“President Harry Truman was in Ardmore on September 28, 1948 at 12:10 PM. Most if not all speeches were given from the end of the last car on the train. However in Ardmore he left the train and made his speech from a platform built on the steps of the First Methodist Church. My family, owners of J. W. Davis Grocery, had a food booth just west of the church steps. They sold their homemade cole slaw, potato salad, and sandwiches made of their own ham salad, pimento cheese, chicken salad and a unique type of barbeque which you could get in the store in the summer around noon three days a week. Every member of the Davis clan had a job and I remember them selling out of food and wishing they had made twice as much.” -George W. Davis 6/09/11
Policeman Matt Alexander (pictured above) was later the Courthouse Maintenance superintendant.
July 5, 1950 – Traffic officer Mathew “Matt” Alexander (1897-1983) , veteran policeman, today was named assistant police chief to Hubert Bartlett in the first step of a revitalized law enforcement program.
Alexander, by his selection, becomes the first assistant police chief since the stormy early 1920s when Frank Smith, former Love County sheriff, was assistant to Jess Kirby.
The new assistant police chief was selected by Bartlett because of his experience and knowledge of law enforcement work and his popularity with citizens of the city.
Alexander has been with the Ardmore City Police department for 19 years and holds seniority over every officer in the department. He joined the force on April 20, 1930 and with the exception of less than 12 months has served the city continuously.
During his 19-year term as an officer of the law in Ardmore, Alexander has held every position on the force with the exception of Chief and dog poundman.
Fully acquainted with the activities of the patrol unit as well as the beatman, Alexander will be given complete charge of the department in the absence of Bartlett and will direct the night shift at all times.
Alexander began his career with the Ardmore Police department under the late Jess Dunn then police chief. Dunn later became warden of the State Penitentiary where he was killed in a prison break a few years ago.
The new assistant police chief is married and has one daughter. He lives with his family at 114 Stanley boulevard and was promoted from the ranks where he served more recently as traffic officer. -The Daily Ardmorete 7/05/50 issue
Mathew Alexander is buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20974636/mathew-lanier-alexander
Dana Boyd Pruitt supplied the photo below: “Joel’s Dad, Pilot Phleat Boyd, holding the sign WELCOME HARRY AND BESS TRUMAN along with another Pilot, that might be Tony Pica. President Truman visited Ardmore abt. 1950. Also pictured Hardy Murphy, H. A. Pruitt, John E. Riesen.”
Jody Miller was not born in Oklahoma but at age 80 she died at Blanchard, Oklahoma on October 6, 2022 of Parkinsons disease. Her hit song was Queen of the House in 1965.
The Daily Ardmoreite
March 9, 1926
Judge Walden Sentences Haynie to 10 years in State Prison
Former Carter County Treasurer is facing long-term in penitentiary results of pleading guilty to embezzlement charges in local courts
Fred Haynie, former county treasurer, was yesterday sentenced to serve 10 years in the state penitentiary on the first of the seven counts pending in District Judge Asa G. Walden’s division of the court. On the remaining six counts Judge Walden imposed the minimum penalty of 3 years each. The court further ordered that the sentences of 3 years are to run concurrently with a 10-year sentence including a $290,000 fine.
Of the amount embezzled, $100,000 is covered by a bond underwritten by the New Amsterdam Casualty Company. This leaves a loss to be sustained by Carter county of approximately $15,000. Haynie estimated that he has a small factory near Taft, California valued at $6,000 in which he has a $3,000 equity, an automobile and Certificates of Stock in the present defunct oil company, which he is ready to turn over to the county attorney to partly cover his loss.
June 1926 – Francis M. Dudley, County Attorney (later State assistant attorney general), today filed a motion for judgment for $100,000 on the pleadings given by the Amsterdam Casualty Company, bondsman for Fred Haynie, former Carter County Treasurer who is now serving a sentence of 31 years for embezzlement.
Some new construction south of the courthouse on Stanley Street. The building will house ecords storage for the court clerk and sheriffs department on the west half. East half of the building will be office space that will be rented to Probation and Parole. All of these are currently housed in Annex Building #3 (old Harvey- Douglas Funeral Home.)
