Ardmore, Oklahoma
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
Phone: 580-490-6823
If you live in an area where you can receive OETA on the TV, there is a great opportunity to see Pearl The Movie this coming Saturday evening June 11th at 8pm Central Time. We first saw this movie at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur early last year, and loved the movie. It was produced by the Chickasaw Nation about a tribe member, Pearl Carter Scott, and her accomplishments as an aviatrix beginning with her life at age 12 in Marlow, Oklahoma. She would go on to become the youngest pilot in American aviation history. If you have not seen this movie, I would encourage you to make every effort when it shows Saturday night on OETA. We can hardly wait!
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/MoviePearl061111.jpg
Here is a link to Pearl The Move website with a lot more info and details:
I was down on East Main the other day visting Bob Longest’s antiques. It’s located in the old Daube Deppartment Store. If you haven’t dropped in for a look-see, Bob’s got a lot of neat stuff. In fact, if you haven’t been in downtown Ardmore lately, there’s a lot going on, new businesses opening up, remodeling in many of the older buildings, and plans for more things to come. Anyway, here’s some pics I took at Bob’s Longest Antiques.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LongestAntiques052511a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LongestAntiques052511b.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LongestAntiques052511c.jpg
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And last but not least, Bob a big old bell in his store!
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LongestAntiquesBell052511.jpg
Huston, Dunn, and Huston Sheet Metal Works opened for business in October (1945) at 124 North Washington in Ardmore. The firm consists of two brothers, Ewing, and Lloyd Huston, and Dick Dunn who pooled their resources and experiences to form the business. Dick Dunn is the son of former Ardmore Police Chief Hale Dunn. At present time they are busy developing and manufacturing tubs, minnow buckets and other sheet metal products. They do their own galvanizing with a 40 ton punch, the only one of its kind between Dallas and Oklahoma City. Another machine which they are proud of is the spot welder, a big gadget if you don’t know, for tying the sheet metal together more permanently than the ordinary process of soldering. Six men are employed and are now making pipes and fittings for a new pecan sheller at Wilson. -The Daily Ardmoreite November 26, 1945
From This and That newsletter archives of June 13, 1998:
We had our annual Flag Day on Friday, June 12 at noon at the courthouse. Everyone was outside on the beautiful courthouse lawn, eating hotdogs and hamburgers, and really having a great time. There was even live music! I took a few pics, and when I get the roll developed, I’ll give everyone a peek. As I looked around, watching everyone, I could not help but think what a great bunch of people I have the privilege of working with…. like one big family. I ran across a pic I took last fall of the benches county commissioners installed outside the courtrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors for people to sit on. We don’t think a lot about it, but if you’re the one waiting outside for a court appearance and no where to sit, only lean up against the walls, it sure is nice to have the something to sit on. And if your elderly, they are really welcome benches. On busy days, every bench is full. Here’s the pic-
https://oklahomahistory.net/photos/bench.jpg
Q. What Oklahoma town is billed as the Deer capital of the world?
A. Antlers, Oklahoma
Q. When and where was the first parking meter in the nation installed?
A. (answer in next week’s newsletter)
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.htmlSome mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“I’m sure you have several submissions on this by now but maybe I have something unique. President Truman was in Ardmore on September 28, 1948 at 12:10 PM. Most if not all speeches were given from the end of the last car on the train. However in Ardmore he left the train and made his speech from a platform built on the steps of the First Methodist Church. My family, owners of J. W. Davis Grocery, had a food booth just West of the church steps. They sold their homemade cole slaw, potato salad, and sandwiches made of their own ham salad, pimento cheese, chicken salad and a unique type of bar-b-q which you could get in the store in the summer around noon three days a week. Every member of the Davis clan had a job and I remember them selling out of food and wishing they had made twice as much.” -George W. Davis
Seminole, Okla. I saw my first and only President of the USA.
