A Home Grown Home Page

Home of the This and That Newsletters

Vol 16  Issue 798  May 10, 2012

PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402 Email:  [email protected] Phone: 580-490-6823

Usually I start off my newsletter with some piece of history from the past.  But this week I’m doing something different, starting with something within the last 90 days. I never cease to be amazed at the new technology coming down the pike over the internet. This week a Reader in Love county sent me a link to showmystreet.com and I was blown away at this high tech website. You just SLOWLY type in your address, city, state and up comes an aerial of that address.  I typed in my address south of Lone Grove and there it was, in an instant.  I can almost guess to the day when the satellite pic below was taken too. Probably January 20th as I can see my old 1974 Chevy pickup parked on the grassy area south of the house waiting on the propane truck to make a delivery. By the way, I sold my old pickup 2 weeks ago after buying a new Dodge Ram 1500.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/BridgesHomestead.jpg

Another reason I know this is recent data from the satellite is because I see Greg and Holly Bates new home (under construction) directly across the road from our place.  Construction on their new place started in January, they should be moving in in about 2 weeks.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/BatesNewHome.jpg

You can check out your address and aerial at…..

http://www.showmystreet.com

Everyone who has lived in southern Oklahoma for very long knows about the Vendome well at Sulphur. I nearly always stop there to drink the Sulphur water, kinda of a tradition I guess.  I remember about 6 years ago we were there on a Saturday morning and 2 ladies from Lawton where also there in a station wagon.  The tailgate was down and they had two big plastic trash containers sitting on it, filled with Sulphur water.  I got to talking about it to them, and they said they make the 100 mile drive from Lawton once a month to fill up the containers, and take back for medicinal purposes the drinking water.  The 2 trash containers would go about a month, then another trip to Sulphur was in order for the 2 Indian ladies. Anyway, I received the following email this week from Roy Miller in OKC who still calls Sulphur his hometown:

“Every time I go to Sulphur I take 4 one gallon jugs and fill them at the Vendome well. I have 3 in my fridge right now. Never mind leaving the cap off to get rid of the taste. I like it just the way it comes out of the well.  For those of you who do not know about this well in the video, it was drilled in 1921 and is still flowing. I do not know what the volume of water is flowing now but at one time it was 3500 gallons per minute. I have been gone from Sulphur since 1963 but I still love Sulphur, Oklahoma and Platt National Park. (Sorry but it will always be Platt to me. even though it is now called Chickasaw National Recreation Area.) Happy Trails.”  -Roy Miller

http://www.news9.com/story/18236031/oklahoma-water-the-secret-to-living-longer?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7194844#.T6oeCZeUFjo.facebook

I can see a trip to Sulphur is in order real soon, and we will probably take some gallon jugs along with us!

Chester Hodge in Okmulgee, Oklahoma shared a couple extra P-38 Can Openers from his war days with me this week.  It was a total surprise when I received his letter containing 2 P38s.  My T&T Readers never cease to amaze me after 15 years.  I appreciate each and everyone one of you.  Chester is a retired chief of police in Okmulgee, and lives in the same town with some of my cousins there…. if they are from the Murphree line, they are my cousins. Anyway, thanks Chester.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/P38Openers.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-38_can_opener

I received a request this week for info on Ten Acre Rock north of Ravia.

“I am looking for the owners of the Ten Acre Rock property to ask permission to bring down a group of Boy Scouts. I am associated with Troop 792 in Norman, and we are down in that area pretty regularly at the Slippery Falls Scout Ranch, not far from there. Your February newsletter (https://oklahomahistory.net/newsletters/TT784.htm) mentions the place, or one of your contributors does, and I thought I?d ask if anyone knew who owns it or could pass this message along. It sounds like a neat place to visit ? we would definitely be respectful of the place, and could even agree to spend a few hours picking up trash as a service project.” -Eric Blazek

If anyone knows who owns Ten Acre Rock, please let me know.

