A Reader in Woodward, Oklahoma sent in 3 sketches from their family’s art collection. The sketches were drawn by Ardmoreite Alta Wells. I did some googling and did not find much on the lady. I did find her name mentioned in the obituary column of Jayson Wells as Jayson’s grandmother. Maybe someone remembers this artist Alta Wells?
This is aimed mainly at senior citizens, but really anyone making less then $27,180 a year ($36,620 for couples). It goes by what you reported on your Adjusted Income ( Line 11) of your Federal Tax Return. You are eligible for $30 a month to help pay for internet to your provider. Its called the Federal ACP Program. Someone told me the SIGNUP period for the program ends in August 2022. When you apply online you will know in about an hour if you qualify. Sure worth checking out.
https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/do-i-qualify/
I’ve added a new link on my website. Its a listing of some of Ardmoreite James Clark’s Facebook Postings, memories and books. The link below will take you to the webpage, just remember to scroll down to read the listing.
https://oklahomahistory.net/james-a-clark-index-page/
This Week’s Emails
Hello Butch, in reply to the canning operation in Healdton I’m pretty sure he referring to Potts Red River Chili on the NW corner of 5th and main. Harold Potts has a grocery store there and made his own chili. The chili became so popular he began the chili company leaving the store business. He did very well even expanding the sales territory to stores in north Texas. There’s the problem, when going outside the state of Oklahoma the Federal Inspection was necessary. It was going to cost a small fortune to meet regulations. The brand was sold but the flavor was lost. -Vince Freeman, Healdton
Q. Could you put the new newsletter on a white background? I have trouble seeing print on a colored background? Thanks, -R. Helms
A. Done. Should have a white background now for easier reading.
From My Archives – May 20, 2010
One of the earliest merchants of Ardmore was Edward B. Luke (1869-1943), the father of Edward A. Luke (1909-1990). On many of the old street scenes of the town, E.B. Luke’s sign is visible. E.B. came to Ardmore, Indian Territory, in 1893 from Detroit. He had a brother, Jack, who had a school and music book store in Oklahoma City, and Jack urged E.B. to set up the same in Ardmore. E.B. married Isabel Tedford in Oklahoma City in 1895, and established the store in Ardmore the same year. E.B. was Canadian by birth, and received his naturalization papers in the Federal Court in Ardmore.
E.A. Luke was born in Ardmore in 1909, in the same home in which he now lives, 503 West Broadway. The home was built in 1907. He remembers as a boy a wagon yard was located where the Methodist Church now stands. Liquor was illegal at that time, and men would go to Texas and bring it into Oklahoma in their boots (thus the term “bootlegger”). They would then come and slip it through the slats in the wall of the wagon yard and make a sale. Federal agents often used an upstairs bedroom in the Luke home to observe the bootleggers. He also recalls that the Jones Cotton Gin was located where the Humpty-Dumpty Food store is located today, and when walking on South Washington Street, cotton samplings would come up to nearly his knees.
Ed Luke remembers how Albert Solomon would follow Bud Ballew into the rough northwestern section of the county to make his run for “peace keeping”, while Albert would be behind him selling fresh bread and baked goods. Bud was an excellent marksman with his gun, and reportedly practice his accuracy by shooting the buckets off the chimney that farmers sometimes use to cover the chimney opening. He notes that Ardmore hotels in the early days provided a “service car” in which there was a rear jump seat, providing space for 9 riders. These cars could be rented to take a group to the oil fields. On Armistice Day of WWI men rode in the service cars and completely shot out the “O” in the word hotel.
-The above was taken from the 1983 Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book
This is a photo of the Luke home place in the NW corner of E Street NW and West Broadway. The home is now gone and the Raymond Colvert Youth Ministry building (United Methodist Church) stands there today.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/LukeHomePlace.jpg
This week we broke away from our norm and instead of getting a burger, we visited a fairly new BBQ place on South Commerce in Ardmore by the name of KC’s Smokehouse. Some of the best BBQ in Southern Oklahoma can be found right here in Ardmore on South Commerce and Moore Street!
