PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823
Early Day Humanitarian
Mrs. Rebecca Stiefel Kahn (1874-1958) was a pacesetter in her lifetime. No Civic program was too great that she was not able to find a way to answer a need. In an era when women’s lib was unknown, she was recognized for her idealistic views and independent thinking. Her original ideas and ability to organize was akin to a creative performance. Many of Ardmore’s benevolent activities were further nurtured, directed and sustained by her personally.
For example, before 1900, she helped establish and became the first president of the Ardmore Benevolent Society. This was the first charitable group to be organized in Ardmore. Afterwards, in 1903, she founded the Jewish Ladies Aid Society of Temple Emeth. This group of ladies valued her ability so much that she served as their president for 20 years. This group worked with and for all people needing help regardless of race, color or creed.
Likewise, her guiding spirit instituted the Sunshine Ward for the Hardy Sanitarium. The Lion’s Club responded to her plea and gave financial support to this project. As a result, for 6 years needy children, women and men received free medical attention when admitted to this ward.
Later, she made provisions for the Rebecca Kahn Home for the homeless, located on the corner of C Street Southwest and old 10th Avenue Southwest (now Myall Street). It was an everyday occurrence for her to feed from 4 to 7 families daily in her community. In addition, many people were fed in her home every day. No one was ever given a back door hand out at her home. Instead, they were invited into the house and fed at the table. Many times members of the family join them around a table for not only food, but conversation.
Furthermore, during the chaotic 30s she was the force behind the Milk and Ice Fund for the needy. She personally solicited donations from many Ardmore people, whereby those items were made available for the poor and unfortunate.
In addition, she was the first chairman of the Carter County Tuberculosis Association. This organization awarded her a gold pin for her many years of devoted service.
On February 4, 1958 this thoughtful woman passed away. She had lived a full and useful life for 83 years. Harvey Funeral Home directed the service, and she was laid to rest by her husband in the Mount Zion Cemetery. –Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book 1982
Picture of Mrs. Julius H. Kahn
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Grave maker of Rebecca Kahnhttps://oklahomahistory.net/mtzion/KAHN_Rebecca_STIEFEL.JPG
Q. In 1901 a little burger joint opened up to feed all the hungry miners, and although the town dwindled away over the years, the restaurant survived. Where is the Oklahoma restaurant that’s unlike any other in the world?
A. Meers, Oklahoma CLICK HEREQ. Where in Oklahoma is a delightful general store close to the Oklahoma/Texas border in a town of 90 people, that offers home cooked meals, freshly baked pies, friendly hospitality and all the goodies travelers could wish for?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletterSome pavers I sandblasted recently
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December 2003
Several years and after spending nearly $350,000 the Clifton well water well is a reality. The well, popularly known as the “Well from Hell”, was plagued with problems from the beginning. The property lease is $15 per month for 25 years.December 1983
Terry and Nathan Christian have opened Terry’s Saddle and Tack Shop on Highway 70 in Lone Grove. Both Nathan and Terry are graduates of Lone Grove High School and have three children, Lynn, Walter, and Stacie.December 1958
Carter County Court Clerk, Joe Maddox, issued a marriage license to F. L. Culbreath last Friday, he thinks is the oldest person to even enter wedlock from his office. F.L. was 94 and Ida Turpin to whom he was married with 82. Finis Culbreath of Lone Grove, the eldest son, was present at the wedding at the age of 72.December 1934
E. B. Luke, Why not a closed season on quail? At the rate they are being exterminated, it will not be long until they are as extinct as the dodo bird.Well, I’ve been jobless for nearly 60 days now. I’m still looking for a job that might be suited to a senior citizen. If anyone has a tip, let me know. Thanks in advance.
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of February 1, 2007
Ada, Oklahoma – Just a block south and a couple blocks east of Hisaw’s is Hudson’s Antiques. It’s a old store front looking building filled to overflowing with antiques. I snapped some pics that caught my eye like this old time flour mill. My great grandmother, Ida Murphree Miller, had one just like it in her house across the street from Ardmore’s Washington School back in the 60s.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/FlourMill7a.jpgAnother item I found interesting was a Indian statue, reminded me of the song Kaliga.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/IndianStatue7a.jpgHere’s a picture of Jill trying to buy everything in the store.