Last Saturday Jill and I took a road trip to Gainesville, Texas. We hadn’t been down that way since last December, and with the lower gas prices, we took off on the super slab. We stopped at the Gainesville Walmart and bought a Big Boss Halogen Oven for $69. Her twin sister, June, in CA has had one for 6 months and telling us how great the oven works.  Boy was she right. The first thing Jill cooked was chicken wings, and they cooked to perfection.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/TheBossChickenWings050512a.jpg

The next day she cooked a whole chicken in The Boss. I have never ate such moist chicken in my life. I usually NEVER eat the white meat, TOO DRY. But this was so moist, it melts in your mouth. And a cup of grease was in the bottom of the oven. Think I’m going to like that oven!

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/TheBossChickenWings050512b.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/TheBossChickenWings050512c.jpg

http://www.walmart.com/ip/As-Seen-on-TV-Big-Boss-Rapid-Wave-Oven/16939717

REPEATING FROM LAST WEEK: If you live in Southern Oklahoma snakes are everywhere.  I can not tell you how many people have been posting on Facebook all the snakes they have been killing in this area. Please keep an eye out for any snakes.

From This and That newsletter archives of May 8, 1999:

I’ve got to show everyone this aerial view of Ardmore given to me by Joyce Franks of the old Safeway Supermarket in the NE corner of N. Commerce and Grand. You can see the Ken-Cliff Bowling Lanes at the bottom, and the Ten-Pin Bowling Lanes on the top left hand side (yes, Ardmore used to have two bowling alleys) and the Sonic Drive-in on Grand Avenue. Across the street from the Sonic is an open field what is now the east side of Ardmore Mall. In the far left of the field is the old Mistletoe Express building. They have been out of business a long time, but were like the UPS and FedEx of today.
https://oklahomahistory.net/JoyceFranks/safeway.jpg
—————————————————
In far southwest Oklahoma is the town of Hollis. This is a can of motor oil that was manufactured there by the Oscar Bryant Oil Company called Falcon Oil.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/FalconOil.jpg
—————————————————-
A live webcam of ships going through the Panama canal. I happened to logon at 5pm just as the a freighter started through the channel. Very interesting.
http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html
—————————————————-
This week I received some interesting pics from my friend Larry Boston who owns a cabin near Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Tishomingo is about 25 miles east of Ardmore. He’s got a digital camera now, and been taking some great pics. Here’s what Larry sent in:

“It has been a while since I have sent you any pictures so here are two for you taken with a Sony digital camera. The first is of the old log cabin on 377 (9 miles north of Tishomingo, OK) which now houses a candy company. Their fudge is really good.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/LogCabin1999a.jpg

The second, is of a bridge that my friend Shane Messing and I built out of cedar on our property.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/LarryBostonBridge1999.jpg

“This pool is just a small refreshing pool of water on our property and the Rocks are on our property.. You know, I love rocks.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/LarryBostonProperty1999.jpg

“The drug store is Clary’s Drug Store Soda Fountain in Tishomingo, OK. It is the best soda fountain in the area. My wife and I always take our High School Students from Fort Worth there when ever we have them up to our cabin. The Clary’s are used to seeing us with 14 or 15 teenagers at their door. Our students talk about the drug store and fountain for weeks after each visit.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/TishDrugStore1999.jpg

“The last shot is Pennington Creek upstream from Slippery Falls Boy Scout Camp.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos/PenningtonCreek1999.jpg
—————————————————-

Q.  Weakened by torrential rains in 1906, the trestle bridge over the Cimarron River south of this town collapsed, plunging the locomotive and all but two sleeping cars into the rain-swollen river. The engine is still submerged in quicksand next to the steel bridge that replaced the washed out structure. What is the name of the town formerly known as Red Fork Station along the Chisholm Trail?
A.  “It’s just south of Dover, Okla., and most of the new bridge washed out a number of years ago in the big flood that also took out the I-35 bridge north of Guthrie. At Dover, Dolese has a big operation, presumably to extract sand, just across from the river bridge and I think it was out for several months, too, partly because the railroad line was also washed out.” – Wes Leatherlock
https://oklahomahistory.net/dover.html

