Don’t you just hate it when visitors come by unexpectedly? I guess it really doesn’t bother me that much, but some people sure do. You know, if you had some advance notice, you could clean up around the place, put on some better clothes, comb your hair, and just make everything more presentable. Well, that’s exactly what happened in Ardmore about a few months ago, but they never let us know they were in town until this week. Google came visiting Ardmore, unannounced. They drove their van up and down every street in Ardmore, and then on into the county to map this area for what they call ‘street views’ in their Google Maps. This technology has got to be one of the most amazing things to experience.
We can get a pretty good idea as to when Google came through Ardmore by looking at the Santa Fe Cattle Company restaurant at 12th and N. Rockford. Santa Fe Steak House open the end of May this year. In the ‘street view’ it looks nearly completed. But just to the north on the west side of Rockford behind Lowe’s, the new motels being built today, that work had not started when Google came through town.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/SantaFeCattleCo.jpg
What’s so interesting is as google drives by other vehicles get in the video. This was taken in front of the Southern Oklahoma School of Technology (Vo-Tech) on the east side of Ardmore.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/VoTechCenter1.jpg
So you can’t quite make out the red pickup in the video? Here, let me pan around for a closer look at the driver. Maybe someone knows the driver, and will let him know he REALLY got googled. lol
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/VoTechCenter2.jpg
This is the old Ardmore High School as google drove by.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ArdmoreHighGoogle.jpg
And of course, I had to see what google did on B Street SW at the courthouse where I work. I came right down Main Street from the west, and turned south on B Street SW.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CourthouseByGoogle.jpg
The google van has been through Lone Grove too. Looks like they mapped 1 mile on either side of Highway 70 in Lone Grove (Memorial Road and Myall Road). But they’ve not made it on further north or south of the highway than 1 mile, so our road ain’t mapped, yet. This is looking east toward Ardmore in front of the Bowl-A-Rama.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LoneGroveGoogle.jpg
This is where I panned around to look on the south side, at the bowling alley.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BowlARamaGoogle.jpg
This is all unbelievable technology. If you haven’t checked out Google Maps, you are in for a surprise. When you reach the address you are looking for, click on ‘street view’ or on the little orange man.
I’ve made some progress on finding a new home with kinfolk for the diplomas of Henry Lee and Beulah Cathey. Several of you wrote in after last weeks T&T, giving more info. I’ve learned that Henry and Beulah’s daughter’s brother, Lynn Cathey, owned the Buick dealership here years ago. Then this week I received a call from Dallas, and they are kin to the Catheys and are going to try and get in touch with Lynn’s son.
I received an email this week from Indiana inquiring about a Ardmore arms company from many years ago. There has been plenty of emails over the years about Ardmore’s Hoffman Arms, which would later become Dubiel Arms. If I remember right, many of Joe and John Dubiel’s rifles were not the round barrel type, but had an octagon barrel. This produced the much heavier barrel mentioned in the emails below. Since there has been so sent in from time to time over the years about Dubiel Arms, I have put them all together below. Here is a photo I took in 2000 of a Dubiel rifle.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/DubielRifle00a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/DubielRifle00b.jpg
From past issues of my newsletter re Dubiel Arms:
“I was born in 1921 at Hugo, Okla.- We moved to Ardmore about 1926. I personally knew Joe Dubiel and he and I both were still in rompers when the old Gun Factory was located exactly where Lumberman’s Mill is now. In fact, I believe the Gun Factory building was old & likely vacant even then. It is true that Joe was an excellent gunsmith and he may have had a gun shop but the “old gun factory” I think you are seeking predated Joe, a bunch.”
