In the months to come I hope to do at least one telephone interview a week. These files are large and may take a few minutes to download to your computer. I have used Windows Media Player and also Winamp to listen to the mp3 files, so hopefully one of these two free programs will allow you to listen to the interviews. If you are on broadband internet, you shouldnt have any trouble listening to the mp3 files, but if you are on slow dial-up, you may or may not have buffering problems. My experience with slow dial-up modem is I had to start and stop the download of the audio file several times, and finally got it to play ok. If you have slow dial up, you may have to do the same. I am taking the original large WAV audio files and using a program called DietMP3 thats converts the WAV file to MPG and reduces them down considerably in size. Also you can right-click on the interview and Save Target As to your computer, then run it from there. Just remember where you "Save Target As", and that it might take 30 minutes or so to save it on a slow modem. And if you know of a good source of history, let me know and I'll give them a call to see if they will share it with everyone!
12/22/04 Back in the 1940s and 50s there were some famous movie stars spending time in Sulphur, Oklahoma. Many of them were there to make movies including Roy Rogers and Dale Evans when they were in the movie 'Home in Oklahoma'. Ardmoreite Charlene Howe Gilliam grew up in Sulphur, Oklahoma during this time and remembers some interesting times when those makers of "B" movies came to Sulphur. In this interview Charlene talks about those times, and the fun everyone had back in those days. Did you know someone cut Trigger's tale off during the making of the movie and Roy Rogers had one specially flown in and attached to Trigger so the movie could be finished? Ever heard of 'the slab' and all the fun that went on there just north of the Turner Falls entrance? These are just a couple of the many pieces of almost forgotten history from the 50s and 60s in the Davis and Sulphur areas. Even John Wayne stayed at the Artesian Hotel during this time. To email Charlene Gilliam: Email Charlene
Listen to the phone interview with Charlene Gilliam at the following link.
Mp3 File Size: 3 megs. Length: 30 minutes
Click here to listen..... Charlene Howe Gilliam Interview 12/22/04
12/10/04 I made a really loooooong distance call this week to my cousin in Korea. Leon Ford is the son of my father's brother, Paul Bridges. Paul died in Europe during World War II. Leon grew up in Davis, Oklahoma back in the 40s and 50s and seems to remember so much of the history of that time. He has sent me emails in the past, mentioning this and mentioning that. I guess one of the most interesting pieces Leon's shared is about the man who died in a firey crash along the winding road going to Falls Creek back in the early 1950s. The man was never identified nor his body claimed, and was buried just inside the Main gate at Green Hill cemetery in Davis. A small circular concrete marker was placed in his memory, and only one word on it: CORPSE. Back in the early 50s there were no national computerized databases of missing persons, but I believe that today, with all the databases available with the click of a mouse, that there is a good possiblity this man's identity can be determined. We do not have an exact date of death yet, but its being worked on. Maybe when we get that, somehow that will be a starting point to identifying this poor soul. I hope others out there will help with this search. Also Leon mentions he lived at 205 Davis Street in Davis back around 1950 and they did some modification on the front door of their house. They installed a small porch and above the doorway they placed a natural stone heart shaped rock. The house is located a block south of the only red light in Davis, then a just to the west a few feet. You can listen to Leon talk about this and a number of other Davis, Oklahoma memories from the 50s in this December 10th interview.
Listen to the phone interview with Leon Ford at the following link.
Mp3 File Size: 3 megs. Length: 30 minutes
Click here to listen..... Leon Ford Interview 12/10/04
12/09/04 Just south of Ardmore across the Red River is Gainesville, Texas. In 1917 Haney Horace Hix Liddell crossed that River and at Thackerville, Oklahoma killed a man over a minor difference. Haney Liddell continued his life of lawlessness and in 1928 robbed the bank in Marietta. In the ensuing shootout Liddell was shot and died in the Love County jail 6 days later. Gainesville resident Joe M. Leonard, Jr has written a book named 'Bah Bah Blacksheep' on this infamous Liddell. I had the privilege of talking with author Joe Leonard on the phone in which he tells of his research and findings of Haney Horace Hix Liddell.
This are two links to Joe Leonard, and his book 'Bah Bah Blacksheep'.
Link Number 1 <----- Click Here
Link Number 2 <----- Click HereListen to the phone interview with Joe Leonard at the following link.
