Ardmore, Oklahoma
Email: [email protected], 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
Jake Lewis Hamon
Jake Hamon, a widely known lawyer, producer and promoter, from Ardmore was born in Kansas in 1870. His parents were Franklin and Nancy Elizabeth Hamon. He received his legal training from the University of Kansas then came to Oklahoma Territory in 1901, settling in Lawton. He helped develop this community, and served as its mayor. He was chairman of the Territorial Central Committee of Republicans.
About the time of oil discovery in Carter County, Jake move to Ardmore. Here with the help of Mr. Ringling of Circus fame, Jake built the railroad west from Ardmore to the Healdton oil field, and on to Ringling. Jake owned the town site of Ringing, named in honor of his railroad partner. Jake, in the following years, became heavily involved in oil production.
In 1898, Jake married Georgie Perkins. Their children were Jake Lewis, Jr., and Olive Bell. Mr. Hamon’s death was a nationwide publicity. He was murdered by an unknown assailant, and his former secretary was accused, but was acquitted. This crime was never solved, and the life of a very enterprising man was terminated uselessly.
-Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book 1983
The Jake Hamon story from the Daily Ardmoreite June 21, 1987
https://oklahomahistory.net/hamon.html
https://oklahomahistory.net/glimpsepast/hamonj.jpg
Last Friday I created a Go Fund Me account for the purpose of helping pay for some of the expense my oklahomahistory.net website has cost me the past 26 years. But more then that, help overhaul the cost of making the website more modern with the latest format and compatible with today’s cell phones. You can read the complete details at the link below and also a GoFundMe link to make a donation.
https://oklahomahistory.net/gofundme
This week T&T Reader Jadean Fackrell sent in some amazing old photos of the 100 block of East Main in downtown Ardmore.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/HenryBaumIrbyDrugGreenberg1925.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/HistoricEastMainAtCaddoApril1915.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/NWcornerMainatCaddo.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/PullmanCafePunySparger1940123EMain.jpg
Still finding people in Oklahoma with unclaimed money. We’re now over the $1,763,621 dollars. Sometimes progress is slow locating people or their kin with unclaimed insurance money at the State Treasurers office in OKC but we keep moving forward.
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://apps.ok.gov/unclaimed/
If you have Facebook, I created a new Page called Southern Oklahoma Unclaimed Insurance Money. The only Post that will go on that page is names and towns of people we are looking for with unclaimed money;
Q. Where in Oklahoma is a hiking trail that’s not only surrounded by beautiful grasslands, but was once home to an 1800s battlefield?
A. Located in Cheyenne on the Oklahoma/Texas border in western Oklahoma is Washita Battlefield National Historic Site at 18555 Hwy 47A. The site marks the location of a surprise dawn attack that took place on the Cheyenne village of Peace Chief Black Kettle on November 27, 1868. Lt. Col. George Custer led the attack alongside the 7th U.S. Cavalry. CLICK HERE
Q. What ghost story tells about a lady who haunts an area near Weatherford, Oklahoma?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
My dad told me the story about the two guys D.I. Davis and Colquitt Davis alleged bank robbers and hijackers, who had the shootout that slew Sheriff Keirsey and wounded Vernon Cason. He showed we where it happened back in 1959 or 1960 can’t remember just when it was that we went by there. He took me out west of Healdton to Wirt, just before we got to the McMann Post Office and Dundee School house. We turned north up what is now Arco Road (back then there was no road signs) We went North up Arco Road about a mile I think, then we turned East at the first road that went east and at about 100 yards on the south side of that road is where he said it all happened. He grew up not very far from where it happened, and he was about 12 years old at the time. I think Dad said he grew up on section 32. -Larry Paul
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Today, January 26th, was a Chamber of Commerce day in Big Sky, Montana; the first one this year. This is a shot of the Spanish Peaks mountains that lie to the north of Big Sky. I stopped at the taco bus in Meadow Village to enjoy a plate of tacos pastor while sitting outside in the wonderful sunshine. -Monroe Cameron
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/BigSkyMontana012622.jpg
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Butch: Interesting article and photos of the old Theaters in last weeks edition. I probably told you this before, but during the mid fifties when I was in high school I worked at most of them as a projectionist. That included the Tivoli, The Ritz (Park), Starlight Drive in, 77 North Drive In, and Skyview Drive In. Myself and a friend David Harris who also worked for the theaters did a lot of the work in remodeling the Ritz into the Park including changing the marquis sign and reupholstering every seat in the theater. The manager at that time was Mr. Dean. Thanks again, -Jim Guess
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Well Butch, you were writing in your last Editorial about theaters in Ardmore, Here I am with my friends in 1950 or 51 in front of the Globe Theater where we went a few times during the Baseball Season. -Ernesto Wallerstein in New Jersey
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/ErnestoBaseballArdmoreOK1950.jpg
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Q. Wasn’t the “GLOBE”Theater on that 100 block, just West of Caddo? Possibly in one of the tall bldgs.? The theater was old around 1950ish but a cool reprieve from our Okla. summer heat! when 3 of my siblings & I went to Western movies + cartoons when we went to “town” during the summers. We could all 4 get in on $1.00 & buy a soda each + popcorn to share.. I enjoy your “This & That” news.
