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Vol 22  Issue 1,131 September 27, 2018

PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402

Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823

Last weekend Oklahoma got a drenching. Rain fell like it has not done in 40 years. Many places in Oklahoma were flooded, many roads closed, many homes ruined from high flood waters. I know in the Ardmore area we got over 8 inches of rain. A few places north and northeast of here received 15 inches of rain. Hope we don’t go through that kind of weather again.

Here are a couple of photos taken last weekend after the 8 inch or more rain that fell in Ardmore. Turner Falls is gushing!

https://oklahomahistory.net/turnerfalls/TurnerFalls092218a.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/turnerfalls/TurnerFalls092318a.jpg

I guess this is aimed mostly at those who lived outside of Oklahoma since we who lived here know all about it. I had to laugh when I heard people were buying T-Shirts with “I Survived The 2018 Oklahoma Beer Drought” printed on them.

http://www.kten.com/story/39179496/oklahomans-want-to-know-wheres-the-beer

July 1934
George Evans of Newport says some farmers in this section have lost cattle on account of the water shortage. He is putting a pump on his well at the Newport gin and says beginning Friday he will be able to water the cattle of the community. He says the dry weather seems not to have to interferred with his well.

July 1934
Dillinger is dead. He swaggered from a neighborhood theater in Chicago on the night of July 22nd at the hour of 10:40 p.m. into the racking fire of government guns. Too late he saw the gleaming steel of the trap set for him. His hand went for his gun. Too late. Three bullets tore into his body, one in the neck, two in the body. He staggered. He fell. It was the end of John Dillinger. The body was laid on the green lawn of a hospital. Stripped, cold, and colorless as marble.

July 1983
An old field explosion and flash fire burned 5 men, four of them seriously. The accident occurred at the Cherokee-Hewitt Pumping Station west of Lone Grove. Four of men were college students working for Getty Oil Company for the summer.

July 1983
Plagued by complaints about the taste and smell of Lone Grove Water in recent weeks, officials say there is no danger of a water shortage in the town this summer, in the absence of a disaster, “such as a water tower destroyed.” Lone Grove did have two line problems including a For Sale sign being placed on an Aster Street yard with a posthole digger which went too deep.

July 1983
Oklahoma is getting $50,000 for its marijuana eradication program.

July 2003
Lone Grove native Matt Maher lucked out one night at a Shania Twain concert. He sprang for seats near the front. When Shania train spotted Matt he had his face stuck through a fluorescent green heart shaped “I Love You” sign, she invited him on the stage. After a few seconds of conversation she invited young Marr to sing with her. She asked which one of my songs do you know. He said, “all of them.” When she started singing he fell right in. She turned and looked at her band in amazement. She had no idea he could carry a tune.

Q.  Where in Oklahoma is a spring fed 17 foot deep lagoon swimming hole here the water stays around 40 to 50 degrees during the summer?
A.   Blue Hole Park is a big attraction in summer due to its ice-cold, clear water. To find this refreshing place, head seven miles east of Salina and look for the signs on the right side of the road (158 N4470, Salina, OK). Its about 50 miles east of Tulsa.
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/oklahoma/swimming-lagoon-in-ok/

Q.  Where in Oklahoma is a restaurant that is quirky and unique like a hunting lodge you wished you owned?
A.  Answer in next week’s newsletter

Below is from This and That newsletter archives of October 5, 2006

A T&T Reader recently lent me their 1976 Ardmore Shrine Club Rodeo Program. The Shrine Club rodeo that year was held on April 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th and Vic Owens was Rodeo President for the 15th Shrine Club Rodeo in 1976. The Shriners brought Red Stegall to Ardmore that year as the entertainer at the Rodeo. There were four area young ladies running for the rodeo queen: Darla Thompson of Mannsville, Barbara Ann Phillips of Ardmore, Cathy Logan of Ardmore, and Ruby Faye Cox of Marietta. I dont know who won that year, maybe someone will remember.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/1976RodeoQueens.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/1976ProgramBook.jpg
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“Does anyone remember the flood of 1950 on the Washita? For about 24 hours Davis was cut off on the north, west, and south. I was one of the last ones to drive out going to County Line to work. Bout got washed off the road, too. It was a dumb stunt, but I was young and foolish.” -John
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“I remember the flood of 1957 very well. I was supposed to travel to Denver from Ardmore on the Santa Fe Chief but would have had to change trains in Kansas. This really terrified me as I was traveling alone on my way to work at the YMCA camp in Estes Park. Because of the flood, my parents had to take me to Wichita Falls to catch a train which went directly to Denver. I left in the afternoon and didn’t sleep a wink on that train because of both excitement and fear. All went well even though I did have to take a taxi to the bus station in Denver and go to Boulder where a Y bus picked us up for the trip to Estes Park. It was a wonderful summer and I still have fond memories of the YMCA of the Rockies. In fact my husband and I have vacationed there three times.” -R. Helms
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January 21, 1915
Prof. Dayton amused the theatre-going public of Wilson last Monday night at the Ezy Theatre with rope tying and cabinet tricks. It is a class of amusement that is old, but never fails to entertain when done as cleverly as Prof. Dayton.

