PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402 Email: [email protected] Phone: 580-490-6823
Last week we mentioned an Ardmoreite from 100 years ago, a Charles Sykes. Bill Goldsworthy in New Zealand is doing research on Mr. Sykes and is seeking any info or kinfolks. A couple of you wrote in, but still nothing definite, or found kinfolk of Mr. Sykes. I did receive a PDF document from New Zealand about a gold mine Sykes was half owner in in the Fortymile River area in the Yukon Territory of Alaska back in the 1920s. If Charles Sykes were still alive today and still owned the gold mine, he’d probably be the richest man in this county. Use the “enlarge” button on your Acrobat Reader to increase the document’s size to a larger, more readable size.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/SykesGoldMine1925.pdf
If you are hankering to get rich like Mr. Sykes in the Yukon Territory gold mines, here is a listing of mines for sale.
http://www.akmining.com/mine/sellclaims.htm
A Reader sent in an interesting photo of Lake Texoma in its very beginnings.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/RooseveltBridgeBegins.jpg
A Reader has had this rock in her family for many years. Her father said it came from a farm in Mexico. She wondered if anyone know what kind of rock this is, like its origin? Send me an email if you are a rock hound and have an idea.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/MexicoMysteryRock033112.jpg
I haven’t made a grave marker since 2006, didn’t know if I still could, but Doug Williams was needing one for his wife’s great great grandfather, so I decided to give it a try. Guess it is like riding a bike, you just don’t forget. Anyway, it turned out great, should last for years. Here is the story on the Charles Winter whose name is on the marker:
“Charles Thomas Winter was my great great grandfather. He married Sophia Moncrief (who was 1/2 Choctaw) and that is where the Winter family obtained their Indian heritage.
Christopher T. Winter, gggrandson of Charles Winter researched his military history and found, he was in the 1st Cavalry Company C and was stationed at Ft. Levenworth and then to Ft. Washita where he was a saddler (made and repaired saddles). He often was assigned duty at Ft. Arbuckle (west of Davis) where he rode horseback from Ft. Washita, which is 20 miles east of Madill, (approximately 48 miles) to repair saddles for the Cavalry.
He is buried at the Sandy Bear Cemetery , Garvin County, west of Pernell, Oklahoma.”
-Scheryl Winter Williams
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/CharlesAndSophiaWinter.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/CharlesWinterMarker2.jpg
We had some old railroad ties that were lining part of our gravel drive up to the house, not really serving much of a purpose. So, last week we use them to make an entranceway to our Ponderosa. It was hard work, but worth it. I couldn’t have done it without Jill’s help, it bout killed me. lol
When I say lot of work, that’s putting it lightly. I drove 1/2 inch rebar down through holes (3 ft into the ground) I drilled at each connecting point. The end with the 5 layers was a bear to match up, would have made a preacher cuss. Then to really secure the ‘wall’ I drove 6 ft T-Posts at each of the long ends, about 3 ft into the ground too. Way too much work for an old man. lol
Then a couple days later a friend in Wilson gave Jill some Flags to plant along the front of the railroad ties. Looks nice.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/RailroadTieEntrance042512.jpg
It’s hamburger time in the Criner Hills SW of Ardmore. The volunteer Fire Department is hosting a hamburger feast as a fund raiser for their department. Saturday April 28th at 6pm.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/CrinerhillsBBQ2012.jpg
Two issues ago I mentioned putting corn meal on a red ant mound, which was suppose to kill them. I had read some mumbo jumbo that ants can not digest corn meal. For a few days I thought it was working, when in reality they were just enjoy a party down in their dens and feasting on my corn meal. The experiment was a failure. Corn meal does not kill ants. Its back to my time tested ant killer, Bengal Fire Ant Killer
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BengalFireAntKiller8a.jpg
From This and That newsletter archives of April 24, 1999:
Here’s a pic of a 1925 boy scout camp at Ardmore.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/BoyScoutCamp1925.jpg
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This is an old pic of the BarDew Lake at Bartlesville, OK
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/BarDewLake.jpg
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Talk about old….. how about this 1915 Oklahoma tag.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/OKtag1915.jpg
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This is a 1945 Ardmore Junior High School roster sent in to me.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/AJHSroster1945.jpg
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“If memory serves correctly, Queen of Three Valleys is named after the valleys formed by the three river bottoms, in the Durant, OK area: Red River, Washita River and Blue River. The book cover shows these three rivers.”
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The Carter County Court Clerks Office is all smiles this week. They received new computers from the State Supreme Court in Oklahoma City. The 350mz Gateway computers with Windows NT will make way soon for image scanning. It’s going to be nice to pull up the actual legal document that’s attached to a record, and even print that document out! Plus the new computers have made internet access possible to all the employees including email capabilities within the state-wide court system as more courthouses come online. Right now there are ten courthouses in Oklahoma online with more being added each month.
