardmore when it was located in the unit block of West Broadway where Southern Vending offices are located today.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/JRShawTires.jpg
A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
Three Shot, One Killed, Two Wounded, Alleged Result of Family Row Saturday April 13, 1918 - The Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore, Oklahoma
W.B. Bentley, a carpenter, who lived at 315 Fourth avenue northwest, was shot about 10 o'clock last night at his home and died at 3 o'clock this morning at the Hardy Sanitarium. His wife and her daughter by a former marriage, Mrs. Leonard Brown, are in the sanitarium seriously wounded.
A call came to the police station about 10 o'clock last night and Officers Johnson and Fenley responded. They found Bentley at the corner of Fourth avenue and C street northwest, he having walked there, a distance of a block, after being shot. At the house they found Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Brown both wounded. All the parties were taken to the sanitarium.
Dr. Walter Hardy said this morning that Bentley was shot in the abdomen four times there being 15 punctures in the intestines. His left arm had been broken by a bullet. Across his breast there was a scalping wound and one entering the side and penetrating the left flank.
Mrs. Bentley's left arm was broken and she was also shot in the right hip the bullet entering the abdominal cavity. Mrs. Brown's left arm was broken by a bullet and one passed through her right knee cap.
Information leading to the cause of the shooting is meager, as the parties were alone in their home at the time. The husband of Mrs. Brown, Leonard Brown, is with the army in France and she has been staying with her mother and stepfather. It is alleged that she did all the shooting. As the police gathered the story, there was a family row in progress when the young woman secured a gun which her stepfather attempted to take from her, that he knocked her down and was wrestling with her on the floor for possession of the gun when the shooting occurred. The weapon was a .32 automatic pistol containing nine bullets and Doctor Hardy said could have been no misses as he found where evry one of the nine bullets had struck either the body of Bentley, Mrs. Bentley or Mrs. Brown. The shots the young woman inflicted upon herself were presumed to be accidental. The body of Bentley was taken to the undertaking rooms of Brown & Bridgman.
This is a picture I took of the wind damage last week to the building in Lone Grove which housed Best Used Appliances Company.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/BestAppliancesDamage111715.jpg
I been watching the weather in the northern states this week with the snow and all. We all need to slow down on ice and snow and be careful when traveling. This is a video of an accident in Montana that turned into a multiple event in the matter of minutes from several crashes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvhRHiskRIc&feature=youtu.be
Some pavers I sandblasted the past week
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/JerryMcQuistionPaver.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bricks/OwlFlagstone112215.jpg
You can find gas prices for a particular Oklahoma town by entering the name or zip code in the GasBuddy search box.
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/
The probiotic I take continues to amaze me week after week. I wish I would have found out about it long ago. I continue to see a reduction in my gut and I feel better than I have in years. If you really want to get rid of that belly fat I truly believe probiotics is a "must have".
http://oklahomahistory.net/probiotics.html
Someone mentioned to me their electric bill is larger in the winter than in the summer because they have an all-electric home. Electricity is their only way of heating the house in the dead of winter. That's all the more reason to own an Okie Power Saver. And OG&E continues to report each week I am in the "Efficient group". I have only been placed in this efficient group since I installed my Okie Power Saver last April. My Okie Power Savers are also a FULL house surge protector. You say you have brown-outs? All the more reason to own a Power Saver unit.
Q. The first batch of Girl
Scout cookies were sold in what Oklahoma town?
A. Muskogee, Oklahoma
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/history.asp
Q. Thanksgiving, or
Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth
Thursday in November. It has been celebrated as a federal holiday every year
since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a
national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth
in the Heavens", to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. When was the
first Thanksgiving in the United States celebrated?
A. (answer in next week's T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of November 17, 2001:
I received another surprise letter in the
mail this week. It was addressed to Butch Bridges, Doctor of Information. The
letter was from a fellow historian and friend in Healdton, Oklahoma, Kenneth
Eck, who probably knows as much about Healdton, Oklahoma history as anybody
around! If you want to know anything about Healdton history, Kenneth is the
go-to guy. Anyway, inside this envelope Kenneth had some photos of this nice
bell south of Healdton. The bell is owned by George Featherston and he's got
another bell, but it is in storage, and Mr. Featherston can't get to it right
now.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/geobella.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/geobellb.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/geobellc.jpg
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I've seen a lot of Christmas trees in my
lifetime, but the one we have at the Carter County Commissioners office has more
character then any tree I can remember. Let me back up here just a wee bit and
tell you how this unusual tree came about: The secretaries at the county
commissioners office wanted to have a Christmas tree. Friday morning County
Commissioner Joe McReynolds drove up and James Lindsey, courthouse maintenance,
noticed a branch from a pine tree caught up under the bumper of Joe's truck.
James removed the limb and took it to Michelle and Phyllis in the office and
said, "Here's you a Christmas tree"! Well, those two girls used their
imaginations, performed a miracle on this pine tree branch and here is the
results!