Knights of Templar uniform
Toddler Shoe Bells
“Do you guys remember when we used to put bells on the baby/toddler shoes, back in the old days. Do you know why? Mostly so you could keep up with which direction they’re going. Little kids will dart off in a second. And when the bell stops ringing, that means they’re getting into something.” -Trish Brown
Aerial view of Mannsville, Oklahoma taken by Anna Flat about 2021
HAM Radio Talk
Below are my first time contacts using the program Echolink on my computer the past 7 days. I hope to get a J-Pole antenna somehow on top of my 45 Rhome antenna so I can do over-the-air transmissions with my Boafeng Handy-Talk or find a standard HAM radio like HAMs have used for years for antenna to antenna communications.
247. 04/26/23 8:40pm KC3IYD Wendell in Lake City, PA
https://www.qrz.com/db/KC3IYD
248. 04/27/23 7:30pm VA3KVK David in Woodstock, Ont., Canada
https://www.qrz.com/db/VA3KVK
249. 04/27/23 8:30pm DS1RTB Shon in South Korea
https://www.qrz.com/db/DS1RTB
250. 04/28/23 8:30pm W3CGS Mario in NJ
https://www.qrz.com/db/W3CGS
251. 04/29/23 6:45pm KQ4FSI Mitch in Port St Lucie, FL
https://www.qrz.com/db/KQ4FSI
252. 04/29/23 9:15pm KE2BGI Peter in Poughkeepsie, NY
https://www.qrz.com/db/KE2BGI
253. 04/30/23 11:30am KC4IRG John in Walton, KY
https://www.qrz.com/db/KC4IRG
254. 04/30/23 6:00pm N3RO Rick in Frederick, MD
https://www.qrz.com/db/N3RO
255. 05/03/23 9:10am KC8HFO David in Hansford, WV
https://www.qrz.com/db/KC8HFO
256. 05/03/23 8:15pm KC3PTF Brad in Chambersburg, PA
https://www.qrz.com/db/KC3PTF
Submitted by Melinda Taylor:
The Daily Ardmoreite
Healdton News
3-21-1921
The separate school (negro) in District 30, known as the Cheek-Love school, was destroyed by first Saturday night. The building was partly covered by insurance and will be rebuilt at once.
The Daily Ardmoreite
3-22-1921
County Superintendent, Zaneis reported this morning that so far, she is unable to find an insurance policy covering the building destroyed Saturday night in District 30, Cheek-Love separate school. Unless such a policy does exist it is doubtful if the building will be rebuilt until after another estimate can be made by the excise board.
The Daily Ardmoreite
9-9-1921
Negro Schools Are Aided By Julius Rosenwald Fund in Sum of $1,300
Two negro schools in the county have been benefited by donations from Chicago millionaire, Julius Rosenwald, who set aside part of his wealth for the aid of colored schools in the south, according to Mrs. Kate Zaneis, county superintendent, who has received $1,300 out of the Rosenwald fund to assist in rebuilding the Cheek-Love separate school southwest of the city. The former building was destroyed last year. Money for an addition to the Prairie View separate school situated five miles northeast of the city, was also received.
The Daily Ardmoreite
Healdton News
12-13-1922
Contracts for Four School Houses Let
The board of county commissioners awarded a contract for building four separate schools together with teacherages, Tuesday afternoon to W. B. Harris, consideration for complete jobs $2,485.00
The schools well be located at Lone Oak, Roosevelt, Cheek-Love and Prairie View. Three bids were submitted to the board, the one by Harris being the lowest. Work will begin on the four buildings at once.
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG….
