PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
In some past issues of T&T we’ve mentioned the old Cameron refinery that was located at the NE edge of Ardmore back around 1920. It was started by Ardmoreite Ossian Cameron. His son, Monroe Cameron, lives in Montana today, and sent in a photo of his dad, Ossian Cameron. The photo was taken at Yellowstone National Park around 1920. We appreciate Monroe sending in a photo of his dad, Ossian Cameron was very much one of the pioneers of Ardmore, filling a need with his refinery.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/OssianCameron1920s.jpg
Map of Cameron Street in the NE part of Ardmore leading into the refinery.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/CameronStreet.jpg
A couple of photos Monroe sent in a while back of the refinery back around 1920.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CameronRefinery1920a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CameronRefinery1920b.jpg
The first refinery was Cameron Refinery, then Wirt Franklin Refinery, then Ben Franklin Refinery, Bell Oil Refining Company, Vickers Refinery, Total Petroleum, and now Valero.
Back in 2005 Jim Hill of Springer, Oklahoma took me to where the old Woodford community water well was located back 100 years ago. Jim was born at Woodford in northern Carter county and attended Woodford school when it existed. The water well is still there but since it’s on private property and no longer used, it has fallen into disrepair. It has a big crack in the side letting the water run out and down a little stream. The water well is off the road (north of Woodford proper) to the east about 1/4 mile in the woods. It was quite a trek through the high weeds, cows, a small creek, snakes, and fallen tree logs to reach the well. I would estimate it what I’d call 2 or 3 city blocks off the road to the east. Below is a couple pictures I took of the well back in 2005.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WoodfordWell5a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WoodfordWell5b.jpg
Here is a map I marked of the well location, as best I remember.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WoodfordWellMap.jpg
Here is a photo Keith Ward of OKC sent in 2002 of some 1944 students at Woodford. You can see some of the school behind the students, built in 1937-1938 by the WPA. This would have been the school Jim Hill and his sister Faye attended. The students in the pic as described by Keith are:“The first girl in the back row is my second cousin Ann Lowe (now Rempel); the names of the others, courtesy of her, are as follows: Back row—Ann Lowe, Charles Allen, Gayle McGoodwin (my third cousin), Charles Scoggins (went by the name Sonny Satterwhite at the time, while living with his Satterwhite grand-parents), ______?, Charles? Wallace, and Barbara Rice. The second row are Jack Ward (my first cousin on my dad’s side), Nelda Pender, Kenneth Clowdus, _____?_____, Venita Lynn McGoodwin (Gayle’s sister; my third cousin), Donelda Smith, and Wanda Tippit.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/wood1944.jpg
The original Woodford School was laid out and organized March 1909 – Township 3 south, Township 2 south – Range 1 west – range 1 east census 235. After bonds were voted and enlargement and repairs were made the school term for 1921-1922 was begun September 19 with a high school organized. Five teachers were required to do the work. Woodford has seen its high school grow from an initial enrollment of 14 to an enrollment of 39 in 1922-1923. The school has grown from the grades in 1921 to a high school offering 13 units of accredited work in 1922. R.R.Covey, Principal.
Below is a of pic of Wirt, Oklahoma in its heyday when it existed just west of Healdton.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WirtOK.jpg
In 1915 Wirt almost burned to the ground, but it was rebuilt because of the booming oil industry that was just beginning in Carter county.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/WirtOKfire_1915.jpg
Last Saturday Jill and I went to George and Judy Davenport’s Alpaca ranch NE of Ardmore, about half way between Ardmore and Gene Autry. Their spread is called the Smokey Ridge Alpacas and this was our first exposure to these beautiful animals. They are adorable. We wanted to bring one home. Here are a couple of pics I took at the Davenport’s open house.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Alpacas092609a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Alpacas092609b.jpg
A lady was at the Davenport Alpaca ranch demonstrating how to make thread using the hair of the Alpaca on her spinning wheel. She made it look so easy. Now we want a spinning wheel.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SpinningWheel092609a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/SpinningWheel092609b.jpg
Speaking of beautiful animals, we have had deer coming up in our backyard to eat several times a week, usually in the evening hours just before dusk. I was able to snap the picture below through our kitchen window of them eating the deer corn we put out. I pour almost a quart jar of deer corn I bought from Lone Grove Feed out every afternoon when I get home to entice them into our yard. They are so beautiful.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/Deer092709.jpg
Life Magazine. Google has digitized Life Magazine from 1936 to 1972, for your viewing pleasure.
