Oklahoma History

Email: [email protected]
11:11 PM 3/22/2022
Phone: 580-490-6823

If you’re looking for a certain article I wrote in a past issue of “This & That” you might find it faster by doing a “search” with your browser. With Netscape just click your mouse at the top at EDIT and then FIND and type in the word or words you’re looking for. If you use Internet Explorer, just click on EDIT and then FIND ON THIS PAGE to do a search.

Below is February 1, 2005 to February 26, 2005.

February 26, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 418

I was on my way back from Ft Worth last Monday and got to thinking about a good hamburger. So as I was driving into Ardmore on West Broadway I thought about the BBQ Express located at Tiffany Plaza. They have been in that same little building for years and several friends told me about their great little BBQ sandwich, but I wanted a hamburger. So, I placed my order and what a disappointment. The burger had one thin slice of tomato, a few small pieces of onion and a few pieces lettuce. Oh well, next time I stop in, I will try their BBQ sandwich. <—– Click Here

Also on my return from Ft Worth I stopped at Brown Springs south of Thackerville to see how its changed since I was there a couple of years ago. The water looks awful. There is some kind of green junk growing all over the water, the stream’s bank, and the lagoon to the south where the water empties out. I dont know what it is, but it sure doesnt look pretty and clean like it did on my last stop. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

I had a typo in the link to the Davis school photo last week, so those of you who could not pull it up, here it is again……

“Butch, This is my First Grade picture made at Davis in 1951. Lets see how many of your readers can identify any of us. Maybe I can find some old classmates thru this picture.” -Scott Bumgarner <—– Click Here

If you are using any of those 1010 numbers (called dial arounds) to save money on long distance, you need to check out my Tel3 service. I did some comparisons and when you take-in the hidden fees and others things of those dial arounds, Tel3 is better. <—– Always Cheap Long Distance

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, if you’ll have the person looking for Cross Hill, e-mail me at [email protected] I’ll try to explain what I know about it. If it’s the place I’m thinking of, it’s SW of Overbrook. Turn east at the post office, and follow the road around as if going to Lake Murray [the old way] and when the road turns back south, there’s a big hill ahead. Part of it was known as Cross Hill, probably because someone named Cross lived there. Also, Adam Jimmy Point is NW of Overbrook, across the road south of the McAlester cem. Mostly been hauled away to gravel roads, now!” -Rose
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“Good evening Butch. I noted with interest the comments concerning the little town of Gene Autry. My understanding from my grandfather who owned Oak Hill Farms several miles east of the present town of Gene Autry from some time in the early 30’s until his death in the 80’s was as follows: Autry starred in a western movie in the little town (whose name escapes me for the moment) and in the area east of town. He mentioned his intent to buy land between the town and Oak Hill Farms to establish a ranch. The town took up a collection from it’s citizens to change its name to Gene Autry, but Mr. Autry’s plans to buy land fell through for some reason. The citizens of the town were upset as one can imagine and desired to change the name back to its original, but sufficient funds were never collected to make that possible, so it remains Gene Autry to this day. Keep up the good work as I enjoy all your articles.” – Dale Gant
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“Butch, the creek on the East side is “PUSH MALINE” okie spelling and Fourche Moline (I think) correct spelling. The middle creek is the Wilson creek and the West creek is sewer creek out of Ardmore.”
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“In reply to the question in the most recent T&T, the dam for Lake Murray was built on Anadarche Creek. Lake Murray State Park opened in 1938. The 700 Ranch house was also located on Anadarche Creek.” -Mark Coe
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“I believe it is Anadarche Creek that runs into Lake Murray.” -jim dyer
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“The “creeks in Lake Murray” were one creek which divided in two creeks at a place called the Devils Kitchen where the dam is today. The two branches were called East Anadarche and West Anadarche. My older brother and I have hunted squirrels along both branches. I can’t guarantee spelling of the names.” -J T Gilliam.
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“The Lake Murray dam was built at the junction of East Anadarche Creek, West Anadarche Creek and Fourche Maline. Bob Allen’s booklet telling the history of Lake Murray is available at the Bookseller.”
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“Someone asked what creek was dammed up to create Lake Murray. There are three arms leading into the lake, so there were presumably more than three feeder creeks. I don’t know where they joined before the dam, but assume they all became Hickory Creek somewhere, because the creek below the spillway is Hickory Creek. This is not to be confused with the Hickory Creek that is the source of the Ardmore water source lake north of Woodford, the overflow of which crosses SH 53 just west of Woodford and runs into Caddo Creek 2 1/2 miles east and 3 1/2 miles south of Woodford. I can remember people arguing with my dad over 50 years ago that the two Hickorys were the same creek; and he would always ask them, “How does it get across Caddo Creek?” [email protected]
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“Dear Butch, I enjoyed your comments on Gainesville, TX.and also the picture of the Turner Hotel. Many a trip we made there when I was a small child, in the twenties, to visit my paternal grandparents, the Stonums. This was a very, very famous hotel in the 30’s. On October 1st, 1935, I was married in Ardmore in my aunt and uncle’s home, the Potters. And after the wedding my husband and I were driven to Gainesville where we had our dinner at the Turner Hotel. Somewhere I have the menu and you will not believe the prices. We were driven there by my sisters, Kathryn Stonum Zumwalt and Florence Stonum Dyer. I kept sneezing and we finally realized that I was allergic to my corsage. We caught the train from Gainesville to Dallas, TX for our honeymoon. I am feeling much better and still look at the many cards I received from your readers. Thank you again for it has touched me so.” -Tweed [email protected]
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“Hi, Butch, Nancy Kirk is my cousin. She & Doug do a great job at the Ernie’s Meat Market. If you think the chicken livers are good, try the chicken fried steak!”
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“Butch, I got cableone right after you did. I had the same problem this weekend, only I’d been gone for several days, so I lost almost a week of emails. Their techs on the phone are almost useless and never are able to solve problems or explain what is wrong. They just say they’re “referring things to a senior tech,” or “you’re just out of luck– is there something else I can help you with?” like they ever helped with anything in the first place.”
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“Did you notice that Winn-Dixie filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this week? I know they pulled out of Oklahoma a few years ago to try to improve their financial position. (We used to stop occasionally at the Winn-Dixie stores in Marietta and Ardmore when they were still in business.) Several decades ago they had a store in Oklahoma City at the southwest corner of NW 63 and May. I don’t think it stayed in business there for more than a few years. The location, I believe, is now occupied by a Big Lots.”
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“Hi Butch. I enjoy your T&T and I see something once in a while that I have heard of. I moved to Madill when I was young. In 1940, therefore I didn’t know a lot about the going ons in Ardmore. The cemetery near Kingston that is under water now was Woodville. South and east of Kingston. They had Peach orchards, and the whole community there. All had to be moved or covered with water. You can probably find out more of that from the historical society in Madill. If you haven’t been there you need to visit it. The Madill papers are there from years ago on microfilm. Now, if you were saying you didn’t particularly care about the liver once a week well I have news for you. My mother in law taught me to cook liver that you will like. rinse the liver, pat dry with a paper towel. Place it on a platter, prick all over with a fork and pour olive oil all over it. Let sit for a few minutes. Dredge in cracker meal. Have the skillet hot with a bit of olive oil, I use that oil that is left in the platter for the skillet. Quickly fry on both sides. Don’t over cook till it becomes hard. It is really good and I think you will be surprised. You don’t have to publish all of this letter to you. If you want to rewrite the liver directions you may. Isn’t it nice that we never get too old to learn something from someone else?” [email protected]
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“Butch, although I do not know which cemetery you are referring to, I do know that my dad worked in the Kingston area when Lake Texoma was being built. They were exhuming remains from those cemeteries and moving them elsewhere. Although I do not know where they relocated the cemeteries, I do know that at least part of them WERE relocated–not left within the lake bed. My dad was D. Hughes, and if he were still living he would be almost 104 years old.”
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“If my memory hasn’t failed me, Woodville cemetary was covered with water. I have read hints that in moving cemetaries, a shovel of dirt and the stone constitute moving the grave. Probably Hagerman had one covered. There were a lot of communities covered.”
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“My husband says just get some old pre WWII maps from a geologist such as Bob Allen. I do remember someone saying when I was teaching that Hoxbar was a town that was buried.”
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“Butch—– I just wanted to tell you that the rootsweb site tell lots on Oklahoma places that exist and no longer exists. I was looking for a great aunt that is supposed to be buried at Yarnaby. I thought you might could use some of this site for research.” -Taylor F Crow <—– Click Here
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“On August 8, 1911, the first apportionment of school funds from the state government was made. Carter County was sent $6973.60, which amounted to about eighty cents per pupil. Would there have been 8700 students in Carter County in 1911?”
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“Butch, i seem to have problems getting into the circle of friends on the T&T, but a few weeks ago you had an article about Pretty Boy, the parrot, Pretty Boy was brought to the US by Freddie and Oscar Halpin in 1953. They brought him along with another bird, there were 2 of them. Freddie is my half sisters mother, They did not want to keep both birds so they gave the bird to the people u were talking about. My sister can tell u lots about the bird. So the bird should be around 50, to 51 yrs old. Used to talk to the bird myself quite abit.”
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Fred Priddy’s cafe, Cedarvale Grill in 1947 at Arbuckle Mountains near Turner Falls. <—– Click Here
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The Daily Ardmoreite, July 13, 1899
AT THE JAIL
Hot weather seems to be an incentive to deputy marshals and the jail record will bear us out in assertion. Since our last report T.N. BUTLER broke in for robbing a postoffice; DAN KENNEDY and J.W. GIBBONS are in from Judge WINN’s court at Center, charged with stealing a yearling from J.W. McLEOD and a company of six now grace the interior all charged with stealing trunks from the depot at Pauls Valley. They are JOHN KEMBREW, JIM JOHNSON, BILL COLE, L. DUMAS, JULIA WHITE and MAUDE PAYTON. SAMPSON CARTER learned that a writ had been issued for him on a charge of seduction and immediately came to town and asked for admittance into this popular resort. ELWOOD HAMLIN and J.E. JOHNSON were released today on bond. There are in all 84 prisoners in jail.
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T.N. and MILTON BUTLER were before Judge BRADFORD yesterday charged with robbing the post office at Eastman on the 22nd of June. Milton was discharged and his brother was held under bond in the sum of $300.
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The mortal remains of JOHN BLEAKMORE arrived here from Hot Springs early this morning and were taken to the residence of his parents. The remains were followed to the South cemetery by a very large cortege of mourning relatives and friends after funeral services.
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July 18, 1899
THE MAD STONE
The following is a South McAlester story and as it has a preacher connected with it, it should be taken as correct. “About five years ago Rev. STAMPER and others were out hunting in the mountains near here. The preacher shot a large buck, and when they dressed it a stone about the size and shape of a baseball was found adhering to the paunch. An Indian standing by told the preacher that it was a mad stone. Rev. Stamper gave half of this stone to Col. J.W. EDGELL of the New Era, who has it in his possession ever since. Yesterday an Italian, accompanied by his son, who is 8 years of age, came over from Hartsborne. The boy had been bitten three days before by a dog, which had a mad fit, and which afterward died with hydrophobia. The right ear and the right side of the face was lacerated by the teeth of the dog. The father took his son to a physician, who said he could do nothing but dress the wound and advised the man to come to this city and try the efficiency of the mad-stone. This was done, and yesterday afternoon the stone was applied to the ear of the boy. There were a dozen witnesses present, who say the stone adhered to the ear, saw it swell up and become full of poisonous blood. It was taken off and placed in milk until the poison was extracted and then placed back to the ear. The boy walked the floor in pain, but the stone kept up its powerful suction until it had to be taken off to relieve the boy. This morning the stone was applied, but it failed to adhere, and the conclusion is that the poison has been extracted. The Italian offered $10 for the use of the stone, but the colonel refused to accept anything but thanks. The father and son went home this morning satisfied that the stone had effected a cure.
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July 21, 1899
Berwyn
T.J. ARMSTRONG of Center passed through here today en route to his old home in Texas. LOU HARDY is quite sick from a malarial complication. WM. MOORE, GUY ATTOWAY and CHAS. HARDY were among those who left for the reunion at Sulphur today. Provence Dr. SOUTHERE has moved to town from his former home in the country. He has a stock of drugs here. J.H. ARNOLD, our enterprising merchant is marking a new stock of goods today. Healdton G.W. GARRISON, representing the Oklahoma Saddlery Co., is here today. The citizens have just had a school meeting at which they unanimously agreed to begin school at once; Miss PEARL PRICE of Bulcher, TX was chosen teacher. She will be informed of her election and is expected to come at once. Thackerville WM. HOWARD who has been sick for some time is convalescing. Operator HARPER is sick today. Miss LOU STRICKLAND of Comanche, TX is here, the guest of Miss CORA HARPER. Lone Grove WM. GAUNT, R.M. HIGH, J.A. WHITE and C.C. PRICE are attending the Sulphur reunion. Prof. McCREARY reports 103 pupils in school today. Miss ANNIE HEFLIN returned this afternoon to Ardmore. W.P. GOODSY and Miss LUCY BROOKS were married yesterday at the home of the bride’s parents Rev. LEMOND officiating. Mrs. R.S. FERRILL of Fort Worth TX is here visiting her parents Mr. and Mrs. R.M. HIGH. R.M. RINER and W.M. ROBINSON of Ardmore were here today. Durwood BUD CORNELL, his mother and sister and REECE SCOTT are attending the Sulphur reunion today. Mrs. McLISH left today on a business trip to Reck. H.L. COOK, J.N. BODD and Mr. PINSON left today for Durant and other points prospecting. A.J. PRESLEY was called to Ravia today in response to a message announcing the illness of his son BRYANT.
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HELD KANGAROO COURT
There was a laughable session of moot court held last night at the office of the Police Judge. The trial of one defendant for gambling resulted in a conviction, the penalty was assessed at 10 days in jail and a fine of $50. The second defendant arraigned on a similar charge was very much in earnest over the matter and pleaded his innocence in a way that would have secured the leniency of any other but a moot court. The trial brought out many laughable points of evidence and rulings of the judge, but finally resulted in an acquittal. The trial proved to be a source of quite a lot of fun this morning, and old timers had many stories to tell of moot court in the early days of the town. Many remember the incident of the appointment of a young lawyer just hailed from Texas to prosecute an aggravated case of incest. He went about his work with commendable zeal, but when the joke was out the young lawyer abjured the realm and entered the profession of teaching in Texas. Many others will recall the earnest defense of a young lawyer whose client, it was alleged, had been found in possession of 40 quarts of whisky.
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AN EXCITING SCENE
Wednesday evening about 7 o’clock while PHIL CUSHMAN, hostler on a Santa Fe switch engine was switching in the yards, the iron horse with a full head of steam escaped from him and started at break-neck speed up the track for Red River. To add to the discomfiture of the hostler his two little children were left on the fiery steed when he got off to open the switch and the engine made its escape. As quickly as possible another engine was procured and started at a high rate of speed after the runaway, and it was an exciting chase for more than four miles, when it was overtaken and brought to a stand still. It was caught near the top of the hill this side of the river, which doubtless saved the lives of the children as it was a steep down grade from there on to the Red river bridge and it would have run with such velocity in all probability it would have left the track. When overtaken the steam had pretty well run down and the little ones were found where they were left sitting unharmed, which was joyful news to the nearly distracted father. It was a narrow escape from what might have been a horrible and untimely death of the innocent children had not the fleeing engine been captured when it was–Gainesville Register
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INDIANS ARE DANCING
Guthrie, Okla–The Indians of the territory are largely engaged in dancing in spite of the efforts of the government to prevent the practice. At Gray Horse, the Big Hill band of Osages have been holding a smoke dance for a week in honor of their guests, Pawhuska band, and during that time have presented them with nearly $5,000 worth of presents, including many ponies and saddles, 1,000 yards of red calico and 50 nickel watches. On the ‘Otoe and Missouri reservations the members of these two tribes are holding a six-day’s dance, participated in by 2,000 Indians including many Ottawa and Pawnees who have come long distances to join in the dance. The green corn dance of the Cheyenne’s and Arapahoes is in progress 20 miles west of Weatherford, fully 3,000 Indians participating and the weird ceremonies led by the medicine men are kept up day and night.
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Tecumseh, O.T.–Yesterday evening about 4:30 CECIL MORELAND and DICK VIEW escaped from the jail at Tecumseh, by prying off some sheet iron and climbing through a scuttle hole. Moreland was in for horse stealing and View for obtaining money under false pretense. No one saw them escape and the last seen of them was about three miles west of Tecumseh and they were traveling afoot. Jailer RIDDLE and family were at a 5 o’clock tea, given by some neighbors, and knew nothing about the delivery until they returned to the jail where they reside. BUD LOGUE and several other important prisoners could have escaped as the hole made by the ones who got out were left open. As soon as the news spread several officers armed to the teeth, went in pursuit. They were about two hours behind the escaped prisoners and if they are the least bit smooth the officers will have a hard time finding them.
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July 25, 1899
From J.S. ALVERSON of Auterville who is in the city today, we learn of a sad case of drowning in Caddo creek yesterday. The victim in this instance is JIM HULSEY, aged 24 years, living about ten miles north-west of here.
Mr. Hulsey had started to Glenn after a physician for his sick wife, and had to cross Caddo creek below the Woodford Bridge in doing so. The stream is greatly swollen by the recent rains, and indications are that in attempting to cross the creek he lost his life. No one witnessed the accident, but the mule which he was riding was found about 300 yards below the crossing where it had managed to get out on the bank. A searching party was at once organized and today hundreds are diligently working for the recovery of the body, but at noon they had met with no success. Deceased leaves a young wife.
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September 12, 1905
Henryetta, I.T.–Editor GEO. HULL is a regular sleuth. Passing down Main street this morning he saw a young man who he says looked like a burglar, and upon talking to him his suspicions were strengthened so much that he called the marshal and had him arrested. After his arrest, the young man, who says his name is JESSE MOORE, confessed to robbing the hardware store of Mr. RITTER of Ardmore, I.T. some nights ago. He had in his possession a large number of fine razors, pocket knives, and silver spoons. He had disposed of one razor to Mr. J.R. MORGAN, and tried to sell others. After he had been locked up he admitted further that he attempted to rob the safe of the Ardmoreite last spring but failed. Says he was working in the office in some capacity, saw $70 or $80 put in the safe; that night he worked the combination of the safe but was unable to open the inner door heard a noise and flew without getting anything. He is a young man about 20 years old and arrived in Henryetta last night at 8 o’clock.
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July 1, 1946
RAMBLING REPORTER
JERRY McCHAREN, county clerk, has prepared a certified copy of the deed that Mrs. LUTIE WALCOTT executed when she gave the property to the Oklahoma Confederate home. She did this for the Rambler column and it has been given to HUGH A. LEDBETTER. It is believed that suit will be brought at an early date to have this property restored to the original owner for the reason that it has ceased to be used for the purposes for which it was given. Ledbetter is among the top lawyers in the entire state on titles and the results of his efforts will be watched with keen interest.

