PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823
The Earliest White Settlers in the Chickasaw Nation
John Harpole Carr- born in Lebanon, Tennessee; came to Chickasaw Nation in 1847 as superintendent of the construction of Bloomfield Academy. He chose the site, and construction began in 1852.
Reverend J. C. Robinson- In l85l was director of the Manual Training School for Boys near Tishomingo.
Captain Frederick Young, Dr. & Mrs. H. F. Murray, Robert Cole, J. E. Wharton, Robert Boyd (a Chickasaw by birth), Elihu B. Hinshaw, J. R. Hendricks were all directors of Bloomfield.
Joshua Harley, in 1880, was principal of Chickasaw Manual Labor Academy, but had already served the school 20 years. Ben Carter and S. M. White were later contractors.
James S. Allen- supervised the planning of Wapanucka Female Manual Labor School in 1851-52. The school was also called Wapanucka institute or Rock Academy.
Charles Sparrow- the stone and brick mason for Wapanucka institute. Reverend Hamilton Ballentine was the first superintendent.
William H. Jackson- contractor and superintendent of Wapanucka institute. Later, Dr. L. J. Thomas had the same job.
C. M. Coppedge- first superintendent of Colbert (Collins) Institute, located at Perryville, Pontotoc County, Chickasaw Nation, and was established in 1854.
Joe T. Roff- came into Indian Territory in 1871. The town of Roff was named for him.
Frank W. Jones-came into Indian Territory in 1880 and lived near Duncan. !n 1885 he married Carrie Colbert, Chickasaw.
W. D. Bailey came in from Texas in 1873 and located in Pickens County near Chickasha. ln 1874 he married
Mexican boy was liberated also. He had been with the Indians so long he could not remember where he was from or who he was. He did remember that his mother and father had both been killed.” There were many independent traders that went out with pack mules, loaded with trinkets and many trading posts we will never know about, for many traded from wagons or a dirt dugout. Some followed the Indians, and as they drove down their stakes, a new trading post was established.
Matilda Buckholts, Choctaw, Boggy Depot Cemetery, Atoka, Oklahoma
A. A. Brooke, T. M. Jones, G. M. Ladd, T. J. Smith, John Hopman, N. C. Thomas, and D. B. Shepherd were farmers around Chickasha in 1899.
William N. Taliaferro came into Pickens County in 1886 and farmed 600 acres, later to become Madill.
Robert L. Murray- came into Indian Territory in 1857 and settled 4 miles north of Colbert in Panola County. He married Louie Collins, Chickasaw, daughter of Dan Collins. He was sheriff of Panola County, served in the Chickasaw Senate, and later became a U. S. lndian Policeman.
C. W. Tillerson- moved in near Marlow, Pickens County, in 1890 and farmed.
J. L. Jordan- came to the area later to become Ardmore in 1872, but moved to 8 miles southeast of Marietta. ln 1893 he married Mollie Love, daughter of Overton Love. He was a city recorder and a permit collector in the Chickasaw Nation.
Smith Paul, T. F. Waite, George Gardner, and T. A. McClure settled on ranches near Pauls Valley.
The Moncriefs settled at Old Beef Creek (now called Maysville).
J. C. Worley established his home at White Bead
Jim Colbert and Joe Camp settled in the Florence community.
James Gardner and John Walner settled in what became Wynnewood.
Emmet McCaughey, livestock owner born in Mississippi; and Jerry Carson, born at Fort Gibson on April 15, 1846, settled at Fort Arbuckle, then Erin Springs. Jerry Carson’s father, Lindy Carson, was a brother of Kit Carson, the famous Indian fighter.
Samuel T. Garvin resided at Fort Arbuckle, beginning in 1867, and raised livestock. He married Susan Moncrief, Choctaw, daughter of William Moncrief. Mr. Garvin was at one time vice-president of First National Bank in Pauls Valley.
Frank Murray married Mrs. Powell, Choctaw citizen, and he farmed in Chickasaw Nation.
W. G. Williams came to Indian Territory in 1860 and was a cattleman at Minco. In 1863 he married Annie Eastman, Caddo Indian.
Charles Campbell, born in London, England, 1843, came to Chickasaw Nation in 1858. He married Sarah McLish, Chickasaw.
L. C. Wantland, a rancher near Purcell; Dave Mayes, a rancher at Beef Creek; Byers Brothers in Pontotoc County; Jack Florence in the Florence community with Bill Story northwest of him; George Gray and Henry Tussey on Wild Horse Creek; David Spain west of White Bead Hill; and T. H. Hewitt near Wynnewood; R. S. Jennings (married Jim Colbert’s daughter), and Noah Leal (married Governor Harris’ daughter) were near Wynnewood; Preston Addington at Monument Hill; Zack Addington on Mud Creek; Mat Wolf to Davis in 1876; W. G. Kimberlin, James Rennie, and T. T. Hill at White Bead Hill.
