Email: [email protected]

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 September 4, 2004 to September 25, 2004.

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Saturday September 25, 2004 T&T Weekly – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 388

I received a typed letter in the mail this week from Mississippi. It was a request for help in obtaining benefits from the Cherokee Nation. The letter reads:

“Can you please send me information on how to obtain my Cherokee benefits? If you know how I can receive any of my benefits please let me know. I was wondering if you know how to receive my benefits for the Documents Relating to Negotiations of Indian Treaties and Ratified Indian Treatie? Thank you for your time.”

I have no expertise in this area ( but its nice someone thinks I do. lol ) and hope maybe someone reading this will have a suggestion or instructions for this Mississippian. Let me know and I will forward the letter on to whoever might help.

I tried taking a picture with my digital camera of our courthouse before sunrise. It is so beautiful with the new lights and all. But I guess I need to get the instruction book out that came with it, I didnt take a very good pic, and I know it will. If you are ever downtown and have not seen our courthouse bathed in the night lights, its certainly worth viewing. No building in the county matches its beauty. <—– Click Here

Some of you will remember the garment manufacturing place on Moore SW and the leather good they made. Here is a label for one of their fringed leather jackets. What is confusing to me is everyone I know always called it Jo-Kay. But you can plainly see on the label…. Jo-o-Kay. Maybe someone can solve this mystery. What did the letters stand for? <—– Click Here

The Daily Ardmoreite, Monday September 25, 1944 Three Ardmore Army Air Field Flyers Killed Six Others Parachute To Safety When Bomber Crashes About Four Miles North of City Three Ardmore army air field men were killed and six parachuted to safety Sunday when their four-motor bomber crashed about four miles from Ardmore, Col. H.H. Upham, commanding office, said. The crash occurred about 11:35am. The plane fell on the O.F. Kramer farm and immediately burst into flames and was destroyed. The dead were listed as Lieut. Stanley Parsell, son of Mrs. Eual Parsell, Angola, Ind.; Pfc. Melbourne Roy Rieke, husband of Mrs, Zatha S. Rieke, Ardmore, and Cpl, Donald Lynn Cooper, son of Mrs. Myrtle M. Cooper, Los Angeles, Cal. Motorist along U.S. Highway 77 who saw the accident said one of the engines of the plane caught fire when the men began to bail out. The crash followed. A board of inquiry has been convened to investigate the crash.

I wanted to say thanks for all the nice emails I received from the grandma’s apron article in last week’s T&T. There is an email from a Reader in the Mailbag below that pretty much sums up what many of you said in your emails to me…… lots of memories brought back from our childhoods.

In the Mailbag below is a mention of my great aunt, Eva Carmon, modeling clothes for Daubes Department Store in 1921. <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch: I have a question for you. I read about your great grandmother Miller and was wondering if there was anyone in that family called Thelmer Miller. The reason I ask is because after my parents moved to California from OK, some of their friends joined them. One of the families were Thelmer Miller and his wife Beulah. I know this is probably not the same family of Millers because there are so many that came from OK to California. I grew up with the children of Thelmer.”
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“Butch, A couple of years ago I decided at the age of thirty-five to go back and give college another try. In going back to school I decided on Cartography as the field of interest I felt most rewarding. In the course of my studies I was lucky enough to be given a job working on the web atlas of Oklahoma. This project is headed by Dr. Greg Plumb at East Central University with a grant from The National Geographic Society. Myself and other student workers along with Dr. Plumb created maps of varying topics and their relation to our great state (weather, terrain, agriculture, and etc.) As a regular reader of the T&T newsletter every week I felt that maybe some of the fellow readers would like to view this and see what the up-and coming cartographers at ECU have been up to. Keep up the good work and thanks for passing this along.” -David Dill The web site URL is <—– Click Here
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“Hi Butch, I started to respond to some entries a while back concerning Caddo St. but this weeks entry by Doug Williams has prompted me to write. My mother was a half sister to Frank and Runt Roundtree. My dad, Alonzo Barnes was a t-totaler but I remember when I was very young that Uncle Runt (Rountree) had a bar down on Caddo probably in the early 50s, when we would go to town (Ardmore), occasionally my dad would drop in and say “howdy” and visit a few minutes. The name of the place was “Runt’s Hole In The Wall” I believe, this was probably before the bar referenced in Doug’s email. Here is a photo of J.O.”Runt” Rountree.” <—– Click Here Roy Barnes, Purcell OK.
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“I think the last Ardmore rodeo we went to was 1973 when Tanya Tucker did a show. Hope all are well.”
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“Butch, I read your plight about the grave markers that you want being banned by the cemetery. I really think that those markers are elegant and a nice tribute to ones deceased relatives. I think with a little research you can probably have the family grave markers that you want. I assume that your family purchased the cemetery lots and a deed was probably filed in Carter County. I also assume that the lots were purchased prior to the ban on the type monuments you desire. If my assumptions are correct, I don’t think the cemetery has the legal right to ban you from placing the markers on your family’s lots that were purchased prior to the ban. A cemetery lot purchase is really just a real-estate transaction and the restrictions on the lots should be made known to the purchaser at the time of sale. I have seen cemeteries try to impose new marker standards on previously sold lots and they almost always lose the battle. (* Usually the cemeteries will say that all new burials must have flat markers to make them easier to mow) They can do whatever they want with the unsold lots, but when they sell a lot the title passes to the purchaser and the purchaser must accept whatever restrictions that existed at the time of purchase and a non-owner corporation will have a hard time changing restrictions to property in which they previously sold their interest. By state law a portion of the proceeds your family paid for the lots went into a perpetual care fund to maintain the lots for eternity and at the time the markers were fine and included in the maintenance. To put it simply, your lots should fall under the “grandfather’s clause” in reference to the marker ban. Do a little research and stick to your guns and I believe you will have your markers. Really this is probably a small endeavor for a guy who learned about tower clocks in order to repair the one at the courthouse, I was very impressed with that one and thought it was quite a feat.”
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“Mr. Bridges, I wanted to share a little something with you that I wrote for my dad, Jeff Jones, him and mom, Irene, lived for a long time in Ardmore.”

“Daddy”

12 years have gone by,
since you died,
I’ve done what you said,
“Not to cry” Many times I wish,
you were here,
so I could call,
to hear you
But instead, I look to
the sky,
just to say, “I love you
and miss you”
Then when I look
into a mirrow,
I see you
So Daddy, in this note,
Again, I will say,
“I love you”

