Email: [email protected] , 580-490-6823
Back in 2005 we talked about Joe Leonard’s of Gainesville Texas book, Bah Bah Blacksheep. His book centers around Haney Liddell and the two bank robberies he orchestrated in 1928 at Marietta. This book is one of those that once you start reading through its 100 pages you cant put it down. Haney Liddell first rob the bank of Marietta in January 1928. After Haney and his accomplices shoot to death Sheriff Long at the bank, Haney remained on the run for nearly a year. He reportedly hid out in Love’s Valley along the Red River down south of Thackerville. I have spoke before how this area is like the end of the earth, where a person could easily get lost in those backwoods, and unless he wants you to find him, you won’t. This is exactly what Haney Liddell did, and remained hid out for nearly a year knowing a murder warrant was out on him.
But in December 1928 Haney Liddell came out from hiding along that red muddy river and ventured into Marietta again with an Indian accomplice with one thing in mind… rob the Marietta bank. But this time things would turn out different. The two would rob the bank, and make it to the getaway car that is running in the alley behind the bank, but because the alarm had already been sounded, they would be met with a hail of bullets from 50 mad townspeople. The home made bullet proof vest Haney was wearing would not save him. His accomplice died on the spot, but Haney would die from his wounds in the Marietta jail a few days later after developing pneumonia and meningitis from the pellet wounds to his eyes. I don’t wont to give out too much of the story, you need to read it all for yourself, but one interesting event that came to light a day or two after the shootout, was even county judge James Mathers would be arrested and jailed for allegedly not turning over all the $8,000 of stolen money he helped retrieve on a farm SW of Marietta where it had been buried.
Click —> HERE <— for eBook version
http://www.amazon.com/BAH-BLACK-SHEEP-Joe-Leonard/product-reviews/061540765X
March 1932
The state is going after gasoline bootleggers. In the future, all gasoline products have to be marked, Oklahoma Motor gasoline are all speculation gasoline are in fear motor fuel. Filling stations will undergo weekly inspections starting March 4th. A survey showed kerosene to be mixed with gasoline by bootleggers. This church the bar and is not good for the motors.
March 1963
And all night wolf hunt has been scheduled for the Long Grove Community area Friday night. The hunt will begin at 7 p.m. after the hunters meeting at Smith’s Cafe in Lone Grove. It is sponsored by the southern Oklahoma Trail hounds Association in all wolf hunters in this section of the country are invited. The Hunt is planning to read the areas alongside highways of wolves.
March 1963
Plainview’s gymnasium lost a brief but violent encounter with 70 mile per hour winds. Damage to the building was estimated at over $55,000. When’s top of the West wall and to the gym floor. The gym was built in 1952. No one was injured in the building collapse.
A few pavers I sandblasted.
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSACurtisBerryPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSAGarrettAndressPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSAJoshuaAndressPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSATuckerLongPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSAGrahamReadnourPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/BSA/BSAKaylanSpencerPaver.jpg
Speaking for sandblasting, I bought a new gadget. It’s call the Dust Deputy. It is a “cyclone” vacuum that collects 99% of the dust/dirt/debris/crap and drops it in a 5 gallon bucket and keeps it from traveling on through to the main vacuum cleaner where I had to change the filter often. Last week the filter in my shop vac was so dirty, I spent way over an hour cleaning it and the vacuum. I said, enough of this. Got a Dust Deputy from Amazon (rated best of the top 3 tested on youtube) and so far its working great! After sandblasting 3 pavers 99% of the dust and crap was in the Dust Deputy, and very little in the shop vac. The filter in the shop vac had no dust on it.
Last week we talked about a Ransomware virus going around named Locky. I want to mention it again, because its one of the worse trojans to ever hit computers. It is download through an email link and then it “calls home” to a server overseas and systematically goes through the hard drive encrypting documents and photos. I have seen it discussed on the national news several times this week. Even a police department in a northern state was hit with it, and did pay $500 ransom to someone overseas to get the code to decrypt their files. Almost daily I get several emails with only a link in it and I bet some of those are the Locky virus. Be very careful clicking on any links you do not recognize. Also, do not leave any external drive turned on and attached to your computer. Turn off/unplug it. The ransomware will scan it too, and encrypt those files.
Its or it’s? Rule 1: When you mean it is or it has, use an apostrophe. Rule 2: When you are using its as a possessive, don’t use the apostrophe
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. Where is Indian Head Rock in Oklahoma?
A. Beside the one at Devils Den north of Tishomingo, there is one in Caddo County, Oklahoma.
Q. Where in Oklahoma is the Great Salt Plains?
A. (answer in next week’s T&T)
From This and That newsletter archives of April 6, 2002:A Reader was telling me about a couple of hand dug water wells in Healdton, Oklahoma this week. The second well was recently discovered when workers were building the Nature Trail that’s being prepared on the north side of town. It was right in the middle of trail, so its going to be preserved for walkers to see. I bet it turns into a wishing well! The other well is located in front of a house on the south side of Main street just west of the nursing home in Healdton.
—————————————————-
“Butch, the Otto Powell legend lives on. In the late 60s when Kay was working at the Ardmoreite it was getting close to the filing period. She received a phone call from Otto. He explained he was in New York but he wanted everyone to know that he would be back in time to file. He made it. The last speech I heard Otto make was at the old Springdale School in the late 60s. I do not recall him mentioning the incumbents name, he referred to him as the Chevrolet Corporation. He talked fast and he could really get that Chevrolet Corporation out. The incumbent (Harold Rudd) and most, if not all, his deputies drove Chevrolets. He was a very interesting person. I am sure there are many other facts about Otto out there somewhere. Butch, we enjoy the T&T each week and we thank you for it.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos12a/OttoPowellCard1966.jpg
—————————————————-
“I noticed reference to Schwake’s bakery for the last couple of weeks. By the way, I have corrected the spelling of the name. It is my understanding that the bakery is still alive and well and is being operated by a son of Mr Bill Schwake. Alleda Hale mentioned that Mr Schwake was a very large man and he had the bottom half of his steering wheel cut out. I remember driving that car as it was being serviced at Syl Peak’s service station where I worked while in high school in the middle 40’s. The Ritz theater made him a special seat by removing the arm rest between two seats. He was a really nice man and his donuts were wonderful”.
