PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net, Phone: 580-490-6823
A Glimpse Into The Past
In September 1906, one of the worst train accidents ever in the history of this country, took place just south of a small town named Dover, Oklahoma. Heavy rains had washed away the bridge that night as the Rock Island train from Texas north bound for Kansas came through, all but one car plunged into the Cimarron River. Reports were sketchy, but of the 225 passengers on board, over 100 would lose their lives that night. One early report said that only one man, Floyd Zeist, survived the disaster. One thing is for certain, it would be one of the most deadly train accidents in this country’s history.
https://oklahomahistory.net/dover.html
May 1968
Dunbar will not be used as an elementary school in Ardmore this fall, and Douglas High School will not be a separate school after the coming year in the two-step desegregation plan to be submitted to the office of civil rights in the Department of Health Education and Welfare. All students who attended Dunbar will be absorbed into the formerly all white elementary schools, superintendent of schools J. B. Fox, Jr. told the school board that free choice is no longer acceptable.
May 1951
Little Butch (eight-year-old Richard Haney was playing with his pet kitten in the front yard of his Gene Autry home. He had just finished swinging in the Chain swing that was strung from a hackberry tree. As he reached down to pick up his cat, lightning hit the swing. It struck both the boy and the cat. The cat was killed instantly. The boy was knocked to the ground unconscious. His clothes were scorched and torn. When asked if he was hurt, he said, “Nah, just burned a little, but my cat is dead. His mother took down the chain from the tree. It will not be replaced.
May 1927
Newport has an inventive genius who has been at work designing a cotton picker for 3 years. Jim Berger was in the Spanish-American war and has several scars inflicted by peevish bolemen in the Philippines. Cotton picking has always been one of his bugaboos, and he has invented a machine that will sell for $250, and can be operated by a team instead of tractors.
Robert Hensley took a number of great photos of the demolition of the old Reavis Drug in the NE corner of B Street and West Main (east of the Tivoli). This is the last wall (Main street wall) to come down. Always sad to see history demolished, but the building had become to dangerous to leave standing. I’ve read Sunset Grill, seafood and steak restaurant will be built on that corner property.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos20b/ReavisDrugComingDown081220.jpg
A flagstone I made for a goat that died, turned out beautiful.
https://oklahomahistory.net/bricks/RandallGoatFlagstone.jpg
I’m thinking after over 22 years of publishing this rag, I’ll close it down before the end of the year. So I’m trying to decide what to do with my website and it’s tons and tons of history. Maybe someone has an idea?
Q. There is a hidden waterfall that’s truly a beautiful place to visit year-round. The area is known as Bluestem Falls created by the spillway from Bluestem Lake. Where is this waterfalls?
A. Thousands of people flock to Pawhuska, Oklahoma daily to visit The Pioneer Woman Mercantile, but not many people know just down the road is a hidden waterfall that’s truly a beautiful place to visit year-round. The area is known as Bluestem Falls.
Q. On April 9, 1947, the worst natural disaster to ever strike within the borders of Oklahoma. Where did this disaster happen?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Below is from This and That newsletter archives of August 14, 2008
Last week we mention how infamous the old Mulkey Hotel at 2nd and North Washington has been over the years. Lots of stories I know could be told about that Ardmore landmark. When we mentioned last week that Sheriff Robert Denney shot and killed Frank Anderson Venable, 25, of Baxter Springs, Kansas, that piqued Willis Choate’s attention at Marietta (robbery took place in Marietta). Willis wrote in asking if I knew more about the incident. I thought for a second, and gave a grin, because I do have more info on this March 7, 1972 shooting. But in reality I was only at the place of the shooting about 3 minutes, just long enough to place the wounded robbery suspect in our 1967 Chevrolet station wagon ambulance, and rush him to the hospital.
But I remembered back in 2002 when James Clark, the DA at the time of the Mulkey shooting shared his memories of the incident with Correna Wilson and I through an email. James has shared some really great local history over the years, and his recollection is an insight to this shooting few people today know. Below is the 1972 Mulkey Hotel shooting in James Clark’s own words:
https://oklahomahistory.net/mulkeyshooting.html
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The moving dates are set. The Carter County Clerks office inside the courthouse will be closed September 3rd, 4th and 5th. County Clerk Cynthia Harmon will be moving her office to the new location in the old Health Department building at 101 1st Street SW. The Clerks office will open again on Monday September 8th.
http://www.CarterCountyClerk.org
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“Hi Butch: A lady wrote about the location of Fort Arbuckle. I remembered from my readings that soldiers from Ft. Arbuckle were sent to find a location for a new fort in the Apache-Kiowa area of Southwestern Oklahoma. (The fort was later named Ft. Sill.) The present location was chosen because of the proximity of water in Medicine Creek. The bluffs above the creek was a vantage point, and also prohibited flooding. I have a question for some of your readers. On the highway that goes from just west of Waurika to Wichita Falls, there is a sign that says “Old Ft. Sill Road”. Does anyone know where this “road” originates, or originated, and where it ends. I am assuming it was Ft. Sill. Could it have been from Ft. Washita? Thanks, Butch – God Bless.” -Anna Marie.
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“Those pics brought back gook memories. Before Jake Hollenbeck bought the station it belonged for many years to Bill Osborne (his wife’s name was Dorothy). My Dad Bennie Ricketts worked for Mr. Osborne for several years. I know from my time in grade school at Charles Evans until I started high school. We lived at 713 Davis and I can remember many bicycle trips up to the station to see Daddy. He, Bill and Jake would get Cokes from the machine and the one with the farthest bottling mark on the bottom of the bottle had to buy. Coke’s were a dime.” -Jackie Ricketts
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————————————————————————-Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
The Wilson Museum is still closed due to COVID19 but we are still working. We would like to add COPIES of old letters and family stories to our genealogy library. We would also like Wilson High School graduation announcements. If you would like to donate any of these items, please send to:
1270 8th St.
Wilson, OK 73463
or slip through the mail slot in the back door.
Many people come to the museum to do research, especially genealogy research. We have thousands of obituaries from as early as 1895 to present day. We are here to do that research for you. Please give us a call at 580-668-2505 and leave a message or drop a note through the mail slot or send us a query via mail or email.
WHM@wilsonhistoricalmuseum.org
Visit our site at www.wilsonhistoricalmuseum.org
All donations welcome.
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THIS IS JERRY SADLER THE GRANDSON OF MAT SADLER, IN YOUR ARCHIVES VOLUME 17-2013 DATED 08/15/13 #864, I SEE THE PHOTO OF THE SADLER GROCERY STORE AT HENNEPIN. THIS TAKES ME BACK 60 PLUS YEARS, THE FAMILY HOME WAS ACROSS THE STREET, IN THE PHOTO OF ED SADLER. HE WAS SHOWN HERE WITH HIS OLDER BROTHER, MADISON, OR AS WE CALLED HIM MAT. MY GRANDFATHER WAS BORN DECEMBER OF 1877. MY SON WAS BORN NOVEMBER OF 1977. MY MARC, IS HIS GREAT GREAT GRANDSON. -JERRY SADLER
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/HennepinOKgrocery.jpghttps://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/EdSadlerHennepinOK.jpg
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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
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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
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