written by: Kamie L. Jones
Date, 9-11-2004
For Jeff Jones
12-26-1917
9-11-1992
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The Healdton Herald, November 19, 1931 Guess and Crosby in Second Trial The second trial in the killing of two Mexicans in Ardmore in June was opened in District court at Ardmore on Wednesday. Guess and Crosby are to be tried during the term. Guess has already been acquitted on one of the charges. A large array of attorneys represent the defendants while County Attorney Marvin Shilling and Assistant John E. McCain will be assisted by attorneys provided by the state and Mexico.
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The Daily Ardmoreite
December 16, 1921
Old Fire Apparatus
The old horse-drawn steam pumper used by the Ardmore fire department before the purchase of modern motor equipment has been repaired and tested out with a view of using in case of emergency. The pumper is one of the oldest pieces of equipment in the state. Chief Bailey says it would be a shame to let it stand idle and go to rust. It is finished in nickel and would occupy a dignified place at any fire where it should be used. In the test which was made Wednesday morning, a stream of water was thrown a full block and with considerable force. A large crowd gathered at the fire plug near the police station to see “her squirt”.
****
Broom Factory
E.D. Crites, proprietor of the Ardmore Broom Company, who came here from Lawton a short time ago, has his new factory at Sixth avenue and I southwest completed and is making brooms at this time. For the present he has only a small force at work but he has supplies on hand for making many thousands of brooms and as soon as the first of the year arrives he will place salesmen on the road and will begin pushing his business. The factory as completed has a capacity of fifty dozen brooms a day and as the business grows new units will be added. Mr. Crites has in stock broomcorn which came from Pauls Valley and Lindsay but he wants to encourage local farmers to raise the product here to supply his factory and those who rail at his place will be given instructions how to care for their crop so it will be salable. Since 1890 Mr. Crites has been in the same line of business and has operated in the towns of Lawton and Wichita Falls. He has transferred all his interests here and owns his home and his factory. He has customers who for years have been handling his brooms in seven states of the union. His plant is equipped with the most modern machinery, his brooms are turned out under his personal supervision and they ought to be the best product on the market. As a mark of appreciation for the courtesies extended him by the Chamber of Commerce, Secretary Barron is to be presented with a large broom which it is said will be large enough to sweep Ardmore clean.
******
Clash Over Suit
As a result of an argument over the release of a claim against some land, a lively fist fight was precipitated in the court clerk’s office today. The argument occurred between Grover Wells, of the Hudson Houston Lumber Company and Roy Brady, of Pooleville. After the melee Brady swore out a complaint in Justice Butcher’s court charging Wells with felonious assault. Judge Butcher set bond for Wells in the sum of $500 which he made. The case has been set for hearing some day next week.
*****
Col. Johnson is Happy
Col. J.W. Johnson was in the city today from Milo and was telling about his hogs and Mrs. Johnson’s turkeys, and how he is looking forward to a fine Christmas this year. Col. Johnson has the post office back in his store and hands out the mail and sells goods and operates a big farm and a gin and has a herd of white face cattle and does not owe anybody anything. But in speaking of the things to make him happy he says nothing else is quite so fine as the road Marton Pierce has built between his town and Ardmore. The distance is 23 miles and every foot of it is over a fine road. He is of the opinion that too much cannot be said and too much credit cannot be given Commissioner Pierce for the good work he has done in his district on the county roads.
*****
Deputy Sheriff Carter Could Start a Little Menagerie of His Own Deputy Sheriff Jim Carter is now custodian of one bear, some moving picture films and one Dodge auto truck, levied upon by him under attachment of district court, the same being the alleged property of R.P. Isley said to be the owner of the Cattleman’s Carnival company. Suit was filed in district court against the carnival company for $10,000 damages for injuries said to have been inflicted by the bear on Gerald Skinner, 10 years of age, near Pleasant Grove school house Wednesday afternoon. $500 was also asked in the petition for doctors bills. The property was levied upon at the Liberty theatre in this city where the show is billed for two days. Officer Carter states that unless a bond in twice the amount asked for in the suit is made, or a lesser bond authorized by the court he will be compelled to hold the property until it is advertised and sold according to law.
————————————————————————- The Daily Ardmoreite, January 10, 1897
Held Without Bail
C.L. Stowe, Ardmore, I.T. Have located the murderers of Hembree, send assistants and have them bring irons. Signed, EVERHEART”
This is the substance of a message under date of Dec. 30, 1896, which shed the first ray of light on one of the greatest murder mysteries in the history of the territory, and the preliminary trial today of Robert and Andrew Walker and Nance Rice before Judge Walcott, which resulted in the defendants being held without bail in the first legal chapter in the case which promises to become celebrated in the criminal annuals of this country. Link by link the chain of evidence has been forged by the vigilant United States marshals until today when the case was finished, there was nothing left for the judge to do but remand the prisoners without bail. In the gray of dawn, Oct. 28, last, Farmer Hembree, on his way to market with his cotton had reached the suburbs of Marietta, when he was commanded to hold up his hands. His refusal to comply with this request was followed by the discharge of a shot gun from a distance of only a few feet and with the report the lifeless body of Hembree fell to the ground. Three men rode hurriedly away from the scene and another crime had been added to the long list which has led many to call this land not the beautiful but the bloody Indian Territory. Officers were dispatched from this place to the scene of the crime, and for more than sixty days have worked incessantly seeking some clue to the identity of the perpetrators. Failure and only failure marked their efforts until a short time before the receipt of the dispatch containing the graphic words which head this article, and when discovery and arrest were assured the three men named surrendered to Deputy U.S. Marshal Everheart who had with tireless energy drawn the net around them. Then came their version of the affair. A highway robbery, one of the slayers being the victim and the dead man acting the part of highwayman. This they said occurred early on the night of the killing at Hickory Creek bridge, and it was only after they had followed Hembree into Marietta that night and attempted his arrest that he was killed, and then the killing was made necessary in defense of their own lives. Such in brief is the history of the crime so far as it developed yesterday, but many there are who heard the testimony who believe that back of it all only awaiting the sweating process of some of the witnesses to divulge it, will be revealed the true motive of what appears on the face of it to be one of the blackest crimes ever committed in the Territory. That Hembree was not the highwayman was fully proven and the most charitable view that can be taken of the matter is that he was mistaken for a man who had committed robbery and had a violent death before explanation could even be offered. U.S. Attorney Cruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney Calmes and Campbell and Pfeiffer represent the prosecution, while Kendrick and Graham and Potter, Potter & Potter and Owensby & Thomas appear for the defense When brought to final trial this case will bring on the greatest legal battle ever heard in a court room in the Indian Territory.
————————————————————————- The Daily Ardmoreite, November 15, 1893
***J.B. Ingrams at the corner of main and Caddo streets is the place to go for lunch, fish oysters and territorial drinks. Meals served hot at all hours of the day and at reasonable prices. Give him a call.
***Jennie Holman and her excellent company will appear at the opera house every night next week. Popular prices will prevail.
***C.B. Ladd’s new cook has returned and the rush to the Central hotel is something wonderful to behold.
***The Central Hotel always has a rush, but is ever ready to serve its customers. ***Mrs. C.B Stuart and three children are visiting Judge Stuart, husband and father, and are guests of Mr. & Mrs. L.L. Stowe.
***Harshaw sets the best table for the least money of any man in town.
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January 10, 1897
***Deputy Will McLamore returns to Tishomingo this morning where he will do a partnership business with Commissioner Wolff.
***Miss Mary Hobby has opened a select school at her home and will take a limited number of pupils on reasonable terms.
***A.J. Newman and W.J. Cook, two prosperous farmers visited on Saturday and added their names to our weekly list.
***Captain R.C. Wiggs of Oakland was in the city Saturday.
***Mrs. Dr. Smith accompanied her daughter Mrs. Stone to her home in Pilot Point yesterday evening.
***W.H. Cox of Mannsville was in the city Saturday.
***John O. Watson a prominent stock man from the Nebo neighborhood was in the city last night.
***J.W. Young leaves today for Cleburn and San Antonio, accompanied by Mrs. Young.
***J. Stauffenburg and daughter, Miss Mamie went to Gainesville yesterday.
***Chas. Hemming is spending the Sabbath with his parents in Gainesville.
***Judge C. C. Potter returned to his home at Gainesville yesterday.
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December 11, 1921
Milady Found Many Handsome Gowns at the Fashion Show of Westheimer and Daube The initial showing of handsome gowns took place at Westheimer and Daube’s Thursday from 3-5 p.m. and the spacious sales room was crowded with eager sightseers who were lost in admiration of the beautiful models that were displayed. The garments were from the famous Louis Greuer line of New York City, and assisting during the display was Mr. Charles Milner, representative in this territory. The models were: Misses Minnie Lynn, Nellie Yoe, Eva Carmon, Buela Brown, Catherine Barker, Lucile Woods, Elizabeth Perkins, Gripon and Garrison. Mrs. Lipscomb of the Marinello Beauty Parlor on the second floor of the store dressed the hair of the models and furnished the combs and accessories.
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December 11, 1921
Fashion Show of Westheimer and Daube Miss Eva Carmon presented a charming picture in a magnificent gown of Tangerine crepe knit, bacque style, with handsome braided girdle, deep flowing sleeves lined with canary Georgette.
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January 7, 1931
Sheriff Byrd Captures Still
Elmer Byrd, sheriff, staged his first official raid as chief law enforcement officer of the county, Tuesday afternoon. He was accompanied by Bill Townsend and Bill Ward, two of his deputies. Two men were arrested when Byrd and his men swooped down on the plant southeast of Wilson about mid-afternoon. The still is a copper outfit of about 150 gallons capacity. Worm, cooling apparatus and other material also was seized. Fifteen gallons of recently manufactured liquor was taken and 10 barrels of mash destroyed.
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January 8, 1931
Will Rogers says: The senate passed a bill appropriating 15 millions for food but the house of representatives (up to today) had not approved it, they said no, they seem to think that’s a bad precedent to appropriate money for food, it’s too much like the “dole”, they think it would encourage hunger. The way things look, hunger don’t need much encouragement, it’s just coming around naturally. Yours, Will Rogers, Beverly Hills, CA
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The Daily Ardmoreite, September 19, 1900 Wynnewood, I.T., Sept. 19 — yesterday evening at Iona, twelve miles east of this place, Sam Ashton shot and killed C.A. Dismukes and his son Tom. Last July Charles Dismukes, a son of C.A. Dismukes, killed Richard Linville by stabbing him with a knife, and then made his escape. The old gentleman was arrested and bound over as an accomplice to that killing, one of his bondsmen being Sam Ashton. It seems that Ashton decided that he wanted to be released from the bond and had notified Dismukes. The latter rode over the country yesterday afternoon looking for new bondsmen and late in the afternoon went to Ashton’s house and the two went into Iona together. At the store of deceased, which is also the postoffice, Ashton renewed his request to be released from the bond, as Dismukes had not secured other bondsmen, he requested deceased to accompany him to Pauls Valley and surrender to the authorities. Deceased replied that he would have to get up the mail first as his wife didn’t understand it. Thereupon Ashton drew a pistol and fired, the ball striking Dismukes in the right arm and breast, killing him instantly. His son, Tom, then ran into the store and grappled Ashton, who threw his arm around him and shot him in the back. Tom died in about two hours. Ashton returned home and was there late yesterday evening. It is supposed he had surrendered by this time. The two men were buried at Wynnewood today.
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The Daily Ardmoreite, November 19, 1931
RINGLING BANKER AND WIFE HAVE 5 “GUESTS” AT DINNER
Ringling, Nov. 19–special–Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Woodworth, prominent citizens had guests for dinner last night. They were uninvited and stayed too long. It was like this: When Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Woodworth returned home from a visit to some neighbors they found five masked, rubber gloved men standing on the porch. The men said they were hungry and would appreciate it if Mrs. Woodworth would prepare a meal. The men had big black guns. Mrs. Woodworth prepared the meal. The men ate with a relish. But they didn’t go home. They kept right on staying and chatting pleasantly with each other and with the Woodworth’s. The Mrs. was nervous. “We are staying.” said one of the men after four or five hours, “until the bank opens in the morning. We will go with you to the bank in the morning. You will hand over the coin.” Mr. Woodworth is president of the First National Bank. And they probably intended to do just that. They made themselves comfortable for the night. And then two of the men decided they had better go up town and “get” the night watchman. They left the other three in charge, still chatting gayly. A few minutes later they returned. “The games all up, fellows,” the two said. There was much discussion and at last the party left. It seems that the two how had been selected to “get” the nightwatchman had not used discretion. They had shined a flashlight on the officer and he had shot. The men had run. The party decided it would be best to postpone robbing the Ringling bank. “We are leaving,” one of the men informed Mr. & Mrs. Woodworth. “We have enjoyed the evening and the dinner. Er, er sorry, but we’ll have to trouble you for the key to your car.” They took the machine, a Nash sedan, and the visit was ended. The men had stayed five hours. Officers in southwestern Oklahoma are scouring the country for the Nash sedan, in which the men made their escape. It is believed the quintet headed west.
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“Butch, you had an old 1897 newspaper clipping that mentioned Max Westheimer in your Sept 19 T&T. A few years ago, I obtained a copy of my maternal grandparents’ wedding license and Max was one of the witnesses. They married in Carter Co in Sept. of 1913. Thought that was kind of interesting. Also, I had written and asked about any pictures of the old Troy School House in Johnston Co OK and you forwarded me a correspondence from 2002 where someone had written that her husband’s family had some pictures of the school, which included a picture of some of the students taken in the 1920’s. My mother would have been attending Troy School at that time and might be in one of the pictures. I could not access the school picture in your archives, nor could I find reference for getting in touch with the person who wrote about having the pictures. I don’t mind at all, if you can locate their email address, for you to send them mine so they could contact me….it’s [email protected]. Thanks a lot, Butch. My mother is 90 years old and would love to see those pictures. She’s still very sharp and can tell some really interesting stories about her days in Troy and Mill Creek, before moving to Ardmore in the early 1940’s.”
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“There is a bell in the lawn of the United Methodist Church in Buffalo, Oklahoma (Harper County) that would be a good addition to your collection of bell photos. It was from the “old” church and was saved when they built the newer facility.”
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“Butch, I enjoyed the picture of your great grandmother and great Aunt, they looked so sweet. The story of the apron reminded me of my childhood. Times have certainly changed. My mama was a stay at home mom and had the garden, chickens ,eggs, etc. I miss her and my Dad so much, and I smiled all the way through the story of the apron.”
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“Wilbert Wiggs, a reporter for The Daily Ardmoreite, will be 77 Monday, with over 50 years in the newspaper business.”
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“Butch, We checked persimmons down at Caney Creek about 3 weeks ago. Found some really large ones that already had the orange color. We picked some, brought them home and let them ripen in the window. They were delicious, had always been told never try one until after frost but these were wonderful without the frost! The seeds had spoons in them, this is what was in them last year, I believe. We did have some beautiful soft snow last winter, we built several snow men! Our trees at the Ponderosa do not have many on them and we have not tried the seed there yet.”
————————————————————————- “Documentation states that this past fair marked the 55th Annual Exhibit of the Carter County Free Fair at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum. I actually think there were fairs held before that but have no documentation of this. I have heard talk of horse races and car races at the fair and that is why I believe there were fairs held before the documentations started. I was told there was a race tract that ran North and South at the East Gate of the fairgrounds. My Uncle told me of the beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen dressing up in their finest to come to the fair and attend the races, both horse and automobile. He told of elaborate picnic baskets prepared for the families and quilts spread on the ground under the trees to enjoy their meals. There were pony rides for the children and wagons heaped with hay for rides around the fairgrounds pulled by beautiful horses that were not a part of the races. Tables were set up with many deserts to be judged, then sold for enjoyment. Monies collected would go for prizes given to the winners, if not that year, the next. At one time my uncle told me they would elect by popular vote the King and Queen of the Fair but that didn’t last very long because the most popular people would win every time. They decided to find a new way to do it but he didn’t remember that it ever happened. As a school child I can remember the anticipation of the Fair and the Carnival each year when school started. I didn’t get to go at night much but thought the lights of the Carnival so beautiful, like a fairy tale. For a few years the Fair was held before school started but after the organization of the FHA, FFA, and 4-H Clubs, the Fair was set after school started so these organizations could participate and exhibit in the Fair. There was always School Day at the Fair where the country school children were bussed in and spent the whole day at the fair, arriving back at the school in time to board our regular buses and go home. The morning was spent viewing all the exhibits and the animals. We brought sack lunches, had a picnic then spent the next couple of hours at the Carnival riding the rides free, there were a few games that we could play if we had any money. The Carnival was fairly small with the main rides being the Ferris Wheel and the Merri-go-round, then as the Fair grew, the Carnival rides increased in number. The Fair was segregated back then. The ‘white’ people exhibited in the Hardy Murphy Coliseum and to the south of the Coliseum was a long stucco building located under the trees where the parking lot exists close to the fence on the West side. This is where the ‘colored’ people exhibited their treasures. I could hardly wait to go to their building as the aroma of apple pies, cakes, and breads were out of this world. They usually had a big pot of soup cooking too, that set your mouth to watering. They always had beautiful crochet items, and blue ribbon creations of every thing in vogue at the time. I always thought how strange it was that all the ‘white’ people flocked to the ‘colored’ building to look at, draw patterns of, and note ideas for projects of their own for the next year!!!! The rabbits, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, etc. was one of the most popular exhibits at the fair. There were pigs, hogs, goats, sheep, horses, mules, donkeys, cows, calves, and bulls. It was so neat to watch the exhibitors taking care of their animals. At first they had to haul water to wash and groom these animals but finally water was installed in the barns for these tasks. All the workers at the fair were volunteers for many years, then as more and more people went to work and volunteers were scarce, a small fee was paid to the workers. A few years they received their meals, but many wonderful people stepped up and promoted and helped put the fair on for the kids. We did find out that not only the kids looked forward to it, but the elderly did, as sometimes this was the only place and time that they met old friends from across the County once a year. At first many people had gardens and we had so many exhibits of garden vegetables and fruit we could hardly find tables enough to hold the exhibits. But, there again, people got busy, had to work to make a living and the gardens fell by the way-side. There were years that we had so many beautiful quilts that we had to fold them small, roll them up in show cases or put them on wire hangers just to exhibit them. The whole South wall and down the middle of the North Wing was full to the brim with 4-H exhibits. Across the back of the South wing shelves were packed with canned goods, tables set in front of the shelves full of canned pickles and jellies, and additional shelves were built on some of the tables on the North side for the canned goods. There were, I think, around 15 groups of Extension Home Makers that made and exhibited premium articles each year. They filled the tables on the North side and sometimes down the middle on the North side of the North Wing. There were many activities for every age group. Antiques filled many show cases and tables each year, photography was black and white and a very popular exhibit, and open class arts and crafts. It was amazing to watch the kids exhibit their animals, you know just from watching that the kid has worked with that animal many hours. That animal will follow that exhibitor’s instruction and you can readily see the bond between that animal and the owner. There were many, many kids across the county that put in many hours from one fair to the next getting ready for the Carter County Free Fair. Good childhood memories.”

