Oklahoma History

Ardmore, Oklahoma

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 July 1, 2005 to July 31, 2005.

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July 29, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 444

I received an email this week from the James and Nancy Singleterry in OKC. They were in Carter county last weekend in search of an oil field relic they remembered from 30 years ago in the NW part of this county, not knowing if it still existed or not. What we’re talking about here is a wooden pump jack. Its a Marion #25 model from bygone years. Well, they found it! Its still there as a reminder of the oil boom days.

“Butch here are pictures of the old wooden pumpjack, it’s been tore down but look’s as if it’s all there. The beams on the ground are approximately 30ft long. You can tell how big thing’s are by by my 5’4″ wife standing by them. The directions are turn east at the Fox school on Fox School Road, there is a street sign. Go approximately one mile to a tank farm on the left. Turn across a yellow cattle guard at a sign that say’s Graham-Deese lease. It is on the right just inside the cattle guard.” -James & Nancy Singleterry <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

If your interested in more pics of oil field relics from Carter county’s past, check out Dwane Stevens’ webshots albums. He’s got a lot of great photos from all over southern Oklahoma including his renown train photographs. And less not forget the Carl W. Stevens Memorial Museum and that fantastic red stagecoach at Dwane’s home NW of Ardmore. If enough of you are interested, let’s have a group meet at the Stevens’ Museum some saturday morning. Let me know if your game and we’ll set a date! How about Saturday August 6th??? <—– Click Here

We had a really good turn out last Saturday at Ponders Restaurant to view Patricia Adkins-Rochette’s book. I didnt count all that showed up, but I know there must have been at least 15 or so, because some came in after I left at 11am. And Pat Ponder was so gracious, she put us all in the private banquet room on the north side of the restaurant. If you havnt been to Ponders Restaurant in a long time, you need to stop in, try some of their great good, and look at some of the neat pieces of old history hanging on the walls and around. They even have one of the old Menu-U-Matic’s that was used in the old Ponder’s Super Dog Drive In that was located at 9th and North Commerce when I was a teen. Here are some pics I took at the meeting last saturday. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Here’s a pic of Healdtonite Charlene Wilson and Patty Rochette. Patty is signing her 998 page book for Charlene. <—– Click Here

Here is the website with all the info on Patty Rochette’s book. There was a typo in the link the past two issues of T&T. But this one works! <—– Click Here

I’ve been using Cableone’s internet for 7 months now, and the service has overall been great. And their built-in spam catcher has been really working well too. But I have noticed one kind of email that slips through on a daily basis. Those are about 10 emails a day that say: “This stock is poised for rapid growth” or emails like that. Always trying to get you to buy some ‘hot’ stock. LOL. Boy, some of these emails are absolutely ridiculous…. to think that anyone with common sense would bite. Of course the spam emails that get the grand award are those telling me I can have part of $10 Million Dollars if I help them with distribution details… that its part of their Uncle’s estate who died in Nigeria with no children and the Almighty Allah has destined this windfall to me if I help, blah blah blah. Give me a break. hahaha. Anyway, I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, no other. Maybe Cableone will get their anti-spam software fine tuned to catch even these ‘buy this stock now’ spam emails, then I’ll be pretty much spam free!

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, the Old Indian Tale came true again today,July 26th, at Wilson. Sunrise and passing cloud 6:45am. Storm and rain 9:45pm. You gotta believe!” -Ken Updike <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Butch, Since I moved down here to Abilene, Texas four years ago, I have been planning to send you & your readers a picture of this plane, a C-130, “CITY OF ARDMORE”. Some will remember that it came here from the Air Force Base in Ardmore and is in the lineup of museum planes here on the Dyess Air Force Base. I finally got a friend to take me out to the base for pictures and I hope that it brings back a lot of good memories.” -Edgar Wallace <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Hello, My name is Elaine Hull. I was doing some web research and found your site. In one article I read about George Baumann mentioned in the past tense and I was so sorry to hear he has passed away. I was in real estate in Tehachapi Calif and met George through Ace and Gayle Pletcher when he was their pilot. George was a true gentleman and according to Ace a great pilot. Should you run into Ace and Gayle please tell them I said, “Hey”. They are fine people.” -Elaine Hull [email protected]
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“I am sending you a new bell photo. I am proud of this one. I bought it at a garage sale and restored it. It is mounted in my back yard in Byng, Oklahoma. It was originally the Denny School bell and was located about eight miles northeast of Ada, Oklahoma. The school closed in 1939. The bell was made by the American Bell Foundry in Northville, Michigan between 1899 and 1920.” -Ben Roan <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Note: I only lack photos of bells from 2 Oklahoma counties, both of them in far northeast Oklahoma: Craig and Ottawa counties. Maybe someone reading this lives in one of these counties and knows of a bell??? Has a camera? Or a friend that does? <—– Click Here
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Belleview Mineral Plunge ….. Sulphur, Oklahoma. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“For Susie who asked about the Bellevue and Vendome. The Bellevue was in operation even into the sixties. In the 50’s when I was growing up in Sulphur the man who owned the Bellevue didn’t open the pool every year. I don’t know his reasons. Some time in the 60’s it became in very bad disrepair. When Nell & George Portman moved back to Sulphur in the 70’s they worked very hard to get Sulphur to restore the Bellevue. It was going to take a tremendous amount of money and they couldn’t get anyone else interested. The pool reopened for a few years. I took my boys swimming in the Bellevue sometime around 1964 so it was still open then. The Vendome was the victim of an arsonist. I don’t know the exact year but again I took my children swimming there in the early 1960’s. Like a lot of things we don’t know what we have until we loose it.”
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“I received this photo along with a group of others that were taken in and around the Ardmore area. Their was nothing written on the photo to identify it. Can someone identify this and who the ladies are? I also wonder what year it was taken in? Thanks.” <—– Click Here
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“Butch I am very interested in old photos of Dougherty, OK. This one intrigued me. My grandfather, great-grandfather and gg-grandfathers lived in that area from 1886 to 1900. My great-grandmother and gg-grandfather are buried in the Dougherty Cemetery. They died in the early 1890s. My great-grandfather carved their stones out of sandstone putting the Eastern Star and Masonic emblems on the stones. They are still standing in the cemetery, but Nancy Ann (Kirkpatrick) has sunk half-way down. Gg-grandfather James G. also has a Confederate stone. I was wondering if the rocks in this photo could have been the area where my great- grandfather, Joel Thomas took the rock for the stones. James G. had a store in Dougherty – had a license to sell tobacco and sundries, which I found in the OK Historical Library. Here is a site to see the known burials in Dougherty Cemetery, including my ancestors.” -Juanima <—– Click Here
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“Butch, I believe that someone has asked about the educated hamburger. I had the same experience when I ordered an educated hamburger and they just looked like I was nuts. I think that that burger originated either that little burger place that was mainstreet west, almost to the corner by White’s Auto. Maybe it was that other burger place on a little further west past the hotel that stood along down there.” -Linda Lamb Smith
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“Good evening Butch. I fail to remember the name of the hamburger place, but it was just before the railroad overpass on the way to Lake Murray and was located on the right side of the road… this would have been in the late 40’s. They sold regular hamburgers with meat, mustard and pickles and then they also sold “educated hamburgers” that included lettuce and tomatoes.” -Dale Gant
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“Just in case it’s slipped your mind, Carl C. Magee (owner of the metropolitan daily, Oklahoma News) was the person responsible for the Park-O-Meter which was first used in Oklahoma City to control the congestion of downtown parking spaces (and surely you remember Mayor Emil Voight saying that Perry would NEVER use them around the square). What you don’t know is that my dad, J Chasteen Kendrick and his identical twin brother, W Chester Kendrick were copy boys for Carl Magee’s “Oklahoma News” while E K Gaylord and his managing editor, Edgar T. Bell (of the Daily Oklahoman) were working at driving the Oklahoma News out of business. As a copy boy, my dad would carry ad proofs to the various downtown movie theatre owners (or managers) to get final approval of the ads to be run the next day. Morris Lowenstein, owner of the Majestic Theater always provided free passes to his movies to the newspaper folks in order to get better placement for his ads, and to maybe get some free publicity. This was at the end of the silent movie era and my dad told me many times how he admired Basil Lowery (I think that name is spelled right and that I remembered it correctly) would put up a slide from the upcoming movie, and then he would use his talents with a paint brush to create a large advertising piece on posterboard, or a large sheet similar to today’s wallboard, to be used as a standee or oversized poster outside the Criterion Theatre (Basil may have worked for the Orpheum too). In later years, Basil had offices in the Civic Center Music Hall as I recall and conducted an advertising agency service from there.” [email protected]
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“Is this Vendome well still flowing water? Isn’t it in Sulphur? Do you have any pictures of it recently?”
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“Hi Butch, Attached is a Map of the location of Butcher Pen, Johnson County, Oklahoma. It is now combined with Bee, Oklahoma. The 2 fading communities share a fire station and are located near Butcher Pen Creek south east of Tishomingo. My husband and I accidently ran across it when looking for the Bee Cemetery about a year ago. If your Reader decides to visit the area, the easiest way to get there is to go south out of Milburn to the junction of Hwy 78 and Hwy 22 and go west from that junction to the road that has a sign for the Bee Cemetery going to the south, the community is father down the road after they pass the Bee Cemetery.” -Linda Hamner <—– Click Here
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“Hello Butch, You and your readers are invited to the foregoing story of support for “Relieve the Pain of insect Bites” comments concerning the treatment of insects bites using Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing.

Re: ‘Relieve the Pain of Insect Bites; comments:

“Some years ago, the University of Arizona printed a booklet on treatment for snake and insect bites in which it recommended Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing be used to treat the bite of a Red Harvester Ant. They claim it to be “laboratory tested.” Again, countless letters have been received over the years telling us how effective a dab of Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing is on a bee sting. All expressed surprise in the “IMMEDIATE” relief!”