February 4, 1915
Pro. Murphey’s dog and monkey show at the Yale this week was a hit, especially with the youngsters. We noted several of the grey headed youngsters who seemed to be enjoying the show as well as the little fellows.

February 11, 1915
The Ho-Ko-Do Medicine Company playing at the Yale this week is giving a good show. They have some good vaudeville talent with them, and the show is extra, thrown in with the regular picture program for good measure, without extra charge.

March 4, 1915
The Empire Comedy Company playing at the Yale the balance of this week is one of the best that has appeared in Wilson. It is refined and at the same time amusing in the highest degree. The musical part of the program is exceedingly good. The prices during the show are .10 and .30. They are advertising to give away a real live baby. Considerable curiosity is being created over this announcement.” -Mindy Taylor
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“Dear Butch, As always we so enjoy your newsletter. It especially brings great joy to my Mother, Tweed Stonum Machock. Mom enjoyed the picture of the moonflower in the last issue. On the night that her Papa Tweed died in Gladewater, TX.,1934, at the Sun Oil Camp, she and her sister Florence noticed from inside his room that the moonflower was blooming. It had never bloomed before. So the Moonflower has always been very special to our family.” -Helen Tweed
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“Hello Butch….. I am Dottie Cude Biddick living in Arkansas now….. my friend Mona in California sent T&T to me many months ago and I finally signed up this year….I enjoy all the articles about the wonderful state of Oklahoma… and you cover it quite well…..t he reason I am sending this is I want to thank Dwane Stevens for the beautiful photos of thunderclouds he took and sent to you….. I printed them out….. they remind me so much of Ardmore…..and the wonderful years and the wonderful friends I had and I have there…… I saw these clouds alot….. Thanks Dwane and thanks to you Butch for presenting them.” -Dottie
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/CarterCountyCourthouse092106.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/ThunderheadArdmore6a.jpg
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Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..

Butch: I noticed in your latest newsletter somebody sent in a picture of the old Dew Drop Inn
from 1988. If you notice the faded blue paint on the front of the building. It was originally known
as “The Blue Front Bar” back in 1947. My father Henry Guess was shot inside the bar by a
man named Obie Johnson. He walked outside and sat down on the curb and died there.
I noticed on a recent trip to Ardmore that all the old buildings on the west side of Caddo near
the corner of Main street are gone and the street has been torn up and graded for some sort
of new construction. Thanks. -Jim Guess
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Hi Butch, I watched the video on tire repair – interesting. You see, I worked at a Conoco & Phillips station in the summers fixing flats, washing cars etc.. This was in the mid 60s also.

I fixed a LOT of flats with that “Hot Patch” method you mentioned. Plugging tires was a NO-NO. The reason that those tires with the ring are so dangerous is because you have to stick the air hose through the hole in the rim from the back of the tire and wheel so that if the ring blew off, it wouldn’t hit you in the head and kill you. We fixed a lot of flats for Tuboscope oil field drilling company. To make matters worse, the tires were full of mud that you had to wash off before you could get the ring off. We also fixed tractor tires on those old Ford tractors. They were big and heavy back wheels. The contractor would put water and anti-freeze in the back tires for more weigh and traction. You talk about a oily mess to clean up so you could put that hot patch on was frustrating, to say the least. I had enough of service stations and got a job at Safeway. Better mosey along. -Cecil
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Baptist in Virginia rejoiced in the vote by the Virginia General Assembly adopting Thomas Jefferson’s “Act to establish religious freedom.” The support of the declaration guaranteed “That all men shall be free to profess and….. maintain their opinions in matters of religion…” -Published by Northwest Baptist Church of Ardmore in the 1976 Shrine Club Rodeo Program

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos6a/1976ProgramBook.jpg

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges

“Friends Make Life Worth Living”PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

https://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