“Forgot to mention the sack races, horseshoe pitching, hay pitching, watermelon seed spiting, plate throwing, wood chopping, and pie eating contests. Later on frog jumping, turtle racing, nubble-gum blowing, stick horse racing, and broad jumping contests.”
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“The Parlor of Janet Klein – Los Angeles based performer Janet Klein is single-handedly keeping the wild spirit of the Roaring 20’s alive. With her band, The Parlor Boys, Janet both records and performs live the long forgotten musical hits from the 1910’s, 1920’s and 1930’s. Janet’s website is like a time warp into the glamorous parlor culture of the 1920’s. There is an extensive biography of the singer and her band, as well as a lot of fascinating features that capture the spirit of the era such as the Vaudeville Closet, The Gallery (which houses paintings and poetry from the beginning of the century), and much more.” <—– Click Here
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‘Time Marches On’ by Tracy Lawrence 1996

Sister cries out from her baby bed
Brother runs in feathers on his head
Mamma’s in her room learning how to sew
Daddy’s drinking beer, listening to the radio
Hank williams sings “kaw liga” and “dear john”
And time marches on, time marches on

Sisters using rouge and clear complexion soap
Brothers wearing beads and he smokes alot of dope
Mamma is depressed, barely makes a sound
Daddy’s got a girlfriend in another town
Bob dylan sings “like a rolling stone”
And time marches on, time marches on

The south moves north, the north moves south
A star is born, a star burns out
The only thing that stays the same
Is everything changes, everything changes

Sister calls herself a sexy grandma
Brothers on a diet for high cholesterol
Mamma’s out of touch with reality
Daddy’s in the ground beneath a maple tree
As the angels sing an old hank williams song
Time marches on, time marches on
Time marches on, time marches on
Time marches on, time marches on.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges
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Saturday September 18, 2004 T&T Weekly – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 387

A hand written letter was passed along to me this week, written by an 82 years young man in Oklahoma City. He was told recently by a cousin of his that the Old Soldiers Home on South Commerce was named after his great grandfather, Dr. Henry Wesley Hargrove. I have not heard a name Hargrove connected to the Veterans Home, maybe some of you have???

The only thing that comes to my mind is Hargrove College. The first one was on D NW and the second one was on Chickasaw Blvd. We have talked about Hargrove College several times over the years and I have taken those mentions and put them all together in a text file for easy reading. <—– Click Here

This is the original Hargrove College built in 1895 at D Street NW and 10th. <—– Click Here

This is a picture of the second Hargrove College built in 1909 out by Carter Seminary on Chickasaw Blvd (the first college burned in 1907). a href=” https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos4a/hargrove1909.jpg “> <—– Click Here

Someone asked me this week what the engraved letters above the pavilion at Central Park stood for. I dont know, maybe someone knows? The letters are “S.M. & C.B. 1928”. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Here is a 1955 photo of my great grandmother, Ida Murphree Miller (1876-1967), with her kitchen apron on, like she wore most times. She could take that thin blade paring knife and peel an apple from one end to the other and never break the peel. That is my great grandmother on the left of course with the white apron. Her and my great aunt, Grace Carmon Heath are listening to an old radio <—– Click Here

The reason for me digging out my great grandmother’s photo with the apron, is this week someone sent me an email about the apron and all the memories it brings. I know when you read this, it will bring back memories for you too.

“The principle use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the oven; it was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken-coop the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came those old aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids; and when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling-wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled it carried out the hulls. In the fall it was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out on the porch and waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner. It will be a long time before anyone invents something that will replace that old-time apron that served so many purposes.”

I mentioned in last week’s T&T that a family was driving from Vallecitos, New Mexico to visit the memorial site at the Ardmore Airpark where their father/brother/son was killed in an airplane crash in 1966. They made the trip fine, and placed a beautiful white cross next to the Weeping Willow Tree at the memorial site. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Last week I mentioned Mrs Myrtle Mayhall’s home (she owned Caddo Variety Store) and for some reason I had the location wrong. I knew she lived on F Street NE, 324 F Street NE to be exact.

The old 1887 Max Munzesheimer’s home (now at 323 F Southwest) is having a little facelift this week by workmen. More about his historic home is in the Mailbag below. <—– Click Here

This is a March 2004 photo of the Sayre-Mann house. <—– Click Here

A month or so ago Bill O’Hearn in Canada sent me two attachments by email. They were his hand drawn diagrams of some of the business in downtown Ardmore as he remembers them back in 1945 when he first came to Ardmore. Anyway, somehow I only got one of those drawings in my T&T last month, so here they are again, both of them. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

A Reader wrote in this week asking for any historical info on the Carter County Free Fair. Maybe there are some old timers out there can tell of their times at the Free Fairs of bygone years. Let us hear from you if you do. <—– Click Here

Last June we mention in an issue of T&T that Bob Farrington in Ohio was in the hospital and in serious condition. Bob sent an email this week, wanting to thank everyone for their emails and prayers during this time, and to say he is much better, and will hopefully be home again soon.

“I just want to thank Butch and all of his readers for the many thoughts and prayers sent my way this summer. I am finally feeling better enough to be able to read through them all. I heard from many many people I didn’t know and even heard from a couple of old acquaintances that I hadn’t had contact with for many many years. I am hoping to be home within a couple of weeks and certainly look forward to it. Thanks again for keeping me in your prayers. They certainly made a difference.” -Bob Farrington – [email protected]

Last week I spoke about an early 1970s song by Chuck Girard called “Since I Opened Up the Door.” Chuck Girard had a Jesus Music group called Lovesong. I had several of you write back say you wish you could hear the song. So, I found a 1 minute link to it, but you must have RealAudio on your computer to hear it. <—– Click Here

RESTARTING WINDOWS is often necessary after installing an application or making other changes. You can do this in Windows 95/98/ME by selecting Restart from the Shut Down Windows box, holding down the Shift key, and clicking Yes. This performs a warm restart, much faster than a complete reboot.

