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Vol 25  Issue 1,258  March 4, 2021

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

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us,
What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.”


A Glimpse Into The Past

Ardmore YMCA

The Ardmore Young Women’s Christian Association began as to spark in the imaginations of two young women, Miss Daisy Nichols and Margaret Lawson- a spark which caught the interest of other women and culminated in the formation of the organization in 1921 and the dedication of the present beautiful building in 1939.

Five citizens formed the first board of trustees: Arthur Kyle, Fred Carr, Mrs. Morris Sass, Olin Wolverton and Mrs. Eva Noble.

A 17 member board of directors was elected: Mrs. Lamont Byers, Mrs. Noah Cisco, Mary Boone, Myrtle Moore, Mrs. R. A. Hefner, Daisy Nichols, Margaret Lawson, Mrs. Ed Sandlin.

Lavinia Woods (Adams), Lillian Bishop, Mrs. A. B. Seay, Mrs. Howard Cox, Mrs. Arthur Straehley, Mrs. Walter Young, Mrs. J. B. Wall, Mrs. J. C. Thompson and Mrs. Roy M. Johnson.

Miss Creole Ford was the first general secretary, and Birdie Dulaney (McCharen) the office assistant.

By November, 1921, the first lunch club, a much needed project for the girls who worked downtown, had been organized. From this group of girls grew the YWCA organization known as the Young Women’s Council, later to become the Business and Professional Women’s Club. The luncheon club started with 30 girls who bought six lunches a week for $1.50.

Clubs for girls known as Girl Reserves grew rapidly in 1922. In 1946, the name of the girls’ work in the national YWCA changed to “Y-Teen.” While major interest has always been on teenage girls, the need of younger groups led to the creation of Six Blue Triangle clubs for fifth and sixth grade girls.

In 1952, when other organizations were helping meet the needs of girls of the elementary school age, the Ardmore YWCA reevaluated its services and again served only girls from the seventh through the 12th grades. There is now an active Y-Teen Club for every junior and senior high school grade level. An important milestone on the road toward a new building was reached when Mrs. Eva Noble left in trust $20,000 to be paid to the YWCA at such time as the organization could secure subscriptions of enough money to build a YMCA building adequate to the needs of Ardmore.

Among those who served on the finance, building and furnishing committees for the new building were Mmes. M. M. Wallis, Ethel Rockett, John Murphy, W. P. Burch, Marshall Wilson, Hal Cannon, Hattie Noble, Sam McDaniel, John Carlock, John Whiteman and Mr. John F. Easley.

There was an advisory board including Will Smith, T. E. Garrison, Ezra Dyer, Hugo Stromberg and Eugene Morter. Hugh Mclntire had the building ready for occupancy on October 22, 1938.

The community service it has rendered is far greater than ever dreamed by its planners. In 1956 alone, the individuals served in YWCA sponsored groups numbered 13,247, groups using the buildings were I0,852, and those served in the cafeteria numbered 47,784, for a grand total of 71,883.

When the Ardmore Community Chest was reorganized in 1948 the YWCA became the first of the five participating agencies. The YWCA now receives the large part of its support from the United Fund, Inc. which succeeded the Chest in 1956, and includes 22 community agencies.

Program emphasis of the local YWCA has changed as the needs of the community have changed. During the war, the organization assisted with military and home needs in community defense, Red Cross and USO.

Much effort was put forth to assist Air Wives with problems which might arise so far from their homes. To assist the young people who were not in the military, double-date night was innovated by the general secretary, Miss Ruth Hanna. In January 1944, a youth activities director, Miss Pauline Anderson, was added to the staff to take over the direction of all teenage work. The present Teen-Town is open on Saturday evenings to all junior high school students.

Summer camping for girls was started in the middle 20’s at Oil Springs. In 1945 the Triangle Camp was founded at Organized Youth Camp Number One at Lake Murray State Park. In 1956 it was moved to the newly-leased Business and Professional Women’s Club cabin ot Cedarville in the Arbuckle Mountains for a trial period of three one-week sessions. The 1957 camping sessions ran for six weeks.

