PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402 Email: [email protected] Phone: 580-490-6823
Every now and then someone will ask me what stood where the Carter county courthouse is located today. I have not found what structure was on that property in 1902 and before. But from 1903 to 1907 the Cumberland Presbyterian Church stood on the same spot where the courthouse would be built. Also in the 1907 insurance drawings you will see the jail house had been built.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/PreCourthouse1902.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/PreCourthouse1903.jpg
In this drawing for 1907 one can see the county jail had been built, but not the courthouse. The courthouse was just being started, and was not completed until December 1910.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/PreCourthouse1907.jpg
And here is something I ran across several years ago that caught my attention. I thought the addresses on Main street had always been as they are today. Not so. Before 1913 there was no unit block, so the building addresses started at Washington street as 100, 102, 103, etc. This can really play havoc with research, so double check addresses 1913 and before.
Back in January we talked about the vault located upstairs at 102 West Main (present day Label Stable). Label Stable proprietors, Sam and Diana Matheny, had no idea what a vault would be doing in their building.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/LabelStableVault1920.jpg
After some research I think I may have found the answer. It is well know that next door on the corner to Label Stable was a 2-story bank building (100 West Main). What I discovered was during the same time (about 1913) there were two banks, located next to each other. At #102 was Guaranty State Bank.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/ArdmoreBanks1913.jpg
But the above still leaves questions. You noticed in the photo I took of the vault, it reads: Eastern District Oklahoma. Maybe it was once used by a fraternal organization? Several of them moved around a lot back around 1900. I know the KKK held meetings next door to the old Federal building at West Main and B Street SW many years ago.
I had a request this week asking where the old Osteopathic hospital was located in Ardmore. Back in 1970 when I went to work for the ambulance service we made almost daily calls to and from the Osteopathic hospital at 910 Moore Southwest. I took the liberty of using bing.com aerial maps to mark the building as I remember it. Today the entire complex is Southbrook Healthcare Facilty.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/OsteopathicHospital.jpg
Headltonite Bill Dixon brought by a couple neat photos this week. This first one is a 1906 group photo of the Chicago Cubs. The 1906 World Series was between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/NationalLeague1906.jpg
The second photo was taken before statehood around 1906 at G and Stanley SW (in 1906 it would have been G and 2nd SW). Back in the beginnings of Ardmore all streets running north and south were designated as Streets, and all east to west streets were Avenues. The postcard photo is the W.R. Moore homeplace which still stands today although its been remodel several times through the years.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/WRMooreHome1906.jpg
March 20, 2004 email: “Butch, I noticed that the old Moore house at 626 Stanley has had several changes made over the years. 1) The smoke stack on the left is long gone. 2) The “tower room” on the right is gone. What happened to it? 3) The porch railings are no more. What a shame! 4) The roof dormer that used to be offset to the left is now centered and larger. I wonder why? 5) The roof line over the front entrance has been altered. You can no longer see that wonderful detail. 6) The upper porch has been enclosed (the biggest mistake of all!!!), and the roofline over it has been completely destroyed. Does anyone besides me think the new remodel job is a slap in the face of an Ardmore landmark? That siding is awful!!!! (just my opinion, I’m no architect or designer).”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos4a/MooreWRhomeblkwht.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos4a/MooreWRhome4a.jpg
This next scan is the flyer for the Carter County Commissioners’ auction that’s coming up Thursday November 14th at 9am. It will be held at the County Barn at Springer.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/Auction111413.jpg
Thackerville resident Travis Eden has written a book titled: Firefighter In Angel Hands. Although Travis was a firefighter in the Dallas metroplex, the first two chapters are on the Ardmore Air Force Base and that is what first caught my attention. I have not read it yet, but I see plenty of interest like his ambulance runs, etc.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/FirefighterEden_1.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/FirefighterEden_2.jpg
Anyone interested in more info on the book can email Travis directly.
Travis Eden: [email protected]
Near Elephant Rock at Lake Murray are two grave markers. Both are infants that died around 1915 with the last name Harris.
Alma Aletha Harris
b. Jan. 19, 1915 d. Jul. 11, 1916
Baby Harris
b. Nov. 2, 1916 d. Nov. 21, 1916
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/LakeMurrayMarkers2013a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/LakeMurrayMarkers2013b.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/LakeMurrayMarkers2013c.jpg
http://rvkenandlee.blogspot.com/2013/10/cold-front.html
Rick Wallace shared a photo of the old Confederate Home on south commerce he had in his collection.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/ConfederateHome1910.jpg
Stop in at Ernie’s Meat Market on South Washington and 4th street this week to pick up their sliced beef BBQ brisket sandwich. This has to be the best brisket I’ve ate in a very long time, maybe THE best.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/ErniesBBQ103013.jpg
When I left Ernie’s I stopped next door at the only full service gas station in southern Oklahoma for a fill up. They sell non ethanol gas (have one pump with ethanol too). Gas was $2.89 that’s about 40 cents a gallon less then when I took this picture a month ago.