WINCHAT. If you’re running Windows XP networked, you can use a little-known application to talk to other available users on the network. At Start|Run, enter “winchat” without the quotes. Click on Conversations and Dial, select the computer to call and click OK. This will ring the user and invite him or her to chat with you. Of course, you could step in the next room or call them on the phone, but that’s so untekkie.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Thanks so much for your words of kindness in connection with the recent passing away of my Dad, Carl W. Stevens. Many have sent e-mail messages, made phone calls and sent cards and it all means so much to me and my family and that’s why I want to apologize for taking so long to respond. Not that I didn’t want to respond but my wife and I have been very busy helping my Dad before he died and with his affairs afterward. I guess though, the biggest reason was that it was a real blow to me to lose both him and my Mom within a year’s time and it’s taken me a while to get back on track. I sort of lost interest in the things I had been doing before but with help from above and from so many friends and family I doing ok now. I know lots of you have been down that road before with your families and you can understand what I’m saying. Dad and I have always been very close. We were having lots of fun with the Big Canyon events and we were working on an oil field video project together. He liked photographing trains almost as much as I did but the highlight was always the Big Canyon sessions and getting to visit with all you folks that attended. He told me that he was proud that I had such good friends and that everyone always made him feel so welcome. So I also want all of you to know that I feel the same way and that it is a great privilege to know and associate with all of you, not just the “Big Canyon” group but all of the “Railspot and Sooner State Rail” groups and all the friends we both have. You’re a great bunch of Americans and you should be proud of yourselves, I’m certainly proud to know you all!!! As soon as I’m able, I want to finish the oil field video project we started and dedicate it in his memory. He and I were filming the last few examples of early day oil field equipment in Southern Oklahoma, some of it dating back to the 1930’s. Dad worked in the oil field all his life and served as my technical advisor for the types of equipment we were filming. We wanted to document the equipment that is still operating before it’s all gone and distribute it on DVD to all the area museums. We were doing it ourselves on a shoe string budget so you know it’s not professional, but we were having fun and that’s what counts. I just wish he could be able to see the finished video. Again, thanks to all of you. I’m still playing catch up on my emails and the cards that were sent so don’t think I’ve forgotten you. I’m planning on being at Big Canyon for the fall session and hope to see as many of you as can make it. Thanks also to Charles and Sandy Allen for organizing the session again. I hope you always have green signals ahead and keep those rails shiny! You oil field friends keep those polish rods gleaming in the sunlight!” -Dwane and Terri Stevens, Ardmore, Oklahoma [email protected] <—– Click Here
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“Persimmon weather forecast: Out of three persimmons tested from three different trees, two had a spoon and a knife, one has two spoons. The persimmons are ripening now, about a month ahead of normal ripening time in Oklahoma.”
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“Butch, I know that there is folklore about the shape of the inside of the persimmon (the seed, I guess) foretelling what kind of winter we can expect but can’t remember all the details. I think it goes like this: if shaped like a “spoon” the winter will have lots of snow (shoveling); a “knife”, cold and windy (cuts you like a knife); and I guess the “fork” shape means mild (don’t know for sure). Anyway, I recently found a persimmon tree and picked off a few green ones. I couldn’t really tell what the shape was…was not well defined. Could have been a spoon or a fork. Do the persimmons need to be ripe before you can tell? Just curious…has anyone out there checked the persimmons this year? If so, what did you find? I know we have had a very mild summer… never hitting 100 degrees (throughout most of the state) and the last time that happened, I believe, was the winter we had the BIG ice storm during Christmas break, which caused so many problems. Don’t know what the persimmon showed that year but I bet it wasn’t for a mild winter.”
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“Your poem at the end of your letter last week was a wonderful light in a very dark time for me… thank you.”
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Butch: “On the old Hardy sanitarium that fell. My grandfather’s brother, Other James (Runt) Rountree owned a bar (I think it was the Blue Oyster) in the back of that building back in 1956. In fact his name James is what I am named after. He had two sons Jimmy Rountree and Tommy Rountree. I remember my grandfather (Frank Roundtree) taking me into that bar and him having a beer at a long Oak bar and I got a cold grapette to keep my mouth shut about going to the bar. If you notice Other and his son dropped the “d” in their name but my grandfather had it there. Don’t know why.” -James Douglas Williams [email protected]
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“It’s time for our annual, Ardmore High Class of 1967 Fall Picnic. Saturday, September 25th, 4-10 ??? ELEPHANT ROCK PAVILION. Come one, come all! We will furnish the pavilion, firewood, charcoal… and hopefully matches!!! You bring what you and your bunch would like to have for dinner. Simple, no cover charge, no truckload of leftovers! There is a $3. per car charge from the state to get to Elephant Rock, but other than that, it’s free!” -Nancy Wages Chadwell [email protected]
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The Daily Ardmoreite
January 7, 1897
What came nigh being a serious accident occurred last night to Max Westheimer and Sam Daube, who were returning in a buggy from Marietta. When in the vicinity of the cemetery the team left the road and precipitated the occupants into a ditch, giving both a hard fall. They eventually got out and later reached town. Max is around all right today, but Mr. Daube is confined to his bed, and while nothing serious, he is naturally very sore from his experience.
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December 5, 1910
Morgan J. Hays who died yesterday, was one of the best known young citizens of this part of the state. For several years he was traveling salesman for the Ardmore Wholesale Grocery Co., but for the past two years has been the president and general manager of the Crown Bottling Works and Candy Factory and by his efforts and business judgement he made this one of the best business institutions in the city.
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December 6, 1910
EXCLUSIVE TOY STORE
Owned by Santa Claus, Managed by Joe Marable Real old Santa from away up north was brought down here by the cold winds of yesterday and when he reached Ardmore things looked so pleasant that he decided at once to make Ardmore his headquarters for the holidays and on Thursday he will open his store. The new store will be located on the south side of Main street between the two picture shows and every night reindeer sledges arrive loaded with goods. All the pretty toys and books and hobby horses and everything else you can think of to make the little folks happy and the big folks, too, are stored in that building. Mr. Marable has been employed by old Kriss to manage his store for him and Mr. Marable, with a sufficient number of clerks to wait on the people will be in readiness with the only exclusive Christmas store in the city.
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January 12, 1912
Policemen cut by an Indian
Policeman J.H. Whitehead had a thrilling experience last night and got a severe cut on the face in the bargain. Late last night he arrested an Indian and was taking him to the city jail. When near the corner of Mill and Main street, something attracted the officer’s attention and he momentarily turned his head to see what it was. As he did so the Indian drew a knife and made a dash for him, slashing him from the crown of his nose across the cheek to near the neck. Staggered, the officer let loose of his captive who proceeded to hot-foot down Mill street, notwithstanding the fact that the officer unloaded his six-shooter in his wake. Evidently none of the shots found lodgment, as there was no dead Indian in the city this morning. It required several stitches at the hands of the surgeon to patch up Whitehead’s face. (…then reported on January 14…) It was learned that he had been arrested in Durant and Chief of Police Braziel went over after him. The Indian will in all probability be given the opportunity of making the roads of the county passable.
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George Myers, who was a pioneer citizen of Ardmore and its first merchant, died at his home last night. Uncle George was probably past the three score and ten limit and was an intermarried citizen who owned good property on East Main street as well as agricultural land over the country.
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Advertisement: Post Toasties “The Memory Lingers” Postum Cereal Company, Limited, Battle Creek, Michigan
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January 26, 1912
Farmer says Gold Is Found, No one but himself is wise…. That Carter county has a gold mine that will make it greater than California or Alaska is the opinion of M.W. Clark of Keller, OK, who says he has found a lead of gold ore that is very rich and extends across the country for several miles. Mr. Clark does not own the land and he wants to form a partnership with some person with sufficient means to purchase the land and will be willing to divide equally the profits of the mine with the person who will furnish the money. If the party desires to buy him outright he will sell for an agreed price and take any person to where the gold is found. He says the ore is rich, that it has been tested and proves to be very rich. He is enthusiastic over his find and believes there is enough money in it to make a hundred men as rich as they would like to be.
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January 29, 1912
Ardmore’s Public Buildings
The following public buildings have been built in the city of Ardmore in the last ten years:
The First and Third ward schools were built at a cost of $16,000 each. The architect was Steve Douglas of this city.
The Second and Fourth ward schools were built at a cost of $32,000 or $16,000 each. These schools were designed by J.B. White of this city.
The city hall cost $25,000 and was designed by T. W Myall, then of this city.
The Carnegie Library was constructed at a cost of $16,000. The architects for the Carnegie Library were S.W. Smith of the firm of Layton & Smith of Oklahoma City and J.B. White of Ardmore.
Hargrove College was built at a cost of $22,000 and was designed by W.A. Tackett and T.W. Myall of Ardmore.
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February 2, 1912
CAUGHT AT ALTUS
George Boutwell, jailer and deputy sheriff of Love county, H.A. Kirkpatrick, bank cashier of Marietta and Mrs. Guy Martin and Mrs. Geneva Smith, also of Marietta, were here yesterday as witnesses in the case of forgery charged against Grady Gray, whom Sheriff Buck Garrett arrested in Altus and brought to this place. It is alleged that Grady Gray, who lives at Leon, in Love county, came to Ardmore and drew a check for $40 signing the name of Joe Crockett to the check. He presented the check to two Ardmore banks for payment and was refused. He then telephoned to the First State Bank at Marietta and had the bank to phone to the banker here that Crockett’s check was good. He was then paid the money and through the means of a telephone conversation following the cashing of the check suspicion was fastened upon him. When the trial was called today the defendant waived examining trial.
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February 4, 1912
MORNING STAR HAS SUSPENDED
The Ardmore Morning Star, which began to be published in this city on the first day of last July under the management of W.C. Geers has suspended publication. Some days ago Mr. Geers made a deal in which he and his associates transferred the paper to P.O. Hays and J.W. Maxwell of Gainesville and these men were here yesterday and decided they would publish the paper no longer. The two advertised the Star would be sold to the highest bidder but no sale was consummated. Mr. Maxwell stated that he would pay rent on the building and let the ants carry out the machinery before he would sell it at a sacrifice price. George H. Wyatt who has had charge of the Morning Star becomes city editor of the Ardmoreite Monday morning.
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December 18, 1921
A freak story of the fields is brought to Ardmore by F.E. Bernsen, manager of the field office of the Lucey Manufacturing Company. According to Mr. Bernsen, “Runt” De Bolt, in the employ of drilling contractor Hugh Sturm, was recently lowered down two joints of 15 1/2 inch casing while working on one of the Cottonbelt Petroleum Company wells in the Hewitt field, and succeeded in knocking loose some casing which had become stuck. He was lowered and raised with the cat line, and is reported as being none the worse for his experience.
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May 3, 1954 THE RAMBLING REPORTER
***Fred and Nita Beaver were all diked up in Indian costumes at the Art Festival while showing Fred’s Indian paintings. When I asked Nita if Fred’s Indian costume was genuine she replied, “It sure is because I made it myself”. ***Janie LeVan, 84, Ardmore’s “Grandma Moses” was showing some handsome “velvets” this year. They are scenes from memory of her home in Tennessee.
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Sayre/Mann Mansion
One of the oldest houses in Ardmore ca. 1887
Originally the house was owned by the Munzesheimer’s and was located on the north side of East Main Street between D and E streets, being near the railroad tracks. Before statehood in 1902 or early 1903 it was moved to its present location of 323 F street, Southwest. History tells us that the home was owned by three other families after 1904, J.M. and Gertrude Dodson until 1909, Horace and Pearl Sayre until 1969, and the Mann’s thereafter. The house is an excellent example of late “Queen Anne” style, accentuated by a three-story turret that is capped by a conical roof with an ornate finial. The exterior is covered by an arrangement of “fish scale” shingles and clapboard siding. The grand circular veranda is outlined by a colonnade of turned posts trimmed with ornate brackets and spindles along the top and a balustrade along the bottom. The main gable has a highly ornate bargeboard and divided sunburst. It has a very large entry room with great halls on both the first and second floors. After the house was moved, its outside kitchen was enclosed by a one and one half story addition. Also a servants house was added onto the property. In May 1982 this home was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. <—– Click Here
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Good reading: Dalton Gang, Will Rogers and finally this: “I was United States Marshal for four years in the Choctaw Nation, and among the first of the city policemen of Sulphur. I served in this capacity for six years. Indian Pioneer History Project of Oklahoma.” <—– Click Here
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“Encyclopedia of Oklahoma.”
<—– Click Here
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Dear Dispatch Readers, We are happy to announce that the latest issue of the Dispatch has been posted at www.texasranger.org “Dispatch.” We hope you will enjoy it. Again, all comments are most welcome. Chuck Parsons has given us a feature article on a Ranger Charles Fussleman. He was a Ranger who gave his life battling rustlers in the Frontier Battalion during the 1870s. Glenn Elliott relates in Part 2 of a story that even in the most deadly times, there is sometimes humor. We have a special feature on the “Trial of Captain Leander McNelly” that was recently held at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. It was a co-production of the Museum and the Baylor University School of Law. All who attended that night agree that the trial was nothing short of sensational. The popular Weapons of the Texas Rangers will not be in this issue due to the hospitalization of David Stroud. However, we are happy to report that he is mending well and he will be back in our next issue. We appreciate your letters as shown in Ask The Dispatch. The questions are getting better and better. And finally our ever popular Shining Stars: Three Centuries of Texas Rangers is back. We have thumbnail sketches of Texas Ranger Indian Fighter and Civil War General Walter Lane; Hall of Fame Captain Bob Crowder; and Morgan Miller, a current Ranger held in the highest esteem by his peers in the Rangers. We hope you enjoy this issue.
Robert Nieman, Managing Editor of the “Dispatch”
<—– Click Here
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“Butch, this is a community sponsored Childrens Fest and we could use a few more sponsors so that we can provide this free to the kids. We have three moon bounces and lots of other activities as you can see on the flyer. We also could use some people to help with the different activities. We also want people to spread the word. If anyone wants to sponsor or help man a booth….they can e-mail me at moreofsylvia@hotmail or my daughter at [email protected] If they e-mail us please put ‘Childrens Fest’ in the subject line so we will know to open it up. Thanks for everything.” -Sylvia <—– Click Here
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‘I’m Not That Way Anymore’ by Alabama 1984