My tale, and one of many of my autobiography that thus far consists of 450 pages and still going supports the above remarks about “IMMEDIATE relief.”

How I Acquired the nickname Little Boy Blue by Grant West

This tale occurred in the summer of the year 1935 in the New Post family area of Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I was born at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in January 1930, and resided there for about 7 years. My father, SSgt Chester E. West, a member of the horse cavalry quartered at Fort Sill, acquisitioned a larger, modern house located in the New Post family area. Prior to the acquisition of the newer home, we had been residing in a black tar paper covered two-story apartment living quarters probably built during the first World war. I was 5 years old at the time of our move into the newer family quarters. As you all know at that age a boy is full of curiosity and performs many investigations that invariably leads to trouble. I was no different than the average curious investigative 5-year old male child.

During a warm summer July afternoon I decided to investigate a 4-foot railroad tie in our front yard that set in the ground vertically about 4-feet and used by my mother to set a flower pot upon that contained a healthy growing flower covered with many petals of flowers that had drawn dozens of hungry bees to the petals containing nectar.

After collecting nectar some of the swarming bees settled on the bare sides of the vertical railroad tie. As a bee landed and settled on a side of the post I squashed it using my thumbs. I committed this atrocity several times when suddenly the bees attacked me. I swear they must have preplanned the attack because all the bees attacked me at the same time on the top of my head with their stingers. I madly strived to wipe them off but they kept attacking. I screamed, “Mommy, Mommy,” my mother seeing the bees attacking me came running out of the house grasping a broom in her hands and swept the bees off my head. After performing this merciful act she took me into our house to the washroom and examined my swollen head. Wasting no time she opened a bottle of Mrs. Stewart’s bluing and dabbed it all over my aching head. Within 5 minutes the terrible, aching, burning pain administered by the bees faded away.

Of course, the bluing colored my head a dark blue. Afterwards that same afternoon one of our neighbors saw me in the front yard, laughed, and asked, “Hey little Boy Blue, what happened to you?”

Many women in Oklahoma and Texas during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s used Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing to whiten their clothes and used the bluing for insect bites. I’m going to buy a bottle of bluing and use it to soothe Army ant and mosquito bites.
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“Butch, There are between 50-60 varieties of wild grapes that grow in the central U.S. Most of the wild grapes in our area are commonly called “possum” grapes. The actual possum grape is classified as Vitis baileyana. Another plant that can be quite toxic is moonseed. It has purple fruit similar to a wild grape, but it’s the one with the single seed. The fruits of wild grapes contain numerous seeds. If you find a “grape” with one seed, AVOID IT! It can poison both humans and livestock. As for telling which of the wild grapes is a true possum grape, that will have to be left to a true botanist. This country gal just calls them all possums. Wild grapes ripen anywhere from early August (late July would not be unreasonable) until the first frost.”
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“Butch, I don’t think I have ever heard of Possum grapes but when I lived in Texas I use to pick wild grapes that grew up into the trees. My Mom called them “Mustang” Grapes. I never counted the seeds but I do remember that they had more than one. They were very strong and made delicious jam and jelly. I remember that some people would break out in a rash after getting the juice on their skin. The picture you posted looks a lot like the ones I remember.”
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Dear Butch:

Regarding the recollection of a person in your last issue of This & That who states that the outlaw Bill Dalton held a commission as a deputy U.S. marshal from the Western District of Arkansas, please see the following newspaper article taken from “The Standard” printed at Ogden, Utah dated December 29, 1892 under the title of “Bill Dalton Is No Marshal”:

“Fort Smith, Ark., Dec. 28 – Jacob Yoes, United States Marshal for the western district of Arkansas, has sent word to the news agencies that there is no truth in the report recently sent out from Kansas City that Bill Dalton, brother of the outlaws recently killed in the Coffeeville[sic], Kansas, raid, had been commissioned a United States deputy marshal. The marshal says that there never was any intention of giving Bill Dalton the position in question and there is none now.”

Other period newspaper accounts and original records of the Western District of Arkansas court confirm that federal authorities readily acknowledged that Bill Dalton’s brothers served as deputy U.S. marshals during the 1880s. I have never come across any documentation that would show that Bill Dalton ever held a deputy U.S. marshal commission.

Sincerely
Diron L. Ahlquist
Secretary, Oklahombres Inc. www.oklahombres.org
Editor, Oklahombres Journal
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“Thanks to Butch for this newsletter. My family lived in Ardmore many years ago (60’s). If anyone remembers my folks, Lorraine and Si Hedlund, Kristin (sister), or my baby brother Peter who we lost as a 16-year old boy in a car accident in 1965, I would love to hear memories you might want to share. I finished nursing school and came to Oklahoma in ’61 to go to OU. In the years that followed, I was married to John Mayes for 5 years. His dad was a geologist there; a very fine man. I live a long ways from Oklahoma, now, in Hawaii, but Oklahoma is forever in my heart. PS: Does anyone sell Okieblend coffee (Jolliff) over the internet? Thanks much.” -Nancy Hedlund [email protected]
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I imagine everyone remembers the song Sixteen Tons which Tennessee Ernie Ford made famous with his deep voice rendition in 1955. But the song was reportedly written during those hard depression years by a man named George Davis in the 1930s.

CHORUS:
I loaded sixteen tons and what do I get
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter don’t call me cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store.
I was born one morning, was a drizzling rain
A fussing and fighting ain’t my middle name.
Well they raised me in a corner by a Mammy hound
I’m as mean as a dog but I’m as gentle as a lamb.

CHORUS

Well I got up one morning, the sun didn’t shine,
I picked up my shovel and I went to the mine,
I loaded sixteen ton of that number four coal
The face boss said, ”Well bless my soul!”

CHORUS

I loaded sixteen tons, I tried to get ahead,
Got deeper and deeper in debt instead.
Well they got what I made, and they wanted some more,
And now I owe my soul at the company store.

CHORUS

Well I went to the office to draw some script
The man, he told me — was a wreck in the dip.
To clear the tracks would be a week or more
But your credit’s still good at our company store.

CHORUS

If you see me coming, step aside.
A lot of men didn’t and a lot of men died
I got a fist of iron, I got a fist of steel,
The left one don’t get you then the right one will.

CHORUS

There were unscrupulous business owners during the depression years (1930s) who were determined to keep the poor, poor. There is more on who and how this was done at the link below. <—– Click Here

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma

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July 22, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 443

I remember as a kid some of us used bluing in our science fair projects to make a crystal gardens! Has any of you made a crystal garden as a kid? I know we even did it in the cub scouts back in the early 60s. You can go to Mrs Stewart’s Bluing website, there you will find directions for making a crystal garden. <—– Click Here

What brought up this bluing thing, is I was at Bobby Bells’ Farmers Market on Mill Street SE this week to pick up some bluing. Any great grandmother knows you have to use bluing to get the whites their whitest. And a bottle goes a long way, since you just use a few drops of bluing per washload of whites. <—– Click Here

Vinegar is by far the best way to soften your clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the final rinse cycle for normal loads; one cup for bulky blankets or quilts.

Here’s in interesting photo from bygone years. It was taken near Dougherty, Oklahoma of some men doing dome kind of work getting rock? <—– Click Here

At the intersection of H street SW and 3rd here in Ardmore is an Empress tree (Paulownia). It planted at the end of the divided boulevard on 3rd SW just east of Commerce. I noticed when I was out walking the other evening it is really loaded with seed pods. Some of you will remember I planted an Empress tree in my front yard two years ago, mainly because it is the fastest growing tree in the world. Now two years later, that has proven to be the case.

Here is an email I received two years ago about the pods: “Butch, The Empress tree looks loaded with seed pods. Each can hold 750+- seeds. They will ripen in October. You have to get to them before they open up because the seed is winged and very small. Surface sow the seed (do not cover with any media) they need light to germinate. Keep moist at 80f +- and in about 14 days they will start growing. I keep mine in the seed flats for about 4 or 5 weeks before transplanting.”

Here is a couple pics of the tree on H Southwest, and a close-up of the seed pods. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

This is my tree when it was barely a foot high back in June 2003. <—– Click Here

Here is my tree one year later in July 2004. That’s a yard stick standing beside it. <—– Click Here

And here is that same tree this week…. just 2 years and 2 months old. Its way taller then my house. I can hardly believe how fast this tree has grown. <—– Click Here

I was driving on North Washington last week and there in the parking lot of the Central Baptist Church was a 1938 Chevy auto. I stopped and found the owner, a Debbie Barksdale. Man, this thing is immaculate inside and out. Debbie said its for sale too, around $25,000. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

I remember I had a photograph of my great grandmother, Ida Murphree Miller, sitting on the back of an identical car back around 1942. The tag on the car says 1942 on it. Here’s a pic of grannie Miller and her dog sitting on the bumper. Now you all know where I get my Choctaw Indian blood. <—– Click Here

Doug Morris called me the other day, he and his wife Clariece have an upside down tomato planting growing, and its doing a lot better than mine. But then I never have had a green thumb. While I was at Doug’s house he showed me his 1952 Farmall tractor he dismantled, restored, repainted, and put back together in his garage. It belonged to his father-in-law and used on the farm until he died. That’s Doug in the driver’s seat! <—– Click Here

I saw an airboat parked across the street from the courthouse this week. You hardly ever see an airboat in this part of the country. I remember as a teen, my cousin Carol Jean Carmon’s husband, Sam Cole, had an wooden airboat. He worked at BS&B at the airpark, did fiberglass work for them, and he put fiberglass on the outside of the wood. Boy, when he started that thing, it was loud, I mean real loud. lol. Anyway, here’s the airboat I took pics of this week. It’s made in Orange, Texas by the American Airboat Corp. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Tomorrow, July 23rd at 9:30am Patricia Adkins-Rochette will be at Ponders in Ardmore at 9:30am with copies of her book, an unbelievable accumulation of north Texas and south central Oklahoma history and genealogical data. If you have not seen this book, this is your chance to see it, put your hands on it, admire it, and maybe even purchase your own copy if you want to. Just mailing costs on this 998 page book is expensive, so come out to Ponder’s Saturday July 23rd and visit. I plan on being there, but might not make it at exactly 9:30am. Ponder’s Restaurant is located at I-35 and Exit 33 (north side of Ardmore) I’m planning on being there the 23rd, so I hope to see some of you too. Just ask at the cashier’s desk where we are! We should be at the far west end of the restaurant. Visit her website, www.bourlandcivilwar.com, that describes her 998-page BOURLAND IN NORTH TEXAS AND INDIAN TERRITORY DURING THE CIVIL WAR: FORT COBB, FORT ARBUCKLE & THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS.