Q.  What town in Oklahoma was the first the have electricty?
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…..

“Butch, there seems to be some debate about the location of Wild Woman Cave. It is located approximately 8 miles NW of Springer in the W 1/2 SW 1/4 NW 1/4 SW 1/4 of Sect 32 Range 1 East Township 2 South of Murray county. Most USGS maps show the cave. It is as described. Some of the passages are 2 ft tall to 25 feet tall and very wet.”


“Butch, When I was the CEO at the hospital in Atoka back in 1997-98, they had annual celebrations of the Battle of the Muddy Boggy. I am sure they probably still do although it seems the Chickasaw Tribe may now manage the Park for the community. I imagine the Atoka Chamber of Commerce will have some information on this topic.” -Bruce Bennet


1989 Lone Grove, Oklahoma

As I sit here writing this, it is pouring down rain and I can see my birdfeeders just outside my window. Before the rain came there was a multitude of birds getting filled up on a free feed before the storm. There was a male Cardinal and his mate feeding with the other birds.

Here is something I have observed about Cardinals. They mate for life.

During the late Summer, Fall, and Winter, when the male and female feed together, the male will go to the feeder or ground to feed. The female will remain in the tree or will not feed directly where the male is feeding. They never feed together in the feeder or on the ground. But in early Spring, things change. As it becomes nesting time and time to start a family, you can observe the male carrying feed to the female and feeding her beak to beak. This goes on until the young are raised and leave the nest. Each Cardinal taking turns feeding the babys Then the male brings the babies to the feeder and feeds them just as he fed his mate. Thus they learn to come to the feeders for a meal. The male and female are always together. If you see one, the other is near by. Unless they have lost a mate, which happens. One more thing I have learned in watching Cardinals. They are usually the last one to visit your feeder at dusk, and the first one to be there at the first sign of light. -Ken @ Wilson


“A ‘Great Kiskadee’ (bird) that usually stays along the Rio Grande river in far south Texas has been visiting the Red Slough area of far southeastern Oklahoma. A very rare bird for Oklahoma. Take a look on the link below and view the other pictures taken during the birding convention.” -Jerry Dodds
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/greatkiskadee.htm


“Hi Butch: Just wanted you to know and to tell others that my small engine shop is now open from 10:00am – 6:00pm each weekday. Weekends-closed. Ardmore Small Engine, 4119 Prairie Valley Rd. (one mile west of Flying J). I repair generators, air compressors, air tools, outdoor power equipment and have access to good prices on RV parts.” -Otto


Grove, Oklahoma ? A young Cherokee woman who as a child walked the infamous Trail of Tears path to Oklahoman and was buried nearly 133 years ago in a forgotten cemetery located in the middle of Grove was honored on Saturday.
http://newsok.com/forgotten-oklahoma-cemetery-contains-grave-of-woman-who-walked-trail-of-tears/article/3673050


Cab-under truck

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2009/09/28/yes-length-is-that-important-more-cabunders/

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/tag/jettos-truck/

T. E. (Thal) McGinness
Conroe, TX


The Real Father/Daughter Rifle Story – NW Oklahoma
http://okielegacy.org/journal/tabloid/index.php?ID=6498&vol=14&iss=19


“Hi Butch… Well, I still have my trusty P38 can opener from my younger days in the Army. Still works great. After I saw the note in the newsletter, I went on the search for the genuine GI opener. Upon reading the article, I noticed that my P-38 can opener was manufactured by G G Greene Co. in 1962. The article doesn?t mention this company. I used to have several of these openers ? never thought too much about it, but I guess that I have an antique and didn?t even know it. I guess that I am becoming antique also.” -Cecil Elliott
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/P38CanOpener1962.jpg


“Butch, The Battle of the Washita River was not a massacre.

