Through the years I have seen posts stating that the fired onion burger was invented in Ardmore, Oklahoma and served up by the Hamburger Inn here. This is just a rumor that makes its rounds on the Internet.
While many popular dishes are associated with Oklahoma, the most notable “invented” food item is the onion burger, specifically the fried-onion burger. These burgers, characterized by thin beef patties and a generous amount of shredded onions, originated in El Reno, Oklahoma in 1926 at the Hamburger Inn by owner Homer Davis and his son Ross Davis during the Depression era.
Because this was the Depression, hamburger meat was expensive, but onions were cheap. Davis started “smashing them into the meat with the back of his spatula. He called them Depression burgers and he’d smash a half-onion’s worth of shreds into a five-cent burger.” Apparently Davis’s spot was in a prime position — at the intersection of Route 66 and Highway 81 — and word of his creation spread quickly. Several other eating establishments in El Reno followed suit, and began making their own versions of the fried onion burger. A burger star was born.
Oklahoma produces more gypsum than any other state. It’s one of three states that produce helium. Oklahoma is the only state that produces iodine.
Like anything configuring electonics, it was touch and go yesterday, but I finally got my 2nd IP internet phone installed. The hardest to configure was the Voice Mailbox. lol My first IP phone I setup was last year, a Cisco IP Phone to talk worldwide to licensed HAMs using a program called HamShackHotline. This 2nd IP phone is a Yealink W70B with Base and is going to be our house phone, which will replace our present Chickasaw Telephone landline.
My HAM radio friend in Sweden told me about a Youtube weather channel just for the United States. I have only checked it out for a few minutes so far, but it looks great for people in the U.S. to keep track of weather. I was able to access on the TV but had to click MIX and not subscribe to see free It’s called Max Velocity Weather. Check it out at the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/@MaxVelocityWX
Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
Ardmore asphalt paving plant 1908 submitted by Robert Hensley
Below is the entrance to Dude Ranch, Turner Falls Oklahoma
The Best Hamburgers
MAMA JOSIE’S (201 Apache St.) Terral. Oklahoma. Today, she has a double bacon cheese burger basket with fries and drink for $8.99. Everything she serves is top notch and the best handmade dishes. It’s a drive, but you will not be disappointed on any thing you eat. (Handmade enchiladas as ordered) They are ½ pounders. The restaurant is in a lumberyard building painted white with red trim that is over 100 years old. The hamburger patties are handmade. They are the best juicy burgers we have ever had. – Kayla Barthold
Q. Do you know when the old Ardmore High School at 221 North Washington was sold by the Ardmore City Schools?
A. August 7, 2020
The old Ardmore Memorial Hospital was the first hospital in all of Oklahoma that was fully air-conditioned and had private rooms. -Trish Brown
HAM Talk By Butch Bridges KC5JVT – Allstar node # 58735
Below is from my newsletter archives dated
June 26, 2008 – Issue 596
During the past 12 years of publishing my T&T I have seen the number of subscribers grow from about a dozen to over 1,600 today. I feel like we are one big family all over the U.S. and the world, all connected by a single thread, Oklahoma memories. Through the years when I lose a subscriber, I feel like I’ve lost a friend. It always saddens me when I learn of a death, and they will no longer be able to share their memories. One of my first subscribers was Bob Farrington (1923-2008) of Northfield, Ohio.
Bob and his wife, Virginia Gilstrap Farrington, lived in Ardmore over 50 years ago, but would come back to visit from time to time. I remember in 1998 Bob and Virginia were in town, and they came by the courthouse to visit with me. We had a wonderful time talking about old times, and even went inside the courthouse to reminisce. When we walked in the south door, Bob looked at me and said that’s where we got our marriage license. I asked, “in there?” pointing to the County Clerks office just as you enter the south door. Bob said yes. He went on to say the year was 1946. Bob asked me where do people get their marriage licenses today? I told him on the 2nd floor at the Court Clerks Office. So you see, it took a visit from Bob Farrington all the way from Ohio to share a piece of history I didn’t know. This is just one example of the many tidbits of history and photographs Bob has shared with the T&T Readers over the past 12 years.
