Email: [email protected]
11:11 PM 3/22/2022
Phone: 580-490-6823
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Below is December 7, 2006 to December 28, 2006.
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December 21, 2006 Circulation over 5,000 Vol 10 Issue 517
The web version of this newsletter can be read at…… AOL Click Here https://oklahomahistory.net/newsletters/ttnewsDEC06.html
Voncille Shipley lives up near Elmore City and has just came out with another book, a novel titled, Left for Dead. It a novel and Jill is reading it now, and can hardly set the book down. I let her tell everyone more in the next T&T. In the meantime, here is what Voncille wrote this week:
“Dear Butch, It’s been nearly three years since I published Land of Sun and Flowers, sequel to This Raw, Red Land. My new novel, just published, departs drastically from these historical novels. A contemporary mystery with an entirely new cast of characters, it still follows guidelines I established for all my writing: no graphic sex or unacceptable language but a gripping story that some people find hard to put down until they finish. Please check my web site for further details.” -Voncille Shipley Click Here – Click Here
Jill has been busy the past couple weeks working on an old pie safe that belonged to my great grandmother Ida Murphree Miller. Granny Miller lived across the street east from the old Washington School. I know this pie safe has got to be close to 100 years old. From looking at the before and after pics, I think I’ve got quite a talented wife. She still has a little touching up to do on the pie safe, but you’ll get a good idea of what this piece of little known history looks like. Old timers put their pies and cake in it to keep the flies for of them in days long ago. The metal inserts has small holes to let the safe breath. Click Here – Click Here
Last week I think all of my T&Ts that went to webtv subscribers bounced back to me. Dont know what the reason was, maybe this week will be better.
There was two retirement parties last week for 2 long time employees of the courthouse. Norma Robinson with the Assessors Office and housekeeping supervisor Juanita Conway both called it a day and went home. I know they will enjoy not punching a clock everyday after all those years. Click Here – Click Here
Here is another interesting piece of Ardmore history from the 1975 Shrine Club Rodeo Program. Its the old Jewish Temple that was located where now is the Ardmoreite building’s east parking lot. Click Here
I found a great anti spyware software. Its really two pieces of software combined, a anti-spyware and a anti-virus. Its called Spyware Terminator and I’ll put it up against any of the commercial anti spyware programs any day. It uses ClamwinAV to keep viruses off in real time if you have Windows 2000 or Windows XP. (It works with Windows 98 but not in real time). If you dont have such a program on your computer, and need a free one that works great, I urge to go to visit their website and read all about the completely free Spyware Terminator program. Spyware Terminator Website
Last week I had a back link to the Cobb School over by Durant, Oklahoma. Here it is again. Click Here
This is a unusual monstrosity located a few miles north of Lexington, Oklahoma on Highway 77. It looks like it walked right out of a horror movie of outer space and is roaming the countryside ready to devour humans. Click Here
Last Friday night Jill and I went to the Washington Theater here in Ardmore and watched a 2 hour musical Christmas presentation by the Main Street Showcase singers out of Denison Texas. What a great show they put on, one song after another. And they saved the best for last, a musical performance of what Christmas is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Here is some pics I took. Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here
Last Friday Carr Tuck Pointing out of Iowa finished up their job of doing some repair work on the outside of the courthouse, caulking all the granite seams, and power washing the outside of the building. Its been about 10 years or so and our winters had taken its toll on the outside of the building. In a coupe of years the courthouse will celebrate its 100th birthday, and you will not find a better preserved and maintained building for is age in all of the county.
Ernest Martin out on Springdale Road sent in a photo he took of a hawk that visits his fence everyday. They are so beautiful, I can not understand how anyone could shoot them. Glad this one is surviving in the backyard of a friend. Click Here
With colder, wet weather the past couple days we’ve sure been enjoying a hot bowl of chili from Farmers Market. Jill tasted it for the first time last week and can hardly believe how delicious it is, reminding her of some chili she ate in California years ago. Of course a lot of us here in Ardmore knows the chili at Farmers Market is probably the best in the area. I keep looking for a better tasting chili and have not found it yet. Click Here
My home computer has been broadcasting out for two weeks now… seems to be working fine using Shoutcast as the broadcast software. Several said not only can they hear the music using Winamp, but also other programs like Windows Media Player, etc. If you want to use Winamp go to http://www.winamp.com and install their FREE version. When you’ve done that, you will start Winamp and click in the upper left hand corner and go down to PLAY A URL. Click that and enter the following:
http://72.24.129.232:8000
This week I add a song, Gift of Peace, by Shelly Aronson of NJ. Shelly is a sister of Mitchell Lindenberg who died in the plane crash at the Ardmore Airpark in 1966 along with 82 others young servicemen.
