Back way over 100 years ago the Santa Fe railroad ran west down Grand Avenue in Ardmore. When the railway closed down the railroad right of way, land was sold and the tracks removed. There was one piece of property at 517 Grand the City of Ardmore owned. Fast forward to 1970. The Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service was looking for a place to build a new office. The SOAS board looked at several pieces of property including vacant service stations, one I remember was at 12th NW and K Street (later became Short Stop Food Mart.
The SOAS board wanted to build the new office on the west side of Memorial Hospital (now Mercy Hospital) but the hospital administrator, Vincent Snyder, was adamantly against it. Vince Snider, when repeatedly asked why, kept repeating their hospital board did not want the new SOAS building on hospital property.
City Commissioner, Weldon Harris, (Shuman Machine Shop owner) mentioned at the meeting there was a piece of City property next door to Dr. Donald Bahner’s Dental Office. Weldon said the City has had the property and was never going to use it. The City had owned the property ever since the Santa Fe railroad track to Ringling was closed. At Weldon’s recommendation and urging, the vacant lot next door to Bahner Dentist Office was accepted for the site for the new SOAS office. I believe if Weldon Harris had not continued to urge the vacant lot be approve, the SOAS office could have ended up somewhere else in Ardmore.
The City was going to give the piece of property to the Ambulance Service, but found out that would be illegal since the Ambulance Service was listed as a “private” corporation by the IRS even though it was classed in the 501(C)(3) category. I might add SOAS was the only “private corporation” ambulance service in Oklahoma that had the Federal 501(c)(3) exemption by the IRS. Of course, in reality the service is a public trust, overseen by a Board of Trustees and still is to this day.
Anyway, the City ended up leasing the property to the Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service for One Dollar a year, for 50 years. In looking back I guess it was best Mr. Snider opposed building on hospital grounds, since the hospital was later sold. The one thing I remember so well about Mr. Snider was he knew every employee at the hospital by first name. He never failed to say “hello” and call you by name as he passed you in the halls.
SOAS moved into their new office on Grand in 1977. History of SOAS
The reason I can recall the above is Cliff Easily and myself (and manager Bill Lewis) were in attendance that day at the SOAS board meeting. We were invited by the hospital accountant to attend (for what reason I don’t remember). I know SOAS employee Cliff Easley had something to do with the invite.
By the way, plans are in the mill to build a new SOAS ambulance service office at 6th and E Street NW.
The big granite memorial at the Ardmore Airpark that lists Army personnel who died in the 1966 plane crash has been needing the lettering restored and readable again for some time. Thanks to Col Arnold Moncrief and his military buddies the job has been completed. He contacted Bill Main of Memorial Art Company on 12th NW. Bill did a great job at making the names readable again.
I posted the photo below of a lady standing beside a truck on my Facebook, asking if anyone knew who the lady was in the picture. Within an hour I had the answer. It was Hamp Baker‘s sister, Dimples Varnell. Hamp Baker in 1974, took on a significant role as an Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner, serving with distinction until 1985. His tenure was highlighted by his impactful public safety campaign, “Hamp Baker says Drive with Care,” one of the most recognized slogans of the 1970s.
Did you know that there is an app for a Historic Walking Tour in downtown Ardmore? Below is the link.
https://ardmore.stqry.app/tour/972
In last week’s newsletter I had a typo that a couple of you caught and reported it to me. I had typed the Ten Pin Bowling Alley opened in 1997. I should have typed 1957. I corrected my mistake in the newsletter.
I miss my friend Jim Hubble. Jim’s passion was writing. For many years, each week within an hour of posting my newsletter, Jim would proofread it and message me about any typos, mistakes, etc. Jim was born in Ardmore but lived most of his life in Whitesboro, Texas. Jim Hubble taught me a lot but I guess his hardest task was teaching me not to capitalize the C in county in Carter County. Oh, and the other was Sheriff’s Office. I always typed it Sheriffs Office. That was drilled into my brain by now deceased sheriff Bill Noland. Bill didn’t like the apostrophe in sheriffs. Bill said the sheriff does not own the sheriffs office. So sometimes I’d type it as Jim Hubble wanted it, and sometimes as Bill Noland wanted it spelled without the apostrophe. lol
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/oaoa/name/jim-hubble-obituary?id=10165156
HAM Radio Talk By Butch Bridges KC5JVT
Echolink # 101960 – Allstar node # 58735 – HamsOverIP # 10301
From This Weeks Mailbag
I live out in the country in the Ozarks, and there is about a 16 mile stretch of road I took to work every day for years. If you are not on a “favored” road (meaning there are no politicians living on it) you got chip and seal instead of nice asphalt. The chip and seal is so rough with sharp chat that when I bought 60,000 mile tires, they’d only last 10,000. And when the road was freshly laid, windshields ended up cracked from passing cars tossing bits of the chat. Not a fan of chip and seal, unless it is for a dirt road that you cannot drive normal road speeds on. -Skip
Q. Does anyone remember a Leo Potts Day celebrated in Lone Grove years ago? It was created after a flood, I believe was in the 1980s. He walked through some high water to save a child in a car. The news made the New York Times. When I was a child I viewed the article at his house after fishing with him. -Nick
A. It was Leo Potts’ father, Woodrow Potts. -Nick
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” — Benjamin Franklin
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net