“Butch, my grandfather, Ira Butler, owned a custom gun made by Joe Dubiel. It was a heavy barrel .22 Hornet single shot based on a falling block action. It was a beautiful rifle, and was tack-driving accurate. It was HEAVY, too. My uncle owns the gun now. The gun was given to my grandfather by Wirt Franklin in, I think, the early 1940s. I also seem to remember a magazine article in either Guns and Ammo or Shooting Times from the 1970s that featured a new custom rifle from Joe Dubiel. I think they said his shop was in either Sherman or Denison. And the rifle was a real beauty, too. Perhaps we could find out some history behind Joe and his gunmaking.”
“A reader wrote in a couple weeks ago about a factory years ago in Ardmore that manufactured guns. I can tell you the owner was Joe Dubiel (July 18, 1920 to October 16, 1996). His daughter just lives a couple blocks from me. I’ll see if she has any photos of her dad’s factory.” -Butch Bridges
“There was such a factory and I believe Lumberman’s Mill occupied the property. The gun factory was called Hoffman Arms and made some of the best rifles ever. The man who ran the factory was named Dubiel. The factory was closed about the beginning of the great depression.”
“The Dubiel Gun factory, was originally Hoffman Arms. I believe some of the Dubiel descendants still live in Ardmore.”
“Hello Mr. Bridges, I was doing some research on Hoffman Arms, formerly of Cleveland Ohio and found a reference to your web site through Yahoo. Hoffman Arms was one of the premier firearms manufacturers in the USA in the 1920’s through the 1930’s. The company moved to Oklahoma about 1925 and then to Texas in the 30’s and may have been active there through WW2, but I haven’t found too much about it yet. I am persistent (or dense). Do you have any information about Hoffman Arms that you would like to share? Any information or photos would be appreciated. Thanks for your time.” -Brian & Dianne Clark
August 16, 1925 First Week of Operations; May Exhibit at Fair. The Hoffman arms factory began work making rifles and shotguns last Monday morning. Although quite considerable was accomplished the first week, yet there is much to be done before the factory can be operated to full capacity, according to men in charge. Within a week to ten days it is expected that everything will be running smoothly and rifles and guns will be ready for the owners bearing the Ardmore factory stamp. During the week just passed the Oklahoma State Sheriffs association held a convention in Ardmore and all the delegates visited the factory and inspected the rifles and shotguns. They were a unit in expressing surprise at the quality of guns turned out by the Hoffman Arms company. The Hoffman Arms company not to be outdone, donated a fine high grade rifle to the winner of the pistol contest. This was won by Deputy Sheriff Stein of McCurtain county.
July 14, 1925 Steel has arrived for the construction of the factory for the Hoffman Arms company. The roofing material also is here and the new building will be completed by the first of the month. F.E. Watson is the contractor.
June 23, 1926 NO PLANS YET MADE BY LYNCH
No definite plans have been made by Dr. Charles S. Lynch, appointed receiver for the Hoffman Arms company, in regard to taking over the affairs of the company. Lynch will probably visit the plant in a day or two and look over the plant in a general way and will announce what he will do to liquidate the debts of the concern, he stated today. Lynch was appointed receiver by Judge Robert L. Williams in Federal court at Pauls Valley Monday to answer to a petition filed here by F.E. Watson a contractor asking that the receiver be appointed when the corporation failed to pay for a building that Watson had constructed at the plant site north of the city. In the petition filed Watson alleged that fictitious debts had been made by the company and that a mortgage executed for the purpose of covering the debt was about to be foreclosed and that this would make a lien held by him on the building void. The mortgage was made by Harry Snydor, president, of the company, and was held by L.H. Vilas of Chicago. Watson said that the company owed him (approx.) $14,500 for building material and labor furnished under a contract with the firm.
Doug Williams sent in a couple photos he took of Cool Creek, just north of the Ardmore Airpark. Its dry, like everywhere in this area. We need rain. I remember going to this creek back in the early 60s on my cycle to shoot my 22 pistol.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CoolCreek120708a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CoolCreek120708b.jpg
While Doug was in the area, he snapped photos of all the earth moving going on at the Airpark, preparing for the extended runways.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708b.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708c.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708d.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708e.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708f.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708g.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708h.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Airpark120708i.jpg
Hoot Gilbert at Healdton sent in some nice pictures from his past. Photos of when he and his wife first got married back in 1951 at Lake Murray.