Education classes for adults were started immediately upon the formation of the YWCA in Ardmore. Classes in cooking and Bible study were organized. Popular was the gym class under the direction of Mildred Galt, now Mrs. Cecil Baber. In this class the fot ones were made thin and the thin ones fuller. Throughout its 35 years the classes of greatest interest to women of all ages have been continued: cooking, exercises and crafts. Language, with Spanish the most popular, world affairs and travel have been offered as they were in popular demand.

Bridge classes have been of interest for many years. Many dreams have become realities through out-of-town plays, musicals and trips. Ambitions have been realized in tours to Carlsbad Caverns, a trip to Colorado, six spring tours of the Southern states, two tours of Mexico and two to New York City.

Approximately 800 adult and teenage members are now enrolled.

Clubs for adults presently sponsored by the YWCA in addition to the original Business and Professional Women’s Club are the Y’s Y’ves and the Y-Dames. Through the years since the Double-Date night of the early I940’s, a “Younger Business Women’s Club,” a Batch and Maid Club, the Air Base Hostess group and a Young Married Couples group have served the young adults.

The luncheon club of the beginning days has become a modern cafeteria faithfully serving its original mission of good food at a minimum price. Designed to accommodate the business women of the community, it is open to anyone.

From 1921 to 1957 the following people have been elected by the board of directors to serve as president: Mmes. Lamont Byers, S. M. Davis, Ed Sandlin, T. A. Thurmond, R. L. Morgan, Hal Cannon, John Pollock, W. M. Wasson.

J. R. Pennington, George Selvidge, John Kincaid, E. O. Davis, Charles Yeakley, W. P. Burch Jr., Ethel Rockett, John Colvert, L. N. Cox, Ray Vines, Maynard White, T. G. Johnson, Harley Duncan, Dana Allen, J. I. Goins, C. N. Lindahl and Randall Spears.

The present paid staff includes the executive director, director of youth activities, bookkeeper, office secretary the cafeteria manger, with a staff of 11 members and a custodian.

To assist the paid staff and determine the program and policies of the Ardmore YWCA, there is a board of 21 directors, seven trustees, and two advisors.
-from Carter County History book 1957

1983 Dr. Lowell Carson, a doctor of Chiropractic recently established a practice in Lone Grove.

1951 Fire originating in the social science classroom from under determined cause, destroyed the rexroat school building at 3 AM. Practically nothing was saved from the building. Superintendent Wesley holes wife discovered the fire. The building was erected in 1922 and was one of the County’s older high schools. Wilson School schools are nearest to Rick’s road, which had 41 high school students and 71 lower grade students.

1927 Mr. and Mrs. Joe Watson are patients at the sanitarium from burns received this morning. Mrs. Watson was burned from her ankles to her head. She was dressing her baby when one of the little one’s garments caught fire and in getting the infant to safety her own clothes became a blaze. Mr. Watson was badly burned rescuing his wife. The baby escaped injury.

1927 An 80 gallon copper still and 14 gallons of mash were found in a raid near the Cheek school. A fire was a blazing under the boilers but operators of the still have not yet been identified.

1927 13 homicides occurred in Carter County in 1926, and are two more than in 1925.

Joe T. Taylor was Carter County Commissioner from 1919 to 1922 for District 3. I been trying to find where Joe Taylor is buried, but so far with no results. Maybe someone knows???

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/JoeTTaylorCommissioner.jpg

A Reader sent me the link to Joe Taylor’s gravesite at Bomer Point near Wilson.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14612628/joseph-troop-taylor

As of today we have reached area people about unclaimed property totaling over $690,100. And the search continues….

So with the above being said, how long has it been since you checked your name or a family member’s name? Its easy to do a search at the Oklahoma State Treasurer link below. I think every state in the union has a unclaimed property website through the respective state treasures website.
https://OKtreasure.com

Q. Where in Oklahoma is the Fudge Factory?
A.  If you’re a fudge fanatic (a person who will drive more than 15 miles out of their way to indulge in fudge), then you’ll want to visit Whip-Poor-Will Original Fudge Factory in Broken Bow for homemade fudge that is basically heaven on earth.

Q.  Who is the first woman from Oklahoma to be crowned Miss USA?
A.  Answer in next week’s newsletter

Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..