https://oklahomahistory.net/GasStations/FastStop.jpg
Q. Where might you find buffalo (bison) chili?
A. The Cherokee Trading Post along Interstate 40 at Exit 71 near Clinton, Oklahoma (50 miles west of OKC). They serve buffalo burgers, barbecue buffalo, T-bones, sirloin, club steaks, bacon-wrapped ground buffalo and chili. http://www.cherokeegifts.com/
Q. There is only one place in the world to find hourglass (selenite) crystals. Where?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of October 30, 1999:
Sometimes I just can’t help but give credit where credit is due. Several months ago my 88 year old aunt and uncle here in Ardmore had gotten so homebound because of their deteriorating bodies, neither were able to go buy groceries anymore. They were literally running out of food and too proud to ask for help. Nor would they take any help if someone offered. Over several weeks I had nearly worried myself sick wondering what to do. I called the director of the Southern Oklahoma Nutrition Center here in Ardmore, Stella Newsom. They have a Meals On Wheels Program. After several attempts, because my aunt would not accept help, Ms. Newsom had to give up trying to put them in the Meals On Wheels Program. So, we had to fall back and regroup. I called Ms. Newsom again in a few weeks (after I had built up my aunt’s psyche to try the program) and she said there was a waiting list for the Wheels On Meals Program but would put them on the list. A month later just like she promised, Stella visited my aunt and uncle, got them enrolled in the program, and now they both get a nutritious meal everyday delivered to their door.
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About 12 miles north of Lawton, Oklahoma is the wee town of Meers. Meers has been the location of a seismograph center since before statehood (1907). But what many do not know, is tucked away in the side of that mountain is probably the best hamburger in Oklahoma. The 7″ burger is made from family raised Texas Longhorn cattle that are free of chemicals, hormones, etc. So step back in time to the Meers Family Restaurant in Meers, Oklahoma.
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The Bogus Check division of the DAs Office here in Ardmore has moved from the courthouse annex building to the 2nd floor of the Colston Building at #10 West Main. Sharon, Beth and Vicki moved yesterday and are trying to get everything setup again.
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“The Pharmacy in the Simpson Building (A and Main) was not the Reavis Pharmacy – take my word for it, was the “Ardmore Pharmacy” and was owned by Mr. T.A. Gravitt – not Reavis”
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Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=152754
Check gas prices by town or zip code anywhere in U.S.
http://www.kmov.com/traffic/gas-buddy
Non-ethanol gas (pure gas) stations in the Ardmore area (updated).
https://oklahomahistory.net/puregas.html
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“Butch, When I was a youngster in Ardmore (30’s and 40’s), we lived on West Main Street. The Aaron and Calla Homer family had a home at the SW corner of West Main and ‘O’ Street (#5 O Street SW) that had a sulphur water well in their backyard. I remember my folks going there and getting a jug of water occasionally. I don’t know why they got the water as it smelled so bad, to me anyway. I think I had an older brother, and my dad would drink some of it, but it was generally thrown out. I know there are homes in that area now, but just wonder if the well still exists”. -Virgil Harris
“Butch, seems to me that there may be a lady from Davis who writes those Romance Books, and I think her name is Brown. She may even write a column in the Davis News or used to.” -Scott in Sherman
Hi Butch, As one of your subscribers I always enjoy finding your newsletter in my In-Box. I always appreciate finding articles and photos of historical interest and I applaud your work in that regard. Consequently it occurred to me that you might find the Garvin County Camera Club photo webpage of interest to you and perhaps to your readers. The GCCC was started to preserve a photographic history of Garvin County. A pre-history endeavor if you will. Myself and David Jones started the club in 2007 which as you know was the Centennial Year for Oklahoma and the Sesquicentennial Year for Pauls Valley which was 150 years old in 2007.
These photos will be the historical photographs of tomorrow. Similarly, the other cities of Garvin County were photographically memorialized during their Centennial year. This County-wide endeavor will produce a significant collection of the people, places, events, which should prove to be of invaluable interest over the next 10, 25, 50 years and beyond.
http://www.pbase.com/redaero/pauls_valley_150_years_later
The GCCC photo webpage has 88 galleries and 3,814 images online. These pages have been viewed a total of 244,283 times.
I suggest you start with the gallery entitled A Future History Project (click on that Gallery) and then click on Pauls Valley: 150 Years Later. At the top of each Gallery page you will see PAGES followed by page numbers. Click on ALL at the end of the Pages numbers to see all the photos in that Gallery.
Mel Smith
[email protected]
Photo web page: http://www.pbase.com/redaero
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison?d entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights hast thirty one
Swelter?d venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i? the charmed pot.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
-Shakespeare
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
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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