Richard McLish, A. B. Roff and L. P. Adkins were the land owners and early pioneers in Ardmore. Frank and R. B. Frensley had the first general store. Marion Rider and Dr. Yarbrough put in the first drug store. John Chitwood established the Alliance Store.
Extracted from a Master of Arts Thesis by Leona Stamps Barron for the University of Oklahoma in 1939, “The Penetration of Whites into the Chickasaw Nation 1866-1907”, thesis submitted by Dee Matthews.
-Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book 1982
I learned something new this week. I didn’t know there was a small park in the SW corner of C Street and 2nd NW across from the Bell Telephone building. It was named the Alice Wayside Park.
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The Park Theater (originally the Ritz Theater) was at 117 West Main. I went there a few times on Saturday mornings to watch the 3-D black and white movie Creature From The Black Lagoon. It was a nasty, dirty place. Kids could get in that morning with 2 cartons of empty coke bottles.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20a/ParkTheaterCloseup.jpg
Q. Where in Oklahoma can you spend the day with adorable camels plus find other varieties of exotic animals roaming the land?
A. At Passow’s Camel Farm you will find a variety of exotic animals on this working farm. It’s located at 25601 County Rd 150 in Perry, just northeast of Stillwater, Oklahoma. CLICK HERE
Q. Up until 1942, Oklahoma would surgically sterilize criminals for what reason?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of February 14, 2008
I am always amazed at the free genealogy information one can find on ancestors on the world wide web. I ran across a photograph of my grandfather 8 times removed, John Carman who came from England to first settle in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1631. In 1643 he is listed on the Indian Deed purchasing 165,000 acres of land from the Indians on Long Island New York which would become Hempstead, Nassau County, New York (east end of NY Island) where he continued to live until his death in 1653. (My Carman line would change the name Carman to Carmon around 1880.) Anyway, thanks to the internet I found a photo of my ancestor from England, John Carman. My mother, Louse Carmon was from the Carman line.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JohnCarman.jpg
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Doug Williams bought about 7 acres east of Ardmore a few miles and he was told there was some kind of marker put on the property by the state. He found it this week. Can anyone give us more info on exactly what this marker is?
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The grandkids are here visiting this week from Illinois with their mother Adela. Jill and I took them to Jim Hill’s place at Springer to see his 3 miniature horses, since they just love animals. Belle is almost 3 and Victor is over 1 year old now. He’s just starting to talk!
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Ardmoreite Bert Powers (1908 – 1987) was in the first group of Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers to take to the highways back on July 18, 1937. Eighty-four men commenced patrol on Oklahoma highways that day.
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Several times a day our neighbors two dogs come over to visit. Jill even placed a basket on the front porch for them to sleep in. They are precious dogs, so lovable. Here is a pic I took of them both in the basket. My camera setting was a little off for night time, but you can see them both. Since I dont know their names, I just call them Pete and Repeat.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/PeteAndRepeat020908.jpg
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“Butch, This is a pic of the “contraption” as I call it, that sits east of the Wilson Museum. This was used in one of Wilson’s early day lumber yards to make window and door frames.” -Mindy
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LINDSAY SWEEPS THE WORLD. From the 1920s to the 1970s, Lindsay in Garvin County OK was known as the broomcorn capital with the promotional slogan: “Lindsay Sweeps the World”. The sandy, rich soil along Rush Creek is ideal for broomcorn, but broomcorn is too labor intensive for today’s USA economy: harvesting broomcorn requires human handling at least 10 times, 17 times by the estimates of some.Please send photos of broomcorn or broomcorn harvesting equipment. I have collected, and am collecting, data for writing a small monograph about broomcorn, since I was raised as a “straw boss with a jonnie knife, a water jack, and an ant” in my dad’s broomcorn fields and sheds. -Patricia Adkins-Rochette of Duncan OK, prochette@juno.com
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I am just making a comment about the post in your last newsletter. I remember that in (I think) the 40’s to 50’s that my father used to talk about going somewhere to cut Broom Corn. We also lived in Atoka then when I was young from about 1943 to 1949( Not sure if that was when he cut broom corn or not) then moved to Tishomingo, then to Ardmore where my father owned a Radio and TV repair shop. The post about the Broom Corn comment brought back memories. Hope you enjoy your new home.” Bddiiorio@hotmail.com
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“Butch here is the latest cemetery that I have gotten cataloged on www.findagrave.com It is the Dillon Cemetery (also known as the old Berwyn Cemetery) it is located north of Gene Autry on private land.” -Doug Williams
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GScid=2249173&CRid=2249173&pt=Dillon%20Cemetery&
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The Daily Ardmoreite 6-22-44
DICK’S VISIT RECALLS WORK
He Is Credited With Building Ardmore as City’s First Mayor
R. W. Dick, an early day lawyer of Ardmore, was here Thursday from his home in Oklahoma City. He was Ardmore’s first active mayor. He built the city lake and put in the water works, built sewer lines, paved streets, took up the board walks and put down concrete. The wide sidewalks on West Main were of his building. He made an entirely new city of Ardmore. When statehood came Governor Haskell appointed him superintendent of the Oklahoma penitentiary. He built the penitentiary at McAlester and moved the state’s prisoners from Fort Leavenworth where they were in a federal prison. When that work was finished he moved to Oklahoma City. He made successful ventures in oil in the state of Louisiana and owns valuable real estate in Oklahoma City. He lost Mrs. Dick only a few years ago. Mrs. Dick was active in the Christian church, in the Ladies of the Leaf and in the Orio club. The people are reminded that human nature does not change. While Bob Dick, without money to start with, bought the city water reservoir and made a city out of a mudhole, he was fought bitterly at every step he took and was assailed viciously in the press. However this paper was always his friend.
