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Vol 15  Issue 755 July 14, 2011

PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net

Phone: 580-490-6823

A couple west of I-35 and 12th NW (west of Ardmore’s Loves Country Store) are two farm ponds.  One is on the north side of 12th street and almost dry from the drought.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/FarmPond12thNW070711a.jpg

Just 100 feet away on the south side of 12th Street is a second farm pond, but it is spring fed, lush and green. The farm ponds are on top of high ridge that was called The Devil’s Backbone back around 1910. During the wet season it was very difficult to get a team of horses or mules up the step hill because of mud, etc. What’s ironic is the First Freewill Baptist Church built their new church right on top of the Devil’s Backbone. The photo above and the photo below gives a stark reminder just how dry it is in southern Oklahoma. We need lots of rain.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/FarmPond12thNW070711b.jpg

Still too dry in most of Oklahoma. All of Oklahoma is from extreme to critical.

http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

Steve Hamm just this week uploaded the 1960 Ardmore High School Hand Book and the 1954 Franklin Star.

http://www.ardmorecriterion.com/1960Criterion.aspx

The link below takes you to a neat interactive webpage where you can compare the 2000 census and the 2010 census all across the U.S.  Just click and drag the map to your state and then just glide your cursor over the map and it displays every county. Double clicking on a state brings a state closer. Very interesting what is taking place in the country, and even in my county, Carter county, Oklahoma. Hispanics in Carter county up 99% from the 2000 census.

http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/map?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1

I stopped in at Jerry Landrum’s Southern Maid Donut Shop on 12th Street NW in Ardmore last Friday.  Got me a apple fritter, and was it delicious.  Not too much sugar like some places. Perfect!  Now I’ll have to try everything Jerry has in his shop.  But I may have to try one of those kolaches on the next stop!

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SouthernMaid070811a.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SouthernMaid070811b.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SouthernMaid070811c.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/SouthernMainMenu.jpg

Speaking of eating establishments, I noticed a long time hamburger place in Lone Grove closed down the other day.  Monty’s Diner.  It will be missed by many.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/MontysDiner6a.jpg

But when one place closes, another opens.  Budro’s Rib Joint BBQ is expanding to create Diamond Dawgs next door.  I can hardly wait to try a Diamond Dawg! When I saw the sign Diamond Dawgs, it reminded me of Carl’s Coney Island that used to be at Main Street and Washington. The owner really did a good business back in those days (1980s?). Does anyone remember the owner’s name and years? Anyway, here is a pic I snapped of Diamond Dawgs on the way home today (not yet open for business).

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/DiamondDawgs071411.jpg

I built some shelves under the carport a couple weeks ago.  It was hot as Hades under that metal. Drilling the holes in the steel studs so I could attach the 2x4s to the wall was the hardest part to figure out.  I first tried my drill bit, and I though I had good quality bits, but it wouldn’t drill through the steel with a LOT of effort and time.  So I tried something else, and it worked great.  I had some left over self tapping screws from a previous job, and that special point drilled right through that steel.  I could drill about 3 or 4 holes before the screw point dulled, and I had to grab another one.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/CarportShelf053011.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhlLpG4zbAI

From This and That newsletter archives of July 11, 1998:
A friend give me some fresh picked corn…… I been eating it raw…… sweet as sugar. If you’ve never eaten it raw right off the cob, it’s really sweet. But make sure the corn is freshly picked and tender.

Will your computer pass over to the Year 2000, or crash and burn at 1 second after midnight on December 31, 1999? I’ve found this neat program that will give you the answer. Just create yourself a Boot Disk, or use the Rescue Disk that Windows 95 will create for you, go to the site below and get the file Y2000.EXE, then copy that file to the diskette. When you execute the file, there will be two files, one a readme file, the other 2000.EXE. Now all you have to do is reboot the computer, and run 2000.EXE and find out if it fails or passes the year 2000 test. Really works great!

Q.  Oklahoma City is one of only two capital cities with their state name as part of
      the city name. What is the other city/state?
A.   Indianapolis, Indiana

Q.   What is Oklahoma’s official state fish?
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…..

Indianapolis it the answer to your question last week; however it takes a stretch of the imagination to to come up with the answer.

Royse Samples, Cache, OK


“Seeing the photo of the pickup with the gas line running to the engine reminded me of an incident that happened to my roommate, John Murphey, our freshman year of college at Central State in 1965, That summer he had replaced the steel gasoline line in his 1962 red Chevy Impala Sport Coupe with a copper line. His car was painted red and he had just replaced the upholstery with red tuck and roll metal flake.

One night that fall he was returning to Edmond with Cookie, later his wife, driving up Eastern Avenue back when Eastern was a country road. All of a sudden the car caught fire under the hood and nearly burned up. The car was saved and it was determined the copper gas line that he had installed had broken due to vibration. Copper tubing doesn’t make a good gas line.

