PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
Issue 1,000 has arrived. Its hard to believe I am in my 19th year of sending out this weekly rag. Every now and then someone will ask me how I got started with my newsletter. I tell them I really don’t know because it was sure not planned on my part. I know I sent out about 12 emails 20 years ago with 3 or 4 paragraphs of history and within hours people were emailing me, asking me to send it to their relative or friend. In about 30 days I had around 50 people wanting my weekly newsletter, and it continued to grow from that humble beginning in March 1997.
As I think back over the years there has been so many stories and emails and history that’s been shared by so many on here. I think of those Readers who are no long with us, that passed away through the years. I remember one lady in West Texas that had been getting my newsletter for about a month. She sent me an email to say I had completely ruined her Thursday evenings. She said Thursday nights were always set aside for house cleaning. But since she knew my newsletter would arrive in her Inbox that evening, she just sat by her computer waiting on it and never got around to domestic chores again that evening. lol
One elderly lady in California sent me an email years ago to say how much she appreciated my newsletter. Even though she left Tishomingo thirty some years ago, my newsletter was her connection to home. She said she and her husband were up in years, and even though she knew she’d never be returning to her home state of Oklahoma, she still wanted to read anything me and others had to say in the newsletter.
March 2002: “Butch – I bought this webtv for my Mother who swore she was way too old to ever learn the computer but, lo and behold found great pleasure in staying connected to her family and friends thru email. One of those friends gave her your address and being a computer novice she wrote to me & asked me to email you with her address, which I did. She thoroughly enjoyed your issues and frequently wrote to people requesting information or to clarify points for them. I just wanted to thank you for her joy in reviving memories of her cherished past, the opportunity to talk with others who shared the same memories, and the sheer fun of it all. My mother died a week and a half ago and I need to have her removed from your mailing list.”
I was always proud when I received an email from someone saying that through my newsletter they had been re-connected to a friend or even a relative they lost contact with many years ago.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is appreciation of the 1,000s who have let me in their homes every Thursday evening. And even though many of those friendships were just pixels on a computer screen, they are as real as if they stood in front of me. Thanks everyone for 1,000 weeks of friendships.January 1932
The price on Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd’s head was hiked to $2,000 while officers traced many tips on the machine gun bank robber. The Oklahoma Bankers Association match the $1,000 reward offered earlier by the State of Oklahoma, double the usual amount for the capture of Floyd, dead or alive. The offers follow the looting of the Castle State Bank in Castle, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma of $2,600. The three machine gun robbers forced two bank officials and two bank customers to stand on the running boards of the car used by the gunmen as shields. Bank officials identified Floyd as the leader of the robbery. Floyd is known to carry 2 machine guns in his car, while he wears a steel jacket for protection. In the last 2 weeks, the search for Floyd has intensified, because of that bank robbery and the two others on the same day.
January 1956
Excavation of the new $122,000 air base swimming pool is being completed at present. The work, which began in December, is expected to be finished by July. The pool will measure 63 x 82 feet and be available for officers, and enlisted men and dependents.
January 1963
Hollis Calendar is a native of Carter County and he and his wife, Sandra, have made their home in the county for the past 3 years. Hollis works at the Comet Feed Mill and is studying accounting at Southeastern State College. Sandra works at First National Bank. They have a little daughter, Kathy, 7 months old. Note: Hollis Calendar was Carter County Commissioner for District 3 from 1979 to1982.
McMan. In western Carter County, 4 miles west of Healdton. Post office established November 17, 1916. Took its name from McMan Oil Company, now a part of Magnolia Petroleum Company. The name was coined from the names of R.M. McFarlin and P.A. Chapman, organizers of the company.
I was looking up some pictures of Devils Den north of Tishomingo this week and found some I did not have on my website. I uploaded about 15 including 2 aerial photos.
https://oklahomahistory.net/devilsden/
A few pavers I sandblasted.