We used to get crazy every saturday night
Drive into town and get feelin right
A child of the 60’s in 74
But I’m not that way anymore

Well I burned the tires, off my Chevrolet
Tryin to impress, the girls that I date
And I’ve been a gambler, when I couldn’t score
But I’m not that way anymore

American Bandstand, the Sullivan Show
I listen to the Opery, on my ra-D-I-O
Well Dick Clarks still lookin, as young as before
But I’m not that way anymore

Well I swapped my loafers, for cowboy boots
Bought me some jeans, gave away all my suits
My razor is rusted, my barber is bored
Cause I’m not that way anymore

I’m not that way anymore
Times closin yesterdays door
I’m just as happy as I was before
Cause I’m not that way
And your not that way
We’re not that way anymore.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

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Saturday September 11, 2004 T&T Weekly – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 386

This years’ Murray County Antique Tractor Show is quickly approaching. This will make the 11th year and its going to be the biggest and best ever! They added a lot more parking area this year to make room for larger crowds and a lot more activities are planned. There will be tractor pulls, hay making, wheat thrashing, corn shelling, tractor rodeo, broom making, arts and crafts, swap meet, and auctions to name a few. If you haven’t been to the annual Murray County Antique Tractor Show 7 miles north Sulphur, try to make this one. The show dates are September 17, 18, and 19, 2004…… 3 packed days of fun! And with only a $2 admission charge, I can’t think of a place you can go to see and do so much. That’s Sulphur, Oklahoma…… be there! <—– Click Here

I received some really great photos this week from Donald G. Gwynne, Jr. of Arlington, TX. His kinfolks ran the Sullivan Brothers Grocery here in Ardmore. Starting around 1925 the grocery store was located at 517 West Main (just west of the First Methodist Church). John Sullivan first lived at 203 G NE and J.J. Sullivan lived at 306 G NE around 1915. A few years later John would reside with J.J. at the 306 G Street Northeast residence. In this first photo inside the grocery is J.J. Sullivan, he is the one in the dark suit holding the piece of paper. <—– Click Here

Here is another pic of J.J. inside the grocery store (he is holding the sack of groceries). <—– Click Here

Here is a pic of the outside of the Sullivan Brothers Grocery. <—– Click Here

The old 1937 phone book lists J.J. Sullivan working at the Caddo Variety Store. I remember that store back in 1950s and 1960s. It was owned by Myrtle Mayhall, widow of Rolland Mayhall. When I was a teen Mrs Mayhall lived at 324 “F” Street NE (north of the ‘big swimming pool’).

This is a group photo of the local Woodmen of the World, J.J. Sullivan is circled. The guy on the left must be important, he has a sword. And I love that old goat in the photo! <—– Click Here

Here is another wonderful photo Mr Gwynne emailed me. Its the old C.P. Hall the Home Outfitter, and I would think that sign to the left says Collier Brothers. But in looking at the old telephone directories I find Collier Brothers Furniture is at 128 West Main. The store sign on the right reads, Horton and Eakin. The date at the top of the building is “1916 Mobley”. <—– Click Here

Cyrus P. Hall first had a store at 219 to 225 A Northeast (just north of Caddo) back around 1918. My educated guess by looking at the photo above, this C.P Hall store was located at the 219 A Northeast address. So far I have found 3 addresses for C.P. Hall Furniture, 219 A NE, 128 West Main, and 106 East Main.

Here is what may be the only part of the building still standing in the 200 block of ‘A’ NE were the original C. P. Hall Furniture store was located back in 1918. <—– Click Here

Here is a pic of Carter Transfer and Storage of Ardmore. In this pic to the right is B.C. Forbes Grocery. John Sullivan worked there in 1922 before putting in the grocery store. <—– Click Here

And lastly here is a pic of the old church Presbyterian Church in Ardmore, I’m not sure if this is a pic at its first location where the old Ardmore Junior High school was located (200 A NW) or after it was moved in 1902 to West Broadway and C Street. Boy, that sure has a big belfry and steeple. I might add the first meeting place of the church members was in the home of Mrs. Amanda Robinson’s schoolhouse just east of the present Harvey Douglas Funeral Home on 1st SW. I wonder where that first church bell is today? <—– Click Here

With so much detail in the original pics, I have to let everyone see them! <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

Speaking of Caddo, its been called “bloody Caddo” since the beginning of Ardmore. What most people do not know is that the Oklahoma National Guard, 2nd Regiment, was located at #10 1/2 Caddo Street back in 1918. Maybe that was to keep law and order on that lawless street? And J. Holmes Akers, the first sheriff of Carter County, owned a furniture store at #39 Caddo street in 1918. <—– Click Here

C.P. Hall lived behind his store at 106 East Main in 1928.

In 1928 Jake Hamon Jr. lived at 614 Stanley SW in Ardmore. His father, millionaire Jake Hamon died in 1920 from a gunshot wound. <—– Click Here

Thurday evening, September 9th, I went to the Elks Lodge Spaghetti Day feed at Heritage Hall (Civic Auditorium to us oldsters). Boy what a feed they put on. I really admire those guys & gals and the work they do. I remember Thanksgiving Day about 1998 and I was leaving town that morning. I knew my aunt and uncle, Marie and Gary Pruitt, would not have anything thanksgiving dinner that day, afterall, they both were nearly 90 years old, and unable to fix a big dinner, plus they really had very little to eat in the kitchen. I remember the Elks Lodge was offering Thanksgiving Day dinner to shutins that morning, so I gave them a call. The man on the other end told me not to worry, to go on to Norman, and they would see my aunt and uncle received turkey and dressing and all the trimmings. When I got home that evening and checked on them, sure enough, the Elks Lodge had delivered enough turkey and dressing they were able to each on it for two days. That really meant a lot to me, knowing a group of men and women who didnt even know them, provided a good Thanksgiving Day meal to my aunt and uncle. Marie and Gary had much to be thankful for that day, a day of thanksgiving. My uncle Gary was a God fearing man, he never sat down to eat that he did not give thanks for the food they were about to eat. From the time I was a wee kid I saw him give thanks at every meal. They both died in 2003. Anyway, I know there are a lot of people, including me, in this area that appreciate what all the members of the Elks Lodge do for others. Here is a couple of pics I took at the Spaghetti Day feed! <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Wondering if you found Bill Guess’ grave at Pontotoc, Oklahoma?”
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“Butch, thought you might like to read this, The Lou Ann Everett Keller is a sister to my great grandmother.” -Minnie Lou Whittington http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/e/m/Kimberly-Dempsey/GENE2-0004.html
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“Of all the photos I have seen and downloaded as part of my private screen-savers on Webshots, your whole gallery of photos is among the best of any HISTORY I’ve ever had the privilege of looking at. In other words, THE PHOTOS ARE THE BEST!” http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
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“Butch, He just sounds like a potential time bomb. I hope something can be done so that he doesn’t scare off any more people from the memorial site. It is so important for the people who come there to be able to pay their respects and have a few moments of quiet reflection for those who lost their lives. It seems such a shame for someone to spoil it like that.”
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“Butch, one of my cousins asked me to write and ask if anyone might have any old school pictures from the Troy School in Johnston Co, Oklahoma. I doubt if they had a yearbook but, perhaps, there was a group picture. She attended there when she began school in 1939… so any pictures from 1939 or 1940 is what she is interested in.”
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The Daily Ardmoreite October 13, 1898
What little there is left of the star spangled banner which has floated so long over the Masonic Temple should be taken down and preserved. It has stood the storm and brunt of the weather since the war began and might be classed as a “cherished relic”.
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July 7, 1896
H.H. Pennington bought the Main and Mill street corner belonging to J.H. Hughes for consideration of $1500. It was understood that Mr. Pennington planned to supplant the wooden structure located on the lot with a handsome two story brick.
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December 4, 1910
EFFICIENT OFFICER AND GOOD CITIZEN DIES SUDDENLY ON STREETS OF BERWYN
Steve R. Cole of Berwyn dropped dead on the streets of that little city Thursday night, with heart failure. Steve was a familiar and unique character. He had lived in the vicinity for the past thirty years, being engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Cole served as deputy marshal for about ten years in territorial days and was a good and efficient officer. He had been city marshal of Berwyn, and at the time of his death was constable, in which he was re-elected to this office last month.
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November 27, 1911
Things talked about: Has the great state of Oklahoma a capital? No, it has no capital and the taxpayers of the state will eventually have to build one somewhere. The Vinita Chieftain
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June 2, 1926
TIRE BOOT COMPANY IS DOING GOOD BUSINESS
The Ardmore Manufacturing company, a new enterprise recently launched in this city, is doing very well, according to a report of the firm. The company makes automobile tire boots for all kinds of tires and every variety of boot known. It is located at 15 B street, northwest, opposite the Cordova hotel, where machinery has been installed and workmen are engaged in turning out stock. The boots are made from old automobile tires, which opens up a market for tires that heretofore had been consigned to the city dump. “We can’t get the old tires as rapidly as we can use them,” Richard Thomas, one of the firm members, remarked recently, but added as soon as things were running smoothly in the factory, he would take the road and see what he could find in other places.
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June 30, 1926
AMES BROUGHT BACK TO CITY BY OFFICIALS
An echo of the robbery of the Baker-Nelson floral shop here on the night of May 9 was heard in the sheriff’s office Tuesday when officers were notified that E.H. Ames was held in jail at Yale, OK for authorities, here, who hold four warrants for his arrest for a number of crimes said to have been committed in Texas. Deputy Sheriff Con Keirsey and his brother, Jim Keirsey, chief of police at Durant, left for Yale Tuesday afternoon to bring Ames back to Ardmore. Durant authorities want Ames for alleged burglary the day before the crime was committed at the Baker-Nelson establishment. Wichita Falls officers want him for several alleged burglaries committed in that section before the job in Ardmore, and Sherman and Denison authorities are anxious to try and connect the prisoner with several crimes committed in those two cities while a gang was operating in north Texas. Following the robbery of the Ardmore store, where the safe was blown and approximately $400 taken and attempt made to blow the safe in the Davis floral shop which failed, Ames and his partner, T.R. Gordon, were arrested at Wichita Falls by local officers where a complete set of burglar tools was found in their possession. The two men committed to jail, waived preliminary hearing and later Ames made bond in the sum of $2,500 and was released. Gordon, who already had a term of 20 years for robbery hanging over him, was released to Pawnee county authorities, where it is alleged the crime was committed; local authorities state that both men have a long criminal record. The capture of the pair at Wichita Falls was executed in a clever manner, Mrs. B.B. Nelson, who sold one of the men flowers the day preceding the robbery was able to recall a telephone number at Wichita Falls given by one of the men during the transaction, and it was from this clue local officers were able to trace the gang to their quarters in a fashionable district of that city. Ames offered a new Rickenbacker roadster for legal services here during his effort to secure bail but since gaining liberty has redeemed the car. Gordon, reports indicate, has no recourse but to serve the 20 years imposed against him in Pawnee county for bank robbery.
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July 4, 1926
CRYSTAL ICE FACTORY IS NOW IN OPERATION
The new Crystal ice plant, located at 301 First avenue, southeast, on the corner of C street, is now in operation and ready to serve its customers. The plant is strictly an Ardmore institution and is one of the most modernly equipped ice making establishments to be found in the southwest. The management invites the public to make an inspection of the plant and note the sanitary condition under which pure clear water ice is produced. Latest methods of water treating and purification are applied before the water is placed in the cans for freezing, it is said. The plant is conveniently located and attendants will be present at all times to take care of the needs of the customers, they declare.
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July 5, 1926
RECORD CROWD VISITS RESORT
A crowd estimated at 50,000 people, the largest in the history of the resort, visited Sulphur July the Fourth. G.W. Stephenson, editor of the Sulphur Democrat, who reported the gathering said that hundreds of people who desired to stay until Monday night were compelled to sleep on lawns, in chairs, or any place they could find as every available public room was filled. No special attraction had been advertised, Stevenson said, there were several small attractions in Sulphur, including a rodeo. People were especially attracted by the advantages offered to take a swim in one of the several pools and they were crowded from early morning until well after midnight Monday. A sunrise dance featured Monday morning and politicians occupied the time Monday afternoon. Visitors were in Sulphur from every section of Oklahoma and north Texas and not an accident was recorded.
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July 8, 1926
PIGGLY WIGGLY PAYS VISIT TO CITY STORE
Employees of the Piggly Wiggly company here visited the Piggly Wiggly Lewis company of Oklahoma this afternoon for the purpose of getting acquainted with the employees of that concern and its management. The occasion is principally due of sociability and will be held on the weekly Thursday afternoon holiday of the local company. Every member of the firm made the trip by automobile according to M.B. Bicknell, president of the Ardmore company. Bicknell is a member of the Oklahoma City company of which he serves as vice president. Lewis of the OKC company is VP of the company here.
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TWO MEN CONFESS FARM BURGLARY
Bill Neel, 218 North Caddo street and Ed Price, who lives near the fairgrounds in southeast Ardmore, are in Love county jail charged with burglary of the farm home of Van Keeton, living near Hoxbar. They were arrested by Bill Guess, deputy sheriff, Monday. The men are said to have made a complete confession and officers have recovered the articles taken from the Keeton home. According to Guess, Keeton had expended practically all of his available cash for a supply of foodstuff to take care of his family through the winter. Sometime Monday afternoon, his house was broken into while he and his family were away from home and the entire lot of groceries stolen. Not content with that, the burglars took the canned goods his wife had preserved, literally cleaning the premises of provender. A car seen in the neighborhood was described to Keeton and he communicated with Bill Collier, special deputy sheriff of Love county. Collier came to Ardmore and he and Guess made an investigation which resulted in the arrest, confession and recovery of the stolen articles Monday night. Neel said he “needed the groceries.” Keeton retorted “you didn’t need the stuff any worse than my family did.”
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April 2, 1944
Since 1900 more than 86 million motor vehicles have been produced in the U.S.
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May 2, 1954
RAMBLING REPORTER
***In Love County Horton Bone who will have served as sheriff six years at the end of his term announced that he would not be a candidate for re-election. His health has not been right good here of late and besides he thinks six years is long enough for him to hold public office. Carl Fletcher is a candidate for sheriff to succeed Horton Bone.
***All day Friday in Ardmore city dads and Santa Fe executives talked an underpass to northeast Ardmore.
***A field of 8 is running for sheriff in Ardmore.
***When a Miss Catherine M. Trube retired this year after 50 years of schoolteaching, she said: “I have learned that the most valuable thing in the world is a human being. I have also learned that the most important thing for a teacher to do is to bring out the value of every pupil. You must do that by praise. If the child does not do well academically, you must praise his manners. If not that, then his nice tie, or if he has a sweet voice, you must let him sing.” She had learned much that is central to the happiness of all men. -From the Christian Herald, 1954
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“Butch, This is a newsletter from an archeology guy. I wondered if you had ever heard anything about the coal mine story in Heavner. He mentions it at the first of the newsletter, but makes you wait to the end to hear about it. Have you ever run across any info about that event in 1928?”