JOE SIMONS gives about two hours a day to the attention of rabbits and it happens now that he will have to go out of the business. He is in a mood to buy a tract of land of about 20 acres close to the city where he can have plenty of room for his favorite recreation.

JNO COOPER, president of the newly organized real estate board feels the board will make a success of its venture to keep the real estate business in this city on a high plane. New members are coming into the organization.

CLAUD DILLON has 200 acres of Washita bottom corn that is making a bumper crop this year.

Sgt. J.W. LARRIMORE has joined Mrs. LARRIMORE here following a long service in the U.S. Army. They have bought the RAY MONAGAHAN home at 12th avenue northwest at Harris.

HUELL PRUITT has bought the WADE WALKER store formerly LAMB’s grocery and market on Fifth avenue southeast at Carter Street.

C.J. HOLLENSBEE has purchased the Mrs. ALPHA BAIRD home at 320 B street southwest. This is a fine home built by the late JOCK BIARD.

FRED E. ILLSTON of New York, coming here with the American airlines has purchased the LEON KAHN home at 922 fourth avenue southwest. His family will arrive July 1 as he will get immediate possession. Mr. Kahn has already instructed his real estate man to buy him another house.

Mr. and Mrs. J.S. CARROLL have purchased the WALTER H. OLMSTEAD home at 526 D street southeast. The Swift company transferred the Olmsteads to Sulphur where they purchased another home.

The Mrs. DORA CLARK property at 315 D. street southeast, built and occupied by the late JESS CLARK has been sold to Mrs. MARIE BLASSINGAME. Mr. Blassingame is employed by the Independent Ice company.

ELIMAR T. HELMCAMP has purchased the home formerly occupied by Mr. and Mrs. MAJOR BROOKS at 513 B street northwest. Mr. Helmcamp is with American Airlines. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks will move into a new home west of the stadium on U.S. Highway 70.

The BROOKS people bought acreage from E.A. WALKER surrounding the Walker field football stadium adjoining Ardmore on the west. Some of these days they will be opening up a townsite addition out there.

Mr. and Mrs. JIM W. SMITH, who have for two years taught at Russett in Johnston county, will teach next year at Brock in Carter county. Mr. Smith has served as county superintendent of Love county and he also was in charge of the school at Lone Grove.

County jokesters each election year get to writing RED CALDWELL and talking to him and get him in the race for sheriff. Then they write him letters about what he should say the sheriff is doing and Red speaks these things out from the stump and the folks get a big laugh while it cuts heavily into a peace of the family of the sheriff. Whoever is sheriff is the one Caldwell attacks and this time it happens to be Willis Tennyson. In the old Buck Garrett days Red would last only one night, the second time he tried it he would get something wrapped around his head.

The social security offices are moving from the federal building to the Adams building.

Mr. and Mrs. ARLEIGH COX came up from Fort Worth to visit Mrs. Cox’s father, W.C. SHEPPARD, at Lone Grove and Mrs. Cox’s sister Mrs. SAM FRYE, in Ardmore. Arleigh grew up in the press room of The Daily Ardmoreite in the days of WALTER A GRIPON and now holds similar place with the Star Telegram. Arleigh had the unique pleasure of sitting in the Masonic lodge with Mr. Sheppard.
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The Evening News Ada, Oklahoma, December 7, 1906
Pawhuska, Okla.,–JOHN STINK, the “Evil Spirit” of the Osages is ill at Pawhuska. Ten years ago this Indian, who is now about 65 years old, after a short illness passed into a state of unconsciousness, was pronounced dead and was buried by the tribe with due pomp and ceremony. A few hours after burial Stink came to life and caused consternation by reappearing among the mourners. Since then he has been shunned by all members of the Osage tribe. Stink sleeps on the sidewalks at Pawhuska, refusing shelter. He is fullblood Osage, speaks no English and is allowed 50 cents a day by his guardian for living expenses and if given a dollar he will sit down and eat that amount of food at a time.
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January 7, 1908
L.C. ANDREWS of Pauls Valley and Col. PLINY SOPER of Muskogee are here on legal business.

Marriage license were issued in favor of WILLIAM BURTON and ELIZA BROWN of Stonewall; W.M. OWENS and JESSIE CHANEY, Stonewall, and GEORGE CHAPMAN and ETHEL HILL of Ada.

C.I. WOLFE the well known barber is moving to Francis today.
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September 1, 1911
This morning some excitement was created on 12th street by a team of mules running away with a wagon loaded with inch water pipe. The pipe made quite a racket as it bounced about on the wagon, and was soon scattered over the pavement. The team ran three or four blocks and finally stopped.

HARMON EBEY is now serving the cold drinks at the Mad-ox drug store in place of HUGH BILES, who has resigned.
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September 8, 1911
The O.K. wood yard is operated by HENRY LANDERS, a blind man. Would be thankful for all the trade I can get. Good sound wood guaranteed, and I will give the people the exact kind of wood they order. I will also give all I can for the money. Phone 169
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Hitch your wagon to a star. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

See everyone in the next time!

Butch Bridges

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February 23, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 417

I appreciate all of you who wrote in saying with your guess of what the mystery object in last weeks T&T. Most of you thought it was a grape press or fruit press. A couple did mention what I was looking for…. a lard press. Its really all these things. But Jim Hill said this one was used years ago to press the grease out of pork crackling. What was left after pressing out the grease from the freshly cooked crackling was a thin wafer type crackling. Jim said they cooked the crackling in a big cast iron pot kind like my grandmother used to make lye soap in the 1960s when I was a teenager.

Here is just an example of the emails many of you sent: Butch: The contraption in T&T No. 416 is a cider Press and was used to press Apples for the juice—-Was also used as a tomato press to extract their juices. I had folks living in Pa. They would press the Apples and put the juice in a wooden barrel. After it fermented the barrel was put out side and in the cold winters it would start to freeze —The barrel was rotated letting the water freeze to the outside—The alcohol was forced to the inside of the ice. The side plug was taken out of the barrel and a tube driven to the core to let the Apple Jack out. I want you to know that I really enjoy your letter— especially where you mention names. My hobby is finding ancestors.’ -Taylor Crow

Here is a look again at that lard press. <—– Click Here

Several of you wrote me and said you couldnt pull up the Priddys Salad dressing recipe in its DOC form. Here is the recipe as a TXT document. <—– Click Here

A Reader wrote in this week asking if anyone has heard of Cross Hill in southern Oklahoma???

Here is an interesting question posed to me this week by a Reader. Does anyone know??? “Do any of your readers know the name of the creek that was dammed to make Lake Murray?”

Another Readers asked me this week if anyone has heard of a cemetery near Kingston, Oklahoma that was lost to the building of Lake Texhoma. The rumor was that some of the graves are now covered with water. Maybe a Reader has heard of this???

This week I got a hankering for some fried liver. So at noon I went down to Ernie’s Meat Market on South Washington and bought their Fried Chicken Livers. I remember as a kid growing up, we always had calf liver smothered in onions about once every week or two, my mother said we needed it for the iron. I think that was just an excuse to get me to eat it. lol. <—– Click Here

Here is a pic of the girls that waited on me that day at noon. They were so busy I had to wait a little while in order to get a pic of them, the crowd had the girls blocked from my view. That place really gets packed about noon during the weekdays. <—– Click Here

And here’s a pic of those delicious fried chicken livers, and only $1.29 too. mmmmmmmmmm. I ate mine with ketchup! <—– Click Here

This is a scan I made of Ernies business card. The owners are Doug and Nancy Kirk. Their deli is mainly open Monday through Friday for all the freshly cooked items, like chicken, potatoes logs, BBQ chicken dinners, BBQ on a bun, and much more. <—– Click Here

Some of you will remember Ernies before it was Ernies. It was originally owned and operated by Sam West, the present day Carter County Assessor. In those days the business was called Sam’s Meat Market. Sam actually started in the meat market business in the early 1960s when he went to work for the old Humpty Dumpty Food Store. Here’s a photo of Sam West from the early 1960s when he worked at Humpty Dumpty on South Washinton. <—– Click Here

Being in the Bible belt, when Humpty Dumpty opened for business at Broadway and G NW in April 1960 they caused quite a stir. Their first day of business was on Easter Sunday 1960.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Thought you and your readers of “This & That” might enjoy this little tidbit of info. I bought these on eBay. they are miniature advertisements from Tom Cooper Farms. On the back of these are the 1957-1958 and 1958-59 football schedule for OU (Sooners) and Wynnewood, OK.” -Ben Cooper <—– Click Here
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“This is a 12″ model I did of a WWII Graves Registration figure. I work on WWII models and custom build the display bases. This is to honor those who are fallen and to honor those who gave them their dignity after death.” -Bryan Pullen <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Hey Butch, that was a great news letter on Woodford, Okla. I need to get out there and prowl around, my dad was born in the foot hills in Woodford, in a dug out in 1914. I live pretty close to there and haven’t been out there looking yet, shame on me. I really enjoyed the photos on the stagecoach terminal. Gosh it’s a shame it hasn’t been restored and saved from more deteration. What a great piece of history.” -Karla
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“I was very pleased to see Harold “Red” Sollars mentioned in T&T. The Sollars are all great people. Red came to Ardmore to play baseball and stayed to raise a family. Red was a fine player in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and at one time was thought to be the next Stan Musial. Unfortunately for Red, this did not work out. But, fortunately for Ardmore, Red stayed. He did work for Barnett Plumbing, and ended up marrying Nelda Barnett and owning the business. Red and Nelda raised a family of girls. Red started attending college at night and got his degree and teaching certificate. There were many who thought it was silly for a plumber to go to college, but he paid no mind. Red, Nelda and family moved in 1967 to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, which is famous for having the old London Bridge. In 1967, it was such a new community there was hardly a road into town. They all became teachers: Red, Nelda, and all the girls. Unfortunately, Red died a few years ago. Nelda remarried and is still in Arizona.” -Mark Coe
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“We are going to say it is a press, maybe a lard press used for pressing cracklings??” <—– Click Here
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“Butch: The interesting old piece of history in Jim Hill’s garage is a sausage press for making link sausages. I know because I have one just like it in my barn.” -Don Davidson, Brenham, Texas
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“To the one who liked to eat at the Turner Hotel. I commuted from Marietta to Gainesville College the fall of 1955. The dirt work was being done on the Texas side of the river. The south bound lane of I35 was laid down in Dallas county during the war, like 1943 or so. We would visit relatives in Dallas then and that was a new highway.”
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“Butch have you or your readers ever heard of a cafe in Ardmore owned by Bob Bullock?” -Doug
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“Butch, This is my First Grade picture made at Davis in 1951. Lets see how many of your readers can identify any of us. Maybe I can find some old classmates thru this picture.” -Scott Bumgarner a href=” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/DavisFirstGrade1951a.jpg “> <—– Click Here
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“Just an educated guess here but it seems French and based on 21 years in the US Army that looks like a serial Number in the middle And the bottom looks like ( aup ? Co ) 347 Field Artillery I would say it is a military Identification tag of the named Person or as we say in the U S military dog tags.” -Paskell <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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These are a few odds and ends I came across.

My previous research indicated that Carter County was named for Charles Carter, who was the first U.S. congressman from Oklahoma’s third district. Another source indicates the county was named for Charles’ father, Ben Wisnor Carter, a Cherokee who was an intermarried citizen of the Chickasaws. Ben’s wife, Serena Guy, was the sister of William Guy, a governor of the Chickasaws.

In 1841, Adam Jimmey established his ranch in the Criner Hills south of present day Ardmore.

Ardmore’s city charter was granted by the federal court in accordance with the Curtis Act of 1898. The guidelines for incorporation were provided by the the Manfields’ Digest of the Statutes of Arkansas.

On August 8, 1911, the first apportionment of school funds from the state government was made. Carter County was sent $6973.60, which amounted to about eighty cents per pupil.

Ardmore public schools held their first high school graduation in 1903.

Very early settlements were made in the Washita River valley. In 1870, Henderson’s Ferry was established to provide service to cross the river. A store opened and the small village of Lou grew around the store and ferry site. Lou was renamed Dresden. When the railroad was built in 1887, the nearby station was named Berwyn. In 1941, Berwyn was renamed Gene Autrey, to honor the western movie actor who had recently acquired a ranch in the area. The old village of Lou/Dresden has disappeared.

Around 1889, A.M. Birch established the first livery stable in Ardmore. The first blacksmiths were Joe Moody and a Mr. Conahan. J.H. Stauffenburg established the first tailor shop.

King’s College, Ardmore’s first school, opened in 1888. The small school building also served as the meeting place for the first religious services.

In 1940, W.R. Ingram spoke in an interview about early days in Ardmore. “Forty-six years ago I worked for Westheimer & Daube (The “Iron Store”). I helped fill orders for farmers who would buy their goods in the afternoon and asked to be loaded out early the next morning. I have gone down many a morning and kicked the hogs out of the way in order to get into the store. There was an old man living about where the court house is now who owned over a hundred head of hogs. These hogs spent most of their time on Main Street.”

Following the railyard explosion in 1915, a citizens’ committee headed by former governor Lee Cruce was established to review claims submitted to the Santa Fe Railroad. The railroad opened an office across the hall from the committee. If a claim was approved, the person crossed the hall and got his check. Eighteen hundred claims were paid totaling 1.5 million dollars. Since the explosion resulted from an illegal shipment of “natural gasoline”, the Santa Fe was not legally responsible. But the railroad generously paid the approved claims and not a single damage suit was filed in court.

In 1914, a Law and Order League was formed in Ardmore. A mass meeting was held to demand enforcement of the law. An investigating committee from the League declared that Ardmore was “alive with lawlessness, exhibiting itself in gambling, whiskey selling, and disorderly houses”. -Mark Coe
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Duncan Banner, January 8, 1915
GEO. OGDEN visited relatives in Norman this week. BILL JENNINGS of Marlow was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. BROOKS this week. Mr. & Mrs. W.B. DOUTHITT visited in OKC. Miss ALICE LANGHAM has returned to Mannsville to resume her duties in the school room. Dr. FRIE and son, ELDON, made a business trip to Gainesville last week. T. GRAHAM of Idabel, was a Duncan visitor this week. He seems prosperous. H.C. EWALD was in OKC Saturday purchasing new fixtures for his barber shop. F.J. SHIFLETT has sold his grocery business at Cruce and moved his family to town. J.M. FITZHUGH has moved his family in from the farm and they are located in North Duncan. Misses MAY HARRIS and NELL MORRIS of Chickasha, were guests of Misses GENEVA and ROBERTA DAVIS last week. J.D. SWAN and daughter, Mrs. W.H.WHITE, of Cement, formerly of this city, were visitors during the week. Dr. and Mrs. G.R. SMITH returned Wednesday morning from a visit to relatives at points in Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. R. HUGH BROWN of Wichita Falls, TX, were guests of friends in the city this week. Misses MABLE MORGAN, STELLA GUEST, and ROBERTA & GENEVA DAVIS returned to their studies at Chickasha Monday. BARNEY WHISENANT, J.D. COX, LEE MARCH, HERBERT FUQUA and HUGH McCASLAND returned to Norman Sunday to continue their studies in State University. Misses ALEEN HOWARD, JENNIE TUSSY, FRANKIE MAE FRENSLEY, ELLEN FULLWOOD and VIRGINIA ALLEN returned to Chickasha Sunday to continue their studies. Mr. and Mrs. L.M. KUYKENDALL are receiving the congratulations of friends upon the advent of a fine boy at their home Wednesday morning. Mr. and Mrs. A.B. MARCH returned to Lawton Saturday. They were accompanied by Mrs. E.R. THOMAS and children who will visit with them. Mr. and Mrs. NED PETTIGREW left Tuesday for a visit to relatives in Kansas. Ned is a free lance this year and is yet undecided just where he will play ball. CLEO D. CUND, who has received the appointment of court stenographer under Judge CHAM JONES left yesterday for Waurika. He will assume his new duties next Monday. Cleo’s many friends are glad of his good fortune in landing the position. He is in every way worthy and well qualified. *** FRED KING, son of Mr. and Mrs. R.W. KING of this city, has been appointed page for the lower house of Legislature and began his duties Tuesday. Fred is a bright boy and can be depended upon to fulfill every contract. His little friends will be pleased to learn of his good fortune. Mr. King accompanied the boy to Oklahoma City the first of the week. (Note: Fred King later became part owner of KENDRICK & KING LUMBER CO., at 10th and Oak)
***
The county commissioners organized Monday by electing W.H. RADER as chairman for the term. The greater part of the week has been taken up in approval of the bonds of the various deputies and in fixing salaries. The following salaries were considered: Treasurers office were fixed at $75 and $50 Deputy county clerks $75 & $50 Under sheriff WILLIAMS will draw $70 and Jailer HOLDER $50. The deputy court clerks salary was fixed at $75. REUBON JOHNSON, the new janitor, will draw a salary of $35, but if he makes good a raise will be made next month.
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Prairie Dale Items
CARL PAYNE is on the sick list. ARTHUR and ADA PIERCE and Mr. WOODS and Miss FAY WOODS of Ara, were guests of the MYERS. Miss IMOGINE STANLEY came home on a visit Christmas and remained with us two weeks. Mr. GRAY, our school teacher, and the Misses GRAY were down Saturday night at the box supper. Messrs. R.C. McLENDON, LATH MYERS, and JAP HESTER went to town Monday on business. Mrs. PEARL PARKER of Arthur, was the guest of Mrs. R.C. McLENDON the last of last week.
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Center Point Gossip
School is progressing nicely with Prof. McDERMOTT and Miss CLARA CAMERON in charge. Mrs. ALICE DOWNS of New Mexico, who has been visiting with the WILKERSON’S through the holidays departed for home Tuesday. The “Red Gin” did a profitable business for 1914. They made a good run Monday and have ginned about 1,740 bales and will get 30-40 more. Mr. GEO. T. BURKS made a business trip to Comanche Saturday. Mr. WILL SHEETS wants to buy a muly cow, if he can get one that is guaranteed not to run away. There has been considerable moaning around here of late. Messrs. STEPHENS, OVERTON, LEVERIT and RICE started for a better country if they could find it. They were going east when last seen. We hated to see them leave, for they were all good citizens, but their places are taken by mighty good people. The party at HENRY BURKS Friday night was well attended and all the young folks had an enjoyable evening. Mr. KINCANNON has sold all of his peanuts to his neighbors at a good price. There are prospects for a large acreage being planted this year. Peanut culture is profitable and should be followed more persistently than heretofore. Mr. ALLIE WILKINSON has just returned after visiting his brother in Washita county. NELLIE is on the sick list this week. GEO. H. BURKS moved to the Walker valley community this week. Success to the Banner. BONNIE BELL
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January 22, 1915
OLD TIMERS CONFAB ABOUT PAST HISTORY
A few of the old timers of Duncan got together in a gabfest one day this week and related some past history of the town and incidents of early life in this country that were both interesting and ludicrous. “UNCLE BILL” PETTIGREW told about his run in the Cheyenne country. He had excellent opportunities to secure some valuable claims, he said, but after riding all over the reservation came to the conclusion that it was out of the pale of civilization and no good for a peaceable farmer. Lots of fine claims in the vicinity of Cloud Chief were passed up by the runners, he said. Mr. Pettigrew was loaded for the Comanche-Kiowa opening, but the decision to parcel the land by drawing broke into his arrangements. His plan was this: A mulatto working on a ranch in the Comanche country had agreed to erect a tepee on a choice quarter and by painting and bedecking himself in Indian garb and impersonating an Indian allottee, he would scare off all would-be-filers. On the night after the run Mr. Pettigrew planned to go out and take possession of the land and file his claim. However, the run did not take place and Uncle Bill’s number failed to draw any claim. “That’s some of my luck,” broke in C.E. MURPHY. “You know the lucky numbers ran from 1 to 18,000 and of course I held number 76,000. There were 18,000 tracts of land in the drawing and 165,000 entries were made.” Mr. Murphy here related a side story that showed the interest of the people. Everybody was hourly expecting something to happen, he said, and it didn’t take much of a rumor to start something. He continued: “JOHN STUDEBAKER had an old clay-bank horse that he was grooming for the race, so that he could at a pinch ride that animal without a bridle or saddle. One day a fellow who had been charged with some minor crime went out to the edge of town and committed suicide. Excitement ran high when news of the suicide became known, and men a-foot, on horses, and in vehicles rushed to the scene. John, noting the furore, thought a run was in progress and springing to the back of his faithful animal without taking time to secure either a saddle or bridle raced out into the country ahead of the procession. He pulled up about ten miles from town and after waiting a few hours realized that he had been the victim of a hoax and made his way back after nightfall.” “Reminds me of an incident, I witnessed,” spoke up “Neighbor” EDRINGTON. “We had no fire alarm system in those days and pistol shots was the signal for the bucket brigade to get busy. One day a shooting scrap took place around the corner on eighth street and the successful combatant immediately jumped into his wagon and drove rapidly out of town on east Main street. Seeing the fleeing horseman and thinking he had located the fire JOE DORRANCE jumped on his horse and gave chase. Naturally the gun man thought that he was in danger of capture and turning in his seat, began sending bullets in Joe’s direction. After about the third shot Joe had a hunch that he was pursuing a man fighter rather than a fire fighter and abruptly quit the chase”. PUTTY and THURLO were the combatants and the latter was killed. Putty was later killed by a U.S. Marshal in what is now Carter county. Here the conversation lagged for a few moments when someone remarked that the opening of the Comanche-Kiowa country in 1901 brought many people to Duncan, and that 132 residents and non-residents of the town drew claims. The non-residents were transients who merely gave Duncan as their postoffice addresses when registering. The “Homeseekers Union”, which numbered its members by the hundred, was an institution which sprang up about this time. There are perhaps a score or more people in Duncan today who belonged to the union and who still have a vivid recollection of their painful efforts to climb Mount Hope only to be submerged in the cold, cold water at its base. The “union” sprang into existence following the rumblings that the “yanks” of Kansas were getting all the plums and were played as favorites by the land officials. It was easy enough to get members into the lodge when tackled from this angle and the organization finally fell by weight of its own numbers. BILL GILBERT, then struggling young lawyer, was at the head of the organization. He is now a prominent lawyer of Los Angeles, California.
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Duncan Banner, February 26, 1915
HENRY PRUITT LOSES FIGHT AFTER 9 YEARS
Oklahoma City–HENRY PRUITT, originally indicted with others for killing BEN COLLINS, a United States Deputy Marshal in Johnson county in 1906, lost a nine-year fight to evade trial when the criminal court of appeals, in a per curium opinion written by Presiding Judge THOMAS H. DOYLE, Saturday, quashed a writ of Habeas corpus granted by the district court of Johnston county and ordered that the case be tried. Pruitt, who has been out on a bond of $15,000 was ordered remanded to the custody of the sheriff to await trial. While Pruitt has been waging his long battle for freedom by habeas corpus, all five of his co-defendants have been released from the charges against them–two by death. A. WASHMOOD, CLINT PRUITT, and E.P. ALFORD have been tried and acquitted and J.B. MILLER and B.B. BURWELL, the two remaining of the five, were lynched by a mob at Ada in 1907 for assassinating B.T. BOBBITT, another United States marshal, while the COLLINS charge was pending against them. Although the criminal court of appeals orders Pruitt to be tried, attorneys familiar with the records in the noted old case doubt whether it will ever be brought to hearing. In the nine years since Collins was shot and killed many of the witnesses have died. Others who would have to be relied on by the state long ago have left Oklahoma and cannot be located. The killing of BEN COLLINS, a Deputy United States marshal, who was widely known for his great activity in enforcing the law in the rough country of his district, is recorded as one of the most noted of the many tragedies enacted in this section in the territorial days. Collins was shot from his horse and instantly killed just as he was preparing to alight in front of his home. This killing was just a few months after Collins had killed a brother of Henry Pruitt at a rancher’s picnic. HENRY PRUITT, CLINT PRUITT and four others were indicted by a grand jury shortly following the killing. Later, in 1911, a similar indictment was returned for the purpose of conferring authority to try the case in the district court of Johnston county. Before the furor attending the death of Deputy Marshal Collins had blown over, J.B. MILLER, reputed to be a professional killer, with a price of $500, and B.B. BURWELL, two of the defendants, together with two other men, fell upon Deputy BOBBITT and took his life. Men of the surrounding country were so enraged they tore the quartet from the hands of the officers at dawn the next day and hanged them to rafters in a livery stable. No arrests followed the lynching.
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Cableone lost all emails sent to me over the weekend (19th and 20th). They said my inbox became corrupted and had to be scratched and started again. Monday morning the 21st I thought everything was back to normal, then the same thing happened again. Boy, I never had that happen with Brightnet of Oklahoma during my 10 years using their service. Anyway, if you sent me an email over the weekend, please resend it. I just hope I get it.