1. 1951 Chev, When we were first Married!
2. Lake Murry Lodge, where we spent our Honeymoon!
3. Our first new 1955 Chev and our first Flood!
4. Our first home in 1956!
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Gilbert1951Chevy.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/GilbertLakeMurrayLodge.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Gilbert1955ChevyFlood.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Gilbert1956Home.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/Gilbert1956HomeSnow.jpg
I have used a program called Advanced Care System 3 on several computers to fix problems in Windows XP, such has slowness, malware, spyware, registry problems, etc. It has been an excellent program, and is highly acclaimed. And the best part is its a Freeware program, anyone anywhere can use it to keep their computers in tip top shape.
Advanced SystemCare 3 Download
Ten cheapest places to buy gas in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
There are new postings. Check out the Oklahoma History Boards!
http://oklahomaroots.proboards83.com/
Q. What U.S. president proposed the Indian’s removal to Oklahoma?
A. Thomas Jefferson
Q. What Oklahoma outlaw was once one of Quantrill’s Raiders?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“I’m familiar with the spot you mention on North Brock just north of Memorial. In fact I’ve followed the old roadbed at nearly all of the old original road crossings from Ardmore to Ringling and from Cobalt Junction up to Healdton. That old line is a favorite of mine. You can also still easily follow the route by using the aerial photos that are posted on websites now days such as MapQuest.com
I don’t have any photos of the area on North Brock but I have a video posted on YouTube that shows the abandoned rail between Plainview Road and Kings Road. Just click the following link to view it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBePJQsa0xo
I have other railroad videos posted on YouTube that you might also be interested in watching. Just click on “More From: railheadok ” on the right side of the page while you are at the above link. I’ve attached an aerial photo that shows where the old ONM&P Railroad crossed Hwy 70 in Lone Grove. On the photo you can still see how the tracks ran from NE to SW and that they crossed Hwy 70 approximately half way between where the Lone Grove Bank is (corner of Newport Rd. and Hwy 70) and Payne Propane is (west side of Lone Grove).
I’ve also attached a couple of photos of the Healdton Yard from 1962 that I took myself at about 14 yrs of age. -Dwane Stevens
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/HealdtonRRyard8a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/HealdtonRRyard8b.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LoneGroveRRmap.jpg
“Friends, Terri and I were in Amarillo, Tx for a few days and when we passed through Clarendon, Tx I saw a vintage 30HP Superior Gas Engine for sale sitting next to the Hwy (Hwy 287). It’s mounted on a trailer ready to go with a starting engine all for $5000. The price is a little steep for me but sure would make a nice gift for that someone special! Click on the “Full Size” icon to the right of each photo for a larger view.” -Dwane Stevens
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2475279230048365975yqcGrX
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2914233710048365975zMofgV
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2714509710048365975NVDQKG
“Butch-Since there has been a lot of interest in the Palacine Indian, Wirt Franklin Petroleum Corporation and the Cameron Refinery, the attached advertisement in “Home Tried Recipes” might be of interest. The cookbook was published by the Women’s Missionary Society, First Baptist Church, Ardmore; date of publication not available due to a missing page or two. Several advertisements from Ardmore merchants are in the book. A grocery store, The “Split Nickel Grocery” might not be in your list of early day stores. It was located at 308 C. Street, SE and operated by J. L. Harlan, proprietor. If anyone knows the publication date of the cookbook, please advise.” [email protected]
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/HomeTriedRecipes8a.jpg
SPRINGER CHRISTMAS PARADE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2008 1:00PM. ALL ENTRIES MEET ON SOUTH SIDE OF SPRINGER SCHOOL PARKING LOT AT 12:30PM. OPEN TO ALL RIDING CLUBS, CAR CLUBS, ATV, MOTORCYCLES, CHURCH GROUPS, FLOATS, ANIMALS AND WALKERS. DONATION ENTRY FEE ? ONE (1) NEW TOY PER ENTRY. CONTACT EVELYN 580- 653-2324 0R TERRI 580- 653-2829 FOR ADDITIONAL INFO OR CITY HALL 580-653-2500
From Oklahoma Place Names, by George H. Shirk: “The story of the place names on the Santa Fe Railway from Purcell to Ardmore is worth recounting. The engineer in charge of construction was from Pennsylvania, and, [sic] in laying out the stations on the road north to Purcell, he adopted the names of places along the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad west from Philadelphia.”