Shirley Zink brought by an old 1963 map of Ardmore. It has a lot of photos of historical places in Ardmore, but what really caught my attention was who drew the map. It is signed by Burl Chadwell. I remember Burl well back in the 60s when I was a kid, and I had forgotten he made street maps for the City of Ardmore, basically hand drawn. There has been a ton of streets added to the map of Ardmore since Burl drew that map in 1963. His son Craig Chadwell still lives in Ardmore with his wife Nancy. Thanks Shirley for the old map of Ardmore.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“I notice from time to time you write about finding old fashioned delicious hamburgers at various Ardmore and other OK and Texas hamburger stands. Permit me to give you a story about one in Ft Smith, AR in the 1940s.The Denham’s ran it and it was next door to my grand parents house. They had the most delectable burgers ever! Meat was cooked in open skillets on a three burner natural gas stove sitting on a shelve. Sometimes the grease would catch fire causing a flare up but that didn’t phase the Denham’s at all. They just put a lid on the flames and kept on cooking! All they used on the burgers was a Pansze Meat MKT ground meat patty, Cherokee Brand mustard on Young’s Bakery buns, sliced sour pickle chips and a white onion cubes. A dime would get you a hamburger and a Dr. Pepper! Sixty-Six years later this is all I want on my burgers is mustard, pickles and onions.Forget the lettuce, tomatoes, special sauces, etc!!! Denham’s always had a half dozen loaves of Young’s bread for sale to the neighborhood. My grand mother didn’t know how they could buy bread when the price went up 2 cents, from 9 to 11 cents! Good Old Days??? You bet!!!” -H E Huber, Plano TX
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“Tom Meason asked if there were any “old timers” still around that were in Grissoms Drug when Pearl Harbor was bombed. I was there eating a 5 cent chocolate sundae.” -Bud Patterson
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“I found the story about Weber’s Root Beer and the invention of the hamburger. Here’s the link: Gerald Whitworth, Glenpool, Oklahoma Click Here
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Robert Lamar Howell Jr is the 15th from the left standing beside the man with black jacket and plaid pants. Click Here
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“Just stumbled across your site today. I read your article about Brown Springs and now am wanting to pay it a visit sometime soon. My sister and brother-in-law live in Love Valley and have been to visit them several times, but never ventured over to Brown Springs. I live in Tulsa, but grew up in Durant. There’s so much history in Southern Oklahoma. My wife and I own 60 acres near Mead (between Durant and Lake Texoma). The land is only about 1 mile from the old Butterfield Stage stop of Fisher’s Station (also known as Carriage Point). We visit it several times a year just to walk around on the land. The land was owned by my father-in-law and his family for generations. There have always been arrowheads found on the land. There was a rumor when my father-in-law was a child of Spanish gold buried on the land. He said that when he was a child that they would go to the land and find rocks had been moved around and holes dug on the land from people searching for the treasure. He said that there were also Indian carvings on the sandstone walls of the creek that flows through the land. A couple of years ago I took a picture of my wife and our youngest son sitting on a tree that was growing horizontal on the land. My wife was showing it to one of her coworkers and he said that this tree was what he called an “Indian Tree” and that Indians would strap down saplings to grow horizontally in order to point to certain places. These places could be springs, sacred grounds or others. Later that year I was walking on the land and decided to follow the direction pointed by the tree. I followed it about 100 yards when I came upon an area where several trees were bent to form an arch or room. Under the arch was where a spring once bubbled from the ground. There’s not much water there now, but from the erosion around the spring and on down the hill it is clear that a good deal of water once flowed from the spring. I want to go explore more of this area, but since this land is undeveloped I only try to get out and explore in the fall and winter once the snakes, ticks and chiggers are gone. There are several areas on the land, near the creek, that appear to have been built up. These are circular in shape and my guess is that there was once an Indian village or camp there and the areas were built up in case the creek overflowed. Once while poking around with my metal detector I found a trace chain from a wagon and team. This was buried on the creek bank about 2 feet below the surface. I dug the chain out of the creek bank and brought it to Tulsa. I don’t know if it is Spanish or how old it might be. I would like to take it somewhere and have it examined. It was pretty well rusted when I found it. Who knows this might be the chain from one of the Spanish wagon loads of gold that are supposed to be buried there. More than likely it is an old chain lost when a wagon was crossing the creek, but it is fun to imagine what this might be. Keep up the great work. I’m enjoying looking at your site.” -Gerald Whitworth, Glenpool, Oklahoma
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“Butch, looking at the pics u took in OKC at the ma and pop diner, love all the coke memorabilla, i collect coke myself. I would love to have the phone# if u have it, so that i may call them and find out where they get alot of there coke things. I have a 6 pack of coke from the 70’s from my mom and dads club in Ardmore, Claudine’s Place, which is now Virgies at the corner of Ast NE and Hwy. 70. Would really like to know where they get all of their coke merchandise. If it is not too much trouble, think u could get the phone #. Oh by the way, Merry Christmas to you and Jill. Congrats on your marriage. Keep the good articles coming.” -Punkin in Scott, Louisiana
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“Butch, Here is the location of While Mound. White Mound, near Nebo, sec.20, T.2S, R.3E; sec.5, T.2S, R.1W; sec.34, T.1S, R.2E, in Sylvan Shale: barite (“dollars” consisting of fine radiating needles) (Ham and Merritt 1944).” -Larry Guthrie [email protected] Click Here
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“Please tell Jayson Pruitt that the air potato plant is a horrible enemy here in FL. We beg all who will listen to pull them out and throw the potatoes away.. because they will sprout the next year even if you try to burn them in the burn pit! They choke all the trees around here and prevent the native plants from growing, getting nutrients and sunshine. They are also extremely ugly to see growing all over everything..They don’t even have a bloom worth mentioning… I guess the novelty of this plant for some people must be because they don’t have to witness and deal with the utter onslaught each year of this Maniac plant!! It grows so fast you can actually sit and see it growing!! Maybe I should go out and take a picture of what these plants do around here in Central eastern FL.” -Licia Babb -FL
