I found a website where the 1957 book History of Carter County can be viewed online or downloaded. It’s 236 pages in PDF format so be patient, its a large file. I see the book, if you can find one, sells for about $200.
Two Lone Grove boys searching for buried treasure literally struck gold on Monday. Tripp Hodges and Knox Duvak were with their grandfather on a friend’s land near Wilson when they hit pay dirt. They unearthed gold bars, 19th century silver dollars, and tools.
https://www.kten.com/story/50819996/lone-grove-boys-find-buried-treasure
HAM Talk by KC5JVT via Echolink
The 970 Arbuckle Net still meets every Sunday night at 8:00pm. Hope to hear some of the local HAMs checking in from this area.
The Bordom Beaker Net is held everyday, 7 days a week from 12 noon to 2:00pm Oklahoma time out of Claremore, Oklahoma.
From this week’s Mailbag
Crown Bottling and MFG Co bottles. The blob top or “hutchinson” bottles date from 1890 t0 1910, the crown tops date from late 1910 to 1915. -Robert Hensley
Note: A blob-top soda bottle is a type of soda bottle that has a gravitating stopper that closes the bottle. The stopper maintains the pressure inside the bottle, which keeps the soda carbonated for longer. The stopper is a heavy horseshoe shaped wire spring attached to a thick rubber washer inside of the bottle. Once filled, it is pulled up to make a seal.
Crown Bottling Works South Washington and 1st (SE corner). -Robert Hensley
Ardmore Memorial Confederate Day Service
This years service will be Monday May 27th. Service begins at 9:30 am. Rose-hill cemetery, Ardmore. The Confederate section is at the NW corner of the cemetery.
Below is from my newsletter dated
May 19, 2001 – Issue 213
From the Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers Book – Printed 1983
Founder of the first hospital in Ardmore, known as Ardmore Sanitarium, was Dr. Frederick P. Von Keller. He was born in Strassburg, Germany, but came in his youth with his parents to Missouri where they were pioneers. They later moved to Western Kansas. Frederick returned to Germany (Heidelberg) for his undergraduate and medical work, receiving a degree in electrical engineering as well as his M.D. degree. He took further medical training at Rush Medical College in Chicago.
He first practiced in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he also married his wife. They next moved to Vernon, Texas, then came to Ardmore, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, in 1894. His first office was in the old Pennington building, on the southeast corner of Main and Caddo. He was remembered as usually wearing a goatee, which gave him a distinguished look. In 1898, he established the first hospital in Ardmore, Ardmore Sanitarium, on the northwest corner of Main and Caddo. He had to assemble the x-ray machine himself. Dr. Walter Hardy and Dr. R.H. Henry were also on staff. At some later date, he moved back to the Pennington building which was destroyed with the Great Explosion of 1915. He then built the Von Keller Hospital at the corner of 12th Northwest and Commerce. The community was active in support of the institution, with Perry Maxwell leading out in raising $30,000 for the project. The hospital opened in 1917. Dr. Von Keller was the medical director for many years, until 1941.
Dr. and Mrs. Von Keller had two daughters, Beatrice and Helen. He had a niece, Jeanne Michael, who worked in the business area of the hospital for many years. She was a philatelist and died in the 1970s in Little Rock. Dr. Von Keller lived a very busy life and was a leader of early day medicine. He died in 1941.
This is a photo of Dr. Frederick Von Keller
Here is a photo of the Von Keller Hospital. He was located just to the west of the Adventist Hospital at 12th and North Commerce. The stone at the top reads, “Von Keller Hospital Assn”.
Wilson, Oklahoma will soon have a historical museum. Its right on Main Street, just south and next door to the Fire Department. So if you have anything to put on display in the new museum, now is the time to contact them!
https://www.wilsonhistoricalmuseum.org
In SE Ardmore is Whittington Park. Years ago, the present park included a lot more land to the south, the land where the Hardy Murphy Coliseum is located. Whittington Park was boarded on the south by Springdale Road (Fair Grounds Road to old timers), on the east by Park Street SE, on the north by 4th street SE and on the west by “G” Street SE. On February 5, 1927 the Governors of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations sold this large piece of land to the City of Ardmore. Maybe someone knows how this piece of land came to be known as Whittington Park?
In NW Carter county is Pooleville, Oklahoma. Before statehood, and as late as 1902, Pooleville was known as Elk, Oklahoma.