Hello Butch, I could write a book on the Initial Point monument, and as a matter of fact I have been working on one regarding the surveying, surveyors and their instruments which a rare and valuable Burt Solar Compass that was used to survey both the Initial Point monument located at the intersection of the north-south Indian Meridian and the east-west Base Line which is marked by a large stone set in 1870 at an arbitrary point chosen by Ehud Noble Darling and Theodore H. Barrett, US Deputy Surveyors of the US General Land Office. From this monument located about a mile south of old Fort Arbuckle, all of the Indian and Oklahoma Territory lands were surveyed, but not all of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Panhandle (aka Public Land Strip), or “No Man’s Land” was surveyed from the Cimarron Meridian which was set at the intersection of the 100th West Meridian with the 36.5 degree north latitude. This monument was to be the Northwest Corner of Texas and the Southwest Corner of the Panhandle on the East line of New Mexico, but these lines were changed over the years for various reasons, not least of which were political in nature. Years ago I acquired the Burt Solar Compass used to survey the Cimarron Meridian and Base Line of the Panhandle that was used and owned by US Deputy Surveyor Richard O. Chaney. -Mickey Shackelford
Butch, I asked you if you remembered a dental office located in Ardmore Mall in the 1970’s. I finally found dentist Randall listed in a 1973 Ardmore phone book. They have a collection of phone books at the library. No reason for you to remember that trivia. I just wanted to remember it myself. Love your historical newsletter. Keep up the good work. -Dorothy
This old picture was the spring at the base of Bromide Mountain at Sulphur before the waters were piped under Rock Creek to the new Pavilion. -Earlene Chandler
1957 America. Some Call This Time Paradise -Cecil Elliott in OKC
Below is from my Vol 4, Issue 159 May 6, 2000 newsletter:
“I have information on the Camp School for the reader who asked about it, last week. Camp School is located in the Northwestern part of Carter County. (Beginning at the West Cen. line of Sec. 15, 2 south and 3 west, thence west to the Stephens county line, thence north to west cen. line of sec. 31, thence east to the west cen. line of sec. 34, then south to west cen. line of sec. 15, point of beginning. The first building was a one room log structure, built by some of those hardy pioneers in territorial days.Some few years after, a small box building was erected. This was not going to meet the need of the growing community, so the good settlers with an ideal leader, Mrs. Kate Galt Zaneis, realized what Camp needed was ample room and equipment and capable teachers as the children in other districts enjoyed. Thus another room was annexed, offering one year of high school work. The Camp community has organized a Sunday School and Literary Society. Ball teams have been organized to develop the boys and girls physically as well as mentally and morally. I believe I can say upon authority that there is not another school in Carter County in our class that can defeat us in athletics, debating and spelling. /s/ Robert Cecil Cavins, Principal.”
“My name is Ron McFarlane, and I’m a 49 year old model railroader living in Berwick, Victoria, Australia. These days Berwick is an outer suburb of Melbourne, but its history is that of a small country town that the suburbs recently caught up with. My interest in Carter County is that I am building a model railroad loosely based on the AT&SF (or rather, GC&SF) railroad between Pauls Valley and Ardmore, as it might have been in 1960. I stumbled across your site whilst searching the ‘net for useful information. To that end, I am in need of whatever information (and photos) I can get my hands on about this area, particularly the railroad served towns and industries, around 1960. My most immediate need is for info about Ardmore and Gene Autry, as that is where I am starting construction. I will therefore be very grateful if you would pass this message on to anyone who might be willing to assist me with my search. I expect to be working on this model railroad for many years to come, so I don’t require or expect a heavy commitment from anyone who might help.” ronmcf@tpg.com.au
“Since you seem to know a lot about bells, maybe you can help me find information about Angelus Mamias motors used to control the mechanism that rings the hammer on the bells. My brother is presently restauring the church bells mechanism in his local church and one of the motor is beyond repair. I have been surching the Net for information on Church Bells motor and have not bee successful. Any info would help. Thanks, Paula Roy (New Brunswick, Canada).” paularoy@nb.sympatico.ca
“Hey Butch, I lived in Hot Springs from June 83 to June 85. That picture of the Water company…on the left there was a place called Buckley’s. I think it was some kind of auction for estate sales. All those light poles you see downtown were installed then as well, they did a major makeover to the downtown area during that time. One more tidbit. Revolving doors are very common in the Netherlands (probably all over Europe) I think the reason they are still in use there and not here in the states is the ‘lawsuit’ factor. There are alot of what we consider safety hazards, because people cannot sue for things like that over there. The revolving door into my office building there was huge. About 7 people could fit into each ‘section’. One more thing the ‘Second Baptist Church’ on the main road in Hot Springs (across from the racetrack) played their bells everyday while we lived there. You could hear them all across town.”
“True and False are attributes of speech, not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither Truth nor Falsehood.” -Thomas Hobbes
https://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/nature/hobbes-bio.html
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, OK
580-490-6823