There is no remedy for love but to love more. -Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), Journal, July 25, 1839

See everyone in the next time!

Butch Bridges

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February 16, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 416

This week I was invited up to Woodford, Oklahoma to see some old history, so old is this building its probably the oldest still standing structure in Carter county. I’m talking about a stagecoach terminal. This old building is so back of the main road and hidden that very few people even know it exists, much less what is used to be years ago. Woodford is 8 miles west of Springer, Oklahoma on Highway 53 and then about 1/2 mile north on Mountain Lake Road. <—– Click Here

The stagecoach building is in two sections, a west side and an east side divided by a breezeway. These two rooms is where riders on the stagecoach spent the night and such. You got to put yourself back in those early days, it is the dead of winter, very cold, and those stagecoaches do not have heaters like present day vehicles. How nice it must have been to stop at a terminal such as this and rest and warm the body and eat some vittles. This is a view inside the west end of the terminal. <—– Click Here

View inside the east end of the terminal. <—– Click Here

View looking at the breezeway between the two living quarters of the terminal. <—– Click Here

View of the overhang area where the stagecoach would sit covered from the elements. <—– Click Here

This is a picture I snapped of some actual pieces of stagecoach that was laying on the ground near the terminal. The metal frame is part of the wheel. <—– Click Here

The stagecoach terminal is located about 300 feet west of Presley Hill’s home place in Woodford. This homeplace was built in 1935. Jim believes the stagecoach terminal may date back to 1880 or before. The stagecoach terminal is directly behind the house about 300 feet west. <—– Click Here

I snapped this picture of Jim Hill as he stood in front of his uncle Presley Hill’s place in Woodford. Jim may be in his 70s, but it was hard for this city boy to keep up with him as we tromped through those woods. lol <—– Click Here

Its not very often a county has something this old to brag about, much less still around to see. I’m thankful for Jim Hill inviting me out, giving me the grand tour of Woodford, Oklahoma, letting me take some pics, and getting to share it all right here for the first time ever.

This is the stinky artesian sulphur water well about just north of the Presley Hill place. We’ve talked about and shown pics of this well in past newsletters. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

But I think one of the most interesting things Jim revealed to me was the Woodford community water well. Its located about 3/4 mile on north of the sulphur water well. You park your car beside the road and walk about 600 feet east into the woods following this creek and there you will find the first well used by the Woodford settlers way before statehood. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Here is an interesting old piece of history Jim Hill had in his garage. I’m not going to tell what this is yet, you’ll have to wait until the next issue. But does anyone want know, or want to take a guess at what this contraption was used for? <—– Click Here

I stopped by Grasshopper Junction Cafe in downtown Healdton this week and bought one of their $2.75 hamburgers (includes tax). Boy, this is a another good one! <—– Click Here

For those of you asking for the Priddy Salad Dressing recipe, here it is! <—– Click Here

Jim Baker, proprietor of the Broadway Cafe here in Ardmore bought be a couple of photos this week…. photos from his family from long ago. This first one had four people in it, but only the two on the right are known. On the right is Joe Volino. Jim Baker’s grandfather, Clarence Woolery, next to him. Does anyone know who the two are on the left? They are locals, probably from the Dickson, Oklahoma area. I bet this bunch could really roll out some good music with those fiddles! <—– Click Here

This is a photo of Clarence Woolery by himself. <—– Click Here

A Reader brought by a medal coin of some kind to see if any of you T&T Readers might know what it is. The name inscribed on the medal is Paul M. Derby. Could it be some kind of WWII French soldier ID tag??? <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

There are over 919 articles in 112 topic areas providing an answer to just about any question you might have regarding Microsoft Word in versions 6 through 2003. <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Hi Butch: I am sure this has been covered before but can’t recall seeing it but there was a baseball player named Red Sollars who decided to stay in Ardmore and worked for Barnett plumbing, i think.. good person and a solid citizen. Ardmore gained when Red decided to hang up his glove and stay.”
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“Just wanted you to be reminded that the AHS Class of 1955 is holding their 50th (we were all infants in high school) reunion on April 15, 16 and 17. Headquarters will be Hampton Inn. Lots of good/fun things planned. Contact: Barbara Craddock (A.N. “Sonny”), June Curry Miller (Kenneth), Ginger Jones Gordon (Fred) there in Ardmore for more information. You have my email address if somebody wants to contact me.” -danna
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“Butch, Sam worked for Priddy’s Grill when he was about junior high after school. It was west of the Tivoli Theater past a J.C. Pennys and Anthonys Next door to Ben Dye’s Boot Shop. Sam washed dishes. The Priddy’s lived up the street west on 5th avenue from where I was raised on the east side of Washington School. I always thought they lived in a beautiful Brick house, because we lived in a small frame house. I thought they were rich. And I guess they were back then. I always went to Priddy’s to get chicken salad, Every time we came to Ardmore after I was married and lived down here. I also bought the chicken salad at Hunt’s Grocery. This weeks T&T really brought back memories, I asked Sam if he remembered Priddy’s Grill. Then we both started trying to remember the stores on wast main. It’s Broadway now.” -Carol Jean Carmon Cole in Hurst, TX
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“Your last issue with the article concerning the Parrot at the Hamburger Stand on South Washington with the link to the Ardmoreite article “Ruler of the Roost” brought back great memories. John Hubble, the owner of the stand, was my uncle. He and his wife Fern ran the stand opening it in the early sixties or late fifties as a Dairy Delight. I think that was sort of a hybrid franchise. He paid for the name, but could operate the business pretty much how he wanted. John– or as he liked to call himself, “Honest John” — was way ahead of his time. He was one of the first ice cream stands to sell food and started selling hamburgers at, I believe, 19 cents each. He used to have a sign in front of the building that said – “Over _____ hamburger sold” which he changed almost every week. Later McDonalds would use the same marketing message. I wish I could remember how many he sold — but it must have been over a hundred thousand when he finally closed the business. John also claims to have invented the Frito Chili Pie. If he didn’t, he was certainly one of the first to sell it commercially. John would also come up with all kinds of flavors for the malts and shakes — watermelon and cantaloupe in the summer. They were so thick that he would turn them upside down and hand them through the window to you and the drink would not fall out. Always the marketer, John bought the parrot not too long after he opened the ice cream stand and kept him out front to entertain the kids. The Health Department probably wouldn’t allow a parrot anywhere near a fast food establishment today! As John and Fern got older it became harder to operate the Dairy Delight, so they closed it and ran a liquor store there for a number of years. After John passed away the family leased the land to several used car lots, John’s mother – Mrytle Stewart lived in the house just North of the stand. The house was torn down after she died.: -John Bagwell, Dallas, Texas
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“The Jack Thompson story.” http://ardmoreite.com/stories/121798/new_thompson.shtml
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“I think your reader means Boise City (not Bosie City). The last time we were through there, a number of years ago, the highway was one of the main routes between Denver and Amarillo, and the semis going around the court house were thick on those brick streets.”
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“My wife and I used to make a special effort to arrange our trips to Dallas or Austin (from Oklahoma City, or sometimes from Konawa) so that we would get to Gainesville at lunch time to eat in the Turner Hotel restaurant. This started in the late 1940s or early 1950s, when I-35 had not been built, and probably was not even under consideration. Old Highway 77 took you right in front of the hotel. The first time we stopped there for lunch we were hooked. Everybody’s tastes differ, of course, but that restaurant was very high on our list. The first time we drove there and found it was no longer a restaurant was a disappointment.”
————————————————————————- “Butch here is a photo of the old Bud Young school pupils east of the Airpark just south of the Goddard ranch. It is 1930-31. I have a list of names also. If anyone want this photo then they can download it.” -Doug Williams <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day. -Robert Frost <—– Click Here

See everyone in the next time!

Butch Bridges

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February 13, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 415

When I was a wee lad in the early 1960s the Ardmore Public Library was located at E Street and Stanley SW. What few times I went it there before it was moved to E and Grand, I thought that was such a large building. When you about 10 years old, everything seemed bigger than they really were. Here is a 1916 postcard photo of the old Carnegie Library on Stanley street. Its the present day Lady Garden Center. <—– Click Here

Thanks to several T&T Readers, there has been added a dozen names to the Stobtown Baptist Church group photo that was taken in 1962. We are narrowing down those faces not listed! <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

I took a couple of pics of the old Colvert Dairy at South Washington and Stanley SW. My uncle, Ira Bridges, is now in an Ardmore nursing home, and his room mate, Mr. Long said he worked with Ira at Colverts years ago. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

In my last T&T I had a typo in the link to that cherry pie from the Gainesville Pie Company. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

February 15th is very close. Remember, you get 380 Free minutes or more on sign-up!

