This is the 1902 home where Maurice Bridge lived. Many people put an S on the end of his name, but it is Bridge. Maurice owned Bridge’s Jewelry on East Main. He was also the owner of the Ardmore Indians baseball team.
I’m sure some of you Ardmoreites will remember the “Rocket” at Broadland Park in NW Ardmore back in the day.
Below is a view of the Main Street of Seminole, Oklahoma around 1925.
It always brings me a sense of pride when I make a paver tor a retiring employee of Carter County Government. I spent 18 years at the courthouse taking care of their computer networks and security cameras. My paver is in the Commissioners group as my office was located there and Joe Dean McReynolds, Dale Ott and Kevin Robinson hired me on in 1997. I retired June 30, 2015.
Sherry worked at the County Clerks office during her employment there. Congratulations Sherry!
We are closing out February reaching out to about 36 Oklahomans with unclaimed insurance. Some have been confirmed as notified and others not so much. but thanks to some of my Facebook friends, its being worked on. Thanks.
https://oklahomahistory.net/unclaimed-property-in-oklahoma/
Mail from the Mailbag
I’ve been wanting to ask for years and I always fail to do so. So here goes, do any of your subscribers from Dickson remember Charley Galloway. He would have been a senior in 1959. Appreciate any assistance anyone can offer, Charley and I were close friends and drifted apart right after he would have graduated. Poss [email protected]
HAM Talk by Butch Bridges KC5JVT – Allstar node # 58735
Below is last Sunday’s check-ins to the Arbuckle 97 Net. The Net is held every Sunday night at 8:00pm and all licensed HAMs are welcome to check in.
Below is from my newsletter archives dated
February 21, 2008 – Issue 578
Last week Al Cullum of Overbrook stopped by. I never know what history he will have to share but I always smile when he walks in because I know its going to be worth the visit. Al asked me if I ever heard of Snuff Street in Ardmore. I was born and raised here and never heard of such a street. Al explained: Back in the 50s Al and his friends called the stretch of street between E Street NW and North Washington along 12th street, Snuff Street. During that period of time there were big dips in 12th street at every intersection. He said you would go a block, and take a dip, go another block, and take a dip. Al said if you were going too fast, your head would even hit the roof of your car when you took one of those dips. So now we all know about Snuff Street of the 40s and 50s in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Thanks Al.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/SnuffStreet.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/AlbertCullumCard.jpg
Speaking of hauling trash, when we moved to Lone Grove one thing I knew I’d miss was the City of Ardmore’s trash drop off center at the NE edge of town near the refinery. I have used it free of charge many times especially the past few months in preparing for the move to Lone Grove. But low and behold, just a couple months before we moved I read in the Lone Grove Ledger that the City of Lone Grove just opened their trash drop off center on the west side of Lone Grove city hall. Perfect. I have used it several times now that we live in Lone Grove. Note: you must present verification you live in Ardmore or Lone Grove to use the respective drop off centers.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/LoneGroveDropOff.jpg
I wish every community in this county could have trash drop off centers. Like the old saying, “build it and they will come” would hold true in this case. People would take advantage of the drop off centers instead of sneaking out on rural county roads and dumping their trash. Its illegal and I wish anyone who does do that could be caught, but some get away with it to the anger of the county’s property owners.
We bought an 21′ wide X 18′ deep carport from Jac’s Trailers on Lake Murray Drive and Springdale Road a couple weeks ago. This is the same place we knew as Cottingham’s Bait Store when I was a kid. I snapped this picture of Jacs Place, I’m sure many of you will remember it.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JacsTrailerPlace8a.jpg
Besides all the farm, tractor and trailer parts, store owner Jessie Clinton had a number of items in his establishment of a historical nature he’s collected through the years. Here is a front and back view of the old City parking meters.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ParkingMeterJacs8a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/ParkingMeterJacs8b.jpg
And Jessie has some Indian statues, deer antlers, a mounted deer head, old tools and the like along a couple walls.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JacsTrailerPlace8b.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/JacsTrailerPlace8c.jpg
The owner, Jessie Clinton, took care of all the details of my order, and when the carport arrived a couple weeks later, it was everything promised. The crew installed the carport last Friday, and did a great job, but afterward I needed to get a load of gravel for underneath. I called Roger Wilkins Sand and Gravel and within a couple hours I had a load of (15 tons) ‘crusher rock’ ($176). But shoveling gravel is hard work, Jill and I have both been doing a little shoveling every day, gradually getting the area beneath the carport covered in crusher rock. But the pile was still going to be too large, so I called Russell Martin to bring his Kubota tractor and finish spreading the rock over the driveway area. He’ll be here in a couple days to save the day, and our backs.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/CarportGravel8a.jpg
“Next time you are in Ada be sure to stop by Pete?s Catfish House. It is where Grampa?s Catfish used to be. I do not know the exact address but it is near the skating rink and anyone in Ada should be able to tell you where that is. When you go South on Mississippi, past the old K-Mart store, it is the last road going West before you go over the EW highway. I think it is Hwy 3. Fantastic Food. Pete?s Catfish is only open on Friday and Saturday evenings. Try it, you?ll like it.” -Frances Dunlap
“Butch–loved the Pete and Repeat picture and how kind of Jill and you to put the basket out so they have a nice place to sleep. Many years ago (about 70 yrs) my mother and dad and I moved to Chandler, Oklahoma where I was in 3rd grade, each morning a black and white bull dog walked up the hill back of our house and waited til he was invited in for breakfast. My dad called him Major in honor of some former boss of his who apparently had bull dog tenacity in all his plans. I think we lived there for about three years and Major never missed a morning showing up for his breakfast. When we moved to another house I used to worry and cry about Major, I pictured him sitting at the back door waiting to be invited to breakfast. I still hope he was invited in by whoever the new occupants were. As always, I love all your newsletters—-you are rendering a true service to all us Oklahomans who have moved away but left our hearts behind.” -Sammie
“I found the rest of the pictures for the Bromide, Oklahoma quarry. The first one is the old railroad bed that runs alongside the cut at Bromide, Oklahoma.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry2.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry3.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry4.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos8a/BromideOKquarry5.jpg
“Butch, It’s now called Long Island rather than New York Island.”
