Withining 24 hours, tents had been erected along Ardmore’s Main Street laid out and named by Jim Staples. Some of the first professionals to arrive were Lauck and Lauck, land attorneys. The first wooden structures were built by the Frensley Brothers, with lumber brought on the first train to arrive at the Ardmore station, and later by Samuel Zuckerman, merchant already in business when the train arrived. -Photo Courtesy of Greater Southwest Historical Museum.
Hotel Spiegel was open for business in 1887 and may predate even the Buckles Hotel, which is usually considered Ardmore’s first hotel. This photograph was donated to the Ardmore Main Street Authority collection by Mrs V. Sutton. The hotel appears to be a family affair, probably doubling as the family home. A sign above the door offers pop, ice cream, and lemonade. -Photo Courtesy of Ardmore Main Street Authority
Colbert’s ferry was a popular entry point into Indian Territory. Ben Colbert, a Chickasaw citizen, established a ferry across the Red River north of Denison, Texas. White settlers entering the Choctaw Nation filtered west to work Pickens county and north toward the unassigned lands soon to open for settlement. This picture was made about 1900. Colbert’s ferry operated from 1850 to 1899. -Courtesy of the William A. “Mac” McGalliard collection at Ardmore Public Library
“Mac” McGalliard was a longtime resident of Ardmore, Oklahoma, and worked for The Daily Ardmoreite for 25 years, from 1951 to 1983, writing a very popular column known as “Reporter’s Notebook.” His column, like his personal interests, centered on south-central Oklahoma and particularly Ardmore.
The Daily Ardmoreite
Ardmore, Oklahoma
September 28, 1990
Big Stink at Courthouse
There was a big stink in the Carter County Courthouse Annex Thursday when a skunk wandered into a water shed drain on the building and became agitated.
Assistant Election Board Secretary Katy Merritt happened to look out her window as the small black and white animal ambled across A Street SW and into the drain.
Ardmore Animal Control Officer Jerry Stone, called to survey the problem, and the animal peered at each other through a hole in the pipe where it runs through the vault at the election board, Clerk Mina Howard said.
The stink began when Stone poked at the skunk hoping it would exit peacefully, Howard said. Instead the animal let loose its natural defense. Ardmore firefighters were called to the scene and shot water down the drain, causing the skunk to retreat into a waiting cage.
The problems were not over, however, for employees in the election board, county superintendent’s office and Carter County Health Department, which are housed in the building.
The odor had penetrated the air conditioning vents and quickly spread the obnoxious smell throughout the building, which has no windows which open.
Doors were propped open to allow in as much fresh air as possible, without much success.
A liquid industrial strength chemical called Nilecho was sprayed into the vents and on the air conditioning filters by Bill Hamilton, health department sanitarian. Sharon Stewart, administratative assistant, said the chemical was chosen because it is an oil soluble reorderant.
Election Board Secretary Janie Tipps scattered mothballs in the election board vault and offices, Howard said, and Hamilton also put out used coffee grounds to help absorb the smell.
Stewart said the odor is gone from the health department offices today. Employees in the election board offices, where the odor was strongest, are only getting an occasional whiff, Howard said.
Shi-Maid manufacturing was located in the 300 block of W. Muskogee Avenue in Sulphur. The shop manufactured things from tin and was a thriving Sulphur business. The building currently houses Billy Cook Saddles.
Back in the February 16, 2002 T&T we talked about a tin shop located at 3rd and A NE catty cornered across from Cashway Lumber Company back in the 40s and 50s. The shop was owned by an Indian named Garvin (not Marvin) Shi and among other tin items that he produced, was Shi-Maid Water Cans. I remember my grandfather always having that water can handy out in the lumber yard with a block of ice in it from Crystal Ice company, delivered by Roy Pylant back in the 60s. A Reader found one of those water cans in storage and sent photos of it this week. On the label was the words Shi-Maid.
https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.190.156/knn.c7e.myftpupload.com/ttphotos3b/shimaid3.jpg
https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.190.156/knn.c7e.myftpupload.com/ttphotos3b/shimaid4.jpg
Q. How many buffalo (bison) in Oklahoma?
A. Today, more than 2,600 bison free-range on 24,000 acres of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and mostly are on their own. The animals are given salt and minerals but are not fed or watered by their owners.