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Hi, I am Elaine Harris Hatch. My grandparents were James S. and Lola McCharen of Ardmore. One of their children was Alyne McCharen Priddy. Her husband Fred Priddy, had a cafe on old Highway 77 near Cedarvale in the 30’s and 40’s. When they moved to Ardmore, they had a restaurant, I think, first on east Main, then on Washington, then out on Hwy 77, and finally downtown close to the Tivioli. Grandpa Priddy lived across the viaduct. One son, Louis, moved to Oklahoma City and had a restaurant there. Uncle Fred Priddy had a plant near the old Priddy homestead, and made chicken salad, pimento cheese, etc. They sold this all over the state and believe it or not I have the original recipe. The only problem is that it requires huge amounts of items. I suppose if I were smart enough I could do the division and make it smaller. The Priddy’s had a small hamburger place down close to the post office, I think on Washington, later moved on to Main Street. They also had a place out on the Highway. I can look at the old things I have and see if I have any names of employees. The Priddy’s were my Mother’s relatives, and my Aunt Dessie Harris on my Mother’s side made all of the pies for Priddy’s cafe. My brother is Jerry Harris and is currently living and working in Ardmore.”
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“Glad you enjoyed our beautiful community of Gainesville, Texas. The Koebelen’s keep fresh paint on their building with the American Flag. It always looks nice and well kept. The house faces Gladney Street with Fair Street to the back. The Turner Building is an old landmark of G’ville. It is located just west of the Santa Fe Depot. Back in the good old days this was the Turner Hotel. The restaurant was on the first floor and was “the place” to eat and visit. I’m not sure of the year but the hotel was taken over by the city housing authority and turned into a retirement home for seniors. The rooms were made into individual apartments. As you can see it is a well kept building and part of G’ville’s heritage. You spoke of hamburgers. Back in my good old days in Ardmore there was a little drivein called Jays on the east side of commerce st one or two blocks north of main st. I always ordered mine with mustard pickle and onions. My mouth melts recalling the taste. The drag was around what was called the “Super Dog”. It was on the west side of commerce. When I got my driver’s license no matter where I was going it involved dragging the “Super Dog”. Parents understood that if we lived across town and was sent to the store for a loaf of bread 2 blocks away, it involved making the drag! What great memories. St Paul’s Episcopal Church is where the bells toll the noon hour. These are real bells that ring, they are set on a timer. (next door to the Turner Apts). Go to kgaf1580.com and take a look at more points of interest. Also the Carsons are an encyclepedia of history. Don’t guess you went west of town toward the old Camp Howitz area? What a history Camp Howitz has for G’ville during WW2. Visit the museum sometime. Thanks for the memories.”
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“Butch seeing the picture of the Mt Washinton school class, brought back lots of memories,, and also reminded me that I had a picture of the Springdale School graduating class, 8th grade of 1956. This was a 2 room school house at the time. Mr and Mrs M. L. Emerson were the teachers at the school. Mrs Emerson taught the 1st 2nd & 3rd grades, and Mr Emerson taught the 4th through the 8th. Then about the middle of the year they hired a new teacher named Mrs. McTeague, and she took over the 4 grade and I was in her class, they put that class in the lunch room.. Her son is the Vet, Larry McTeague. I would sure like to hear from anyone else that has pictures of the school or teachers that were at the school. I have lot of really great memories of that school and all the teachers there, Mr. & Mrs James Miller were there many years and may have been the last people over the school. I am send the picture of the 8th grade graduating class. Standing in front of the school house, first on the left is Mr. Martin Luther Emerson the principle, Leroy Willis,James Johnson, my brother, Royce Thurmon, and Joyce Parrot. Hope this brings back memories to people that went to school,,as all of my memories are wonderful, and would like to see more of the these pictures, and hear memories from other that went there and knew the Emersons, There is also a Mr. Boring from Blue Okla that taught there. maybe for only a year or 2. Keep up the good work, your news letters are the high light reading of my week.” -Karla <—– Click Here
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“Dear Butch, I need some information on the old Y.W.C.A. if it was called that in 1938 and would appreciate anything you can give me. I was one year old at this time and lived with my family directly behind the ‘Y’ in a white framed duplex on A Street NW. My 93 year old mother, Fern (Stanford) Worley, who was raised in Provence, graduated from Dickson High School, married a town boy, David Worley (deceased) and lived and still lives in Ardmore, told me what she remembers but isn’t sure if it was called the Y.W.C.A. then. She said it was a big old two-storied house then and had a cafeteria on the ground floor that catered to people who worked downtown. It was later after we moved to G Street NE that this house was razed and a new building, the Y.W.C.A. was erected. I was in and out of the ‘Y’ at various times in my life and attended Teen Town as a teenager. My parents had their 50th wedding anniversary celebration there, also. I just need to know what purpose this old house was used for other than the cafeteria back then, if it was actually a Y.W.C.A. for young ladies needing a place to stay, or if it was it a boarding house under a different name? I came across your website when I looked up Ardmore, Oklahoma History and enjoyed looking at old pictures, especially the old Provence School. I printed this out for my mother to see and others as well. Hope to hear from you on this matter.” -Mary Ellen (Worley) Dube [email protected]
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“I am researching facilities used by minor league teams. I noticed your site had some information submitted on Cardinal Park in Ardmore. Do you have information on when it was built? Apparently it is still being used. Many thanks.” [email protected]
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“Butch I’m glad you cleared up the location of Bullocks Steak House. I might also mention that Jimmy Lewis had a neighborhood grocery in the south side of the building that housed Prez Gray’s pkg.store. I sold bread at all those little stores and cafes. I worked for John Smalls Bakery from 1956 until its closure in 1961 or 1962.”
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“Butch, I have found a website that was featured on a Tulsa news channel this week where you can go and adopt a soldier or just give emotional support to the families. If you find this a worthy post for your newsletter I think Our soldiers in Iraq might really benefit from it. They have had a wonderful response since the news report. I feel there is just not enough we can do for our soldiers over there to let them know we appreciate them. I have been told that receiving mail and care packages really helps them a lot. The address is http://www.far-from-home.com Please note that you MUST put the dashes between the words are you will be taken to a site that has nothing to do with them. I hope that your readers will consider checking this out and adopting a soldier. The instructions for adopting are found on the website. This is not a group that you contribute to, you will communicate directly with the soldier you adopt in whatever way you choose.” <—– Click Here
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“Dear Cuz, Love the stories about Priddy’s – I can remember growing up in Davis and Mom or Aunt Dovie would drive down to Ardmore and pick up all of their sandwich spreads and bring them back to Davis for our school lunches or sandwiches on the week-ends. Loved the Pimento Cheese the best and can remember coming home on leave from the military and Aunt Dovie would have enough Pimento Cheese spread on stock that I could take some back with me for my lunches during the week or on week-ends as well. Mom (bless her heart) always said that no matter where she went in the world and had pimento cheese sandwiches, they weren’t the real deal if they were not made with Priddy’s. I echo her praise for Priddy’s pimento cheese as well. From the responses you have received it appears there are a lot more folks out there that agree with Mom and myself – whether it be Pimento or Chicken Salad from Priddy’s.” -Cuz Poss
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“We were wondering if you recalled the hamburger stand down on S. Washington (I think it was where the camper place is now) that had the parrot in a cage out front.” <—– Click Here
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“Butch here are two photos of the origional Gene Autry School and a class at the old young school. And do you remember the man by the gas truck, it’s Jake Hollenbeck who ran the Skelly station where Wal-Mart is now.” -Doug Williams <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“S&J Deli in Healdton…. they have the best steak sandwiches or steak dinners…. like the ones we used to get at Del Rancho, maybe that was before your time though. This has been our favorite stop between home and Ardmore for several years.”
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“In Boise City, Oklahoma they still have the brick streets around the courthouse.”
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“Alexander L. (H.) Shadden was killed in April 1898. He was buried at Newport Cemetery, I bleieve on 30 April 1898. He has just an old fieldstone for his grave. The man responsible for shooting (I understand this took place in Carter Co.) him was John Perry Bowling. John Perry was married to Bonnie Pearl Shadden, Alexander’s daughter. Bonnie Pearl gave birth to a child in 1897 and both died not long after. John Perry Bowling was on trial of May 1898. I am trying to find any information concerning the trial of this shooting. Also it is believed that John Perry Bowling had another trial but not sure if it was connected. John Perry Bowling died in 1939 and buried close to Woodward. His dad is buried at Newport also. Any advice as to where to find such records would be appreciated.”
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“My source says the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, across the street from the Turner Apts. in Gainesville, have real bells. The bells are set on a timer.”
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“Everyone keeps talking about Priddy’s dressing but nobody has the recipe. It was quite a bit like the old fashing thousand island, if I remember correctly, only better. Surely someone knows how to make it.” -Carolyn Frei
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“Butch, I don’t know if you have any readers relocated from Sperry, Oklahoma but their only grocery store burnt down last night – it had been in operation since 1908. As of right now they don’t have a cause for the fire.”
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“J.W. Bailey was a farmhand in 1886 when he left Nocona, Texas with Dr. Walter Hardy to bring a herd of 25 mules (possessions of the Hardy family) to Ardmore, Oklahoma. The mules were taught to follow a grey mare wearing a bell. The party crossed the Red River to old Spanish Fort at Mud Creek, Courtney Flats. The creek was on a rampage so they had to use Brown’s Ferry. The mules all went to one side of the boat in fear. Their weight caused the boat to capzie and they and everyone on board went into Old Mud. Bailey, “an old hand, cried out to Hardy to get his horse by the tail. He swam to safety with his horse leading the way and all the animals and men were saved”. (Daily Ardmoreite Newspaper 1886) The second item I mentioned to you concerned J.W’s wagon yard. This yard was located east of Ardmore along Main Street. It caught fire in stored hay and burned everything.” -Horace “Butch” Bailey
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The Daily Ardmoreite, July 9, 1899
Licensed to Wed
L.D. BARNES and DELLA TYSON, Belton
J.J. MULANEX and FANNIE AKIN, Chickasha
TYBE MARTIN and SARAH ISABELL GIVENS, Chickasha
J.S. RAMSEY and BEULAH RATLIFF, Naples
W.P. MOORE and ROSETTA JONES, Chickasha
RANDOLPH HATHAWAY and CHARIDE BARTON, Chickasha
RICHARD NEWSON and MOLLIE REYNOLD, Doyle
FRANK MORRIS and LELIA STEWART, Duncan
J.T. AINSWORTH and FANNIE CLOUD, Comanche
G.W. McEWEN and LAURA B. LONG, Terral
HUGH HAYNE, Doyle and MAY WOOD, Purdy
W.A. HARRIS and JOSIA KIMBALL, Hewitt
G.C. SHARP and MARY BRULLARE, Mill Creek
J.W. KARR, Earl, and EMMA WAKEFIELD, Russet
NEAL COOPER and IDA MAY, Ardmore
SAMSON CARTER and ADA SHOULS, Berwyn
THOS. CHURCHMAN and FANNIE L. DANIELS, Purdy
JOHN BRAZIEL and IDA VINYARD, Marietta
W.H. ARMSTRONG, Reck; and MATTIE GUNTER, Keller
A.L. PHILLIPS and SALLIE BEAVERS, Fox
C.C. GREEN and BYRTLE CLARK, Franks
E.E. JONES and CORA DAFFRON, Cliff
JOHN F. WALTERS, Ada; and FANNIE SUTTON, Center
GEO. C. McCULLOUGH and CHARDIE M. GRINSTEAD, Paoli
DAVE TURNER and EFFIE HARPER, Wynnewood
JOHN BRITT and GUSSIE HAKETT, Dolburgh
JAS. E. ADAMSON and NANCY S. MILLS, Roff
STEVE R. KENDALL and BERTHA R. HARRISON, Wynnewood
C.A. WINTERS and RUTH CHARLES, Davis
J.H. SPARLING and LOTTIE MARTIN, Teller
BEN S. TALLANT and ELVIRA MILLS, Cumberland
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July 11, 1899
Leon Letter
We had an election for town officers here last Monday resulting in the following being elected: J.Z. BROWN, mayor; J.D. GARRETT, recorder; CHAP. BAKER, PLEAS. DAVIS, J.A. BAKER, Dr. C.A. STEWARD and WILL BROWN aldermen. A meeting of the citizens of Leon and vicinity was held for the purpose of unity of action in the up building of the community in school, social and financial interests. It was a large and enthusiastic meeting and much benefit will sure follow such a meeting. The picnic at Burneyville was largely attended by people of our community and all speak in highest praise of the kind treatment received while there.
***
At Coalgate yesterday, JOHN WHEATS, a miner in the Soup Bone mine, operated by the Southwestern, went back to examine a shot that hung fire. It exploded just as he reached it, tearing away his skull and killing him instantly. A younger brother with him was seriously injured.
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The following pensions have been granted to people of the Territory: Original–ROBERT FRENCH, Ringo, $6, JOHN COSTELLO, Reagan, $12; THOMAS JOHNSON, South McAlester, $6.
Increase–WILLIAM SHELTON, Davis, $10-$14
***
July 13, 1899
Durwood–Mr. MARION has just returned from Erath County, TX. D.P. RICH yesterday sold 30 head of pigs to Mr. McGUINN at $2.50 per head. Prof. JONES was able to be out in town today. WILL ARNOLD has just returned from a fishing trip on Pennington An ice cream supper will be given at H.D. ARGO’s tonight.
LoneGrove–W.E. SULLIVAN of Italy, TX is here visiting his brother Dr. C.F. SULLIVAN Mrs. A. HEFLIN came home today from Ardmore where she has been visiting her daughter, Mrs. A. ADAMS, she was accompanied by Master EMERSON ADAMS who will remain a few days.
Prof. A.L. DAY and Miss STELLA HEWETT are here today visiting Miss PERINE O’BRIEN
Dr. W.J. BROWN and Rev. J. CLOWDIS went to Woodford today
Mrs. C.F. FULLIVAN and mother Mrs. STODER went to Ardmore today.
Mannsville–WM. SANDERS of Lexington, OK is here.
Dr. PATERTON of Russet is here.
F.L. ALDRIDGE has returned today from Texas.
Berwyn–JUDGE BILLINGS of Kansas City, MO is here.
H.B. DeFORD of Ardmore is here.
THOS. BOYD has sold his pool hall to SAMMON BROS.
Mrs. JNO. HARDY and children are at Mill Creek spending a few days, they are accompanied by LON HARDY and wife.
Miss LAURA DURFY, Mrs. ELLA DOTSON, Mrs. J.W. LOKEY, and R.V. TOMPKINS all returned to Ardmore yesterday evening.
Tishomingo–JOHN BOTTLEFIELD, a 16-year-old boy was brought from Colbert yesterday and was tried today before Judge HARDY, charged with cutting down some corn stalks of his neighbor. He was acquitted.
Mr. HOLLAND also of Colbert is now on trial for cattle stealing.
A party of young folks are spending the day fishing in Pennington.
Province– J.D. NEALY is in the country visiting his parents.
J.W. HOLLEY is on the sick list.
HOLLEY & McCARLEY are now rebuilding the gin.
Miss NATES STETTON of Durwood is here.
Dr. SOUTHERN has his new residence about completed and will move into it in a few days.
Healdton–Dr. J.H. GARDNER has purchased the Higdon property at this place.
Mannsville–MACK WELCH is very sick
ALBERT ANDERSON, the big stockman has concluded to locate here.
W.B. SCRIMSHIRE came in today from Oil Springs but will return tomorrow.
GEORGE HOLLOWAY and WALTER BAKER will engage in the mercantile business at Oil Springs in the near future.
DEE RISSE of Mineral Wells, TX, will engage in the practice of law at this place in a few days.
The new telephone line from Russett to Earl by way of Mannsville is about completed.
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Mrs. PETE HEFFNER and brother HERBERT WEST of Chickasha, daughter and son of Mrs. GEO. WARNER are in the city.

D. REAGAN and daughter, Miss MARY, of Forney TX are in the city visiting Mr. REAGAN’s brother in law, Judge W.T. NIXON.

Mrs. L. J. JOHNSON and Mrs. GEORGE HEAD have secured apartments for the summer at Sulphur and will depart for that place Sunday.

BRIT WILLIS, who according to the Denison and some other papers was assassinated last week, is in the city today apparently in good health.

G.W. YELDELL has purchased the barber business of A. JOHNSON on West Main Street.
*****
During the month of February, a trunk belonging to A.D. BURCH, a merchant at Pauls Valley, was stolen from the depot at that place. The theft was a deft piece of work and it was some time before any arrests were made. At the first of this month a trunk at the same depot was stolen from Miss CLARA WILLIAMS who was arranging to board the train for Holdenville where she was employed as a teacher. L.C. PAYTON, a relative of the young lady, and J.E. MARTIN deputy marshal of Pauls Valley assisted by Deputy United States Marshal BUCK GARRETT began work in earnest to discover the guilty parties. With the incarceration of SAM FELLORS committed by Judge WINN at Center yesterday, 10 persons, all of whom are black, are now in federal jail here charged with thefts. These officers certainly deserve credit for their untiring efforts in apprehending and placing behind the bars this horde of petty thieves.
***
HOTEL WISNOR DESTROYED
About 3:30 o’clock this morning our people were aroused by the shooting of fire arms, Ardmore’s fire alarm. Those at a distance were some time in locating the fire and hopes were brightening that wherever it was it had been subdued. Presently an onmious flash appeared, then all was dark again. So sudden was this that eye witnesses at a distance could not locate it. They had not long to wait, however, when a blaze shot heavenward through the roof of the Wisnor hotel. In the meantime Ardmore’s fire fighters were on the scene and the battle began. No one knows how the fire originated, but it was discovered in what might be termed a lumber room on the third floor, where the present management had some plunder stored, and in every likelihood was the result of spontaneous combustion. Quickly did the fire spread in all the room on the third floor, many of the guest loosing their apparel and effects, yet glad to get down the fire escapes. For a time it seemed that the fire boys were victors and the fire would be extinguished on the third floor, but fate willed it otherwise. The water supply was limited and to this fact alone is due the destruction of the entire building. The boys fought nobly and persistently and at the time the supply was cut off there must have been over an inch and one-half of water on the third floor. This was between 6 and 7 o’clock. Gradually the fire burned through the second story below, and here the work of destruction raged again. The fire engine in the meantime had been pumping water from the cistern on West Main street into the one at the crossing of Springer and Main. This gave the boys fresh ammunition, and right well did they use it, but this too gave out, and during the morning hours the inferior of the building kept falling in leaving only the blackened stone walls three stories high standing. The upper portion of the brick front fell with a crash about 9 o’clock. The fire will smolder now at least for a couple of days. Considerable of the hotel furniture was saved from the building, there being ample time and plenty of willing hands to assist. The loss on the third floor, however, is total and there, Mrs. HALL and daughters had most of their effects. The building, which was an imposing structure and the pride of the city, was erected in 1894 at a cost of $17,000, and was completed in July, exactly five years ago. The present owners of the building are C.D. CARTER and his mother, Mrs. B.W. CARTER, and the members of SOLOMON E. JACKSON’s estate. The hotel was under the management of Mrs. LOU HALL and daughters, whose loss will be quite heavy. BERT CONCANNON narrowly escaped the fire by way of the escape at the rear of the building. His personal effects were a total loss. E.W. MARTIN, representing the American Tobacco company, occupied a room on the third floor adjoining the one in which the fire originated. He escaped hurriedly leaving clothing, and jewelry to the mercy of the flames.
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CAMP ORGANIZED
The young men of the city met as per call, last night at the city hall and organized a camp of Sons of the Confederate Veterans. W.M. FRANKLIN called the meeting to order and stated the object of the call. HARVE A. YOUNGBLOOD and Rev. N.F. LAW made many useful suggestions to the body. Permanent organization was effected by the election of W.M. FRANKLIN, commander; R.H. LAW, 1st Lieut.; H.H. YOUNGLOOD, 2nd Lieut.; N.R. TISDAL, adjutant; Dr. A.A. SMITH, surgeon; E.L. DEEN, color bearer; W.S. SMITH, chaplain. As a name for the camp “SAM DAVIS” was put in motion by J.C. GRAHAM with a short speech in eulogy of the young southerner. The name was unanimously accepted.

Others mentioned in this article: J.F. EASLEY, SUMMERS HARDY, S.M. TORBETT, JESS HILL, T.B. FRENSLEY, STANLEY BRUCE, L.C. LANDRUM, W.S. SMITH, C.R. FRENSLEY, R.H. LAW, H.H. YOUNGBLOOD, A.J. CARSON, JACK SANDLIN, N.R. TISDAL, T.W. DEEN, and Atty. J.C. GRAHAM.
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ROY STOWE, the night clerk, did heroic work in arousing the guests. He climbed the burning stairway to the third story and spread the alarm.

CHARLEY CARTER gave the fire boys lunch at the Chinese restaurant.

A stone fell on SAM LAUGHLIN’s head as he climbed the rear fire escape. His uniform hat protected him from a very painful if not fatal injury.

W.H. BYRD and company who suffered loss in the fire on the Gorman corner are again put out by the Wisnor fire.

This was the slowest fire ever seen in Ardmore.

Mrs. SPURGEON was absent at Sulphur Springs, but we learn all of her effects were saved.

Miss NELLIE HALL is taking her loss bravely and was the recipient of much expressed sympathy from her many friends. Her mother and Miss KITTIE are both at Sulphur Springs.
*********** SULPHUR SPRINGS THE PLACE
The following extracts were taken from a letter written to Capt. J.R. PULLIAM at Sulphur Springs to a comrade in Ardmore. The entire letter would be excellent reading, but for brevity we select as follows: “Prospects for the reunion are brilliant, I am pleased to know this, for I can assure you that the general outlook here is a long ways ahead of what I expected to find. There is, in reality, natural advantages here that surpasses anything in this country, and I am glad that a good opportunity will be afforded our old soldier friends to come and enjoy themselves. The people here are in good fix, and seem to be full of enterprise. “I visited the bath house and took a bath. This is just out of sight. I told the boss I meant to have every confederate who came to the reunion to take one of his baths. “I don’t know just what all will be done, but I am sure that the whole people all around where I have been are waking up in anticipation of a grand time.”
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Two prominent cotton buyers were before Police Judge J.L. GALT this afternoon charged with driving over the hose during the Wisnor fire. They were released by the court upon their statement that their driving across the hose was rendered unavoidable by a fright given their horse at the Brady corner.
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AT THE JAIL
DANIEL GRAYSON, MARION BROOKS, WM. SWINDELL, and SAM FELLORS were placed in jail this morning from Judge WINN’s court. All are charged with larceny. SAMPSON CARTER, DAN KENNEDY and J.W. GIBBONS were released today on bond.
***
LOST
Thursday between my residence and W.B. BLEAKMORE’s a black clay worsted coat. Has on lapel a Houston U.C.V. badge. Finder please return to JEFF CARTER.
****
JO BRISCO a business man from Newman, GA, is in the city with a view of locating and embarking in the mercantile business. Mr. Briscoe is an old time friend of W.H. BINGHAM, this city.
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Mrs. FRED GARDNER has accepted a position in the United States clerk’s office for a few days during an extra rush of work.
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July 4, 1933
LOCAL WOMAN RECALLS PARTY
Crowds and excitement, fun and mishaps were all present at that first celebration given in Ardmore, July 28, 1888, according to Mrs. N.B. LITTELL, who with her husband and daughter came here in ’87.
Dr. and Mrs. LITTELL came to Ardmore in the fall and could find no house nor rooms available, said Mrs. Littell, and were given a place to live temporarily with JOHN O’MALLEY.
“Our house was built on East Main below the Iron Store,” Mrs. Littell explained. “In the summer of 1888 following our coming here Ardmore had her first picnic, on East Main.” said Mrs. Littell. “People came from far and near on train, in wagons and buggies, even on foot. We accommodated all the roomers and boarders that we could, tho some slept in the park and some camped out.”
An amusing incident of the celebration for her, yet not so amusing at the time, related Mrs. Littell, was the defection of her cook. “he was a Frenchman, named JOHN RUDEBAUGH,” she said, ” and was a fine cook, but on the big day John wanted to celebrate also. So he went to town, got some booze and in the midst of the rush went out and lay down under the shade of a tree, leaving us to do the best we could.” Mrs. Littell was born in Milton, KY., in 1849 and was married there. Since her husband’s death she has made her home with her daughter, Mrs. M. L. PACE, 403 C street northwest. Although she has attended every celebration of Ardmore’s anniversary since 1888, illness will prevent her participating this year.
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November 1, 1933
AGED ARDMORE MAN IS CHARGED WITH SHOOTING
JACK ADAMS, 15, of 702 East Broadway, is in the Hardy sanitarium with half a score of birdshot in his head and nearly as many in his left forearm, C.H. BEAN, 13, of 207 C street northwest, and D. TILLMAN, 15, of 1215 Fifth northeast, are at their homes suffering from less serious injuries as the result of a tragic conclusion to a Halloween prank in northeast Ardmore last night. JOHN EGGELSTON, 70, pioneer blacksmith of Ardmore, was arrested by city police for the shooting. Witnesses said that the aged man, aggravated by the pranks of youngsters in his neighborhood, fired on Adams, Bean and Tillman with a shotgun. He told officers that he only meant to frighten the youngsters. The shooting took place at Eggleston’s home in the 1300 block on Third northeast. All three of the boys have been given anti-tetanus serum. Adams was in considerable pain today but was not believed in a critical condition. None of the shots struck the boys in their eyes it was said. Adams said that he and his companions were on the ground when the man fired on them. Six other boys were with the three wounded. They are HAROLD ADAMS, ELLIOTT DOOL, JACK WORLEY, WENDELL SHAW, CLYDE BEAD, AND RALPH ADAMS. Eggelston was at liberty on bond today. MARVIN SHILLING, county attorney, said that he plans to file charges of assault with intent to kill against the aged man. Neighbors in the vicinity of the Eggelston home were considerably incensed at the act and expressed much resentment at the man’s action. No other major difficulty intendant on Halloween was reported to police. A few shop windows and windshields were soaped; lawn furniture was piled up in the streets and other minor offenses recorded. However officers described the night as a “peaceful one”.
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“Every calling is great when greatly pursued.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

See everyone in the next issue!