http://books.google.com/books?id=R1cEAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s#all_issues_anchor
Ardmore Lumber on South Washington has been out of Bengal Fire Ant Killer, but just received 6 cases yesterday. When I put it in my T&T, he sells out very quickly. So don’t wait if you need some of this excellent ant killer. Ardmore Lumber is the only place in Ardmore I know where you can get it. $6.99 a container.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BengalFireAntKiller8a.jpg
Ten cheapest places to buy gas in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Q. What outlaw girls rode with the Doolin gang?
Answer #1. “Butch, I hope you’re not going to say, “Cattle Anne and Little Britches”, because it didn’t happen. The Doolins pulled their last job in April 1895. Both Cattle Anne and Little Britches were only 16 at the time. Both lived at home until 1894. In 1894 Jennie Stevens (Little Britches) tried to join a local gang of ruffians, but they returned her home. The next year she married Benjamin Midkiff, but he returned her home after he found her sleeping with other men. There are lots of stories about the two meeting members of the Doolin gang, but the window for it to have happened is quite short. Both were born in 1879. And their lives are pretty much accounted for up to 16 years old. So the barn dance would have had to have been in 1895 before April. For them to have met a member of the Doolin gang at that “barn dance” they would have had to have been born before April 1879, because there was no more Doolin gang after that. For a while in 1895 the two girls sold whiskey to the Indians, but were captured in mid August and sent to reform school. Reform school did what it was supposed two, because neither women ran afoul of the law again. At a maximum the girls were “outlaws” for 4 months.” -Larry
Answer #2. “Jennie Stevens and Emma Anne McDoulet were two “Loose” Moppets in the territory of Oklahoma during a “Wild” time….. When Jennie was about 15 yoa and Emma was about 13 yoa. They sold some whiskey on the Kaw Indian reservation and stole some tack items that same year. Arrested Jeanie was taken to a hotel in Pawnee, OK. for supper, she bolted out the back door and got away on Frank Lake’s horse (Pawnee Co. Sheriff)…. They were captured and re-arrested later at a farm near Lela, OK. and taken to Perry, O.T. where their “Posed” photograph was taken and were shipped off to Framingham, Mass. reformatory for young women. Jeanie was 15 at that time and Emma was 13. Two little girls embarrassed all of those big grown lawmen……. Soooo!!! they had to make a big deal out of it so they would look good to the public. Bill Tilghman had absolutely nothing to do with any arrests or transports in any of the Stevens – McDoulet matters. I still research this subject today.” -Steve
Q. What county was named for its mining industry?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“This is a menu from Eden’s Fine Food Restaurant that was next door to the Tivoli theater here in Ardmore. I don’t know the date of the menu but a 14 oz. KC strip with all the trimmings was an outrageous $2.95.” -Doug
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/EdensMenu1.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/EdensMenu2.jpg
“Dear Butch, Kerosene is a refined product coming out of oil. Coal oil is derived from the destructive distillation of cannel coal, hence the name. A lot of people used to use the term lamp oil referring to kerosene. The reason I know that is because a friend of mine used to own an adobe home in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico with a dirt floor. Every year they used a mixture of coal oil and kerosene on the floor to keep it shiny and durable. The floor was as tough as linoleum.” -Monroe Cameron
“Does anyone remember those little Grapette drinks that came out, I believe, sometime during World War II? I had my first one from a machine in the Healdton theater and the cost was five cents. I don’t’ think any grape drink of today compares to its wonderful tangy flavor. I don’t remember when they disappeared. What a treat!!!”
Anagram….
ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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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
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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