PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
We were over at Lawton last Saturday and visited the Museum of the Great Plains. There were a lot of things to see inside, and I have some pics I took a little further on down, but the most interesting thing we saw was all the prairie dogs out on the front lawn of the museum. There were dozens, quite a sight to behold.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PrairieDogLawton8a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PrairieDogsLawton.jpg
On the east side of the Lawton museum was an old locomotive. The neat part of it was you could climb up in the cab and look at all the complicated valves and knobs and handles. First time I think I’d ever been inside the cab of a steam locomotive.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/TrainLawtonMuseum.jpg
Here are some pictures I took inside the Great Plains Museum at Lawton.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/RailroadHandCar.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LawtonFireTruck100408.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LawtonCarriage100408.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LawtonBank100408.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LawtonOilTanker100408.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LawtonPrintingPress100408.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/KeystoneCottonBaler.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BirdsellCloverHuller.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LawtonTeePee.jpg
If your ever in Lawton, take the time to visit the Museum of the Great Plains, its worth the time!
http://www.museumgreatplains.org/
A Reader mentions in the Mailbag below a Quigley School photo she saw at Davis. Does anyone know where this Quigley school was located? I did a google search and didn’t find anything.
Taylor Crowe from down in Alabama sent us a package of Osage Oranges this week. I thought they would look like the horse apples we find here in Southern Oklahoma and North Texas. Nope. Nothing like them. These are much smaller, and have a fuzz on them like peaches. I’d like to see a picture of the full grown tree if anyone has such a photo, or finds it on the internet.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/OsageOrangesAlabama.jpg
Thanks Taylor for the most unusual Osage Oranges. Now I have to figure out how to get the seeds out, or just plant them or what, so I can some growing by the road someday.
And Carole Martin at Marietta sent us some 4 o’clock seeds the other day. We have a few plants that came from the original 4 o’clocks that grew at our place back in the 50s and 60s on 3rd NE. But now thanks to Carole, we got plenty of seed. If you want some for spring planting, send me an email. Thanks Carole!
A Reader wrote in this week asking about any info on the old Ardmore JC’s Zoo that used to be on the south side of Hardy Murphy Coliseum. I remember going there to the zoo in the 50s and 60s. The only thing I have that I remember, is this picture of the monkey cage.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ArdmoreJCZoo.jpg
Jill planted three castor beans Bill Uhles sent us a couple weeks ago, and all three have sprouted. Since I took this photo, Jill has transplanted them into 3 separate pots. We are planning to keep them in the house until Spring, but Bill said they grow fast, so guess we will see how things go. In about a year they should be house high, like Bill’s in Sulphur.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CastorBeans100508.jpg
In last week’s T&T we talked about Mr. Billy Goat living in front of a house just east of Taliaferro’s Grocery along Highway 70 at Lone Grove. Well, I noticed the next Monday evening that Billy was gone including his ‘dog house’. Don’t know what happened to him. Maybe he just moved around back, or moved in with some relatives, or just moved because of all the autograph seekers since the last T&T. Anyway, I hope he is ok. He was a cutie.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BillyGoat8a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BillyGoat8b.jpg
Doug Williams took a picture of a bell at Tulsa the other day. It’s a beautiful brass bell. The bell was at a place called Ollie’s Restaurant and they have electric trains running along the top of the wall while you eat It is in far SW Tulsa. Here is what Carl Zimmerman at St Louis had to say about this bell: “Clearly it’s a railroad bell, almost certainly from a steam engine. The shape of the bell, the shape of the relatively heavy mountings, and the vertical ringer arm (for a horizontal rope to the engine cab) – all are characteristic. This is indeed a fine example.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/OlliesRestaurantBell.jpg
Ten cheapest places to buy gas in the Ardmore area.