Earlier that summer, a party of 200 Cheyenne had gone on a war party and killed 15 white settlers, and carried off some of the women. This party returned to Black Kettle’s camp. These Indians were not innocents. On November 25, a war party of as many as 150 warriors, which included young men of the camps of Black Kettle, Medicine Arrows, Little Robe, and Old Whirlwind, had returned to the Washita encampments. They had raided white settlements in the Smoky Hill River country with the Dog Soldiers. In addition to Black Kettle’s camp there were perhaps 6000 other Indians camped along a 15 mile stretch of the Washita River that November. The traditional land of the Cheyenne was north of the Washita. They were living south of the Washita, because their enemies were all north. They would go on raids against them and then return to the relatively safety of their camps along the river. They did not want to go back North. Also Custer was actively following a war party. Some women were killed, likely only one or two, during the battle. One being Black Kettle’s wife. There was no slaughter after the battle, because after Custer secured the village he feared attack and ran off leaving some of his men by themselves. There were 28 soldiers killed. While Custer said by count there were 103 Indians killed, historians say far less. Custer was not in any position to count anyway as he left the field of battle. Custer did kill several hundred horses. The battle was November 27, 1868.” -Larry Guthrie


“Jefferson Elementary school will have a reunion of all former students, teachers and friends on May 19th at the Ardmore Garden Center on Stanley S.W. There will be a picnic at the Center at noon. Each family or alumni will bring their own food for this event. That evening you may arrive at the Center at 6:p.m for a period of visitation before dinner at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $10 per person. Teachers are free. The event will honor the late Mrs. Billie Zach Graybill, a former teacher at the school. Her daughters will attend. Enthusiasm is high and former students are coming from several states including S. Carolina and hopefully one from Canada. Those of you who have not sent in your reservations have until April 27th to get them in to: Melissa Henson West, 390 Cisco Rd., Ardmore, OK 73401. The cost of the dinner will not cover all the expenses so any donations will be greatly appreciated. Bring any pictures or other memorabilia to share. As far as we know this is the first reunion for a grade school. Lets make it a really good one.” -Frances Dunlap


“Butch, I may have reminisced this before, but your visit to the Wilson Historical Museum in the last issue reminded me of this:  I worked for KVSO-TV in the late 50’s and there was a county election in that period. A candidate for Carter County Sheriff, Otto Powell, came to the TV studio above the Daily Ardmoreite every night during campaigning time and did a live 60 second commercial. He had no script or teleprompter. He arrived in fresh ironed overalls and starched white shirt. He would introduce himself, “Hello, I’m Otto Powell, ol’ country boy jus’ plowed his way to town to run for sheriff. I want your vote out there in…”, and he would proceed to recite every town or township in Carter County. He wouldn’t leave one out. I was told this was nothing new. Prior to the TV station being on the air, he would come to the KVSO radio station and give the same pitch for sheriff, in his fresh ironed overalls and starched white shirt.”  -George Davis AHS Class 60



“Little Brown Jug” was written by Joseph Winner in 1869, and was originally intended as a drinking song. Although it was written in the mid-19th Century, it enjoyed new popularity during the Prohibition Era when people were sneaking illegal alcohol.

Little Brown Jug

Me and my wife live all alone
In a little log hut we’re all our own
She loves gin and I love rum,
And don’t we have a lot of fun!

Ha, ha, ha, you and me,
Little brown jug, don’t I love thee!
Ha, ha, ha, you and me,
Little brown jug, don’t I love thee!
When I go toiling on the farm
I take the little jug under my arm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_2cIEuf1nY

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

All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website.
Feel free to forward this free newsletter. Mailouts: over 1,600.
To be removed from my T&T mailings, just send me an email.
I do not sell, trade or give my mailing list to anyone for any reason.