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/ChristmasTree2001.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
We've had a lot of cold and ice and snow here in Oklahoma this week. And I've
been drinking more hot tea. There are still some of us dyed-in-the-wool hot tea
drinkers around. Even though 99% of the people in this country prefer coffee, in
England it's a different story. The British don't drink coffee, not even ice
tea, only hot tea. So I thought it would be interesting to see what the British
think of 3 popular teas in this country. I mailed the tea to a group of
discriminating tea testers I've assembled in the UK just for that purpose, to
taste test these 3 teas. I took the tea bags out of the boxes, put them in 3
different baggies, and numbered the bags 1, 2 and 3, so the taste testers have
no idea which tea is which. The teas I've mailed to England for testing are
Cain's Tea, Lipton Tea, and Luzianne Tea. I hope to have the results of this tea
test in next week's T&T! By the way, these panel of tea testers in England have
promised not to let the December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party play any part in
their considerations.
I've set up a Poll with these 3 teas available for your vote right now. I remember which tea was the only tea my mother would buy. So cast your vote, let's see which tea rates Number 1 with T&T readers
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/thepolls.html
----------------------------------------------------
Ernest Martin sent me a couple of photos
he took on the construction of the new dome for the Capitol building in Oklahoma
City. Ernest took this pic on November 25, 2001.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/capitoldome.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/capitoldome2.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/capitoldome3.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
Last week I told about Jim Hill (Springer,
OK) and his sister Fay (from Ohio) stopping by and sharing some old photos they
had of southern Oklahoma. Jim and Fay grew up at Woodford, Oklahoma near
Mountain Lake in northern Carter county. Here's a pic of Woodford school.
http://www.OklahomaHistory.net/ttphotos/woodsch23.jpg
I'll start with three photos of the 1915 explosion here in Ardmore Jim and Fay shared.
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/Explosion1915a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/Explosion1915b.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/Explosion1915c.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
About a month ago my dog, well she's not
really my dog, but my neighbors, but since she spends as much time at my house
as theirs, I call her "my dog"? Anyway a month ago she had a "hot spot" on her
tail end, and licked it so much it was raw. I tried everything, and everything I
put on the sore, she'd lick it off. Finally I decided to try some Noxzema Skin
Cream and guess what? She didn't lick that awful tasting stuff but once. And I
can report the sore has completely healed up! Here's a pic of this 12 year old
darling I call Sweet Pea!
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/SweetPea2000.jpg
----------------------------------------------------
1987 group photo of all the Ardmore post
office crew! Boy, that brought back some memories!
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/ArdmoreUSPS1987.jpg
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"Hi Butch, I have the book "The Secret of
Sherwood Forest" Oil production in England during World War II, written by Guy
H. Woodward and Grace Steele Woodward. The person who inquired about Sherwood
Forest might check at the library to see if they have a copy or contact the
librarian at the Noble Foundation, I believe his name is Patrick Brennan. I am
sure they have a copy out there. It is very interesting and unbelievable how
they did their work in hiding. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and time
off."
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
Some mail from this week's MAILBAG.....
"Hi Butch, Small world. I was reading the article in last
week's T&T about New
Wilson and the gas line. My granddad worked for the Texas Company for 30 years.
We are all from Texas. I was surprised that when I called Texaco years that they
had never heard of the Texas Company. Here is the front and back pictures of his
watch that I inherited. He lived from 1883-1954. Have a great Thanksgiving and
enjoy the turkey and all of the BLESSINGS that we enjoy." -Cecil
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/JAElliottRetirementWatch1947a.jpg
http://www.oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos15b/JAElliottRetirementWatch1947b.jpg
"Dear Butch: I wanted to tell you and all your readers of the T&T about a little known but wonderful radio station that is available on the Internet. Yesterday USA, broadcast old time radio shows from the 1920s - 1950s, 24 hours a day - 7 days a week." -Larry Paul
http://www.yesterdayusa.com/
"On May 31, 1944 , Dr. Hardy delivered me from my mom Aileen Sue Johnson Staples. As the story goes I was born with my intestines on the outside of my body. Dr. Hardy called a specialist from back east . Together they successfully put my intestines back inside my body. I have been told I was the first such person to survive the operation. I have a long scar on my chest so at least part of the story is correct. In any case I have lived to 71 with no desire to punch out." -Ronald N Staples in Chickasha, Ok
"I received an email this week inquiring the location of the old Cisco school house. Butch, I believe it must have been about 1982, Patty Norton told in her Tales, Trails, and Footprints column about Cisco School and included an early day picture of the school. Told about how the school came to be and some of its early history. Lots of people were in the picture, including a man believed to have been Breckenridge Hammond, the teacher. I have a copy of the article, but can't seem to find it right now. Patty had interviewed Henry Cisco, the son (or grandson) of the Cisco for whom the school was named."
No matter how big or how small your Thanksgiving Day was today, we need to give thanks for all the bountiful things we have in this land of the free. The big Thanksgiving Day get-togethers with my family of years ago are all gone now, so many have passed away. Back in the 60s we'd have 30 or 40 family members for Thanksgiving Day at the 3rd Northeast homeplace. So many times my grandfather, Stanley Carmon, would bring in a 4x8 sheet of plywood from the lumber yard to place on the dining room table so more people could sit down together. I'm thankful for all those good times back then, and thankful for family and friends I have today. Hope all my T&T family is enjoying good Thanksgiving holidays.
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
-Grandpa Jones
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
Government Website
http://cartercountyOK.us/
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