We are proud to announce that as of December, 2020, the Young Cemetery has been added to the National Registry of Historic Sites. This has been a project that has taken a long time, but has finally come to pass. In addition, an ornamental steel fence has been installed around the cemetery. There will be forthcoming information at this site in the future, so please look in. We will be adding photos, articles, etc., concerning the Young Cemetery and the Young Community. This is one of the very few cemeteries in the national registry and the only Chickasaw Cemetery. If you have any information or want any information, please contact me. Bobbye at working_cowboy@hotmail.com
http://youngcemetery.com
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Robert Hensley sent in some great photos of Ardmore’s past history this week.

This first one is Bollock’s Drive Inn.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/BullocksDriveInnBatchbooka.jpg

St. Agnes Academy on E Street SW and an award (front and back side) given by the school.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/StAgnesAcademyArdmoreCirca1910c.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/StAgnesAcademyMusicAwardArdmoreITfront.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/StAgnesAcademyMusicAwardArdmoreITback.jpg

Priddy’s Fine Foods on Commerce matchbook

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/PriddysArdmoreOK.jpg

Farmers Union Yard and 3,000 bales of cotton.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos21a/FarmersUnionYardsArdmoreOK.jpg
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Below is from This and That newsletter archives of March 5, 2009

The Daily Ardmoreite
9-12-1917
A STAR FOR EVERY STATE
Each Has Its Particular Place on the American Flag
   Detroit Free Press: Did you know that every star in our American flag has its own individual and particular state which it represents and that its placement on the square of blue is carefully and definitely regulated by law and executive order?   In 1912 on the 26th day of October the last executive order concerning the flag was made and it provided for the specific arrangement of the stars.  They were to be arranged in six horizontal rows of eight, each starting in the upper left hand corner and forming each row from left to right with the star, representing each state, appearing in the order in which the state became part of the union.
   First row – No. 1, Delaware; 2, Pennsylvania; 3, New Jersey; 4, Georgia; 5, Connecticut; 6, Massachusetts; 7, Maryland; 8, South Carolina
   Second row – No. 9, New Hampshire; 10, Virginia; 11, New York; 12, North Carolina; 13, Rhode Island; 14, Vermont; 15, Kentucky; 16, Tennessee
   Third row – No. 17, Ohio; 18, Louisiana; 19, Indiana; 20, Mississippi; 21, Illinois; 22, Alabama; 23, Maine; 24, Missouri
   Fourth row – No. 25, Arkansas; 26, Michigan; 27, Florida; 28, Texas; 29, Iowa; 30, Wisconsin; 31, California; 32, Minnesota
   Fifth row – No. 33, Oregon; 34, Kansas; 35, West Virginia; 36, Nevada; 37, Nebraska; 38, Colorado; 39, South Dakota; 40, North Dakota
   Sixth row – No. 41, Montana; 42, Washington; 43, Idaho; 44, Wyoming; 45, Utah; 46, Oklahoma; 47, New Mexico; 48, Arizona
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“Butch, I was visiting my brother yesterday and he and I set out to find the old Smyrna school. The old foundations are located on the east side of the Dickson road between .25 and .50 miles north of highway 70.”
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Rick Feiler brought by a another neat wooden nickel this week.  Ardmore CPA Frank Knight had them made to go along with his CPA business and it being tax season, the timing was perfect.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/KnightTuitSideA.jpg

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos9a/KnightTuitSideB.jpg

So, you’ve looked at the wooden nickel and ask, What is a round tuit?

Tuit:  A tuit or round tuit is a unit of potential work. Its a play on the phrase “when I get around to it” transliterated into “when I get a round tuit”.—————————————————–
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The Chickens

Said the first little chicken,
With a strange little squirm,
“I wish I could find
A fat little worm.”

Said the next little chicken,
With an odd little shrug:
“I wish I could find
A fat little bug.”

Said a third little chicken,
With a small sigh of grief,
“I wish I could find
A green little leaf!”

Said the fourth little chicken,
With a faint little moan,
“I wish I could find
A wee gravel stone.”

“Now, see here!” said the mother,
From the green garden patch,
“If you want any breakfast,
Just come here and scratch!”

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges

“Friends Make Life Worth Living”Ardmore, Oklahoma

https://oklahomahistory.net

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Vicious Dog Attacks in Oklahoma
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Bill Hamm’s Cemetery Database
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American Flyers Memorial Fund – Administration Webpage
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Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
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Carter County Government Website
http://cartercountyok.us

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