Carol Kiesel now lives at Gainesville, Texas but she’s originally an Okie from right here in Carter county, namely Healdton area. Carol has developed sugar free, low fat & cholesterol recipes and put them to print in book form. She will be a guest on KXII TV, Wednesday July 27th, during the noon news with Ellen Sawko. Carol is going to get me a picture of her new book along with info in a few days. I’ll post it in the next T&T. Lord knows we all need to cut back on sugar intake.

I’ve updated my ‘tomato webpage’ with pictures and comments from Readers. <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, The Bill Dalton story reminds me of my Dad and the story he told of when he was just a small boy and he went with his Dad to Ardmore at the request of the sheriff To make an identification of an outlaw who had been killed and my dad said his father took one look and said that’s Bill Dalton the sheriff ask how do you know. My grandfather said look in his shirt pocket you will find his papers he was sworn in at the same time as I was as a U S Marshall out of Arkansas. Yes Bill Dalton was a US Marshall as well as an outlaw.” -Paskell
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“Butch, My Dad was raised in the hills surrounding Bromide Springs. He was the baby from of family of 12. His parents were farmers for many land owners in the area when he was growing up. His family tells of a time when President Hoover road a train and walked up the hill to take a drink from the springs. I had my cousin from Wapanuka take me to the spot where this happened and sure enough, the spring still trinkeled from the pipe enough for me to get taste of the awful tasting water. I felt I had shared something my Dad had done long ago (even though a spewed it from my mouth). Good times!” -Joy Willingham, Medicine Park, Oklahoma
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“We were fishing this past week on Texoma and these grapes were hanging in a tree out over the water. He stood in the boat and picked about 5 gallons! Being the ‘learned country girl’ that I am, I announced as soon as I saw them that they were ‘possum grapes’. He immediately corrected me by saying possum grapes did not ripen until September. If they look like possum grapes, smell like possum grapes, and taste like possum grapes, are they not possum grapes?????? A lady visitor, who proclaims to be a possum grape ‘specialist’ said they were NOT possum grapes. These grapes have 3 seeds and possum grapes only have one. So, lets hear it from some of your reader specialists. He went back today and picked some other grapes that look the same on maybe they are hybrid, they were about twice the size of these but still not the size of summer grapes.” <—– Click Here
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Butch- Some of the women and men mentioned in this article in the May 5, 1945, “Bombs-Away,” the Ardmore Army Air Field weekly, are still alive and kicking (but not too high!) Some of your readers will recognize the names. [email protected]

“The Red Cross mobile canteen service was discontinued at Ardmore Army Air Field, May 1, 1945. The much appreciated service had served 17,324 men on the line at night since January 8, 1945, according to Robert Manlove, American Red Cross field director. The men had been served 1,609 dozen cookies, 1,264 gallons of coffee, 713 cans of cream and 379 pounds of sugar. The cookies were all “home-made” while the other food-stuffs were from army stocks. The canteen corps was headed by Mrs. George Davis and Jane Naylor, co-chairmen. Individuals working with the canteen included: Kathleen Henry; Pauline Anderson; George Davis; Bess Bondurant; Alicia Whittenburg; Pat O’Tyson; Aileen Flanery; Rachel Hanvey; Earl Marie Johnson; Dorothy Demoss; Alvys Anderson; Mrs. Byron McCharen; Ruth Harris; Bess Wells; Mrs. Ford Whitehurst; Mrs. Harold Pierce; Loretta King; Mary Stallings; Bennie Hix; Mary Gene Wilson; Irma Jean Thompson; Naomi Rollins; Louise Decker; Henrietta Baum; Frances Sparks; Doris Becker; Jerry Newman and Irene Yarger.”
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“Hi, Butch: Your emails are so interesting! My parents grew up in Ardmore so it has always had a special place in my heart. Now, I have a question: Our great-grandfather, Rufus S. Hendon, was appointed Deputy County Assessor for Carter County in 1912 and elected County Assessor in 1914. He served several terms. He was also City Commissioner for the City of Ardmore during the 1920’s. He was again Deputy County Assessor from about 1934 to 1939 when he resigned. Is is possible that there are any pictures of our great-grandfather in any historical files for Ardmore/Carter County? Do you know who we can contact? Thanks so much.” -MaryAnn in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
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“That Davis, Oklahoma buffalo pic is ssooooooo cool!” <—– Click Here
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“From a none professional gardener whom has a lucky green thumb. Your picture has the answer written on it. EARLY GIRL. They are planted EARLY and they produce EARLY and they die EARLY.”
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“My brother lives down the road from Della’s ol’ place, about 2 doors past the greenhouse. I’ve been asking for some Okie coffee and he bought me some, but his daughter come from CA and took it home with her, so, I wait!”
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“Hi Butch, Your remarks about being a cub scout stirred up some memories when I was a boy scout. I was a member of Troop 100, Oakland. California in the years of 1944-1945, age 14-15. We troopers met in the garage of the private home of our scout master, who taught us boys many honorable boy scout rules that I followed then and at age 75 still use today. The boy scout rule I remember best was: A boy scout is truthful. Many of the boy scout rules helped me in my 21-year career in the US military service.” -Grant West
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“As a “displaced Ardmoreite” and part yankee, can someone tell me where or how the term “educated hamburger” came about? If I were to use that up here in Ohio they would look strangely at me and possibly call for help. They do not use that term here and after all of your mouth watering pictures of hamburgers you have conquered thought you might have the answer or some reader might. Would be interesting!” -Bob Farrington in Ohio
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“I enjoyed reading about the Belleview and the Vendome. I noticed that someone was guessing that the pools were demolished in the 50’s or 60’s. I remember swimming at both of them in the 60’s. I don’t remember exactly when they went away. I was told many years ago that the big wheel at the Belleview caused it to be torn down, because a child had held on to the wheel too long, got trapped and drowned under it. I wondered if anyone knows if that story was true? Thanks again for your newsletter!!” -Susie
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“Butch, you need to add to that list of places where Okie blend can be purchased, Rapid Robert’s, State Highway 19 at Indian Meridian, Pauls Valley, OK, which I happen to own and operate 😉 Bought some from Jollif’s weeks ago, not long after the first mention of it here in T&T.” -David <—– Click Here
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“The object that your reader asked about looks like a version of a “fireless cooker.” This link describes their uses.” http://www.journalofantiques.com/Nov/hearthnov01.htm <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Someone wanted to know where Butcher Pen is/was located. The last line in this news report could be a clue.” -Lee Wages, Ft. Worth, TX. <—– Click Here
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“Butch, I remember Mr. Wickware and his wagon. We lived over on “G” Street NE, a block from Washington Elementary, and you could always see him in that neighborhood at least once a week. My mom’s youngest sister was friends with his daughter, Nancy. Thanks for the memory.”
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“Butch, I took this picture in my back yard last week. It is the male of a pair of grey foxes that come to feed on scraps that I put out each day. They have two young ones in a den just back of my place which is located between Sulphur and Davis across the road from the west side of the Chickasaw National Recreation area.” <—– Click Here

“In addition to the grey fox, I also had this family visiting in my back yard last week. Don’t we all live in a paradise in Southern Oklahoma.” -Joh <—– Click Here
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“We were up at Scheryl’s Mema’s today on Wildhorse creek in far northwestern Carter county and while wading in the creek Scheryl unearthed this horn and when Zack pulled on it she had found a whole buffalo head, teeth and all and it is in great shape. And we got the information back from the people looking at the buffalo head: 1. It is a Buffalo and 2. It is between 30,000 to 35,000 years old. They said it is one of the best specimens they had seen and believe me they have a lot of specimens. So we are excited.” -Doug Williams, Ardmore <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Hi Butch, thought of you the other day, you would never guess? I have eaten two hamburgers within 10 days lol…. Haha how bad does it get! (This person never eats them normally lol) or far and few between anyway! but gosh they were good, I didnt get to take a pic of it because I was sooo hungry, but what was nice it had raw sliced onion on it instead of greasy fried onion, and a slice of cheese with tomato sauce, a lot of stalls here are now banned from cooking onions, because the smell offends people….. and thats the truth!” -England
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“Hello, I’m gathering material on and for PEDDY. What subjects did Leighton Peddy teach at Ardmore. What years did he teach? Also any info on his wife is appreciated.” -Glen Peddy [email protected]
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“These bells are in front of Bellevue Health Center, 6500 N Portland Oklahoma City. My father acquired the bell in about 1975. It came from a farm in Oklahoma County. The black and white was taken in 1977. We built the brick tower in about 2000. Great idea for a website.” <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Hi Butch, I found these rather large cutouts along side hwy 36 near Indiahoma, Oklahoma last week. He had others of men standing and shooting at deer and turkey, but I couldn’t get a good picture of them. Wanted to share these with you.” -Ken Updike <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Grandma’s Lye Soap” by Johnny Standley and Art Thorsen 1952

(Verse 1):
Do you remember Grandma’s lye soap
Good for everything in the home
And the secret was in the scrubbing
It wouldn’t suds, and wouldn’t foam.

(Verse 2):
Now little Herman and brother Therman
Had an aversion to washing their ears
Grandma scrubbed them with the lye soap
And they haven’t heard a word in years!

(Verse 3):
Mr. O’Malley down in the valley
Suffered from ulcers, I understand
He swallowed a cake of Grandma’s lye soap
Has the cleanest ulcers in the land!