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“Mr. Harrington wrote in about his future sister-in-law being married to a Harlan Lavers, he was my brother and is now deceased. My family lived on the S.E. corner of 11th and A NE, directly across from Joe Taylors. Harlan was married to a Mina Gilstrap in the early 50s. Her family lived on the SW corner of 10th and C NE. Another Gilstrap family lived on 11th and B. A young athlete named Hobo Gilstrap lived there. I read he recently won a senior race back east lately.” -Dennis Lavers
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“We decorated our house and programmed the lights with a PC and they change to the beat of the music. We currently have three songs totaling about ten minutes and we are working on adding more before christmas. Anyway come and check it out. This attachment is a small clip of one of the songs. Merry Christmas.” -David, Meredith and Victoria
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“Butch, I was reading the post about the book “History of Indian Territory”, published 1901, by D. C. Giddeon. I don’t have any SUGGS but was curious as to other surnames in the book and found this link with an index of surnames, thought it might help someone else who was also curious.”-Candace Gregory [email protected] Click Here – GREGORY DNA Project Click Here – SANDIFER DNA Project Click Here
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“I am looking for any information on the first cattle sale barns in Ada, OK Maybe you know where I can look. Thanks.” [email protected]
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“Butch, I grew up in Blanchard, OK. Jody Miller would perform at our school Christmas programs each year. The whole gym would be packed. Her daughter was in the same grade as my older sister. Jody was trying to push a singing career for daughter at one point. She would be on the local news stations. I was never clear on who Jody Miller was as a child but the community always showed up when she would sing.” -Debbie
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“Hi, it is such a joy to read about “home”. I was born in Durwood and raised in the Sulphur area. My folks owned and operated the Drake Grocery Store, their name was Coleman. I now live in Arizona and love reading about the Ardmore area. I am very homesick!! Hope to visit soon.” -Marcy Nadeau
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“Butch- An impressive memorial was established, November 11, 2006, on the grounds of the Texas Travel Information Center just south of the Red River. It memorializes the 103rd Infantry Division that was stationed at Camp Howze prior to going overseas in WWII. Two other infantry divisions, the 84th and 86th also trained there but are not part of the memorial. The weather was perfect for the 3 p.m.dedication attended by an estimated 1,000 people, many were veterans of the 103rd that were bused from Dallas where they were attending their annual reunion. The Fort Sill Brass quintet provided the music. Master of Ceremonies was Tom Carson, KGBF-AM radio. Walter Modrzejewski, 103rd Chaplain gave the invocation. Texas A & M Corps of Cadets posted the colors. Lejeune “Rabbit” Wilson, a 103rd veteran, told of his effort and others to make the monument possible. Texas State Land Commissioner, Jerry Patterson; the TxDOT Commissioner, Ric Williamson; Texas State Veterans Commissioner, Charlie Buerschinger and Rep. Michael Burgess also spoke. The realistic statue of a 103rd Infantryman, “Call to Duty,” was unveiled by the sculptor, Edd Hayes. It truly is a work of art. The 21-gun salute was provided by VFW Post No. 122. The always touching, taps, closed the ceremony. Camp Howze was activated August 17, 1942. Approximately 90,000 soldiers trained on the 58,000 acres of rolling plains northwest of Gainesville, Texas, until the base was deactivated in October 1945 and dismantled in late 1946. During the three years, many of the 90,000 walked the streets of Ardmore on weekends or bivouacked in Lake Murray Park as part of training. As an elementary student at Springdale, I remember the excitement of being able to visit with soldiers and hold a M1 rifle when a platoon of marching soldiers from Howze took a “smoke break” along the road in front of the school. Beginning in 1943, approximately 3,000 German prisoners of war were imprisoned there or shipped to other POW camps. Ardmore Army Air Field’s, 200 POWs, were assigned from Camp Howze and returned there after helping with the base closing at Ardmore.” [email protected] Click Here – Click Here
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“Butch, if you eat out here is the list of violations from the state department of health for Carter county restaurants and their violations.” Click Here
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=======================================Jill and I appreciate all the emails and snail mail Christmas cards we’ve receive the past couple weeks from so many of you. I think all the cards we received in the mail has really driven home to Jill the fact of how big family we are here, scattered all across the country, and meeting here like this every week. I can’t put into words how much we appreciate everyone. So from our family to yours……
Merry Christmas everyone!
Butch and Jill Bridges
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December 14, 2006 Circulation over 5,000 Vol 10 Issue 516
The web version of this newsletter can be read at…… AOL Click Here https://oklahomahistory.net/newsletters/ttnewsDEC06.html
A couple months ago we had stories and photos from the 1976 Ardmore Shrine Club Rodeo Program. Well, this week I got my hands on the 1975 Program, so I’ll be scanning photos and articles from that issue over the next few weeks.
At the 1975 Shrine Club Rodeo Jody Miller was the star attraction. Some of her hit songs were Queen of the House, He Walks Like a Man, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Home of the Brave. She was born in Arizona, but raised in Blanchard, Oklahoma. Click Here
Here is a page showing the 5 candidates running for rodeo queen in 1975. They are Bonnie Burkhart, Sissy Green, Cindy Harris, Debbie Shorter, and Beverly Pletcher. Click Here
One article in the program book that interested me, I never heard of this, is the ‘white mound’ located SW of Sulphur, Oklahoma in the Arbuckle mountains. The mound was an accumulation of fossils and the beginning reached 100 feet high. Today it is non-existent. Click Here
There was a group photo in the Program book taken in 1975 of the gang at the Ardmore post office. I bet there is someone out there that can probably name almost everyone in the photo. Click Here
In last week’s issue Ken Updike at Wilson sent in a photo took some time back of an old school. The problem is he cant remember where the school was located. Well, Jayson Pruitt came through and said the school is located at Cobb, Oklahoma just North of Durant and east of Brown, Oklahoma. Click Here
I ate a California orange and a Florida orange this week, both within hours of each other on the same day. The California orange wins hands down when it comes to flavor and juice. Now to find a orange from down south at “the valley” and see how it compares. Back in the 60s we had kinfolk in McAllen, Texas, Howard and Irene Heath, and they would bring us a big box of oranges and grapefruit every Christmas.