Actually, it extended further south than Ardmore. Overbook and Marietta also are part of series. The railroad was built from the south. Pauls Valley and Purcell seem to have existed as towns before the railroad was built. Purcell was named for a Santa Fe director. Note that Gene Autry was originally named Berwyn, part of the series of names from Pennsylvania. -Wes Leatherock [email protected]
“Hi Butch! Last Christmas the limited edition “Medicine Park Centennial Cookbook” drew a lot of attention and sold out. Due to numerous inquiries, the local publisher has now digitized and released the cookbook on CD for use on computers.
The CD is published using a new state-of-the-art 3D technology called “flip-book.” The book is displayed on the computer screen just like a real book. You flip turn thru the pages just as you would a printed publication – but you use your mouse or the page turning icons. There are even the sounds of Medicine Creek running in the background and pages from the book may be printed at will. The cookbook contains 90 pages of recipes submitted by local residents, local history, vintage photographs relating to Medicine Park and information regarding the last 100 years of Medicine Park’s colorful history. As a FREE bonus with the Cookbook CD, the publisher has included their new fall/winter edition of the “Wichita Mountains Cobblestone Gazette E-Magazine” on CD. The 140 page digital e-magazine also utilizes the flip-book format. It contains numerous feature articles of interest, loads of history and photos related to the entire area, and articles about local lodging, businesses, food & beverage establishments, real estate, the arts, entertainment and much more. The cookbook and e-magazine CD combo-pack are $15 + $5.50 s/h. The CD combo-pack can be ordered through www.medicineparktradingcompany.com or send a check to Medicine ParkTrading Company, P.O. Box 43 Medicine Park, OK 73557. What a great stocking stuffer for Christmas!
Butch, I was amazed at the clarity and ease of this magazine! You’ll love reading and flipping through it.” -Joy Willingham
“Butch, Here are two different Indian statute picture postcards scanned at a slightly higher resolution for closer examination. One is located at the northerly end of a jagged rock wall and has a small, bullet-sized hole just above the arm pit, another in the thigh and a busted kneecap. The other one is located at the southerly end of the jagged rock wall and has completely different blemishes including a left shoulder blemish that is not seen in the photos of the other statutes. The rock wall base for the statutes is obviously different as well. There are definitely at least two different statutes and very possibly three different ones that were located at the Turner Falls curio shop at one time.
You can see some people starting to descend down the rock stairs into the park in the one photo of the back side of the gift shop. My mom’s older sister, Irene (King) Myers worked for years in the 1960’s at the ticket booth located at the bottom of the steep, long, narrow and very dangerous stairs on the side of the mountain that led down from the curio shop. People would often try to sneak into the park only to find a very stern woman at the bottom of those rock stairs to take their money or send them back up those slippery stairs quite disappointed. She claimed that no one ever refused to pay if they had the money and she also claims to have never let anyone in the park without paying and knowing her, I bet that is true. You could drive a car within a few hundred yards of the falls in those days and park there at the concession stand. My aunt’s ticket booth was on the other side (southeast side) of the creek just south of the concession stand before the bath house at the falls. It was an easy walk from the parking lot on a smooth, well beaten trail that was even paved in places.
