PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823
A Glimpse Into The Past
In October 1971 seven people filed for the Carter County Commissioners post for District 2. There was Carl Pevehouse, a Ratliff City rancher. (The post came up for election when incumbent Joyce Taliaferro died in office in August of 1971.) Others seeking the post were Leon W. Loftis, an Ardmore rancher; Jim Dollar, a Healdton construction worker; and Rex Puckett, an oil field worker. Also running was Donald Duke, who created a special interest in the election since he had the same name as State Representative Don Duke. But also a candidate for the county commissioners office was Healdton, Oklahoma resident Martha Treadwell. Mrs. Treadwell would put her name in history as the first ever female to run for the Carter County commissioners office. In the end, E.C. “Chub” Davis would edge out all those seeking the office, including Mrs. Treadwell.
A few years ago Ardmoreite Bob Kerr brought by my office a framed photo he had of the race track at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum Fairgrounds. I believe it was there around 1920.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/ColiseumRaceTrack.jpg
I need to look for an evening and weekend job. I can see I’m going to need a lot more money soon when the new Harbor Freight opens in Ardmore at the old Walmart store, more recently the Hastings Music store at 601 North Commerce. I head the store hopes to open by the end of May.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/HarborFreightArdmore.jpg
I bought this 1/2 drill in Feb 2006 for $40. I mixed 70 five gallon buckets of Sakrete with it, and other various jobs through the years, and it still works as good as the day I bought it.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17a/HarborFreightDrill021406.jpg
We have two of the 4 foot fluorescent light blubs in the kitchen ceiling. Two of them went out the other day and I decided to replace all 4 with 4 foot LED bulbs. Was easy to change the wiring, get rid of the ballast and the lights are twice as bright as the old fluorescent bulbs. Suppose to last 22 years at 3 hours a day. Only $11.00 each at Amazon.
A couple of pavers I sandblasted the other day.
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/MillieLouDogPaver.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/RoxieDogPaver.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/
Q. Where in Oklahoma is the the state’s largest outdoor swimming pool (the size of 5 football fields) that is spring fed from a lake?
A. Gage, Oklahoma. In 1917, drillers seeking oil hit instead an artesian spring with water high in magnesium. Now, with a sandy beach and bottom and concrete around the sides, the artesian source continues to supply water and it is open for public swimming.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/77359344
Q. Where in Oklahoma is a secret cave that was once the hideout of the legendary outlaw Marlow brothers?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of May 6, 2005
Grover Wells wanted to pass along info on their upcoming 1950 class reunion. Here is the flyer with reunion details and registration form for the September 23rd and 24th, 2005 event.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/1950ClassReunion.jpg
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I received an email this week from England. They had been viewing my webcam I had pointed at the Ladies Garden Center last Saturday evening, and asked if that was a milk truck sitting by the curve. I guess in a round about way, it might be. lol
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/cowtrailer05.jpg
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Here is something I ran across on at a garage sale last weekend. Its a ceramic coffee mug imprinted with Jerry’s Gun Shop of Ardmore on the sides.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/JerrysGunShop5a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/JerrysGunShop5b.jpg
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Here’s a picture of Ardmore’s Robison Opera House on the south side of Ardmore Main Street at C Street.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/RobisonOperaHouse.jpg
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This is a pic of the American Flyers life vest. AF was located at the Ardmore Air Park.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/AmericanFlyersLifeVest.jpg
And here is a piece of Ardmore history. Its a flour sifter imprinted with Pugh See Company on it. The company was located at 133 Caddo.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/PughFlourSifter.jpg
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“Three early photo’s of Santa Fe cut, Crusher and fishermen…. two miles south of Dougherty, Oklahoma on the Washita river.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/RockCrusherDavisIT.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WashitaRiverFishingDavisOK.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/SantaFeCut5a.jpg
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“Hi Butch, Finally I have a story about one of your letters, When my mother In Law was a Youngster Her family moved down on the Standfield Ranch right across the Red River from Ryan Oklahoma, she has mentioned the Ferry going across down by Terral, Oklahoma and when we were last down there we saw a sign for the crossing out on one of the dirt roads on the Texas side of the River, I can’t recall the name right now. Here is a little story she tell’s about there stay on the Standfield Ranch and crossing the Red River in a wagon.