Here are a couple pictures I took inside the BBQ joint.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/KCbbqTrainPainting.jpg
And this beautiful cowhide was on a back wall in the rear of the dining rooms.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/KCbbqInside051510a.jpg
But what is most interesting is the model train travels all the way around the dining room on a set of tracks near the ceiling. Pretty neat.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/KCbbqTrain051510.jpg
When you arrive at KC’s Smokehouse you go to the back to place your order, and an employee will bring your order to your table right pronto.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/KCbbqOrderCounter.jpg
And now for the good part, the BBQ. Here’s the pic of the BBQ sandwich I ordered. The meat is so tender, it almost melts in your mouth. And the BBQ flavor is just right. There is one thing that I don’t want in BBQ, dry and tough meat, and you won’t find that here at KC’s BBQ. I ordered the large BBQ brisket sandwich and it was loaded with meat, more then I’ve seen at any other BBQ eatery in a long time, and at $7.95 its well worth it. And for someone who does not want that much meat, you can also order the small BBQ sand for $4.95. And the french fries are to kill for. Very crisp, as in crunchy. Delicious.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/KCbrisketSand051510.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/KCbrisketSand051510b.jpg
This is an order of KC’s ribs.
“Hi Butch, Re: Volume 14, Issue 694, May 13, 2010. The song “Cotton Fields Back Home” revived a childhood scene in the year of 1935 in which my mother and I picked cotton at a cotton field located close to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the place of my birth. Yep, I once was an “Army Brat.” Matter of fact, I enlisted in the U.S military in November 1947 and liked it so well, I spent 21 years in the United Sates Army (3 years) and Air Force (18 years.) Today I am retired and residing in San Antonio, Texas.
I believe that I was aged 5 at the time of this cotton-pickin tale. One sunny day during the after my father reported for duty during the cotton picking time in the fall, my mother desiring to earn some “Mad money” drove she and I in the family car, a 1935 Dodge, to a cotton field located near the Post. She allowed me to pick some cotton, but later being too slow and too small, she confined me in to our car and advised me to remain in the car while she picked more cotton. Being an obedient boy (God help me if I disobeyed) I obeyed her.” -Elmer G. West
“Jeddie J. Harrison, who found the painting of Hattie Hinkle has passed away and I am his sister Connie, who would like to keep the fire burning for Hattie and my brother. Justice and righteousness prevail for their lives and what they started will be finished. I’ll see you Jeddie, you will be missed. Love you always, your sister.”
https://oklahomahistory.net/bringhattyehome.html
“Butch: My research tells me that Ardmore’s first birthday party in 1888 was on East Main near the railroad tracks and people came from far and near on foot, in wagons and buggies and sleeping accommodations were insufficient for the large gathering. Some camped and slept in the park. Maybe this accounts for the confusion for the first location. I don’t have a number for the year 1888 but the following year, an estimated 5,000 people attended the celebration. The birthday party was moved to Whittington Park about 1905, according to early day resident Simon Kahn.” -Sally Gray
“This recently created mural which celebrates the history of Sulphur is in “Eastside Downtown”, on 3rd. street, painted on the west wall of the old Cooper Auto Stores building. It is across from the Plaza on the corner of 3rd. and Muskogee. Further down the street is the Artists of the Arbuckles gallery and the Arbuckle Historical Society Museum.” -Mary Lou Heltzel
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/SulphurMural2010a.jpg
BBQ is fun to eat
Ribs & Sauce, spicy-sweet!
But, alas, I must confess
It leaves your face an awful mess!
See everyone next Thursday!
Butch and Jill Bridges
236 Timber Road
Ardmore, Oklahoma
580-490-6823
[email protected]
https://oklahomahistory.net