I received an email this week from Jim Martin. He has spoken about the Tiny Chapel east of Ardmore near Dickson, Oklahoma in past issues of T&T and lie to hear from anyone interested in seeing this piece history kept up and all. He’s looking for any help, manual help or financial help, please send him an email. Jim Martin [email protected] Click Here
If you live near Ardmore….. the Main Street Entertainers and Showcase Band from Sherman, Texas will put on their Country Christmas Special friday December 15th at 8pm. Most of you will remember their Christmas special was cancelled 4 weeks ago because of the ice and snow. Jill and I have been looking forward to hearing the Main Street Entertainers again, and when Don Lewis sent in the email below, we are really ready now! It’s going to be some great singing and entertainment, hope to see some of you there!
“Just a reminder about Friday night. The Washington Theatre will be the place to be. The Showcase Band and some special guests will be doing their “Winter Wonderland Christmas” show and what a great show it is. Carolyn and I drove down to Denison, Texas last Saturday night to enjoy the 2 hour show at the Rialto Theater and every seat in the house was full. Whatever you do, don’t leave before the last song is over because it alone is worth the price of admission.” -Don Lewis Click Here – Click Here
Last June I had an email asking if anyone had a photograph of the old Pruitt school. The country school house adjoined Pruitt cemetery on the southside, just north of Gene Autry Road and Highway 199 East. Maybe someone has a picture stored away somewhere, and will share it with everyone.
My computer has been broadcasting out for a week now… seems to be working fine. I’m still toying with the idea of live broadcasts…. so maybe soon. Also you must have Winamp installed on your computer to listen to the music or to the live broadcasts when I start doing those. Just go to http://www.winamp.com and install their FREE version. When you’ve done that, you will start Winamp and click in the upper left hand corner and go down to PLAY A URL. Click that and enter the following:
and that should do it. Since only one T&T reader wrote in last week when I asked for suggestions on what to broadcast, I had to decide something. And you know me, it would be different from the norm. I have placed 15 Hanukkah songs on the playlist, since Hanukkah is the Jewish Holiday season in a sense. I can see the now closed Jewish Temple Emeth from my house, so I decided to broadcast some Jewish music during this holiday season,, especially to all my Jewish friends on T&T. Since Ardmore was the first town in Oklahoma to have a Jewish Temple built around the large Jewish community that settled here, I kind of look at the music streaming out over the internet as a piece of history from Ardmore’s past. And I see from the broadcast Log, people from all over the world has been logging in to my computer with Winamp to check it out and listen for a little while. Its really some beautiful music. Just go to the URL http://72.24.129.232:8000 in Winamp. If you have any questions on installing Winamp, dont hesitate to call or send me an email.
Jill and I were in the SW part Oklahoma City on December 9th visiting my cousin Joyce Brakebill and her husband James. It was getting close to noon and they said let’s go eat and ask what we were hungry for, so I said an old fashion hamburger from a local ma and pa type place. They recommended Dan’s Ol’ Time Diner just north of 89th and South Western. Now let me tell you, they couldnt have picked a better place. It was exactly what I was looking for, a hamburger just like you’d make at home. But this was no ordinary eating establishment, it had one theme throughout….. Coke. If you want to see Cocoa Cola boxes and advertisements from the past, this is a must see place. Its everywhere. I took a lot of pictures including one of Joyce and James and my wife Jill sitting at a booth waiting on their hamburger. Waiting at our booth Click Here
Here’s a couple of pics of the employees and the fry cook working the order desk. Click Here – Click Here
These some pics I took of the all the Coke items scattered all around the room. Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here –
This is a pic I took of the front entrance to the Diner. Click Here
Speaking of my wife Jill, she’s doing a pretty good job getting me all trained and everything. (But keep in mind she didnt have much to work with the last 4 weeks since becoming a Mrs. Bridges.) She makes out a list, I go to Walmart with it and bring back everything she had on it. She got me to cut my hair, start wearing some slacks instead of Levis, and a lot more. So I’m doing good. I’m even taking baths now, so she’s doing a great job . lol I sure love that woman. Any of you who’ve been married a long time and knows any shortcuts she can take on getting me trained quicker, send her an email. [email protected] Click Here
I received a call this week from a guy here in Ardmore who has an old cast iron type bellows he’d like to sale. Its the kind with a hand crank that is turned to force the air out into the furnace of coals, etc. This is probably around 100 years old. It say on the side its made by Buffalo Forge Company in Buffalo, NY. He said its real heavy, around 50 pounds. If anyone is interested give Steve a call at 580-223-8494 for more info.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“About Taylor grocery, it was on 11th NE and on the same corner across the street is where I met my future wife (Virginia Gilstrap). That would be on the northeast corner from the store. My future brother-in-law Leslie Fisher worked at the store for a time. The name of Lavers was mentioned and my sister-in-law married a Harlan Lavers though not sure if related or not. Incidentally the new AOL version helped and appreciate it!” -Bob Farrington
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“I have a book “History of Indian Territory”, published 1901, by D. C. Giddeon. It is autographed by H.S. Suggs and Ed Suggs, of Berwyn, OK. I had some communication with a Gloria Jean Suggs quite a while ago, but have had no communication with any of the Suggs family sense. Does anyone know of anyone related to the Suggs family of Berwyn, or any information that could help me. ” Click Here
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“Here is something you may be interested in. They have health benefits and other things for people over 50. It looks so good I believe I will find out more about it.” Click Here
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The mail carrier was Roy Withers. The picture came from the Ringling Celebration Program that was handed out at the Ringling Golden Jubilee Celebration in 1964.