(Chorus)
Now let us sing right out for Grandma’s lye soap
Good for everything; everything in the place
The pots and pans, the dirty dishes
And for your hands and for your face.

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma

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July 15, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 442

A Reader sent me some pics from Pooleville, Oklahoma this week. Pooleville is located in NW Carter county. Several years ago the state historical society put up a marker to designate Poolewille as the place where the infamous Bill Dalton was shot and killed by Seldon Lindsey on June 8, 1894. But the actually place the shooting took place was about a mile west and a little south of where the historical sign is posted. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

The actually site of the shooting is on a oil lease today. A couple of years ago when these next to photos were take, there were two markers placed at the actually site. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

This sign is located at Pooleville. Originally Pooleville was called Elk, Oklahoma. <—– Click Here

Most of you know the famous Brady Ranch is located west of Pooleville, Oklahoma <—– Click Here

Some of you will remember a year and a half ago I stopped in at Della’s at Wilson and bought a hamburger. When I was in Wilson last week, I stopped by again and found out Della had sold her hamburger place across the street from the Wilson Elementry. The new owners are Joe and Angie Dethloff, they took over the 1st of January this year. But I still had to buy a hamburger while there, and boy, I was not disappointed! It was delicious….. moist, on a toasted bun, with plenty of meat. Here’s a pic of that hamburger, and also of Joe and Angie’s convenience store. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

While in Wilson I stopped to visit the new Wilson Historical Museum. A found a wide assortment of things to see, including an old boy scout uniform. Boy, it seems so long ago since I wore a cub scout uniform and going to pack meetings at Mrs Grider’s in the 900 block of 4th NE. <—– Click Here

Here’s an inside look at the Wilson Historical Museum, being manned that day by Dorothy Taylor. <—– Click Here

Here’s something I found in Wilson behind a house located just 2 blocks south of the Wilson High School. Its a ‘modernized wagon’ with modern tire wheels. I remember in the 1960s a Mr. Wickware in the NE had a wagon like this pulled by mules. He’d stop by my grandfather’s lumber yard with his wagon and team, and I go out and look. I thought that it might be hard pulling on the mules, buy my grandfather Stanley Carmon said no. In fact, it was just opposite. These wagons converted to modern automoble axles and wheels, well they were much easier to pull then the tradition wagon. <—– Click Here

I mentioned in last weeks T&T there was one antique coffee machine at Susanne and Dan Jolliff’s Coffee Professionals which I forgot its purpose. Well, it was maded around 1920 and is called a “sample roaster”. Each of its 8 holes will roast 1 pound of coffee beans. The Jolliff’s restored this piece of history from a deplorable condition too. <—– Click Here

Many of you asked where can you buy the Jolliff’s coffee and not travel to Wilson. Here is the updated list where you can buy that now famous Okie Blend coffee:

Ardmore- EZ Shop 205 Q Southwest
EZ Shop-901 Wallace St.
J.R.’s #2-1500 14th NE

Carnegie- Super C Mart 110 E. Main St.

Cement- Cement Gas-N-Go 101 E. 1st

Duncan- Cedar St. Grill 1001 Cedar St.

Marlow- Lakeside Grocery

Elgin- Bruces Super-Stop HWY 277 & Dave

Fletcher- Trent Drug & Tag Agency

Holdenville- Wakely’s 325 Broadway of America
Doc’s #2 1020 N. Henekley

Kingston- Super C Mart

Lindsay- Super C Mart

Lone Grove- Taliaferro’s Grocery Hwy 70 West

Maysville- Super C Mart

Norman- Alemedia’s Market 7200 E. Alemedia
Trails Golf Club 3200 S. Berry Rd.

Pauls Valley- Rapid Robert’s, Highway 19 at Indian Meridian

Davis- Original Fultons’s Fried Pies off I-35
Tradin’ Post Turner Falls Park

Oklahoma City- Roasters Exchange- 1530 W. Main St.
Charlies Last Stand 4415 SW. 3rd
Backdoor Restaurant 13214 Classen Blvd Oklahoma City (available 7/24/05)

Slaughterville- Neighbor’s Grocery 2001 Slaughterville Rd

Velma- T.P. Totum
E&S Oil Co. Convenience store

Wilson- Super C Mart 202 E. Main St
Scotta’s 2000 HWY 70

Coffee Professionals
1161 U.S. Highway 70a
Wilson, OK 73463
580-668-3238

Wynnewood- TR’s Quick Stop I-35 and Highway 29 West

Just a reminder, Patricia Adkins-Rochette will be at Ponders in Ardmore at 9:30am on Saturday, July 23rd, 2005 with copies of her book, an unbelievable accumulation of north Texas and south central Oklahoma history and genealogical data. If you have not seen this book, this is your chance to see it, put your hands on it, admire it, and maybe even purchase your own copy if you want to. Just mailing costs on this 998 page book is very high, so come on out to Ponder’s the morning of the Saturday July 23rd and visit. Visit her website, www.bourlandcivilwar.com, that describes her 998-page BOURLAND IN NORTH TEXAS AND INDIAN TERRITORY DURING THE CIVIL WAR: FORT COBB, FORT ARBUCKLE & THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS.

Ponder’s Restaurant is located at I-35 and Exit 33 (north side of Ardmore) I’m planning on being there the 23rd, so I hope to see some of you too. Just ask at the cashier’s desk where we are! We should be at the far west end of the restaurant.

My one storm surviving Early Girl tomato plant is doing pretty good after 45 days. It is showing some signs of bugs eating on one half of it. Ad it has plenty of blooms, just no tomatoes yet. An “expert” tomato plant grower in Shawnee told me it needs hot days and cool nights. So I moved it way back near the fence, and hung it from a clothes line pole. This “expert” told me it needs to get cooler in the evenings, and if it doesn’t, the blooms will not make tomatoes. So, the experiment of the upside down tomato plant goes on! <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, In case any of your readers are interested, the annual Texhoma Friends of NRA banquet will be Saturday, July 23 at Ardmore’s Heritage Hall (old Civic Auditorium). Social hour is at 5:30pm This is the time to view the items up for auction and visit with your friends. The banquet and auction start at 6:45pm The entire event is alcohol free and a great deal for the whole family. Tickets are available at Jerry’s Gun Shop in Ardmore, B&J Gunsmithing in Davis and Arbuckle Coins in Davis. You can also buy tickets at the door the night of the event. Prices are $20 for an individual; $30 for a couple; $10 for kids 14 and under. The grand door prize is a grill, and drawings will be held for many other prizes, including guns, knives, etc. Funds raised will benefit youth shooting programs, range development, firearms training and safety, and conservation programs. Everyone come on out and support this great cause!!”
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“My name is Kate, I’m from Fort Worth, Texas. My brother in law was born and raised in a small community called Butcher Pen, Oklahoma. I’m tryin to find History of the place and cannot find a website for them…Can someone please help me. It’s very important. Thank you very much.” -Kate [email protected]
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“Butch, I thought you might also enjoy some of these pictures of the Vendome Well. A couple of them are old post cards, but the one with the boy is my nephew who lives in Houston now. He as around 40 years old today so you can tell that this picture had to be around 35 years ago.” <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Here is the buffalo that was just painted and placed at the Chamber of Commerce in Davis. The Murray County Leadership Class II bought two buffalo and the Artsts of the Arbuckles painted them. One is placed in Sulphur and this one in Davis. Each one reflects the local history. Come up and see them some time.” -Jon <—– Click Here
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“My Dad has had this for quite awhile. It was in the garage when he moved in his house in the mid-late 70’s. Anyone know what this is?” -Bryan Pullen <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Butch, I used the district court records of Oklahoma from the Carter County Clerk webpage. Wow, I am impressed. Thanks for referring to it in your history column this week and providing a hyperlink to it. http://www.odcr.com/ I just left it on ALL COUNTIES and put in last name “Medrick”, It pulled up my Grandpa’s marriage license in Indian Territory to his first wife in November 1898; and his marriage license to my grandmother in January 1914. Both were in the Leflore County records. I am so excited to find that data. My dad, William T. “Bill” Medrick was born in September 1914. He still lives at 315 S. E. 4th in Ardmore, behind the Emmanuel Baptist Church. I can’t wait to show him the record of his mother and dad getting married 9 months before he was born. The record is of two events from over 90 years ago. Thanks again for all you do. We love it and appreciate it.” -Dennis Medrick, Irving, TX. AHS Class of 1963
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“Hey Cuz, Enjoyed the pictures and articles about Vendome in Sulphur – however, our favorite place was Bellevue in Sulphur and having to hit the “cold” plunge before you could get to the main pool and while we swam our parents could sit under the trees with picnic spread that made your mouth water right down to the home-made ice-cream. Thanks for yet another bunch of memories.Belleview was on the left as you entered Sulphur up a few blocks to the north. Vendome was more towards the middle of Sulphur on the right (south side of highway 7) just before you got to the red-light where you had to turn south to enter Platt National Park. Belleview’s cold plunge was exactly that, a cold plunge – you came out of the bath-house and there it was – most folks would dive right in and swim over to the warm and larger part of the pool then others would ease their way in or just wallk around to avoid the plunge all together. Nice pool – really enjoyed it more than Vendome – though Vendome was just a little bigger and had a dance floor up above the bath-house where they use to have the old ’50s and ’60s dances for teens. Thanks again for a walk down memory lane.” -Poss
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“The Vendome Plunge was located on the main east-west thoroughfare in Sulphur (goes all the way thru town from east to west). It was near where the Frisco railroad crossed this street, just in the edge of the then Platt National Park – slightly east of where the high school is located. It was there when I left the area permanently in the mid-50’s; however, I think it was torn down shortly afterwards. There was also a roller skating rink beside the swimming pool, also called the Vendome. The Bellwood School was about 7 miles northeast of Mill Creek in Johnston County. It wasn’t functional in the early to mid-50’s. All the Bellwood area students went to Mill Creek schools.” -Bob Ozment
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“Butch, This first story brought to mind something that happened to my father in the early 1910 He sit up all night with a deceased person and the next day he was arrested by a US Marshal for robbing the US post office seems the person that did the job had a horse that looked like my dads and a rubber tired buggy Like his but my dads friends came to his rescue and when the facts were known he was released this happened some where there in south eastern Oklahoma.” -Paskell
———————————————————————— “Would anyone be interested in or have any information about the old school’s in Love county, south of Ardmore,Oklahoma? Iam trying to get pictures and information on two love county school’s in the early 1900’s.One was Crosshill school and the other one was Overbrook school.” -Edna Mongomery
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“Hi Butch, a week or so ago, someone commented on my sunrise photo in Wilson. He stated that an old indian friend of his said “that if a cloud passed between the sunrise and the earth that it would rain that day.” Well it did rain that day. I took pictures of this morning’s sunrise and are attaching them. As you can see, a cloud passes between the sun and the earth. And again it came a good shower around noon. Must be something to this old tale.” -Ken Updike <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“My name is Kate, I’m from Fort Worth, Texas. My brother in law was born and raised in a small community called Butcher Pen, Oklahoma. I’m tryin to find History of the place and cannot find a website for them. Can someone please help me…..It’s very important. Thank you very much.”
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Historic Doughtery Building burns. <—– Click Here
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Suspension bridge over Bromide creek at Sulphur. <—– Click Here
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“I had forgotten about Bromide Springs, but this picture brings back memories. We would walk across the bridge to where mineral water was coming out of spouts. Many people came there with jars to fill with the water. They thought had great medicinal value. It tasted awful.”
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The web site below has a paragraph about Orville Buck and some of you may be interested. I have included it below. Orville was a 1953 grad of Ardmore High School. Does anyone know how to get a copy of the accident report? Please ask around. -Jerry Brown

