1936 Lake Murray Movie
by Ardmoreite Charles 'Jack' Lynch

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This is a 45 minute black & white 16mm film movie made from around 1936 by then Ardmore, Oklahoma resident Charles 'Jack' Lynch. The movie shows construction at Lake Murray, Turner Falls, Arbuckle Mountains, Sulphur and the National Fish and Game Hatchery at Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and other WPA worksites around southern Oklahoma. The construction was by way of ongoing projects of the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), both programs funded by the U.S. government to put Americans to work during the Great Depression Years of the 1930s.

Charles Lynch titled the movie 'Southern Oklahoma's Playground'.

The daughter of Charles Lynch, Charlotte Henderson of Houston, Texas owns the original 16mm movie reel which has been in her possession all these years. Several years ago she had it converted to VHS format. In the Fall of 2003 Charlotte brought her original VHS tape to Ardmore, Oklahoma and gave me permission to make her father's movie available to the public. Charlotte asked only that her father, Charles "Jack" Lynch, be given recognition as the originator of the movie.

To date the movie has been provided free to the following places:

Chickasaw Regional Library System (5 counties/8 towns)
Ardmore Public Library
Healdton, Oklahoma library
Wilson, Oklahoma library
Duncan Public Library
Durant Public Library
Madill Public Library
Ada, Oklahoma Public Library
Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Public Library
Wynnewood, Oklahoma Public Library
McAlester, Oklahoma Public Library
Marlow, Oklahoma Public Library
Waurika, Oklahoma Public Library
Perry, Oklahoma Public Library
Lawton, Oklahoma Public Library
Tecumseh, Oklahoma Public Library
Gainesville, Texas Library
Denison, Texas Library
Sherman, Texas Library

Ardmore High Schools
Lincoln School
Jefferson School
Will Rogers School
Charles Evans School
Franklin School
Plainview Schools
Lone Grove Schools
Springer Schools
Fox Schools
Lawton Public Library

Ardmore Train Depot
Ardmore Village Hall
Creative Living Center
Ardmore Senior Citizens
Ratliff City Senior Citizens
Healdton Senior Citizens
Wilson Senior Citizens Center
Velma Senior Citizens
Duncan Senior Citizens
Marietta History Museum
Love County Historical Society

lake Murray Lodge
Ardmore Veteran's Center
Ardmore Care Center
Woodview Nursing Home
Lakeland Manor
Southbrook Nursing Home
Whispering Oaks Nursing Home
Healdton, Oklahoma Nursing Home
Wilson, Oklahoma Nursing Home

Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City
North Central Texas College, Gainesville, Texas

butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net

Note.  I do not have the movie on VHS tape anymore.  I do have it on DVD.

Photo of the VHS label

Email Butch Bridges
Updated January 4, 2010

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