Caption read:
Mail Must Go Through – This is Roy Withers, now of Wirt, as he started on his mail run one day from Old Healdton, one-half mile east of the present Healdton, before the railroad came through the area. The mail was picked up each day at Ardmore, hauled in covered wagons and various other vehicles, some with as many as four horses pulling them. Mr. Withers was the only one equipped with a car at that time. He’s pictured above as he started from Healdton, the distribution point, to deliver his load at Rag Town (Wirt), Old Cornish and Butcher Knife (Atlee). It must have taken some loading to get everything on the trusty old touring car. He remembers this day well; the round boxes tied on the front contained derby hats. Mr. Withers had just got started when the lashings broke “and some new derbies ended up as flat as a pancake.” This was in 1915 (Photo courtesy of Roy Withers) I am hoping someone, perhaps in the Withers family, has the original of this pic and would be willing to scan it and email it to me or make a copy to mail me.” -mindy taylor [email protected] Click Here
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The Wilson NewsJanuary 1915:
*The Oil Refinery at Ardmore took the first run of oil this week. *It is reported that the dynamite explosion here last Friday night was plainly heard two miles the other side of Healdton.February 1915:
*Misses Eula and Verda Marrs and Messrs. Jim McCorley and Bennie Darling drove to Healdton oil fields on Sunday for a pleasure trip. They report twelve rigs blown down by the wind storm. * The Wirt Post Office opened its doors last Monday. They have a carrier from the Healdton office. * In the state legislature the house passed a bill Friday providing for the payment of a pension of $10.00 a month to all disabled or indigent ex-confederate soldiers or sailors or their widows.March 1915
The Wilson School baseball team went to Ragtown last Saturday to play the school team of that place. The Wilson boys found a team of grown men, the boys team not having had practice enough to give them confidence to enter the game. The score was 17 to 36 in favor of Ragtown. $1,000, Dead or Alive – Governor Williams has offered the above reward in behalf of the state for Henry Starr and others who are supposed to have taken part in the daring raid on the State Bank at Carney on December 29.
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“Hi, I’m a researcher and historian of the Old West. I just recently finished a major new book, which is at the publishers, and am looking for something new to research. About twenty years ago, a girlfriend had an unusual photo of four men hanging in a barn. I got a copy made of it, and it has been hanging in my study ever since. Last year, I bought an expensive copy of Wellborn Hope’s Four Men Hanging. I am thinking of coming up to Oklahoma to do some research, but I am already surprised that the Internet has nothing on Wellborn Hope. Do anyone know anything of this man or his family at the time of the hanging or afterwards? Any help appreciate.” -Dennis McCown, Austin, Texas [email protected]
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“With about 3 weeks of 2006 left to go, it began snowing here in the valley, south of Bayfield, Colorado, at our adobe around 4:25 p.m. and by 7:30 p.m. MST we have accumulated almost an inch of the wet, white, fluffy stuff they call snow. Horses seem to be doing fine. Walked out in the pasture just a few moments ago to see where they were and called them by name and shortly afterwards, they came strolling towards us… and followed us into the corral where they found hay and water. Doquoti (paint horse) seemed to be nosing the snow as if she was eating it. Sadie (pug) does the same thing.” -Linda Wagner Click Here
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“Hey Butch, A couple of years ago, I sent you a photo of a bell on display in Helena, Mt. You put the pic on T&T and then contacted me about If I had a pic of the other side showing who made it. Well, I went up to Browning, MT this week for a burial on the Blackfeet rez, and swung through Helena on the way home and got your photo for you. Weather conditions were not good so the photo might not be to good, but the back of the bell says “The Jones Troy Bell Foundry Company, Troy NY 1886″. Also the bottom of the bell is about 36″ diameter or a little larger.” -Kirk Holley Smith, Hamilton, MT. Click Here – Click Here – Click Here
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“Thanks to Mr. George Peveto for identifying the D F Ellis Dry Goods as a Sulphur building. D F Ellis was my Grandfather. I was wondering if you have any relationship to the Ellis line or if you are just interested in old architecture. I would love to see the picture you have. I found an advertisement in the Davis News in 1909 indicating that he was combining his Sulphur and Davis operation into one store in Davis. Thanks again for the information.” -Dave Ellis, Irving, TX Click Here
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“Butch, how’s the moon plants doing? Have I ever told you about my air potatoes or friend ship vines? They are actually called Dioscorea bulbifera. They were brought here from Africa I think. In the southern states they are invasive because it won’t freeze them out. They make new tubulars every year and you take them off before the first freeze and save them in a paper bag in a dark spot in your house then plant them every Easter. If your lucky some of the old ones you plant will come back. This is the first year mine have bloomed although I couldn’t smell them like the websites say they smell. I will have to save you some of the bulbs. They are great to plant for the summer, love lots of sun and with wrap around stuff as they grow, they don’t cling to things like Ivy does. Here are some pictures of mine from the last couple of years.” -Jayson Pruitt [email protected] Click Here
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“Dear Butch, Congratulations on your marriage! We wish you many years of joy and happiness. I again want to thank you for your wonderful message that you send out to your readers. You honor so many with the telling of their memories and what a joy it is to read about the past and the history of Ardmore and the surrounding towns. Thank you again, Butch. Peace and blessings.” -Tweed and Helen
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“Your December 7th issue brought back memories of that day, 65 years ago, when the events at Pearl Harbor changed the world forever. I was 15 years old, a sophomore in Ardmore High, and had gone with some other kids to a movie at the Tivoli Theater. We came out at about 2:00 PM, and walked a block west to the Grissom Drug store, which occupied the SE corner of the Ardmore Hotel (now Lincoln Center), for ice cream sodas. We never got the sodas. There were several people huddled around one of those tall, arch top Philco radios listening to the terrifying news that Pearl Harbor was under attack by the Japanese and that another attack was expected on our west coast. I wonder if there are any other “old timers” left, who were in that drug store that day? If there are I’d like to hear from them. I think the Sammons lumber yard later became the Chickasaw lumber co., didn’t it? Your letter is great, Butch, thanks.” -Tom Meason, Tulsa, OK
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“Butch, I am a direct descendent of Jessie West of the Ada hanging. I have tried to email Vonessa Baker at Lorenaisd.net but the mail bounces. I am not sure how I should answer her mail to you on the adalynch page. My e-mail is [email protected]. My phone no at home is 505-356-8035. Thank you.” -Dona Hamar
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“This house is north of Wewoka, Oklahoma and the driveway was probably 600 feet long, it was just beautifully decorated for the holidays.” -Doug Williams Click Here
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=======================================HOLIDAY WISHES
Holidays are special times
To meet with those we love
And maybe focus more our thoughts
On things that are above
The daily grind of living
As we go through each day.
