Robert Hensley of Ardmore sent in a great picture of the old Munzesheimer & Daube store. The store was originally known as the “iron store” which was the beginning of the Daube Department Store. It was located on the east side of the railroad tracks and Main Street in Ardmore (north side of Main). The picture below was in 1910 when the building was a law office. Five years later the building was destroyed by the Big Explosion of 1915.
Munzesheimer and Daube east main street, north side by train tracks, Law office in store in 1910. Five years before the explosion of 1915 which destroyed the building. -Robert Hensley
Right side of West main street looking west Ardmore, its 1907. Hotel morga in background, pottery lawyer office in center grey building postcard title reads main st view, firemen practicing. -Robert Hensley
In 1901 Mannsville, Oklahoma had two doctors, three grocers, two general stores, two drugstores, one newspaper – the Mannsville Times – a gin and mill serviced the town and surrounding farmers. -Photos via Peggy Stilley
Macomb, Oklahoma jail of bygone days early 1900s. -submitted by Belva Shelton
I took one of my Wyze Cameras and put in my garden shed to watch Mrs. Wren and her 3 babies. With this 100+ degree weather I hope the babies make it through til old enough to fly away.
7/04/24 update – only 2 babies have survived of 5 eggs. Hope they make it to maturity and able to fly away.
I think I’ve done pretty good the last two weeks of June making contact with people who unbeknownest to them had unclaimed insurance at the State Treasurers Office in OKC. I sure didn’t know 4 years ago when I started this hobby, it would turn out so rewarding. A hobby is all it is, but I enjoy it. And the search continues.
*Nichols Insurance Agency, Ringwood, OK. $33,000
*Kathy Hammonds, Haworh OK. $25,000
James E. Ewing, Hennepin, OK. $4,866.22
*Jimmy Pollard, Ardmore OK, $17,123.62
*LaDonna Pollard, Lone Grove OK. $435
*Michael Bond, Idabel, OK. $26,735.76
McCurtain County EMS, Idabel, OK. $1,440
*Tommy & Jody Kaneer, Grove OK. $19,500
*Chase Insurance Agency, Ardmore OK. $40,066
Eugene E. Willingham, Ardmore OK. $5,604
*Cody & Marvin Hull, Poteau, OK. $46,271
Names with a * denotes I have made contact.
https://apps.ok.gov/unclaimed/
HAM Talk by KC5JVT via Echolink
From this week’s Mailbag
Colvert’s mansion is on 12th behind the old Mt. View Mall. Cooper’s Dairy was from 12th NW to Highway 142 and bordered by Plainview road on the west side. Rockford Road was the east boundary. Dad use to work on the buildings for Tom Cooper and dad would buy calves from Al Gurkenke who I think was over keeping milk cows and caring for them at the dairy. I-35 came through in mid to late 60s and broke Cooper’s Dairy up. Braum’s wanted to put their dairy here instead of Tuttle but the city leaders wouldn’t approve it. Thus Uniroyal came in and as they say… The rest is history! -Kevin Ellis
REMEMBERING THE LONG TIME MAYOR OF ”LITTLE DIXIE”
A little something to jog the memory of your readers about one of the most colorful characters to come out of Little Dixie. Good friend of Carl Albert, and loved by all who met her. She considered all of us Miller brothers as her own. She got Carl Albert to get my appointment into U.S. Naval Aviation Flight Training. She and my brother Tom Miller were great friends. She and Tom were longtime employees at Lake Texoma Lodge. In order to work at the lodge, one had to have an Oklahoma political recommendation. Virgie took care of that with Carl Albert. Carl was always just a phone call away from Virgie. Carl and Virgie first met in 1946 when he was on the campaign trail. They remained friends ever since. I still remember her being on the phone with Carl’s secretary and saying: ”You tell Carl that Virgie White is on the phone, and he will pick up the phone”. He always did. Johnny Carson was quite taken back by Virgie when she was a guest on his show (June 12, 1986). As were all who ever met her……. -SteveMiller
Virgie White on Find-A-Grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69863623/virgie-white
”On-the-halves” …..speakin’ of hard, sweaty work, you jogged my memory of such. Down that same stretch of road where Big Chief hailed, was another sweat factory, that of the old saw mill where many of Ardmore’s youth worked in order to keep in shape for sports and such. My pappy didn’t want me to miss out on any such activity, so he had me working at Judge Dillard’s spread baling hay. By the end of the day, you were itching from head to toe. You either caught the square bales while on the trailer, or you tossed the bales up to the person on the trailer. After a day of switching back & forth, you were worn to a frazzle. Another fun summer activity was when I painted all the shopping carts with silver paint at Pratt’s Food Store on Caddo. WITH A BRUSH ! I thought I was going to die. Not only did I have to paint them in the blistering sun out back, but I had to take off the wheels and grease them after cleaning with gasoline. Where was OSHA when you needed that outfit ?! No ”Go Fund Me” back then either. Dads on any given day could be heard sayin’: ”Get A Paper Route” ! I did that also……. -Steve Miller
Below is from my newsletter dated
June 30, 2001 – Issue 219
“Enjoyed the T&T last week, My Senior Prom was at Dornick Hills County Club in 1956. I remember the Von Keller Hospital too. I really enjoy all the old history about Ardmore, brings back things I’ve forgotten.”
“This is a picture of the Harmony Baptist Church Bell (Atoka). It stands in the yard at the church. The church is still active.”
“This is a picture of the bell in front of Lane, Oklahoma grade school.”
“Butch, I’ve received your newsletter from a cousin of mine. I think it’s a very interesting site. I have something I’d like to ask. My husband’s grandmother, Clutchene Tupin Jordan was 90 years old when we lost her She was raised south of Reck OK, and she went to school named “Old Savoir.” Have you ever heard of that school? Please let me know, possibly it may have been in Love County or Jefferson County. Thanks.”
Note: The map shows O’Saviour school to be south of Wilson just over into Love county. If a person is going south out of Wilson on Highway 76, it looks like about 2 miles in to Love county then back west 1 mile, like you were going to Orr, Oklahoma. O’Saviour school was named after the O’Saviour family that lived in the area of Love county.
(year 1923) “Pooleville School had its beginning in 1886 with teacher Prof. Kemper, with student body of twenty. The present day history began in 1914 and now in 1923 is under the supervision of W.H. Sosebee. Mrs. B P. Williams and Miss Gladys Dennis. Township 2 south and 1 south with range 3 west and 2 west. Valuation of $179,933.”
“Butch -A former serviceman who got his combat crew training at Ardmore Army Air Field, dropped by the field June 17, 01 to revive old memories. He said he arrived at the base shortly after Christmas of 1944. It had been 56 years since he was here training as a 19 year-old waist gunner. He said he stood on the flight ramp Monday looking across the field and remembered once again the tremendous sound the B-17s made as they started their engines prior to a training flight. When the war in Europe ended, his B-17 crew was dissolved at Ardmore and were shipped elsewhere to train as B-29 crew members. By the time he was retrained as a B-29 gunner, Japan had surrendered. Our visitor, John E. Peterson, retired from the AF in 1970. He was appreciative of the help of the Air Park ambassadors, Doug Williams, Air Park Fire Chief and Air Park Manager, Roy Givens. After arriving home in Illinois, he looked at the Ardmore Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base website and sent this picture of his crew which will be used soon on the webpage.”
One Reader of my T&T newsletter back in 2001 was Jane Hale of Buffalo, Missouri. She celebrates the Fourth of July in a big way. She has 350 firecracker stands across 11 states. I hope we all remember what Independence Day really represents. Freedom.
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, Oklahoma
580-490-6823
