Gene Autry, Oklahoma— located in Carter County just 16 miles northeast of Ardmore—has one of the most distinctive naming histories of any town in the American Southwest. Originating as a small settlement in the Chickasaw Nation, the community changed its identity multiple times before taking the name of Hollywood’s premier “Singing Cowboy.”
Settlement as Lou 1870s–1883
The community began as a trading store within Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation. In 1883, the town’s first post office was established under the name Lou, chosen by founder Charles Colbert Henderson to honor his wife.
Roughly six months after establishing the post office, the settlement was renamed Dresden at the insistence of Henderson’s wife in late 1883.
Shift to Berwyn – 1887
When the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway laid tracks through the region, residents shifted the town slightly to align with the rail line. The station was renamed Berwyn, following the railroad line’s convention of adopting station names from towns along Philadelphia’s “Main Line” (alongside nearby Wayne, Ardmore, and Wynnewood)
Berwyn developed into a bustling agricultural hub for local cotton, cattle, and grain farming. By 1920, the town reached a population peak of 435 with two cotton gins, a hotel, an electric plant, banks, and local businesses. The Great Depression and Dust Bowl later slowed growth significantly.
Gene Autry’s Flying A Ranch – 1939
Movie actor, musician and country singer Gene Autry—who had spent part of his youth in southern Oklahoma and worked as a telegraph operator in the region—purchased the 1,200-acre Flying A Ranch just west of Berwyn to serve as headquarters for his touring rodeo show.
November 16, 1941 – To honor their famous resident, the town council officially renamed the community Gene Autry on Oklahoma’s 34th Statehood Day. Over 35,000 people gathered in the small town to mark the occasion. Autry attended in person with Governor Leon Phillips and broadcast his popular CBS radio show, Melody Ranch, live from a railroad flatcar. Just three weeks after the ceremony, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Autry enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He sold the Flying A Ranch in 1946. Over the decades, as highway traffic moved toward Ardmore, the town’s population contracted (around 150 residents today).
Visit the Gene Autry Museum in Gene Autry, Oklahoma here —-> Website
Schayes Hardware store in Healdton
In the early 1970s some friends and I drove over this Tishomingo, Oklahoma bridge (over Pennington Creek) and made it rock by pressing on and off the brake as I drove over it. How stupid we were back then. The bridge washed away October 13, 1981 during a flood and replaced with a concrete one.
I can’t believe I was ever this young, but here I am.
3 summers ago in May I got rid of my energy hungry A/C unit beside my house and installed 2 of those new fangdangled Mini Splits. The two heat and air mini splits run 24/7 and the house is really cool. Before the Mini Split A/Cs my OG&E electric bill would run $400+ a month in the really hot summer. I’m a happy camper.
Tech Corner
I’ve mentioned Surfshark and its excellent protection while you’re on the internet. Since the summer of 1980 when I bought my first computer I’ve downloaded probably a couple dozen programs that are suppose to keep us safe while surfing. Some were free and some I paid money for. They were all suppose to keep viruses, spyware and adware off my computer. A few days later, when I’d run it, the program always found MORE spyware, etc., on my computer. Yesterday when I manually ran the anti-virus that comes with Surfshark, not a single piece of spyware, malware or virus was found on my PCs. Surfshark scans all 3 of my computers and 2 cellphones about once each day and keeps that crap off. And being behind their VPN protects all my 3 computers, 2 cellphones and Smart TV from the prying eyes of the world. All for $2.79 a month. What a deal, well worth that for peace of mind. You can learn all about Surfshark at the link below.
https://surfshark.club/friend/4vhaWbNT
From This Weeks Mailbag
Hi Butch, Found your wonderful historic site today. My mother was raised in Ardmore during the depression years. I remember visiting my grandparents, Bill and Pearl Wilkie, in Lone Grove in the late 1950s. They lived in a 2 room shack with a water well out back and an outhouse. I member walking to a gas station/store and I believe it was called Ned’s store (Hammitt’s Grocery). You could get everything in there, from a haircut to a pair of leather gloves. Thanks for the nostalgia trip. -Mike
From 2010 newsletter: “There was Hammitts, Risner’s, Dr. Hathaway’s office, the old post office, Lewis’ and at least one café on the south side about midtown.”
Q. I’m looking for an Ardmore Shrine Club rodeo parade that took place on a Saturday in April of 1988.
A. The Shriner parade April 9, 1988 was on a Saturday.
Q. Who was the owner of the Stag Bar for years?
A. Buddie McClaine 1913 – 1995
HAM Radio Talk
It looks like the techie HAMs that run the Repeater in Claremore, Oklahoma has it running smooth again. It’s been up over a week now with no hiccups. I check in several times a week between noon and 2pm Oklahoma time using my Echolink app on my PC.
If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
580-490-6823
https://oklahomahistory.net