And so to you my many friends
This I would wish to say:A very happy Hanukkah
But if that’s not your thing,
May your Christmas time be joyous
As the merry bells all ring.
And then of course there’s Kwanzaa,
And the harvest of ‘first fruits’
For those whose family tree is sown
In Africa’s deep roots.To all of you who very soon
Will welcome in New Year,
May you celebrate in company
Of those that you hold dear.
To those of you that I have missed
As neither is your thing:
A warm and cuddly winter
And a bright and joyful spring.-Joh Gainey, Sulphur, Oklahoma
See everyone next week!
Butch Bridges
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December 7, 2006 Circulation over 5,000 Vol 10 Issue 515
In 1988 a man, reported to be the wealthiest man in the U.S. by the Dallas Morning News, died in Dallas. Probably only a handful of people in Ardmore knew of his passing and most probably never even recognized the last name and its connection to Ardmore. This man was born right here in Ardmore, and his parents were one of the first to settle in Ardmore in the 1890s. His dad started in the lumber business. Ardmore was just starting to build homes and businesses downtown, and it was the Sammons Lumber Yard that would provide much of the materials needed in the construction. This is a photo of the C.A. Sammons Lumber Yard, it was located across the street from where the Federal Building is located today (N. Washington and Broadway). Click Here
The following is taken from the Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book, 1983 and was originally published in 1899:
When C. A. Sammons came to Ardmore eleven years ago, or about one year after the town sprung into existence, there were not a half dozen stores in the whole place, and they were most primitive in both stock and structure. Mr. Sammons identified himself with F.M. Richardson Lumber Company and later became the general manager and a member of the firm as well, remaining in that capacity until 1894, when he bought out the entire business. Since that time he has had no partners, conducting his extensive lumber trade alone. The picture shows only a portion of the entire yards, which covered fully an acre of ground, and on which have been erected numerous substantial sheds to protect the stock from the elements. Business has been steady increasing, and Mr. Sammons has kept abreast of the times, always being prepared to fill all orders for every description of building material. He also carries a large stock of lime and cement. -“Good Times” edition of The Daily Ardmoreite – 1899. C.A. Simmons died December 16, 1911 at the age of 43. His wife Mary Georgie Sammons was born February 11, 1870 to January 26, 1910.
Charles A. Sammons Jr. learned at an early age that he disliked toil and preferred to be a thinker. Born in Ardmore, Oklahoma – Indian Territory, he was orphaned at age 11. From humble beginnings and without benefit of college training, his unique management style led him through various endeavors, and eventually to the insurance industry. With two associates, Sammons formed Postal Indemnity Co., which grew rapidly, acquiring other insurance concerns as it grew. In 1938, he began Reserve Life Insurance Co., which became the basis for his future success. He made generous donations toward health care and medical research. The “Charles A. Sammons Tumor Institute and Radiation Center” at Baylor University Medical Center, opened in 1977, was made possible by his $1 million challenge. In 1962, Sammons formed Sammons Enterprises, a holding company to facilitate ownership of his various companies.
Sammons Enterprises with assets of over 26 billion dollars is headquartered in Dallas. Just click on either of the two tabs on the webpage, Sammons Companies or Sammons Enterprises for the history. Click Here
Charles A. Sammons Center for the Arts in Dallas, Texas Click Here
This is a photo of Mr. Charles Sammons. Born June 5, 1898 and died November 12, 1988. Mr. Sammons is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery here in Ardmore in the family plot. Click Here
As I mentioned above the Sammons burial plot is located at Rose Hill Cemetery near the intersection of 10th and Manoah streets. Click Here – Click Here – Click Here – Click Here –
I can think of a lot of great men and women that has honored Ardmore as their birthplace. And even though Mr. Sammons left Ardmore at an early age, I think it stands as a great honor for him to be returned to his birthplace of Ardmore, Oklahoma after 90 long years of life.
As an added note, Manoah was the father of Sampson in Biblical times. Manoah lived 8 miles west of Jerusalem. Manoah means quiet or rest. What a fitting name for street in Rose Hill Cemetery. Click Here
Ken Updike at Wilson sent in a photo this week he took some time back. Its a picture of an old school, but he cant remember where the school was located. Maybe someone out there will recognize the building and write in to let us know. Click Here
In last week’s T&T when I told about taking pics of snow at Central Park, I forgot to add the links to the pictures. Here’s the pics I snapped at 7pm Thursday evening November 30, 2006 at Central Park. Click Here – Click Here
These three pictures I took of the snow looking out across the street from our house. Everything looks so clean and beautiful when there’s snow on the ground. Click Here – Click Here – Click Here
My uncle Donald Bridges sent in the following article on my cousin Gene Bridges. Gene is the eldest son of Ted and Gertrude Bridges. The article appeared in the McCurtain Gazette on 11-27-06.
