PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: [email protected], Phone: 580-490-6823
Christmas Day will be here in a few days. Hard to believe 2017 is almost over and 2018 will soon begin. I thought this week’s newsletter would be a short one, with everything going on and the holidays. But there is so much to share and so many wait all week for my newsletter, it filled up quickly. I remember a Reader several years ago told me he received a lot of emails from people, but he waited all week just for my publication to pop up in his inbox. Everyone in Oklahoma knows his name and it was very humbling to me when he made that comment. I appreciate everyone, from the greatest to the smallest (and even some 90+ year olds), who has made it worthwhile for me the past 20 years to hit that Send Button on this one-of-a-kind newsletter.
November 1989
The recent termination of Officer Bill Cox was upheld in a lengthy session of the Lone Grove Personnel Board. Cox was terminated for not maintaining a permanent residence within the city limits of Lone Grove. At the hearing, city manager Stan Patty said, Cox was told of the residency requirement before being hired, and that he had authority to set residency requirements. Two citizens at the hearing maintain there is no written City policy governing residency requirements or defining a residence for city employees, including the city manager, who stays in a travel trailer near the fire station.November 1989
The Tilted Windmill, Lone Grove’s newest restaurant, located across from Dale’s Market has been opened by Dan and Carol McDaniels. They specialize in BBQ and catfish.November 1962
The $13,600,000 Lake of the Arbuckle project ran into a snag when Ardmore officials said it would never come to a vote unless that City had at least half of the governing board seats. As it stands now, Davis, Sulphur, Wynnewood, and Dougherty each have a board member and Ardmore has three board seats.A paver I sandblasted the other day.
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/MssMuffettDog.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. What county on Oklahoma is the only county in the U.S. that touches four states?
A. It is Cimarron County touching 4 states in the panhandle. It touches Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
Q. What part of Oklahoma has been known for 100 years as Spooksville Lights?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletterBelow is from This and That newsletter archives of December 22, 2005
1963: How to call another party on your line.
1. Dial the number as listed in our directory. When the person whose number you have dialed is on the party line, you will hear a high pitched tone instead of the regular ringing signal.
2. When you hear the high pitched tone, dial your one digit code which should be on the back of your directory. After dialing your station number you will hear the busy signal.
3. When you hear the busy signal, hang up. Both your phone and the other party’s phone will ring.
4. When your bell has stopped ringing, your party has answered. Pick up the phone and begin your conversation. If the other party does not answer, your phone will continue to ring. To stop it, lift our receive for a few seconds, then hang up.
5. If you do not have your station code, you can obtain it by dialing the operator. The telephone number prefix in Ardmore is CApital. For brevity this is abbreviated as “CA”. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, 200 West Broadway. D.T. Dunford, Manager, F.A Miller, District Manager.
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A few eating places in Ardmore in 1963:
Black Saddle Restaurant 2625 N Commerce
Uncle Charlie’s Hamburgers 515 S Washington
Carl’s Dairy Queen 311 N Washington
City Cafe 124 N Washington
Courthouse Cafe 17 A Street SW
Anastasio’s Pizzeria 29 Broadlawn
Bob’s Restaurant Highway 77 South Bob McClanahan, owner
Edna’s Cafe 33 A Street NE (Caddo)
Fern’s Hamburger King Highway 70 E
Jack and Jewel’s Cafe 219 K SE
Jay’s Drive In 1111 West Main
Patton’s Cafe 314 East Main
Sanderson Dairy Queen 708 Lake Murray Drive
Smokehouse 22 S Commerce
Tower Restaurant 209 N Commerce
Tucker’s Cafe 1002 S Commerce
Tudor Cafe 16 N Washington
Eden’s Fine Foods 205 W Main
Cooper Farms Restaurant 925 W Broadway
Marco Polo No. 1 Supper Club 2 miles west and 1/2 mile north of city
The Gourmet Restaurant 1606 McLish
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Its really been a somber time at the Ardmore courthouse this week. Employees came to work Wednesday morning to learn our District Attorney, Mitch Sperry, had died only a couple hours before. We were all in shock and could hardly believe the sad news. Mitch was at home Wednesday morning getting ready for work when some medical problem struck. Whatever happened that morning, in an instant it snuffed out the life of a friend we all saw on a daily basis and loved. When he came walking down the hallway, it didnt matter if you were the cleaning lady, or a judge, and anyone in between, Mitch would always take the time to say hello and ask how you’re doing, and just talk with you about everyday life for a minute. He’s sure going to be missed by a lot of people. I know if I live to be 100 years old, I will never forget the man Mitch Sperry. His friends were countless. Funeral services will be Friday at 2:00pm at the First United Methodist Church at West Main and “E” Street NW.
