A Glimpse Into The Past The Ardmore Democrat February 11, 1960 Slot Machines Taken In Raid At Local Club A lightning raid by 3 State crime bureau agents and sheriff Gerald Theo Cobb resulted in six slot machines being confiscated yesterday at the Ardmore Elks Club. The slot machines were taken to the sheriff's office and placed in a vault. The amount of money in the machines will not be determined until a court order is obtained to destroy them Shortly before 3:30 p.m. crime bureau agents Walter woods of ardmore, Lyle Powell of Durant and Ralph venomen of Oklahoma City called Cobb and raided the club The machines were not removed from the club until more than an hour later The delay stemmed from pals attempt to get a search warrant after the raid had been made. No search warrant was issued here Cobb said today. Note: In the late 1970s the slot machines were still locked up in the vault at the Sheriffs Office. Sheriff Robert Denney showed me the slot machines, and I so wanted to take one home. lol
The Daily Ardmoreite July 26, 1957 Water Once Sold For 15 Cents A Barrel Nelse and Josephine Eastman settled in Ardmore, the only water to be had was from two wells on their place at 101 D Street Northeast. They sold hard water for 10 cents a barrel and soft water for 15 cents until the city water was available. The Eastman's stood in their yard and saw the first train coming to Ardmore in 1887. The couple had two children, Molly and Frank. Their only grandchild, Molly Eastman Reeder, lives in the old home. She remembers watching trains going past her home to the old 700 ranch. There were three dugouts in the vicinity, Mrs Reeder recalls. Then you could buy sugar at $5 a barrel and a large round steak for 25 cents. The town had only one store when her grandparents came here. This early day store was located where the B. L. Owens Furniture Store is east of the railroad. A man by the name of Samuel Zuckerman ran it. Ardmore built around the Eastmans, the granddaughter says. Although the two old wells have long since been filled, the original house still stands. Mrs Reeder recalls the wonderful meals her grandmother turned out. She prepared the first meal for Sam Daube and his wife when they moved into their home on East Main Street and cooked for them 40 years.
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG….
Every time I drive by the Mill Street Tavern and see this I wonder what it was. I can’t find any dates in it but I’m guessing it was built around statehood.
Does anyone know what business establishment this was? It is the south side of Main Street (Mill Street) just east of South Washington street?
From my Vol 3, Issue 118 July 24, 1999 newsletter:
You just never know what devious minds are planning on someone’s birthday. I thought I had made it through mine ok…. until this week. Tuesday the Sheriffs Office called for me to be there at EXACTLY 1:15pm to look at a computer. I should have known something was in the air when they insisted I be there at a precise time. Anyway, they had a delicious chocolate cake and Dr Pepper waiting for me! A great bunch of friends there. And that’s not all:
The next day (Wednesday) the gang at the commissioners office had beans, cornbread and chocolate cake waiting for me at noon to help celebrate my birthday. And I was trying to forget it. hahahaha Friends, they make life worth living!
Living in a small town can have its advantages. That was my experience this week. A friend had bought me a birthday gift ($42) from Kriet’s Western Auto & Appliance down on Main Street. John Kriet has been the proprietor ever since I can remember. The birthday gift was not exactly what I wanted, so I returned it and asked if I could do an exchange. “No problem”, was John’s reply. Friends are a valuable commodity.
In Davis, Oklahoma’s early days, there was a proprietor by the name of Paris Price. He was a broom maker in Davis. His son carried on the trade and their brooms were sold all over the country. There is a nice display of the equipment they used in their broom making at the Davis Historical Museum on Main Street. Here is a pic I took of the Price father/son display there.
“Butch, I graduated from Ardmore High school the same year your Uncle Doyle Bridges graduated (1940). I have always regarded him as a friend but I don’t see him often these days. Doyle was an important member of a boys quartet at Ardmore School & should emphasize that they were exceptionally talented – their singing harmony was outstanding. Doyle Bridges, Robert Gardenhire, Holcom Crawford & Charles Wilbanks were the members and were under the direction of the very personable, attractive & greatly talented direction of our music teacher, Mrs Geraldine (York) Rawlins. We always called on them (sometime begged) to sing for us when we had our Class reunions & they remained very good. When Charles died our class lost a wonderful blessing, but we shall always be thankful for them & remember them with affection.”
“The name of the place you mentioned in your column was called” WITS END” located at 106 1/2 East Main St. – They specialized in Gifts & Stationery Mfrs. The business was operated by two very capable business Ladies – their names were Lynn Gruwell & Mabel R. Stong. They were still in business when I came back to Ardmore in 1950. Yes, they were indeed ahead of their time because they indeed produced wonderful printed novelties. To me that was not a long time ago – it seems like only yesterday.”
I want to thank everyone who sent me Happy Birthday wishes. Last count I had over 1,000 FB friends sent congrats to me. I really wanted to answer each one, but with over 1,000 posts, there is no practical way I could do that. Anyway, I appreciate everyone’s bithday wish to me.
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.” –John F. Kennedy
See everyone next Thursday!
Butch and Jill Bridges
236 Timber Road
Ardmore, Oklahoma
580-490-6823
butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
https://oklahomahistory.net