“During November, 1957 the 302nd TRS was struck by disaster when, on the 13th of that month , whilst flying formation over Manston in the United Kingdom; two of their RF-84s collided. Unfortunately both 1st Lt. Orville O. Buck Jr and 1st Lt. James R. Bulgar were declared missing, presumed dead, when no trace of them was found. Similar incidences in the 303rd TRS and a rigorous formation flying training programme was initiated. Selected pilots were expected to fly a satisfactory flight in a T-33 before returning to their respective squadrons as instructors. Each squadron pilot was required to complete six formation flights before requirements were satisfied; in addition to attending numerous lectures on flight safety.” <—– Click Here
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“Butch, As per your last newsletter, I sent Stacy a map quest link to the location of the Katie Cemetery. If any of your Readers are interested it is on the NW corner of the intersection identified on most maps as Katie. It is directly behind the old school/fire station. Area residents take a lot of pride in their small community and the cemetery is usually beautifully maintained. Those driving from the South should turn north at Hennepin where the three counties corner (Garvin, Murray, Carter) and go about 5 miles. They can’t miss it.” -Angela Williams in Pauls Valley
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“Butch, I’m really excited about all the historical and cultural information I get from your newsletter. I wanted to pass along some information about a Oklahombres, Inc., the premier organization for the careful research and preservation of Oklahoma outlaw and lawmen history, will hold a fall rendezvous in Pauls Valley on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26-27. There is going to be a lot of interesting topics discussed including the authors of the newly released book “Shadow of a Indian Star” by Bill and Cindy Paul. I have included the links to the news release for the rendezvous in case you would like to share with your Readers.” <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Butch, Original cemetery was at 802 McLish- old Collier House. Rosehill (South Cemetery was the original name) was opened in 1902. Graves from McLish Cemetery were relocated after 1902.” <—– Click Here
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“hello butch, i need to see if i can get some of your Readers to help me once again. i am trying to locate a family member by the name of Charlotte Brown. she went to school for a couple of years in healdton, ok. when she was in elementary school. my mother told me she was my cousin, but i do not know what her parents names are. if anyone can help me locate her or if she gets this message please contact me through my e-mail address. thank you again for all of the help that you have given me in the past.” -betty daniels [email protected]
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“Butch, These are tomatoes out of our garden — just old fashioned planted in the ground. The big ones are Celebrity and Merced and the small ones are Fourth of July plants. We bought these in this week and there are more on the vines. We have 3 Celebrity, 1 Merced and 1 Fourth of July plants. I have canned four pints so far and I am going to can tomorrow. Okra is also doing great and oriental eggplant is doing good also. Wish we had room for cantaloupe but they require vine space and we don’t have a large enough garden.” -Ann Randolph <—– Click Here
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“I am researching Babe Shipman. Babe had been a deputy sheriff in Love county and was shot under mysterious circumstances on December 15, 1924. Does anyone know of Babe Shipman? Or have any info about his death?” -Terry in WY.
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“Butch, Please add me to your T&T distribution. I was born and raised in Ardmore and have recently retired and moved back home. I live on Gene Autry Rd. next to the Pruitt cemetery on the South side. My folks previously owned the place and I understand it was the location of a school back in the early 1900’s. I was wondering if anyone knows anything about it. Thanks.” -Larry Cail [email protected]
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Here’s looking at you kid.

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.

We’ll always have Paris.

Round up the usual suspects.

Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’

-Casablanca 1942, the greatest love story of all time
<—– Click Here 
See everyone next time!
Butch Bridges

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July 8, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 441

This week I was in Wilson, Oklahoma and stopped in and visited with Susanne and Dan Jolliff, owners of Coffee Professionals. Some of you will remember me mentioning this last March and telling about their Okie Blend coffee. And yes, those Texans are still going crazy of this special blend coffee! Dan and Susanne gave me a tour of their operations, and I’m here to tell you, its coffee, coffee, coffee on a grand scale. They own 10 buildings in Wilson just to have room to keep their operation going, which reaches all states and other countries. And some of you placed orders for Okie Blend coffee when I talked about it last March. Susanne said he got orders from all over the US, people wanted to try this unique special blend. She told me the day I was there, she received a call from Lindsay, Oklahoma. The man said its the best tasting coffee he’s had the pleasure of drinking in 40 years. It’s really just the right blend of coffee beans the Jolliffs gather from all over the world. Here is a picture I took of Dan and Susanne. <—– Click Here

One thing that surprised me as they showed me around was all the all bottles of different flavors of flavored syrup they used in some of their coffee blends. They use Oscar’s Premium Syrup out of Canada. Here is a pic I took of their “syrup room”. I never saw so many different flavors. And its not only used for special coffee blends, but also for cooking and other foods where a special flavor is need to make it just right. <—– Click Here

Dan took me across the street to another building where their son Greg was roasting coffee beans. Oh the aroma of those beans roasting, I cant put it in words here how good the smell was from that antique roaster. This roaster was made about 1895 and there’s an interesting story behind it. A lady named Mrs Wilson lived in Norman and obtained the roaster from a plantation in many years ago. It did not work and was only used by Mrs Wilson as a conversation piece. When she heard about the Jolliffs coffee operation in Wilson, Oklahoma she contacted Dan and offered the roaster. The Jolliffs took the roaster, did some major repair and restoration work, and are using it everyday to roast their coffee beans. Here’s a picture of this Royal No 5 roaster. <—– Click Here

This is a pic of the unroasted beans just starting to roast and whirling around in the roaster. <—– Click Here

Here is the beans 15 and one-half minutes later, ready to dump out. Oh, dont they look good. Now let me tell you, this is what makes that delicious cup of java! <—– Click Here

Here are those same beans, finished roasting and falling out the mouth of the roaster into a bin. <—– Click Here

I forget exactly what this machine’s function is, but it allows 6 different kinds of beans to be prepared for mixing into a special blend. <—– Click Here

The Jolliffs buy their coffee beans from all over the world, and I was really impressed at the wordings and designs on the different burlap sacks the beans are shipped in. Here are 3 of them. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Here is an interesting old coffee grinder with a story behind it. Dan Jolliff told me he first ran across this mill in Healdton, Oklahoma 40 years ago at Elmer’s Cafe. Elmer’s was located where the bank in Healdton is now. Dan was working for Cain’s Coffee and keep the Elmer’s cafe supplied with coffee. Dan asked Elmer if he would part with the mill and Elmer replied no, he couldnt part with it. About ten years later Elmer closed his cafe in Healdton, and called Dan offering him the mill. Needless to say Dan is a proud owner of this coffee mill even if its not a complete machine. <—– Click Here

Here is a complete picture I found on the net of a Woodruff Elgin National Coffee Mill. <—– Click Here

If your in the area of Wilson,Oklahoma stop by and see Dan and Susanne. I have never met any nicer people, true Oklahomans. Pick up a couple of bricks of that Okie Blend coffee, its really a great tasting brew. Here is a pic I took just before leaving Jolliff’s Coffee Professionals. <—– Click Here

You can visit Coffee Professionals website at the link below. <—– Click Here

The Fourth of July about 3 in the afternoon, I decided to go get a few things at a couple of stores around town. After doing that, I decided to go by Bobby Bell’s Farmer’s Market on Mill Street SE and buy a couple of cantelope. Personally I like cantelope better than watermelons, in fact, I seldom buy a watermelon, whereas I buy cantelope nearly every week (when in season). Anyway, I stopped at Farmers Market, paid my $2.00 for the two cantelope, went to my pickup truck and decided to just lay them in the back of the pickup. When I arrived home, guess what? They had rolled out somewhere long the way. I felt so silly. “Boy, what were you thinking?” lol. In fact, isn’t that considered “Failure to Secure Load” under Oklahoma law? hahaha

Anyway, This week I stopped by and picked up a couple of cantelope at Bobby Bell Lone Grove’s Farmers Market. Delicious is all I can say. yum yum Click here

I mentioned several weeks ago about Kellpro in Duncan, Oklahoma maintaining a database of Oklahoma Court records for most of the counties in this state. What I didnt mention was the magnitude of these databases on Kellpro’s Servers. Since they comprise records for some 50 something counties and for some counties go back as far as 10 years, the data available on this one website is awesome. There is nothing like it in this state…. over 86 million records, all searchable by anyone with internet access. You can find a link to the Kellpro databases on the Carter County Court Clerks webpage. Just click on “Oklahoma District Court Records”. <—– Click Here

Mark your calendars. Patricia Adkins-Rochette plans to be at Ponders in Ardmore at 9:30am on Saturday, July 23rd, 2005 with copies of her book, both hard cover and paperback. This book of Patricia’s is an unbelievable accumulation of north Texas and south central Oklahoma history and genealogical data. If you have not seen this book, this is your chance to see it, put your hands on it, admire it, and maybe even purchase your own copy if you want to. Just mailing costs on this book is very high, so come out out to Ponder’s the morning of the July 23rd and visit. Visit her website, www.bourlandcivilwar.com, that describes her 998-page BOURLAND IN NORTH TEXAS AND INDIAN TERRITORY DURING THE CIVIL WAR: FORT COBB, FORT ARBUCKLE & THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS.