Oklahoma: In 1928, in coal mine No. 5, near Heavener, at a depth of two miles, miners encountered a wall composed of 12 inch cube concrete blocks. The blocks were so smooth and polished on the outside that all six sides acted as mirrors. A solid wall was exposed. About 100 to 150 yards further down the shaft, the same wall or one very similar was uncovered.
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The Daily Ardmoreite January 11, 1931
HORSE AND BUGGY DAYS RECALLED
“Just a story,” said Ed Newton, as he sat relaxed on the concrete steps at the federal building on North Washington street. “You remember when this country was Indian Territory this was Pickens county. The county seat was at Oakland and in those days Madill had never been heard of. You can have an idea how big Pickens county was when I tell you that Ryan folks and Chickasha people and those from Purcell and Pauls Valley and all the intermediate towns came to Oakland to vote and to attend court. Going to an election or to court was an event. Traveling was done by teams.”
“My father, W.C. Newton, lived on the old Newton homestead which is now on the south edge of the Healdton oil field. It was necessary that he attend court at Oakland. He hitched up a team to a two horse buggy, the rear of the buggy was filled with feed for the team and in the front end was placed a big box of food and some blankets for use if camping out became one of the necessary experiences of the trip. Father and I came into Ardmore and he had business that kept him several hours and just before night he came back to the buggy with the remark that the county court convened the next day in Oakland and he had to be there. It was necessary that night traveling be done, he explained. Leaving Ardmore when the sun was getting low and with the destination 25 miles to the east and with no roads, the task seemed almost a hopeless one. In a maze of country roads one just as important as another we wandered from our course and went too far north. At a camp meeting we observed a man night herding a wagon and asked him about Oakland. He explained that the night was dark, the roads were crooked and uncertain and dim and it would be impossible for us to find the county seat. He kindly offered us shelter until daylight. We accepted and went home with him. By the time daylight broke in the east, father and I were in the buggy. Our breakfast had been eaten in the lamp light, the team cared for and we were on our way. Court was to convene at 9 o’clock and father was laboring under the stress of thought that he must be prompt or his cause at court would suffer. No time was lost in getting to the courthouse. But it was to learn that Charlie Mule, the county judge, was drunk and there would be no court.”
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Saint Philip’s Episcopal Church
The plan for the church building was drawn by Rev. Joseph Carden, rector, with the help of the local architect, J.B. White. The building was modeled after the Merton College Chapel at the Oxford University in England, being not perpendicular Gothic nor extremely low Gothic, but with sidewalls of medium height similar to those of many English country churches but with a steeper roof than most. The building committee consisted of Mr. Homer Hinkle, Mr. C.L. Byrned and the Reverend. The cornerstone was cut from a block of Carthage marble and was laid in April 1927. The wonderful trussed and paneled ceiling proved to be the greatest challenge of the project. The architect could find no way to tie the roofing timbers over the choir into the framework of the main structure. Mr. Carden found the answer in Evergreen Colorado. There were approximately 30,000 stones used in construction, each being cut and laid in honest cement mortar. Christmas eve services that year was the first service held in the new building. In the summer of 1928, the church donated the stone that was used to build the Ardmore Central Park Soldier’s Memorial. <—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“This is NW Okie’s OkieLegacy Soapbox Blog for Genealogists, Historians, Opinionated Men & Women and Others — NO Hate | Destructive Comments are allowed — If you have inquiries, history, genealogy and/or need a place to share your legacies or speakout, JOIN US… at NW Okie’s OkieLegacy Soapbox! We would love to bring & network Oklahoma’s history & photos here at the OKieLegacy Soapbox Blogger!” <—– Click Here
————————————————————————- “I found this article in Mom’s stuff. Thought you might like it. I worked at Memorial Hospital when Alice Harris was up there back in 1968 or so. She had cancer really bad and was in the room across the hall from our desk on 2 South. Mr. Harris always came to see her and one day we had to go tell her that he had died. Never would have dreamed he would have died before her. She was a precious lady. Anyway here is the article about the car washes that Mr. Harris along with his partner Jack Thompson got started.” <—– Click Here
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I been sitting here wishing I had a Chick-O-Stick. Boy, those are good. Does anyone know a place in Ardmore where I can buy a Chick-O-Stick? Or maybe a whole box of 36? lol <—– Click Here

In the early 1970s when Vietnam protestors were about to bring this country to its knees, I heard a song by a singer named Chuck Girard. He was the classic image of the hippie culture of that time, long hair, and all. All these years he and that song has stuck in my head. Chuck had a different message for the young people of that era that were consumed by sex, drugs and violence. I doubt if anyone today has ever heard the song.

“In my weakness you always make me strong
All I want to do now is praise you all day long
If I should stumble, you’re there to pick me up
When I get thirsty, I know you’ll fill the cup

Since I opened up, opened up the door
I can’t think of anything else but you anymore
Since I opened up, opened up the door
I can’t think of anything else but you anymore

In a shadow you flood me with your light
To give you pleasure is now my one delight
When I get weary, you give me peaceful rest
If my life gets troubled, I know its just a test

When I get lonely, you’re there to comfort me
You clear the haze away so that my eyes can see
If I’m distracted, you pull me back in line
All I can say Lord, you really treat me fine.”

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

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Saturday September 4, 2004 T&T Weekly – Circulation over 4,000 Vol 8 Issue 385

Since about 1980 I tried to get grave markers like Mr. Arnold made on “C” Street SE but no company made them. Needless to say I was excited when I found someone who is willing and able to make the concrete grave covers so all the markers in my family’s plot would match. This week I was told that within the last 4 or 5 years Rosehill Cemetery has a new rule in place barring the placement of those 7 1/2 foot concrete grave markers. You can imagine my disappointment after learning I can’t place the covers in my family’s plot. There are 4 of them in the plot with my uncle, Harry Carmon, being the first upon his death in 1952. 3 more or needed. Those long markers are scattered all over Rosehill since the 1940s, with some installed as recently as 1997 made by some far away company but they don’t look anything like Mr. Arnold’s. Now I dont know what to do. I may go ahead and have 3 of them made and placed in my front yard, and hope that someday before I die I’ll be allowed to place them at my family’s plot at Rosehill. They may look a little odd in my front yard, but it wont look any odder then having mismatched markers in my mother’s family plot. <—– Click Here

Last week I received a phone call from a man in Pennsylvania. He said his family including his elderly mother came to Ardmore around noon on Monday August 1, 2004 to visit Remembrance Memorial Park and the old Ardmore airbase out by Gene Autry. He told me they pulled in front of the memorial site and got out to look it over, and within a few minutes a small light colored car with very dark tinted windows drove up and parked right behind their car. The car just sat there, making them feel very uneasy and watched, or even stalked, and after a few minutes the man from Pennsylvania went over to the car and asked if he could help or anything. The man inside the car rolled down his window only about 2 inches and said, “I work at the tower, and I came here to use my cell phone’. End of conversation. The out of town visitor said he could barely see in the cracked window, so he still didnt know who this was inside the car, and the stranger in the car only said a few words.