Have you ever tried to find some little part to fix something, and couldnt? Like maybe a connector or switch or pulley? A friend told me about a site that have over 360,000 items in stock and ready to ship. If they don’t’ have it, then its probably not available anywhere. http://www.mcmaster.com/
“Hey Butch, warn your readers who are apt to go out and see the places described in T&T. I stopped in at that old Ladd school a few weeks ago and was nearly eaten alive by a pit bull. I wasn’t bitten, but only for being fast enough on my feet to get inside the business that is on the same property as the school house.”
“Hi Butch. I enjoy your T&T. My Genealogy Society have been cataloging Cemeteries in the County in the vacinty of Healdton. Just recently we did the one at Pooleville, Ok. There is a number of Confederate Veteran Markers in this cemetery. Do you or any of your readers know why there are so many in one cemetery? Was there a camp some where close to this place?”
“Healdton school colors have always been blue and white. As I said before, I don’t know why they picked the beautiful red uniforms,in the ’60s but it was OK, as everyone loved them and the hats also. . However I was in the band in 1929 and we had blue sweaters and white trousers, the sweaters had a lyre in the front, and white collars and cuffs. Had to be reasonable because of the depression. My sister graduated in 1926, and the stories in her days all referred to the blue and white, I have some of the stories written back, then. Her memory books etc. One called Golden school days. I also had a miniature football with blue and white ribbons attached, that belonged to her. The Healdton Boys Band uniforms about 1924 or 25 were all white, and were very pretty also. In those days they rarely played or marched at athletic events. I do remember that in 1929, our bandmaster, Fred Culver, would select only about a dozen of his band members, for what he called the booster band and they would play at football games, but did not march.”
“Hello. I am the great grand daughter of FREDERICK VON KELLER, founder of the VON KELLER HOSPITAL in Ardmore Indian Territory! You cannot imagine how happy I was to find your ‘nostalgia/old timers” page on the net which mentioned my greatgrandfather! I would appreciate any information you can provide to me. This is a new computer and I am just learning how to search and know that God brought me to your sight.” -From California
“The Deese School is located nine miles northwest of the city of Ardmore. A graded and gravel road leads from the school to the city. Deese is a country with many small ranches and dairy farms. The solid is well adapted to the growing of vegetables and orchards. The Deese School consists of two departments each controlled by one teacher. Although a two teacher school, Deese does work that will rank with larger schools. The present enrollment is 102 which shows a gain of 27 percent over that of last year. W.H. Owens, Principal.”
“Glen School is a village school located about three miles west of Springer. The school offers eight grades of work under direction of B.A.Mayes, principal.Miss Grace Dyer, intermediate teacher, and Miss Salibeth Freeman, primary teacher. For some time Glenn has been interested in forming a Union Graded district with Springer and it is very likely that this desire will materialize in some kind of centralized school that will afford the children of Glenn District high school advantages.”
“In 1923 there were 77 schools within Carter County. Thurston Grove School was designated District number 22. The district has a census of 80. Thurston Grove School is located northwest of Newport. This is a one teacher school offering eight grades of work under the efficient management of Mrs. M.C.Rogers. The school is planning to install on the school house a large bell that can be heard all over the district.”
In 1923 : The Rose Chapel School is located southwest of Springer in a very beautiful place near the foot of the Arbuckle Mountains. Near the back of the school grounds is a high bluff with many different kinds of moss and ferns hanging from the damp rocks. On the east side of the school ground is Henry House Creek that is fed by mountain springs. The many oak trees on the playground afford pleasant shade for pupils and complete the setting of one of the prettiest one-teacher schools in the county. The enrollment is about thirty but the attendance is splendid. Eight grades of work is offered. The teacher is Mrs. Effie Terry.
“Hello Butch, I thought some of your readers would like to see an old photo of the City Drug Store. This was on the northeast corner of Main and Washington. That’s me in the white apron. I worked at the Steele Drug Store (Soda Fountain) no.1 west main street. 1940.”
Note: see pull down fire alarm box at left in photo.
“Hello Butch, I thought some readers would remember this photo of John Newcomer –Principal of 1st. Ward School– Franklin Elementary School– This was made by Webb Studios in 1937.” -Lee
“Hello Butch, This is the sixth grade class photo at Franklin Elementary School and I believe it was 1937.”
Grandpa, tell me ’bout the good old days
Sometimes it feels like this world’s gone crazy
And Grandpa, take me back to yesterday
When the line between right and wrong
Didn’t seem so hazy
-The Judds 1988
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, Oklahoma
580-490-6823