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Visit the Oklahoma History Boards, start a topic if you want too!
http://oklahomaroots.proboards83.com/
Q. To whom did Spain sell Oklahoma in 1800?
A. France
Q. Who was Bryan county named after?
A. (answer in next weeks T&T)
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..“I am trying to locate the daughters of my aunt Lillian Strebeck Elliott. Bernice Alvarez of Arlington, Texas, Ruby Riner of Ardmore, and Margaret Lowrey. Here is the obit for Lillian: Lillian Bernice Elliott Funeral services for Lillian Bernice Elliott, 72, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at CrystalRock Cathedral with Dr. Walt Spradling officiating. Interment will be at McAlister Cemetery. Born on May 21, 1925, to Ben and Grace Redd Clay, she passed away on Sept. 1, 1997, in the local hospital. Mrs. Elliott had lived in the Ardmore area all her life. She attended CrystalRock Cathedral and was a homemaker. Her greatest joy was her children. She had one son, Charles Ray Strebeck of Ardmore; one brother, Charles Clay of Ardmore; three nieces she reared as her own children, Bernice Alvarez of Arlington, Texas, Ruby Riner of Ardmore, and Margaret Lowrey; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; 12 great-nieces and nephews; and 19 great-great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a brother, Delbert Clay; and a sister, Irene Clay Gentry. Pallbearers will be Wilson Riner, Ray Riner, Jack Ramsey, David Leibrock, Robert Leibrock and Michael D’Ante. Services will be directed by Harvey-Douglas Funeral Home. Published in the Daily Ardmoreite [Ardmore, Okla.], September 02, 1997. Please contact me if you can.” -Edna Mongomery blem@windstream.net
“Hi Butch, My husband and I stopped in Davis, OK to have lunch at a place called Main Street Cafe. Inside are a lot of pictures of classes at Dougherty School. There is also a picture of a class of kids dated 1948 – 1949 at the Quigley School. It was labeled grades 1st. through 8th. I love old pictures and I thought that was interesting. Also, I love the gas price lists you give us. It really helps to know where to go for gas.” -Cleta
“Mr. Jameson said that B.L. Owens hit a little bit of memory for you as you bought your first furniture there. My dad Sidney Franklin (Slim) Pennington may have been the one who sold it to you or perhaps during that time frame delivered the furniture. Dad worked for B.L. Owens for over 25 years and I worked part time during summers and special occasions as a kid. Because I was big for my age I was able to handle an end to any piece of furniture over the years. Dad started in the delivery and then sales and was manager of both Ardmore and Healdton stores at times. I remember most of the employee’s names and the son’s Ben and Vic Owens. A lot of great memories and would love to be able to turn the clock back. The building is now an antique store and every time I go back there I have to drive around the area including the old store. Thanks to you for sharing your memories and thank you Butch for allowing us to remember and stay in touch.” -Mike Pennington azfop5@msn.com
“This week a couple of items caught my eye. The persimmons looked good and I remembered seeing a recipe on the Choctaw Nation site for Persimmon Cake. Maybe when you collect some persimmons this fall you can make this or pass the recipe along.” -Gerald Whitworth, Glenpool, Oklahoma
Choctaw Persimmon Cake
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. soda
1 C. persimmon pulp
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well then pour into a well greased and floured pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes. This is good served with a whipped topping.
“Butch, The persimmons in your photo are called Japanese persimmons as they came from Japan these are the same ones I sent you photos of last year.” -Paskell
“Hi Butch. I love all the talk about Bois d’Arc trees. I bough a pier and beam house in Oak Cliff in 1988 that was built in 1923 and the “pier” part was stumps of Bois d’arc trees. They are very hard. The house still stands. I sold it in 2000 and have been back to drive by and look at the tree I planted several times. That’s 75 years of a firm foundation!” -Claire
“Here’s something from a buddy of mine, we worked together in Borneo and Sumatra years ago, about Bois d’arc.” -Jim in Whitesboro, TX http://www.sdhwoodworking.com/special.htm
“I visited the Bois d’Arcy tree snug up next to the national capitol building a a few years ago and brought back some of the horse apples to plant.” -Jimmie Dale Martin
“Butch, at the Seminole fair I saw a book with all the cemeteries listed in Seminole county. I notice that you have been inquiring about some here they are on sale for $10.00 at the OSU Extension Office here Wewoka, 405-257-5433 or 405-257-3211. also want to invite everyone to the Sorghum Day Festival the 25th of October. thanks for all the news. ” -karen
“Good morning Butch (or in this case perhaps I should call you Stanley 🙂
Your mentioning the Stanley No. 45 Plane twice now in your last two newsletters https://oklahomahistory.net/newsletters/TT610.htm really got my attention because I have one!!! However, I only have one of the cutters and wish I had more. I did NOT know that they had continued to make this plane through the years and that a British company had made a ‘knockoff’ that even costs more than the Stanley company’s product has.