The mysterious car finally left, and so did the scared visitors. They went and drove around the airbase reminecing and after a little while came back to the memorial site. Within a few minutes here comes that same car with the very dark tinted windows, pull up right behind their car again and just sat there. The man and his family were really getting scared now. Not knowing anything about Oklahoma, the airbase or the people, they left in a hurry, not even able to take time to sign the Guest Registry at the memorial site. An almost same kind of situation happen to a family visiting from Seattle, Washington in November 2000.

This is a sad situation, when a strange acting person at the airpark would scare the wits out of some out of town visitors who came halfway across the country to visit an almost sacred place at the airpark. I told the man in Pennsylvania that whoever this person was, he was not an example of the people of the great town of Ardmore where I was born and raised. I gave him my sincere apology. If he and his family ever do come back for a visit, I will be most happy to be their personal guide to the airpark and memorial site and make sure this kind of thing does not happen again.

I hope to God that person is not out there Saturday morning September 3rd when a family is driving in all the way from New Mexico to visit the memorial site and the place where their brother/son died in that awful airplane crash in 1966.

Last Saturday, one of the oldest buildings in Ardmore came tumbling down. The old Hardy Sanitarium, the first one before the second Hardy Sanitarium was located where the post office is now, had already partially fell in March 2001. Now its future is really in doubt. I sure hope of all the 100s of pictures taken of the building the past week, someone was able to get a pic of the tunnel or where the underground tunnel used to be that went from the Hardy Sanitarium building to the Whittington Hotel across the street to the south. That tunnel is more famous than the building itself! <—– Click Here <—– Click Here <—– Click Here

I received an email this week with a pic attached of the old Coulter-Baker Lumber Company that was located at 4th and B Street SW here in Ardmore. David Coulter sent me the photo, his grandfather along with Kenneth Baker started the business back in 1939. Eventually Baker sold out to Mr. Coulter and the lumber yard would become just Coulter Lumber Company. <—– Click Here

Here is a close-up that old concrete street marker in front of the lumber yard. There are still a very very few around town. <—– Click Here

And here is a pic taken this week of the old Coulter Lumber Company. <—– Click Here

I was reminded last week about two movies that were filmed or partially filmed in Oklahoma. The 1979 movie Moonbeam Rider with David Carradine was about a World War I veteran and his female companion trying to win the first transcontinental motorcycle race on a classic bike. http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=91066

Another is the 1971 Two Lane Blacktop with James Taylor as The Driver, a car-obsessed racer with stringy hair and a concentration that precludes conversation. He travels the backroads of rural America with his buddy, The Mechanic (Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys), an equally obsessed lost soul at home only in the car or under the hood. http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Garage/4602/

4/19/03 T&T: “Everett Aycox, one of the proprietors of Ardmore’s Soda Shop down on Main Street has a new addition to his many collectibles. The Soda Shop is located across the street from the Tivoli Theater. Everett’s new, or maybe I should say old, collectible is a 1939 Plymouth 4-door Sedan. If you were in downtown Ardmore lately you may have seen this old car parked on the east side of The Soda Shop on the B Street side, since Everett has been driving it to work sometimes. The car as a flat head 6 cylinder engine, an oil bath breather, and a floor starter. But there is another unusual accessory on this old 1939 Plymouth. It is called “suicide doors”. This means on a four-door the back doors swing out just the opposite of most doors. On a 2-door the doors also swing forward. In the second photo you will see a close-up of these so called suicide doors. Also it has bias tires. Some of you old timers out there can probably tell some good stories about the old bias tires, and how poor the quality was compared to the modern day radial tires. If you’re ever down near West Main and B Street you might look and see this old piece of history. Stop and go inside for a ice cream soda on these hot summer days, I’m sure Everett will be glad to talk about his “new” car. He hopes to have a fully restored in time to enter it in the Annual Christmas Parade.”

Here’s is a pic of that old 1939 Plymouth car with a new paint job parked across the street in front of the old Tivoli theater. <—– Click Here

Here is that same 1939 Plymouth car I took a pic of in April 2003 before it had a new paint job. It is amazing what some paint and restoration work can do for an old car! <—– Click Here

I have been sitting up several of the new technology Wireless Access Points the past few months, and I knew they were getting more and more popular. I wanted to check the security of the Access Points I set up so I found a program hackers use called Stumbler to help me find those wireless access points. Hackers call it War Driving and looking for “hotspots”. I wanted to use the program to check the wireless access points for security holes. So on Thursday morning at 7am not only did I find the 3 WAPs I had, but I found a total of 21 wireless access points within a 1/2 block radius of the courthouse. And of those 21, only 6 were “locked” so hackers can not get in. This means the other 15 showing on my laptop screen are possibly open to unauthorized access. There are State and Federal laws against unauthorized access to business networks via wireless access points, and a person can get into some serious trouble if they do it. Boy, I hope those business owners or whoever realize this, and turn on the security features in their wireless access hub.

The Daily Ardmoreite, August 8, 1944
Fourth Wreck Victim Dies
Death on Sunday afternoon of Pvt. Archie Nimmer, 25 year old son of Mr and Mrs Minnie Nimmer, Dermott, Ark., brought to four the fatalities in a head-on truck crash of last Thursday afternoon near Caddo creek bridge. Ardmore army air field announced the death of the soldier at the field hospital to which he and eight injured companions were moved immediately after the accident. Three soldiers were instantly killed in the crash. The 12 soldiers were en route to the field in a half ton army truck. It crashed almost head-on with a butane gas transport driven by Ward Crumb, Ardmore. Crumb, who has been in serious condition with severe head injuries, was reported to be making some improvement on Tuesday at Hardy sanitarium. His condition has been extremely grave and he is still regarded as being in danger.