He bought that Chevy from the car lot that existed on the the west side of “G” Street between Broadway and Main. There was a gas station on the east side of that short block.”  -Monroe Cameron


Re: W. B. “Dub” Griffin,

Dub worked for me at the Hamburger Inn for a few years, Somewhere around the mid 1970’s. He was an outstanding person, never met a stranger, and as honest and dependable as the Sun coming up every day. He was not only a great employee, he became a very great and trusted friend to me and Daline. Dub was well educated and world traveled. He loved his wife and his family, and so very proud of them. I think his wife’s name was Pauline, and she was such a jewel also. Dub didn’t really need the money, he just loved being a Chef. Working at the Hamburger Inn was way below his Chef’s ability, but he enjoyed the customers and the customers really loved talking to him and listening to his delightful stories. Lots of fond memories.  -Jimmie Dale Brown


Civil War Photos: It is fortunate that these have survived. Most probably a million wet plate photos were made during the civil war on glass plate.  Popular during the war, they lost their appeal afterwards and so many were sold for the glass. Many were used in green houses. Over the years the sun caused the images to disappear. These are pretty amazing considering they were taken up to 150 years ago: A compendium of photos from era of the War Between the States. Run the cursor over the photograph and the picture caption will pop up. Click photo to enlarge and to read the caption. Then click the back button to review another picture.
http://www.mikelynaugh.com/VirtualCivilWar/New/Originals2/index.html


Q. Butch when was the current Ardmore high school building built?
A. The doors were opened March 4, 1974


Few Items July 9, 1933 Ardmoreite. Here are notes naming Families from Ringling, OK

http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?Cimarron,County::ok::23561.html


“Butch, as I recall in the 40’s and early 50’s there were five movie theatres in downtown Ardmore. The Tivoli and Ritz on the north side of Main street and across the street south from the Ritz was the Paramount. Then in the unit block of East Main was the Globe on the north side. Then further on east across the tracks was the Jewel; also on the north side.”  -Nona Evitts


Q. I’m looking for info featuring the lady aviator Ethel Hindman.

A. http://www.rootsweb.com/~okmurray/Arbuckle_Mts/ethel_hindman.htm


Shagri-La RV Resort, Lake Murray

Located on the east side of Lake Murray, we are conveniently located halfway between Oklahoma City and the DFW area. Only minutes to two boat unloading ramps at Lake Murray and also Sunset Beach. Close to the Marina, Landing Strip and Golf course. Shopping, Casinos and Restaurants are all within a 15 minute drive.

Less than a 30 minute drive to Lake Texhoma boat unloading ramps. We have full RV hookups, a bath house, laundry room and more amenities on the way. We have spacious sites and it is very peaceful here.

Come check us out. You’ll be glad you did!

http://www.shangri-larvresort.com/


“I was out at Lowes (Ardmore) the other day looking for hose washers with the filter screens. While there, found they carried a metal Rainbird for about $15 in the plumbing isle:

http://www.rainbird.com/homeowner/products/impacts/25-PJDA-C.htm

Don’t bother looking in the sprinkler section (go figure) because they’ve got it over with the toilet valves and sink traps (and screened hose washers for that matter!).

I’m using this one right now:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Orbit-Compact-Gear-Drive-Sprinkler/16332349

Less than $9 and seems to work good with my low/mid pressure and not-very-porous soil. Won’t know about longevity for a while tho.”  -Garth

Added Note:  I bought one of these low cost plastic Rainbird Impact Sprinklers at Lowes store in Ardmore for $6.81 last weekend.  Time will tell how well these model holds up.  -butch


RE Gainesville Shoes: “When this area was dry people would take the train to gainesville, tx then buy some wiskey and put it in a shoebox and take the evening train back …that became known as “gainesville shoes” 🙂 i read that in the book about ardmore by charlie foust allen.”


“The man standing and pointing was a witness to the shooting of Cal Campbell in Commerce, Oklahoma when he was a young man. Harley Phelps was his name. He has since passed away.”  -Cecil in OKC

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/HarleyPhelpsCalCampbell.jpg

http://texashideout.tripod.com/Campbell.html


THE DAVIS NEWS: 100 YEARS AGO: The city council instructed Mr. Pegg and Mr. Turner to have a concrete watering trough made in place of the wooden one near the Oklahoma State Bank. The city attorney was instructed to rewrite the automobile ordinance, limiting the speed to 10 mph in the city and requiring a number on each machine and lights after dark. The Davis Bargain Store and grocery store of W.M. Ervin & Co. were burglarized the same night. Mr. Frary at the Bargain Store estimated the value of the stolen goods at $500 to $600. They included: four suits of clothes, six pairs of pants, seven watches, 18 rings, a lot of watch chains, shoes, suit cases and other goods. Ervin said a few sacks of flour and meal were taken. The Hennepin correspondent reported: Hennepin is coming to the front. She now has an artesian well, an automobile and lots of widowers and bachelors that want to marry real bad. Students were attending school for two months during the summer then would be back in session in November. Mrs. Hicks moved her millinery store from East Sulphur to D.F. Ellis’ store in Davis. “Mrs. Hicks formerly had a store here and enjoyed a good patronage,” editor Fay Crossett wrote. Editor Crossett was advocating the installation of a sewerage system. Dr. W.W. Reese opened a dental practice on the second floor of the Freeman building. D.O. Denton advertised a pound can of coffee for 15 cents; 3 pounds of California peaches or pears, 20 cents, and 17 pounds of sugar, $1.



Try A Little Kindness – Glen Campbell 1970

If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he’s sowed
And if you see your sister falling by the way
Just stop and stay you’re going the wrong way

You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX7NNMKBPsw&playnext=1&list=PLC010DEFBAFCD8419

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
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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