Did you see this week’s Antique’s Roadshow on PBS. You can still ‘catch’ the show for the next few days in the repeat broadcasts. They feature one there that was made (possibly in the ’40s) that was in like new condition with box and all, and was estimated to be worth $400.00 (because everything was there, plus its condition). It had been in the same family (passed from father to son) all the time.
The one that I have is much older and has its original patent numbers stamped on it. I’d already refused an offer of $75 on it a few months ago but have not been aware of its actual value (and still don’t know for certain) considering its condition which is actually very good. I have sold several planes in the past in my antique store.
Also you mentioned the Bengal product that kills the colonies of fire ants and I checked out the website that you mentioned and ordered three of their products. I’d not heard of the company before but from your description of the results, decided to check them out. I’ll let you know if I get similar results.
Your weekly newsletter is one that I always look forward to and am thankful that you can take the time to put it all together.” -Roy
“HAVE YOU TRIED THE FATBOY BURGER OR THE OLD SKOOL BURGER AT A PLACE CALLED ROCK-A-BILLYS GRILL IN BEGGS OK? THEY ARE GREAT. ITS LOCATED AT THE JUNCTION OF HWY 75/16 ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTH OF TULSA ON HWY 75.”-MIKE SCOTT, OKMULGEE, OK.
The Wilson News submitted by Mindy Taylor
April 6, 1916
More Trades Day Ads:
Wilson is the fastest growing town in Oklahoma. It is surrounded by some of the most fertile land that can be found. It equals the Mesapoteme of Arabia. It is only 3 1/2 miles from producing oil wells. Wells are being drilled closer. This month offers the golden opportunity for contestants, as the business men have diversified the premiums so that all the people find something to contest for.
~ FREE! FREE! To the farmer bringing in the most eggs, a good egg case. Also to the biggest family we will give a nice set of cup and saucers. – C. Bucele & Son.
~ Casey’s Cash Grocery will pay 11 cents for hens on Trades Day.
~ Some Pickles to the three families coming from the fartherest point. We will give to each one, 1 gallon of pickles. – P. W. McKay successor to Ward Bros.
~ We will give to the lady bringing in the nicest pound of butter on Trades Day, a nice coffee percolator. – C. P. Hall
~ Free Overalls for the best looking horse brought to town on Trades Day. – Wilson Merc. Co.
~ To The Lady coming from the fartherest distance we will give a 10 yard dress pattern. – The Fair Store
~ For Baby – To the lady bringing in the prettiest baby we will give a cut glass sugar bowl and cream pitcher. Baby must be under 2 years old – Economy Store
~ LOOK! For the biggest and best dozen eggs of any breed brought to my store on Trades Day I will give one gallon of pure apple vinegar. – C. O. C. grocery
“The whole financial structure of Wall Street seems to rise or fall on the mere fact that the Federal Reserve Bank raises or lowers the amount of interest. Any business that can’t survive a one percent change must be skating on thin ice. Why even the poor farmer took a raise of another ten percent just to get a loan from the bank, and nobody from the government paid any attention. But you let Wall Street have a nightmare and the whole country has to help to get them back into bed again.” –Will Rogers
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443https://oklahomahistory.net
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Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
American Flyers Memorial Fund – Administration Webpage
https://oklahomahistory.net/crash66.html
Official American Flyers Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base Website
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Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
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Carter county schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
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