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“Could you or someone help me with this picture? This is the Electrical Line Crew in Ardmore Oklahoma, for Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company. The year I don’t know and the only person is #1 kneeling: JOSEPH ELMER FRANKLIN (my father-in-law). I understand he was lineman and truck driver for this group. Any information on others, and date of picture would be greatly appreciated.” -Charline Franklin, 431 Thunderbird Pt. Pittsburg, TX 75686 [email protected]
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/ElectricCrew.jpg
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Q. The most significant Indian battle of Oklahoma history occurred Nov. 27, 1868 when Lt. Col. George A. Custer led the 7th Cavalry against an encampment of Cheyenne led by Black Kettle along and below the bluffs of what river, for which the battle was named?
A. Battle of the Washita River
Q. This popular state park boasts beautiful sheer-walls along with gorgeous and peaceful retreat areas accessible virtually year-round. Wagons along the California Road left ruts and markings, still visible today. This park is located south of the community of Hinton, Oklahoma.
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.html
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..Caney, Oklahoma School Reunion, June 2, 2012 at the Caney Cougar Den. 11:00 AM till ??? Bring finger foods. Drinks provided (tea, coffee, lemonade) No Alcohol Allowed! Dance that evening 7:00 to 10:00.
RE US 1940 census: “I’m not sure if it is slow, Butch, but when first released so many people were trying to access it that Ancestry.com almost crashed. And, yes, it is a bit confusing to navigate because it has not been indexed yet, i.e., you can’t just type in someone’s name on this census. You will have to know which state & county that you need to search and then once you get the county, you’ll need to know that town or city and then have some sort of idea of the district in that city or town. I know, I spent several hours yesterday trying to locate my grandparents & mom there in Ardmore before I found them. I’m still looking for my great-uncles. I know they lived on 11th Street NE, but not sure they lived there in 1940 and there’s no one left in the family old enough to remember that. I’m thinking of volunteering to translate & index. I’ve done this before through my church (I’m LDS) and it’s really quite fun. The last time I helped index was back in ’97 and helped to index & translate some ships records from a British ship that landed in New York City where the folks went through Ellis Island. After doing that for about a year, I can totally understand how people’s last names were so easily misunderstood or mistakenly written down wrong. Happy searching.”
“Loved your posts Butch. I worked at the Tivoli theater in the late 60’s and I believe the man I worked for was named Sikes. I wondered if he was related to the Sikes you mentioned. Also Ann Randolph might want her granddaughter to read ‘The Stolen Years‘ by Sara Zyskind. I read this to my 6th graders and we all learned a great deal from that book.” -Rose Lack Chaney
Between 1854 and 1929 an estimated 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children
were placed out during what is known today as, the Orphan Train Movement. When the orphan train movement began, it was estimated that 30,000 abandoned children were living on the streets of New York City. The Children’s Aid Society and The New York Foundling Hospital developed a program that placed homeless children into homes throughout the country. The children were transported to their new homes on trains which were eventually labeled ?orphan trains.? I have heard that at each railroad stop the children were marched out and lined up, and people came and picked out one or two to take home with them. Several years ago, I interviewed a lady who had come west on one of the trains and was taken in by a distant relative of mine, on a farm in western Missouri. She said a few of the families really wanted another child and were kind but others just needed more help on the farm. There are many books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the Orphan Trains and there is even an Orphan Train Heritage Society of America. Read some of their very interesting stories here:
http://www.orphantraindepot.com/RiderStories.html
“In regard to the picture of the lawmen moving the whiskey still, there was a man in Sulphur named Fred Hunt. He was the retired McAlester Prison Warden. I remember my dad saying that he always stood with his back to the wall and I remember him doing just that in Allen’s Restaurant in Sulphur. He was much respected. I’m wondering if this is the same Fred Hunt in younger days.” -Iva Lee Quetone
“I’m trying to find an old war buddy. If anyone out there knows David W. Johnson from Ardmore, Oklahoma who was with the 1345th Transportation Co during Operation Desert Storm. Please help me find him. I know some of my friends remember who he is. As far as I know he’s still around Ardmore. I think he was/is married to a Marris.” -Jim Southers
The Daily Ardmoreite July 19, 1946
Holes Drilled in Curbing Here for 300 Parking Meters
Approximately 300 parking meters will be installed under the plan now being put into operation by the city. Workmen have been drilling the holes at the curbing into which the standards will be set and other workmen have been painting the standards. These will be placed and later the heads, which contain all the mechanism of the meters will be installed.
Work will be speeded to complete the installation as quickly as possible. Majority of the meters are to be on Main street and on North Washington street including the post office corner. A few will be placed at other points on more active points. Complete details are being worked out, measured against the terms of a new parking and reserved section ordinance which will become operative when the meters are installed.
Hallelujah –Leonard Cohen Lyrics
I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
http://www.godvine.com/Three-Girls-Sing-a-BEAUTIFUL-Version-of-Hallelujah-Wow-1426.html
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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