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Mix Master in Ada? Crazy corners? You don’t know where that is you say? That’s where Highway 1 and Highway 377 and Mississippi Avenue all come together at a 5 way stop. And the railroad comes right through the middle of it all. And believe me, when that 150 ton engine comes through, it’s every man for himself. LOL Kinda makes a guy feel like he’s just had a miracle take place if he makes it safely through it. Here’s a couple of pics I took back in 2002 of the Ada Mix Master.
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Below is a map showing where the crazy intersection in Ada is located.
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Jack Blackwood sent in a photo this week he took of an old outhouse at Russett, Oklahoma. Its located just as you start into Russett from the south on the east side of Highway 1. Russett is in Johnston county.https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos7a/OuthouseRussett7a.jpg
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I was born and raised in Ardmore. This week I learned that located just 3 or so miles east of Ardmore, just a couple of miles from where I grew up, is a place called Long Mountain. Long Mountain is just a little to the north of Tater Hill and not has high. Tater Hill is 1,032 feet. As soon as warmer weather gets here, we’ll make a trip to these two places and get some pics, along with a GPS reading for Long Mountain. Now the next question is how did this spot in eastern Carter county get the name Long Mountain?
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“The cabin that you referred to in your article is actually on Long Mountain, not Tator Hill. Long Mountain is just North of Tator Hill and we are the new owners of the cabin. Tator Hill is owned by Nora Harris, and there is not a road to get to the top of it (quite a hike). We are not sure if Long Mountain is the highest elevation (that one can drive up on) in Carter County; but we would like to know, if someone has a GPS. On a clear day, you can see the water on Lake Texoma. Storm spotters use Long Mountain to watch for severe weather. There is a marker up on Long Mountain that we are told the whole County was surveyed from in 1936. Fourth of July is spectacular up here. You can see all the fireworks shows in Southern Oklahoma. The whole horizon is lit up with fireworks. Last fourth of July was open to the public. Folks were welcome to bring chairs and blankets to enjoy the many shows. We are hoping to be able to do it again this year.” -Anna
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“Butch, When I went there in the late 60’s, we went from the road ( Tater Hill Rd ) and walked north straight up and over the top of the hill. Mom showed me the foundation of the old homestead and the cellar which was still there. It was just north of the top of the hill. Then we walked down to the east and a little back south down the hill to a small bunch of trees. In there was a little cemetery with one of those old fashioned iron fences around it with a little ladder that went up and over the fence. There were, I dont know for sure, maybe 5-10 graves in there with stones. The picture I sent you , on the left about halfway up the hill is a little clump of trees that might be it or it may be further north, or is under the road there now or the mobile home yard, but I think it was on the side of the hill about halfway down in a group of trees. Sure would like to walk around there with a metal detector……..Yep, 3 generations of my family were born and lived there. My mom was born in the cellar, because it was cool in there. She used to walk to the ( Dinky ? ) and ride into town. My grandpa was buried in Providence (sp?) cemetery, and I think my grandmother was buried across the road from there in another cemetery because grandpa was buried with some kinda mens org. and they didnt bury women there or something like that. My bunch of cousins all still live within a few miles or less of Tater Hill. I met a lady through T&T whose grandparents were good friends with mine and were there when he was killed thrown from the horse. Just replying to you with some fuzzy facts.” -Kirk.