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSABobwhitesPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSADwightJekelPaver.jpg
You can find current gas prices for a particular Oklahoma town by entering the name or zip code in the GasBuddy search box.
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/
In the summer months 60% or more of your electric bill can be attributed to the air conditioner running day and night to keep your house cool. Several of my friends have found out how to reduce those high electric bills by maybe 15% or more. The Okie Power Saver takes difference of the watts you are being billed for, and what you are actually using, and recycles those watts. The Okie Power Saver is a great way to reduce that electric bill and save money year round.
Q. Turner Falls is the tallest falls in Oklahoma. But I will add over the years as I see it and take photos, it looks like the rocks has worn down. Anyway, where is the 2nd highest waterfall in Oklahoma?
A. Natural Falls near Colcord, Oklahoma (75 miles east of Tulsa). One of the most famous waterfalls in Oklahoma, this 77 ft. beauty is a must see. You can?t swim in the waterfall?s crystal clear water but there are places to swim nearby.
Q. Where in Oklahoma is the Prairie Chicken House?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of March 23, 2002:
A Reader wrote in to the Mailbag asking about a Apartment House that was located somewhere on West Broadway just east of the new Broadway Cafe. Actually there were two apartment houses in that area. One was called Poulter Apartments at 715 West Broadway, about where Dobson Florist is now located. It was there in the 30s, 40s and 50s. The other one was a little west from there at 801 West Broadway where “H” street intersects. It was located where the Quick Check is located now and it was called Drexel Apartments. So best I can tell, these two apartment houses was basically right across the street from each other. Both apartments housed 12 tenants.
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Has anyone ever heard of Boundary Avenue in Ardmore? I hadn’t until this week. A couple of years ago a Reader asked about the whereabouts of Dubiel Arms Company of Ardmore. In the 40s it was located “D” Northeast and Boundary Street. Boundary street is the present day Monroe NE/NW in Ardmore (running east/west). Boundary avenue was changed to Monroe street in 1955. In the 50s and early 60s Monroe street was the city limits. I remember going to the circus on the north side of Monroe and Washington street (where Children’s Shelter and Baptist Enon Association is located now) because the north side of Monroe was out of the city limits. We also bought fire crackers on that same NE corner lot.
But there’s more. Boundary street also ran east to west north of 12th Northwest. Camp Joy Tourist camp was at 1400 Boundary NW, Hill Crest Cottages at 1425 Boundary NW. The New Deal Cafe was at 1501 Boundary NW where Northwest Blvd intersects. The Trolly Tavern at 1513 Boundary, the Log Cabin Cafe at 1517 Boundary NW. So Boundary was a pretty famous street. It’s sad the name was changed. Another piece of Ardmore history lost in 1955.
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“Hi Butch. Fairview school was located between Davis and Sulphur . You turn south on Dougherty road out of Davis and turn back east at the first intersection and go a mile and half. Nothing is left of it except for the play ground equipment and concrete colvert. Walter Hux family lives on that land. A picture of the school is hanging in the Davis museum. Roady store not a School. That is very interesting.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/FairviewSchoolMurrayCounty1934.jpg
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“For the information that was requested about the course in Ardmore, I am assuming that was Dornick Hills Golf Course, you can find some really good facts in the book “The Story of Golf in Oklahoma” by Del Lemon in most book stores. It not only gives good history about the course, but also about Perry Maxwell (course designer) and also Waco and Opie Turner. It is a very interesting book!”
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“Hi Butch, The reading just keeps getting better it seems. I would like to ask if any of your readers might remember about the first Post Office in the area of Eastman, OK. It was west of the cemetery there. It was a very long time ago because it was before I was born and I am in my 60’s but someone may have heard of it. I understand my grandfather ran it and was paid by how many pieces of mail that he canceled. That sounds so strange now. His name was Newt Fox. If anyone has ever heard of this I would like to hear from them. My name is Nellie Fox Combe.