“Butch, Referring to a couple of items in your latest T&T letter. Item 1: Ardmore-Akron Tire & Rubber Co. share #1560 ($100/share) dated 1 Jan 1919, signed by John E. Harmony, President and Roy G. Wood, Secretary, issued to Mrs. R. V. Dixon. She was born Jennie Hix (my grandmother), married to Dixon, her fifth husband (1914-1920), and living in Burkburnett, Texas. Item 2, Colvin’s Ferry on the Red River: John N. Davis, born circa 1875, lived in Ragsdale, Texas, and worked as a crew boss on a steamboat that ran from Clarksville to Denison, trying to determine if the Red River was navigable. Sorry, but that exhausts my knowledge! (Note: guess where R.V. Bridges got his name!)” -Donald Bridges
“Hi Butch, I was thinking back to when I was in grade school/middle school in Ardmore (early 80’s) and we used to take “field” trips to City Hall (at that time the police station/Fire Station and jail). We also were taken to the Sheriff’s Dept and County jail just down the street. I remember a couple of times that we were shown (and actually got to walk) the underground walkway to the courthouse. My memory fails me sometime, but I think it went from the Police/Fire Station to the Courthouse and was used for the transportation of prisoners for court. Was there an entry to/from the Sheriff’s Dept as well? Is this walkway still open/used? Are there any pictures (old or current) of this “tunnel”? I would like to see these and hear stories (if any) of the tunnel and its use. On another note, I have heard all my life about tunnels around Caddo St. but have never heard anything concrete regarding them. Do you know anything about them? Anyone still around that knows about them? Still an entrance/exit to it? Or know the whereabouts of it? Thanks Butch, I believe I have asked enough questions for now.” -Robert Zink
“Mr. Bridges, I’m shocked and nicely surprised to see the name Adela, Jill’s middle name. It was my Mother’s first name and she was and is until now, the only one I ever knew by that name and spelling. She was 80 when she died in 1998, and it was such a sweet warm feeling to see the name in print. Just wanted to share.” -Betty Freeman, Marietta
The Wilson News submitted by Mindy Taylor
11 – 11 – 1915
City Ordinance
Sec. 1 That as fire protection each and every business house shall keep and maintain a barrel of water either at the front or back of his or her place of business and anyone failing to do so shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined $5.00 for each day he or she so fails to place said barrels.
12 -2 – 1915
Shooting Scrape at Ardmore
Ardmore – Pete Bynum and Allen Williams died in the Hardy hospital here as a result of gunshot wounds received in a battle between officers and highwaymen at Wirt. Deputy Sheriff Bud Ballew entered the Sixty – Six restaurant while three masked men were holding up the cashier. Bynum fired at the officer and a fusilade of bullets was the result.
12-9-1915
We have just received a copy of the new paper published at Wirt, styled “Wirt Oil News” and we predict that it will be the missing link for Wirt and the oil fields. It is well gotten up and would be a credit to any town.
12-16-1915
Winter is here and so are the Hobos. It seems that some one has let it out that Wilson was “easy picking” and the town is full of them, and some of them get real sassy if you don’t feed them. — Wilson Museum Hours Thurs, Fri., Sat., 10:00a.m.
When we moved here south of Lone Grove 19 years ago, one of the first neighbors we met was Trixie. She’s an unbelievable 19 years old now and still a lovable dog. Those brown eyes will win any human over. Trixie liked to travel. She wondered all over this area, coming to our place several times a week ¼ mile away. She knew we had a dog biscuit or two waiting for her. I used to joke, “I’m probably the only person in the county who buys dog biscuits and doesn’t even own a dog.” lol One time she traveled the 2 ½ miles from her home to the Lone Grove post office. Some kind person saw her and the phone number on Trixie’s tag and called. Her owner went to bring Trixie home.
But nowadays, at 19 years old Trixie stays home, like a lots of us. I haven’t been out of the county in over 5 years. It’s all just part of getting old. We can’t stop the clock. I’m reminded of the song by Toby Keith (1961-2024), “Don’t Let The Old Man In“
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net