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“Butch, In reference to the towers on Davis mountain. The smallest and furtherest to the left is a tower owned by the Oklahoma Wildlife Department. When we built the new one, behind and just ever so slightly to the right of the second tower in the picture, we abandoned the old tower to the land owner at that time, Fred Chapman. Fred rented some space on the tower to various entities, but it appears to be empty now. The new Wildlife Department tower is 400′ tall, which is twice as tall as the old one, 200′. Several of the towers are new since I was last up there. One belonged at one time to AT&T, there are a couple of cell phone and Microwave towers. On a clear day, you can see OKC from the top of the mountain. It was a line of sight shot from this tower to our OKC tower, located at the 600′ level of the KWTV tower on North Kelley in OKC. Few know that the KWTV tower has an elevator that goes up to the 600′ level. It is a scary and squeaky ride to that level on an outside elevator, up a swaying 1,500’+ tower. I have made that ride several times, but I don’t think I will ride that elevator again or climb the tower at Davis mountain again. A funny story: When we started to build the new tower, Ed Wolford, our Radio Division Supervisor, Bob Mullenix, Game Warden from Marietta and myself showed up to do the work. Ed brought a pick and two shovels. I hit that solid rock of a mountain one time with the pick and it didn’t even chip it. We went back to town, rented an air compressor, jack hammer, back hoe and bought a case of dynamite. After much drilling, blasting and scooping, we got a hole big enough to pour a base for the tower. We hired a tower building company out of OKC to construct the tower. After we got it built, it turned out to be right in the path of the AT&T tower and caused a problem with telephone signals, so we had to tear it all down and build it again, 25′ further west. All in a day’s work.” -Lt. Rome Ingle (ret) Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Tulsa.
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“Cuz, Those towers you mentioned were installed by the TV Stations in Oklahoma city (WKY TV – Channel 4 took the lead) as relay towers in order to transmit their signals over the Arbuckle Mountains to Ardmore and other towns and cities south of the Arbuckles. I believe they were actually put in in the mid to late 40’s but don’t hold me to the dates – just that when my Step-Dad Ford was working as a “Cub-Reporter” for WKY TV – (he use to film events in the area for broadcast on TV with eight and sixteen mm cameras) he told us that was where we received our TV signals from and in the early stages of outside TV antennas, everyone pointed their antennas towards those towers.” -Poss
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“The email about Anadarko and mass burial site sparked my interest. I have many relatives who live in Caddo County near Anadarko. I have never personally heard of this site, or saw any excavations which exposed human bones in the area. Of course I was overseas in 1968. I can shed some light on the Tonkawa massacre it happened near the site where Indian City is located, just inside the entrance of Indian City at the bottom of the hill. There could have been an archaeological dig in progress there at the time but I am not aware of it if there was. Several miles to the South of Anadarko near Stecker, Oklahoma the remains of a mammoth were found in a creek bed. My uncle took us to this location while it was being excavated this was in the early 60’s. The mammoth was killed and butchered on this spot by Paleolithic era Indians. There were a number of artifacts found at the site. The fossilized remains of the mammoth is in the museum at Lawton. There is also a museum in Anadarko which might be able to provide information on the site you described.” -Mike Jones
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————————————————————————-Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
The first Walmart in Ardmore opened in 1975 at Grand and Commerce, my wife opened store as bookkeeper. The present store opened in 1981. -Robert Chaney
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Hey good morning Butch, We recently finished a big renovation of the 42 bell carillon at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. We installed that carillon originally in 1956, my Grandfather actually installed it. In 2017 we took everything out of the tower and replaced everything except the bells themselves. The largest bell is a D#1 and weighs about 3,600 Lbs. When we reinstalled the bells we made 3 of the swinging bells and the rest are stationary that are played by a manual keyboard.Tim Verdin, Vice President of Manufacturing
o: 800-543-0488 x1268 | f: 888-389-5019
tverdin@verdin.comhttps://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos19a/StLukesUnitedMethodistBellsOKC01.jpg
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Thursday January 31st marks the 100th anniversary of the killing of Dow Braziel by Bud Ballew in the California Cafe on Ardmore’s main street.Newspaper Clipping CLICK HERE
This is the paver in front of the old Stolfa Hardware in Ardmore that was the California Cafe back in 1922.
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https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16228558/dow-braziel
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———————————————–Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” -Ernestine Ulmer
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