“1967, 39 years ago this week: Gene Bridges, owner and pilot of Gebco Airlines, is offering commercial flights to and from Oklahoma City, based out of the Idabel, Oklahoma Airport. A round trip ticket is $23.50 and air freight service is also being offered.”
This past week my photos set another record….. the pics I have on webshots received 2,120 hits. I dont think they have had that many hits in a week since I put them on the webshots album. Click Here
Mark your calendars if you live near Ardmore….. the Main Street Entertainers from Sherman will try again to put on their County Christmas Special Friday December 15th at 8pm. Click Here – Click Here
And I been working on internet broadcasting from my home computer. I think I got it all configured right, it seems to be working ok. I have placed some Christmas music ‘online’ to listen. You must have Winamp installed on your computer to listen to the music or to the live broadcasts when I start doing those. Just go to http://www.winamp.com and install their FREE version. When you’ve done that, you will start Winamp and click in the upper left hand corner and go down to PLAY A URL. Click that and enter the following:
http://72.24.129.232:8000
and that should do it. If I am broadcasting you should hear it. I hope to broadcast at least in the evenings up until Christmas, since I have my computer playing Christmas music.
If you have any questions on installing Winamp, dont hesitate to call or send me an email.
SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG
“The sandblasting you’re doing to frost your glass panels is not very vigorous. You can create patterns using masking tape (be sure to use the kind that will peel easily and can withstand sunlight), or paper painted with rubber cement and allowed to dry before put on the glass. You can then cut patterns in the paper, leaving exposed areas where you want to frost the glass. A more durable method, something that will withstand being pulled up and re-applied, is a material called “frisket”. This is a self-adhesive plastic film artists in several media use to create masks to cover and protect areas (usually to keep paint off an area, or to control where it is applied). You peel off the backing, apply it to the glass, and with a new sharp blade (and Exacto knife works well), cut the pattern. Peel out the areas you want to frost, and sandblast. The plastic is tough enough that you can re-use it. Another thing you might try, if you can find the design or pattern you want, is a painting or bordering stencil. These are made out of heavy plastic film, and have a repeating pattern, usually for borders, in the shape of leaves, flowers, and vines. You can even overlay patterns, spraying one pattern (for example the vine) heavier and make it stand out from the other patterns. All of these materials should be available from Hobby Lobby.”
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“Butch, I was looking over the list of grocery stores in Ardmore on your web site. Joe Taylor’s Grocery was located at the corner of “A” St. N.E. and 10th St. I don’t know when it first appeared, but it was there as long as I can remember. I started the first grade at Lincoln School in 1945 and graduated from Ardmore High School in 1957. Joe Taylor was a friendly guy always there to greet you and help you with whatever you needed. Joe’s brother, Bill Taylor, owned a bar in downtown Ardmore. My father spent too much of his time there. Joe Taylor’s Grocery was right across the street from my best friend, Dennis Lavers, where we spent most of our time on his front porch playing ping pong on a piece of sheetrock (we were poor, but we could play ping pong with the best of them). We bought many RC Colas and peanuts to pour in them from Joe’s. The peanuts came in a small round cardboard box that sometimes contained a nickel or a dime or rarely, a quarter as a prize. The peanuts cost a nickel. The RC’s cost a nickel too, but gradually went up to a dime. I used to get a quarter to go to the movies on Saturdays. I could get in for a dime and get a coke for a nickel and a bag of popcorn for a dime. On my way to the Tivoli, or the Park theater, I had to walk by a bakery on Washington St. between Main and Broadway. Often the smell of fresh baked bread overwhelmed me, so I would buy a loaf for 15 cents and eat it in the movie instead of popcorn and coke. I can’t believe I ate the whole thing! I’ve been told I was a weird kid. I enjoy reading your newsletters. Although I haven’t lived there in almost 50 years, I have many fond memories, and still think of Ardmore as home.” -Bowden Miller. La Vernia, TX
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“Butch, Thanks for the continuation of This and That. I wondered if you or any of your readers might have some old pictures (inside?) of the old High school on Washington? I went to “middle school” in the building from 80-82 and remember hearing all kinds of stories and would love to go through that building once more before something happens to it. I remember hearing about the “balcony” on the second floor above the front entrance and an “Auditorium?” on the second floor originally? Thanks again!” -Robert [email protected]
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Anyone with ancestors with the last name of Hickman, please contact Licia Babb at [email protected]
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Click-to-call on Google Maps. Google Maps isn’t just for searching local businesses; now you can “click to call” the business listings on Google Maps directly for free, anywhere in the United States. When you search for a business within the U.S., ring it up by clicking the “call” link next to the business’s phone number. You’ll be asked to enter your phone number and after clicking “Connect for free,” we’ll call your phone and automatically connect you without sharing your phone number with the business. The numbers you call from Google Maps will be stored automatically in your phone’s caller ID, so you can call them again. And, by checking the box to remember your phone number, you can make future calls from Google Maps with just two mouse clicks. Click Here
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3rd Annual Springer Christmas Parade- Springer, Oklahoma
Saturday, December 16, 2006 at 2:00 PM