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“Thanks for this information My Dad took me to an Indian stomp dance. His words they had an election for chief of Choctaw’s this was sometime in 1938. I was 8 years old he gave me some food and he called it shofa corn. he would not let me have much as he said it was fermented and had alcohol in it. that was the only time I ever saw or heard of it. Now I know what it is. Thanks.” -Paskell
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RE: “The Dinkey” that Bill Spearman mentioned. I remember that little train. My brother and I would ride it to Simpson to visit our grand-parents. Simpson is south of Mannsville. We would walk about a mile from there to their farm. Usually they would meet us and walk back with us. But I don’t recall any place by the name of Provence. However, I do remember Bill Spearman and all of the Spearmans. His sister, Betty, and were close friends.” -Alwilda Payne Stephens
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“I am not a “car buff” however know several people who are, and I am told: (1) the “Antique Car 5a” appears to be a STANLEY STEAMER (early 1900’s –before 1920); and (2) the “Antique Car 5b” is probably a RIO (of the WW I era). Hope this helps lead to some determination about the make of the autos.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/AntiqueCar5a.jpghttps://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/AntiqueCar5b.jpg
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“Butch, here are a couple photos I took in over in Maysville a few weeks ago. I had intended to send these earlier, then lost track of where I had put them. Here they are, rediscovered. As you know, Maysville claims famous Oklahoman, Wylie Post as its favorite son. There is a little restaurant over there called the lumberyard that pays respect to Wylie’s memory with the tail of an airplane sticking out of its roof, and a mural inside depicting Wylie and his famous “Winnie mae”.” -David Cathey
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WyliePostMaysville5a.jpghttps://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos5a/WyliePostMaysville5b.jpg
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————————————————————————Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
Here is a postcard from 1908 of North Washington street in Ardmore, Ok. – Robert Hensley
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/NorthWashingtonArdmore1908.jpg
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The article last week on the WPA, brought to mind my father, Richard Bagwell. He was lucky enough to get one of those WPA jobs to build Lake Murray. Apparently the men dug a good part of the lake with hand shovels. He claimed it was grueling job, but he was glad to have work. One day, he and several others dug up several suitcases of Confederate money. Since it had no value, the men gathered around and burned it. I’ve always wondered if he had brought one of those suitcase home, what would it be worth to a collector today? At the time he claimed the money was in pristine condition. -John Bagwell
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Bill Spearman’s story about Tater Hill & flagging down the Frisco train brings back my favorite childhood memory.First I’ll start with a little family background. My grandfather, Clem Kuykendall, was a section line foreman for the Frisco Railroad. During his career with the Frisco (1912-1952), he covered the sections of Sulphur, Ravia, and Kingston, OK and Denison, TX. On April 21, 1952 (the same day my family moved to Ardmore) my grandfather was killed in a motorcar accident in Platter, OK when his motor car hit a dog and he was throw head first onto the tracks.
Following the accident, my grandmother was given a lifetime pass on the Frisco Railroad among other things. And she used that pass to visit family and see the USA. My mom called her “the go go girl”.
Now fast forward to 1956, when my Grandmother Kuykendall (we called her “Grandma K”) was visiting my family in Ardmore. She decided to visit another daughter, Ruth, who lived in Ravia and then go home to Denison via the Frisco train. I was invited to go home with her and spend a week……I was thrilled as any 10 year old would be.
Here’s the exciting part, the Frisco did not regularly stop in Ravia, but came through southbound every night around 2:00am. So just before 2:00am, we went down to where the old depot stood and waited on the platform. When we heard the train coming, my grandmother stepped out on the tracks and started waving a kerosene lantern. Sure enough, the train started braking and pulled to a screeching stop. We hopped on and rode to the end of the line which was Denison.
I will never forget the fear and excitement of that train barreling down on us as we stood in dark. My grandmother was absolutely fearless and an amazing woman.
I have enclosed a few of photos.
1. Frisco – Clem & his crew in 1912
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/FriscoLineCrew.jpg
2. Ravia, OK Depot
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/RaviaOklahomaDepot.jpg
3. Frisco train crossing Lake Texoma 1948
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/TexomaRailRoadBridge1948.jpg
4. Jadean with her grandparents at their home “Frisco Section House” Denison, TX 1951 (Note: I used to sit on those steps leading down to the tracks and wait for my grandfather to go by) Great memories.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos17b/KuykendallsandJadeanatDenisonTX1951.jpg
Thanks for keeping history alive. -Jadean Fackrell
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Hi Butch! Does anyone out there remember a “resort” from the 1920s in Creek County, named “Shady Grove?” It was built by my great grandfather. It seem to no longer exist and I’d love to find out info about its lifespan and demise. Thanks! -Paula
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———————————————–Merry Christmas everyone!
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges“Friends Make Life Worth Living”PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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