A. Star Theater at #7 East Main later became the Globe Theater. Owned by Hershel Gilliam. So #7 would be in the unit block, not in the 100 block of East Main.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos18b/Star%20Theatre%201940%20(stag).jpg
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Butch- Regarding the buildings shown on East Main. If my memory is correct, during the 1950″s the corner building at East Main and Caddo, identified as 123 East Main, was Martin’s Drug Store. -Keith
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos22a/100BlockEastMainNorthSide.jpg
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Below is from This and That newsletter archives of January 28, 2010
There was mention a couple weeks ago of the old Dr. J.J. Boyd’s home on F Street NE. Here are a couple of pictures I took years ago.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DrBoydHomeplace.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DrBoydHomeplaceBurns02.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/DrBoyd1958.jpg
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FYI; there was a Cobb Town in Carter County, It was located in the extreme northeast part between two mountains, now part of the Goddard Ranch. The last of it burned in the 40s or 60s. It was, on what was then, the main road between Dickson and Sulphur, now 177, you went from north to Dickson to Baum to Setliff Store, to Cobb Town, to Nebo, to Drake, to Buckhorn, then on to Sulphur, with the small stores being around 5-6 miles apart
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“Your article about “Making Myself a Moped” reminded me of a moped I bought for transportation when stationed in Japan. I was stationed at Camp Whittington, Kagohara, Honshu, Japan during my tour February 1955 to April 1957. I wanted to see the country side of that part of Japan but could not afford to buy a car. One day I spotted a used homemade moped at a Japanese used bicycle shop located at Kagohara, a small Japanese town located only a half mile from the camp. I used the moped for several trips in and about the local area and to Kumagaya City, a city of about 50,000 population located 5 miles from the camp. The speed limit in Japan at that time was only 30 miles per hour and strictly enforced by the Japanese highway patrol. Being law-obedient, the Japanese people strictly obeyed the traffic laws Due to their obedience to traffic laws I never observed a traffic violation during any of trips about the countryside of that area of Japan. By the way, the Japanese drive on the left side of the road, not the right side as we here in the USA do. Took a little while to adjust. Although the top speed of my moped was only 30 mph it was powerful enough to provide sufficient speed for carrying two adults and one infant, myself, my wife, and our first child. “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” And, I did. At that time in the 50’s much of the population of Japan rode regular bicycles and mopeds. Japan was still recovering from WWII.” -Elmer G. West
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“Hand colored postcard found on Ebay with Ardmore IT on it – $25.00 plus shipping. Just thought you’d like to see it.” -Mary Lou
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/ArdmoreITpostcard.jpg
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The Daily Ardmoreite
January 1, 1919
New Negro School
The new Negro school building on Eighth avenue, northeast, is two stories, of brick, trimmed with white stone, and covers a ground space of 63 x 55 feet. There are six class rooms and one large assembly hall and it can comfortably house 300 students. The rooms are all plastered and painted, and the building is heated by gas. Cost of building is approximately $14,000. J. B. White was the architect, and Joe F. Pate the building contractor.
The Daily Ardmoreite
January 1, 1919
The Oklahoma Confederate Home addition has just been completed and approved. This is a two-story matface brick structure and is a twin building for the south wing of that institution. It was built to meet dormitory needs and to house a central heating plant and storage room for preserved fruits and vegetables.
Note: The January 1, 1919 Daily Ardmoreite contains the “Second Annual Advancement” addition. It has quite a lot of information on Healdton with pictures of buildings and has a whole section that describes houses that were built in Ardmore during the 1918 year. That section also contains information about Ardmore, OKC, and Tulsa. -Mindy Taylor
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Museum Memories
Contributed by Melinda Taylor
The Wilson News
May 25, 1916
NOTICE
The city of Wilson will receive bids on drilling a water well to furnish the city with water. If you are interested wire for details.
City Commissioners.
May 15, 1916
PIPE HAS ARRIVED WORK COMMENCED
The pipe for the city water works have arrived at last, and the work of the digging ditches and the laying of the mains will be started immediately. The contract has been let for the drilling of the well, and work will commence there Monday, in fact everything is supposed to be up and running by the fourth day of August.
September 14, 1916
The big steel water tower is just about completed and it won’t be long until we can take the rope off of the well and throw it away.
September 21, 1916
NEW PUMP ARRIVES PLANT ABOUT COMPLETED
The new city pump arrived Tuesday and the work of installing same was commenced immediately, everything is here now except the dynamo, and it is on the way here, having already been shipped from the supply house, and will probably be here this week, the tower has just about been completed. It won’t be many days now until the water will be turned into the mains, and then will commence the work of running lead lines to the houses which will be quite a job itself.
October 5, 1916
ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM AND WATER WORKS FOR WILSON
There has been erected a large standpipe to hold a reserve supply of water and this structure is 125 feet high, by 15 1/2 feet in diameter.
Water plugs for use in connection with large hose in case of fire, have been placed in where they were deemed most suitably located. A volunteer fire department will be formed and will have 500 feet of hose to start with.
November 3, 1916
PLANTS WERE TESTED AND PROVED SUFFICIENT
The public street arc lights were turned on last night for the first time for a try-out. Lights have been in use in business houses and residences since last Saturday night, but the arc lamps for the streets were delayed in shipment. The volunteer fire department built a fire and tried out the water pressure last night finding it to be excellent. Two streams of great force lost themselves in the murky haze far above the reflection of the lights.
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“There’s a sucker born every minute.” –P. T. Barnum
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges“Friends Make Life Worth Living”Ardmore, Oklahoma
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