My younger brother and I all worked summers at Turner Falls for Max Sulcer and Bob Howell who leased the park from the City of Davis in the late 60’s and early 70’s. My cousin worked on the miniature railroad that ran from the Tavern to the Falls. They were always repairing or replacing sections of tracks. The pay was not much, but we got free admission and the views were not bad if you know what I mean.” -Mickey Shackelford
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PalacineIndianNorth.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PalacineIndianSouth.jpg
Below is a link to the Palacine Indian article in today’s Ardmoreite.
“After looking at my pictures of Turner Falls (mostly old postcards), I have discovered that I have postcard pictures of at least two different Indian Statutes, each in a different location. I have one view of the “Little Place on the Hill” from the West, or from the falls side and when zoomed it shows two Indian statutes, one located just North of the building and one located just South of the building. The front of the building is not visible, so there well may be a third one standing in front of the gas station as in the other picture postcard. These two photos appear to have taken very close to the same time frame judging from the automobiles. I have rescanned these at a higher resolution for closer examination and attached them here for you to see.” -Mickey Shackleford
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PalacineIndianNorth2.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PalacineIndianSouth2.jpg
“Speaking of the Turner Falls overlook, gas station and curio shop, does anyone remember an “Areo-Trolley” car ride by cable from the overlook down to the creek? By the way, every picture that I have seen that shows the Indian statute, shows the curio shop as a “one-story” building. The second-story appears when the gas station was a Skelly Station in the 1940s with no Indian out front.” -Mickey Shackleford in Chicago https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/TurnerFallsAeroTrolley.jpg
“Butch & Jill, What a treasure you produce!! I changed locations and servers and was so busy I lost track of this. I’m glad you have the past issues accessible. The Lone Grove train story takes me back to my youth as I would ride my mini bike up to the corner across Fred Taliaferro’s pasture from my home 1/4 mile north on Meridian on west side. My dad and mom, Jerry and Linda Lathum, as well as my sister Jennifer lived on the west side directly across from Truett and Judy Foster. I could hear the whistle when it crossed Brock road and would take off as fast as I could to beat it to the corner!! There was always a caboose (those were the days) and the gentleman never failed to wave at me and I thought I was the king of the world. On one particular morning I rode to the tracks as usual but inadvertently stopped on a bumble bee nest and thank God that Fred Taliaferro came along and rescued a crying and scared young man. Its last run was October 31,1976 and it was a sad day indeed. Thank you so much for the memories and your hard work!! God bless you richly.” -Rhett Lathum
“Butch, did you notice the bell on the roof of the entrance to the old Plainview school picture?” -Terry https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PlainviewSchool_1923.jpg
‘Across the Alley from the Alamo’
Words & Music by Joe Greene
Recorded by The Mills Brothers, 1947
Across the alley from the alamo
Lived a pinto pony and a Navajo
Who sang a sort of indian
Hi-de-ho to the people passing by
The pinto spent his time a swishin’ flies
And the Navajo watched the lazy skies
And very rarely did they ever rest their eyes
On the people passing by
One day they went awalkin’
Along the railroad track
They were swishin’, not lookin’
Toot! Toot!
They never came back
Across the alley from the alamo
When the summer sun decides to settle low
A fly sings an Indian
Hi-de-ho to the people passing by
Across the alley from the Alamo
Lived a pinto pony and a Navajo
Who used to bake frijoles
In cornmeal dough for the people passing by
They tho’t that they would make some easy bucks
If they’re washin’ their frijoles in Duz and Lux
A pair of very conscientious clucks
To the people passing by
Then they took this cheap vacation
Their shoes were polished bright
No they never heard the whistle
Toot! Toot!
They’re clear out of sight
Across the alley from the Alamo
When the starlight beams it’s tender tender glow
The beans go to sleep and there ain’t no dough
For the people passing by
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojMZ84Xe7jM
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443https://oklahomahistory.net
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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
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
https://oklahomahistory.net/airbase/
Carter county schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
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