SOME LETTERS FROM THIS WEEK’S MAILBAG

“Butch, All I can remember about these torches is that my dad called them a “plumbers torch” we used gasoline, and the “notch” at the mouth of the torch you rested a soldering “iron” usually there was a “hook” back half way on the top (where it looks like there is a threaded hole) towards the knob that the handle of the “iron” would rest in also. They develop a LOT OF HEAT quick.” <—– Click Here
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“We always used white gasoline. You pumped it up until you had a bit of the liquid in the trough, lit that, and then started opening the valve to get the blow torch effect going. I never used one very much but watched my elders work with them to solder radiator leaks and such back in the 30s and 40s. Today’s propane torches are much better and infinitely safer (although I’ve managed to set fire to not one but two houses while doing repairs with them; fortunately neither fire lasted long enough to do any real damage other than scaring me half to death).”
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“Hi Butch, The Blow Torch used gasoline for fuel, and had to be pumped up with the pump on top which gave it the pressure to force the gasoline through the jet that caused the flame. You had to preheat the torch by opening the valve to allow a small amount of gasoline into a container below the burner and setting it afire. This was a very efficient and effective means of producing concentrated heat before the advent of the propane torch.”
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“Hi Butch: The fuel for the blow-torch was gasoline and the pump built-in to the tank was to pressurize it with air (remember the old gasoline irons your grandmother might have used to iron the clothes with?). They could be dangerous. A friend of mine set a blow-torch down on concrete while it was lighted, and it exploded. A piece of the metal hit him just above the eye and he had a deep scar as long as I knew him. That man (Edwin Butler) was talented……. always carving things, and mounting them in bottles or large light-bulbs. I have a 2″ model of a Douglas C47 trailing a parachute mounted on a stand inside a 250 watt light bulb that he made in 1949. I also have a hand carved 15″ Boeing B17 that hangs from the ceiling, and a wooden tea set that he turned on a lathe, hand carved the handles and the spout for the teapot, then trimmed them with copper wire before the shellac was applied (it was a Christmas gift to my mom in 1950). He’d also carved beautiful bas-relief portraits of himself and his sister, and he taught me how to put a ship in a bottle and then to seal the bottle with a hand-carved wooden cork that was long enough that we could add an anchor through it to keep the cork from being removed, and taught me how to do that too (that was the tricky part that folks couldn’t figure out how it was done).” [email protected]
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Butch, Was sitting at my home on Saturday afternoon reading T&T. As I read a show came on the history channel telling about the evolution of the blow torch. The program chronicled the development of the tool from the late 1800’s to todays current disposable propane torches. The show said that the old torches like the one you pictured in T&T were fired by gasoline and a pretty dangerous item to work with.”
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Bells of Minneapolis-St. Paul
<—– Click Here <—– Click Here
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“Watch out for those old badges in the ‘Antique’ stores Butch. 99 out of 100 are fakes / reproductions and are not the original real thing. I have a good friend who collects authentic badges (he is still trying to get my Dad’s from me) and says counterfeiting these has become a very easy proposition.” -T. E. (Thal) McGinness, Houston, TX.
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“I am searching for information on Judge Walter Browning. This is his name, not a title. He was born 5 Jan. 1888 in Parker Co., Tx and died 20 July 1931 in Ryan, Jefferson, Ok. He died from a fatal gun shot wound. He was a constable of District 3, according to the 1930 census. His wife’s name was Rosa A. McElroy – any information on her would be appreciated also. Would there possibly be anyone out there who could help me find newspaper articles, or something on him? He was my grandfather’s brother. = Grand Uncle? Thanks very much for any assistance.” [email protected]
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“Butch, The next time you are driving through Sulphur and have your camera handy check out this scene. The site is just south of the Sulphur High School and is now the location of the new Sulphur Chamber of Commerce Office. Back about 1946 or 47 my father Elmer Carr and Glen Brooks who had both lived in Sulphur for at least 30 years started a construction company building mostly residences at that time. They decided to organize a lumber yard primarily for the purpose of buying at wholesale lots to increase their profits in their company. This lumber yard and hardware would become Sulphur Builders Supply as shown in the enclosed picture. Dad had Glen for a partner for several years, but finally Dad bought Glen’s part and acquired another partner. You might remember him. His name was Dick Norwood. This partnership only lasted a few years and Dad became the sole owner probably about 1954 or 55. During all these years my older sister June was pretty much the manager of the store while Dad worked on construction projects every where. Dad built the first Sooner Foods store in Sulphur which later burned. I don’t remember the year. Dad also built the Sooner Food Store in Ardmore about 1957, Then later the store at Moore, Davis, and Tishomingo. My brother Tom who still lives in Sulphur was in the Navy from about 1952 to 1957 during the Korean conflict, but when he returned he became Dad’s store manager. I worked at lumber yard during most of these years myself before my college years which began in 1959. Dad’s construction business converted to mostly commercial work after this and did not need the lumber yard so much to supply his materials. The store closed out the lumber business about 1962 and then completely closed about 1964. These years were certainly important to me in forming my work habits. As I watched my Dad work all through these years, I saw a man who had energy to work from sun to sun and still spend quality time with his family. Of course all of our family except my mother spent most of their work hours at this store as well as a couple of my uncles also.” -Michael D. Carr <—– Click Here
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The Daily Ardmoreite
September 19, 1893
A cry of “let them fight, part them, etc.” caused a rush to the corner of Main and Caddo streets Friday night. When the crowd arrived it found it was only a scheme to gain an assembly.
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HOTEL FOR RENT
The Cottage Home Hotel, opposite the court house, 15 rooms, well furnished, with beds, etc. Call on or address R.H. Glenn, Ardmore, I.T.
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Deputy marshal Lindsay yesterday arrested John Watson charged with being accessory to the murder of the butcher Adler about a year since at the slaughter pens near this city. It will be remembered that Sam Smith and a man named Lebo were held as the murderers. It appears that Smith has now turned states evidence and caused the arrest of Watson. The out come will be watched with interest. At the time of the murder it was surrounded by many mysterious circumstances which have not yet been satisfactorily dispelled. This new turn may serve the purpose. Watson says he will have no trouble in establishing his innocence. Mr. Watson was seen by the reporter and asked for a statement. He says there is nothing in it only the outcome of spite work engendered by his refusal to go on Smith’s bond and furnish money with which to conduct his defense. He anticipates no trouble establishing his innocence. The assistant prosecuting attorney at Paris has been wired and will be here Monday to represent the government in the preliminary trial before U.S. Commissioner that day.
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It is understood from good authority that two deputy marshals for the Ardmore court are in a fair way of losing their commissions for conduct unbecoming peace officers.
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November 6, 1893
Call at W.B. Frame’s at the city drug store for Dr. Stegall’s Sioux Indian Tonic and Indian Oil during his absence.
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November 15, 1893
W.L. Thomas has bought the Central Barber Shop from J. H. Flannakin. He desires the patronage of his old friends and the public generally.
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November 29, 1893
A STRANGE FUNERAL
“Yes, Tranbey is dead” was the answer given to the reporter’s query to Mr. E.E. Graves relative to his loss of a certain noted horse. Tranbey was his name and his age is given at 23 years and 8 months. He was foaled in Cooper county, Missouri, and at the age of two years shipped from there to Mr. Graves at Sherman, TX, by his mother, with the request that he should never be parted with during life and that he should be accorded a descent burial at death. Mr. Graves literally observed the injunction and when the faithful old animal succumbed to the inevitable end awaiting man and beast alike, preparations were made at once for the burial which took place yesterday afternoon. Rev. Claypool of the Christian church officiated, giving in a solemn and impressive manner a history of Tranbey from birth to death. A large number of people prompted by the novelty of the occasion and through sympathy for Mr. Graves attended the funeral. Mr. Graves says he feels as though he had lost a member of the family and when he said this the tears could not be hidden. Mrs. Graves, his mother, now lives in Clay county, TX and has been notified of Tranbey’s death.
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THE CITY
Brick work on the Bivins building is progressing nicely. Psalms sung over a dead horse is a custom belonging purely to Ardmore.
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July 22, 1910
Has Mother-in-Law Cure
Indiana–“I’ll teach you to keep your mouth shut!” exclaimed Mrs. Clara Brandon to her mother-in-law, Mrs. Lavina Brandon, and fitting the action to the word, slapped a piece of sticky fly-strewn paper over the elder Mrs. Brandon’s mouth.
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February 2, 1912
CORNISH HOME RECEIVES LUMBER
M.E. Harris of the Cornish Orphans Home was here today en route to Fort Towson, where he is loading a car of lumber to be shipped here and hauled overland to Cornish. The home is growing in importance, more children are being taken and the necessity of better accommodations has arisen and Mr. Harris is proving himself equal to the occasion. The lumber was donated by the lumber mills of the eastern portion of the state and the Rock Island and Frisco is handling the lumber without cost. Harris receives but very little aid from the state, his money comes in small donations from the people over the state, he and his good wife are devoting their whole time to the institution and the Cornish Orphanage is one of the most useful and the most economically conducted institutions in the state. Mr. Harris wanted the seven Bigham children from this place, but they had been taken to Oklahoma City before he reached here. He will take an orphan from this county next Monday. More than twenty children are in the home. Mr. Harris has photographs of many of them and also has photos of them when they were first brought to the home.
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County Probation Officer Mrs. Curtis has clothed and been the means of placing 56 children in the schools of the county who would not have had the privilege had it not been for her work.
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March 2, 1912
**Roy Brady is in the city from Pooleville and will remain here a few days to help in the Brady store during the rush of seed selling time. Mr. Brady has charge of a ranch of 2,500 acres near Pooleville and will quit town life for the free life of the ranch.
**John Harris, a former member of the police force, was here Saturday from Lindsay. He has been in that city some time and says he is well pleased with his location. **F.B. McElroy is in Muskogee where he has gone to establish a branch office for Oil City. Lot salesmen will be placed there and many other persons will become interested in the growing young town in the oil fields.
**Oce Jones, who was convicted some time ago in the district court of this county and sentenced to one year at the penitentiary for larceny of hogs and ten years for larceny of horses and whose case was in appeal, made bond yesterday and was released from jail. His bail was set at $6,000. Judge Russell ordered Clerk Haynie to approve the bond.
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December 21, 1921
ALLEGED MURDERER HELD IN ALABAMA
E.A. Wall, charged with killing J.C. Elmore, at the Jordon rooming house, 109 East Broadway last October, who has been sought by county officials since, was taken into custody by the chief of police at Gadsden, Alabama, and is held awaiting an officer from Ardmore. It is alleged that Wall, who was a carpenter, killed Elmore, who was connected with a local produce firm, while showing a pistol, immediately after the shooting he left and has been at large until picked up by officers at Gadsden.
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December 26, 1921
FIRE SWEEPS DILLARD, 1000 HOMELESS
Origin Believed Due to Defective Gas Line; Fire Discovered in Rube’s Restaurant $100,000 Loss; No Insurance
MORE THAN FIFTEEN BUSINESS HOUSES AND MANY HOMES WERE DESTROYED
Wilson—The town of Dillard, in the heart of the Hewitt oil field is today smoldering and more than 1000 persons are homeless, as a result of a fire which visited the noted “ragtown” during the early morning hours Monday and which completely consumed the entire business section including six 2 story buildings and several score of one story structures. All of the destroyed buildings were of wood or galvanized iron and proved an easy prey to the flames with a high south wind aiding in the rapidity of the destruction. The fire believed to have started in Coyle’s restaurant and hotel, from a defective gas line, was first discovered by a cook in Rube’s restaurant, adjacent to Coyle’s. An attempt to put into use the effort of a bucket brigade proved useless in the rapidity of the fires destruction. Buildings which were destroyed in the fire included: Williamson’s Grocery, Dillard Drug Company, Coyle’s hotel, Rube’s Cafe, Jasse Bollman’s pool hall, Liberty Theatre, Davis Garage, Redball Service Station, Boston Dry Goods, People’s Dry Goods Store, Henderson’s building (unoccupied), Jim Gibson’s place, Lewis’ cafe and hotel, Swindler’s Barber Shop, Walter Lyng’s Newsstand and Confectionery, Ruby Sander’s rooming house, Inez Calvert’s rooming house, Bert and Steve’s tailor shop, Dennis Camp’s hotel, and 15 or 20 small two and three room shacks which were used as residences for the field workers. Twelve automobiles were destroyed. Only three structures located in the area destroyed were not damaged to any considerable extent by the flames. They are: the Hannon Tailors Shop, Helen’s rooming house and the Texas Hotel. The fire of this morning follows close on one which occurred about a week ago that destroyed the Cornell Grocery and Buchele and Company. The cause of that fire has not been determined.
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Rambling Reporter–May 2, 1954
***”No, I am not a newcomer,” said Mrs. Felix Simmons at the Flower Show. “I am an old-timer in Southern Oklahoma. The late Cecil B. Williams, and I worked together in a bank at Kingston before he established the Exchange National bank in Ardmore.”
***Roy M. Johnson has been presented with a locomotive bell by the Santa Fe railway company. Roy plans to send it to a Seventh Day Adventist church in South Africa. Someone remarked that the freight cost alone would be as much as $400. What Roy really wanted more than anything else was one of the company’s big engines to put in Central park where it could be enjoyed by all park visitors. When the Santa Fe gave a show in a yard of Chicago some 3 years ago, Mr. Johnson was right there and had his family with him. He loves locomotives and all railroad equipment.
***Brownell calls auto concentration potentially dangerous. That is what we have been trying to sell Henry Ford on for these more than 30 years in asking them to move a part of their industry to Southern Oklahoma. The first letter went to them in 1923 and one has followed every year but the 1954 letter has not been sent yet. After sending 31 letters in 31 years without any results the outlook does not seem any too bright. But we shall try it again.
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RAMBLING REPORTER June 20, 1954
***Jack Nance says he’s seen Jackie Price perform three times and he thinks Ardmore baseball fans will be in for a real treat when the trick-artist puts on his show at Cardinal Park.
***Cortez Hays and Mrs. R.L. Williams are running the Bill Shannons grocery while they are taking a vacation. Cortez recalled that his first job in a grocery store was for Sam and Jess Lane on east Main street nearly 50 years ago.
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EAVES/BRADY FRONTIER LOG CABIN
In the Northwest part of Carter county, years ago was a community known as Elk, Indian Territory. Elk was established on January 15, 1890 in the Chickasaw Nation. After statehood in order to establish a post office the name was changed to Pooleville, Oklahoma on July 20, 1907. To this community, in 1892, after making arrangements with the Indians to lease a building site and grazing lands, came J.J. (Jim) Eaves, his wife and daughter, Mamie Eaves (Brady). Jim Eaves, who was a former drover on the Chisholm Trail, when he first saw the lush prairies and clear cool waters of the Indian Territory, he called it “paradise”. His dream was to bring his family and live in this paradise. Little by little, Jim felled, peeled and notched the trees to build their one room 16′ x 16′ log cabin. Using rocks from a nearby creek and mixing mortar of mud, straw and ashes, he built the fireplace in the cabin for heating and cooking. Several years later three rooms were added of board and batten that were hauled from Ardmore. “Oklahoma’s Little House on the Prairie” was completely restored in 1976 by Mrs. Jimy Brady Rose, a third generation owner and grand-daughter of Jim Eaves. Then this early day log cabin was opened, free to the public, as an authentic museum in 1977. The home was fully furnished with original family furniture, dishes, and clothes. On March 30, 1978, the Eaves/Brady log cabin was listed on the “National Registry of Historic Places”. The ranch has been in continuous operation since 1892.
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“Hi Butch, I have my bearings which way these two guys are travelling Route 66, they have just entered Oklahoma, starting from a place called Miami they have driven into an Amish community, who have invited them in to taste some home baking, they have a choice of Pecan pie, Cherry pie, and Coconut cream pie! they look so delicious I have never tasted a coconut cream pie, so I shall be searching for a recipe. Maybe someone has a recipe for Coconut cream pie? Then they drive on to a Pecan orchard and were shown how they are harvested with a shaker, and the shelling of them, all good stuff …. Now they have stopped at Claremore and are eating Beans & cornbread with the local cowboys. Now headed for Tulsa, I think what has made this programme more interesting for me is hearing all the different foods. Thank you Butch for educating me.” -Judith in England [email protected]
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Ever wonder what day of the week you were born on? You would be surprised how many people do not know the day of the week. For instance, I was born on a Monday (I wont say exactly what one, lol). Here is a link that will let you enter a Month, Day and Year, then click the word Calulate, and Viola! <—– Click Here

Monday’s Child is fair of face
Tuesday Child is full of grace
Wednesday’s Child is full of woe
Thursday’s Child has far to go
Friday’s Child is loving and giving
Saturday’s Child works hard for a living
But Sunday’s Child is fair and wise, and good and gay.

See everyone next Saturday!

Butch Bridges

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