Butch Bridges

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February 9, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 414

I received several emails since my last T&T went out telling that Bullocks Steak house was just a few feet north, across the ally, from the Gray Package Store building we pictured in the last issue. So, Bullocks would have been in the south parking lot of the present day Jack in the Box. And by the way everyone, that is Gray’s Package Store not Gary’s.

I was in Gainesville, Texas last Saturday checking out the scenery. I went by Fair View Cemetery to see if our Carmon family plot was ok since I hadnt been there in a while. Right across the street and north one block at 1016 North Fair someone has painted a U.S. Flag on the garage. <—– Click Here

One of the things I noticed about Gainesville is they have retained the original red brick streets around the courthouse square for about a one block radius. There are still some streets in Ardmore with the red bricks visible, but most have been covered up with concrete and asphalt many years ago.

I ran across another interesting piece of really old Gainesville history at the NW corner of Commerce and Scott (3 blks north of the courthouse). I would not be surprised if this house was there around 1895 when my great grandparents, Howard and Ada Jacobs Carmon, lived in Gainesville. As best I could tell it looked like someone was still residing in this old house. <—– Click Here

Here is a picture of the Cooke County courthouse. The clock still works! <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Across the street southwest of the Cooke County Courthouse is the Fried Pie Company. That place was busier than a cranberry merchant at Christmas around noon last Saturday. I looked inside and everyone was eating a hamburger, so I had to try a hamburger from the Fried Pie Company. I didnt get a picture of that hamburger, but it was delicious. And reasonably priced at $2.75 plus tax. <—– Click Here https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/FriedPieCoTx5d.jpg <—– Click Here

But I did get a pic of their fried pies. I bought a cherry filled one and it was great, but it was kinda small for $1.89 plus tax. The interesting thing about these fried pies is they were not greasy like most fried pies. I wonder if it was baked? <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

This is a beautiful old building located on California Street in Gainesville. Its called the Turner Building. <—– Click Here

Back to hamburgers, I was at Healdton around noon this week and picked up one at S&J Deli just south around the curve out of Healdton. <—– Click Here

And if that wasnt enough, I bought another hamburger this week at the Colston Cafe on Main Street. I think I am about hamburgered out. lol <—– Click Here

There has been about 6 more names added to the nameless faces in the 1962 Stobtown Freewill Baptist Church photograph. <—– Click Here

If you want to find out what type of memory (RAM) is in your computer, the website below will tell you in about 20 seconds. For example, my pieced together computer has PC100 SDRAM. <—– Click Here

In a few days (Feb 15th) the 500 extra free minutes offer will end on the Tel3 website. I purchased $25 worth in October of last year (nearly 1,200 minutes) and I still have $11.98 worth of talk time (412 minutes) left in my account. (That would equal 615 minutes if Ardmore was lucky enough to have a local access number.) So unless you do a lot of talking your $25 initial cost will equal a lot of talk time, about 1,300 minutes! And it works from your cell phone or work phone too, and no switching carriers, or hidden fees. <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

I remember Priddys as a rather long narrow restaurant/grill, which as I remember was on the north side of Main near the Tivoli Theatre. I believe they were there until after 1950 sometime. They also had such a famous salad dressing that they began manufacturing it and sold it on the wholesale market—we sold it in our store in Wirt for a few years.” [email protected]
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“Oh yes I remember Priddy’s, loved their chicken salad. Don’t remember the Cafe located at 116 L Street S.W. However I do remember Jimmy and Lucille Lewis grocery store next door at 118 L Street S.W. back in 1946. This was before Commerce Street was there. The 1957 City Directory shows Bullock’s Steak House at 116 and Lewis Grocery at 118 South Commerce. Those two buildings sure look tiny for a business. Commerce was talked about in 1945 but wasn’t built until several years later, does anyone remember what year it was???” -Don Lewis
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“Butch, The picture this week of Gray’s Package Store on South Commerce looks very much like the building that was occupied by Pryce Earhart’s Radio and TV Store that I remember from the 50’s and 60’s. I thought that Bullocks Steak House was next door to the north. Am I confused? “
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“Butch, was Eden’s Restaurant next to the barber shop which was next to the Tivoli one of the Priddy’s before Elmo Eden bought it? That has been sooo long ago, I can’t remember. Thanks for info.”
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“Butch….the photo showing Gray’s liquor store and the building next door was owned by my folks. They operated Jimmie Lewis Grocery in the building attached to the liquor store. They bought the property sometime in the 40’s and sold it in the late 60’s. Bob Bullock’s Cafe was actually located just North of the store. Daddy rented the attached building to many different people over the years….. Earhart TV Service, a mexican food cafe, etc. See the little rock house visible in the photo just behind the liquor store? That was also rented many, many times to some real interesting characters! Haven’t been to Ardmore in several months so didn’t realize the store was being torn down – a piece of my history gone. Appreciate your continued efforts and good work to bring us all these memories.” -Judy (Lewis) Montgomery
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“Butch, Your story about Gray’s Liquor Store brought back some memories for me. When I was District Attorney we had an armed robbery there around 9:45 p.m. one evening. The man behind the counter was an older gentleman and he didn’t resist the robber in any fashion. He kept his old eyes open, though. The robber got away with quite a bit of cash without harming the old man. A.P.D. detectives arrived within minutes and interviewed the clerk, who gave detailed information about his assailant. The robber was caught the next day and confessed to the crime. What made the case so unusual? Well, on the incident report are little blocks where the witness/victim’s descriptions of the robber are filled in, and later when a suspect’s arrested, the actual physical characteristics are completed just below the witness’ account. In this case the descriptions, in each block, without exception, matched perfectly. The age, height, weight, hair color, etc., all filled in at the scene by the investigating officers on the incident report matched up to the letter with the information later taken from the subject. Although initially denying guilt, when shown the precise matchup of the description by the victim, the criminal quickly changed his mind and confessed. The resulting conviction and lengthy prison sentence was easy. I thought of that case every time I drove past Press Gray’s place.” -james clark, Ardmore
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“There is a story in The Oklahoman this morning (Sun., Feb. 6, 2005) about Terry Bradshaw’s property near Thackerville.”

“The story in The Daily Oklahoman yesterday (Feb. 5) said that sadly the new owners of the cookie factory do not plan to reopen the retail store.”
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“Very interested to see mention of Ritz Cleaners. I don’t know whether or not my granddad started the cleaners in 1919, but he did own it in the 1940’s. His name was Raybon Wilkes and he lived at 911 West Main, the house just west of the cleaners. I spent many an hour in that building, following him around. He later had the Vogue Cleaners, on Broadway, and for many, many years ran the Wilkes Towel Service, furnishing clean towels to beauty shops, service stations, mechanics, etc. (Boy, that goes back aways!)”
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“Hi, Butch! Your cousin don bridges here, writing from Centreville, VA. i was pleased to see your publicity about Ruby Beaver’s songwriting endeavors and i’ve contacted her to find out how i can order a copy of her CD. It occurred to me that Ruby and other songwriters who read your T&T might be interested in the upcoming 21st Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, offered by the Songwriters Association of Washington, the organization which i serve as president. The entry period is mid-May through mid-August, and the contest has ten categories of music with prizes and recognition in each. The grand prize includes a $1,000 check plus memberships in various music-related services and organizations, a variety of subscriptions, studio recording time, etc. The top two finishers in each of the ten categories can perform their songs in November at the well-attended awards gala at the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, DC, and their winning songs appear on a winners’ CD which is distributed widely to music publishers, radio stations, record companies, etc. More information is available at…. <—– Click Here
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“Butch seeing the picture of the Mt Washington school class, brought back lots of memories, and also reminded me that I had a picture of the Springdale School graduating class, 8th grade of 1956. This was a 2 room school house at the time. Mr and Mrs M. L. Emerson were the teachers at the school. Mrs Emerson taught the 1st 2nd & 3rd grades, and Mr Emerson taught the 4th through the 8th. Then about the middle of the year they hired a new teacher named Mrs. McTeague, and she took over the 4 grade and I was in her class, they put that class in the lunch room. Her son is the Vet, Larry McTeague. I would sure like to hear from anyone else that has pictures of the school or teachers that were at the school. I have lot of really great memories of that school and all the teachers there, Mr. & Mrs James Miller were there many years and may have been the last people over the school. I am send the picture of the 8th grade graduating class. Standing in front of the school house,, first on the left is Mr. Martin Luther Emerson the principle, Leroy Willis, James Johnson, my brother, Royce Thurmon, and Joyce Parrot. Hope this brings back memories to people that went to school,,as all of my memories are wonderful, and would like to see more of the these pictures, and hear memories from other that went there and knew the Emersons, There is also a Mr. Boring from Blue, Okla that taught there. maybe for only a year or 2. Keep up the good work, your newsletters are the high light reading of my week.” -Karla [email protected]
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“I wouldn’t bet the farm on it but I’m pretty sure the location of Priddy’s Restaurant (South Commerce or “L” Street S.W., on old Hwy 77) stated this week as being the same as the current Gray’s Package Store location is in error. Memory serves as Priddy’s being north across the alley from Gray’s… making it part of the current Jack-in-the-Box location. The Gray’s location and its attachment south have always been separate and apart from the restaurant which was across the alley… being north of Gray’s present site. No farm bet but quite sure anyway.”
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“I was listening to your interview with Charlene Gilliam and I wanted you to know that my family now lives on the old Turner Ranch. The Chitwood Family owns and runs a dairy farm on the west side of the highway where Turner had his feedlot and crops. Across the highway, on the east side, the Ranch is now owned by the Jacobs Family and the rest is owned by the Roos Family. We are still irrigating crops with the same well that Turner installed.” -Pam Agee Chitwood
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“Greetings Butch: just a few comments on this issue of T&T..Re: the Priddys… there was J.C. the texaco man, Louis, the salad dressing king. and I believe one other. remember chicken salad but not tuna salad..doubt if i would have spent money on one.. my only exposure to tuna back then was “salmon croketts” the only fish we had was what we caught which was not often..

who could forget Kay Starr and “wheel of fortune” like spinning, spinning, spinning, we listened to it over and over, and over..

Ritz cleaners.. remember them but the only thing we had cleaned was daddy’s uniforms… think Earl Wallace delivered for them… before he took over the sports club from bruce harris.

the round house… lived close by and played on it alot.. only thing is i don’t remember the house part.. just the hole in the ground with the turntable. knew when we saw an engine come down the spur we could go and watch the turnaround happen. amazing in my eyes at that time that something that hugh could be manipulated that easily.. anyone know when the house part was torn down?

chief Marris reminds me of a bear of a man who worked for og&e named odis welch (brother to ott welch who was long time chief of police..) odis could take a pair of lineman’s plyers, 9″ Klines, and squeeze until the handles broke off..he would prove it with your plyers..never took him up on it because i didn’t doubt that he could do just that. I worked a very short time on cotton sparks’ line crew after the service and before i went back to college.

anyone remember Birdie Pruitt..she used to drive around on her ranch in a WWII jeep with a shotgun and run hunters off her property..was scared to death of her when we “ran her stock ponds” for ducks..we would sneek up on a pond on the dam side and run up over the dam and scare the ducks into flight. most times we were looking over our shoulder for Birdie..didn’t know where she got her reputation but much, much later read about some of the family and found out.. turned out, she was a sweet, fairly gentle, lady once i grew up… nuff 4 now…looking forward to the next butch…like the new program better..it is such a pleasant surprise to open your e-mail and find a new T&T..like christmas in july..don’t have to wait a week to be enlightened.. take care all.” -gtc
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“I was looking at your site about scary Brown Springs, and happened across the mention of the Reid-Cross Cemetery. My sister and I have been looking at this because the Cross’ people here are our ancestors. My sister says the cemetery is on land that was owned by our great grandfather. We don’t know what the connection is with the Reid people. We sure would like to know. She says the cemetery has been fenced off by some company that is leasing the land. The cemetery itself is overgrown and takes some doing to get to. Is there some law about denying access to a cemetery? This is the description of the Reid Cross Cemetery in Bill Hamm’s “Cemeteries in Love County Oklahoma”: 38. REID-CROSS is a cemetery just 200 yards south of the Love cemetery at Oil Springs. Why these cemeteries were not combined is anybodys guess. Both the Reid people and the Cross people in this cemetery are enclosed in two separate areas. It is located in 2E, 6S, Section 35.”
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“Butch, Here is a hero from our area. Four Star General Tommy Ray Franks. He was born in Wynnewood, Ok (Jun. 17, 1945) to Ray and Lorene Franks. I have attached a photo of the Valley View school which shows the General’s uncle, Loyd Franks and 2 aunt”s Iona and Virgie Franks. Could the Lorene Wostell be his mother? (There is another Lorene in the Valley View photo… Lorene Goforth.) The Valley View school is located, 3 mi. west and 2 mi. north of Sulphur, Oklahoma.” <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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The Evening News, Ada, OK, November 18, 1910
Deputy Sheriff R.E. DUNCAN came in from Francis this morning bringing J.W. MORSE who was charged with larceny. He is alleged to have stolen about $20 from a man by the name of HOWARD a few days ago. He is in jail awaiting a hearing.
***
March 3, 1911
Purcell, OK–The trial of JOHN INGLE, charged with the killing of Mrs. MAUDE WINDERT, Aug. 3, 1910, has engaged the attention of the District court here since last Friday morning when the impaneling of the jury to try the case was begun, came to an end this afternoon when BEN WILLIAMS, special prosecutor, employed by the deceased woman’s husband, ended his argument before the jury. The jury was composed with one exception of farmers, who rendered a verdict of guilty and assessed Ingle’s punishment at confinement in the state prison for fifteen years. Widespread interest was manifested. The court house proved only half large enough to accommodate those who wanted to hear the trial.
***
March 4, 1911
CHARLEY ESTES, son of Mrs. J.W. DENTON, of this place was killed last Saturday at the foot of Turkey mountain near Jenks, OK. No clue to the murder has been found but robbery is the supposed motive. His remains were brought to Stonewall Wednesday noon and interred in the Frisco Cemetery. –Stonewall News
***
This morning Judge BROWN united J.H. WILSON and Mrs. ANNIE LUCAS both of Holdenville in marriage. Their license number was 1001.
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You can furnish the home without cost by saving the Pure Food Stamps. Write Hale-Halsell Grocer Co., for catalogue.
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Atty. Z.B. SANDERS of the firm of Galbraith & Sanders made a trip to Holdenville on legal business this morning.
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Mr. and Mrs. OLIVER COOKE and Miss MYRTLE DONAGHEY of Allen returned home this morning after spending a couple of days in the city.
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Mrs. ED JOHNSTON and Master WASHINGTON were visitors from Roff today.
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March 7, 1911
W.H. HAMMOND, one of the old settlers of Francis, but who has lived at Mountain View for the past two years, came back yesterday and will view of returning permanently. Mr. Hammond is a good citizen and it is to be hoped that he will again cast his lot with Pontotoc county.
***
The News is in receipt of a copy of the baseball rules for 1911 with the compliments of A.J. REACH & Co. of Philadelphia. Besides the rules for this season the book is a real encyclopedia of information concerning the game, its history and the records made by the crack teams of the country last season. The book contains 704 pages and is sold for 10 cents.
****
June 3, 1911
Prof. CARL BECK who has been director of the National Conservatory of Music, has purchased W.N. WILLIAM’s interest, and will continue the school in the RODKE-HOLLEY building. He has changed the name to Ada School of Music. Under Prof. Beck’s directorship the school has become one of the best in Oklahoma.
***
Thursday evening, June 1st, at the home of Mr. & Mrs. R.J. BROOKS, Miss LILLIAN E. ROBERTSON and Mr. N.W. FRANTZ were united in marriage. Rev. C. STUBBLEFIELD officiating. The bride is the sister of Mrs. R.J. Brooks.
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FELIX LATTA, Cherokee Indian, who is proprietor of the Peay hotel is well acquainted with the now notorious DAVIS boys and PONY STARR and his wife at Porum, whom a mob tried to lynch the other day. Latta’s farm is only two miles from Porum and for many years he has been in close touch with the affairs of the Porum community. Latta says that the Davis boys and Starr are thieving citizens and deserve the worst that could be given them. That they were all pretty smart Cherokees and wealthy, but it was notorious that they were cattle thieves of the boldest type.
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June 5, 1911
Sunday was unveiling and decoration day for the W.O.W. The heat of the weather limited the number of attendants to those who were the most loyal Woodmen and members of the Circle and their friends, but with that there was a large assemblage to pay respects and to do honor to the dead. The monuments of Dr. C.W. McMILLIN and R.C. (Uncle Dick) COUCH were unveiled with appropriate ceremonies, after which the graves of the Woodmen who have passed were decorated.
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June 6, 1911
Mr. JOHN HUBER is visiting relatives and friends at different points in Illinois.