Last week I learned by email from his daughter, Marilyn Roder, that Bob passed away the other day after spending several days in the hospital in Ohio. As the saying goes, gone but not forgotten, Thanks for all the good times you’ve share, I will never forget you Bob. You can send condolences for Virginia, Marilyn and family at the link below. Marilyn’s email is mroder1@mac.com
“Butch– I believe you will find that Lake Murray Inn was in the old Cisco Schoolhouse located on the south side of Cisco Road about half way between Elephant Rock and the main Lake Murray road (S-77). This was a popular area because some of the early boathouses were locates south of Elephant Rock and Cisco Road. George C Jones of Jones Oil Company and the uncle of Kenneth Lamb kept his GarWood Cabin Cruiser in a boathouse in the area. At that time GarWood was the Cadillac of larger boats.”
“Hello Butch, A grand old lady of Gene Autry is having her 97th birthday, on Sunday, June 22, 2008. Her name is Annie Conway and she just happens to be my Aunt (my mother’s sister). She lives in the same place that she and Uncle Bernie Conway built in 1938, on 80 acres about a mile east of Gene Autry, next to the southeast corner of the Ardmore Air Field. The house is on a bluff overlooking the Washita River. Happy Birthday Aunt Annie.” -Joe Dale Black
Annie Conway on Find-A-Grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68960620/annie-frances-conway
“Hi Butch and Jill, Re: Mike Jones question about the Rawleigh sign on C Street NW. The sign belonged to my parents Bill and Reedy Bow. Dad started in the business in 1950. He covered the western half of Carter County. A friend of his got him started in the business after he had injured his back while working for Dr. Pepper located on Broadway. His friend’s name was Tom Caldwell and he lived in Milburn. Dad became disabled due to heart and lung problems in the latter part of the ’50’s and Mother continued to run the business for quite a while. Eventually she stopped the route delivery part and they continued to sell to people who came by the house to buy products. Mother continued doing that even after Dad’s death in 1984. Rawleigh either was bought out or merged with another company sometime in the ’80’s, I believe, but they continued to use the Rawleigh trademark on a lot of their products, which, as far as I know are still being manufactured and marketed. Mr. Rawleigh started out at age 18 in 1889 with $15 selling four medicines from a mortgaged buggy pulled by a borrowed horse. The W. T. Rawleigh Co. was founded in 1895. It developed into a large manufacturing conglomerate over the years. As for the sign which Mike mentioned, it is attached to my house as a keepsake.” -Leon Bow
“This is for the person who wrote in a couple of issues back wondering what to do about the flies that kept biting her dogs ears. Mine dog had the same problem. The tips were turning black and so I went to Wal-Mart as a last ditch effort of not dishing out a lot of money on a vet bill and bought some Gold Bond Medicated Anti-Itch cream. I put it on my dogs ears twice a day and saw a great improvement within 24 hours. The flies don’t like it and his ears are healed! I keep it on there even though his ears are better just as a precaution but for less than 5 bucks it works like a charm.” -Kiddo (Tonya Rangel)
“Dear Butch, I have learned so much about Ardmore since I have been reading T&T. I knew Filmore Vaughan played at the old base golf course because I was a friend with his brother, Haywood Vaughn, and I knew his son who graduated a year ahead of me at AHS. I had completely forgotten about Sunset Golf Course. I remember little bits and pieces of Ardmore’s history, but it is always interesting and fun to find out the rest of the story. Thanks for providing the forum so that we can all learn more about our town and what has happen through the years.” -Monroe Cameron
“I recall going to play the Airpark course right after the City of Ardmore leased it to the brother of a former school mate. He refused to charge me a green fee as there weren’t any greens. It seems that the Air Force, using some kind of sod cutter, removed them. They loaded them on their “Flying Boxcars” and took them to Memphis.” -Marion Patten
