PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823
A Glimpse Into The Past
Charles E. Fraley
Although he died in 1917, Charles E. Fraley is still remembered with respect and admiration by many Ardmore residents.
His name is perpetuated in Fraley Park and his skill as a builder is evidenced in the family home he constructed in 1916 on Third Avenue, N.E. There are no cracks in the brick walls and all of the original interior plaster is still intact.
Mr. Fraley was born in Virginia but come to Ardmore about 1904 with his father, Creed, and his brother, Will Fraley.
After establishing himself here as a builder, Charles built his original home that is still standing and returned to Marshall, Texas, to marry his sweetheart, Hadie Frances Peterman, whom he had not seen for five years.
Fraley did lots of building, including all the original ward schools and all the depots on the old Ringling railroad. The Ardmore depot is now the American Legion building. He also built lots of good will and is perhaps best remembered for the help he gave others. He accepted a piano as down payment on the home of publisher John F. Easley. Others paid just a few dollars down.
When times were hard there was a bricklayer who worked for Fraley for $36 per week – $18 in cash and $18 applied as payment for a home the bricklayer had bought from the builder. That was enforced saving, but it certainly was better than a reduction in pay.
-from Carter County History book 1957
This is the old Fraley homeplace that I remember at 618 3rd Northeast, I grew up just 2 blocks on east. My family talked about the Fraleys a lot. In the article above it would not surprise me if the bricklayer mentioned was my grandfather, Stanley Carmon, a bricklayer before going into the lumber yard business, just down the street from Mr. Fraley.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/FraleyHome.jpg
On Saturday morning July 4, 2020 the Confederate Veterans Memorial was vandalized at Rosehill Cemetery in Ardmore. The memorial is located in the Confederate section of the cemetery. Here are some pictures of the damage.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/ConfederateMemorial070420b.jpg
This is Colton Williams with the finished product. Thank you Colton!
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/ConfederateMemorialCleaned070820.jpg
April 1930
The school districts of Bowles, Eastman, New Hope and Marsden have been consolidated in order to create and maintain a four-year High School course. A new school building will be erected at New Hope, since it is the center of the new district.
April 1930
Arrangements were being made Friday by J. W. Gauntt to install the Lone Grove telephone exchange in a small building for the resumption of local service. Lone Grove was cut off from telephone communication Thursday by the destruction of Gauntt’s residence by fire. The telephone exchange was located in his home. The fire originated from an explosion of an oil stove.
April 1930
Lloyd Lewis, 25, teacher at Glen schools, is recovering from serious burns about the hands and arms. He was injured several days ago when a gasoline lamp exploded. He was adjusting the lamp for entertainment at the school. The school was burnt to the ground November 14th, in a new school was just recently put in use. In addition to Lewis being burned, the stage scenery caught fire when the lamp exploded.
April 1986
The body of a woman found in a creek bed near the Cheek community has been identified. She is Vikki Lynn Ridgely, 35, Frisco Texas. It is believed the woman had been dead for three to five days before her nude body was found. Authorities say they do not believe the woman was killed in Carter County, but an investigation continues
A couple grave markers I made this week.
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/KarenAllenMarker.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/WandaBarnettMarker.jpg
Q. In 1881 Colonel George Washington Miller started what famous Oklahoma ranch?
A. From Mickey Shackelford ( mcshack@gmail.com ) – Colonel George Washington Miller, Confederate Army Veteran started the 101 Ranch in Bliss, Oklahoma, near present-day Ponca City. It was later run by his three sons and called the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch known for Wild West Shows. They eventually went broke and a large portion of the ranch was sold to developers who subdivided it, knocked down all the buildings, and built a housing development there. 82 acres of the one-time 110,000-acre ranch (largest working cattle ranch in America at the time) has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. Dr. Ellsworth C. Collings, OU Professor from Davis was well-known in Oklahoma as the author of the book “The 101 Ranch,” which he wrote during his years living at the Collings Castle at Turner Falls and grew out of his intimate knowledge of ranching in the territory and state. Alma Miller England, the only daughter of Colonel Miller co-wrote the book with Dr. Collings. Collings also wrote “The Bar-C Dude Ranch” which was set in the Arbuckle Mountains and was a fictional children’s book loosely based on his own Bar-C Dude Ranch located just north of the entrance to Turner Falls.
More on the 101 Ranch, book, and pictures here: http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nalakota/wotw/misc/101ranch_wotw1137.htm
Q. What is Oklahoma’s state tree?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of July 10, 2008
I’ve lost my July 10, 2008 – Number 598 issue newsletter 🙁
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————————————————————————-Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
Up, up in the sky – it’s WiFi!
https://kfor.com/news/national/up-up-in-the-sky-its-wifi/
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Hello Butch, I am in search of another photograph. This time I am looking for a photo of Love County Sheriff Albert J. (Al) Davis. My research shows him as sheriff from 1908 until his resignation, due to illness, in January 1912. Also, I finally found a photograph of Ardmore City Marshal Alonzo Scott Pulliam, who I believe wore the Ardmore City Marshal badge in my collection. Thank you for any help you may provide. -Ronnie Jackson at actionjackson3954@yahoo.com
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/SheriffAlDavisLoveCounty1910.JPG
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I think one of the first times I remember eating out was at the Hotel Ardmore Coffee Shop about 1949 or1950 with my parents and sister. We were living at Lake Ardmore until we moved to town in 1952. During that time, my mother always shopped at Henley Drug on the corner of the hotel. I remember the soda fountain that ran along the east wall of the store. In your newsletter last week, you displayed the cover of the book twice I sent you but didn’t include the autograph page which I also sent. -Monroe Cameron
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I remember playing the airbase golf course. It was after the base closed and the land, including the golf course was given to the city, When I went to play I was told it wasn’t playable as the Air Force had taken the greens with them back to Memphis. I guess sod cutters and C-119s made easy. -Marion Patten
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I was wondering if anyone remembers back in the thirties or forties, a cafe located close to the Carter County courthouse. I believe it was called the Courthouse Cafe. I remember going there as a child with my parents and ordering the hot pork with potatoes and gravy for 35 cents. It was always a treat, and always good. -Elisabeth
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———————————————–“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.” –Abraham Lincoln
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
“Friends Make Life Worth Living”PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
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Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
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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
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