“President Harry Truman came thru Seminole on a campaign train. He stood on the back of the train and gave a speech. The Seminole High School band played the Missouri waltz for him. It was his favorite song. I can only remember one thing he had to say. “That sure is a snappy band you have there”. I was so proud, because my sister Betty was playing in the band. He had his wife, Bess and his daughter Margaret with him. He got my vote and I was only twelve years old.” -Ken in Wilson
“I believe that Truman visited Ardmore in Sept. 1948. I had a son born on Sept. 15 and I was at my Mom?s house near the railroad when the train pulled into town. I could not go down as in those days you had to spend 14 days in bed after having a baby so it had to be within that time frame. Sure am glad that practice changed.” -Frances
Note: Here is a pic of President Harry Truman at the Ardmore Depot. Next to Truman is Ardmore policeman Matt Alexander, on the horse is Clyde Wyatt.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/TrumanArdmore.jpg
Q. “Butch: I was wondering if you had any information about MKT (“Katy”) caboose 33, which has been reported to be owned by Bob Kerr in Ardmore?” -John Kirk
A. From my April 14, 2011 newsletter: “Did you know Bob Kerr had an article in a Country Living magazine a few years back about a guest house in his backyard that was an old MKT Railroad car? It was so cool!!! I still have it somewhere! He was a good friend of my Dad and Step Mom, JW and Jo Ashley!!” -Carolyn Woodard
“I finally had to put in my two cents worth about your bull nettles. Bull nettles they are not. I guarantee if you ever touched a bull nettle you’d never forget it. My granddad had kidney problems for years, and he would dig the roots of the (real) bull nettle and boil them to make a medicinal tea. You can’t believe the stink while boiling, but the taste was fantastic. Something between sassafras and root beer, with just a very slight hint of lemon. My dad and I used to coon hunt when I was small, and very often, when out close to the South Canadian in the dark, we would get into them…terrible pain.” -George Hill
“I’d always heard that the Russian Thistle seeds came mixed with hemp seed ordered by Kansas farmers under the supposition they would get rich raising hemp for ropes.” -Jim
“Butch, Thank you so much for the grocery store list, and for including Mac’s Minit Mart (at 12th and N Commerce). Mac was my grandfather and it’s great to see his store on here. He recently passed away and I am in search of a picture of the store. I have been to the public library and to the museum here in Ardmore and been unsuccessful. I ask that if anyone kows of one, please let me know. It would be wonderful to have a picture of the old store.” -Lauren McGuire
Ivan Parker, Gaither Homecoming Series star, will be appearing at Northwest Baptist Church, 1609 Robison, Ardmore Oklahoma, on Friday, June 17, 7:00 p.m. For more info call Diane Boland at 580-465-6255
“You may have not heard but if you like hot dogs… like I do… you will be interested in knowing that Buddy Simon is putting in a “Hot dog room” in the north end of his restaurant, Budro’s Rib Joint, serving all sorts of hotdogs. I can’t wait.”
Dillard Volunteer Fire Dept Annual Hamburger Cookout and Dessert Auction June 11, 2011 at 2:00pm at Dillard Fire Department
“Butch, I also remember the explosion of the oil rig near Wilson on October 15, 1955. I was working as a young boy in Wilson at the Couch Motor Company, later bought by Ken Milburn Ford. It was Saturday and the building was “rocked” by the explosion. I remember everyone ran outside and we saw a large smoke ring rising from the ground. We later learned the details of the explosion. A very sad event.”. -Ken Barrett
“I spoke with Lois at the Bookseller yesterday to give her my credit card number for the baseball books and she told me the book signing went on for about two hours past the time scheduled because the response was so good. She said old players, and surviving wives and parents brought scrapbooks showing baseball in Ardmore. I assume the great turnout was, in part, due to the fact that you announced it in T&T. I wish I could have been there. P.S. We’ve had about 4 inches of snow in Big Sky this morning and it is continuing. We are supposed to have precipitation for the next 3 days. Our mama bear and her two cubs were on the porch this morning before they walked on down the creek.” -Monroe
“Just saw gas for $3.35 a gallon for unleaded 100 percent @ 71st & Mango in Tulsa.”
“Butch I am about to wrap up the WWII albums for the Wilson Historical Museum. These albums will be for sale and have bios, pics and newspaper articles about Wilson’s service men and women who served during World War II. I am still searching for a few pictures. These are mostly of those who were killed in action. I am hoping you will put this list on your T&T so that the loved ones of these men might see it and send me a picture of them. The picture can be in or out of military uniform. Please DO NOT send originals as they may be lost or destroyed in the mail. Please send a copy or scan and email me a pic at:
Melinda Taylor
723 Hewitt Rd
Wilson, OK 73463
or mindyltaylor@att.net
DEADLINE – JUNE 30, 2011
PICTURES NEEDED OF WILSONITES:
Billie Joe Dukes, son of H. H. Dukes
Bob Ivan Hodges, son of Henry Hodges
Clifford Otto Wood
Darell L. Stevens, son of ??? Born 2-12-1920 – KIA 6-18-1944
Halley L. Bahner, son of Ralph Waldo Bahner
Harold D. Fulton, son of ?? Born 5-11-1917 – KIA 6-12-1944
Hershal Gilliam, son of Hershal Gilliam
James Harris, son of Charles and Zoe Harris
Richard Harris, son of Charles and Zoe Harris
James M. Isham, son of James Isham
Jesse C. Holloway, son of Wallace Holloway
Jay Holloway, may be the same person as Jesse or a brother
John W. Lofton, son of William Lofton
Leonard Walker, brother of Roy Walker
Luey Haines, so of Otis Haines
R. O. or R. P. Holt died 6-9-1945 at sea
Roy Elmo Barrett, father of Ken Barrett
Rufus G. Hale, son of William Hale
Virgil Adams, son of Elbert Cleo Adams
Virgil P. Sexton, son of James Sexton
Woodrow Bryan Carroll, son of James and Maggie Carroll
Woodrow Wilson Idleman, son of George and Mary Idleman
Life’s Railway to Heaven by Pasty Cline July 3, 1959
Life is like a mountain railroad
With an engineer that’s brave
We must make the run successful
From the cradle to the grave
Watch the curves, the fills, and tunnels
Never falter, never fail
Keep your hand upon the throttle
And your eyes upon the rail
Blessed Savior, Thou will guide us
Till we reach that blissful shore
Where the angels wait to join us
In that great forevermore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wck03Y72340
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ardmorecriterion.com/
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/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com
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