Dickson, Oklahoma
Before Oklahoma achieved statehood, the land that makes up Dickson was part of Pickens County within the Chickasaw Nation. When these lands were opened to non-Native settlement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pioneers established a small farming community focused on homesteading and subsistence farming. The original settlement formed around the future junction of U.S. Highway 177 and State Highway 199.
In 1923, the Dickson Consolidated School District was officially established. The district— and ultimately the town itself—was named in honor of A.E. Dickson, who served as the longtime Carter County school superintendent.
Over the decades, several smaller rural schools throughout eastern Carter County consolidated into the Dickson school district, transforming it into one of the largest geographic school districts in the state. The school remains the focal point and central pride of the community.
As regional infrastructure improved, including major highway realignments in the 1960s (such as the extension of U.S. 177 and rerouting of U.S. 70), the community required formal governance. Dickson was officially incorporated as a town in 1968, establishing a board of trustees, a city court, and municipal departments. Shortly after, in 1973, the town appointed its very first full-time Town Marshal, Roger Barraza from Laredo, Texas.
The photo below of Turner Falls was taken after the torrential rains of June 23, 2026 causing to much flooding all over Oklahoma especially the SE part of the state.
The photograph below is from the mid 50s to the late 50s of Main street in Wilson, Oklahoma. I used AI to colorize the photo.
Ballew Coca-Cola Drug (and the prominent Rexall Drugs oval sign) on the right.
Weeks Cafe further down on the right side.
Bank of Wilson visible on the left side of the street.
Below is a swimming party at Pennington Creek at Tishomingo in 1899.
The photo below is of Pennington Creek Dam in Tishomingo from decades ago. I colorized it with AI. I always had to stop there when in Tish, just to reflect and relax. So peaceful and beautiful.
Below is a 1960 youth group photo of the Emmanuel Baptist church sent in by a Reader.
If any of you have NOT been getting notifications on your phone from Carter County Emergency Management regarding storms, it’s because they discontinued the Nixle service a few days ago, You need to signup with their new service below to get the weather Alerts from Carter County EOC on your phone and/or by email.
https://ccemaok.app.regroup.com/login
From This Weeks Mailbag
Q. I remember the merry-go-round at Ardmore’s Washington grade school in the NE. It was across the street west in the Fraley Park playground area. Anyone else remember it?
A. Fraley Park…it had two merry-go-rounds…one small, the other larger… but still bone breakers IF you came off wrong. One set of “Monkey bars”, the wading pool that Robbie Roberson maintained, 4 tennis courts, and two areas for croquet, and an open area where we practiced football which was full of goat heads (stickers).
I do recall those Halloween carnivals, the home made meals…esp the Vegetable Beef soup.
My teachers were Mrs Roberts (1st), Ms Sherman (2nd), Ms Smith (3rd), Ms Patton (4th), Ms Ringer (5th), and Mr Biles (6th).
-Robert Gates
Q. Downtown Ardmore west of Jen Lee’s was a dress store do you remember the name?
A. Ida’s, earlier was Herzmark’s and Baum’s. -Steve Douglas
Q. Does anyone remember the merry-go-around at the Washington school playground back in the 60s?
A. That park was Fraley Park…it had two merry-go-rounds…one small like the pic, the other larger…but still bone breakers IF you came off wrong. One set of “Monkey bars”, the wading pool that Robbie Roberson maintained, 4 tennis courts, and two areas for croquet, and an open area where we practiced football which was full of goat heads (stickers). -Bob Gates
Additional info: Tom Ancel Graham’s wife, Eddie, manned the larger pool too, maybe after Ms Roberson. Just before it was opening time, she’d take a big coffee can and scoop up a can of powered chlorine (calcium hypochlorite) from the locked utility room, and pour it out in front of the BIG stream of water that was filling the pool at 1pm. At the time, Ancel was Carter County Court Clerk (from 1960 to 1971). They lived a block south of the school in the northeast corner of 4th and G NE.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20164863/tom_ancel-graham
Tech Corner
I tried a new FREE app on my phone to stop SPAM calls. Its made by Google and called Phone By Google. Love it. I switch to ON the part that takes any seen as Spam and sends it directly to Spam, never ringing my phone. I also never have to manually call my Voicemail. The Google phone App has a tab at the very bottom called Voicemail that shows you your voicemail and lets you listen, or delete it, or mark it as Spam, or block it. You can get it at your Apps store to download and install. It works great!
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. -Dale Carnegie
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net
Breaking all previous records!