Ponder’s Restaurant is located at I-35 and Exit 33 (north side of Ardmore) I’m planning on being there the 23rd, so I hope to see some of you too. Just ask at the cashier’s desk where we are! We should be at the far west end of the restaurant.

Patricia will also be in Pottsboro, Texas on July 23rd at 4:30pm as guest at a Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“I contacted you some time ago concerning the Red Top School which I attended as a child and my mother, Mrs. John Thompson was the teacher. I’m trying to locate anyone who might have attended that one-room school (or have relatives who did) during the approximate years, 1935-1940. The school building was located about 5 miles north of Ratliff City and a quarter of a mile east on the Base Line. I attended Fox School from 1941-1946.” Thanks so much for your service to all former Carter County Residents. Pat (Thompson) Allen [email protected]
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“I opened my July 3 Sunday Oklahoman, and was delighted to find an article about the outlaws of Oklahoma. In the article, it gave places to go where history had occurred, and there I found something familiar to myself and family. It was a very brief description of the 1909 Ada hanging. I have an original Daily Oklahoman in my possesion that has on its front page the picture and article about the lynching.

This paper belonged to my grandfather, James Andrew “Andy” Webb of Union CIty. He had saved it from 1909 because he was not only involved in the lynching, but was in the picture!

Andy was born on the wagon travelling from Dekalb County, AL to near Waco, TX in the 1887. His father was a drayman, and had teams and wagons. I still own his “wood book” which showed who he was doing business with, and what he hauled for them (usually loads of fire wood). There were three boys and two girls who survived childhood.

Near the turn of the century, the family moved from Eddy, TX to near Ada to run the old Bob Hall ranch. My grandfather was quite ornery, and a fighter, and he took to the rough area. He made friends with a Chickasaw Indian, though I don’t know his name (have pictures, though), and actually learned the Chickasaw language.

The family moved back to Eddy or Bruceville in 1908. I believe my great grandfather was ill and wanted to go back to where he had more friends and family. In any case, he died in 1909. The family asked my grandfather to move back with them, but he told them he wanted to stay. They said “You’ll come back to Texas,” and he replied “Yes I will, but only to visit.”

Apparently Andy had a ball running in the wild area at the time. He used to talk about a little town called Franks. He told of a fellow whose family was moving away, and he wanted to stay and become one of “Frank’s toughs.” The night before his family was to leave, there was a dance in town, and this fellow attended. Andy and his friends had heard about the comment of becoming one of Frank’s toughs, and decided to have a little fun with him.

After the dance, he was walking home with an oil lantern. Andy and his friends had hidden along the way, and started doing things to scare him. Gunfire was used, and this guy became so scared that he fell down and broke the lantern. He had to walk home in the dark, and that made it worse. He could here horses in the woods, and people saying things about being Franks Tough, but he couldn’t see them. He finally made it home, and was sitting beside his father in the first wagon to leave the next day!

I tell you this story because these are the kind of stories we heard when we were kids visiting my grandfather. He still had his old 92 Winchester, double barrel shotgun and other things from the old days. He could still speak Chickasaw. Then he would pull out that old Daily Oklahoman.

Andy was in on the lynching. He said he held the horses for part of the mob, and was there when those four were strung up. He was very nimble and I believe he is one of the two people standing in the rafters in the barn.

I thought this might be of interest to you and your Readers. I have other things from the old days. I am a history buff, and tend to latch onto things. Like Andy’s holsters (both right hand draw. I think the were used to Colt Lightnings), and his spurs.

Andy was known for his knowledge of cotton. He developed a purple leaf cotton in the late 1920’s and marketed it as “Webb’s Purple Cotton.” I have many clippings about him and his cotton. We thought all the seed had been lost, but were able to find some that had been collected in 1937 and put in a seed bank at TX A&M. I got some of the seed and grew a few plants. These gave me something around 9500 seed. I decided to share this with others, but instead of growing the cotton for production, I gave some seed to TLC Greenhouse (Oklahoma City) and they now sell “Webb’s Purple Cotton” plants as ornamentals. Andy would probably just laugh.