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“As a matter of fact, We have a bell out in the pond right in front of our house. We live on 8.5 acres of land right on the edge of the city limits of Seminole, Oklahoma (Seminole County). The pond is approx an acre big, stocked with TONS of catfish and perch and a few bass. We have this bell sitting down in the water right off our dock. When you ring the bell the fish come snapping at the water.. I might have a pic of that too. They have gotten so spoiled that all we have to do is walk for the pond and they start flipping the water for food. It’s quite a site. I am sending the pic of the bell and perhaps the fish pic if I can find it. IF you want other pics, you will have to give me a little bit to go and find one in our town or county. I am sure there is one.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/SeminoleBellFish.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/SeminoleOKfish1.jpg
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“Just found you on the internet. Great find it was too! My father, George Dent Vogel, was born in Marietta, Oklahoma in 1898. His father, George Alfred Vogel, was the telegraph operator there. His grandfather, Henry Clay Dent, was the post master. and he also owned several buildings in Marietta. Guess they were all out of there to other parts of Oklahoma by 1900. I have never been there, and at age 73, will no doubt ever go there, so it was wonderful to find the photos taken in current Marietta to look at. Thanks for the pleasure. Please add me to your newsletter.” Bradleytwo@aol.com
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“It was a long time ago. When writers were talking about Buck Garrett and Bud Ballew I kept thinking that they were witnesses at the wedding of one of my relatives but I wasn’t sure which one. In reading the Love Co. history book I found that it was August 19, 1921 when my uncle, George M. Roberson married Velma Matthews. They were married in the Carter Co. courthouse and needed two witnesses so they called in Buck Garrett and Bud Ballew. Now you know the rest of the story. My cousin who requested T & T last week is the son of the couple who married that day. Just a little bit of trivia regarding the famous lawmen. My uncle later became a deputy sheriff in Love Co.” -Frances Dunlap
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Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..“Picked this up today on Twitter. Caption says it is a fireman’s convention in Ardmore OK 1908. An Oklahoma Historical Society photo.” -David
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/ArdmoreFiremansConvention1908.jpg
“Butch, Seeing last week’s blog and the piece about jackalopes made me think about the Jackalope store on Cerillos Road in Santa Fe, NM. It has been there as long as I have been going to Santa Fe. It is one of those places, if you’ve never been, you should go, at least once. It used to be a good place to fine hand carved furniture but it has morphed over time. The best time to visit is during the vacation months because all the artisans are present. By the way, you might mention to Bill George that if he can only hunt jackalopes on Mondays when on February 29, his next opportunity will come in 2044. If I’m around, I’ll venture out. Just remind me.” -Monroe
http://jackalope.com/
“This may look like I faked the reflection in the water but I didn’t. Our pond has been running over from the rains this week so I snapped this pic today, one of those rare days here on the hill in Carter County when the wind wasn’t stirring the pond. (and I do mean rare, ha)” -C. Dwane Stevens
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/StevensHouseRain2016.jpg
“I am a student at The University of Oklahoma and would like to tell you about a class I was in last semester. It was a Presidential Dreams Course, The Great Depression /New Deal, with Professors David Wrobel and Keith Gaddie, from the History and Political Science Departments respectively. As students we were responsible for two projects among other things. I was one of several groups who chose to revisit a WPA Tour from the New Deal era under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) in which he put people back to work through projects. Many schools, court houses, post offices, colleges, bridges, parks, and much more were built. My group chose Tour 16, which was Gore, Cookson, and Tahlequah, Oklahoma, as well as Lake Francis Dam and the Illinois River. If you have not been to eastern Oklahoma and seen this beautiful area, you are truly missing something. The Cherokee Nation are in Tahlequah as is their museum. The Illinois River is a tourist attraction, and people come from all over to float, camp, fish, and rest and relax often. OU is working on a public history site that will have several projects from the New Deal in the 1930s. I will be sharing more and a website to check out when this goes Live soon!” -History buff Cindy Lemons