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“My cousin sent me some of the materials contained on your website which I found very interesting, but first let me introduce myself. My name is Alan Teel, currently a 75 year old Round Rock, Texas resident. When I saw the articles about Brown’s Spring, they brought back fond memories of long,long ago. I was born about a mile North of Brown’s Spring at a house adjacent to Highway 77, just a short distance North of Road 2250 as it is shown on the referenced map. That was in April 1931. I lived there with my Grandparents and began school at a small 3 room schoolhouse located on the West side of Highway 77 just a short distance South of that same intersection. It was named White Rose school. It was called that because my Grandfather, Archie Rose, donated the land and a Mr. White provided the lumber from which the building was constructed. I do not know when the school was built, but many old family stories tell of my Mother and her siblings having also attended that school. It was a three room structure and included grades 1 through 8 when I attended there in the mid to late 1930s.Each year the school program activities ended with a big picnic and day’s outing at Brown’s Spring. We kids romped through all the surrounding woods and countryside, including the cemetery located on the hill just above the spring. During that time, there were many happy occasions and never any fear or weird activities associated with the spring or graveyard, or gravesites located on the hilltop. The spring’s water came out of the pipes back then just as your pictures show it still does. At the time, there was no lagoon across the road, but the spring’s effluent crossed under the road and meandered off across the pasture until it entered the Red River a few hundred yards away. There were pecan tress located in this pasture. At that time, this property was referred to as the “Mahan” place. That family lived a little further East of the spring and we were allowed to pick up pecans from under the trees on some occasions. I lived in the vicinity, began school at White Rose school as a first grader, and later graduated from Thackerville High School in 1948. A question I have often wondered about is; “Where did the spring get its name?”. (I do not recall anyone in the area by the name of “Brown”). Also where has all this water which has flowed for so many years come from? And so far as I know there were no other springs in this immediate area. Also I enjoyed the picture of Turner Falls. As a high school student at Thackerville, we used to have annual outings to this area. I enjoyed swimming beneath this falls and in the pool below the falls numerous times. I have not been back to this part of Oklahoma for many years now but reading about them brought back nostalgic memories. Thank you for compiling this information in your website and sharing it.” -Alan Teel
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“hi butch, i’m responding to fayetteville photos sent in by kathy. the last one seems to be “old main” on u of ark campus. i have 2 stories about it. my husband’s grandfather, albon cotrell davis of shawnee,ok was principle architect on building the bldg around 1906. my great uncle victor huge cochrane was one of the first graduates (around 1906) & has his name engraved on the sidewalk outside “old main” i have been to fayetteville in the fall. i believe it is one of the most beautiful places for fall color. the other is tulsa (the old mansion area around peoria & lewis street areas).” -susan whitten, baton rouge
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“There used to be a family-owned monument company at the south-east corner of B and 4th S.W. It was run by the Ritters. I grew up a couple of houses to the west on 4th. My younger brother was the same age as the oldest Ritter boy, Joe Bob. I used to play in the sand piles around the shop. I got to watch the way they made stone monuments. They cut a mask out of a flexible rubber mat, about an 1/8th of an inch thick. The letters were cut out with a special knife, and the mat was glued onto the stone. Sandblasting was very tricky because each letter had to be the same depth. I learned the masking technique I mentioned previously from my experiments with airbrushing. It’s all similar except that with sandblasting you’re removing material, and with airbrushing you’re adding it on.”
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“If you go to this website below, you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent free to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. You don’t even have to use your full name, just your first name will do it.” Click Here
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“Butch-The Oklahoma Centennial Year begins in a few weeks. This one lane bridge over the railroad along Hwy 69-75 south of Durant was completed in 1907. It is an example of what could be accomplished by manual labor of dedicated workers. The big, ready-mix delivery trucks or modern day finishing machines were not around or even imagined 100-years ago. I doubt if the old bridge will see many more birthdays and will soon go the way of other area landmarks. [email protected] Click Here
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“Butch, The Ellis Dry Goods building in this photo is in Sulphur- I have an old photo showing the same building with City Drug Store on the it. The building is still standing on the south west corner of 11th and Broadway in Sulphur. If you will give me the address of the folks who are wanting to know about the picture or just give them my address and they can email me and I will send them what I have although their photo is much better than mine. Note the roof line of the Pagoda top building behind and attached to the main building. The pagoda roof top building is still also still there and Sulphur water is still running out of a pipe at the back of the pagoda building.” -George Peveto Click Here
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Re: psfamilycare.com – I think you’ll find it is a discount medical service. They attempt to get all types of medical discounts for you from local providers. You pay a monthly fee for this service to get a discount from the providers they sign up, if any. As it states on their website, THIS IS NOT INSURANCE. I signed up for one many years ago, turned out to be a scam. Cost me more money than regular insurance as the discount wasn’t that much. You might check out American Evangelistic Association’s MEDI-SHARE. It’s a Christian based medical co-op. Their web site is Click Here
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“here is another photo. this one was taken by my father of the turner falls pavilion around 1941. this building was built by the WPA out of stone dug from the mountains. i spent many happy hours here swimming in blue hole or wading by the water crossing, walking the wall up to the falls or exploring the caves.” -susan Click Here
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“Does anyone know where I can purchase a big bell?” -Nigel Adams [email protected]
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========================================================================“The rich man is thus almost restricted to following the examples of…others, who know that the best means of benefiting the community is to place within its reach the ladders upon which the aspiring can rise: free libraries, parks, and means of recreation, by which men are helped in body and mind; works of art, certain to give pleasure and improve the public taste; and public institutions of various kinds, which will improve the general condition of the people; in this manner returning their surplus wealth to the mass of their fellows in the forms best calculated to do them lasting good.” -Andrew Carnegie
See everyone next week!
Butch Bridges
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