By Sybil Maxine Tate
“When I was about 12 or 13 in about 1925, we moved from Ashland to the Standfield Ranch, along with Uncle Lem, Aunt Ida and their kids, just across the river (Red River) from Ryan, Oklahoma. Papa and Uncle Lem went to work on the ranch share cropping and would grow cotton there on the land allotted to them. Papa would make us kids work out in the cotton fields pickin cotton, it was hard back breaking work and dad would get us girls up before daylight to work in the fields , He’d always say “lets bust it girls”, he was real hard on us sometimes. One day out in The fields my sister Fern decided she just could not do it anymore, she tied that full sack of cotton around her neck dragging it like she was gonna choke herself, she looked a sight dragging that cotton sack around her neck, and it didn’t do the job cause she survived it fine. Us kids would pick up pecans in tow sacks for him to sell too, there was a lot of paper shells around there down the hill by the Red River. When it was time, he would load it up in the wagon and take off across the river to Ryan to sell it, he’d stay gone so long drinking and such, it would be way into the night before got home, papa would get so drunk he’d pass out in the wagon and the old team would just come on home. We would here the wagon coming back down the road along time before it got there, and when he got there he always brought back lots of supplies and plenty of candy for us kids. We Could also hear the Texas Special (Train) that runs along side the river there to. Papa decided that it was not to profitable sharecropping there so after about a year or so we went back to McAlester, and Uncle Lem (TATE) and Aunt Ida (GRIFFITH) stayed on there.”
Many times she had told this story and has very fond memories of her time on the Stanfeild Ranch. Also if any of your readers or you run across an article about the shooting of James Martin Sept 10 1906 in Oswalt I sure would appreciate info on it, He was shot by Eldridge Gasoway, John Banks and Bill Adherholt according to family stories. As always continue to be fascinated by your Newsletter. -Linda Hamner
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“I have mixed feelings about seeing the picture of Doc Hathaway’s office in Lone Grove. It is a bit nostalgic, but I keep remembering a sore throat, a needle the size of a pencil, and my bare behind.” -Chuck
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/HathawayOffice5a.jpg
“Hi Butch, I had written you about the McMillan, Oklahoma School Bell sometime back and you were going to try to get down & get a Picture. Don’t know if you did or not, so thought I would send you one. This Bell had been stored out in the pasture behind Arville Saxon’s home after it was removed from the School building several years ago. I had talked to Mr. Saxon about putting it out in front of the old school, now Community Center. He was in poor health & passed away before we got it done. His Son J.A. took over his Dad’s volunteer duties in the Community, so I approached him and sent him some pictures of a Bell in front of the Chisholm Trail Museum at Waurika, & I thought that would be a good way to display it. To my great surprise, last May at the McMillan Homecoming, he & his Son had installed it. I couldn’t have been more proud & I know his Dad and my Dad & Mother, Melvin & Iva (Harrell) Gardner, all started school there about 1914, would be equally proud. Thanks for letting me share this information. I do so enjoy your weekly T&T’s.” -Tawana (Gardner) Fleming
https://oklahomahistory.net/bellphotos/McMillanSchoolBell5a.jpg
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Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“Good Day Mr. Bridges,
I have written before but not since moving back to Oklahoma. Your story on the long ago Seismograph crew reminded me of a story my dad related to me about Ardmore. During the same time era of “Ace” Swoap, a man contracted to carry Nitro in his Model A Ford to newly drilled oil wells. The nitro was used to open up the formation down hole after completion of a new well. The contractor would hire a new employee to help him load the Nitro in his car and they would drive to the new well to unload the product. The Nitro was in boxes and not marked. The man would tell the hired hand what they were hauling on the way to the well. He reported that he never paid for the help, as the new employee always jumped out of the car on the rough road leading to the well, as soon as he heard what they were hauling. The crew at the well would unload the Nitro and the contractor would collect the full fee for hauling the product to the well. Enjoy your Newsletter each week and thank you for the effort it takes to continue it’s publication. ‘Wally Glasscock, Edmond, Oklahoma
Arbuckle Mountain Home
By Cecil Crosby, Ardmore, Oklahoma 1939
When prairie stars are shining,
And the sky above is blue,
‘Tis then my thoughts returneth,
To a place so good and true,
A place up in the mountains,
Up thar by Turner Falls,
Where turtle doves are cooing.
And you hear those coyotes call,
‘Tis the music of the mountains,
That seems to call me back,
Back to a humble cottage,
Just a little mountain shack,
And soon I’ll be returning,
Never more to roam,
And I’ll settle down forever,
In my Arbuckle Mountain Home.
I would not trade my humble shack,
For a place by the sea,
For up thar in those mountains high,
It is always home to me,
And soon I’ll be returning,
Never more to roam,
And I’ll settle down forever,
In my Arbuckle Mountain Home.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/ArbuckleHome1939a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/ArbuckleHome1939b.jpg
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
“Friends Make Life Worth Living”
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443https://oklahomahistory.net
Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
https://oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
Bill Hamm’s Cemetery Database
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/carter/cartercm.htm
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 Government Website
http://cartercountyok.us