G.T. LIGHTSEY, a first class printer, has accepted a position with the NEWS job department.

JAMES POLK, Stonewall, stockman, transacted business at his county seat first day of week.

Born to Mr. & Mrs. L.T. TRYON of Roff, June 6th, RICHARD LEROY, Jr.

H.D. LAMBERT of Steedman transacted business in the city today.

Miss RETA STATLER is visiting home folks at Tupelo.

W.D. LITTLE went to Stonewall this morning to advertise the Chautauqua there.

Dr. W.D. FAUST has returned from a few days visit at Bromide.

Rev. M.A. CASADY, returned Monday from Porum.

Miss ZAYDA CAMPBELL went to Allen.

Mr. JOHN CHAPMAN is preparing to construct a modern livery barn on West Main street on lots purchased from Col. TOM HOPE.

Dr. T.W. HARTMAN went to Tyrola this afternoon to see the river.

F.O. HARRIS and R.P. FORD went to Henryetta this morning in interest of oil leases.

Mrs. E.L. KELTNER and children are visiting friends at Durant.

Mrs. MOLLIE JOHNSON and son, MONROE, were here from Roff today.

Oakman Twigs
Rev. RINSON of Ada attended the funeral of Mr. JESTUS who died at Francis and was buried at Oakman Friday.

Miss HATTIE WHISENANT was shopping in Ada Saturday.

Mr. H.E. STEPHENS was in Ada Saturday.

Mr. and Mrs. COLLINS were Francis visitors Saturday night.

About 8 o’clock Sunday night May 29, the death angel visited the home of Mr. W.J. SLOAN, taking their son, ROY. Roy was not confined to his bed but a short time.

Mrs. STARR was shopping in Ada Saturday.

Miss SADA DUEVALL went to Ada Monday.

Rev. BENSON and family of Ada visited Mr. H.E. STEPHENS last week.
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Court House News
J.B. TAYLOR, alleged murder, his preliminary trial today and bound over and put in jail with bail.

NATHAN and HOUSTON CLARK brought before Justice BROWN for assault and attempt to kill and made bond for their appearance before Justice Brown Thursday for preliminary trial.
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A fishing party consisting of Messrs. ODE CRAWFORD of Stonewall, WADE ALLISON of Conway and BIGGS SIMPSON of Ada returned recently from the Kiamichi river where they caught some fish. The largest one a yellow cat weighing 60 pounds. Crawford took sick after a few days in camp and returned on the train. Simpson’s horses strayed from camp and he was still hunting for them three days after getting away, Allison and Biggs leaving him at Clayton. A panther called on the camp once and gave a couple of squawks that made it seem awfully lonesome around that camp. A load of shot fired in his direction caused his departure. On our return homeward we came from Stanley to Fisher’s old store over the mountains and for humanity sake, I will say to all future fishing and hunting parties to stay clear of that route. Our wagon wheels never touched dirt for 25 miles–rocks the size of salt barrels were considered small. We found in one secluded lonely hunters camp that had been inhabited last winter the carcasses of 14 wild cats and panthers. These carcasses had been skinned and the remains nailed upon pine trees. The inscription on one tree read “Camp who’d a thought it. December, 1910.”

“Wild Cat Cemetery” WM. LIGON accompanied us to Stringtown. He was going to Patapita creek in search of bass. Last report from the Dr. was fisherman’s luck. The mosquitoes down in that part of the Choctaw carry lanterns foggy nights and the ticks use cotton hooks. Wade Allison killed a rattle snake the size of a 3-inch wagon tongue. Farewell to pots and skillets, and black coffee, ticks, skeeters and the rocky Kiamichi. Home again. Home sweet home.
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Muskogee, OK–Armed guards stood at each door of the Muskogee county court house today and searched everyone who entered. BOB DAVIS, a member of the Davis faction of Porum is on trial charged with stealing cattle and a special grand jury is probing into alleged depredations at Porum last week. A farmer of Shelby, Iowa, who came here today, started into the court house and when he was searched he thought he was being robbed and fainted as he yelled for help.
******
June 7, 1911
G.M. RAMSEY spent yesterday at Byrd’s Mill putting up new signs for the Ramsey Drug Co.

Mrs. C.V. COX and little son, MITCHELL, arrived this morning from Water Valley, Miss., to visit her sister, Mrs. W.B. BARRY

Flour sacks, 10 cents per dozen at the Model bakery.

E.P. MEIGS went to Stratford yesterday in the interest of his plumbing and tinning business.

Mr. and Mrs. KENNEDY left on the Hustler this morning for Denison.

Miss SUE PETTY is visiting relatives at Ravia.

Mr. & Mrs. GEO. W. BURRIS of Stonewall were in the city today.

R.A. SNEAD is here from Rockwall visiting his son, ORVILLE SNEAD.
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June 8, 1911
Youths Elope
This morning at 5 o’clock Miss MAYELLE FINLEY, the 16 year old daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Y.N. FINLEY, the grocery merchant eloped with GUY BIGGAR, young son of R.G. Biggar and after a rapid overland buggy ride to Roff were married. They returned to Ada on the 10:30 Frisco, Young Biggar is a clerk at the Wetherington 12th street confectionery and ice cream parlor.
***
CLAUDE GRIFFITH came in from Bonham, TX last night.

JAMES SCRIGGLES of Pontotoc was in Ada today.

OSCAR GODDARD and HUGH BILES made a flying trip to Byrd’s Mill yesterday.

W.E. CONGER returned from OKC last night.

Mrs. A.C. HENDERSON has returned from a few days visit to Shawnee.

Mrs. P.A. NORRIS and daughter, Miss ADA, have returned from a few days visit in Shawnee.

Guaranteed Cellars–The McDonald-Wymore Construction Co.
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June 10, 1911
This morning a fire, evidently of incendiary origin, destroyed seven business buildings in the town of Stratford. The fire was started between two frame buildings one of which belonged to Mr. WATT and the other to T.J. CHAMBLESS. It spread rapidly and in a very short time nothing but smoking ruins marked the site of the block of business houses.
Following is a list of the losers:
Watt building $500 insured
Garner Bros., groceries $700
Gregg barber shop in Chambless building $200 insured $250
Meat market Total loss
G.B. Tiffin, general store, loss on stock, $1,500, insurance $2,250
Radcliff building and stock, $5,000 partially insured
W.W. Goodwin & Son hardware $15,000 insurance $6,000
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C.H. HUBER, chief of the fire department of Durant, who has been attending the state meeting at Enid and who spent a short time here with his parents, returned home this morning.
***
Profs. HINKLEY of Hickory, MESSICK of Sulphur, HUNTER of Dougherty and Miss ADAMS of Sulphur arrived this morning to attend summer term of the normal.
***
Smith, a Seminole deputy sheriff, was killed, after he had killed one black man and wounded another in a battle at a picnic just north of the little town of Seminole Saturday afternoon, according to meager reports which have reached here Saturday night. According to the report Smith was trying to arrest one of the black men for carrying a concealed weapon, and he drew a gun on the officer, who had been deputized to preserve peace during the picnic. When the weapon flashed others drew their guns and knives and a general fight followed.
*****
June 12, 1911
Mrs. JERRY DOLLINS arrived from Ardmore yesterday and will spend some time with her mother, Mrs. T.J. WORTHINGTON. Mrs. Dollins was once employed in the News office, and she is always a welcome visitor here.

JEROME CRADDOCK of Madill has accepted a position with the Jones Drug Co.
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Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Written by Shel Silverstein 1930-1999

See everyone in the next issue!

Butch Bridges

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February 4, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 413

We have been receiving quite a bit of feedback in the mailbag below on our request for info on Priddys Cafe. There were actually about 4 eating establishments ran by the Priddy brothers. One was next door to the Tivoli theater on Main Street, it was called the ‘big restaurant’. Just a block west of there was the Little Big Stand owned by Charles Priddy. It was next door to the present day Neustadt Plaza. There was also a Priddys Cafe at 118 South Commerce behind the new Jack In The Box restaurant. For the past 30 years are more, the building was Gray’s Liquor Store. And I’ve got sad news, most of the old Priddy’s Cafe was torn down last week. There is still standing and muchly remodeled the north end of Gray’s Package Store. Before Priddy owned it, old timers will remember it as Bob Bullock’s Steak House. <—– Click Here

The 1962 photo of the Stobtown Freewill Baptist church with its 109 member group picture continues to draw a lot of attention. Several of you have wrote in with more names. Here is the current updated list of the church members typed up in Wordpad. We appreciate everyone who is helping fill in the blanks. It may take weeks to get all the faces identified. <—– Click Here

<—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

It always thrills my heart when I read/hear about someone born in our area making it to the big time. Most people do not know where Dougherty, Oklahoma is located, and very few of those who do can tell you how to drive to it, its that far back in the woods. On July 21, 1922 a baby was born in Dougherty as Katherine LaVerne Starks and grew up to be one of the greatest of all time female vocalist. Her name is Kay Starr. By the way, Dougherty, Oklahoma is 10 miles south of Davis on Highway 110 smack dab in the middle of the Arbuckle Mountains, not too far east of Turner Falls area. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Speaking of someone making it into the big leagues, I received a music CD in the mail this week from Ruby Beaver. Ruby lives in Tishomingo and has written a number of songs, and they can now be heard on CD. The only place you can get Ruby Beaver’s CD is from her. They are $10 each which includes postage to your door. For more info on getting your hands on one of these CDs send Ruby an email [email protected] <—– Click Here

IN HER OWN WORDS: “I was born to Tim and Gracie Ward in Coleman, Oklahoma and graduated High School in Milburn, Oklahoma. I worked for several government agencies including IRS for 13 years. I founded and operated Beaver Tax Service for twenty plus years in Tishomingo. I have always written songs but no one saw them until the 80s. My husband was playing in a band and I started writing songs for them to sing. I made one swipe at the Nashville Music scene and was encouraged, but I could not handle two businesses at the same time. I put my notebooks full of songs away and three years ago, after I had sold my business, I dragged my music out and began a catalog of songs. I was lucky to find a publisher for a traditional country song writer. I write the lyrics and compose the music altogether, sing them with piano or guitar accompaniment, mail them to a record company to make a demo for me, then off to the publisher to sell them for me. I now have two publishers, and 19 songs that are on demos. It has become a full time job.” -Ruby Beaver

Here is a picture of Ruby Beaver of Tishomingo, Oklahoma <—– Click Here

Here is a 30 second sound clip, Milburn USA, song number 9 on Ruby’s CD ‘Home From The Gulf’. <—– Click Here

Wisawanik Lodge #190 S15 flap. Wisawanik Lodge #190 was chartered in 1940 in the Arbuckle Area Council (468) located in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The Wisawanik Lodge totem is a Red squirrel. <—– Click Here

I read in the Ardmoreite January 20th where the newly reopened cookie factory in Marietta had their ovens turned on and churning out cookies again! Someone brought by a box of those delicious freshly baked cookies to the CASA office on the 4th Floor of the courthouse this week. They will be given out to visitors to the CASA office. If your in the area stop by and get a cookie…. you will find Marie O’Dell and Dana and the director, Lynn Riley, most hospitable! <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Every morning around 7am or so several of us have a ‘bored meeting’ at the post office. One of our regular attending members who stops in every morning about that time to cuss and discuss everything and everybody is Mike Richardson. He and his wife, Pam, operate Ritz Cleaners at 909 West Main. Ritz Cleaners has been in the building since 1919 and some of the old rails and pieces of equipment from those days can still be seen inside. So this building is quite an old piece of Ardmore history. But Mike also owns a real neat piece of history, a 1949 Chevrolet pickup, Model 3600. 1949 is the same year the Millers took over ownership of the Ritz Cleaners and this is one reason Mike picked a 49 model, but I can think of another reason 1949 was a great year. 🙂

Anyway, Mike was out and about in this awsome 1949 pickup truck this week and parked in front of the Post Office, so I snapped a pic. Boy, I sure wish I had this truck! <—– Click Here

Here is a picture of Ritz Cleaners in Ardmore at 909 West Main. <—– Click Here

Bank of Commerce in the old Fant Building, Sulphur, Okla. <—– Click Here

Here is an old ad sent to me for the Bank of Sulphur. <—– Click Here

I was over in Healdton this week around lunch time, so I had to stop and get a burger from S&J Deli. They are located on the highway as your coming in to Healdton from the south. I hadnt ate one of their burgers in a long time, boy, they still make a mean hamburger. <—– Click Here

I’m one not to play games on the computer very often. Dont feel I really have time. But this week a Reader sent me an email with a link to this fun webpage where you are the driver of a race car at the track. You have about 5 red buttons on the dashboard that you push to get everything ready before the Green Light. When you see the Green Light, you floor it. lol <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Hi Butch, Thank you for taking time to talk with me last Sunday. I was born 5-10-48 to LaDell Hunt and John W. Green of Ardmore. At the time my mother was married to Frank Hunt. My father, John died 6 months after my birth. I am trying to locate anyone that new my mom and dad at the time of my birth. My Mother worked at Priddy’s grill downtown for quite a while. However I don’t know what quite a while means. My dad was married to Ella Green at the time of my birth. I do have a paternal brother in Ardmore. However, he either doesn’t remember much or really doesn’t want to talk too much about that part of the past. My mom died about 10 years ago. My paternal brother and I did a DNA test and verified that I am John Green’s daughter. Any help that I could get would be appreciated. Thanks.”
Danna Szuba
5663 Ginger Tree Ln
Toldeo, OH 43623
419-480-0250
[email protected]
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“Hello there…. I figured i would ask around with you and your list for a little help. I am looking for the Movie, Fast Charlie… the Moonbeam Rider (1979). I am looking for an original box but a copy would be ok if had to be. Parts of this movie was made in Southern Oklahoma when i was younger. Any help from any of your readers or if you knew anything about it would be great help. Thanks.” -Tony [email protected]
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“hearing the word roundhouse brought back a memory, one of the turntable located on the east side of F st SW just north of the tracks that parallel moore sw i never saw the roundhouse, or at least i dont remember it, but it must have been a very interesting item for a young boy to watch”
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“I didn’t see Wood (Chief) Marris’ name mentioned in your T&T a month or so ago, but if you ever knew him you would know that Ardmore lost a real friend at his passing. I worked with Chief at OG&E, and he was always a humorous mess to be around. He always talked about half English and half Choctaw and just about everything he ever said come out funny. Chief was almost 99 years old at his death. The last time I visited him at the Sulphur Veteran’s Center he was just so alert. You wouldn’t have ever known that he was so old. His eyes were bright, and everything he said or asked was so pertinent. He asked about all his old OG&E buddies, but I told him he was almost the last one because most of the ones he asked about had already passed away. When my older son, Derin, was about 3 or 4 years old I went to Chief’s house to borrow a tool. I asked Derin if he wanted to go with me to the Indian’s house to get the tool. Of course, he said yeah Daddy, but when we got to Chiefs shop door Derin sort of hid behind me and when Chief came out with the tool Derin peeked out from behind me and looked up at Chief. Derin, was always a little timid around folks he didn’t know, but when I called him an Indian Derin was really afraid. He said so innocently, “Daddy is he wild?. Chief got the biggest kick out of this remark, and every time after that when he saw Derin and me he always referred to him as his little Indian fighter. To a great American — Wood (Chief) Marris 1906 – 2005. -Michael D. Carr <—– Click Here
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“Butch, thanks so much for the pictures of the Stobtown Baptist Church. My grandfather’s sister, Mima Minter Kyle and Oscar Kyle, plus their family is in the picture. Othel Kyle is the first one mentioned. I believe he passed away last week in Ardmore at the age of about 82. Thanks for the memory!!!” <—– Click Here
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“Yes. I remember Priddy’s. It was about two doors down from the corner of C and Main Street. We used to all go to the Presbyterian Church after football games and on Saturday night and on to Priddy’s to eat. My husband and I used to eat in there when we were dating. It had a long counter in front and booths in the back. Best chicken salad & pimento cheese around. This was mid-50s.” -danna
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“Butch, I remember Priddy’s from growing up in Ardmore in the 60’s & 70’s. They made THE BEST sandwich spreads that I’ve ever tasted. My favorites were the pimento cheese, the tuna salad & the ham salad. I have tried others since then, but have never been able to find anything comparable or as tasty. My mouth waters just remembering how good those sandwiches tasted on a hot summer day.”
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“Sometimes my mind does funny things, but I do remember the Priddys – J.C. and Gerry (Geraldine) his wife, and their daughter Phyllis. Are those the Priddys you’re talking about? Seems he had a service station at the corner of Broadway and Commerce, where Jack in the Box is now. And, wasn’t there a Priddy’s restaurant on Commerce south of there? Where the building is being torn down now? I think Phyllis lives in Oklahoma City, but I don’t know her married name. Phyllis took me and a couple of my friends to Wichita Falls to see Elvis Presley in the 50’s. Also, she had a red convertible which I was allowed to drive in the homecoming parade in 1956 (telling my age!) And, we all used to ride horses together, with the Ardmore Roundup Club – in parades and at the rodeo. Any other old Ardmore Roundup Club members out there? I rode with my grandfather, Raybon Wilkes. -Christie Sullivan Reeves, now living in Ardmore again
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“Yes, I was born in 1936 and I was about 9 or ten when my grandparents would go to Priddys to eat and take me with them. My Bowling family were born and raised in the area around Ardmore, Woodford area where my grandparents Viola Key and John Perry Bowling were married. Many of my relatives are buried in the Newport cemetery. Some of the Key relatives still live in the Ardmore area. I have a lot of memories from that area. I now live in Texas.”
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Butch as a child I remember going to Ardmore to eat at Priddys with my grandparents. We lived in Duncan. I still had one of those small little glass creamer that came with each cup of coffee. It has the name of Priddys on the side. My son who is grown collects some items like that so I gave it to him. As far as I know he still has it. Perhaps if I can I will get him to take a picture of it.” -Pat
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“I am researching facilities used by minor league teams. I noticed your site had some information submitted on Cardinal Park in Ardmore. Do you or anyone have information on when it was built? Apparently it is still being used. Many thanks.” -Mark in Baltimore, MD
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“Grrrrreat job. And thanks for increasing your output. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate what you do. The writer who was interested in a picture of the old roundhouse might check with Jack Thompson. He owned that property at one time, might have a pix.”
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“Butch, I was born in Wilson, and lived mostly in or around there. Trips to Ardmore were a big deal, taking a whole day. During the 1940’s and early 1950’s. It was always a big deal to get to go there! We would spend the whole day shopping, not necessary actually buying much ‘stuff’. Just before the lunch rush at Priddys we would rush to be sure we would get a good booth. I just loved the Priddy’s Pimento Cheese Sandwich’s. Their other food was great also. Priddy’s was a great place to lunch at, I believe most of the employee’s at the downtown stores ate there nearly every day. Priddy’s also sold their Pimento Cheese spread in the grocery store, but it just was never as good as the sandwich’s you got in their cafe, probably it had to do with the atmosphere! (grin)” -Wylene Alston
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“My wife and I stayed in Jefferson TX for a weekend, and took a ghost walk of the town. They said that it was always rumored that tunnels ran under the town, and a few years ago they found them. Unfortunately, these were used for transporting slaves into the river town, but is still interesting.”
————————————————————————- “I’ve been know to be wrong many times, but I believe “Circle of Life” lyrics were by Tim Rice with music by Elton John.”
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“Hi Butch. I have been going through my mothers old photos and came across a few old pictures of people from the Youngs School. My parents both grew up in the Baum/Berwin area. I have posted the photos on a website and would like to share them with your readers. There is also a photo of a school group with not identification information, the back is stamped “Fonville Studio” and dated 1940, I am assuming the school was in the Ardmore area.I am inserting a link to the website.By the way if any of your readers are interested in building a website this is an easy place to build and it is FREE! the URL is www.freewebs.com unlike some free sites your space here is limited to 50 files and not by size of files. Thanks for T&T. I for one really appreciate your efforts.” -Roy Barnes, Purcell OK <—– Click Here
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“Dear Friends, Each year the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (formerly Cowboy Hall of Fame) in Oklahoma City presents the Wrangler Award to the outstanding Western Movie, TV Show, Book, Art Work, et al, including Western Album of the Year. I am very pleased to tell you that my album “It’s Time to Sing a Song” will receive this prestigious award on April 16 at the $140 per plate, black tie affair at the Museum in OKC. Thanks for you support.” -Les <—– Click Here
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“Butch, That hamburgers you posted looks pretty good, but was the bun browned well on the grill before being put together. BTW do you remember eating ‘Educated’ Hamburgers (they only had mayo, tomatoes and lettuce.) There used to be a little bitty cafe in Wilson on the main street just west of the old theater. The burgers there were wonderful especially with a Grapette pop. Do not confuse this cafe from the other little cafe just east of the theater. The man in this little cafe west made those little individual round pies, all kinds, chocolate and coconut, lemon mmmmmm!….. He also sold Chili and Stew. My grandfather just loved to slip off down there and get a bowl of stew with a dipper of chili on top. They called that ‘red top’ stew. I think this mans name was Tom, just don’t quote me on that. I just loved eating at those places, but didn’t get to very often. This all brings to mind “Saturday Night in Wilson!” The adults got to town early, to get a good parking lots as close to the theater as possible. The woman would go sit with female friends and visit, the men all either stood on the corner, and visit, or went to the pool hall. The kids all went to the show. This went on every Saturday night till sometime after I got married and left in 1953. Remember not many people had telephones during that time so there was always a lot of gossip to pass on. Well! I guess I have run on here, probably to long.” -Wylene Alston
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“My Grandparents, Thomas and Olivia S. Griffin homesteaded the old ONM&P line that ran where Grand Avenue in early 1900 where the old Roundhouse was located. My Grandfather died in 1907 and in early 1920’s Olivia S. Griffin sold this land to the railroad to build the Roundhouse. If you ever find a picture of the old Roundhouse, I hope you are able to share it with all of us because I would also treasure seeing it, too.” -Nell A. Lewis
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“There is a complete underground town in Kansas! I just learned about it recently. It was built that way in the early days to shield the immigrants from the Kansas winds, and there is a whole business district down there. It’s my understanding that a lady bought some property there in recent years and then discovered the underground village quite by accident and bought the rest of the property and opened it up as a tourist attraction. I don’t remember exactly where it is but if I think about it, I’ll ask the folks who told me about it when I see them within the next few days.” -Roy
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The Daily Ardmoreite, July 6, 1899
Dr. DeLASHMUT who lives near old Fort Washita received severe injuries last Friday evening, in a difficulty with a young man named WARREN SWINNETT. The trouble grew out of personal matters, and Dr. DeLashmut was stabbed in the left shoulder and left arm, also hit on the breast with a rock, which caused spitting up of blood. When last heard from Dr. DeLashmut was suffering internally. The doctor is well known throughout the country and is about 55 years old. The young man was arrested Saturday by Silo’s marshal BUD SWINDLE and on account of the good behavior of GRINNETT* and the report that Dr. DeLashmut was not badly hurt, the young man was not guarded closely and Sunday evening about 5 o’clock made his escape. Deputies are in pursuit. (* should be Swinnett)
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July 7, 1899
Tishomingo– A crowd of our young folks go down to Old Fort Washita tonight. The party will be chaperoned by Mr. & Mrs. NICK MICKLE and will consist of Judge HARDY and Miss VANNOY, A.F. MAYTUBBY and Miss LEE MASTERS, FRANK BONNER, and Miss EMMA VANNOY.