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The Wilson News submitted by Mindy Taylor
8-4-1915
Electric Lights for Wirt
W. E. Gupton has about completed arrangements for installing an electric lighting plant in the booming hustling oil city of Wirt. Mr. Gupton has already secured contracts, we understand for over 500 lights, and will probably have his light plant in operation within the next thirty days. In addition to operating the light plant, Mr. Gupton will conduct a general machine and blacksmith repair shop at Wirt. Mr. Gupton comes to Wirt from Oil City, but is originally from Central Kentucky.12-16-1915
Makes Raid on Wirt
Last Sunday Charley Jones made a raid on the gamblers and bootleggers of Ragtown, brought in eight men and $180 in cash which he secured from the tables. Mr. Jones stated that he only visited a few places as the rest of them were wise before he could get to them. This is the first time Mr. Jones has done any extensive reading by himself, but he says that the boot-leggers and gamblers had better look out. It looks like he means business. A Challenge Judge Wiseman has made a state wide challenge that he is the champion soup eater of this state, and wishes to challenge any man, woman, or child except Jim White or J. E. Oxley to a soup eating contest, it is said that every time the Judge goes to Ragtown that he eats a bowl of soup for every 30 minutes spent in that city. Old maids are barred from this contest.Correction: In the Jan. 12, 2006 Museum Memories column I noted that the Post Office had moved from the Dr. Darling building to the Ballew Drug Store location in 1925. This was taken from a history of the post office as I had no newspaper articles to show when the move was made. I have been corrected by several Readers, but have been waiting to make the correction until a date for the move can be found. If someone knows when the P. O. was moved to the Ballew Drug Store location, please send me a note.
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————————————————————————-Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
Q. Were you a Reserve Deputy for the Carter County Sheriffs Office? -Kolby Robinson
A. Yes, I was a Reserve Deputy continuously for 40 years under 6 sheriffs plus 1 appointed sheriff. I’m proud of those years. I was most proud in my part with setting up the sheriffs department computer network system. Up until then it was only on paper and 3X5 cards (15,000 cards). In 1988 Undersheriff Bill Noland and I went inside the still under construction new jail with flashlights. We walked around in total darkness and talked about where the 9 computers would be placed that we ordered. I enjoyed working with the computers and Servers year after year eventually being over 50 workstations all over the complex.
One sad experience that I wish I could correct, is right after we moved to the new detention center in 1990 those 15,000 3X5 cards with prisoner arrest records were moved to the basement of the old jail next to the courthouse for storage. In a few months we had a torrential downpour, the sump pump in the basement stopped working, and the basement flooded, ruining all those 3X5 cards.
I guess I should finish the story about those first 9 computers the sheriffs office bought in 1989. When Steve Means Computer Service called that he was ready to deliver those computers to the Sheriffs Office, Bill Noland told him the detention center was still under construction and not ready to install the computers. At that time the county owned the old building in the NE corner of Stanley and South Washington where Floyd Gaither Cycle Shop used to be. (The building is now gone and is now the sheriff’s parking lot.) So the decision was made to store them in that building for a couple months. A torrential downpour came one afternoon and flooded the building. Bill Noland and I walked down to that building, unlocked it, and there were 9 big Styrofoam packed boxes with computers floating and swirling around in water (as the water was still slowly going out the floor drain.) We brought the nine boxes to the Sheriffs Office and spread them on 6 long tables to see if anything was salvageable? Nope. The county’s insurance paid for new computers. I had fun installing them. The “main” Server was placed in the Records Room (now Dispatch) which Shirley Christian ran. Needless to say I spent a lot of hours there over the next few months getting it all up and running. That was my first real experience in establishing a true computer network. I loved it!
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———————————————–Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. -Mark Twain
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
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
https://oklahomahistory.net/airbase/
Carter County Government Website
http://cartercountyok.us