“Hi Butch. I saw the newsletter that Mike Jones sent in to you this week. I have seen some Watkins products in our WalMart here in Houston. Back in the 50’s the company was owned by Watkins and Rawleigh together. Later I guess they parted ways. This is about the Rawleigh Salesmen. My Father Lewis Wilson owned a Radio and TV repair in Ardmore in the 50’s near the Bus Station. He would also load up his Snow Cone stand on his trailer and we would take two months off to go to different towns and sell the Snow Cones. He also sold fireworks in July. Built some rent houses, and was also a Rawleigh salesman for a while. Besides working at his Radio repair store. This one man I remember would buy lots of his Vanilla Flavorings, as they contained a good amount of Alcohol and he must have drank the Vanilla. My Dad had a Panel Truck and went to homes to sell the Rawleigh products. Just brought back memories when living in Ardmore. I sent a Happy Birthday wish to Jill. Hope she had a nice one. Love reading your Oklahoma History each week. If anyone may have known my Father I would like them to E-mail me. Nice to hear some old news about Ardmore and the past days.” -Bobbie(Wilson) Diiorio
“As a kid in the late 40’s in Stephens county, we had the castor plants around the barn for shade, and I remember playing with the beans. We were warned that they were poisonous and never put them in our mouth. They do get very large, like a small tree, with lots of shade, and many of our neighbors also had the plants around their barns or homes for shade. On another subject, every spring my parents thought our systems needed to be “flushed” and we were given processed castor oil with orange juice. The results were that we spent the day out behind the barn with a roll of toilet paper. We did not have indoor plumbing. Fortunately, this barbaric practice ended when I was about eight. Until a few years ago, every time I drank orange juice, I could taste the oil, kind of like a traumatic stress reaction.” -Larry Watkins, Mesquite, Texas
“Hi Butch and Jill, I really enjoy reading your This And That. I am from that part of the country, but I have lived in Monahans, Tx. for four years. My sister-in-law Shirley West would send me copies, and now that I have a computer I am on your list and thoroughly enjoy it. I see so many names and places I know. One name I remember is Terry Dickson, the Officer who was shot and left for dead. There was a dinner given for him while he was recuperating. Law enforcement from all across Oklahoma was there and Rep. Don Duke made a speech and presented him gifts from the Legislature. I have a beautiful poem that was in the Ardmoreite just after the shooting by Larry Milson, from Lone Grove, and read at the dinner. I would like to share it with everyone below.” -Lona Warner
OKLAHOMA’S BEST by Larry Milson
They are some of Oklahoma’s very best
Gold shields are worn upon their chest
In black and white cars they patrol their routes
Sure by now, you know who I speak about.
Last week a trooper was shot in the head
His assailant ran, and left him for dead
In seconds passersby stopped to help
Descriptions they gave and the directions he left.
Troopers and law officers didn’t let him get far
Within the hour they had him behind bars
This is a profession that has to be done
Never knowing when they’ll stare into a gun.
Troopers are a special breed this day and time
For us, they lay their lives on the line
It’s a shame things like this have to happen
Just stop and think, what we owe Trooper Terry Dickson.
The Wilson News submitted by Mindy Taylor
2-9-1916
As Wilson grew, so grew the state.
“State News Notes”
*Norman and Chickasha citizens are endeavoring to secure natural gas for the two towns and have placed the subject before their chambers of commerce.
*Congressman Jim McClintic has wired G. E. Martin of Elk City that a bill had been introduced for the purchase of a building site for a federal building.
*Indian heirs in Washington county will reach their majority and take over property valued at $1,000,000 within the year. They are members of Cherokee and Delaware tribes.
*About fifty farmers around Bristow have expressed a willingness to join in growing 500 acres of watermelons during the coming season.
*Water bonds in the sum of $50,000 were voted nearly unanimously at Ringling. Natural gas and electrical franchises were granted to the Southwestern Public Service Company.
*A big shipment of 1,000 horses destined to see war service in the French army sooner or later was moved from Oklahoma City last week. It took two entire trains of forty-five stock cars to convey the animals which were valued at $120,000.
* A Men’s Dinner Club has been organized at Chickasha with a charter membership of fifty persons, principally business and professional men.
*The Ferro-Mastic Paint Company, a newly organized institution, will manufacture paint in Ardmore. Asphalt taken from local mines will be used in making the paint.
The Wilson Historical Museum Hours: Thurs., Fri., Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m
https://www.wilsonhistoricalmuseum.org/
“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ― Tom Bodett
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore, Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net