Some much needed renovations are taking place in the hallways of the Carter County Courthouse, on top of the already in progress renovation of the Dome. After 120 years places in the hallways were showing their age and some repairs were needed. These renovations are taking place on all 3 floors.
In the above picture you can see the 1950s the Civil Defense nuclear fallout shelter sign is still on the wall on the first floor across from the elevator. Its pointing down to the basement. Below is a closeup I took of the sign years ago.
HAM Talk by KC5JVT via Echolink
There are about 200 HAMs listed on the qrz.com website for Carter county. I know dozens have passed away on the listing over the years, some have moved off, and some have let their HAM license expire and no longer active. But only 7 reported in last Sunday night at 8:00pm, down from 11 from the previous Sunday, so where are the local HAMs out there? I hope to hear some of you check-in this coming Sunday evening.
From this week’s Mailbag
PHOTOS: E.O. MILLER’S SQUADRON PLAQUE (Ardmore AFB) during the Cuban Missile Crisis. BUTCH: don’t forget Ardmore’s connection to the COLD WAR. Most Ardmoreites are totally unaware how close the U.S. came to a nuclear war ! (within seconds on numerous occasions) Had this happened, none of us Okies would be here today. Oklahoma was a prime target of Russia, due to the missile silos and Air Force bases located in our state. Oklahoma would have been vaporized and uninhabitable for 100 plus years ! Let us not forget the brave men and women of the Ardmore Air Force Base during this time who lived in agony, not knowing each day if they were going to live to see another. That’s how close we came to a nuclear war………… -Steve Miller
Below is from my newsletter dated
June 9, 2001 – Issue 216
My cousin, Laura Cole, in Ft Worth is always going to garage sales looking for a piece of history at a bargains. This week she went to one garage sale and found 2 autographed 1985 prints by the artist Huey Theus. She bought both prints for 25 cents. I looked on the Net and found them selling for $45 each at several places! Laura gave me the print titled “School Days” (in the original narrative cover). She kept the other one. See, there are bargains to be found at garage sales!
The Honorable Charles Tate at the Carter county courthouse has a new addition this week to the decor in his courtroom. Its a beautiful hardwood plaque with the Seal of Oklahoma made Unique Hardwoods of Lone Grove, Oklahoma.
In September of this year Walmart is scheduled to open the biggest store its ever built at Gainesville, Texas (population 15,000). Ground preparation has begun just north and east from the present Walmart on the north side of Highway 82. I wonder why Walmart would build it’s biggest store ever in little Gainesville, Texas just five miles from the Oklahoma border?
“Butch, I can hardly wait from one volume of “This and That” to the next. This is the most versatile and interesting newsletter I have read. I grew up in Oklahoma near Comanche, but the newsletter dealing mainly with the Ardmore area brings back so many wonderful memories of home. I have spent some time in the Ardmore and Healdton areas; I used to go to Falls Creek Baptist Camp every summer. You are bringing back happy memories for me of my youth in Oklahoma. The ONLY thing I do not miss about Oklahoma, now that I live in Arizona, are the violent thunderstorms and the tornadoes! Thanks for the newsletter. You are doing a terrific job with it!”
“Mr. Richie taught me in Tishomingo in the 7, 8th and 9th grade. He was our history teacher, and he was, in my opinion, the most wonderful teacher that ever taught. His wife taught typing and shorthand, and she was my instructor in the 10th and 11th grade. She instilled the two skills that help me perform my jobs for 25 years. One question? Did Mr. Richie tell your class the story of how he smuggled a child home from Europe? The story is fascinating.”
“Here is the group graduation picture. Mr. Richie is the man with the tie. I am on the end next to the girl standing. I have on a light colored dress and dark shoes. The girl to my right is the lady that became Mrs. Ward and taught school in Ardmore for many years.”
“My wife’s grandfather (IRA WOODS) is the one that (blew ARDMORE UP) from a train explosion of 1915. Her grandmother and great grandmother homesteaded there in Ardmore. thank you for your site, i know i will enjoy the newsletter.”
“Butch, The Oil Patch Genealogy Society of Healdton, Ok. has published another Cemetery book. It contains the Graham, Milo, Pooleville, Ratliff City, and Oil Springs cemeteries. The Pooleville cemetery holds about 46 or so Confederate Soldiers. Others have some very unusual Head Stones. This book is $20. It can be found in Healdton, Fox, Graham, & Ratliff City. Or can be ordered by contacting, Hazel Reeves, HC 63, Box 8400, Healdton, Ok. 73438, Ph. 580 229 2447 Or Charlene Wilson, Ph. 580 229 0688. I enjoy your T&T.”
“Here is the history of Washita Farm in Johnston county, the school, the lake and Dension Dam. I have a seven page letter for documentation of the story if you need it. The letter was written by a lady that was in the first graduating class from Washita farm in 1930, later she became a teacher and taught me at Nida in the 6th grade.”
I was watching the nightly news a couple of days ago, it showed McVeigh’s father taking down the American flag in front of his house. Well, I have a brand new flag, and I’m going to raise it in front of my house Monday morning before 7am Central time. I’ll let her fly there all day Monday.
“O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!”
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, Oklahoma
580-490-6823
