The Daily Ardmoreite
January 31, 1957
Two Ardmore policemen were appointed to the rank of detectives Wednesday by police chief Ott Welch in a move to strengthen the department’s effectiveness.
Appointed as detectives were Lee Wallace and Buck Houchin, both present employees of the department. Chief Welch made the announcement in a news conference early Wednesday. “It is with great pleasure that I make this appointment,” “Welch said. This marks the first time in the history of the Ardmore Police department that we have had a plain clothes division.”
Note: I don’t think the use of “first time” above by Chief Welch is correct. Keep reading below….
The afternoon of Friday, January 23, 1931, Detective Elmer “Buddie” Moorhead went to a “Squatters” camp on Highway 70 east of Ardmore to deliver some tires to a destitute family. While at the camp Detective Moorhead noticed two men setting in a green 1929 Buick with no license plate. Detective Moorhead ordered the two men out of the car. The first young man, 18-year-old Ray Wilson got out then the second man, Elbert Hart alias Pat O’Day exited the Buick. As Pat O’Day exited the car he produced a gun and ordered Detective Elmer Moorhead into the Buick. Pat O’Day got in the car after Detective Moorhead and with the gun in Detective Moorhead’s side drove off leaving Ray Wilson standing there.
Pat O’Day drove a short distance down the road, turned the 1929 Buick around and started back toward Ray Wilson. Just before reaching Wilson a gun shot was heard from inside the Buick. As the car passed Ray Wilson, Detective Elmer “Buddie” Moorhead was pushed from the car and died there beside the road without saying a word.
Blue Ribbon School, District 40, was located northwest of Lone Grove. Located just west side of Blue Ribbon Church, Prairie Valley Rd and Blue Ribbon Rd. Mr. Paul Michael was principal in 1923 with Miss Etta Ward as his assistant.
Wynnewood, Oklahoma pre-1900
3/30/31 – County Commissioner of District 3, Berry-Lee Brinkman, “Chipped & Sealed” Timber Road this week. The dust was terrible before the re-do. So MUCH better now. I remember 20 years ago when we moved out here on Timber Road my neighbors, Winnona and Bill Stephens, told me how bad Timber Road was in 1980 when they moved here. Winnona said you had to own a pickup, you couldn’t travel Timber in a car, you’d tear up your car, it was in such terrible condition. Now it’s so much better. Like my old uncle, Pratt Carmon, would use the idiom in the 1950s when I did something good- “you did a bang-up job.” Thanks Commissioner Berry-Lee Brinkman for overhauling Timber Road.
I’m glad the county (my taxes) is footing the bill to re-pave the road in front of our property. Back in the very early 1960s just around the corner from my folks lumber yard at H & 3rd Street NE, the City wanted to pave the dirt street. But the City wanted the property owners along the 300 block of H Street NE to pay for the blacktop. Bill Chandler lived in the SW corner of 4th and H street NE. The Chandler Refrigeration Service was behind the house. Bill would not pay his part to blacktop the street. (My folks paid their part.) So the City just left Bill’s half of the street, along the west side of his property, dirt. Always looked strange to drive down H NE and see that section of street unpaved on the west side of the center line before the H and 4th street intersection.
Ten Pin Bowling Alley on Grand opened for business on December 12, 1957. The photo below was so blurry you could hardly make out the word Brunswick. I sent it through AI and what a change in sharpness and readability.
HAM Radio Talk By Butch Bridges KC5JVT
Echolink # 101960 – Allstar node # 58735 – HamsOverIP # 10301
Green Country Hamfest 2026
Claremore, Oklahoma
April 10 and 11, 2026
http://www.greencountryhamfest.org/index.php
The Boredom Breaker Net has been busy the past few days. Some days the check-ins goes over 75 HAMs. If you are a HAM and haven’t checked it out, I encourage you to do so. Lots of fun and comradery.
From This Weeks Mailbag
Where I lived (5th NE… now MLK) was gravel until 1963… I remember that because that’s when I went off to school. -Robert Gates
April showers bring may flowers – a traditional English proverb dating back to the 16th century, often attributed to poet Thomas Tusser 1824-1880.
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net