Q. What is the Oklahoma State amphibian?
A. Answer in next week’s newsletter
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG….
Someone asked me if I had the Apple Dumpling recipe from Chuck Wagon BBQ on the east side of Ardmore in the 1970s.
Submitted by a guy in my Oct 28, 2015 newseletter:
“Butch, I saw where a reader wanted to know how to make the Chuck Wagon Apple Dumplings. I used to work at the Chuck Wagon BBQ (east side of Ardmore) back in 1971 to 1972 as a busboy before I went to college. Jean Bailey – owner of the restaurant told me the “secret” recipe to making them. I make them often and they taste just like they came from the Chuck Wagon restaurant.”
Chuck Wagon Apple Dumpling Recipe
Roll pie dough out into 8 – 10 inch squares or use pie dough your can buy at the store.
Peel and core an apple and place on the center of the pie dough square, they used Red Delicious apples at the Chuck Wagon.
Add 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon on apple
Add 1 tablespoon of butter on top of apple
Gather the edges of the pie dough square and pinch together around the apple
Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown crust.
Vanilla sauce:
Depending on how many apple dumplings you are making , use box(s) of vanilla Jello pudding and pie filling, (not the instant type).
Below is from my Vol 3, Issue 131 Octobor 23, 1999 newsletter:
One year ago today the Carter County Court Clerk here in Ardmore gave me permission to put the Court Docket on her website. Right now it only lists the Docket one week at a time. We are still the only courthouse in Oklahoma who furnishes this information to the public via the internet.
Last September 4th, I told about a Deputy Sheriff of Love County, Oklahoma whose 1917 death in the line of duty was all but forgotten. He was not memorialized by Love County nor the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. I told by Mary Wilson, who owns a monument company in Lone Grove, and she’d offer to repair this officer’s tombstone, upright it, and affixed it again to its base in the Oswalt, Oklahoma cemetery at no cost. This week Mary Wilson called to tell me her son, Billy Wilson, has repaired deputy Walter Tate’s marker and it is now standing upright again.
“Butch, I just notice the name of your bell site is Oklahoma Bells. Are you aware that the first baby born after the Land run Of ’89 in OKC, was named Oklahoma Bell? I think her maiden name was Cunningham, but her married name was Cheever. She was born May 19, 1889. She and her husband had a floral shop for years. Her grandson, or great grandson, still runs it in Quail Plaza in OKC. So much for a history lesson this morning.. HA”
“Butch, Thankyou for the great pic of the old simpson building. My father bought the building when he and my mother came to Ardmore. I remember so much of that building especially the boiler in the basement, the entire building was steam heated. It was huge and I can still remember the excitement of lighting of the boiler by my Grandfather Penn Scott each year, it was not to be missed. There was of course the old Ardmore Pharmacy on the first floor along with the bank, my Mother still has some great old photos. I can even remember old Mr Felix Simmons showing me all the money in the vault of the bank at one time. The building was remodeled in the 60’s and as I look back, lost so much of its charm. All the ceiling fans which pulled air up at a very slow speed so as not to ruffle the papers on one’s desk were removed. Most were sold for junk. Still have one over at Mom’s. There was even a huge old style water chiller in the basement that pumped cold water up to fountains. It was fascinating for a boy to see. This could go on for way too long, but a nice memory brought to mind. Thankyou.”
“Someone told me you wrote a story about James Stevenson of Pauls Valley who killed Sheriff Cathey. He was a GG Uncle of mine and I have been researching this line of the Stevensons. His Mother was Texas Adalaid (Houston) Stevenson who married a Solomon Gay. Can you tell me anything on this family and I would like to have your article. If indeed you did write one. His brother John Houston Stevenson was married to Tecumsi McClure’s Daughter Malinda who was the step son of Smith Paul, founder of Pauls Valley. Let me hear from you.
I was thinking of what quote I’d put in this weeks T&T. I looked at the usually quotation websites, but didn’t find just what I wanted. Then my mind flashed back to high school. I thought of those manual Smith-Corona typewriters we used in Typing Class. “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.”
“Love me when I least deserve it, because that’s when I really need it.” –Swedish proverb
See everyone next Thursday!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, OK
580-490-6823