WILL WALKER, the Indian who made his escape from the Tishomingo jail last Tuesday evening has returned and voluntarily surrendered to the jailer. His story is that he was starving for something to eat and was afraid to ask anyone for bread, consequently deemed it best to return to jail. Walker is accused of the murder of his aunt, AMANDA WALKER, a full blood Choctaw Indian.
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Durwood–J.C. LOWE went to Ardmore today.
ALFRED MARION and wife left today for Erath county, TX.
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McMillan– Miss FANNIE WILEY of Bowie, TX, who has been visiting at Weaverton, returned to her home today, accompanied by W.R. BURTON. W.T. WILLIAMS who has been visiting at Whitesboro, TX, is expected home today. W.R. BURTON will open school at Raysville Monday. R.B. BLAKELY of Davis is visiting relatives here. The building committee appointed by the Masonic fraternity has secured the services of F.C. CARPENTER to superintend the erection of the Masonic hall and school house.
*****
Springer– Mrs. R. HARDY, who has been here visiting for a few days, returned to Berwyn today
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Raysville– Dr. GARDNER is kept busy now attending to the sick ISAAC SPARKS is some better today
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Oakland– Miss ELLA SPLAWN of Bob is here visiting the family of E.W. THOMPSON. Mrs. GRAVLEE is quite sick. Steam threshers are now running full time.
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Mannsville– Mr. SANDERS’ baby died yesterday of measles. MARK WELCH has gone to Davis on business. Mrs. WHITE and daughter JEWEL, returned home today from Shawnee, OK, where they have been visiting relatives. S.E. PERKINS of Ardmore is here today.
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Thackerville– W.D. MORGAN of Gainesville is looking after business interests. D.W. WOOD went to Marietta. T.F. DANIELS is overhauling his gin and mill in this place. J,F. LONG went to Bomar today. A big picnic will be given here on July 15. Everybody invited. H.P. DRAUGHN is busy arranging his stock of lumber.
*****
Deputy Sheriff LEM CLARK of this city returned last night from the territory where, since Sunday morning, he in company with Sheriff HAWKINS of Denton, and City Marshal CHARLEY LIDDELL of Marietta, I.T. had gone in pursuit of A.E. WILKERSON and NATHAN HUGHES, who broke jail at Denton. Upon learning that the father of Wilkerson lived near Marietta, after leaving Gainesville Sunday morning the officers visited that neighborhood, where they found that the fugitives arrived at the home of that gentleman some time during Friday night and remained until Saturday morning when they separated, Hughes going a northwesterly course and Wilkerson traveling eastward. After a short consultation they agreed to abandon the pursuit of Wilkerson and endeavor to run Hughes down as he was traveling on foot. In a short time after leaving the immediate neighborhood where they had separated they struck the trail of the latter and followed it about 80 miles until they reached Loco, I.T., Tuesday, where on account of high waters they had to abandon it a few hours until the creeks ran down. Deputy Clark left Hawkins and Liddell at that point and returned home. He says there is no doubt from the description given by dozens of people who saw the man that they were pursuing that it is Hughes and he has every reason to believe that the officers will effect his capture as they were only a short distance behind him. He also says from the direction he was traveling he thinks he is making for Colorado, while his pal Wilkerson is hiding in the hills between Marietta and Tishomingo.–Gainesville Register.
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At Hartshorne yesterday, FRANK BARNES was stabbed with a knife. The knife entered the back and cut one of the kidneys in two, from the effects of which Barnes died this evening. WILL KINSON was arrested and lodged in jail to await of the grand jury.
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SADIE MAUDE, daughter of Mrs. ANNA DOUGLAS, who has been here several weeks with her aunt Mrs. S.A. DOUGLAS, returned this morning to Purcell.

Miss HENDERSON of Ardmore came up on the noon train yesterday and will visit Mrs. HANNA ELLIOTT, who lives south of town. –Pauls Valley Enterprise.

Little Miss GLADYS SCIVALLY accompanied her grandma Mrs. SARAH GARDNER and Miss ANNA GARDNER to Marietta last evening and will remain there several days.

BOB FRENSLEY is here from Duncan, the guest of his brother FRANK. The original FRENSLEY BROS. founders of the first business house in Ardmore. Now look around Bob and see the crop.

Miss BIRDIE and WILLIE WIGGS of Paris, TX, who have been in the city the guest of their uncle, Dr. BOOTH, returned home this morning accompanied by OTTO, the son of Dr. and Mrs. BOOTH, who will remain there some time visiting.

J.T. DEASON, mail carrier between Gainesville and Sivels Bend, drove into a stream Tuesday, swollen with recent rains, and narrowly escaped with his life and his horse. The buggy and mail pouches were lost.

MERTEN’S orchestra has received a fine bass violin, which will be manipulated by LEO FRIEMEL.

W.P. GARBER, superintendent of agents for the Guarantee Loan & Banking company of Dallas is at his home in Dallas, suffering intensely from an affection of the ear. He writes to Manager JOE M. LONDON that he will likely be compelled to remain in the hospital two months.

Prof. L.M. LOGAN of Vernon, TX, has been elected superintendent of the public schools at Wynnewood, I.T.

Don’t forget the old stand when leaving “bus call”. Stay with the line that has always stayed with you. T.B. CATHEY Phone 27

The ARDMOREITE wants your local, society, and personal notes. Phone No. 5
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Last month, January 2005, my OklahomaHistory website had over 81,000 hits. That is over double any previous month. You, the T&T Readers, just overwhelm me and humble me all at the same time. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you. And a special thanks to those of you using my Tel3 long distance, you are the ones who are keeping this all online. <—– Click Here

Let’s go back to Milburn USA,
See old friends on Settlers day,
Talk about the good old times,
Childhood day of yours and mine,
We hauled hay in the sun all day,
In good old Milburn USA.

-Ruby Beaver, Tishomingo, Oklahoma

See everyone in the next issue!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Butch Bridges

February 1, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 412

As I mentioned in the last T&T, here is the list of names in the photo for the Stobtown Baptist Church of Lone Grove. I have broken the photo up into five segments. Also it is believe now to be a 1963 photo. If you know any of those in the photos who are not named, let us know.

1) Othel Kyle 2) Ramona Groomer Kyle 3) Ava Gaines Jones 4) Marshall Mitchell 5) Guy Denney 6) J.D. Balthrop 7) UNK 8) UNK 9) Mrs. Smith 10) Mrs.Gardner (mother of Gilbert Gardner) 11) Billy Ray Christian 12) UNK 13) Oneta Kyle Ford 14) UNK 15) Connie Jackson 16) UNK 17) James Adams 18) Allen Moore 19) Connie Morris 20) Kenneth Ford 21) UNK 22) UNK 23) Alvis Kyle Christian 24) Sister Ginn 25) Myrine Wright 26) Mattie Christian Lee 27) Troy Morris 28) Walter Morris Jr. 29) Roseland Brewer 30) Key Morris 31) Walter Morris 32) Cody Morris 33) Earl Ginn 34) Claudette Miller Brown 35) Shirley Kyle McClendon 36) Melba Denney 37) Patty Smith Mitchell 38) Danny Ford 39) Noami Balthrop 40) Eddie Joe Kyle 41) Shirley McDaniels 42) UNK 43) Glenda Jean Mullins 44) Bessie Talley 45) Mr. Williams 46) Junior Mullins 47) Joyce Denney Mullins 48) Mrs. Williams 49) Jimmy Kyle 50) Ellen Talley Denney 51) UNK 52) Sarah McBee Christian 53) UNK 54) Nellie Bumgarner Christian 55) UNK 56) UNK 57) UNK 58) Rosmary Christian Higgins 59) Henry Christian 60) UNK 61) UNK 62) UNK 63) Mrs. Maddox 64) Albert Ferguson 65) UNK 66) Linda Miller Weber 67) UNK 68) Deanna Miller 69) Alma Ferguson 70) UNK 71) 72) Sue Mullins 73) Mrs. Ledbetter 74) UNK 75) Preston McComber 76) Leona McComber 77) UNK 78) UNK 79) C.W. Brewer 80) Nathan Charles Christian 81) Geraldine Gardner Butler 82) UNK 83) Orbie Butler 84) Mima Minter Kyle 85) Steve Ford 86) Gail Butler Holt 87) Larry Kent Kyle 88) Cletha Butler 89) Oscar Kyle 90) Donna Kyle Gothard 91) UNK 92) UNK 93) J.O. Hudson 94) UNK 95) UNK 96) UNK 97) Claude Balthrop 98) Jay Bray 99) UNK 100) Monte Austin Balthrop 101) Donnie Payne 102) Ines Howell 103) Lamar Howell 104). Vicie Austin Payne 105) Sister Margie Weatherman (Pastor’s Wife) 106) UNK 107) Brother Rex Weatherman (Pastor) 108) Artie Harding McClennahan 109) Renee Gardner Deberry <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

I received a special request this week I want to pass along to everyone. Well, maybe not everyone, because you have to go back to the 1940s to probably provide any help on this one. So that is going to leave a lot of us young’ins out. If anyone remembers Priddys of Ardmore during those years, please let me know. Epecially the owners, the employees, and the patrons during that time, more like 1945 to 1950.

Sometimes I receive an email from time to time that just has to be shared. The email below was sent in by an x-Ardmoreite now living in California. She describes how it really is to us who love Ardmore, and if if you’ve moved away years ago like she did, you long to return to those days in Ardmore, if only for a little while. The only thing I can add to her vision of Ardmore days is the smell of those bed sheets washed in my great grandmother’s lye soap.

“Yes, yes, yes, I do wish we could go back. For one day back in the bosom of my grandparents family. No, I wouldn’t want to leave after that one day. For a trip to the skating rink with my sister and mama. (My dad had passed away by the time we came to Ardmore.) For a peaceful summer afternoon in Ardmore. I know, because I have been back on visits, that one can still hear the grass growing in Ardmore. For picking locust shells off the trees and saving them in match boxes. For catching fireflies. For that delightful Okie twang. For a smile wherever you go, and gentle spirited people rising to the challenge to just live and do right. For a yard with ducks roaming around. For a chicken coop, and the crow of the rooster riding in on the breeze wafting through the curtains. For eating watermelon outside, and spitting the seeds on the ground. For the watermelon vine that springs up in your yard and still has time to yield one or two. For racing out to the clothesline to gather in the wash before the thunderstorm rolls in. For clothesline dried sheets whipped up in the air and floating down on your bed. For jumping in bed on new clothesline dried sheets. For simple pleasures.”

I stopped by the Broadway Cafe at 813 West Broadway (next door to Cableone) last Saturday and saw the proprietor, Jim Baker. Jim is the grandson of Freeman Baker who started Cashway Lumber Company (3rd & A NE) many moons ago. Whatta you bet Jim knows what a 10 penny nail looks like too? Anyway, he fixes a hambuger the old fashion way, it reminds me of the burgers my mother used to make. Boy, talk about a good hamburger, the Broadway Cafe has one. I bought their regular hambuger for $2.75 and it was a filling meal all by itself. And Jim’s hambuger is not dry like some of those you buy at the ‘big box’. Now I want you to take a look at this close-up pic I took of Jim’s hambuger and tell me it don’t make your mouth water? mmmmmmmm <—– Click Here

And the neat part about stopping in at the Broadway Cafe, Jim’s has many pieces of Ardmore’s history hanging on the walls to look at…. he’e even got a photo of his building when it was Pratt’s Foods. You’ll love all the old photos and posters and whatnots.

And here is a pic of the man himself serving that burger. You can see some of that history hanging on the wall behind Jim. <—– Click Here