Mp3 File Size: 2 megs. Length: 20 minutes
Click here to listen..... Joe Leonard, Jr. Interview 12/09/04For more info on his book (includes a CD) contact Joe Leonard:
Joe Leonard, Jr.
PO Box 222
Gainesville, TX 76241
Email Joe Leonard
11/29/04 Robert "Bob" Gaither was born in Healdton, Oklahoma in 1913. Bob has done many things during his 91 years, including breaking and training horses and mules.Bob tells about his grandmother dying in 1918 when he was five years old, and he and his folks following the horse drawn funeral wagon to the cemetery in their own wagon pulled by a team of mules. He remembers in 1928 how the county implemented the section line roads in Carter county, and a straight smooth section line coming right in front of their log cabin NE of Healdton where the Healdton Lake is located today. One interesting experience Bob shares is how he uses peroxide and Clabber Girl Baking Powder to clean the wounds of his injured mules when coon hunting, and according to Bob works as good as any store bought medicine of today. Bob is 91 years young, but he still has three mules and goes coon hunting with his friends sometimes in those hollars around Healdton.
Mp3 File size: 3 megs. Length: 26 minutesClick here to listen....... Robert Gaither Interview 11/29/04
11/23/04 Back in the 1950s the Cushman Eagle scooter was a part of many young boy's lives and for some a "I got to get one" big boy toys. Robert Whitaker lived out east on Springdale road as a teen and lucky enough to become the second owner of the first Cushman Eagle sold by Coxey Sporting Goods in Ardmore. This is a photo of Robert and his little brother John on his Cushman Eagle. These Cushman scooters were really popular in Ardmore back in those days, here is an email I received in April 2003:
"Butch, I just want to take a moment to follow up your note about Coxey's Cushman scooter dealership in Ardmore. I was a 1961 graduate of AHS and when I was in the 8th grade in AJHS all of the boys rode Cushman Eagles. My brother, Karmon Ramsey and I each purchased identical black Cushman Eagles. The only way you could tell them apart was my father had Mr. Coxey locate the key ignition switched on different positions on the motor cover. There were many of the 8, 9 and 10 grade boys with scooters including Sam Williams, Jamie Rutledge of Jamie's garage on old highway 70 east today, Butch Rawls, Whiskey Bill Cole, Dick DiVillers, Nolan Presley, Jimmy Boles, Bill Earl Thomas among others. We had many a good time on the scooters. I ended up in the Memorial Hospital twice as a result of accidents on them. In the 8th grade I had an accident at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum grounds and broke my leg and in the 9th grade I hit an open car door going to school at AJHS in front of the Mulkey Hotel and school and injured my neck. They were fun but could be very dangerous. Sam Williams, another 1961 AHS graduate living in the Dallas area recently went to a Cushman convention in Tyler and they were valued in the $5,000.00 price range today. Mr Coxey was a very nice man and always seemed to have time for his customers who were 13, 14, 15 years old." -Randall Ramsey
In this interview Ardmoreite Robert Whitaker talks about his experiences with his 1950 Cushman scooter back in its hayday. Mp3 File size: 2 megs. Length: 16 minutes
Click here to listen....... Robert Whitaker Interview 11/23/04
11/13/04 Back in 1926 Madge Hunter of Billings, Oklahoma was just out of high school and working at the local bank there in Billings as a clerk when two armed men came in and robbed the bank. Madge retales the story here in detail. Madge Hunter may be older than the state of Oklahoma, but she's sharp as a tack!
Mp3 File size: 2 megs. Length: 16 min.Click here to listen....... Madge Hunter Interview 11/13/04
11/08/04 An interview with Herman Kirkwood of Oklahoma City. Herman is president of the Oklahoma Outlaws Lawmen History Association. In this 35 minute interview Herman talks primarily about Dr. Zeno Beemblossom and the murder of his 13 year old son by outlaws before statehood. But Herman also talks about Jessie Chisholm and the Chisholm trail, Herman's childhood at Konawa, Oklahoma, and other interestings pieces of history.
Mp3 File size: 4 megs. Length: 35 min.Click here to listen....... Herman Kirkwood Interview 11/08/04
Link to the OKOLHA Website..... Click Here
Email Butch Bridges
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