I talked to my uncle yesterday, and asked him what he knew about the story. He said that he didn’t know very much about it, but that Andy told him that he was keeping his horse in that stable at the time of the hanging. That would put him in the middle of the action. I remember asking him about the hanging when I was probably around ten, and it was at that time that he said he had held the horses. At first I thought that meant he held the horses the victims were on when they were hung, but when I asked later, he straightened me out. Its funny, I can remember where we were at when he was showing us that newspaper, as if it were yesterday. My little cousin was with us… Oh well.” -Thomas Webb [email protected]
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Vendome well, Sulphur, Okla. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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The Liberty Bell’s 1915 journey from Philadelphia to San Francisco. Here is a photo of it’s stop on Center street., Arlington, Texas. Courtesy of the Fielder Museum, Arlington, TX. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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Oklahoma Lawmen & Outlaws <—– Click Here
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Ardmore Senior High School Class 1950 -Grover Wells <—– Click Here
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“I have an interesting story about the polio vacinations in the 1950’s. I was one of those teenage mothers from that era. Of course we were all terrified of that horrible disease and the thought of living the rest of our life in an iron lung was certainly something to be afraid of but even worse was the thought of our children having this horrible disease. I was 18 years old and had two children in 1956 when the the health department was giving polio vacinations. The vacinations were free to people 18 years and younger so me and both of my children got our shots free. This was certainly fascinating to the health care workers in Wilson where the vacinations were being given. They even talked about putting that statistic in the Ardmoreite but to my knowledge it was not put in the paper. It still makes one of those interesting family stories that are passed from one generation to another.” -Nancy Singleterry
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“Hope someone can help me. I’m looking for info on William C. Bill Moss and his son Willis A. Moss. I have been told that he and his son was killed by an irate free range cattleman in Elmore City. He was b. Georgia then moved to Calhoun and Boone Co. Ark. then to IT. by 1890. They are suppose to be buried in Katie cemetery (no marker). Does anyone know where Katie cemetery is located? I don’t have exact dates but it would have been between 1901-1906. Where would I look for records of this? Pauls Valley or Ardmore?” -Stacy [email protected]
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“I’m an amateur genealogist researching my family tree. My uncle, Ralph Oliver married Connie Layman, born in Eufala, OK, in 1951. I saw in your history of OK webpage a reference to a Callie Layman. Since many of Connie’s siblings names end in “ie”, I was wondering if any of your Readers knows if they were related. I last visited with Connie (Layman) Oliver last weekend in Orlando, Florida. She was unable to tell me much about her family tree, so I promised her I would research it as I’m researching mine family. What I know about the Layman tree can be found as part of the Zarend family tree. If you look at: www.zarend.com and click on Genealogy, and “clickable family tree for anybody” you can see what I’ve found about the Layman family. Any additional info would be appreciated. Thanks. -Jeff Zarend. My email is: [email protected]
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The Daily Ardmoreite, July 22, 1947
10 years ago from the files of the Daily Ardmoreite July 22, 1937 AVON BARBER and BILLEE ZACK BOLES furnished accordion music for a mid-summer social event of the Rotary club. DOYLE BRIDGES was in Oklahoma City for the removal of a cast which he had worn for four months. Miss NAOMI PETERS left for Rochester, Minn. to enter Mayo clinic. Mr. and Mrs. JOE PAPP and Mr. and Mrs. JAMES WATSON left for a trip to Monterrey Mexico and points in southern Texas. Mss GRACE WARD of Oklahoma City was the guest of her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. GARNET JOHNSON. Mrs. F.O. McLEAN returned from Oklahoma City and Cushing where she had visited her daughter and her sister. Miss JANET TATE was a patient of the Von Keller Hospital. 20 years ago from the files of the Daily Ardmoreite July 22, 1927 J.A. WILLIAMS, noble grand; W.T. WILLIAMS, vice grand; and FRANK BERRYHILL, treasurer, were installed by Ardmore Lodge No. 6 I.O.O.F. J.W. RICHARDSON was confined to his home by an attack of hay fever. Mrs. N.FELTEY of Wynnewood was the guest of Mrs. DON A. COCHRAN. Mrs. INEZ McMILLEN LAMBERT was hostess for an informal tea. MRS. DIAL CURRAN of Durant was visiting her mother, Mrs. J.F. BUTTON. Judge ARTHUR GRUNERT was expected to resume his duties after returning from a vacation. Mrs. B.B. NELSON returned after a two weeks stay in Cushing.
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July 22, 1947
Letter to the Editor
My father, W.E. WATKINS, came to what was Indian Territory in 1887. Part of Ardmore used to be in my father’s pasture. It was at that time known as the 700 Ranch. He bought the farm from A.M. ROFF. I was born in 1876 in Panola county, Chickasaw Nation, six miles west of Colbert Station, in the same house where my mother was born in 1843. I have raised eight children. My father was born in Grayson county, Texas in 1843. JIM WATKINS
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RAMBLING REPORTER
JOSEPH W. BEARD moved into the Leon community in 1889 and later came to Ardmore. His home is at 809 A street southeast. He and Mrs. Beard have reared 11 children, all of whom are living and these children have always had a family roof to return to. Mrs. RAMONA MADDEN, well known as an Ardmore teacher, was a BOURLAND, and the Bourlands are a pioneer family of Indian blood. GEORGE BOURLAND called up The Daily Ardmoreite to tell the paper that Overbrook is the home of one of the finest old pioneers any county ever had. This man is HENRY M. BROWN. When you learn that he arrived here as early as 1880 and that he drove two yokes of oxen from Alabama then you will know that he had ruggedness of character. Not only did he do this but he is one of the very few men now living who rode the old Chisholm trail–the trail cattle were driven over from Texas and Indian Territory into Kansas where they could be loaded on railway trains. Mr. Brown celebrated his 91st birthday anniversary just a few days ago. SID BOURLAND and GEORGE BOURLAND are related to him and they are kind to him. Mrs. CLAUDE HOLDEN of Ardmore is one of two daughters he has and Mrs. Holden never forgets him for as long as one day. Mr. Brown married CHARLOTTE RINER. She is still living and is 79. Mrs. Brown raises some chickens every year, milks a cow, she has a good garden, she does her own cooking and housekeeping and now you know she possesses a rugged character just the same as her pioneer husband. They have been married 54 years. BUD WATKINS was born in 1873 at Woodville in Pickens county, Indian Territory. He will ride in the pioneer section of the Ardmore parade on July 24. JIM WATKINS was born at Colbert Station between Durant and Red River in 1878. That was in Panola county, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory. ROBERT WATKINS was born at Courtney in Pickens county, Chickasaw Nation, in 1885. E.D. GARNAND, born July 6, 1873, came into Ardmore on the first passenger train that ever arrived here and has been living here all through the years. HARRY CASMEDES, who has for a great many years operated the White House cafe in Durant, had his building damaged by fire. In making repairs he built a larger and much more handsome White House cafe. Some days ago when he reopened his place the Durant Democrat published a number of advertisements of friends of Casmedes congratulating him on his achievements. One of these ads was set in Greek type but by turning the ad upside down one could read the interpretation in English. It was clever and where did the paper get the Greek language characters? The planning and resources board of Oklahoma has used space in the New York Times calling attention to the things Oklahoma offers concerns that want to engage in manufacturing.
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July 23, 1947
It was in the spring of 1888 that I first came to Ardmore from Dexter, Texas, by way of Love’s crossing on the Red River. I bought WILLIAM GREEN’s store about where Daube’s is now and went into the drug business. My wife and three children, SUE (Mrs. J. LITSEY SMITH), and JIM and TOM followed on the Fourth of July, 1888, and the family home has always been at 210 Stanley Boulevard since that time. In those days the house was in a cotton patch and was considered out of town. The business district scarcely extended any farther west than Main and Washington streets. There were wooden sidewalks on different levels in front of some of the stores, and there was a water well in the middle of Main street, just opposite Daube’s. WILLIAM GREEN. A. KLOSKI, SAM ROBERTSON, J.T. ALEXANDER, and A.D. CHASE were all here when I came. NELSE COLEMAN arrived a short time afterwards, and JOE F. ROBISON and W.F. WHITTINGTON came up from Dexter. I have seen Ardmore expand from a couple of plank stores and a frontier wagon yard to a small, busy, metropolis, and I sincerely hope that Ardmore’s future will continue to be interesting as its past. Very truly yours, W.B. FRAME.
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The Daily Ardmoreite, July 23, 1947
JAMES F. BENNETT is one of the fine old pioneers of this county. He came to Indian Territory in 1888 and settled on one of the JOHN CRINER’s farms southwest of Thackerville. In February of 1888 he moved into Ardmore. He got a job as a carpenter and worked one day and the second morning his foreman managed to get along without him. But Jim did not give up because he was green at the carpentering business. He and GEORGE BRYANT went to Overbrook and built a house for a man. The thought came to him that he had been cutting hair out in the country for neighbors since he was 14 and so he put in a barbershop. The little places instead of being called “squeezeins” in this day were called “gunbarrels”. So he put in a gunbarrel shop. R. HARDY had a little boy in those days named WALTER and one day Walter walked down the street with a lot of beard spread over his face and Bennett shaved him. It was now Oklahoma’s best known physician and surgeon, Dr. WALTER HARDY. That was the days, explained Jim, when barbers used their bootlegs to strap their razors. Then Bennett went to Oklahoma City and tried his hand up there for four months. When he returned to Ardmore he went to Graham and started in the grocery business by buying out a store. He stayed there in the same business for 34 years. By that time Graham was in an oil field and Jim had a few wells spouting oil and he moved into Ardmore and has lived here since that time. He went to Graham to remain six months but stayed 34 years. One might look the state over but he would never find a finer chap than Jim Bennett.
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NELL NOLEN, who lives at 1841 East 23rd in Oklahoma City, just called the Daily Ardmoreite to tell us that FRANK FRENSLEY of Duncan cannot have the honor of having been the first child born in Ardmore. The credit has always gone to NELL NOLEN and this is the first time Frensley’s name has appeared as Ardmore’s first born, said Miss Nolen. Nell says the DOUGLAS’es and all other old timers in Ardmore will confirm her claims as having been Ardmore’s first born.
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Marriage licenses issued: EVERETT GREENER, Ardmore, and JANELL JONES, Mannsville; JAMES O. CARROLL, Brock, and BETTY SUE CLAYTON, Ardmore; CHARLES MARVIN MAY and BETTY LOU MILLER, Enid; WILBURN PIEFER and CARMEL KOONE, Fort Worth, Texas. Cases filed: ALFRED SIDES vs. BILLIE MARIE SIDES, divorce; E.C. CALLANDER vs. City of Ardmore, Oklahoma, et al, injunction; D.B.RILEY vs. COLLIE BARRINGTON, et al, quiet title; IVA BRYANT vs. GEORGE N. BRYANT, divorce; PEARL BYRD vs. HERBERT BYRD, divorce.
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HENRY M. BROWN, 91, pioneer resident of Overbrook, recalls the time in 1887 when a white man had to purchase a cattle-grazing permit from the Indians. Brown paid $5 for his first permit, and then the Indians tried to raise the price to $25. The Indian militia was rather high-handed in their treatment of white settlers and caused them considerable trouble. They threatened to burn the white settlers property when they refused to pay the $25 for grazing permits. Mr. J.W. GIBSON then wired President GROVER CLEVELAND ” A body of armed Indians are threatening to burn our property and we appeal to you for protection.” President Cleveland wired Fort Sill, and a captain and troops were dispatched at once. They arrived in Ardmore, I.T. on the day of Ardmore’s birthday celebration and picnic. The Indians would ride through a herd and cut out one or more steers from each herd. They were driving these south with them when a group of men from Overbrook and vicinity organized and overtook them on the big prairie just north of where Marietta now stands. They took the cattle from the Indians and returned them to their rightful owners. A family by the name of POWELL made an American flag and T.M. BRAKES volunteered to carry it. He tied it to his saddle horn in order to have both hands on his Winchester. some of the men in this group were Dr. J.H. HARDY, a cousin of Dr. WALTER HARDY, Mr. POWELL, JOE McALESTER, GEORGE STEWART and many others. BILLY WASHINGTON, early day rancher, is said to have hired WES DAVIS to kill 17 head of Indian militia horses as a warning. When Brown first came to this country ALVA ROFF lived at Gainesville, Texas. STEVENS and ROFF established the Cross T ranch, just south of Overbrook, with 600 head of steers. Roff later bought Stevens’ interest for $10,000 and established the 700 Ranch, where Ardmore now stands, with 700 head of steers. This according to Brown, is how the 700 Ranch gained its name and brand.
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Unleaded Coffee – Synonym for decaffeineated coffee

See everyone next time! Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma

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July 1, 2005 – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 9 Issue 440

Last Wednesday fellow motorcycle rider friends of Bryce Peanut Bush assembled before noon at the Harvey-Douglas funeral home to pay their respects and accompany their friend 9 miles north of Ardmore to the Springer baptist church for a 2pm funeral. I thought how nice for these guys and gals to follow that long black hearse those nine miles to Springer in show of respect of a friend on his last ride. People used to do other things long ago out of respect that is hardly done today. When I was a kid sometimes the body would lie in state at the person’s home, and a relative or friend would sit beside the coffin all night, all out of respect for the deceased. Dont guess that is done much anymore. <—– Click Here

I’ve added another topic to the growing list of topics/categories and their comments on the Our Oklahoma Blog. This one pertains to the traffic congestion at I-35 and the Red River where all the construction is going on. I hope some of you will join in…. and even relate some of your travel times through those 15 or so miles on the Blog. <—– Click Here

Here is an interesting gag joke that circulated in the 1970s after the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to power in Iran and all the tensions that followed. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Here is a campaign card for Carter county assessor Henry Sampley https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/HenrySampley.jpg “> <—– Click Here

In the mid to late 1950s I remember going to the Civic Auditorium at C Street and West Broadway and take a polio vaccine. From reading the info at the website below, I learn there were two vaccines. One by way of a shot…. the Salk vaccine. The other was the Sabin, a drop of live but weakened polio vaccine administered to us on a sugar cube. It was this Sabin vaccine given to us kids at the Civic Auditorium during the 50s including myself. The sugar cube was in a little paper medicine cup, and after we swallowed it, the paper medicine cup was thrown in a 55 gal drum used as a trash receptical as we left the auditorium. Boy, since most kids were like me, and hated shots, there would have been a fight in that auditorium had they tried to give us all the Salk vaccine via the needle. lol <—– Click Here

Dee Cordry lives in the Oklahoma City metroplex and has published a book dealing with Oklahoma during the 1920s era that many of you history buffs will want to check out. Here is Dee’s own words: “Butch, as you know, I have been a law enforcement officer for over 20 years and I have also worked in the past as the president and editor of the Oklahombres Journal. I currently am the webmaster of the Oklahombres.org web site. I have put a lot of work into this book and I am glad it has finally been released..” Just go to the Mailbag below to find out more about Dee Cordry’s new book!

