This early day barber shop has a gas heating stove in the center and gas lights. Natural gas was piped into Ardmore first from the Wheeler Field northeast of the city. W. A. Ledbetter established the Ardmore Heat and Light Company in 1907. This supply of natural gas was used up after 3 years. Healdton’s oilfield became the new source of natural gas for Ardmore in 1913. -Courtesy of Sally Gray
The Ardmore Ice Company at one time trucked in ice, which was unloaded into horse-drawn wagons for home delivery to customers. This photograph was taken about 1910. At some point, the ice plant begin making ice. A daily trip to the ice plant was the favorite activity of many children who hoped for a sliver of frozen delight. -Courtesy of Sally Gray
A video program by OETA on the Great Explosion of 1915 in Ardmore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAnZB7qGfnw.
If you have or know of anyone who has an old flag that needs retired and wants it retired properly, the Carter County Government has a flag retirement box for public use. Its located just inside the main south entrance of the Carter County Administration Offices Building (old Samedan building) at 25 A Street NW (West Broadway and A Street NW). Please do not throw an old flag in the trash receptical. Show it the honor and respect that U.S. Flag deserves and retire it properly.
This past week I was looking for some nice full color picture postcards for mailng to some new HAM friends I’ve made recently in other states and overseas. I knew the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce workers would know, so I stopped by. They pointed me to the Greater Southwest Historical Museum on Sunset Street. Boy did I find the mother lode! Plenty of beautiful postcards to choose from, all with Oklahoma themes. Below is just one example:
If you haven’t visited the museum lately, you are missing out on a wealth of Ardmore history.
While I was at the museum, I looked around and saw this 1980 electric car that belonged to my neighbor, Charles Tanner, back in the day on D Southwest.
Humpty Dumpty in Ardmore, Oklahoma opened in 1955.
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG….
Hello Oklahoma! I’m so sorry Butch, it was my first time using Echolink today and it turns out the microphone settings weren’t correct, which explains why you couldn’t hear me! It’s all sorted now, but I wanted to apologise for not answering you. Hopefully I’ll catch up with you further down the log! Best 73s from Wales, UK -Sue
https://www.echolink.org/
Mr. Bridges my name is Darla. My mother passed away last year and I am still looking through old treasures. I have a steamer trunk my Grandmother bought as a child in 1905 and I found this in a purse that was her’s as a child. Its a Girl Scout Brownie Pin from the 1940s.
Below is from my Vol 4, Issue 144 January 22, 2000 newsletter:
“Not sure exactly what these pieces of wood are Butch, but the two easiest ways of doing almost any kind of lettering are dry-transfer (rub-on) and using a Leroy lettering set. You can probably find almost any type of font style and size in dry transfer lettering now, and they are available from most office and art supply stores. You would probably want to spray or brush on a clear coat of some sort to keep the lettering from getting scratched off. The Leroy lettering set uses a special pen holder that follows letter outlines in a plastic guide. You need a different guide for each size and font of letter. They are somewhat expensive and usually only used by serious draftsmen and artists.” -Dan Major, Univ. of Okla. School of Industrial Engineering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZRvQDMBEOE
“So.. You don’t eat that much meat and you’re looking’ for homemade brick chili. Have I got the place for you, my friend. It is a little meat market in Alva, Oklahoma. They make homemade brick chili w/beans or w/o beans. Your choice. They only use the leanest of leanest sirloin hamburger with hardly any fat. The Store’s name is “Whittet’s” in the south part of town. They started out in Dacoma’s Meat Market and the family grew and extended some of their businesses into Alva. REAL, LEAN MEAT… NOT that Grocery store processed meat substitute. Does it sound like I’m trying to sell small town meat markets? hahaha.”
“ole george hunt is one of the best people there is in my book. i’ve known him longer than i’ve known myself……my grandpa clarence woolery was also a butcher with george at some point (they may have worked at lasley together?)….i used to get off the school bus at 3rd. and Pst and walk to cashway lumber to work after school and i always stopped by hunts grocery and could smell that chili. now days i’ve been buying chili at Earnies ole fashion meat market. i’ve also known earnie and jackie forever……and they’ll fix you up on the chili.”
“My brother spent many years in Mexico working in the oil business and he told me that Chili is not a Mexican dish. He said it was created in the U.S (probably Texas). There was once a little restaurant at Calera, Ok. that served super good chili (the restaurant is no longer there) & they told me that their chili is at Sam’s, by the name of “Chili Bowl”. I bought it at Sam’s but was surprised to find it in the frozen food department. It was the best chili I found since Dorn Moore retired. We should dig George Hunt out of retirement and put him back into the chili making business.”
“Thanks for the newsletter. Maybe folks don’t see it, but it’s not so much the newsletter, it’s the content and how it is presented. Not many folks can achieve what you are doing, and it’s because it comes natural.”
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” — Helen Keller
See everyone next Thursday!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, OK
580-490-6823