Rather than attaching monstrous files to your email, consider uploading them to Znail, then your intended recipients can get them there at their leisure. Your friends connecting via dialup are sure to appreciate it and you can send up to 5 MP per file free. I know when I was on brightnet dial up, I sure hated it when someone on broadband would send me a humongus file. lol <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, A few weeks ago someone wrote in to you asking about Native American information and how to trace their ancestors, I replied to the email and have recieved hundreds of emails requesting us to look up ancestors for them. As a result we have added a new search engine and downloadable text files to aid people in locating some of this information themselves. If they need help or other information we will be glade to assist them as time allows. Again thank you for your wonderful newsletter, we enjoy it a lot.” Richard Alleman <—– Click Here
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“Butch after high school and a couple of semesters at a trade school I went to work for BS&B (Black, Sivels and Bryson) at the Ardmore Airpark. That was in 1962, as I am sure you know they wound fiberglass rail road cars as well as other configurations of fiberglass tanks. I worked in the machine shop with some very talented folks. The Supervisor was Dwayne Near, he could measure within a millimeter using a six inch scale! There was another fellow Wayne Dingler, he was a part time gun smith that specialized making very high power long range rifles. Another name that comes to mind is “Pumpkin” Thompson. Pumpkin bought, restored and learned to fly a small aircraft while I worked there. Pumpkin lived across the river from the airpark so it was a short flight or a long drive! The last name that comes to mind is Fred Mueller, I heard many years ago from his widow that he had passed away. I was wondering if any of your readers know of any of these folks and could tell me what happened to them. Any info would be appreciated.” -Gary Melton [email protected]
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“Butch- Have you ever seen a photograph of the roundhouse, it sat where Ardmore Mall was later built. I’ve heard many stories about it and the old ONM&P line that ran where Grand Avenue is today — but I don’t ever remember seeing a photo of any kind. That would be a rare treasure.”
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Hi Butch. We really enjoy the T & T. We went up to Sulphur over the weekend to visit friends and family and took some pictures. Thought you and your readers would enjoy seeing them. I don’t know the real name of the building up on the hillside, but we have alway called it “The Castle”. -Mary in Arlington, TX <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial has a new server, web master and look. Check it out. More improvements will be made.” Dennis L. Lippe, Chairman, Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial, Inc. PO Box 10776 Oklahoma City, OK 73140-1776 <—– Click Here
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“Picture is pulling out of the railroad yard at Mill Creek. 2nd and 3rd are going over the first bypass that C.D. Brown built at Mill Creek. Pictures were taken Monday Jan. 24 at Mill Creek. it should be at Big Canyon in Dougherty today. They had problems getting up a hill Thursday, didn’t try Friday, but got it moved to the top of the hill Saturday. Once in Big Canyon they will load it on the railroad again and it’s final stopping point is the Valero Refinery in Ardmore. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Butch, A couple of weeks ago you included a picture of the Mt. Washington class of 1944 Commencement Program. You mentioned you were unable to safely scan the Baccalaureate program. I am attaching a copy of that Baccalaureate. I am also attaching a copy of the Mt. Washington Class of 1944 photo. I’ve been married to the valedictorian of that class for almost 59 years (Virginia Gilstrap). The graduating class from left to right is Wendell Hughes, Virginia Gilstrap (Farrington), G. W. Vineyard and Willie Mae Jones. Wendell and Virginia are the 2 remaining members of that class and they still talk by phone on a regular basis.” <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Butch– I laughed out loud when I read the story about the bull frogs. I hunted those for years when growing up and brought a bunch home to my new bride one evening. If you don’t cut the leader in the back legs, they will kick like the dickens when they hit that hot grease. I must have missed a leader and the resultant kicking created a runaway at my house. I eventually got her to return home with the promise that it would never happen again. Keep up the good work. I’m one of the thousands that remain a well satisfied reader of This and That.”
————————————————————————- “I am e-mailing to inform you that my web site creator,(and close friend) Paulette Peterson has updated my web site with my latest artwork that has been created in the past three years. I am invited you to visit my site, view my art and please sign my guest book (so I will know you have seen it). I’m sure you realize that every time you visit my site, it helps my site to climb to the top of the list and enables more people to visit it. Thank you for viewing it.” -Joy Willingham, Medicine Park, Oklahoma <—– Click Here
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“My mother was Jan Fielder Deason – Chief Stewardess for American Flyers at the time of the 1966 accident and she lived in Ardmore. I was twenty years old, married and living in Alabama at the time of the crash. After hearing the news on the radio, it took hours to get through to Ardmore to find out that she had not been on the flight. I then spent eighteen hours on a Greyhound bus getting to Ardmore. The sorrow that my family felt for the crew and the military personnel cannot ever be described. American Flyers was a very close family and my mother took it very hard that she had lost such close friends, including two of “her girls”. For those of you that knew her, she just passed away this April and I don’t think that she ever spent one day these past forty years without thinking of her friends both lost and remaining. She loved everyone of them. She was privileged to know about the memorial and I think that she was able to attend the dedication. Thank you to all of those that helped to build this memorial as I know that it did provide healing for her as well as others even after all of the years that have passed. I hope to be able to visit the memorial in the near future.” -Shirley Mondeaux, Churchville, Pennsylvania <—– Click Here
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“Here are the Lake Murray Killdeer pictures I took (April 2001) off the video camera and put in a folder and I did not know which one it was. Anyway, it is of the Killdeer and her four eggs. If you remember, she got close to me a couple times. The second and third picture is where she is setting on the nest. Then she started her antics to lead me away.” -Claude in Alaska <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Would anyone happen to know of a used fiddle (violin) for sale?”
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The Evening News Ada, Oklahoma, October 13, 1910
The new courthouse rooms are being put in shape and the officers are electing their offices. To say the least of it, they will have more commodious quarters than before.
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January 6, 1911
Oklahoma City–FRANK HENSON, the black man of Tulsa convicted of murder, must hang January 27, the date set by the lower court, unless his sentence in commuted. The criminal court of appeals Thursday in an opinion by Justice THOMAS DOYLE rendered a decision to Governor HASKELL on its review of the lower court proceedings and found that Mr. Henson had been properly tried and that the record is correct. The law requires the governor to have the higher court review the record in a case where capital punishment is prescribed, and the defendant does not appeal. Henson killed Deputy Sheriff CHARLES STAMPER in a “joint” at Dawson in Tulsa county, on October 8 last. It was charged that the deputy sheriff was inveigled into the joint and slain. He went in to discharge his duties as a peace officer, and was shot without warning. The case of GEORGE W. McNAUGHT of Kingfisher county, given a life sentence, was affirmed for lack of appeal being prosecuted.
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The Evening News, Ada Oklahoma, May 16, 1906
U.S. Marshal Ambushed and Shot in Breast
Coalgate, I.T.–Last Sunday a man came to Coalgate and shot up the town and when Deputy Marshal BRADSHAW attempted to arrest him he compelled him to drop his pistol at the point of a Winchester. Monday night as he was in search of the party Bradshaw was ambushed by four men who began firing on him. He returned the fire until his ammunition was exhausted, when he retreated with a wound in the left breast. Hearing of the difficulty a posse from this city started to the scene, and when about three miles from the city they were assailed by a party armed with Winchesters, who compelled them to return in haste. A large force of United States Marshals and citizens are searching the woods for the gang and it is thought their capture is only a matter of a few hours. It was reported in surrounding towns that Bradshaw had been killed and his many friends will be glad to learn that he is very much alive, his wound being but slight.
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July 7, 1906
Mrs. W.S. THOMPSON came in from Okemah today.

MART WALSH is off duty today on account of illness.

S.W. LANHAM of Center, was in the city trading today.

MONT McKOY, the popular salesman at Walsh’s is ill today.

Misses GRACE & MAUD HOLLEY returned from Konawa today.

TAYLOR LANHAM of Center, was in town today. He ordered the News.

Miss ELNOR WARREN returned today from a visit to her home in Bronson, KS.

B.K. GAMBILL of Lexington, is the guest of his brother, the popular salesman at Steed’s.

PETE MILLER returned to Ardmore today after spending a few days pleasantly with friends.

Misses MAUD & MAY WALSH, BELLE BRENTS, ORA BUSBY, & RAY DONAGHEY returned from Konawa today.

Mrs. M.S. ROGERS returned Friday from a two week visit with her daughter, Mrs. HUSSEY, at Jefferson, TX.

ANDY CHAPMAN, DICK HARRIS, M.E. SANGSTER, and others went fishing on Sandy Friday. They report forty pounds.

Dr. LIGON has sold his residence in Sunrise to Mr. COPELAND of Center. Mr. BUMPAS of Center will move to Ada and reside therein. Dr. Ligon will build a beautiful residence in East Sunrise.

A phone from Rev. STONE this morning is that owing to the continued illness of his wife he cannot be here to preach at the C.P. church tomorrow as was announced.

Mrs. JULIA FLEMMING, of 14th street has as guests: her daughter, Mrs. J.E. CROSS, grand-daughter, Mrs. M.F. CHANEY, and Masters JACK and RUBE CHANEY, all of Chickasha. They will visit in Ada about two weeks.

Muskogee, I.T.–JOHN CORDELL, deputy U.S. Marshal at Wewoka, will receive for the past fiscal year $2,500 which is $1,000 more than any other field deputy in the western district will get. The field deputies are on the fee system, but they are limited to $1,500 per year, and when their fees are in excess of that the excess must be turned in to the government. On account of the difficult and dangerous work in the Wewoka district, Cordell is allow $1,000 more than the other deputies, provided his fees amount to that much. His fees are over the $2,500 mark.
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Ardmore, I.T.–DEL GIBSON, who was shot by City Marshal BUD MOORE, at Mill Creek, on June 15, died yesterday of wounds. Gibson was intoxicated and resisted arrest and in the fight was shot through the body by the officer.
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May 13, 1909
Phoenix, AR–HENRY STARR, the notorious Oklahoma bank robber, was arrested today at House, northwest of Phoenix, where he had been since last November, playing poker and consorting with “TEXAS JENNIE” today identified as a former outlaw queen, who had served a sentence in the Leavenworth penitentiary as an accessory to murder. The arrest was made by JOHN A. SIMPSON, sheriff of Powers county, Colo., S.W. FENTON, a state officer of Oklahoma and WAYNE DAVIS, a local deputy sheriff. Starr at first denied his identity, but later consented to leave without extradition and will start tomorrow morning with Simpson and Fenton for Amity, Colo., to be tried for bank robbery. He was traced to Arizona by letters to Oklahoma. Rewards for his arrest aggregate $2,000.
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Roff, OK–A land deal of considerable note was consummated here yesterday when WALTER L. HUTCHESON purchased from CALVIN PERRY 230 acres adjoining town on the east. The consideration was $10,000 cash. This land contains one of the finest deposits of glass sand in the State. The sand has been examined by Prof. CHAS. N. GOULD, State Geologist, and other experts and pronounced by them a superior quality, such as is used in making plate glass, cut glass and all the finest grades. The bed has been exploited to a depth of ninety-seven feet, and extends over an area of several acres. Glass manufacturers from the East were here today and were highly elated over this valuable find. A movement is on foot to develop this property right away.
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February 15, 1910
Fugitives and Officers Battle
Outlaw Killed And Officer Wounded
Wilburton, OK–In a battle fought between officers from this place and two outlaws, who were located in the mountains, four miles east of here, about noon yesterday, one of the outlaws was instantly killed and City Marshal DAVE NOWLIN of Wilburton was shot through the lungs. At an early hour this morning it was reported to Sheriff FRED LAWRENCE of this place that two men had been located in the mountains and that they were heavily armed. The officers had been on the lookout for the men who robbed the bank at Wister, thirty miles east of here, last week, and when the report came, Sheriff Lawrence, with his deputies, MAHAN, NEWSOME, and HOLLY, left for the place of hiding. After locating the men and finding that they were armed with rifles, he sent Deputy Mahan back to Wilburton for rifles and City Marshall Nowlin. The officer climbed the rock cliffs surrounding the fugitives and when they were within 100 yards they demanded that the men surrender. Their demand was answered by shots. Mahan and Nowlin who were the only ones in a position to answer the fire, opened up, and after something like twenty shots had been exchanged, it was found that one of the outlaws was dead, with two shots through his body and one through his head. Nowlin was shot through the lungs. Seeing his pal was dead, the other man slipped down between the rocks and made his escape. Marshal Nowlin will possibly recover. The dead outlaw’s body was removed to STRANGE’S undertaking establishment in this city, where it will be held awaiting identification. Two horses, two saddles, two Winchesters and three automatic revolvers, with a large bunch of keys and full set of burglar’s tools, was recovered by Sheriff Lawrence. The dead man was about 26 years old; six feet high, weight 175; has brown eyes and black hair, and just behind the left ear there is a spot the size of a silver dollar on which there is no hair. He looks to be part Indian.
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May 9, 1911
Tulsa, OK–TOM JORDAN, one of the last of the bad men of the old Indian Territory days, met a tragic death at 4 o’clock Monday afternoon while attempting to rob the Keystone State bank. His body Monday night is lying on the porch in front of the bank while a coroner’s jury is hearing evidence. A verdict will not be rendered until Tuesday morning. Five bullet holes are visible through the clothing. Of these three plowed their way through his breast while one tore through the hip and another through the fleshy part of the leg. Saturday C.C. MARSHALL, sheriff of Pawnee county, was tipped off relative to the proposed hold up. Jordon and TOM PHOENIX rode into Keystone, eighteen miles west of Tulsa and dismounted before the bank building immediately preceding the shooting. Phoenix was next to the frame-up, and when Jordan entered the bank he went across the street. When Jordan commanded, H.C. VINEYARD, cashier to shove out the cash, Sheriff Marshall ordered Jordan to hold up his hands. Jordan was armed with two .38 Colts. He whipped out one of these and a volley of shots were exchanged with him and the sheriff. Jordan staggered from the building still defiant. Assistants of the sheriff opened fire and Jordan fell, rolling off the elevated porch. Jordan was about 47 years old, a part Cherokee Indian. He lived on a farm two miles east of Collinsville, about twenty miles north of Tulsa. He leaves a wife and several children. He was a son of Colonel Jordan, well respected resident of Cleveland, OK. Jordan had only recently been released from the state penitentiary sent up on a charge of disposing of mortgaged property. During the panic of 1907, he entered the Collinsville bank and made its officers pay him money instead of scrip at the point of a gun. He is said to have been associated with many of the daring escapades indulged in by the famous bandit, HENRY STARR.
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Muskogee, OK–LEONARD McCULLOUGH, who, with BOB & AMOS DAVIS is charged with the murder of Deputy Sheriff JIM WORK at Porum last Friday, voluntarily surrendered to Sheriff WISENER Monday. Information was also received by the sheriff that Bob and Amos Davis would surrender this week. McCullough denied that he took part in the killing. He asserted that Bob Davis was badly wounded in the fight.
The surrender of McCullough and his statement indicated that Bob and Amos Davis have never been far from where the shooting took place, but so far no posse has been able to locate them. PONY STAR, a relative and close friend of Bob Davis, left here today with a message from the sheriff to the Davis brothers, and through him negotiations for their surrender will be conducted.
One of the reasons of the surrender of the Davis brothers is the fact that not do so would cause the forfeit of bonds amounting to nearly $75,000 and would wipe out all of their property.
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May 15, 1911
Muskogee, OK–Manacled together, BOB & AMON DAVIS, wanted for the murder of Deputy Sheriff JAMES WORK of Porum, on the afternoon of May the fourth, are speeding on a train from Denver to Muskogee, under the watchful eyes of Deputies DEPEW and NICHOLSON.
A quarrel over a game of cards while escaping on a train into the west is responsible for the capture of the two men. According to press dispatches to the Phoenix, Bob Davis quarreled with a fellow passenger with whom he was playing, a few miles outside of Denver. So violent did he become that the train was stopped at a small station and Davis was arrested. He was fined and released. He continued his flight to Denver, but his quarrel had aroused the suspicions of the law and had given the authorities a chance to look the man in the face. Last Monday morning he was placed under arrest in Denver, directly charged with being the man wanted for the murder of JAMES WORK. At first he denied his identity, giving the name of JACK JONES. He said he was a laboring man. Paper currency of the First National bank of Muskogee to the amount of $1,997, found in his clothes, however, convinced the officers of Denver that they had Bob Davis under arrest. Later, when he saw that further denial was useless, he admitted he is the man and his brother, AMON, who escaped with him, surrendered to the police. The escape of the two Davis boys is almost miraculous. With the whole countryside alarmed, the two men, without having the saddle even for a drink of water, rode about a hundred miles to Cushing, OK. Even then they did not leave their horses until the train pulled in. Then they quickly dismounted and jumping aboard, were off for the west. It is probable that had they not been captured they would not have stopped at the Pacific ocean. so well supplied with money were they. The capture of Bob and Amon Davis ends the man hunt for the slayers of Deputy JAMES WORK. PAT ROBINSON is held in jail as a suspect, LEONARD McCULLOUGH is being held as an accomplice, and BUCK DAVIS and ROBERT WORTHMAN are held “pending investigation”. The authorities are inclined to believe that they were “imported” to Porum to “do mischief”. Worthman is said to have confessed with a rope around his neck, that he intended dynamiting the homes of three witnesses against Bob Davis.
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The Evening News, Ada Oklahoma, May 16, 1906
U.S. Marshal Ambushed and Shot in Breast
Coalgate, I.T.–Last Sunday a man came to Coalgate and shot up the town and when Deputy Marshal BRADSHAW attempted to arrest him he compelled him to drop his pistol at the point of a Winchester. Monday night as he was in search of the party Bradshaw was ambushed by four men who began firing on him. He returned the fire until his ammunition was exhausted, when he retreated with a wound in the left breast.
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May 9, 1911
Muskogee, OK–LEONARD McCULLOUGH, who, with BOB & AMOS DAVIS is charged with the murder of Deputy Sheriff JIM WORK at Porum last Friday,
February 15, 1910
Fugitives and Officers Battle
Outlaw Killed And Officer Wounded
Wilburton, OK–In a battle fought between officers from this place and two outlaws, who were located in the mountains, four miles east of here, about noon yesterday, one of the outlaws was instantly killed and City Marshal DAVE NOWLIN of Wilburton was shot through the lungs.
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The Daily Ardmoreite January 11, 1915
Federal Building at Chickasha
With the last of the finishing material now arriving and the workmen who are to do the placing of the marble already on the scene, work on the $135,000 federal building being erected at Chickasha is nearing completion. Contractors declare that if no unexpected obstacles arise, the structure will be ready to turn over to Postmaster G.W. BAREFOOT by March first.
The outline walls: Bedford limestone from Bedford, Ind. backed up with brick and floors and partitions of reinforced cement, have been up for months. The entire fall and winter months have been consumed by the contractors in roofing the structure with red tile and doing all the other semi-finishing work.
Even the ornamental plaster is now on and there is a lot of it, the ceilings of almost the entire building being finished in panels.
Viewed from the outside, the structure already has the appearance of being completed. Situated on Fourth street and Choctaw Avenue, a block from the five story First National bank building and the main corner in town, it faces toward the east on North Fourth street. A side entrance leads to the back door from the brick paved Choctaw avenue, the wholesalers’ street in Chickasha.
With its breadth of seventy feet and its length of 107, the structure looks substantial. Six massive pillars, almost four feet in diameter, and of the same material as the outer walls, support that part of the third story overhanging the entrance to the lobby. Then in direct contrast with the somber-appearing walls, is the bright red tile roof, and this contrast is further emphasized by overhanging eaves, painted in seven brilliant colors after a design taken from the work of one of the plains tribes of Indians.
If the prediction of W.F. KACHEL, general superintendent of the construction work, holds good, patrons of the local office will be buying stamps on the first floor of the new building by March 15. Postmaster BAREFOOT will be comfortably quartered in the north end of the main floor, and quarters will be ready for any number of federal officers in the two upper stories.
Superintendent Kachel declares even the basement is being finished off in better style than the main floors of many fine buildings. In the first place, it is water tight, not a leak having been left in the Georgia granite used for foundation material. Neither will it lack any of the conveniences to be found to the best federal buildings in the entire country.
In the basement are being finished a number of storage departments, rooms for elevator machinery, fuel rooms, lavatories, and lounging rooms, with steel lockers for both the local mail carriers and clerks, and for those working on trains. Two boilers that will be used in the steam heating system will be put in, the one a duplicate of the other, for use in case of emergency.
On the main floor will be used most of the marble and brass trimmings. The main floor will be the one most often visited by the laity. It will contain a large lobby, supplied with desks and quarters for every department of the postoffice with which the ordinary citizen has anything to do. Floors will be of tile, finishing will be of marble and the ceiling will be ornamented in plaster.
Place for Spy: Here will be installed the largest of the five fire-proof vaults in the building. A suspended runway, almost the full length of the lower floor, is a part of the spying system maintained by the postal department in its efforts to locate any possible fraud of mail clerks in handling the effects entrusted to the care of UNCLE SAM.
Federal court will have quarters on the second floor and little room is left for anything else. One large chamber is now being finished where regular court will be held, then there are a number of smaller chambers, one for the judge, another for the district attorney and another for the clerk of the court. Offices for the postoffice inspector, the grand jury foreman, and the petit jury foreman, for civil service officers, the district United States marshal, the bureau of investigation and the Indian service are being completed on the third floor. More store rooms are being provided in the attic where there will be installed a French cooling system that changes water for the building in only a few minutes from the temperature of Oklahoma water pipes in the summer time to that of cold storage boxes. The mysterious part of it is, the work is done merely by the revolving of two discs containing some kind of a fluid, not ammonia that evaporates, produces a very low temperature and liquefies during the process of being huried about in two hollow discs.
Rumor now has it that a seven story hotel building is to be erected on the vacant lot across the street east of the federal structure before many months. ————————————————————————-
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My plan was the 1st of the year I’d slow down on the number of T&T I send out. But as fate would have it, it has only increased. There is so much to show and tell. So much history to be shared. Thanks to all of you who help, I couldnt do it without you.

Circle of Life by Elton John

From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done

Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give

In the Circle of Life
It’s the wheel of fortune
It’s the leap of faith
It’s the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle, the Circle of Life

Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars

There’s far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps the great and small on the endless round
On the path unwinding
In the Circle, the Circle of Life.

See everyone in the next issue!

Butch Bridges

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