A Reader recently bought an etching by Oklahoma artist Sandy Scott. She took the piece of art and framed it, turning it into an even more valuable painting by Ms Scott. It is called “46 Geese of Tucker Tower” and was done in 1995 by Sandy Scott. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, Sandy Scott became one of the foremost animal sculptors in the Southwest in the late 20th century. Her subjects include all kinds of birds as well as domestic and wild animals. At age two, she moved with her family to Tulsa, Oklahoma where she lived until enrolling in the Kansas City Art Institute from 1961 to 1965. She then worked for in animation and worked as a flight attendant and also earned her pilot’s license. Following her training at the Kansas City Art Institute, Sandy Scott worked as an animation background artist in the Calvin Motion Pictures. In the 1970’s she focused on etching and printmaking moving to sculpture during the 1980’s. A licensed pilot for over thirty years, she feels her knowledge of aerodynamics has been helpful in achieving the illusion of movement in her sculpture of birds. Sandy enjoys traveling between her studios in Colorado and Canada. In both settings, she is surrounded by wildlife, the source of her compositions. The overall shape and gesture of the animal is her focus as she seeks to convey its essence. Ms. Scott has been acquired by the National Wildlife Museum, Jackson, Wyoming, the RW Norton Museum, Shreveport, Louisiana, the Museum of Arts and Crafts, San Antonio, Texas and Margaret Thatcher, Great Britain. She has received awards from the National Academy of Design, New York, Allied Artists, New York, American Artist’s Professional League, the National Academy of Western Art (Gold Medal for Sculpture) and the Thomas Gilcrease Museum (Tulsa) which held a retrospective exhibition. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

TECHCORNER: I ran into a computer problem this week. I had a computer that would not get on the internet (caused by spyware, etc), and when running IPCONFIG /ALL it said: “No Adapter bound to TCP/IP”. So I knew exactly what the problem was, just didnt know what to do about it. I tried everything… uninstalled stuff, reinstalled stuff, added stuff, deleted stuff, cussed stuff, did all kinds of stuff to no avail. But come to the rescue a little freeware utility program! Its called LSPFIX. LSP-Fix attempts to correct Internet connection problems resulting from buggy or improperly-removed Layered Service Provider (LSP) software. When you start LSP-Fix, it will read the list of LSP modules from the Windows registry and verify that each module is present. If a module is missing, it is placed on the “Remove” list for removal. Advanced users can override suggested removals in the “Advanced” area. When “Finish” is pressed, the undesired entries are removed, and the remaining entries in the registry are renumbered to make them consecutive. The total module counts are then updated. Finally, the program will display a summary of the changes that were made. So all that’s left to do is reboot! Using LSP-Fix to remove winsock related problems caused by Spyware & Hijackers: <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, I think this might have been a Cope school in Lane Ok. My mother was 6 in this picture. She was born Jan.3,1915 so this was probably about 1921. Does anyone else know this school?” -Jewel Whittington <—– Click Here
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“The Red Top School north of Ratliff City: An old school site exists one mile north of Ratliff City and about one-half mile west, on the road’s north side. My mother attended school there sometime between 1915 and ’20. The cellar still stands amidst a grove of locust trees. I have heard this school mentioned as Cool Creek School only. I will find out whether this is also the Red Top School.” Ben Winter Author of: THE GREAT DECEPTION: Symbols And Numbers Clarified =Ten Ages Discovery Refutes Age-Old Bible Commentaries= [email protected]
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“Butch: re: the Wilson sunrise, i wonder if the photographer remembers if it rained that day… the reason i ask is that one time i was sitting in an oil patch watching a tank battery for tank bottom thieves and had a rep from the oil company who was Indian. a cloud passed the sun and he said “its gonna rain today” for sure… well, it did and my Indian friend stated that any time a cloud passes the rising sun within an hour after sunrise it will rain that day…..check it out!”
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“Good Morning, Butch, First let me say what a pleasure and treat it is to get ‘This and That’ every week; there is always something in there that I find interesting and although raised in Healdton my connection with Ardmore goes way back to Hardy Sanitarium in 1941, the old home place across from what is now the Noble Foundation, and what my grandmother ( Mrs.J.H.Bennett) used to call her house in town ‘The Old Harris Place’. The memories come flooding back each week. RE: The upside down tomato plant everyone is getting into this method even that famous specialty store in New York City, Hammacher Schlemmer sells a upside down tomato planter. You can see more at www.hammacherschlemmer.com Thanks again for a newsy, informative,and always interesting letter; I know it is a lot of work but it is deeply appreciated. Who says you can’t go home again?” -Chef John Bennett, Oklahoma City

“I would like to share Mama Bennett’s Coconut Cake recipe with you and your Readers as it originated in Ardmore over 75 years ago. We made it at The Cellar Restaurant in the Hightower Building in Oklahoma City and it has become well known throughout the region. This is her original recipe and I know she would love all your Readers to have it.” -Chef <—– Click Here
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“Butch, in all the years that our family enjoyed many summers at Platt National Park aka Chickasaw Recreation Area in Sulphur, I do not remember seeing that large pool called the Vendome Plunge. Do you or your Readers have any more information on it and where it was located in the park? We did most of our swimming at Little Niagara or elsewhere in Travertine Creek.”
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Butch, I am looking for the map it goes back to where it shows the Some of the Ghost towns like Tussy and Glenn. Rootsweb has some good info & linkages to early county maps. Here are a couple for Carter County: http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/okprojects/atlas-key.html http://www.livgenmi.com/1895/INNA/County/chickasaw.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/okprojects/maps-1915.html http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/okprojects/carter/carter-1915.html

http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcarter/carcitie.htm has the locations of these communities properly listed. Wilson in Sec 29-5S-3E which is correct. Hoxbar in Sec 36-5S-2E which is also correct. Provence: 5-5S-2E Garth Hoard, Lone Grove, OK
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“Butch, hope everything is good for you. I’m still enjoying the this and that’s, I have another question for you tho. I’m now looking for the Taliaferro township around Madill, lots of ppl lived there in the 1930 census, but I’m not sure where it was. Can you help me please. I sure would apprecaite it. Some of my family lived in that area in 1910. The last time you helped me find Weaverton. Keep the T&T’s coming.” -Karla
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“The Daily Ardmoreite July 14, 1947 Fort Worth is known as the Panther City. E.B. PUGH says when Fort Worth was a little western trading point that a panther was killed on the main thoroughfare of the city and since that time it has been called Panther city.”

Above taken from the last issue of T&T. I have always heard that the name came from a piece in a Dallas newspaper that said that Fort Worth was so quiet that a panther could sleep on its downtown street..and that was where the name Panther City came from.”
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“A landing net is a rope net knotted in about 18 inch squares which the Navy throws over the side of the landing ship and the Marines crawl down into smaller landing craft. Marines are taught to hold on to the vertical risers, never the horizontal ropes since the Marine above you may step on your hands if you are holding onto the horizontal ropes. During the Korean war Sailors took pride in tying a secure landing net. The ropes were very rugged, about one inch in diameter as I recall. You must be very careful not to fall off the net and into the water because if you do you drown since Marines are loaded down with as much as 110 pounds of gear. If you fall into the boat below you can hurt the Marine you fall on and you can break your own arms and legs. So, crawl down very very carefully and then jump into the landing boat just as it crests and you be off to the beach. That can be very exciting.” -Jerry Brown
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“Butch – We (wife, granddaughter & great granddaughter) were through the area this past week, going to and from the Harris family reunion (Mill Creekers); however, reunion was in Davis and Sulphur mostly due to availability of facilities there. My brother-in-law set up the family golf tournament at Lakeview in Ardmore and ten of us played there Saturday the 25th. We had two – five person groups & played a scramble – something often not allowed on public courses during weekends especially. The good folks at Lakeview were most cooperative and downright hospitable. The course is magnificent, especially for a municipal course. It should rank right up there with the best in the state insofar as public/municipal courses go. As an aside, one type of “landing net” is stretched across the forward part of an aircraft carrier flight deck to provide a last-resort stopping point for planes landing (controlled crashing) thereupon. I am sure though, that someone had a fishing implement in mind, your news having its origin in fishing country. I enjoy T&T, even though I recognize very few names or places mentioned – having grown up over in Johnston County – away from the big city. Been away a long time too.” -Bob Ozment, Victoria, TX
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“Today I heard about an old school near Millcreek named the Bellwood school that is still standing. The outside looks like adobe. Has anyone ever heard of it? I didn’t find it on a search on your website.”
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“Noodlin in Mud Creek over in Jefferson County.” -Ken Updike <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“I’m in search of some marbles, I want some pretty ones, do you know where I can find any?”
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“Butch, For about twenty years I have been working on a book that tells the story of the crime problem in Oklahoma in the 1920’s. Bank robberies reached a peak in 1924 with a total of 24 banks robbed in Oklahoma. The Governor proposed a force of state detectives to pursue the bank robbers, and the State Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation was created in early 1925. My book is named “Alive If Possible – Dead If Necessary” and it is now available. It covers the wild 1920’s in Oklahoma and provides details of the investigation of the Osage Murders, the Kimes gang, the Al Spencer gang, and the murder of state crime bureau operative Luther Bishop. The book can be ordered for $14.95 from my publisher at this web site: Information about the book can also be found at: http://hometown.aol.com/dcordry/myhomepage/alive.html
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The members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting at Philadelphia on July 4th, 1776, agreed to the text of the Declaration of Independence. They wouldn’t sign it for another month, and it wouldn’t become reality until several years passed at war, but this was the day when the inchoate United States reached accord on gaining its freedom from Great Britain.

“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1917 – 1963

See everyone next time!

Butch Bridges
Lone Grove, Oklahoma

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