—————————————————-
“Butch, I remember a theatre being built in Ardmore and there was a contest to name it. The name that was chosen was The Ritz. First prize was a number of free admissions and admission was a dime. That was a lot of money then. I remember seeing my first talking movie there and I think it was “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” with Ruby Keeler and Al Jolson. I also remember a theatre on the opposite side of Main street. On display out in front of the theatre was an old electric chair. I think the movie showing was a prison picture. Lots of people were curious as to what an electric chair looked like because a lot of people went to see it. This also reminds me of a time when George “machine gun” Bailey was caught going through Ardmore. A bunch of us went to the jail house and the Coca Cola plant was caddy -corner to the jail. And there were men manning machine guns on the roof of the Coco Cola plant and surrounding buildings guarding the jail. They took the prisoner to OKC escorted by police cars and a lot of Ardmore residence followed in their own cars, including me, several miles out of town.” -Tweed Stonum Machock
—————————————————-
“Ed Newton – was our neighbor when I was a teenager. He lived on the corner of Harris and 11th N.W. He was an Ardmore Jailer and one night some of the inmates tried to break out and knocked him out. He wore a white cowboy hat and boots and when he laughed he could be heard all over Main Street. He was offered a million dollars for that laugh but wouldn’t sell it. He had a beautiful wife Sadie and one son Bill and a Grandson Bobby. They were nice neighbors. He was a real cowboy. and had worked on a ranch before he retired.”
—————————————————-
—————————————————-
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“Butch, regarding Fred J. Paul’s comment regarding the oil in the little stainless steel pot that set on the corner of the grill used to season the burger patties, he was right. It was suit, rendered from beef tallow which my family grocery store provided. The J. W. Davis Grocery would render the beef fat left from the beef quarters they sold and butchered and Ernest Brown would use it as a seasoning/grilling lubricant in cooking his famous Hamburger Inn sandwiches.” -George W Davis Ardmore High School Class 1960
“Hey Butch, I bet your readers will enjoy this photo of Main Street Ardmore, Ok 1910 when cotton was king. Notice the majority of the people in the photo are posed for the photographer. Looks like the photo was taken from the tower room at the Whittington Hotel (Caddo and East Main).” -Robert Hensley
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/ArdmoreStreetSceneAbt1910.jpg
Lincoln Elementary School, Ardmore, OK, Open House for the building before it is torn down will be April 16, 2016, at the existing Lincoln Elementary School building from 2-4 PM. All former students, teachers, parents, anyone who is interested in visiting the building before it is torn down and the new building takes its place are welcome and invited. Come and take photos, visit friends, tour the facility for one last time. For more information go to Lincoln Elementary School Reunion on Facebook, or call 580-221-8792.
“Hi Butch, Probably too long winded for T&T but recent items sent me down memory lane again. I’m 92 & 4 years old lived on SE corner of B Street NW & 13th Avenue, a block from then Boundary street. Then, as now, a drainage creek ran thru there & we kids would catch crawdads (crayfish?) by a piece of bacon on a string, drop it in the muddy water where the critters would clamp on to it, too stupid to let go as we pulled them out — Franklin School, we called First Ward school, E street was Highway 77, entering Ardmore from now North Commerce, turn East on 12th Ave to E street turn South to Main Street, to Broadway West to (now) Commerce & on South. One-way streets hadn’t been invented in Ardmore yet. Entering Franklin school was in the middle of the block E street, between 6th & 7th avenues & we kids, with a policeman would flag cars to stop for kids crossing at school in & out times. I had my “Junior Police” belt, kind of a sam-brown rig in white canvas till recently I gave it to a collector of Ardmoreabilia. Aforesaid policeman, a very old man, fired his pistol at a car that refused to stop at the kid’s red flag. Car just kept going & policeman had a different pistol after that.” -Bob McCrory
“Butch, there was a guy named Garland Toland (sp) who (as I remember) picked up the mail and Ardmoreite newspapers and headed east as soon as the newspaper was available. He would be in his eighties by now. This was about 1951/2/3 or so. I think his father drove this route before he did. Of course, that was a long time ago and I could have it confused. Thanks for the good work.” -Jerry
Lincoln Elementary School, Ardmore, OK, Open House for the building before it is torn down will be April 16, 2016, at the existing Lincoln Elementary School building from 2-4 PM. All former students, teachers, parents, anyone who is interested in visiting the building before it is torn down and the new building takes its place are welcome and invited. Come and take photos, visit friends, tour the facility for one last time. For more information go to Lincoln Elementary School Reunion on Facebook, or call 580-221-8792
The 14th annual Marshall County Tractor Show at Lebanon, Oklahoma is April 8th and 9th
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos16a/LebanonTractorShow2016.jpg
Raccoon Alma Mater
“To the shores of Sheepshead Bay,
From the Verrazano Narrows,
To Canarsie across the way,
We have come together, one and all,
In fellowship to commune,
And to glorify the Grand Exalted
Brotherhood of Raccoons.”
-Ralph Kramden, The Honeymooners, 1955
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
All previous issues of This & That can be found on my Website.
Feel free to forward this free newsletter. Mailouts: over 1,600.