A friend sent in the photo below asking but I had no idea what they were. Then I received this response:
“Sunshine Industries sold a monopoly type game with Ardmore businesses that bought sponsorships for the properties in the 80’s as a fundraiser for the charity. That’s the money from the game. My parents still have a well worn game set.” -Michael Maxwell
Additional comment:
“The Carter County Association for Retarded Citizens has been around Ardmore for a long time. It was originally started by a man named Charles “Skeet” Smith. It has been a lot of years since I was involved with it, back in the 80s. They are a nonprofit. They’ve changed their name to the Carter County Group Homes. They have a group home in Lone Grove next-door to the post office.” -Trish Brown
Jack Park’s Bakery, 28 North Washington, Ardmore Oklahoma 1960
The Washington House in Marietta, Oklahoma
About two miles southwest of Marietta, on west side and in sight of lnterstate Highway 35, is a historic ranch home left over from the fabulous Indian Territory days.
It was originally the home of the now legendary William E. “Bill” Washington whose Territory cattle kingdom once reached from Red River to the Arbuckle Mountains and from Marietta westward to Ryan. He was the son of Russell Washington, and his brothers were Jerry, John, and James.
“Uncle Billy” Washington, as he was known in his later years, came into the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, about 1880 and began ranching in what is now Love County. He married Mollie McLish, a Chickasaw woman.
His cattle and horses multiplied rapidly and prosperously, and in 1888 or thereabouts (it took two years) he built his home, the home that is still standing in good condition after almost 90 years. It has two stories and a basement, and either nine or thirteen rooms depending on how you classify a few closets which are large enough for bedrooms.
The walls of the lower story are well insulated with nine inches of gravel between inner and outer walls. Of course there was no air conditioning in those days and so it can be presumed this was for insulation against bullets.
But Uncle Billy’s kingdom came to an end with individual allotment of the Indian lands and the coming of statehood to Oklahoma. He held onto the ranch in worsening circumstances until about 1920 when he sold out to Tom Brannan and moved to New Mexico.
The Brannan’s lived in the home and operated the ranch until Tom died in 1942, and then it was sold to G. C. McMakin who operated it until he too died. The old home is still privately owned. -Indian Territory and Carter County Pioneers book 1982
Someone posted 3 or 4 days ago about the cave below west of Marietta. Where? I can’t find the post. Help!
Butch, when I was growing up the people who lived across the street on Stanley were Troy and Estelle Edwards and their daughter Beverly. Troy worked at the Ardmoreite as a typesetter. Beverly Edwards Walker was a competitive swimmer. Estelle was my mother’s best friend. She made the first German chocolate cake I ever ate. Troy was the first to die and Estelle remained in the home after he died. The two years we lived in that house, Beverly took my sister and I around the neighborhood trick or treating. Beverly became a teacher and married a high school coach who was killed by one of his students if I remember correctly and that happened somewhere in northeastern Oklahoma. I have forgotten which town they lived in. I loved that neighborhood. It was my first opportunity to live in town and I explored it on foot and by bicycle. -Monroe Cameron
Additional comment about the Troy Edwards house above:
Decades ago Troy was in the National Guard. They held their monthly guard meetings behind the OG&E building at West Broadway and D Street NW on Saturday. Troy told me he’d shoot his rifle at the bells on top of the First Presbyterian Church and make it ring. -Butch Bridges
Tuesday, June 2, 1936
Games Results in Death of City Lad
An exciting game of ‘follow the leader’ ended in tragedy at 5 p.m. Monday for EUGENE OWENS, 11 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. B. L. OWENS of 412 I ST NE. Young Owens was caught in the shaft of the cooling system fan at the rear of the Fox theater on East Main and fatally injured. Funeral was held at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Harvey Bros. chapel with interment at Rose Hill cemetery. He is survived by his parents, two brothers VIRGIL CARL and VICTOR HERBERT, sister FRANCES MAE grandmother Mrs. MINNIE WALLS of Ardmore and grandfather JOH FRENCHMORE in Colorado, five aunts and six uncles. Pallbearers were JAMES PATILLO, HENRY HUNT, RICHARD LILES and DUTCH TABLER. He was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church, the Boy Scouts, and the third grade at school. Investigators said that he and a companion, GEORGE RIDGWAY, age 12, were playing at the rear of the Fox theater (formally the Roxy Theater) (536 East Main Street), a few doors from the furniture store operated by Owens’ father on East Main….boys climbed the ladder to the balcony and watched the fan operated, then… Owens thrust his foot against the revolving shaft,… the his trousers were pulled into the aperture…
“East of the Globe a theater in the form of a log cabin, The Fox Theater, was popular with youngsters on Saturday mornings. The screen was located at the front of the theater with seating reversed from the usual order and facing from the back toward Main Street. Youngster soon learned that it was easy to sneak into the Fox through the large air vents in the back of the building. Sadly, one morning as a young boy made his way through the vent, the fan came on, severing his leg.’ -Sally Gray, Territory Town, The Ardmore Story published 2006
Link to Eugne Owens Find-a-Grave
HAM Radio Talk By Butch Bridges KC5JVT
Allstar node # 58735 – Echolink # 101960 – HamsOverIP # 103010
From This Weeks Mailbag
Q. Do you have any info on Wild Woman Cave at Turner Falls?
A: https://oklahomahistory.net/southern-oklahoma-caves/
Q. Where was Ken-Cliff Lanes located?
A. On the north side of Aldis Grocery Store. Ken-Cliff Lanes was built by brothers Kenneth & Clifford Johnson. It opened in 1958 at 520 N Commerce and was forced to close in 1976.
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” ― Albert Einstein
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net